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Welcome to Class K-205 |
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Reading:
Here are a few things that you can do to help build your child's literacy skills:
- If reading time is difficult, feel free to share in the reading. Taking turns and having discussions will help build your child's comprehension skills.
- If your child can’t sound out a word, suggest skipping it, reading the rest of the sentence, and deciding what word would make sense.
- Leave notes on the refrigerator or in a lunch bag for your child to discover and read.
- Take your reader to the library to sign up for his or her own library card.
- Choose books on your child's reading level. You may also choose a book or two that the next level up to build their skills.
- When your child reads aloud, help them catch and correct their own mistakes by asking guiding questions. For example, you might ask, “Does that word really make sense here? What letter does it start with? What do you think the word could be?”
- Talk about the books you read together and about the books your children are reading on their own.
- Don’t stop reading aloud! Developing readers can read simple books alone, but they still need you to help read the kinds of books that will challenge their thinking and build their vocabulary.
- Ask your child questions as they read to check for understanding.
Math:
The math your child brings home may look different from the math you remember doing as a child. Here are some helpful tips to guide your child:
- Go over the directions with him/her and find out what they do and don't understand about the assignment.
- Ask them where they think they should begin.
- Suggest that they draw or make a model to explain their thinking.
- Ask more guiding questions such as
- "What should you do next?"
- "Is this answer reasonable?"
- "Did you answer the question?"
- "Can you solve it another way?"
- If they struggle to understand the subject matter or have trouble keeping up with the amount of homework assigned, ask us for recommendations.
- Suggest looking for help on the internet. (Math.com has math help for parents and students.)
- Remember to resist the temptation to do the homework for them.
The greatest impact on a child's attitude about math is the parent's attitude about math. Show an interest in math and point out to your child the many ways you use math in your everyday life. Help your child understand that every parent is a mathematician.