We need your help!

Welcome back to a new school year!  I hope it's off to a great start! 

We are working on updating and organizing our book room so books are easily accessible to our teachers and students!  We are looking for donations of blank manila file folders that we can use as dividers in our book bins!  We need a lot of them!   If you are willing to donate or you know of any business that would be willing to donate a box or two please send them our way!  You can send them to the office or to Mrs. Seibert's room!  Thank you so much!  We appreciate your help with this project! 

We are looking for Reading Corps and Math Corps tutors at MLE!

Experience life-changing growth.

Become a Minnesota Reading Corps or Minnesota Math Corps tutor!

Would you love to help children grow their reading and math skills,

succeed in school, and receive extra support from someone who cares?

If your answer is yes, you can be trained to serve as a tutor with

Minnesota Reading Corps or Minnesota Math Corps!

We are looking for people who are dedicated to our community.

By joining Minnesota Reading Corps or Minnesota Math Corps, you will

guide students toward becoming successful readers by third grade or

proficient in math by the end of eighth grade. You’ll also see real results

and make a lasting impact in these students’ lives, as well as in your own.

You’ll not only tutor students who need extra support; you’ll make a

meaningful connection with the school and our community.

Apply now or spread the word to a friend or family member!

Learn more and apply at www.readingandmath.net.

Positions begin in August!

Questions? Contact recruitment@servetogrow.org or call 866-859-2825.

Or contact Mr. Sawatzke or Mrs. Seibert at Maple Lake Elementary

320-963-3024

First Grade Summer Assessments

First grade Summer Assessments will be on Monday, August 20th and Tuesday, August 21st.  Your scheduled appointment will be coming home with your child's report card.  If you can't make your appointment, please call the office to let them know and we will try to reschedule it for you.  Thank you!

Have a wonderful summer break!  Don't forget to READ, READ, READ!

Parts of a Text

Pointing out the parts of a text and the information they give us help to build better understanding of the story as a whole.  Every time you read ask your child if they can show you the parts of a text!

Can you find...

• the front of the book
• the back of the book
• the title
• the author's name
• the illustrator's name
• the spine
• the title page
• a page in the book
• a word on a page
• where to start reading
• where to stop reading
• a period, question mark, or exclamation mark
• a capital letter
• a lowercase letter

The Parts of a Parent Reader

What is Title 1?

• Welcome to our K-2 Title 1/Reading Recovery blog!
• What is Title 1?  Title 1 is a federally funded program for our school.  The purpose of Title 1 is to provide additional instruction for students who need more academic support in reading and math for grades K-2.
• Students will qualify for Title 1 services by test scores and teacher recommendation.
• You must give permission for your child to receive Title 1 services.  A permission slip will be sent home for you to sign.
• Title 1 is NOT special education.  It is a flexible program.  Students move in and out as needed. Once you are in, it does not mean that you are in forever!  A new permission slip must be signed every year.  Title 1 is there as a safety net to catch learners who may need extra practice and support.
• With consent, your child will usually be pulled out of the regular classroom to work in small groups or individually.  Sometimes we do stay in the classroom if needed to offer support as well.  We also do co-teaching in math for grades 1 & 2.  We do not remove students from core subject area times.  
• Progress reports will be sent home with your child's report card to communicate and show the gains your child is making in our program.
• Kindergarten students work mainly with Mrs. Pesch.
• Mrs. Seibert works mainly with grades 1 & 2.
• Parents play a big part of your child's success in Title 1!  Bookbags will be sent home for homework.  Listening to your child read, signing the sheet in the bag, returning it to school each day, and communicating with the Title 1 teachers is your job!
• You are invited to sign up for our blog this year.  Parent tips and information about how to work with your child at home in reading and math will also be included.
• Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns and we will be happy to help find an answer for you!
• Have a great school year!  We look forward to working with your child and as team with you!

• 
  

Magnetic Letters

Magnetic letters are a simple tool you can use to help with letter name and sound identification.  Magnetic letters (or even non-magnetic plastic letters) are available in grocery or retail stores in small quantities, or can be purchased at a teacher supply store (either the physical store or online).  Once you have a variety of letters available, try some of these activities:

• Start with the known letters.  Put the letters on a cookie sheet or table, and ask such questions like, “Can you find the b?” or “Which letter makes the “buh” sound?”…etc. 
• If you have multiple letters that are the same, you can have your child sort the known letters, asking a question such as, “Can you find all of the Ms?” or “Which ones are the Cs?”  You can mix upper and lower case letters and try the same activity.
• Play “mystery letter” by holding a magnet letter behind your back and saying, “I am holding a letter that says “fff”, which letter am I holding?”
• To teach new letters and sounds, add more magnet letters into the activity by introducing the letter name and sound, then mixing it in with the other known letters.  Mix them around and ask, “Can you find the letter we just added?  Where is the w?” or “Where is the new letter that makes the “w” sound?”
• You can also use the magnet letters in a similar way to an ABC book when your child is reading and writing.  Have the known letters nearby to refer to when your child gets “stuck” on a letter or sound.
• Magnet letters are also a good aid to use when teaching your child letter formation.  Your child can trace the letter with his/her finger, and even “write” on top of the letter with a pencil to practice the correct form.  Combine this practice with a verbal description of the movements as well!

