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- Why can't my child skip the 20 minutes of nightly reading?
- What about spelling????
- What are the second grade priority words?
- What are the class rules?
- What is the behavior management system?
- Can I send in a birthday treat?
- What about lunch?
- Are snacks allowed?
- Can my child wear tennis shoes with wheels?
- What if we have a transportation change?
- How do I place a Scholastic Book Order?
- What does Reader's Workshop look like?
- What reading comprehension strategies will be taught?
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Why can't my child skip the 20 minutes of nightly reading?
Why Can't My Child Skip the 20 Minutes of Nightly Reading?
Student A reads 20 minutes, five nights of every week.
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!
Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Student A: 20 minutes x 5 times a week = 100 min./week
Student B: 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes/week
Step 2: Multiply minutes/week x 4 weeks each month.
Student A: 400 minutes a month
Student B: 80 minutes a month
Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 school months
Student A reads 3600 minutes in a school year.
Student B reads 720 minutes in a school year.
Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.
Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.
By the end of 6th grade if Student A and Student B maintain these same reading habits, Student A
will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days. Student B will have read the equivalent of only
12 school days.
One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so,
undoubtedly, will school performance.
Here are some questions to ponder:
Which student would you expect to read better?
Which student would you expect to know more?
Which student would you expect to write better?
Which student would you expect to have a better vocabulary?
Which student would you expect to be more successful in school...and in life?
If daily reading begins in infancy, by the time the child is five years old, he or she has been fed
roughly 900 hours of brain food! Reduce that experience to just 30 minutes a week and the child's
hungry mind loses 770 hours of nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and stories.
A kindergarten student who has not been read aloud to could enter school with less than 60 hours of
literacy nutrition. No teacher, no matter how talented, can make up for those lost hours of mental
nourishment.
Therefore...
30 minutes daily: 900 hours
30 minutes weekly: 130 hours
Less than 30 minutes weekly: 60 hours
[Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, American Reads Challenge. (1999). "Start Early, Finish Strong: How
to Help Every Child Become a Reader." Washington, D.C.}
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What about spelling????
Your child's spelling program may be different from what you've come to expect as "spelling."
Instead of weekly lists of words to memorize, this program emphasizes the learning of important
words, not for a Friday Test, but for a lifetime of spelling in the real world - that is, spelling correctly
in writing.
This lifelong spelling ability grows over time. It grows through skills instruction (phonics, word
origins, spelling rules, usage, etc.), through your child's everyday writing, and through word study on
specific words your child has not yet mastered. You can extend this teaching into your home.
To help your child spell and use essential words:
Sentences written on the weekly report can be proofread. You may see papers for proofreading
come home. You see, your child will be expected to spell some words correctly all the time to meet
the minimum requirement for spelling in everyday writing. These words are called Priority Words.
We will call them "No Excuse Words" in class. They are the words that occur most frequently in
writing. As your child proofreads for these words, s/he will practice the skills for proofreading any
word. This list will grow throughout the year.
Let's make your child's spelling growth a team effort - you, your child, and all of us here at school.
We can work together to make your child a speller!
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What are the second grade priority words?
Second Grade Priority Words
"No Excuse Words"
a
all and are as
at be but by for
from had have he his
I in is it not
of on one or that
the they this to you
was were what when with
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What are the class rules?
I believe all children have the right to work in a risk-free and safe environment. Children should
respect the rights of others to work in a setting where they can do their jobs well. Our rules are
simple. We need disciplined people, disciplined thoughts and disciplined actions to create greatness
in a successful climate.
1. Respect yourself
2. Respect others.
3. Respect your school.
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What is the behavior management system?
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Can I send in a birthday treat?
You may provide a simple snack for your child’s birthday. Most parents provide cupcakes or cookies.
I do not have a cutting tool at school, so please have your snack ready to serve. Napkins are
appreciated if you send something messy. We will enjoy these treats outside during our recess time.
Please make it simple. Summer birthdays can be celebrated during May.
Invitations:
Please note East Side’s policy. Invitations to private parties may NOT be distributed at school. A
phone and address list will be shared so you may call or mail out invitations.
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What about lunch?
Student lunches are $1.60 (this includes a milk). Additional milk or juice is $0.65. Adult lunches are
$2.50. Lunches may be prepaid by weeks, months, semesters, or the year. You may pay for lunches
at www.mealpay.com.
Have you ever watched a group of second graders eat lunch? Most will start with the dessert and
play with the rest. If you are concerned with ensuring your child eat the healthy parts of their lunch,
you may want to let the cafeteria know you do not want money spent on the sweets and junk foods.
