Welcome to Title 1

What is Title 1? It is a federal program to help all students get a good education and meet academic standards.This year we are operating a Title 1 schoolwide program. This program allows schools that qualify (schools with 40% or more of children from low income families qualify for a schoolwide Title 1 program) to use Title 1 money to pay for educational programs for the whole school. We will also be offering parent workshops so be watching for them! We are located behind Gossler Park School in a portable classroom. You are welcome to stop by and visit anytime. We can all be reached at 624-6587. We'd love to hear from you!

 

 Choosing Books for Your Child

Most libraries contain thousands of books, and even the children's section will contain many selections. How do you determine which books are suitable to the reading level of your child? You may face the same problem at a book store. Selecting a book of the proper reading level is important. If the book is too difficult the child may become discouraged with reading, or, if too easy, boredom may be the reaction.

One idea that many teachers have used is called the "rule of thumb" test for determining whether a book is right for a child in reading skill development.

The "rule of thumb test works like this:

A. Have your child read aloud one full page from the book being evaluated.

B. Put up one finger for each word that your child does not know or with which he/she has difficulty.

C. If four fingers and thumb are held up, the book is probably too difficult.

The "rule of thumb" test may be used as a guideline when choosing books for your child. It may not be effective for all books. In most cases it should prevent choosing an extremely difficult book. Remember, when a child is interested in a topic he/she will try harder to use context clues to understand the book.

Some kids are born active. If they aren't kicking a ball down the street, they're climbing a tree or swinging from a rope.

Most of these very active children, says Mary Leonhardt in Parents Who Love Reading, Kids Who Don't, are not going to sit down for long periods of time to read. In fact, she says, "it's difficult to get them to sit down and do anything."

But there are things you can do as a parent to encourage your active child to love reading. First, make sure you have lots of interesting reading material handy so kids can read on the run.

They can read a short magazine article while they're waiting for the microwave to heat up their snack. They can read a comic book while they're waiting for a sister to get out of the bathtub.

"Reading material near food is, of course, crucial, "Leonhardt advises. Because active children run around so much, they also need to eat pretty frequently. See if you can't find a shelf in your kitchen that you can keep stocked with reading material, just as you probably keep a shelf stocked with healthy snacks.

Like all skills, reading improves with practice. Active children need to have reading material handy.

Source: Mary Leonhardt. Parents Who Love Reading, Kids Who Don't, 1993 (Crown Publishers, 201 E. 50th St., New York, NY 10022, 212/751-2600

Do you have a computer? Call 1-877-433-7827 to get a free copy of Parent's Guide to the Internet.

Don't try to compete with the TV. Tell your children the TV will be turned off at a certain time every evening---whether you have read-aloud time or not. Ask if they want to hear you read. If they don't, that's fine--but the television doesn't come back on. Enjoy the book!

Parents make the difference

Reading With Your Child

This Mother Uses Jokes to Make Reading More Fun

Reader Marie Plocjarz isn't a standup comic. But her six year old still thinks her jokes are great. During lunch at school, her daughter delights friends by reading a joke Marie has written. She writes them on "silly" stationery and tucks them into her daughter's lunch box.

Learning to read can be hard work for kids. So Marie decided to reward her daughter by showing her how much fun reading can be. Now when this first grader reads a joke, the laughter she hears makes her " feel special and very proud."

Building Responsibility

Teach Your Child The Process of 'Plan, Do, Finish'

Students can't be successful in school if they lack organization. They need to learn a three-step process--Plan, Do, Finish.

Planning sometimes seems like a waste of time. But those who plan a job can often figure out ways to do the job quicker, better and cheaper.

The athletic shoe commercials have it right. It is important to just do it. All the planning in the world doesn't take the place of sitting down and attacking a job. Whether it's homework or chores, the next step is doing.

The third step is finishing. Dishes aren't finished until they're put away. And homework isn't completed until the report has been neatly copied.

Make a chart to help your child use these three steps. Then choose a few jobs your child usually does around the house. With your child, write down the "Plan,""Do," and "Finish" steps needed to do the job.

Motivating Your Child

Try These Tips to Motivate Your Child's Learning

Here are some ways you can boost your child's motivation for learning.

• After study time, give your child some special time alone with you. Do something he enjoys like playing games.
• Praise success, but be careful. Avoid over praising your child for easy tasks or your praise will become meaningless
• Help your child set achievable goals. Celebrate his success in reaching them.
• Take time to talk with your child about school. Give your full attention when listening.

Making Time Count

Phone Books Can Be Great Learning Tools for Children

Does your child know how to use the phone book? By making a game of phone book lookup activities, you'll help her learn many skills.

She can learn how to find answers to many questions. And, she'll learn the importance of putting things in alphabetical order.

Here are some fun activities that can turn your phone book into a teaching tool:

• Look inside the front cover. What is the number you'd call if a fire started in your house?
• Look through the Yellow Pages. Ask your child what he thinks they're used for.
• Give your child an example of something he might find in the Yellow Pages--for example, where to repair a bike. See if he can find a repair shop he'd like to use.
• Can your child find any maps of the local area? How does she think the maps might help her?
• What is your area code? Look for a list of area codes in your city, state or province.
• Have your child look up the telephone number of his best friend. Which of his other friends would be listed alphabetically between your family and your child's best friend?

What Can You Say When Your Child Says, "I'm Dumb"?

