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Scholastic Book Club | Classroom Management | Classroom Documents
I believe strongly that homework should be mangable and meaningful.
In our class, weekly homework is as follows:
Special Projects
While I do not send home weekly homework packets, we will have several larger projects throughout the year. These projects will have a homework component.
Additional Homework
If a student does not complete a required assignment in class, despite adequate classtime, that assignment will become homework. When this happens, the assignment is due the next day.
Please check your child's agenda and Daily Binder each day to stay up to date and to help him or her take responsbility for learning.
In our class, weekly homework is as follows:
- Practice spelling words: Spelling Words sent home each week Monday. These can found in your child's agenda and/org Daily Binder. Please practice at home each night.
- Read 20 minutes each day: Students should read for 20 minutes each day, 5 days per week. This can ne independently or reading with another fluent reader (bedtime stories, etc).
- Sight Word Practice: Students in K-3 are encouraged to practice sight words each night. Automatic recall of these high frequency words is a critical step to building strong readers. Students will have a sight word ring to help with practice.
- Math Fact Fluency: Grade level-based math practice information will be sent home for your child. 1st-3rd should practice their fact fluency for addition and subtraction, as well as counting practice. 3rd & up should practice multiplication and division fact fluency. In our classroom, we use Xtramath.org to help with this practice. Your child's log in information will be sent home during the first few weeks of school.
Special Projects
While I do not send home weekly homework packets, we will have several larger projects throughout the year. These projects will have a homework component.
Additional Homework
If a student does not complete a required assignment in class, despite adequate classtime, that assignment will become homework. When this happens, the assignment is due the next day.
Please check your child's agenda and Daily Binder each day to stay up to date and to help him or her take responsbility for learning.
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"Research has found that spelling, reading, writing and comprehension skills are all closely linked" (Matthews 2017).
Spelling words are sent home each Monday. Students place spelling words in their Agendas and/or Daily Binders. Spelling tests will be administered on Fridays in most circumstances.
While I do not track spelling practice at home, students who practice words at home consistently perform better on spelling assessments. SpellingCity.com is a fun resource to use at home. Your child's username and password can be found in his or her Daily Binder. These will be created during the first few weeks of school. Spelling tests may be delivered via SpellingCity in the classroom.
Here are some additional practice ideas:
Spelling words are sent home each Monday. Students place spelling words in their Agendas and/or Daily Binders. Spelling tests will be administered on Fridays in most circumstances.
While I do not track spelling practice at home, students who practice words at home consistently perform better on spelling assessments. SpellingCity.com is a fun resource to use at home. Your child's username and password can be found in his or her Daily Binder. These will be created during the first few weeks of school. Spelling tests may be delivered via SpellingCity in the classroom.
Here are some additional practice ideas:
Engage NY Cirriculum Instruction
Our District uses the Engage NY cirriculum for teaching K-8 math. There are a lot of great resources available to help you better understand this math so you can support your child in his or her learning.
Fact Fluency Practice
The students have access to a great web site/app to work on math at home:
iReady for Individualized Learning
New for 2020-2021, Prairie District will be using a supplemental math program called iReady. This program will assess your child's learning and delivery technology-based instruction to meet the student's current point of need. iReady also give the teachers feedback and lessons to help deliver in-person point-of-need intervention.
Our District uses the Engage NY cirriculum for teaching K-8 math. There are a lot of great resources available to help you better understand this math so you can support your child in his or her learning.
- Duane Habbecker has video tutorials for each lesson. Simple search by Module and Lesson found on your child's practice pages. Videos are geared toward parents and teachers and are typically about 10 minutes in length.
- The full Engage NY cirriculum can be found here
- Educational at-home math fun from Engage NY
Fact Fluency Practice
The students have access to a great web site/app to work on math at home:
- Xtramath.org. This site is great for students to work on math fact fluency. Your child has log in information in their agenda
iReady for Individualized Learning
New for 2020-2021, Prairie District will be using a supplemental math program called iReady. This program will assess your child's learning and delivery technology-based instruction to meet the student's current point of need. iReady also give the teachers feedback and lessons to help deliver in-person point-of-need intervention.