How to Read a Report Card

The purpose of a report card is to communicate about a child's progress across the subject areas.  Most report cards also include an effort, behavior, and personal skills section as well.  Here are some suggestions for making report card time positive and productive.

• Become familiar with the grading system at our school.  
• Make sure you understand the different competencies on the report card.  If it is vague such as "uses time wisely", ask your child's teacher for more details if you don't understand.
• As you look at your child's report card, resist the impulse to jump directly to an area with a lower score.  Find an area with a good grade and focus on that first.  
• Once you've focused on the positive, talk about areas in which your child's grade was lower.  "Tell me how things have been going in science lately".  Start an open conversation about the difficulty your child may be having in that area.
• Together, develop strategies to help in subject areas that are difficult for your child.  Is there a book or website that could help?  If you are not sure, call the teacher for some ideas.
• Last, let your child know that he/she is so much more than just a report card.  Remind them of all the things that make him/her special and important in your family.  

Report cards should not contain any huge surprises about how your child is doing.  Most teachers work to talk with parents if a child is having difficulty. A strong school-home partnership is what makes children succeed!   

Take a break, but bring a book!

Kids look forward to some time away from homework and tests, but summer is not a time to take a break from reading!  When students don't read for three months, their academic skills can easily slip! Three months may not seem like a long time, but by middle school some experts say this down time can put kids up to two years behind!  Reading over the summer not only keeps your child from losing ground, but actually improves skills for the coming year.  Here are some suggestions to keep a book in your child's hands over the summer months:

1.  Visit your local library. They offer free books, audio books, and DVD's that can be borrowed for free!

2.  Bring along a book whenever you leave the house.  Kids can find time to read in the car, at the park, or on the beach!

3.  Don't make reading a punishment.  

4.  Reward reading progress!  Add a shell to a bucket each time your child reads a book and when you've filled it up, do a fun summer activity like making a cool milkshake together!

Have fun reading this summer!

Tracking Print

Tracking print is an important tool a beginning reader must learn.  Tracking print is when you point to each word as you read it aloud.  While reading with your child encourage them to track print as you read aloud or as you're reading together.  Tracking print helps your child learn new words by seeing them and hearing  you read them aloud.  Tracking print also lets you know if your child is paying attention while listening to a read aloud.  Children can track print with their finger, a pencil, or a cool pointer!  Modeling how to track print as you read aloud is important too!

How to read with a beginning reader

• Complete a picture walk BEFORE reading.
• Predict what may happen in the book.
• Model and encourage your child to track print.
• Read a word or sentence and have your child repeat it.
• Take turns reading each page.
• Talk about the story as you read.  What do you think will happen next? What does this story remind you of?
• Read the story again!  Repeated readings build fluency and confidence!

Choosing the Right Books

When reading with your child you want to find the "Goldilocks" of books.  You want a book that's not too hard, not too easy, but one that's just right.  Use these tips to find a book that is just right for your child.  

The Rule of Five

1. Open the book to any page.

2. Read the words on that page.

3. Count the number of words you cannot read.

4. Use your fingers to decide if this is a good book to read. 

one word: ok

two words: still ok

three words: you may need help

four words: tough to read

five words: too hard

Sorting coins by name

Fold a paper into fourths.  Label the sections with the words penny, nickel, dime, and quarter.  Have your child quickly sort all of the coins into the correct sections.

Storytelling on the go!

Take turns adding to a story the two of you make up while riding in the car.  Try to make the story funny or spooky.

One more time with feeling!

When your child as sounded out an unfamiliar word, have him re-read that sentence.  Often kids are so busy figuring out a word they lose the meaning of what they've just read.

Be your child's #1 fan!

Ask your child to read aloud what he or she has written for school.  Be an enthusiastic listener!

Create a writing toolbox

Fill a box with drawing and writing materials.  Find opportunities for your child to write, such as thank you notes, the shopping list, or birthday cards.

Tell family tales

Children love to hear stories about their family.  Talk about a funny thing that happened when you were young.

Write, write, write!

Ask your child to help you write out the grocery list, a thank you note to Grandma, or to keep a journal of special things that happen at home.  Show your child that writing is important and it happens everywhere!

Talk, talk, talk!

Talk with your child every day about school and things going on in their life.  Sprinkle some interesting words into the conversation, and build on words you've talked about in the past.  This will build your child's vocabulary.