Conference Schedule

I look forward to seeing you at parent/teacher conferences in order to share information about your child’s great progress! I will be joining your conference scheduled with the classroom teacher. We will discuss your child’s reading achievements, areas for growth, and our plan for continued success through the rest of the year and the summer. Please come to our conference with any questions you might have about your child’s reading. Here is my schedule, see you this week 🙂

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Reading Support Begins!

Reading support groups for first and second grade began on Monday, September 23. My goal this year is to have my students discover books that they love to read!

reading-clipartFirst Grade:  First graders are focused on being good readers who have confident knowledge of letters/sounds. We are also learning how to use picture clues and the beginning letter to figure out tricky words. Parents can help their first grader by reviewing letters and sounds every day. Having quick recognition of letters/sounds paves the way for reading words. Students who need to review this skill received a letter/sound bingo game from their classroom teacher. While you play, spend a little extra time practicing these tricky letters/sounds: a, e, b, d, g, y, u, and w.

Second Grade:  Second graders are focused on being readers who are problem solvers. We are working on quick recognition of sight word and we are also reviewing the  vowel sounds. Since vowels are often the trickiest part of a word, it is important to hear and blend the correct sounds. By the end of this week, all second graders will have checked out 2 library books. If these books are at your child’s reading level (check the spine of the book, many of our books are now labeled!), you can practice building good reading habits together. Remember, if there are more than 5 tricky words on a page, the book is too hard and should be read aloud to your child instead.

If you have any questions, please contact me. Looking forward to a wonderful year with your wonderful children!

Welcome Back!

animated_ricky_V2As we begin school, I will be checking in with my former reading students. Based on the results of formal assessments, students may qualify for additional reading support. I will contact families regarding this support by the end of September.

In the meantime, you can prepare your child for these busy first weeks by establishing a consistent reading time at home. You can vary this time by having your child read to you or by reading to your child. Remember to have your child read books that are at a “just right” level. “Just right books” can be read easily, with fewer than 5 tricky words per page. Also check to make sure that your child understands the progression of the story. When reading at home, it is better to choose a book that is easier than harder for your child. so that reading time is fun and builds reading confidence. These practices will help to raise a child who chooses to read not just for school, but for enjoyment.

I look forward to checking in with my reading students! If you have any questions, please contact me at school.

Reading Support Begins!

Reading support groups for first and second grade will begin on Monday, October 1. My yearlong goal for all of my students is to discover some just right books that they love to read!

First Grade:  First graders will focus on having confident knowledge of letters/sounds. We will also practice using picture clues and the beginning letters to figure out tricky words. Parents can help their first grader by reviewing letters and sounds every day. Having quick knowledge of letters/sounds paves the way for reading words. Students should have received a letter/sound bingo game from their classroom teacher. This is a great way to review letters and sounds. Let me know if you did not receive this game and would like one.

Second Grade:  Second graders will focus on strengthening comprehension, identifying the Who? and the What? throughout our story. We will also review decoding strategies which help with figuring out a tricky word. Parents can help their second grader by practicing the Who? and the What? while reading and also guiding them to use different decoding strategies when they are stuck on a word. All second graders should have checked out 2 library books this past week. If these books are at your child’s reading level (check the spine of the book, many of our books are now labeled!), you can practice these skills together. A good rule to follow is if there are more than 5 tricky words on a page, a book is too hard and should be read aloud to your child instead.

If you have any questions, please contact me. Looking forward to a wonderful year with some wonderful kids!

Summer Reading

I am extremely proud of my students this year. Please keep your child reading throughout this summer (Raz-kids, trips to the library, Book Box reading). I will reassess your child in the fall to determine any reading support needs for second grade.

♥ Don’t forget… our Georgetown School Library will be open this summer on Tuesdays (10:00-12:00 am) during June and July. Students may check out 2 library books and 2 WEB books each week!!!!

Have a wonderful summer!