It Starts at Home
Your child spends a lot of time with me throughout the day. There is a lot to learn, choices to make, and high expectations to meet. Your child may be drained by the end of the day. It is so crucial that your child gets the rest needed and proper nutrition.
Although it is tempting to fall asleep to the TV or tablet, the screen time right before bed can really affect your child’s sleep. Establish a good bedtime and routine a couple of weeks before school starts. Yes, they will complain, mine always do. However, it will pass and their bodies will get used to the new schedule. A book before bed is always recommended along with talking about all the good things that happened that day and the excitement of what tomorrow will bring.
Our school tries to offer a variety of healthy food options. Make sure if your child is bringing their lunch you check it before it leaves home. I have found kids bringing in only chips or other snack items in their lunch box and often are feeling sick or very run down throughout the second half of their school day. A good breakfast is also very important. Our school provides breakfast options every day. Be sure to have your child here early and they can enjoy some fuel for their body before starting their school day.
Helpful Tips with Academics
Math
Practice those addition and subtraction facts within 20. Make sure your child can count by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Work on identifying, counting, and writing numbers to at least 120. We will also work on place value through 120 using hundreds, tens, and ones. I will cover telling time to the hour and half past on both analog and digital clocks. The homework given is NEVER graded but is encouraged to try to complete. Please check all work to catch errors and make sure your child corrects any errors. You have the ability to catch misunderstandings that may not have shown up in the classroom during math time.
Reading Tips
Read, read, read, read, and read. Be a role model for your child. Take time to read yourself. Children learn the value of reading when we take the time to do it for ourselves. Do think alouds while you read to them. Children do not always know that we are actively thinking about characters and story problems or that we are making predictions or even rereading for clarity. Break reading into smaller pieces until it is clear your child can summarize or answer basic questions about the text they are listening to or reading. Please continue to read aloud to your child. They gain so much more than you know. They learn to love reading by spending that time with you. They learn new sight words and vocabulary and they even learn what it sounds like to be a fluent reader.
Other Ways to Help
Volunteering
I would absolutely love to have an extra pair of hands to work with students during workstation time. Whether it is listening to a child read, running a reading or math game, working on math facts, or assisting in the writing process, your help is very valuable.
Important Dates
Always refer to any email updates or Bloomz reminders sent out. Most importantly, review your child’s homework/newsletter in your child’s folder.
Things to ask your child
Never settle for “good” as an answer to how was your day. If your child is not very forthcoming, ask them about lunch or recess then find out more about their day by asking what they read or wrote about. Inquire what they did in math. It’s important to ask them about their friendships the good and the bad so that you can help them problem solve if needed.
Things to share with me
What goals do you have for your child? What does your child excel in? What areas are weaker? How much time does it take your child to practice spelling or word wall words? How about homework? What drives (motivates) your child to want to do well? What interests your child?