Perhaps he's earned a poor grade on a history test. Perhaps she just can't seem to figure out how to solve a math problem. Suddenly, your child looks at you and says, "I'm just not smart." How do you answer?

In What Do We Say? What Do We Do? Dorothy Rich offers some suggestions of things you might say to your child. Start by pointing out that there are different ways to be smart.

You might say something like this: Think about the kids in your class. They're all different, and they're all good at different things. Some kids can learn math but they can't figure out music. Some kids can look at a word and know how to spell it right away. Others have to spell it over and over.

That's part of what makes each of us special. And even though it would be nice to be the best at everything, we just have to work with the gifts we have. We can't expect to be like everyone else, and we don't need to be, either."

Then you might list some of your child's special qualities or abilities. Trade places and ad him to do the same about you. Helping your child develop an understanding of his strengths will also help him deal with his weaknesses.

Sources:

Dorothy Rich, What Do We Say:? What Do We Do:? Helping Our Children Succeed in School and Beyond, 1997 (Forge, 175 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010).

Education Place, Houghton Mifflin Company, Http:www.eduplace.com/math

Reprinted with permission of the Parent Institute

Please don't forget the role math plays in everyday life! Waiting in the line at the grocery store, long drives in the car or trips on the bus are perfect times to practice math. Start with problems your child will have success with, and then make them harder as you build skills. Think math! 

Q&A

Questions Parents Ask...

Q: My son is extremely disorganized! His backpack looks like a recycling bin, and his teacher tells me his desk is like the Bermuda Triangle. I've tried scolding, grounding and nagging. Nothing works. What can I do?

A: First, remember that experts believe that organization is a skill that we learn. We are not simply born organized or disorganized.

The good news is that there are many things parents can do to help children learn and practice good organizational skills. Here are some ideas you can use:

• Help your child write down a checklist of everything he takes to school on a typical day. Post it by the front door.
• Write reminders on yellow sticky notes inside your child's notebook: "Write down assignments. Take notebook and paper. Bring books home."
• Help him set, and follow, a schedule for everything. Disorganized children need routines.
• See if you can keep an extra set of books at home.
• See if he can use a computer for writing. It makes editing and proofreading much easier.
• Help him make a homework calendar or chart. Sometimes seeing the schedule helps.

Disorganized kids can learn the skills they need to cope. Keep focusing on your son's improvements. He may never be the most organized kid, but with work and patience, both he and you can be proud of what he's accomplished.

Q: What's the best way for my child to learn her basic facts? She has just filled out a math worksheet with about 40 addition facts on it, but she got more than half of the answers wrong. What can my husband and I do to help?

A: Often worksheets simply give students practice doing things the wrong way. If children know how to do the exercises, they often don't need the practice worksheets provide. If they haven't mastered the skill, worksheets aren't going to help...as you have found out.

What can help in learning basic facts...whether addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division...is giving your child some thinking strategies for coming up with the right answer. If students know all their doubles (2+2, 3+3, and so on), then they can think "one more" for doubles plus one (2+3, 4+3, for example). Another effective strategy is making tens. For 8+4, a student could think :8+2 is 10, so 8+4 is 2 more or 12." Just these three strategies can help with over half of the addition facts students need to know!

Go through the basic facts your child needs to learn and work with her to come up with strategies for finding the answers. Don't worry about speed for now. Being able to come up with the facts fast is important, but not as important as developing confidence in knowing when she is right. Give her time to think and solve, and soon she'll be fast too.

"I Wish That Parents...

...would remember that it is in our errors that we do the most learning. What we learn from our mistakes makes the difference."

What's the best way to help your child become an eager, successful reader? Read. Read. READ SOME MORE! Learning to read takes practice. Loving to read takes enthusiasm. So read with your child often and create a sense of enjoyment, wonder, even a passion for reading. Here are some easy, practical ways you can increase your child's skills and love for reading.

Read with your child every day possible- even babies. You can read at the same time every day or take advantage of reading opportunities as they occur. When you read with a young child:

-Let your child choose which story or book to read (yes, even that well-worn favorite you might be tired of reading). Sometimes you choose.

-Find a comfortable, well-lit place. Cuddle or sit close, and make sure you can both see the book.

-Read aloud with expression. Have your child turn the pages of the book. Draw your child's attention to the pictures. Move your fingers from word to word as you read.

-Talk about the stories. Point out that a story has a beginning, middle and an end. Ask questions about the people and places (characters and settings) in the stories. Have your child describe what's happening (The plot).

-Make reading time fun - when you both look forward to being together.

Discuss the stories you're reading together:

-Ask your child to predict what might happen next while reading a story. Be sure to ask your child to give reasons for the prediction.

-Ask your child why a character might have taken a specific action. Again, ask for the reasons.

-Ask your child to compare a book to another familiar book. How are the characters alike or different? do the stories take place in similar settings? How are the illustrations similar or different?

-Ask what part of the story your child liked best and why. Ask whether your child liked the ending of the story, why, or why not.

-Have your youngster read out loud to you. Listen carefully and make sure to praise your child's reading. Take turns reading - you read a section, then have your child read the next section.

Even after children can read on their own, keep reading to them so they can enjoy books that they like but are too hard for them to read by themselves.

Regardless of your child's age, set a good example as a reader - read every day at home. If you have little time for reading books, then read the newspaper, a magazine, or even the mail each day. Let children see that reading is an important part of YOUR life, too.

For related articles visit the National Education Association web site.