Write a note stating so, and I’ll get it to our cafeteria manager.
**School policy: If your child is going to eat at school, they MUST have money. There are no charges
allowed anymore. If they do not have money, their lunch will consist of a cheese sandwich or peanut
butter & jelly.
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Are snacks allowed?
This year we will be having lunch at 12:33. Because we have a late lunch, we will be eating snack
during our recess break at 10:20. Please send in a healthy snack (fruit, vegetables, pretzels,
crackers, healthy yogurt, healthy granola bar, etc.) for your child to have daily. Please no sugary or
chocolate snacks.
Your child is more than welcome to have a water bottle (no juice) on their desk. To prevent major
spills, I request that they only have a bottle with a spout. Bottles with twist off caps cause spills and
will be sent home. Your child will be able to use the drinking fountain if they do not have an
appropriate water bottle. Please do not send bottles from the freezer. The water condensation
makes a big mess on students’ desks.
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Can my child wear tennis shoes with wheels?
Tennis shoes with wheels are not to be worn. This is an East Side rule. The wheels must be removed at
home!
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What if we have a transportation change?
Please note that for safety reasons, I cannot send your child home a different way than is posted in the
classroom unless your child has a note stating the change. Please send a note in with your child EACH
TIME they have a change. They should put their note in the "Notes From Home" basket on my desk.
This is a school policy.
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How do I place a Scholastic Book Order?
You will need to enter our class name and password at www.scholastic.com/parentordering.
Make your selections, pay with a credit card and I will send home the books when they arrive. Most
orders will come within 7-10 business days from the due date for the book order.
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What does Reader's Workshop look like?
Mini Lesson: 15 Minutes
Each Reading Workshop session will begin with a mini lesson that lasts approximately 10-15
minutes. Each mini lesson will focus on a reading strategy. I will teach a few strategies of great
consequence in depth over time.
Activity Time/Independent Reading: 40 Minutes
Students might:
• read independently and practice and apply the skill from our mini-lesson.
• meet with Reading Partners-Partners set up meeting times to discuss a text that they have
chosen to read simultaneously
• write in Talk Back Notebooks to show their understanding of a strategy and respond to their
reading
The teacher might:
• meet with a small group for a lesson based on student needs
• conference with students to practice a reading strategy and/or to assess student progress.
Sharing: 15 Minutes
Students will be asked to show how they’ve applied the reading strategy.
During this time the class might:
• Meet as a whole group to refer back to the mini-lesson and think further
• Meet together to think about and respond to questions such as: What did you learn about
reading today? What did you learn about yourself as a reader?
• Meet in small groups to have a quick chat about how the reading is going
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What reading comprehension strategies will be taught?
Connections
Children make personal connections with the text by using their schema (background knowledge).
There are three main types of connections we make while reading text.
Text-to-Self (T-S) refers to connections made between the text and the reader's personal
experience.
Text-to-Text (T-T) refers to connections made between a text being read to a text that was
previously read.
Text-to-World (T-W) refers to connections made between a text being read and something that
occurs in the world.
Mental Images
Mental images or visualizing is when the reader creates an image in their mind from the text. It is
like a movie unfolding in their mind as they read. These images help readers engage with text in
ways that make it personal and memorable. Readers build, revise and change their images as they
continue to read.
Inferring
The reader uses what they know (schema) and what they read in the text to make a conclusion,
prediction, and form unique interpretations of text. Inferring is often referred to as “reading
between the lines.”
Inferring may include forming a best guess using evidence -- context clues, picture clues, etc. and
finding meaning of unknown words
Determining Importance
People are bombarded daily with information. Knowing the purpose for reading helps determine
what’s important. This is used mainly with nonfiction reading. The reader has to determine the
difference between what they need to know and what is just interesting.
Questioning
Thoughtful readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after they read to help them
understand the text. They realize not all of their questions will be answered by the text. Questions
help students clarify and deepen understanding of the text they are reading.
There are four key types of questions:
"Right there" questions (text explicit). These are literal questions where the answer is in the text
itself. ?
"Think and search" questions (text implicit). The answer is implicit in the text but the student must
synthesize, infer, or summarize to find the answer. Think and search questions tend to be more
open-ended without set answers.?
"Reader and author" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The answer needs the reader to
combine his or her own experiences with what the text states, i.e., the knowledge presented by the
author. ?
"On my own" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The reader needs to generate the answer
from his or her prior knowledge. The reader may not need to read the text to answer, but the answer
would certainly be shaped differently after reading the text.
