Heads up for Third Graders!

A recent study released by the American Educational Research Association, found that students who can't read on grade level by 3rd grade is four times less likely to graduate high school by age 19 than a child who does read proficiently by that time.  When you add poverty to that, than a student is 13 times less likely to graduate on time than his or her "wealthier" peer.

YIKES!!

I find this to be scary, sad, and somewhat true.  I know as a first grade teacher, that reading is EVERYTHING....that is practically all we do in my classroom.  But with large classroom sizes, little to no extra assistance, and many english-language learners, teachers' days are stressful and tough.

BUT, we students have the opportunity to receive extra reading support (like at CGTP), then we need to give them those opportunities as often as possible.  We should be creating more opportunities for students to read even after first and second grade.  When we know there is an at-risk reader on our hands, we must acknowledge that and provide high-success reading experiences for our students, along with reading instruction that showcases a variety of skills.  Skills that we have been testing our CGTP students on with the DORA tests (i.e. phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, etc.).  So, tutors, now that you have the facts (test scores, school grades, etc.), we have the tools at our center (resource room, and myself), let's come face to face with our struggling readers and send them into a reading momentum of success in order to get them to become on-level readers.

HELP!! With Everyday Math

Everyday Math....what is it??  This is a math curriculum designed by The University of Chicago that was designed to focus on real life problem solving that encourages students to explain and discuss their way of thinking.  Okay, so where are the instructions when it comes time to help your student with their math homework???  I have asked the same question myself, because this math series comes with little to no instruction on some of the daily home and study links that students have to complete for homework.  It is hard to know what they have done that day in school because their homework is jumbled with a variety of math problems and that can be confusing for someone who is with them only once a week.  So, I have gathered up some resources on the net to help anyone else out there who feels frusturated when it comes time to help with this particular math homework

http://www1.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/everydaymath.htm
A list of resources related to the Everyday Math curriculum

http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/homework_help/
Home/Study Link help for all grade levels

http://mathatube.com/everydaymath-motheds.html
A wonderful to learn the many methods of this program

http://www.norman.k12.ok.us/155/Math/EverydayMath.htm
Online demos for help with the methods

http://everydaymath.eanes.wikispaces.net/
Overall great website with lots of resourceful help

As I pop in and out of classrooms, feel free to stop and ask any questions you have about the homework or math questions.  I will do my very best to help, but I myself, find that seeking outside resources for this program seem to be a great way to find that extra help you might need.

Great Reading Ahead....

I have been seeing lots of tutors and students using our fabulous library in the resource room.  The books there are certainly for your use during your time at tutoring.  As you begin to get to know your student, guide them to choose books that are a good fit for their reading abilities.  Choosing books that fit their reading level (being able to read a full page without struggling with more than five words) will boost their confidence and comprehension skills.  Let your student choose books that they enjoy as well, and if it is too hard, share reading the parts of the story and take turns reading out loud to each other.  If your student is intimidated by seeing a lot of words on one page, have them use a sheet of paper to cover some words.  This way, they can focus on one area at a time. After looking over the DORA test, comprehension seems to be the category that students are having difficulty with the most.  Remember to always ask questions before, during, and after reading.  Create good conversation and help choose "just right" books and you are sure to see a pathway to great reading.

Sometimes our students need a little push in the right direction, and that direction could help make a significant leap in their reading skills!