Parent Reminders

Reading Tips for Parents

Read aloud to your child
Choose books based on topics your child finds interesting. Ask your child questions about what has just been read. (The Who, What, Where, When and Why of the story.)

Create an alphabet of pictures.
Choose a sound and ask your child to cut out pictures of things that begin with that sound. Have your child glue their picture onto an index card and write the letter that makes that sound. Use cards to review sounds.

Surround your child with reading material.
Children with a large supply of reading materials in their homes are known to score higher on standardized tests.

Encourage a wide variety of reading activities.
Make reading an important part of your child’s life. Have them read menus; grocery lists, road signs, game directions and movie time listings, etc.

Get help promptly for reading problems.
Reading problems do not magically disappear with time. The earlier children receive help, the more likely they will become good readers.

Let your child gradually share some of the reading aloud.
You read a sentence, paragraph or page, and then it’s your child’s turn. Take over if your child seems tired or discouraged. Keep reading a fun thing, not just hard work.

Leave notes in your child’s lunch.
Make it simple, using words your child knows or you think they can sound out.

Take your new reader to the library.
Pick up a library card and make a big deal about it. Let your child know how important and special books can be.

Encourage, Encourage, Encourage!
Let your child know how proud of them you are!

Birthdays
Every child is invited to celebrate his/her birthday at school. If your child’s birthday does not fall on a school day you are more than welcome to celebrate on the Friday or Monday after. Schedules to celebrate summer birthdays will be sent home in the spring so that each child can have his/her own special day. Treats may be brought to school however I ask you not to send a cake. I do not have proper utensils in my classroom and it proves to be too much for the children. Cupcakes, brownies, cookies donuts etc.are all happily accepted.

Birthday Parties
First graders love birthday parties! However, please DO NOT send birthday invitations via school unless the entire class is invited. We do not want any hurt feelings! Thank you.

Star of the Week
Each child will have an opportunity to be The Star of the Week! This student will be our honored student for the week in first grade. He/she will enjoy a few special privileges.

Homework
There will be two types of homework throughout the year. Both are important to the success of your child’s first grade education and both need guidance from you at home.
Oral Homework* (Bubble Gum Reading)
Oral homework must be completed each night in order to help your child become a proficient reader.

#1 Ten or more minutes of oral reading should be done every night. You as the parent can read a story to your child or your child can read a story to you. In mid October your child will be bringing home their school reader. The story of the week should be read orally each night three times. This will help with fluency.
#2 Also weekly vocabulary words should be reviewed at home nightly. An assessment of the reading words will be given each Friday (Thursday if school is not in session on Friday.) The children will need to read the words fluently. They are not required to spell these words. Vocabulary words for the next week’s story will be sent home with your child on Friday’s in their take home folder.

Written Homework*
Instead of sending home one worksheet nightly, the children will receive an entire homework packet every Monday in their take home folders. The skills in these packets reinforce the skills taught in class. I suggest having your child complete 1-2 worksheets nightly. The children may work at their own pace, however please do
not allow your child to save all the work for the night before it is due. ALL HOMEWORK PACKETS ARE DUE BACK TO SCHOOL ON FRIDAYS. DO NOT RETURN EARLIER THAN FRIDAY UNLESS WE HAVE FRIDAY OFF OF SCHOOL!

Take Home Folder
One of the folders you purchased for your child will be designated as their take home folder. This folder will be sent home daily and must be returned to school every day. All letters, homework, papers and tests will travel in this folder.

Returning Tests and Papers
All graded papers sent home in the take home folder may be kept at home. However, please send back any papers that are stamped SIGN AND RETURN. These papers are generally assessments that your child has taken. If your child needs to finish a paper or do corrections on a paper that will be indicated in writing at the top of the paper. Those papers will also need to be returned.

Spelling Tests
The children will be given weekly spelling tests starting in October. More details to follow.