This week we will be having our student led parent conferences. Today we will be sending home a parent survey to be completed and signed. I would like to hear from you some honest feedback. I am very pleased with how this year is moving along. We are very busy with our History projects right now. Your child has a hand out on the requirements and details for this project. Please make sure to sign this paper and return it with your child to class. We are devoting many hours of class time to the completion of this project. This project will most likely require the students to complete some of the work at home.
In my language arts group we are beginning a story written by O. Henery. The Children seem to be rapidly progressing in language arts. I can’t believe that the students have come this far in only three months! The direct instruction is really working. It can be intense for the children at times but you can see that the children making tremendous growth in both comprehension and fluency. For the writing component we are focusing on the story details, character traits, sequencing, vocabulary, and inference. We are about to complete our third mastery test. Wow!
For my math class we are working on long division and multiplication facts. We are also constructing word problem families. We are also converting fractions to decimals. There might be additional work available to students who feel they need extra help on some of the math components. Practice after all does make perfect.
I am sure that you have heard what a wonderful time we are having at the skateboard park. I am so impressed with the ability of my students. I am going to take some pictures of them because I am very proud of them. I am especially amazed at the students who have never ridden a skateboard before. I wouldn’t have guessed that they were new to skateboarding.
See you soon!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Other learning options
Let the Learning Continue:
“No Homework” Policy does not mean that the learning stops when the students leave Innovations Academy for the day. Instead, I.A. wants to encourage the students to develop a “thirst” for further knowledge, and to use their creative abilities to do further learning exploration. The entire family can participate in this quest for further knowledge. There is no one path that is best; any path that results in furthering a student's knowledge is a good path.
Here are some ways that the school and the students’ families can help the students have fun expanding their horizons:
Language Arts:
1) READ READ READ!
A) Home: Encourage reading instead of TV Watching or Video games. Doesn't matter what the reading material is. Let the student pick his/her own books. Plan a weekly visit to the public library to pick out books. Read the newspaper together and discuss the day's topics at dinner. Read an interesting article in a magazine. Complete a reading log to map progress and show how many books have been read. Make this a family project and set a goal for each month. Reward as the family sees fit when the goals are reached.
B) School: Encourage the student to share his reading experience once a month with his
classmates by selecting any of the following:
− doing an oral book report
− writing a book review
− creating a diorama of a scene from the book
− creating a “read this book” poster
− creating a hanging mobile with characters from the book
− any other creative idea for sharing
Create a reading chart where students graph out the books they have read in order to reach a class goal.
Class Ideas:
-Book reports can be tied into state writing & reading comprehension objectives. For example, the book report might be centered around the topic of theme. The student writes about the theme and gives examples throughout the story that support the theme.
-The diorama can be centered around the concept of setting
-The mobile could focus on theme at the top center, followed by the second tier covering key characters: the antagonist, protangonist.
-A reading chart/graph could be tied into the appropriate Social Studies topic. For example, in 3rd, each book the student reads moves their selected explorer’s boat 1 week in time on his voyage. The cutout boat could be placed on a map and move along the route that the explorer took. The student achieves some reward for reading enough to get his explorer to land. The 4th grader moves from CA landmark (many different missions, the state capital, national parks) to landmark with each book he reads. “Visiting” each landmark in CA earns the reader a reward.
2) Increase the student's vocabulary.
A) Home: Play word games like Scrabble, Pictionary, Boggle, and Password to help
increase vocabulary skills. Have the student create his own vocabulary list from class or personal reading. Play word games using the class vocabulary list to reinforce the learning.
B) School: Help the student increase his vocabulary by having a weekly vocabulary list:
-either have student groups create vocabulary lists from class lessons
- or use the appropriate level vocabulary list from www.sadlier-oxford.com
Print out the word list or the flash cards. Have students complete the exercises or create
learning games (cross words, hangman, cryptograms) using the word lists to help grow
the student’s vocabulary.
Class Ideas:
-Either committees of students or the teacher picks/creates a weekly word list.
-Students are responsible to pick out whichever exercise from an approved list that will
help them to learn the words: creating flash cards, writing sentences, writing the definition,
creating a crossword puzzle
3) Help the student to develop his writing skills
A) Home: Encourage the student to write daily: either in a journal or by supplementing class assignments.
B) School: Have the student keep a journal to track his daily writing progress. Encourage the student to select written reports/analyses as options for book reports, social studies reports, etc.
Class Ideas:
-Have the students bring in an outside writing sample once a month to place in their files:
a thank you letter to a family member, an essay for a local contest. These samples could be
tied into the state standards.
Math:
4) Improve the student’s understanding of math concepts
A) Home: Continually practice math facts: addition (know facts up to 10 + 20) , subtraction, multiplication (know tables up to 12 x 12), division. Play math-based games: Tribulation, Multiplication Bingo, Math Trivia. Utilize internet websites for supplemental learning to reinforce class lessons: www.algebra.com; www.funbrain.com; www.math4kids.com; (google “math games” for more). Check with the teacher for supplemental learning exercises to help reinforce the math concepts taught in school.
B) School: Keep reinforcing the math concepts learned by sending home a summary sheet with sample exercises for the student to use for optional practice. Work with the student to cite real world examples where math lesson topics are utilized.
