It is hard to believe that another school year is almost over. I have been thinking back over the year and the progress that each students has made. It is delightful to remember what each student was like at the beginning of the year and to think about how they have matured, and grown and learned. Each of my students is a special blessing and I thank you for entrusting part of their education to me. I hope you have a wonderful summer together as a family.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
For the Week of May 14th
Talent Show
The lists for the talent show will be posted on the front bulletin board by Wednesday of this week.
Summer Reading
Now is the time to be thinking about how you are going to incorporate reading into your summer schedule. One idea is to hire an older student or sibling to read with your child for a half hour a day. Another is to do it at the beginning of the morning. Routine is important because it helps the child know what is expected. If they don't care for reading, then they realize that there will be an end and they can move on to the activities that they enjoy more. If your child struggles with reading it is even more important that they spend time reading during the summer. Children that love to read, will read during the summer. If your child is a struggling reader and he/she does not read during the summer, the reading gap will widen, and your child will get even further behind. I cannot overstate how important this is for your child.
The lists for the talent show will be posted on the front bulletin board by Wednesday of this week.
Summer Reading
Now is the time to be thinking about how you are going to incorporate reading into your summer schedule. One idea is to hire an older student or sibling to read with your child for a half hour a day. Another is to do it at the beginning of the morning. Routine is important because it helps the child know what is expected. If they don't care for reading, then they realize that there will be an end and they can move on to the activities that they enjoy more. If your child struggles with reading it is even more important that they spend time reading during the summer. Children that love to read, will read during the summer. If your child is a struggling reader and he/she does not read during the summer, the reading gap will widen, and your child will get even further behind. I cannot overstate how important this is for your child.
Friday, May 4, 2012
For the Week of May 7th
IRA Convention
Last Wednesday I had the privilege of attending the mammoth International Reading Association Convention at McCormick Place in Chicago. It was interesting to see some of the new items companies are selling to help teachers teach reading. Apps for I-Pads was huge. The workshops were also great. One presenter showed a graph of how many words a student reads in a year compared to how long they read. She then showed us the difference in the number of words if the student reads 10 more minutes per day than they were reading. It was astounding. People tend to think - 10 minutes, what is 10 minutes? But if each child could spend just 10 minutes more per day reading than they already are, it would make a huge difference in the amount of words they have read in a year. It could also make a huge difference in their reading ability. Small amounts every day add up to large amounts, and larger gains by the end of the year.
Last Wednesday I had the privilege of attending the mammoth International Reading Association Convention at McCormick Place in Chicago. It was interesting to see some of the new items companies are selling to help teachers teach reading. Apps for I-Pads was huge. The workshops were also great. One presenter showed a graph of how many words a student reads in a year compared to how long they read. She then showed us the difference in the number of words if the student reads 10 more minutes per day than they were reading. It was astounding. People tend to think - 10 minutes, what is 10 minutes? But if each child could spend just 10 minutes more per day reading than they already are, it would make a huge difference in the amount of words they have read in a year. It could also make a huge difference in their reading ability. Small amounts every day add up to large amounts, and larger gains by the end of the year.
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