Synthesis
Synthesis is like throwing a rock into a pond. First there is a splash, and then the water ripples out,
making little waves that get bigger and bigger. Basically, you are putting all the strategies together
and doing something with it. Your thinking evolves as you encounter new information, and the
meaning gets bigger and bigger. When you synthesize, your mind is changing, your ideas are
changing, and your thinking is changing.
Connections
Children make personal connections with the text by using their schema (background knowledge).
There are three main types of connections we make while reading text.
Text-to-Self (T-S) refers to connections made between the text and the reader's personal
experience.
Text-to-Text (T-T) refers to connections made between a text being read to a text that was
previously read.
Text-to-World (T-W) refers to connections made between a text being read and something that
occurs in the world.
Mental Images
Mental images or visualizing is when the reader creates an image in their mind from the text. It is
like a movie unfolding in their mind as they read. These images help readers engage with text in
ways that make it personal and memorable. Readers build, revise and change their images as they
continue to read.
Inferring
The reader uses what they know (schema) and what they read in the text to make a conclusion,
prediction, and form unique interpretations of text. Inferring is often referred to as “reading
between the lines.”
Inferring may include forming a best guess using evidence -- context clues, picture clues, etc. and
finding meaning of unknown words
Determining Importance
People are bombarded daily with information. Knowing the purpose for reading helps determine
what’s important. This is used mainly with nonfiction reading. The reader has to determine the
difference between what they need to know and what is just interesting.
Questioning
Thoughtful readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after they read to help them
understand the text. They realize not all of their questions will be answered by the text. Questions
help students clarify and deepen understanding of the text they are reading.
There are four key types of questions:
"Right there" questions (text explicit). These are literal questions where the answer is in the text
itself. ?
"Think and search" questions (text implicit). The answer is implicit in the text but the student must
synthesize, infer, or summarize to find the answer. Think and search questions tend to be more
open-ended without set answers.?
"Reader and author" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The answer needs the reader to
combine his or her own experiences with what the text states, i.e., the knowledge presented by the
author. ?
"On my own" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The reader needs to generate the answer
from his or her prior knowledge. The reader may not need to read the text to answer, but the answer
would certainly be shaped differently after reading the text.
Synthesis
Synthesis is like throwing a rock into a pond. First there is a splash, and then the water ripples out,
making little waves that get bigger and bigger. Basically, you are putting all the strategies together
and doing something with it. Your thinking evolves as you encounter new information, and the
meaning gets bigger and bigger. When you synthesize, your mind is changing, your ideas are
changing, and your thinking is changing.
Connections
Children make personal connections with the text by using their schema (background knowledge).
There are three main types of connections we make while reading text.
Text-to-Self (T-S) refers to connections made between the text and the reader's personal
experience.
Text-to-Text (T-T) refers to connections made between a text being read to a text that was
previously read.
Text-to-World (T-W) refers to connections made between a text being read and something that
occurs in the world.
Mental Images
Mental images or visualizing is when the reader creates an image in their mind from the text. It is
like a movie unfolding in their mind as they read. These images help readers engage with text in
ways that make it personal and memorable. Readers build, revise and change their images as they
continue to read.
Inferring
The reader uses what they know (schema) and what they read in the text to make a conclusion,
prediction, and form unique interpretations of text. Inferring is often referred to as “reading
between the lines.”
Inferring may include forming a best guess using evidence -- context clues, picture clues, etc. and
finding meaning of unknown words
Determining Importance
People are bombarded daily with information. Knowing the purpose for reading helps determine
what’s important. This is used mainly with nonfiction reading. The reader has to determine the
difference between what they need to know and what is just interesting.
Questioning
Thoughtful readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after they read to help them
understand the text. They realize not all of their questions will be answered by the text. Questions
help students clarify and deepen understanding of the text they are reading.
There are four key types of questions:
"Right there" questions (text explicit). These are literal questions where the answer is in the text
itself. ?
"Think and search" questions (text implicit). The answer is implicit in the text but the student must
synthesize, infer, or summarize to find the answer. Think and search questions tend to be more
open-ended without set answers.?
"Reader and author" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The answer needs the reader to
combine his or her own experiences with what the text states, i.e., the knowledge presented by the
author. ?
"On my own" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The reader needs to generate the answer
from his or her prior knowledge. The reader may not need to read the text to answer, but the answer
would certainly be shaped differently after reading the text.
Synthesis
Synthesis is like throwing a rock into a pond. First there is a splash, and then the water ripples out,
making little waves that get bigger and bigger. Basically, you are putting all the strategies together
and doing something with it. Your thinking evolves as you encounter new information, and the
meaning gets bigger and bigger. When you synthesize, your mind is changing, your ideas are
changing, and your thinking is changing.
