Growing Readers, Writers and Mathematicians
In order for students to grow as readers, writers and mathematicians, they need practice being each of those things. With Janney's exceptional staff and the adoption of the reader's and writer's workshop curriculum, students are getting both an optimal amount of time practicing and insightful teacher feedback that challenges them in this practice. My job is to give that extra boost to kids who need it, when they need it, and set them up for success all on their own. Each time I meet with a student, be that in Math, Reading, or Writing, we review their previous learning and move forward with a new piece that builds on that learning. The growth my students have experienced each year proves that every child can learn and does learn provided they have access to excellent, meaningful instruction.
What can you do to help your child grow?
1. Give them practice. Make this practice fun and engaging.
For instance:
Writing- Let them write a postcard or letter to their friends. This gives them practice drafting what they would like to say and putting those words (or beginning sounds) down on paper.
Math- For the early grades, play Top It, a card game in which each player lays out a card and the highest card holder takes all. To increase the difficulty, play Addition Top It, where each player draws two cards off the top of their pile and adds the two numbers. Whichever player with the higher sum, takes all four cards.
Reading- Make words with magnetic letters. Change the first letter to make non-sense words. This will get you all laughing! It will also enable your student to use what they know about a spelling pattern to read an entirely new word.
2. Make sure that they read at least 20 minutes a day either with you or by themselves. You can make this look different each day. For example, one day, you alternate who reads on every page. It is developmentally appropriate for Kindergarteners to be telling the story by looking at the pictures. On another day, your child could be reading the book to you. Check in with them about what they are reading to gauge their understanding of the text.