Options for Reading at Home

 

There are a couple of resources available for students to read and/or listen to e-books at home -- a great option for students to continue to build their reading lives to make reading a habit, not a chore!  Our goal is for students to be reading 20+ minutes a night, this means reading their own books, listening to an adult read, reading to a sibling, or listening to audiobooks.

1. RAZ Kids -- All third graders have been given an account (connected to their teacher) to read via RAZ Kids.  Students could read online at the website by logging on (www.kidsa-z.com) OR via apps on a phone or tablet.  Students have had practice doing this from school and will have login cards in their Book Bags to help with the login process.  As teachers, we work to make sure students are reading books at their "just right" level.  The books can be read to them, they can read them independently, and there is also an option for a quiz at the end.

2.  SORA -- (https://soraapp.com/welcome/login/202587) A virtual library of books (audio and ebooks) available for students to "check out."  Also available as an app for tablets & phones making it even easier!  Select "Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District" and sign in using Google login & password. 

3. Learning Ally -- An audiobook resource that uses real human voices to read current books.  Browse the collection and use an app to listen!!  Students use their Google email and passwords from school to login to the app.

Edutyping at Home

As we settle in to our school year, we are using more and more tools on our Chromebooks, many of which can be accessed at home. 

One such tool is Edutyping, which is a program that is teaching students to touch-type (and avoid hunting-and-pecking). There are lessons to teach proper finger placement (Home Row!) and games to reinforce the skills and help increase typing speed.  Students can access this program through our school website and continue their practice at home. 

To access Edutyping at home, click on the link from the RES web page under "Students."

Account ID: cesuschools

Username: firstname.lastname

Password: Ask your teacher for this!

Students are not required to do this at home, but may enjoy some extra practice.  Please encourage proper typing technique: sitting at a table, feet flat on the floor, fingers placed over the home row (pointer fingers on the F and J keys), thumbs on the space bar!

Also, the following is a website with various resources that your student could access to practice their typing:

Resources for Typing

Students will quickly learn that a little extra practice will be very helpful in life!

Learning to Type at Home

Technology continues to be another important tool that we are using to enhance the learning of our students.  One way that you can help them at home is to provide time to practice typing.  Students who are still hunting and pecking to type can find the technology frustrating.

We have been using the new version of Edutyping this year to teach students how to type. Students love that the new version moves quickly through the lessons.  Students can access this program through our school website and continue their practice at home.  

Also, the following is a website with various resources that your student could access to practice their typing:

Resources for Typing

Please encourage your child to spend some time at home each week practicing their typing skills.  It is a lifelong skill that will find they increasingly rely on as they grow!

Homework! #resvt

 

Today, third graders brought home their first homework of the year!  Each Monday (or Tuesday), students will receive a YELLOW newsletter in their mailboxes to bring home.  This newsletter includes a little information on each of the subject areas we are covering in class and should provide a nice starting point for conversations at home.  Instead of asking "How was school today?" you may want to try asking about the game played in math or the strategy learned during reading workshop!  (More ideas can be found here!)

On the other side of the newsletter is a recording sheet for students to keep track of the books read during the week, the activities used to practice for word study, etc.  An empty calendar is included at the top of this page to help students plan their week.  It is a great opportunity to help students learn time management by helping fill in the week's events.  By doing so, students will be able to see when they should work on their homework to make sure it is completed on time.  This recording sheet needs to be signed by an adult and returned to school on Friday.

Each week, the newsletter will be added to the "Family Community" tab on our blog -- it's located at the top of the page.  A blank recording sheet will also be posted here, in the event that the family dog does actually each your homework (by accident!) one week!

If your child ever encounters any difficulty with homework, please encourage them to seek help early in the week from their classroom teacher.  We're more than happy to help sort out any misunderstandings or to give them a little boost of encouragement.  If it's not possible, simply include a little note with the week's homework.

Weekof9.2.14

9.2.14homeworkrecord

(Clipart from: http://myclassroomnotes.com/resources/holiday-homework-clipart-i1.jpg.opt772x153o0,0s772x153.jpg)