Just a Thought

Are you practice good thinking skills habits with your student?  Check below to see if you are:

-Slowing down instruction

-Presenting your student with appropriate level work, not too hard but not too easy

-Sharing your thinking process with your student
-Finding multiple ways to solve problems
-Helping your student apply what he/she knows in new ways

By consistently challenging your student's their thinking process, you will help them to become excellent thinkers and learners.

Do Now

Our time here at CGTP goes by very quickly.  We need to use every minute up the best that we can.  I have noticed that many students are ready to start their homework right away, which is wonderful, but instead of jumping right into completing a homework assignment, challenge your student to a "Do Now" activity.  A "Do Now" activity is an engaging task ready for them the minute they sit down.  Before you talk about how your week is going, or when their next spelling test is, challenge them to a short activity that they can complete independently and successfully.   The activity should take no longer than a few minutes, but make sure it applies to something they are learning in school, or something you have talked about before.  Here are some examples of some "Do Now" activities:

*Correct the grammar of 3 silly sentences
*See how many ways studetns can produce the sum of 25
*Write a math problem and have your student illustrate it
*Give clues about a favorite TV show or movie and have your student guess what the answer is, then switch and you be the guesser while your student comes up with the clues.
*Write mis-spelled spelling words on notecards and hide them around the classroom.  Let your student find the words and correct them.

This is not required by any means, but just a way for you to connect with your student the minute they enter their classroom, a way to get their minds stimulated, so that you can ensure the rest of your evening will be successful and engaging.  Check out the weekly Tabletop News for more quick and fun activities for everyone!

WHAT IS DORA???

Now that the school year is in full swing, we will be asking that your student be tested in our computer lab in a reading (DORA) and math (DOMA) assessment.  We test all students at the beginning of the year and at the end to see the growth made throughout the year.  After your student finishes his/her test, they will come meet you with a report in hand.  That report is for you to go over and recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your student.  Some of you  might be wondering what all those little symbols and letters mean on the  report.  So here is the rundown on the categories being tested on for DORA:

HFW – High Frequency Words: score range is mid Kindergarten to high 3rd grade.
WR – Word Recognition: score range is mid Kindergarten to high 12^th grade.
PH – Phonics/Word Analysis:   score range is low Kindergarten to high 4^th grade.
PA – Phonemic Awareness:   scores as a percentage.
SP – Spelling: score range is mid Kindergarten to high 12^th grade.
VO – Word Meaning Sub-test/Oral Vocabulary:  mid Kindergarten to high 12^th grade.
CO – Silent Reading sub-test/Comprehension:  score range is mid Kindergarten to high 12^th grade.

and for DOMA:

Numbers Skills:   maximum score high 5^th grade.
Fractions Skills:   maximum score high 5^th grade.
Measurement Strand: maximum score mid 5^th grade.

The reports give further explanations on what each skill means and what your student knows and what you should be working on with them.  Use the reports as a tool, let them guide you this fall into setting attainable goals with your student, in hopes of skyrocketing those scores and helping our students become confident and excited learners!