Social Studies:
5) Supplement the social studies/history lessons presented during class
A) Home: Visit museums (watch for special exhibits), re-enactments, monuments, special sites. Watch History Channel programs that complement the lessons taught in class. Check out videos of historical documentaries or travel logs at the video store or local library. Have the student write to tourist centers, educational foundations, state capital information centers requesting information.
B) School: Sponsor a learning event: “Egypt/Greece Fair” “Pioneer Days” “State Fairs” “Explorer Days”. The students research, plan and execute the event. Students display supplementary projects during the event: dioramas, 3d models,
“No Homework” Policy does not mean that the learning stops when the students leave Innovations Academy for the day. Instead, I.A. wants to encourage the students to develop a “thirst” for further knowledge, and to use their creative abilities to do further learning exploration. The entire family can participate in this quest for further knowledge. There is no one path that is best; any path that results in furthering a student's knowledge is a good path.
Here are some ways that the school and the students’ families can help the students have fun expanding their horizons:
Language Arts:
1) READ READ READ!
A) Home: Encourage reading instead of TV Watching or Video games. Doesn't matter what the reading material is. Let the student pick his/her own books. Plan a weekly visit to the public library to pick out books. Read the newspaper together and discuss the day's topics at dinner. Read an interesting article in a magazine. Complete a reading log to map progress and show how many books have been read. Make this a family project and set a goal for each month. Reward as the family sees fit when the goals are reached.
B) School: Encourage the student to share his reading experience once a month with his
classmates by selecting any of the following:
− doing an oral book report
− writing a book review
− creating a diorama of a scene from the book
− creating a “read this book” poster
− creating a hanging mobile with characters from the book
− any other creative idea for sharing
Create a reading chart where students graph out the books they have read in order to reach a class goal.
Class Ideas:
-Book reports can be tied into state writing & reading comprehension objectives. For example, the book report might be centered around the topic of theme. The student writes about the theme and gives examples throughout the story that support the theme.
-The diorama can be centered around the concept of setting
-The mobile could focus on theme at the top center, followed by the second tier covering key characters: the antagonist, protangonist.
-A reading chart/graph could be tied into the appropriate Social Studies topic. For example, in 3rd, each book the student reads moves their selected explorer’s boat 1 week in time on his voyage. The cutout boat could be placed on a map and move along the route that the explorer took. The student achieves some reward for reading enough to get his explorer to land. The 4th grader moves from CA landmark (many different missions, the state capital, national parks) to landmark with each book he reads. “Visiting” each landmark in CA earns the reader a reward.
2) Increase the student's vocabulary.
A) Home: Play word games like Scrabble, Pictionary, Boggle, and Password to help
increase vocabulary skills. Have the student create his own vocabulary list from class or personal reading. Play word games using the class vocabulary list to reinforce the learning.
B) School: Help the student increase his vocabulary by having a weekly vocabulary list:
-either have student groups create vocabulary lists from class lessons
- or use the appropriate level vocabulary list from www.sadlier-oxford.com
Print out the word list or the flash cards. Have students complete the exercises or create
learning games (cross words, hangman, cryptograms) using the word lists to help grow
the student’s vocabulary.
Class Ideas:
-Either committees of students or the teacher picks/creates a weekly word list.
-Students are responsible to pick out whichever exercise from an approved list that will
help them to learn the words: creating flash cards, writing sentences, writing the definition,
creating a crossword puzzle
3) Help the student to develop his writing skills
A) Home: Encourage the student to write daily: either in a journal or by supplementing class assignments.
B) School: Have the student keep a journal to track his daily writing progress. Encourage the student to select written reports/analyses as options for book reports, social studies reports, etc.
Class Ideas:
-Have the students bring in an outside writing sample once a month to place in their files:
a thank you letter to a family member, an essay for a local contest. These samples could be
tied into the state standards.
Math:
4) Improve the student’s understanding of math concepts
A) Home: Continually practice math facts: addition (know facts up to 10 + 20) , subtraction, multiplication (know tables up to 12 x 12), division. Play math-based games: Tribulation, Multiplication Bingo, Math Trivia. Utilize internet websites for supplemental learning to reinforce class lessons: www.algebra.com; www.funbrain.com; www.math4kids.com; (google “math games” for more). Check with the teacher for supplemental learning exercises to help reinforce the math concepts taught in school.
B) School: Keep reinforcing the math concepts learned by sending home a summary sheet with sample exercises for the student to use for optional practice. Work with the student to cite real world examples where math lesson topics are utilized.
Social Studies:
5) Supplement the social studies/history lessons presented during class
A) Home: Visit museums (watch for special exhibits), re-enactments, monuments, special sites. Watch History Channel programs that complement the lessons taught in class. Check out videos of historical documentaries or travel logs at the video store or local library. Have the student write to tourist centers, educational foundations, state capital information centers requesting information.
B) School: Sponsor a learning event: “Egypt/Greece Fair” “Pioneer Days” “State Fairs” “Explorer Days”. The students research, plan and execute the event. Students display supplementary projects during the event: dioramas, 3d models,
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