This Week in Third
News from Ms. Tokarz
What's Up?!!
I was able to glean some great advice or wisdom from Dr. Phil today. He was actually doing his first broadcast from his "man-cave" on nonother than parenting advice during coronavirus. He actually offered some very practical suggestions that I thought I would share out. Maybe you will find some of them helpful. I've decided to release one newsletter per week to keep everyone up to speed on newly released activities or assignments. However, you are welcome to reach out to me whenever you need to. We are all experiencing information overload, and in an effort to not overwhelm everyone, but keep my students focused on a school-like routine and responsibilities, I thought this would be a useful endeavor. It is not my mission to tell you how to raise or parent your child, however, it is my job to offer solutions for challenging situations. I am open to helpful suggestions for oversights or otherwise. I do realize with everyone home some may not have devices readily available for every child simultaneously. Please recognize that I know you are doing the best you can as we have been this whole new learning curve to work with---we got this!
Create a Routine--Schooling Schedule
To get your child to buy in, make them a part of the process. Allow them a say in ordering their day. It doesn't matter if they want P.E. time first and math time last, and reading and writing in the middle of the day; so long as it's all happening.
Reasonable Academic Work Time
It is reasonable to expect your child to work on academics for 3.5 to 4 hours a day (they just get to be a little comfier doing it). The bottom line, they still have responsibilities as students to fulfill; this isn't a vacation!
Enforce the Premack Principle...huh?
Be clear that completing school assignments and responsibilities are definitely your child's job right now. Identify that this is all new territory for all of us, but when we're all on the same page, it will work! Use reinforcers if responsibilities each day are met. Example: a child is avoiding reading and writing/parents say "hopefully you'll be able to have video game time tonight if you finish your reading and writing assignments"/be prepared to enforce or reinforce the child's decision----all of the power is in the child's control, you are calmly and consistently enforcing or reinforcing. If all else fails, email or text me and I'm happy to make a pep talk phone call to my friend.
Must-Dos Everyday THIS Week 03/23/20
- Finish reading The Chocolate Touch on Epic
- answer comprehension questions related to The Chocolate Touch and "submit" or "turn in" to me
- learn about a new spelling pattern and choose an activity to complete in your digital notebook from the Choice Board on my Google Site
- Reflex Math: 20+min./day
- Zearn: 1 lesson/day
- Daily Journal every day ---use complete sentences and great details---How are you feeling? What are you thinking about? What did you do with yourself today? How have you been helpful or showed kindness today?
- Write in your literature notebook on different days responding to these prompts: 1. What details or events in the story did you connect with while you've been reading this book? Explain. 2. If you were the author, and you added one more chapter to the book, how would the story end? Explain.
- get active: go for a walk, jump rope, play in your yard, etc.
- wash your hands before you eat or sleep
Can-Dos THIS Week 03/23/20
- on our 3rd Grade Google, go to my Google Site and try a Maker Space activity
- on my Google Site, go to Home key in the upper right corner, choose Math Assignments, find the tiny drop-down arrow and choose Science Learning---learn about something you are curious about and then write about what you learned about using LOTS of facts and details
- write a letter to me or someone you can't see right now
- ask how you can help with something that needs to be done at home
- send me a picture of you doing something you love to do
- go on Flipgrid (tokarzgems) and leave a positive message for me or your classmates