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Book Buddy
PreK - 2nd will have Book Buddy. Book Buddy is a special classroom friend who travels home with one lucky student for a week. The student then writes in Book Buddy's Journal about the fun time they had together. The student will then share his or her writing with the class. Book Buddy is a fun project for kids that gives them highly engaging writing practice. Students also get to practice their speaking and listening skills when sharing their Book Buddy adventures. Our classroom will have two Book Buddies to ensure adequate time to "bathe" Book Buddies between visits. Book Buddy goes home on Thursdays and should be returned by the following Thursday. 
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S.T.E.A.M.
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. STEAM Challenges are highly engaging questions or problems that give students additional practice in:
Our STEAM Challenges are often fueled by recycled items. Here is a list of items our STEAM Bins can always use, if you'd like to send them in:
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Recorders
Students in 3rd grade & up will learn to play the Sporano Recorder. The recorder gives students the oppotunity to employ music skills such as reading music and breath control, and is an important precursor to learning other instruments in the future. We will use Recorder Karate method. In this program, students earn "belts" on their recorder for passing levels in the program. Recorder Class will take place on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Students will need their instrument at school on those days. Students are encouraged to practice their recorder at home in order to accelerate learning. Read more about the Benefits to Learning the Recorder here. |
Pen Pal Letters
We are fortunate this year that our students will maintain Pen Pal correspondence with hand selected eldery individuals at an assisted living facility in Colorado! We are working with the site's Activities Coordinator on this effort. Letter writing gives the kids:
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Classroom Management
In our classroom, we are kind, courteous, celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities, and always do our best. It is important that our classroom is a safe and productive learning environment for all students. In addition to Class Dojo, I use several other systems to help encourage appropriate and positive classroom behavior:
This year, we will use ClassDojo to track student behavior. Each day, your child has the opportunity to earn positive & negative points based on his/her behavior.
ClassDojo Messaging allows me to send quick messages straight to your cell phone. I use this for classroom updates and to help keep you informed about our day. You do not need a smart phone to receive messages.
The ClassDojo app (free for iPhone & Android) also allows you to send messages to me.
I will send sign up instructions home with your child’s unique code during the first week of school.
Class Dojo has a portfolio feature I hope to use more regularly this year. This is a place where you can get a glimse into the classroom.
Visible Leaning
In our classroom, we are kind, courteous, celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities, and always do our best. It is important that our classroom is a safe and productive learning environment for all students. In addition to Class Dojo, I use several other systems to help encourage appropriate and positive classroom behavior:
- Warm Fuzzies: Students and teams of students can earn "warm fuzzies" for excellent behavior inside and outside of the classroom. Once the "Warm Fuzzy" jar is full, students earn a classroom party.
- RESPECT Contracts: Students & parents will read and sign our RESPECT Contract. If student behavior requires parent attention, students will be asked to complete a “Fix It Ticket.” Parents must review the ticket and sign the ticket that night. Students return the ticket the next day.
- Prairie Bucks: Our classroom economy is run on Prairie Bucks. Students can earn Prairie Bucks with positive choices and then spend those dollars at our Classroom Trading Post. As the year progresses, students will have the opportunity to create items to sell at Trading Post.
- Student Jobs: Each student in our classroom will have a daily job to perform to help keep our classroom running smoothly.
- Classroom Constitution: The students will work to draft our Classroom Constitution, our list of Rights & Responsibilities aimed at preserving our quality learning environment.
This year, we will use ClassDojo to track student behavior. Each day, your child has the opportunity to earn positive & negative points based on his/her behavior.
ClassDojo Messaging allows me to send quick messages straight to your cell phone. I use this for classroom updates and to help keep you informed about our day. You do not need a smart phone to receive messages.
The ClassDojo app (free for iPhone & Android) also allows you to send messages to me.
I will send sign up instructions home with your child’s unique code during the first week of school.
Class Dojo has a portfolio feature I hope to use more regularly this year. This is a place where you can get a glimse into the classroom.
Visible Leaning
Visible Learning is the result of the research undertaken by John Hattie to understand what provides the most success in learning. It is based on over 68,000 studies and 25 million students. John Hattie defines Visible Learners as students who can:
- Articulate what they are learning
- Explain the next steps in their learning
- Set learning goals
- See errors as opportunities for further learning
- Know what to do when they are stuck
- Seek feedback
- Understand & demonstrate the dispositions that make independent & life-long learners
- Students will track their learning using data folders.
- Students will set SMART goals for their learning.
- SMART goal reflection should happen at home.
- At home support has a 40% increase in Growth Mindset.
- Data folders will come home quarterly so parents can assist students in developing their self efficacy.