Connections
Children make personal connections with the text by using their schema (background knowledge).
There are three main types of connections we make while reading text.
Text-to-Self (T-S) refers to connections made between the text and the reader's personal
experience.
Text-to-Text (T-T) refers to connections made between a text being read to a text that was
previously read.
Text-to-World (T-W) refers to connections made between a text being read and something that
occurs in the world.
Mental Images
Mental images or visualizing is when the reader creates an image in their mind from the text. It is
like a movie unfolding in their mind as they read. These images help readers engage with text in
ways that make it personal and memorable. Readers build, revise and change their images as they
continue to read.
Inferring
The reader uses what they know (schema) and what they read in the text to make a conclusion,
prediction, and form unique interpretations of text. Inferring is often referred to as “reading
between the lines.”
Inferring may include forming a best guess using evidence -- context clues, picture clues, etc. and
finding meaning of unknown words
Determining Importance
People are bombarded daily with information. Knowing the purpose for reading helps determine
what’s important. This is used mainly with nonfiction reading. The reader has to determine the
difference between what they need to know and what is just interesting.
Questioning
Thoughtful readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after they read to help them
understand the text. They realize not all of their questions will be answered by the text. Questions
help students clarify and deepen understanding of the text they are reading.
There are four key types of questions:
"Right there" questions (text explicit). These are literal questions where the answer is in the text
itself. ?
"Think and search" questions (text implicit). The answer is implicit in the text but the student must
synthesize, infer, or summarize to find the answer. Think and search questions tend to be more
open-ended without set answers.?
"Reader and author" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The answer needs the reader to
combine his or her own experiences with what the text states, i.e., the knowledge presented by the
author. ?
"On my own" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The reader needs to generate the answer
from his or her prior knowledge. The reader may not need to read the text to answer, but the answer
would certainly be shaped differently after reading the text.
Synthesis
Synthesis is like throwing a rock into a pond. First there is a splash, and then the water ripples out,
making little waves that get bigger and bigger. Basically, you are putting all the strategies together
and doing something with it. Your thinking evolves as you encounter new information, and the
meaning gets bigger and bigger. When you synthesize, your mind is changing, your ideas are
changing, and your thinking is changing.
Connections
Children make personal connections with the text by using their schema (background knowledge).
There are three main types of connections we make while reading text.
Text-to-Self (T-S) refers to connections made between the text and the reader's personal
experience.
Text-to-Text (T-T) refers to connections made between a text being read to a text that was
previously read.
Text-to-World (T-W) refers to connections made between a text being read and something that
occurs in the world.
Mental Images
Mental images or visualizing is when the reader creates an image in their mind from the text. It is
like a movie unfolding in their mind as they read. These images help readers engage with text in
ways that make it personal and memorable. Readers build, revise and change their images as they
continue to read.
Inferring
The reader uses what they know (schema) and what they read in the text to make a conclusion,
prediction, and form unique interpretations of text. Inferring is often referred to as “reading
between the lines.”
Inferring may include forming a best guess using evidence -- context clues, picture clues, etc. and
finding meaning of unknown words
Determining Importance
People are bombarded daily with information. Knowing the purpose for reading helps determine
what’s important. This is used mainly with nonfiction reading. The reader has to determine the
difference between what they need to know and what is just interesting.
Questioning
Thoughtful readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after they read to help them
understand the text. They realize not all of their questions will be answered by the text. Questions
help students clarify and deepen understanding of the text they are reading.
There are four key types of questions:
"Right there" questions (text explicit). These are literal questions where the answer is in the text
itself. ?
"Think and search" questions (text implicit). The answer is implicit in the text but the student must
synthesize, infer, or summarize to find the answer. Think and search questions tend to be more
open-ended without set answers.?
"Reader and author" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The answer needs the reader to
combine his or her own experiences with what the text states, i.e., the knowledge presented by the
author. ?
"On my own" questions (text implicit or experience-based). The reader needs to generate the answer
from his or her prior knowledge. The reader may not need to read the text to answer, but the answer
would certainly be shaped differently after reading the text.
Synthesis
Synthesis is like throwing a rock into a pond. First there is a splash, and then the water ripples out,
making little waves that get bigger and bigger. Basically, you are putting all the strategies together
and doing something with it. Your thinking evolves as you encounter new information, and the
meaning gets bigger and bigger. When you synthesize, your mind is changing, your ideas are
changing, and your thinking is changing.
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