Helping Your Child Succeed in Kindergarten
Watch the video about the iPad with your child. Students will use a Palmcroft iPad at school during school hours.
More iPad rules
Create a work space for your child to learn at home.
Kindergarten students have homework study Monday to Friday. Our homework offers a menu of "choices" in reading, writing, and math. Students should practice and study the skills he/she may not be able to do fluently. If your child becomes fluent in all areas of reading, writing, and math then I consider most homework study areas to be "optional". However, it is very important for parents to encourage children to practice new skills and as an AVID kindergarten student, there will be a lot of reading and writing skills that must be practiced.
Fluency (Fluent) is indicated as "BENCHMARKED" on the Acadience reading assessment or 80% or higher on the quarterly progress report.
All students should use the B.E.E. binder journal to practice and show evidence of learning their new skills. Every child also has personal learning goals on our online learning sites. The goal for all online tests & quizzes is 80% or higher. Although there is time in class for your child to work online to meet online learning goals, home study is also encouraged in this area. ZEARN math is the most important online program that must be completed in kindergarten as a part of our kindergarten math curriculum.
The most important practice your child can do every evening is to read. Children will not become good readers if they do not practice reading. Study time should be no more than a total of 30 minutes each evening. The 10 minute reading routine is the most rigorous portion of the homework study that will help your child meet goals and accomplish success in reading if it is done every evening Monday-Friday. All children are successful and show learning progress when parents support a daily study routine. Complete the monthly reading log to show your child is practicing reading.
10 Minute Homework Routine
*This 10-minute routine must be done each evening to help your child with reading skills. Additional homework items can be done after the 10- minute reading routine has been accomplished. Please see the monthly homework page for choices in reading, math, writing, and online work.
1. Alphabet letters and sounds page in binder
Student needs to point to each letter while saying the name and sound. If child is struggling: ECHO READ: Parents says letter sound and child repeats
2. Letter reads 50/1-minute (letter names only) in binder
Set the timer to 1 minute Student points to each letter and tries to read 40 letters in 1 minute. Goal is to read 40 in 1 minute If child is struggling: ECHO READ: Parent reads and child repeats the name of each letter quickly
3. Silly Word Reading in binder
Set the timer to 1 minute Student must decode (say the sounds) and recode (say the word) for each word. Goal is 35 sounds read in 1 minute or 8 whole words read in 1 minute w/o sounding out the word. If the child is struggling: ECHO READ: Parent says sounds and reads word, child repeats. Do each word until the timer is done at 1 minute.
4. Sight Words
Read all the sight words on the homework page and write 1 or two of them 3Xs each in the journal. If the child struggles: ECHO READ: Parent reads and child points to each word reads and repeats. Next, choose a word from the list and spell it aloud and then underline it as it is read-do this procedure 3 times for the word. The parent should model it first and they have the child trace it as they spell it aloud and underline it when they say it/read it each time.
5. Book
Students should read a letter or sight word book each night (this is a take-home book provided by Mrs. Haile). Make sure they point to each word as they read it aloud. If the child is struggling: ECHO READ: Parent should read the page and have the child repeat and point to words.
STEPS TO SUCCESS
Meet with your child's teacher and build a positive relationship with them for your child's learning success. Become a partner in educating your child and understand your child's personal learning goals. Connect with ClassDojo daily and visit our class website at www.mrshailesclass.com.
Read to your child and have your child read to you. Encourage reading practice every evening. Students need to read sight words, letter names -50 letters in 1 minute, read silly nonsense words, letter books, sight word books, grade leveled books or stories (e-reader books found on the homework page of our class website). Have a study place available for your child to learn. Complete the monthly reading log each month to show evidence that your child is reading/practicing sight word books at home.
*DO 10 min. Homework routine-added at bottom of this page
Encourage writing practice in the B.E.E. binder journal (only 2 pages a week please) sight words, sentences, numbers, first & last names, etc...check homework page for monthly practice options. There will be wipe-off plastics for fluency writing practice located in the B.E.E. binder. Binder is for practicing neat handwriting.
Work with your child to complete monthly projects. Review projects on the Project Based Learning tab, Engineering tab, and on the Monthly Homework Form. Complete each project and turn it in on time. These projects are part of our Project Based Learning goals and STEMS education. Your child is graded on all projects (paper plate projects, 50th day of school, 100th day of school).
Parent signatures are important. Sign all necessary forms. Sign homework (this is acknowledgement & awareness of online learning goals and supervision of any optional homework study-practice, reading, projects, and engineering). Parent signatures must be present on any field trip notices if your child will be participating off campus.
Help teach responsibility. Check your child's binder often. Keep the Monthly Homework Form in the B.E.E. binder at all times. Make sure it is signed and returned every Monday. Take time to review the table of contents and the binder rubric. The binder must stay organized and neat. Understand that this is part of your child's grade and teaches them responsibility. We use the binder daily in class and your child will use it at home. Make sure your child arrives at school on time daily five days a week. Review the iPad rules video with your child. Make sure your child understands that he/she is responsible for their own binder, iPad, and school tools.
