Staying Connected to Learning
Week 8 - May 11-15, 2020
Keeping students happy, healthy, and learning at home
Reading and Writing
Reading Strategy for Parents and Children: Fluency - Grades K-5
Connect through literature with the fluency strategy. This strategy helps readers read in a smooth and natural way.
2. Watch the fluency strategy read-aloud modeled examples and practice along with your child. You’ll find examples for fiction and nonfiction.
Modeled Examples:
3. Select a book to read using the fluency strategy. Be sure to stop and retell using your retelling hand along the way.
4. Use the Fluency Bookmark.
5. Add writing to your practice and help your child to fill out the K-3 Journal or 4-5 Journal pages.(Feel free to download and print or just make your own journal at home and use the journal here to help guide you.)
6. Be sure to remind your child to use their writing non-negotiables (capitals and periods).
7. Repeat with a different genre. If your child chose a fiction book, try an information book next.
Continue practicing the fluency strategy with your child using all types of text (books, movies, Twitter postings, news reports, etc.)
For more read-aloud fun, check out this collection of famous people reading various texts aloud or the Big List of Children’s Books: Read-Alouds.
For more literacy activities to do every day of the year, check out our Student Success Calendar or our Read-at-Home Book.
Reading Informational Text: The Week Junior - Grades 6-8
The Week Junior is a current events magazine for 8- to 14-year-olds that informs, empowers, and inspires its readers. It helps kids make sense of the world, provides context and clarity on complex issues, and encourages discussion and debate.
Reading: The Harry Potter Reading Club - Grades 6-8
English Language Arts: Spoken Word Poetry
Spoken Word Poetry is the contemporary poetry of our time. Included here are two poems to watch/listen/read and feel, then reflect upon:
When Love Arrives by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye
A Lot Like You by Rudy Fransisco
- Encourage your child to read and listen to each poem and select a line, a phrase, or a word that resonates with them, bringing up an emotion, making them laugh, or think, or wonder.
- Then, in their notebooks or journals, write about that line, or phrase, or word.
- Then decide - which of the two poems do they like best?
- Post their vote - and your reasons why - on our shared Padlet.
Note: Poems may contain language your family finds offensive; please preview content prior to sharing with your child.
SAT/PSAT Prep: Vocabulary - Grades 9-12
This week's vocabulary lists:
This week's vocabulary quizzes (you will need to create an account to access quizzes):
Mathematics
Basic Fact Strategy: Quick Draw 2s Game - Grades K-2
Time: Telling Time with a Sundial - Grades K-5
Find out how to tell the time without a clock! A sundial uses the position of the sun to indicate the time. Typically, a stick (gnomon) casts a shadow upon a plane or surface that has markings, which indicate the time by the position of the shadow. Watch the How to Tell Time Using a Sundial video and try making a sundial of your own!
Basic Facts: Math Trash Game - Grades 3-5
Kids can have basic math fact fun, trashing cards that will not work in their sequence. Here's how:
- Choose the multiplication facts you want to work on and make your own deck of cards. Make a deck of 40 cards with index cards by writing the 1st ten multiples out and do this 4 times. For example, 3, 6, 9, 12 ...all the way to 30.
- Have kids say their multiplication or division equation sentence before laying down their card, or have them talk out loud to hear what strategy they are using to figure out the correct answer.
- Head to the Trash Game web page for full instructions and a video demonstrating how the game is played.
Math Tutoring: MATHia - Grades 6-12
Also available for free from Carnegie Learning is the LONG + LIVE + MATH At Home on-demand learning library, full of lessons for middle and high school math courses.
Science
Earth Science: Why do Shadows Move? - Grades K-5
Science Lab: At-Home Activities - Grades 6-12
Math & Science
Math and Science Games and Videos: Legends of Learning - Grades 3-8
Career and College Corner
College Preparation: A Checklist for High School Juniors - Grade 11
Follow the simple checklist to help guide you over the next few months before you start your senior year:
Review the Blue Water College Access Network Junior Checklist - 7 Steps to help you Prepare for College
Identify items that need to be completed
Make a calendar of important deadlines, tasks, etc.
Contact your school’s college adviser or guidance counselor for assistance
Mindfulness & Self-Care
Mental Health Awareness Month - Grades K-12
Grades K-6
Kids share their feelings on COVID-19 (video)
How the Coronavirus is Influencing Children's Play (article)
Grades K-12
Helpful tips from a child therapist on parenting during Covid-19 (article)