This month, I’m focusing on strategies you can use for Integration of Knowledge and Ideas.  My hope is that you find the outline of the standard and the simple activities you can do at home and easy bridge in helping build your child’s skills in these areas.

What it means:  Within this strand, students will be working to compare and contrast details from stories, describe key ideas using details in informational text, and tell how two texts on the same topic differ.

How parents can help:  For younger students, encourage your child to describe how the illustrations within a book support the story. Some questions to ask:

• Where did their mother go?
• Who are the characters?
• Where does the story take place?
• What is the problem/solution?
• What do we know about the characters?
• Does the setting change over time?

For older students, have fun reading different versions of the same fairy or folk tale. Talk about the similarities and differences between the two books. Then switch to nonfiction and read two books on the same topic. Compare the information in each, again focusing on similarities and differences. “Let’s look at each book and think about the words used to describe _______.  How are the descriptions alike? How are they different?”

Our Reading Specialist, Noelle Garneau, reached out and secured Kiri, a READ Therapy dog.  Kiri will be coming in twice a month to read with students. Here are some pictures from our first visit with Kiri.

 

 

 

 

Faculty at Discovery dressed up as their favorite book character. Can you figure out which characters are represented? 

Ways to Support Common Core State Standards

We know that the Common Core standards are a big change for students- and their parents.  My hope is that you find the outline of the standard and the simple activities you can do at home and easy bridge in helping build your child’s skills in these areas. There are four broad areas of The Common Core reading standards:

• Key Ideas and Details
• Craft and Structure
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
• Range and Level of Complexity

Key Ideas and Details

What it means:  With the workshop model, your child is encouraged to read “long and strong” and large volumes of different texts.  As they read, teachers will be asking them to understand what is happening, summarize important events and recall details that are important to the story or topic.

How Parents Can Help:  After you share a reading of the story or your child has finished reading the book independently, talk about the important elements from the beginning, middle and end. Ask your child to retell – tell the story in their own words starting in the beginning (grades K-1) or have them summarize the reading (grades 2+) in their own words by mentioning the most important elements of the text.   After reading nonfiction, ask questions about the information.  Ex. How is a whale different and same as a fish?

For more information click this link or visit Discovering Literacy Blog

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xJ9HXEWHU5sK85ddHfhDqt22dEUUy_zPFgy3GrUHZSA/edit?usp=sharing

 

Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub

One-Time School Activation Code: MVBKL

Dear Families,

It can be tough finding the right books to keep them interested, which is why I am so excited that our school  will be participating in Scholastic Reading Club this school year. You can order books for your children online simply by going to scholastic.com/readingclub and then going to Parent section and typing in the One-Time Class Activation Code: MVBKL 

So, if you have a child in first grade and a child in fourth grade you can place and order and pay it online. The books will be delivered to each of your students when they come in.

 With Scholastic Reading Club:

• Every book you buy earns FREE Books for our school
• You can choose from handpicked, grade- and reading-level-specific books for your child
• You’ll find the best values on a variety of formats

Each month, you’ll get a reminder that a new flyer is available for you to order from. Together you view the flyer online and choose from books hand-selected by teachers and experts, and then order online or send a print out of your order form and payment to me (checks only- made out to Scholastic).

 

Thank you for your support,

 

• VISIT scholastic.com/readingclub
• ENTER the one-time Class Activation Code (top of this letter) MVBKL
• SHOP from a carefully curated selection of the best books and value packs
• SUBMIT your order and earn FREE Books for our classroom

**** Your child’s teacher may be doing their own classroom order forms that she sends home with students. If that is the case, please follow her lead on how to order. 

 

http://youtu.be/i4H3BtGw8Ks

Dear Families,

As summer break approaches, you might be thinking about family vacations, trips to the pool, beaches, or parks, keeping children engaged in activities at home, and of course how to juggle it all!  Summer can also be a time to relax with books that your child finds interesting.

Research has shown that when students are not reading during the summer they lose about 2 months of learning. Educators call this the “Summer Slide”.

We, at Discovery Academy want to motivate everyone in our school family to read over the summer.  Children are being asked to participate in the Governor’s Reading Challenge. The QR code below links directly to website where resources and book lists are available.  In addition, each student will go home with these resources printed for you. If you are in need of books for your child to read, please contact me at dleja@crec.org or send in a note to child’s teacher.

Please consider donating gentle used children’s books.   Send them in with your child by June 16.

 

When school begins on September 2, send in reading logs with your child. There will be a celebration for all students who participated in the reading challenge in our new school!

Our challenge will be 500,000 minutes read by students from June 22- September 1!

 (That’s 20 minutes each day by every student)

 

 

Writing workshop is an instruction model that focuses on the strengths and needs of each individual writer. Teachers provide direct instruction on the writing process, craft, genre and mechanics. Students are given time and choice of what to write, and opportunities to share with audiences.

How will my child be assessed? Writing workshop assessment is ongoing. The teacher monitors your child’s writing progress through notes taken during conferencing and small group work. Rubrics will be used to assess your student’s writing process, as well as end products for each genre. Students are given a 45 minutes on demand writing prompt routinely throughout the school year.

How to help at home?

• Let your child see you write and talk with him about how you use writing in your life.
• Provide writing materials for your child-paper with lines and no lines, pencils and pens. Gifts such as shaped tablets, journals, spirals, colored pencils, markers, and erasers are motivating.
• Help your child write letters and e-mails to relatives and friends.
• Provide a journal or diary for your child to record his or her day.
• Help your child brainstorm ideas and organize them. This is called a “Seed Journal.”
• Stress the importance of the writing process and not just the final product.
• Do not write for your child.
• Respond to WHAT your child writes rather than HOW they write it.
• Praise your child’s writing. Ignore minor errors.
• Help with spelling as needed, but do not expect your child to spell every word correctly.

More information to come!