Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
What can I do to help my student do well on spelling tests?
I would suggest doing some type of activity using the week's words that help them practice for their test each night, Monday through Wednesday. On Thursday night, see which word(s) they missed on the pre-test that comes home. Focus on any words that they missed on the pre-test specifically. When you think they are ready, give them your own pre-test. You will know that any words they miss-you need to work on more. (Ask your child how to play some of the games that we play at school to get ideas for activities. The games make it fun to practice the words.) You might also try letting them go over the words with you one more time before they leave home the day of the test. If you bring them to school, they can even spell them to you on the way.Back to Top
What can I do to help my child become a better reader?
Be sure that you let your child read to you each night that they bring a leveled reader home in their reading group book bag and sign their sheet. Practice makes perfect. If you act like you are truly interested in reading, and their reading specifically, your child will be more interested in reading as well. We do well at what we value as important. Allow your child to read to you from their hardback reader on the night(s) you signed up for them to bring their book home. Ask questions to check their comprehension. Don't make all of the questions recall questions. Think of some questions to ask where your child will have to apply the knowledge they have to the story that they read to you. Make a set of sight word flash cards to use with your child. Do the words that they will be tested over at the end of the week- each night, but don't throw them away at the end of the week. Keep the words that they have already been tested over and use them to play games with your child periodically. If you could make it a point to go through the "review" stack with your child at least one night during the week and one weekend night, you will see an improvement in a struggling reader. If your child tends to try to "sound out" sight words, show them the card only long enough to see it but not sound it out. It is OK to show them the word more than once, but not for very long at a time. This may take a while, but they will eventaully learn that they can recognize the words as sight words, rather than having to sound them out. You might also try timing them and make it a challenge to see if they can beat their previous time. This will make them want to get them quickly, and deter them from trying to sound out sight words.Back to Top