Basic math facts need to be practiced regularly.  There are many practice activities under "links."  Math homework packs will begin in January.

This year’s home reading program is called the RAH RAH Club.  Each child should read for fifteen (or more) minutes, four (or more) times each week.  A parent (or adult caregiver) then initials the calendar.  Each child is asked to complete one (or more) response activities and bring the activity(ies) to school before last day of the month.

Here are some suggestions of questions and topics of conversation that you might try while reading with your child:

1. Before reading:

Picture Walk

Ø  Talk about the title and the picture on the front cover of the book.

Ø  Ask your child to make predictions about the book.

Ø  Ask your child tell you what he/she knows about the topic.

Ø  Ask your child look and tell you about the pictures.

Ø  Quickly scan the page and help your child with any phrases he/she might not have heard, with unusual words, or with words that used in an unusual way.

2. During reading:

Reading strategies

Is your child:

Ø Thinking "What would make sense?  What would sound right?  What would look right?" when something does not make sense to her / him? 

Ø Self-correcting when something does not make sense?

Ø  Using the picture to help him / her when something does not make sense or encountering an unknown word?

Ø  Re-reading the sentence?

Ø   Looking at the beginning of an unknown word?

Ø  Skipping an unknown word and reading on?

Ø  Stretching out an unknown word?

Talk with your child about what is happening in the story and ask" What do you think is going to happen next?  What questions are you wondering about?"

3. After reading                                                               

Talk about the story

Ø  Who was in the story?

Ø  What is the name of the _____?

Ø  Where did the story take place?

Ø  Do you know a place like that?

Ø  When did the story take place?

Ø  Do you think that could happen today?

Ø  What happened at the beginning of the story? What happened next? How did the story end?

Ø  What was the problem of the story? How was the problem solved?

Ø  What did the story make you think about?

Ø  How did you feel when...?

Ø  What questions do you have about the story?

Ø  Were there any words you did not understand?

Ø  What does the book remind you of?

Ø  Which part did you like best / least?

Ø  What was the funny / sad part of the story?

Ø  Is there another way this story might end?  How would you write a different ending to the story?