- What does my child learn in the Resource Room?
- What homework assignments does my child need to complete?
- How do you grade my child?
- What help can my child get with the Everyday Math Program?
- What is the weekly Reading Log?
- What are Word Wall Words?
- What are the Vocabulary Words?
- What is a Reader's Response Journal?
- What is a Writer's Notebook?
- What is a Learning Disability?
- What is a Communication Impairment?
- What is Autism?
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What does my child learn in the Resource Room?
If your child is coming to resource room for 5th grade math, your child is
getting the same Everyday Math level but at an appropriate pace for him/her.
Reading and Writing also models the mainstream but is supplemented with
different drills and exercises to help improve reading/writing performance.
Other students are coming for specialized reading instruction such as the
Edmark, Orton and Wilson programs which are structured, step-by-step
programs to improve overall reading performance.
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What homework assignments does my child need to complete?
Your child needs to complete my math, reading, and writing homework if they
have resource room with me for those subjects. If your child, for any
reason, completes mainstream homework for those subjects, I will accept it as
extra credit.
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How do you grade my child?
I include many aspects into my grading to provide a well-rounded picture of
my students: Quizzes are 30%, Homework is 25%, Class work is 25%,
participation in class 10% and attitude/behavior 10%. Borderline students
(ex: 89%) will generally be pushed up to the next grade if they show effort
in their classwork.
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What help can my child get with the Everyday Math Program?
As a parent, you can review the Parent Letters sent home at the beginning of
every Unit. Also, you and your child can read the Student Reference Manual
(hard copy textbook) provided for students to help them review and learn
concepts. Students can even view and play games at the math websites located
on my Links page.
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What is the weekly Reading Log?
It is the yellow sheet due on some Fridays where students log one weekend day
(Friday, Sat. or Sun.) and Mon., Tues., Wed., and Thurs. 20-minute readings.
All columns must be filled in as well as writing something learned in the
reading that proves understanding.
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What are Word Wall Words?
Word Wall words are the 5 words given usually every week that your child must
memorize. These are not words that follow the general spelling rules and
need to be remembered by sight. They will be included on occassional Friday
quizzes along with any skills learned and practiced that week.
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What are the Vocabulary Words?
Words that we discuss in class that improve students' understanding of the
English language and improve the quality of their writing. Students are
encouraged to practice these words in their writing and speaking in school
and at home.
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What is a Reader's Response Journal?
The Reader's Response Journal is one of the marble notebooks that we use
during reading time where students write their thoughts on what I have read
and/or what they have read independently. Any reading work is placed in this
book.
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What is a Writer's Notebook?
A Writer's Notebook is where students will complete writing entries and work
on the various steps of the writing process. It's also a place to write down
thoughts and ideas for future writing projects.
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What is a Learning Disability?
According to the NJ Chapter 14 Special Education Code, "Specific learning
disability" means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological
processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written,
that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak,
read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions
such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction,
dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
i. It is characterized by a severe discrepancy between the student's current
achievement and intellectual ability in one or more of the following areas:
(1) Basic reading skills;
(2) Reading comprehension;
(3) Oral expression;
(4) Listening comprehension;
(5) Mathematical computation;
(6) Mathematical reasoning; and
(7) Written expression.
The term does not apply to students who have learning problems that are
primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, general
cognitive deficits, emotional disturbance or environmental, cultural or
economic disadvantage."
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What is a Communication Impairment?
According to the NJ Chapter 14 Special Education Code, "Communication
impaired" is a language disorder in the areas of morphology (parts of words),
syntax (sound of words), semantics (meaning of words) and/or
pragmatics (use of words) which adversely affects a student’s educational
performance and is not due to an auditory impairment (deafness).
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What is Autism?
According to the NJ Chapter 14 Special Education Code, "Autistic" means a
pervasive (persistent) developmental disability which significantly impacts
verbal (speaking) and nonverbal (non-speaking such as gestures) communication
and social interaction that adversely affects a student's educational
performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are
repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental
change or change in daily routine, unusual responses to sensory experiences
and lack of responsiveness to others.