Secret word documentation is evidence of website review. This is not a test but lets the teacher know that parents are browsing our class website and reading important school and class information. Our classroom is open 24/7 online so that parents and students can stay connected and informed. Our class website is updated weekly for parents and students by Mrs. Haile. You should have access to everything you need in kindergarten whenever you need it. Review the DojoClass Story and DojoSchool Story through ClassDojo Messenger system.
Stay in the "know" and be involved. Volunteer at school when you can or join PTO. Collect Box Tops for Education receipts to help our class and school grow (download app on phone and scan receipts for Palmcroft). Visit our Support and Volunteer page of this website to fund and support our class projects. Your child's success depends on you!
Reading Books with Your Child:
When your child reads a story, discuss holding the book flat, turning pages appropriately, and pointing to every word (making eye contact with the word). Ask questions like, What is the setting? Who are the characters? What happened in the story? What is the title of the book? Online reading practice is also encouraged and can be completed on the student homework tab on this website using eBooks for beginning readers...it's FREE!
Reading Monthly Letters & Sounds:
Students will be tested on letters and sounds. They need to practice their letter naming fluency (goal is to name 40 /1 min. A-Z in random order). Students should also practice letters & sounds on the binder alphabet page. There are several other practice pages in the B.E.E. Binder. As your child progresses in the kindergarten school year, he/she will learn how to use and practice each page in the binder.
Reading Fry's Sight Words & Benchmark High Frequency Words
Your child is responsible for recognizing, reading, and writing sight words or High Frequency Words. Each month your child will receive a new monthly list of words located on the monthly homework page. All 100 Fry's words are included in your child's binder (Frys 100 words are our STAR words- the most common used in English language reading & writing). Your child can use the B.E.E. binder journal to write the words three times at least once a week if needed. When doing this, they need to say every letter out loud when they spell/write it and then underline it, saying it aloud as they read the whole word (only have your child practice words they cannot read). If your child has mastered reading and writing these words, then have him/her write a complete sentence using one of the words or practice Fry's fluency phrases found in the B.E.E. Binder along with the extended Fry's word list of 100 words. In order to be a good reader, he/she MUST practice reading. Our reading series, Benchmark Advance has a list of about 60 high frequency sight words. Some of the words are he same.
Read Nonsense "Silly" Words for Fluency
Your child will need to be able to read nonsense words. These words are the Monthly "SILLY" words. The students will all be tested and the goal is 8 nonsense words read in one minute. This means that even after the child says the sounds, they must read the entire word.
Practice Writing
Practice writing words, sentences, numbers, etc...in the B.E.E. Binder journal. The spiral notebook is used to practice writing skills. Only two pages a week of writing practice is sufficient. Students should be encouraged to write neatly and only practice skills outlined on the homework form. The journal is NOT a doodle pad.
Online Learning & Additional Study Resources
Online learning is available using ZEARN (see "Important Links" tab and visit our iPads & Online Learning tab on our class website).
Blended Learning in Kindergarten
Blended learning is an important addition to our Kindergarten program. To meet our personal learning goals in kindergarten, technology has been integrated in all areas of the curriculum creating a blended learning environment. We will be using iPads. All students are assigned an iPad for personal learning use. Please make sure to watch the iPad videos with your kindergarten student and also check each link at the bottom of this page. It is important to read the YSD1 iPad handbook in the link provided before signing the mandatory forms necessary so that your child will receive his/her iPad. Also, please note that technology use in education will be expected for the rest of your child’s education in kindergarten -12th grade. Online access is encouraged at home. The Yuma County Library also offers free online use if needed as well as several other places around our community.
Does Your Child Have a Library Card?
Each year I'm amazed at the number of students who do not have library cards to visit the public library. This is a great, FREE way to access a variety of books! Your child will only become a good, fluent reader if he/she practices reading. Why not get your child a library card? The Yuma County Library has a great selection of books. Did you know that if your local branch doesn't have the book(s) you need, they will transfer it from another branch for you? You can even reserve your books now, and pick them up later! You and your child can also use the other available resources offered at the library! What are you waiting for? Visit the library!
10 Reasons to Read Aloud to Children
by Susan Nixon, MA Ed.
Children will:
1. Hear new words;
2. Develop sentence sense and an ear for rhythm;
3. Enjoy and compare diverse writing styles;
4. Create common connections to ideas (as a class);
5. Use reading as a springboard to discussion and writing;
6. Gain new knowledge and understanding;
7. Hear standard forms of English;
8. Learn about a variety of writing genres;
9. Feel things they've never felt before;
10. Share a wonderful time with you and your favorite read-aloud books!
