- How much homework should I expect?
- What will my child be learning in 3rd grade?
- How can I help my child in school?
- What is your philosophy of teaching?
- Who is going to help?
- How will you be teaching reading?
- What about writing?
How much homework should I expect?
We will have 20 to 30 minutes of reading almost every day. We will have occasional Math homework. They will have a
story to read on Wednesday or Thursday. They will have 5-8 new spelling words
a week plus any previous words for the Spelling test on Friday. Rest over the weekend. I don't give
homework on Fridays.
What will my child be learning in 3rd grade?
I believe that students need to have mastered "the 3 R's" - basic Reading, Writing, and
Math by the time they leave 3rd grade. We also focus strongly on Science,
since it is on the MAP test in 3rd grade. Our Everyday Math program is new to us, but is strong
in problem solving and math understanding.
We are also tested on the MAP in Communication Arts That means reading and
writing.
How can I help my child in school?
Read aloud with them every day, and let them see you read. Let them buy
groceries with you. Let them cook with you. Take them outside and learn
about the wonders of nature with you. Talk to them about what they see. Talk to them about the importance of going to school. Your attitude toward school will be reflected in their attitude toward school. Spending time with your kids will go
long way toward their achievement at school.
What is your philosophy of teaching?
I believe that children learn best when they want to learn and enjoy doing
it. That’s not to say we don’t work hard, focusing on improving our
achievement, but we don’t mind so much if we have a little fun while
working. However, I can’t do it alone.
Who is going to help?
I hope you will. The biggest determiner in your child’s motivation
toward school, is the value your child sees you have for school and
learning. Talk about what they did with their hands, their feet, their eyes,
their ears. They’ll love to tell you . . . with a little prompting.
How will you be teaching reading?
We use the 4-Block Reading Model. It is just what we need to
build reading comprehension. It believes that children learn to in basically four ways: practicing reading comprehension skills, figuring out unfamiliar words, writing and reading their own writing, and reading on their own books of their own choosing.
4-Blocks breaks up the reading time into 4 blocks of time of about 30-40 minutes.
Guided Reading Block: practice comprehension skills
Writing Block: learning to read and write as a write
Self Selected Reading Block: Reading on their own
Working With Words Block: learning about how words are put together and used.
Our school goal is make sure EVERYONE is
reading on at least grade level by year’s end a lofty goal! My goal is
also to also have everyone increase their reading level by at least 1 year.
What about writing?
One block of 4-Block Reading is the Writing Block. Writing goes right along
with reading. It is also a big part of our MAP test. A school goal for
this year is improving writing. We will be using a 4-square organizing
method to help improve our writing. I see lots of great writing ahead.
