English Language Arts
*Reading
I am thrilled to share that we will be using a new reading program this year. The McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders program is the first reading program built based upon the Common Core State Standards. Through this, your child will continue to grow as a reader by improving his/her fluency, comprehension, accuracy, and phonics skills while also developing writing skills by responding to connected text.
The Wonders program provides support for...
In addition to Reading Wonders, I will also be implementing The Daily 5. By using these programs, the skills learned in Wonders are reinforced and differentiated. This also will help a child’s confidence and independence as a reader and writer. They will think critically, communicate with adults and peers, gather information, and further develop self-confidence.
*Reading at Home
I encourage reading with your child at home as much as possible. This will help continue skills learned in school, as well as foster a child’s love for books.
3 Reasons to Read with Your Elementary Schooler Every Night
By: Amy Mascott- Scholastic.com
Here are three reasons to read with your elementary schooler every night:
1. Time together.
The number one reason for reading each night is quality time together. Period. Life gets nuts when kids go to elementary school. Between homework, lessons, classes, and meetings, it's a crazy time. But carving out that small amount of time—even
if it's 10-15 minutes, which is just enough time to read one chapter of a book—is totally worth scheduling into your day. I'm betting payoffs for this small, scheduled “date” with your child will be big in the long-term.
2. Listening to fluent reading.
If you choose to do the reading, which I strongly suggest you do, then this time together allows your child to listen to what fluent reading should sound like. You don't need to go crazy with voices and sounds—just read naturally and normally. The more your younger readers hear what fluent reading should sound like, the better! It reminds them how their reading should sound.
3. Talking about texts.
It doesn't need to be an in-depth discussion about characters, plotline, or style, but you may be surprised at how your conversations evolve after you read together for some time. You can begin by just “thinking aloud”—every few pages, share your thoughts about the text out loud, kind of like a built-in commentary. Your child will hear how you think about and process text as you read, and soon it will become habitual for him or her to do the same. Over time, incorporate questions or thought-provoking statements and involve your child.
*Writing
Our district will be implementing a new writing program this year. In addition to the writing program found in Reading Wonders, we will also be implementing Empowering Writers. Through this program, students will learn how to use a graphic organizer to develop ideas, draft, edit and revise, and publish a final piece of writing.
To learn more about Empowering Writers visit http://empoweringwriters.com
I am thrilled to share that we will be using a new reading program this year. The McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders program is the first reading program built based upon the Common Core State Standards. Through this, your child will continue to grow as a reader by improving his/her fluency, comprehension, accuracy, and phonics skills while also developing writing skills by responding to connected text.
The Wonders program provides support for...
- Building a strong reading foundation
- Accessing complex text
- Finding and using text evidence
- Engaging in collaborative conversations
- Writing to sources
In addition to Reading Wonders, I will also be implementing The Daily 5. By using these programs, the skills learned in Wonders are reinforced and differentiated. This also will help a child’s confidence and independence as a reader and writer. They will think critically, communicate with adults and peers, gather information, and further develop self-confidence.
*Reading at Home
I encourage reading with your child at home as much as possible. This will help continue skills learned in school, as well as foster a child’s love for books.
3 Reasons to Read with Your Elementary Schooler Every Night
By: Amy Mascott- Scholastic.com
Here are three reasons to read with your elementary schooler every night:
1. Time together.
The number one reason for reading each night is quality time together. Period. Life gets nuts when kids go to elementary school. Between homework, lessons, classes, and meetings, it's a crazy time. But carving out that small amount of time—even
if it's 10-15 minutes, which is just enough time to read one chapter of a book—is totally worth scheduling into your day. I'm betting payoffs for this small, scheduled “date” with your child will be big in the long-term.
2. Listening to fluent reading.
If you choose to do the reading, which I strongly suggest you do, then this time together allows your child to listen to what fluent reading should sound like. You don't need to go crazy with voices and sounds—just read naturally and normally. The more your younger readers hear what fluent reading should sound like, the better! It reminds them how their reading should sound.
3. Talking about texts.
It doesn't need to be an in-depth discussion about characters, plotline, or style, but you may be surprised at how your conversations evolve after you read together for some time. You can begin by just “thinking aloud”—every few pages, share your thoughts about the text out loud, kind of like a built-in commentary. Your child will hear how you think about and process text as you read, and soon it will become habitual for him or her to do the same. Over time, incorporate questions or thought-provoking statements and involve your child.
*Writing
Our district will be implementing a new writing program this year. In addition to the writing program found in Reading Wonders, we will also be implementing Empowering Writers. Through this program, students will learn how to use a graphic organizer to develop ideas, draft, edit and revise, and publish a final piece of writing.
To learn more about Empowering Writers visit http://empoweringwriters.com
Mathematics
*Investigations
Our district's primary math program is Investigations. This program aligned to the Common Core State Standards and will help students understand the fundamentals of number and operations, geometry, data, measurement, and algebra. The curriculum is designed to
To learn more about Investigations visit http://investigations.terc.edu/families/
*Every Day Counts
In addition to Investigations, we also use Every Day Counts. This is used to supplement and reinforce various areas in the
math curriculum. We start each day with EDC for about 20 minutes, and the students love the hands on activities.
Our district's primary math program is Investigations. This program aligned to the Common Core State Standards and will help students understand the fundamentals of number and operations, geometry, data, measurement, and algebra. The curriculum is designed to
- Support students to make sense of mathematics and learn that they can be mathematical thinkers
- Focus on computational fluency with whole numbers as a major goal of the elementary grades
- Provide substantive work in important areas of mathematics—rational numbers, geometry, measurement, data, and early algebra—and connections among them
- Emphasize reasoning about mathematical ideas
- Communicate mathematics content and pedagogy to teachers
- Engage the range of learners in understanding mathematics.
To learn more about Investigations visit http://investigations.terc.edu/families/
*Every Day Counts
In addition to Investigations, we also use Every Day Counts. This is used to supplement and reinforce various areas in the
math curriculum. We start each day with EDC for about 20 minutes, and the students love the hands on activities.