Frequently Asked Questions

How can I help my child practice/master their math facts at home?

Encourage your child to avoid using their fingers for computation. As I
tell students in class, if their fingers can find the answers quickly,
their brain has no reason to. Students need to use more efficient
strategies -- ones that will increase their number sense. In class, we are
practicing several strategies for addition: Making Tens, Switching, Breaking
Addends Apart, Doubles, and Doubles Plus One/Doubles Minus One. The first
three strategies stress the importance of using tens and multiples of tens
as a means of finding answers quickly and easily. Students should master
the ways to make tens so these strategies are easier to work with. A list
of equations at home will be a helpful resource during homework. Doubles is
another great strategy for students. They should recognize doubles up to
twenty. We will soon be working on strategies for subtraction. Please
understand that the more comfortable your child is with their facts, the
more easily they will be able to transition into increasingly challenging
concepts like multiplication, division, and fractions.

What type of books should my child be reading at home?

Children should be reading books that are "just right" for them. The idea
of nightly reading is to foster a love of reading but also to help children
refine their reading skills. Therefore, if a child is reading a book that
is not a suitable level for them, they are not benefiting from the
activity. Help your child to find a topic, genre, author, or series that
they enjoy. Make your child part of this process, but try to avoid choosing
books for them. Learning how to self-select is important for children.
Listen to your child read. Are they able to read it somewhat smoothly? Can
they make sense of difficult words? Do they understand what they're
reading? Can they tell you about the story/article? If not, they have
chosen a book that is too challenging. We want our children to enjoy their
books and to learn from their books. If they are spending most of their
time trying to sound out words or figure out what's going on, it's beyond
their reading level.

Will my child have any projects this year?

Any projects that we do this year will be done in the classroom. Some will
be done in groups, but there may be some assigned for independent
completion. In particular, third grade students are required to do an
animal research report in the spring. Although some research for these
projects may be done at home, most of the work is done at school to foster
independent thinking and time management skills.

How much should I be helping my child with their homework?

Students should be able to complete most homework without any assistance at
all. Homework is meant to build on skills and concepts that are already
being practiced in class. I would encourage all parents, instead, to help
their children to develop good habits and thinking skills. Stress the
importance of reading directions and questions carefully before writing.
Have them reread when confused instead of giving away information quickly.
Monitoring and clarifying is a reading comprehension strategy that we
practice in school. Supply them with tools like dictionaries, rulers, and
study guides. Most of all, be sure that they have a quiet, clean
environment in which to work. If your child has difficulty remembering all of
their assignments or packing them up for school the next day, create a
simple checklist for them to use each afternoon. All of these things will
help them to become more responsible for their own learning.

What can I do to help my child improve their spelling skills?

You can encourage your child to become more proficient spellers in many
ways. First, when they come to you and ask how to spell a word -- DON'T
TELL THEM!!! Instead, ask them to say the word aloud slowly and think about
the sounds that they hear. If they are saying the word incorrectly, model
the correct way and have them repeat it. Have them break the word apart by
syllables and spell out the chunks as they go. They can also tap out the words, which is a technique that students use in our Fundations program.  Most often, they are able to
spell the word in its entirety or at least most of it. Also, make
dictionaries available to them when completing their homework. Encourage
them to use their Agenda Mates as a resource. There is an extensive word
list in the resource section at the back of the book. Suggest that they think of other
words that sound like the one they're trying to spell. If they can spell
those words, they may be able to spell the new word too (or at least part of
it). Remind them of basic spelling principles that they should know (how a
short vowel sound is created, what happens to a vowel when a silent e is at
the end of a word). Encourage them to see that they have the tools
needed to improve their own skills.

My child has difficulty with organization. How can I help them?

Checklists are great organizational tools. If your child needs help packing
up their backpack, create a checklist that can be attached to the backpack
and teach them how to use it. Model the entire process for them and
practice it together for a week or so until they are able to do it
consistently on their own. Again, the idea is to encourage responsibility
and independence. Help them to become more a part of their nightly/morning
routine. Have them use the checklist to make sure their homework papers,
bus notes, lunch, snack, etc... are all safely inside of their bag and
congratulate them for a job well done.

Should I read TO my child at night or have them read on their own?

The benefits of reading to your child are many, and even older children enjoy having an adult read to them. When we read to children, we model important skills like reading with expression, appropriate rate and phrasing, which are all part of a child's fluency. However, children should read to themselves as well so they have opportunities to practice the skills they are learning. When able, listen to your child read and ask your child questions about what they are reading. Have thoughtful conversations with them that will foster a deeper understanding of the text. Our goal in third grade is to have students begin reading for meaning. This year, all third grade students will be required to read at night for at least twenty minutes in addition to their assigned homework.

My child finishes their homework in just a few minutes. What else can I have them do?

Third grade students are required to have thirty minutes of assigned homework Monday through Thursday night. Teachers do their best, however, the completion of these assignments often looks different for children. Some will finish quickly, whereas others may need more time. If your child finishes quickly, first have them check to make sure their name is on the paper, that they have followed directions correctly, they have used their neatest writing and put in their best effort. Often, students who finish quickly have fallen short in one of these areas. If they have done these things, then encourage them to do some extra reading, work a bit more on their math facts, visit one of the educational sites I have included on my web page, or perhaps even begin an independent project on an area of interest.