The PARENT'S PAGE includes helpful homework and reading comprehension tips for you and your child, plus World Wide Web links with reference to "parents, children, and education".
Any time that you feel you would like a conference with respect to your child's progress in class, I am requesting that you set up an appointment with me so that we may have ample time for our conference.
In the event that your child is absent from school, it is your child's responsibility to find out what was covered in class on the day(s) your child was absent. This includes all work covered in class, plus homework assignments. The rule is that a student has as many days as he/she was absent to complete MAKE-UP WORK. Please remind your child to turn in all written make-up work as one package.
You can request MAKE-UP WORK for your child on the day your child is absent by calling the school at 508-830-4320 BEFORE 10:00 a.m. Make-up materials can be picked up at the front desk. If you request, make-up work can be delivered to a sibling to take home or a friend in another classroom who would be willing to deliver it to your child.
Homework reinforces the skills your child has learned in the classroom. Homework helps your child to develop a better sense of responsibility and to be accountable to incorporate into their homework what has been learned in a subject on any particular day.
Homework does not have to be a hassle if you help your child "set the stage" properly.
Set up a homework study area. Children will do a better job on homework if they have an appropriate place to study, and if they have all the necessary supplies at hand. Encourage your child to study in a quiet, well-lit area, and free from any distraction.
Talk to your child about daily homework assignments. Rather than asking, "Is your homework finished?" Try saying, "Let me take a look at your homework."
Set a specific time for homework to be completed. Discuss and decide together with your child what the best time would be to work on completion of homework.
Be available to your child for 15 minutes every night. No distractions! Shut off the TV, no phone calls, etc.
Your child needs to ask you to please sign the HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT SHEET when homework is completed. If your child is not requesting this, please ask to "look over" the homework sheet.
Completed homework should be put in the same place at night. Work needs to be placed in a backpack and placed near a door where your child exits every morning. Nothing is more frustrating than getting the homework done and leaving it at home.
The AGENDA helps your child organize and keep track of "things to do and remember" about homework and the classroom.
COMMUNICATION between parents and the teacher needs to be open and on-going throughout the school year. This AGENDA is also intended to be a "go-between" for parents and the teacher. Notes from you to me with reference to HOMEWORK may be written on this worksheet. Please remind your child to inform me as soon as your child arrives at school if you have written a note in the AGENDA for the present day.
Please ask your child to share his/her completed homework with you after homework is completed, and then sign the AGENDA for your child.
Written in the AGENDA, you will see homework assignments, project due dates, field trip reminders, TEST and QUIZ dates, and more! Some QUIZZES will be announced, but some will not be announced. All TEST dates will be announced.
CHAPTER BOOK READING
It is a requirement that your child has a CHAPTER BOOK in class at all times. Help your child choose a book that is of a reading level which is not too difficult to read and understand. It is important your child chooses a chapter book that he/she will enjoy reading and one that your child will finish reading as well.
READING GENRE
READING "GENRE" refers to the "type" or "category" of reading material that you read. It is important to remember throughout the school year, that your child needs to experience reading a variety of genre.
READING GENRE LIST: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Biography,
Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Fable, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folktale, Legend, Mythology, Drama Mystery, Poetry, Short Stories, Humor, Adventure.
The HOME READING RECORD worksheet is designed to help your child keep track of all reading done at home. The required nightly reading time is no less than 15 minutes. (Of course, more is even better!) Every time your child reads, he/she will use the HOME READING RECORD worksheet to mark down the amount of time read, the title of the source read (the source may be a chapter book, a book read to a younger sibling, a text book, newspaper, etc.), and how many pages read. Your child needs to ask you to please sign the HOME READING RECORD worksheet every night he/she reads. When your child has reached a total reading time of 300 minutes (five hours), the HOME READING RECORD worksheet is then given to the teacher.
To assess reading comprehension, give your child a mini oral quiz, or ask your child to retell the story in as much detail as possible. Events need to be retold in sequential order.
Ask questions such as:
- Who are the main characters in the story? Tell me detailed facts about the characters.
- What is the time and place (setting) of the book or story?
Describe the setting in detail.
- What is the plot of the story (main idea)? Explain the main idea in detail.
- Is there a problem in the story that needs to be solved (figured out)?
Explain what the problem is in detail.
- What are the major events in the story that help to solve the problem?
Explain the major events in detail.
- How is the problem solved? Explain in detail how the problem is solved.
To help your child become more proficient in the area of comprehension, ask your child to reread the material, either aloud to you or silently. Ask the same questions again to assess greater understanding of the material that has been read. At the same time, this is also an opportunity for your child to work on oral language skills.
Miss Swetland's e-mail