Resource:

What it is:

How it helps, why it is important, &/or suggestions:

Reading good fit books independently

Being able to read and understand without help, without making too many mistakes, and doing so often

- Builds fluency, comprehension, confidence, moves students through text complexity, and develops a love of reading

- Encourage your child to read across text types (directions, recipes, menus) and different genres (Fiction, NF, poems, and everything in between)

- Limit “junk food reading” (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries…)

*These have limited vocabulary, minimal character development, and lack of complex plots, limiting the thinking work that should occur while reading. Fun for occasional reads, but not great ongoing practice.

Listening to reading above independent level

Listening to text being read that is above what s/he is able to successfully read alone

Builds fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, confidence, develops a love of reading, and provides a child access to topics, information, and stories that they would not hear and understand otherwise

Razkids.com

Online access to text of many levels and genres with the ability to read and/or listen to the text as well as take a short quiz to determine comprehension

• provides access to leveled text (good-fit)

• gives options to different genres in text that can be read in one sitting (AKA: One Day Read)

- this allows students to practice strategies and skills that they do not usually practice when mostly choosing

independent reading books of a similar genre

(Students are usually interested in one or two genres and spend most of their time in that type of book.

Different genres require the use of specific skills and strategies to understand what they are reading. The skills

needed to understand are different depending on the type of text/genre.)

ie: Biography> sequencing skills; Fable>Theme(Author’s Message) based on the lesson the author wants the

reader to learn & problem solution; Non Fiction> compare and contrast, cause and effect, main idea and

supporting details, fact/opinion, identify steps in a process; Fiction>draw conclusions, infer, predict based on clues

• monitors comprehension *If a student misses more than 1 out of 5 or more than 2 out of 10, s/he needs to reread and try again on a different day.

 If student is still not successful, s/he needs to request a conference with the teacher.

• allows a student to listen to text, assisting with perfect practice

* If a student listens to a test, s/he needs to also read it independently.

Lexiacore5.com Spelling/Word Work 

Differentiated word lists and skills assigned to a student based on what s/he is developmentally ready to learn

What I think, I can say. What I can say, I can write. What I write, I can read.

Suggestions:

Vocabulary Workshop

Direct instruction of words that are found often in 3^rd grade text and are necessary to know in order to understand grade level text

• http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/vocabulary/vocabularyworkshop.cfm

 * perfect practice opportunities for words taught in class

-       students choose from online games:

-Flash Cards -Hangman -Word Search -Crossword -Concentration

•  Word Detective stickies (The Goal)

Whenever a student finds a vocabulary word (from any unit) in text, write on a sticky:

-the title of text    -page #     -sentence it was found it in  

 -its meaning within the context it was found in

*** When your child notices a vocabulary word in text or conversation and tells you, ask him/her its meaning within the context. If s/he cannot tell you, make a point to look it up and determine which definition best matches the content.  

• encourage your child to use these words in their speaking and writing too

Math Fact Practice

Memorizing math facts

+    -     x    ‘/,

• a lack of fluency in basic math fact recall significantly hinders a child's progress with problem-solving, algebra and higher-order math concepts

• second graders should be able to quickly recall basic addition and subtraction facts and fourth graders must have quick recall of multiplication and division facts

* Run flash-cards 3-5 days a week. Time your child and keep track of his/her progress. Make goals to beat his/her personal best record each time.  

Khanacademy.org

Online account to either fill math gaps, support grade level content, or accelerate learning.  It gives instant feedback and tracks progress that can be monitored by family and teachers who have also created an account.

 Unlike worksheets, students are able to practice math correctly through the use of hints, watching and re-watching videos, and submitting answers for feedback. Students know immediately if they were correct or not and can make supportive decisions based on their progress. 

I can see how much time each student has spent on Khan, what they have done while working, and his/her results. I make small group instructional decisions based on these results. It is very important that the students do this work on their own!

Activities and exercises can be filtered by grade level and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and skills. For more details, visit:  KhanAcademy Student & Family Guide > https://www.sanjuan.edu/Page/31799

typingweb.com

Online account

that tracks keyboarding/ touch typing progress (fingers begin and return to the HOME ROW between strokes), generates reports monitored by the teacher, and can follow students each year.

Touch typing is a skill that can be learned and easily mastered with regular practice.

Benefits: Time and Focus- Not only will your child become more efficient, but s/he will also be able to direct his/her focus to where it counts. Health- it is important to adopting healthy computer habits to reduce the risk of injury and provide increased comfort. Productivity- time spent on tasks become much more productive.

·       Digital literacy skills are imbedded into the CCSS. Keyboarding skills/touch typing are foundational skills, supporting digital literacy success.

·       Local, state, and national CCSS assessments are given on the computer. If your child knows how to keyboard, s/he will be able to focus on doing his/her best and not lose his/her thoughts before they are able to enter them.

Google Drive/ Google Docs

https://portal.sanjuan.

edu/LoginPolicy.jsp

A shared way to access create, store, publish final writing drafts, documents, spreadsheets, and more with computers &/or tablets

-spend time with your child reviewing work added this his/her 3^rd grade electronic portfolio

-support your child by giving revision (the rewriting and redrafting of ideas) and editing (corrections-spelling, punctuation, capitals, grammar…) feedback and suggestions

-assist your child in using word processing skills, creating PowerPoints… (making capitals, inserting graphics, highlighting, using the online dictionary, thesaurus…)

Successful Practices (as described on the new district CCSS report card)

A targeted list with indicators of behaviors that research shows successful people regularly practice

-Use the Successful Practices & Indicators sheet to “target talk” with your child

-Identify strengths that your child demonstrates well and compliment him/her

-Identify a practice/indicator(s) that your child could benefit from practicing/developing   •create a goal •monitor his/her effort and progress •make adjustments based on results

-Use this language to help your child develop his/her STAMINA (the ability to stick with something without quitting or giving up). 

***Stamina effort is CRITICAL in developing achievement, growth, and success.

Other:

ie:

-Sight Word Practice

*Uh, Oh Jar

*Smiley Sight Word App

-Reader’s Theater

- Test preparation

Additional idea(s):

- The Uh, Oh Jar is a container that words (that a child needs to memorize) are written on strips of paper and placed inside

Smiley Sight Words can be used to correctly practice over 1,500 common English words and parents can check progress

-scripts to practice fluency and have FUN with reading!

-the teaching of HOW to take a test

-When students have learned new words and need to practice, place them on a strip of paper in their "Uh, Oh" jar along with a strip or two that say Uh, Oh! on them. The student pulls out a word at a time trying to see how many they can get before pulling out the "Uh, Oh" card.  Once this happens, the students say "Uh, Oh" (and laughs with their hands on their head) and then puts all the words back in the jar only to start again....
You can also have students tape the words they have not quite yet mastered, to the outside of the jar. This is very motivating! They want to learn it so they can fold it in half and add it to their container.

- use the app as designed and have your child practice 3-5 days a week

-get good fit scripts (teacher can help you with this) and perform, practice, with your child 

-get appropriate materials (teacher can help you with this) and support child with understanding how to know what the test is expecting, how to respond correctly, and how to apply what they know to successfully take tests                         *http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test/