Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
Should I help my child with writing assignments?
Yes..and..no! To avoid overdependence on adult assistance.. or squelching creativity, the best way to approach writing assignments is to allow your child the opportunity to describe what the particular writing assignment is and to talk about his/her ideas for the assignment. This actually, helps a student form his/her ideas, and is especially valuable for students who have trouble coming up with ideas or getting started. A "prewrite" /planning is often assigned. A prewrite may take many forms; graphic organizers such as lists, webs, Venn diagrams, story maps etc may be used for a particular purpose. Sometimes we do a brainstorm/ prewrite activity in class before the takehome writing assignment. Students should independently attempt written assignments. Guide when requested by student. At this point in the school year, many students still are not mindful of proofreading their own writing to catch errors in sentence structure and mechanics(punctuation, capitalization.) Therefore, it is A-O.K. to proofread with your child. A good practice is: 1. encourage the student to be a proactive proofreader/ self-editor. S/he should independently reread and revise (for clarity and detail) as well as check for mechanics errors. 2. Allow the student to read the piece of writing aloud to you. Oftentimes, errors are more apparent as students read aloud what they have written. For example, students will realize that a sentence was ended as s/he pauses for breath while reading aloud. Punctuate and capitalize the next sentence as needed. 3. Finally, offer to be a "second pair of eyes" to help catch errors. Point out where change is needed; have students explain why punctuation, capitalization complete sentence structure etc. was needed. Thank you for your assistance in helping your child become a better writer. P.S. To promote and share the joy of writing, try a family writing night at your house! It's a fun family activity, and can be done in a variety of ways.Back to Top
Should my child read aloud to me?
Yes! Especially if your student is struggling with fluency, it is most helpful to listen to them read aloud a text that is at his/her READING LEVEL. Encourage student to read by phrasing chunks(& "scooping") rather than word by word. Struggling readers also benefit from multiple readings of the same passage to encourage fluency and accuracy, to ultimately promote comprehension. An expert (you!) modeling fluent, expressive reading of passage first is recommended too.Back to Top
Should I help my child with EveryDay Math homework?
Yes. The homework pages are usually labelled "Home Links." Parent participation plays an integral role in the EDM program. Each "Home Links" page offers a brief commentary to parents/adult helpers outlining the skill students have worked on at school. Often there is a reference to pages in the Student Reference Book(SRB.) These pages detail the skill and provide sample problems. At the beginning of each new unit, an EDM newsletter is sent home. This unit newsletter outlines and explains key concepts within the upcoming unit. Additionally, the "answer key" for the "Homelinks" homework pages is given. This will allow parents to check the homework and to be able to discuss the math related topics. The teacher will not correct these homelinks pages, as it is expected that families will utilize this answer key as they work through the homelinks pages with their student. Other EDM homework will be "Mathbox" pages, which feature 6 varied topic problems per page. Please note that students should always "show their work" when solving word problems.Back to Top