• Frequently Asked Questions

     

     

    Reading

    How do I help my child when he/she comes to a word that he /she does not know?

    If the error doesn’t interfere with the meaning of the text, allow your child to continue.  It’s important to encourage and support your child during reading.  Less is often more with reading corrections.  You want to boost your child’s confidence when reading

     

    How much of a “hint” should I give my child when reading?

    When your child gets stuck reading it’s important to give support rather than always supply the unknown word. You can ask your child what do they know about the word or point out chunks (ch, thr, ank) or give comprehension clues (that’s a color word).

     

    How do I help my child choose a “just right” book?

    Use the Five Finger rule to determine if a book is appropriate for your child.

     

    How can I help my child comprehend the text?

    It’s important to make predictions, ask questions while reading, and stop at the end of a page or section to review or summarize what has been read.

     

    What are some strategies to use before reading?

     

    It’s helpful to use your schema or background knowledge before reading.  It’s important to determine what type of text you’re going to read and set a purpose for reading.

     


    Math

    How do I help my child learn their basic facts?

    For students who need extra support in memorizing facts, there are several proven strategies that will increase their fluency. 

    • Addition – practice doubles, doubles plus 1, doubles plus 2, making facts to ten

    • Subtraction- think addition for subtraction – practice fact families

    • Play dominoes, “Shut the Box” dice game (see Amazon.com), Game 24 Primer,

    • Visit websites : ABCya.com, Mathfactcafe.com, kahnacademy.com, Learnzillion.com, mathplayground.com

    • Multiplication – help them see the relationship between repeated addition and multiplication, the patterns of 5s & 10s tables, 2s, 4s and 8s tables, & turn around facts.

    • Division -  think multiplication for division – practice fact families

      Remember – Flashcards are great to increase fluency once students have mastered the strategies. If your child feels anxious being timed, focus on accuracy over speed.

     

    Why are students not learning algorithms from the very beginning of instruction?

    Conceptual understanding of content being taught is vital for retention.

    Practice of strategies increases critical thinking skills and flexibility.

    Students develop a true understanding of our base ten number system.

    Creating visuals help students to understand the magnitude of number sense, and organize their thinking.

     

    Where can I find tutorials to watch so I understand and can explain the strategies to my child in “kid-friendly” terms?

    Learnzillion.com and KahnAcademy.com are two very well-done sites, with step-by-step videos and explanations.  The students will be familiar with both sites and their presentations.

    Also, be sure to check out your child’s math notebooks.  Teachers are diligent about providing very clear notes. They often will glue teacher examples in the pages for reference.