BPE Monthly
October 2021
How Do Children Learn to Read?
Content Lead at NWEA
How do children learn to read? While the amount of research informing this answer is overwhelming, a framework that reading researchers offered decades ago can help distill what we know into some simple components. This framework is the Simple View of Reading, first established by Gough and Tunmer in 1986.
Decoding: converging foundational skills
Phonological awareness In the broader effort to learn to decode, sounds and graphic representations come together. Phonological awareness, though, is limited to knowledge and skills with sounds. When students who do not yet know their letters play at rhyming, clapping out syllables, or stretching words out to hear sounds, they are working in the area of phonological awareness.
Research has largely converged on the finding that progression in phonological awareness is in the direction from larger chunks of sound to smaller ones (Adams et al. 1998; Anthony et al. 2002; Anthony and Lonigan 2004; Gillon 2004; Goswami 2000; Paulson 2005; Schatschneider et al. 1999). Students are aware of and can work with whole words as sounds, then syllables, then parts of syllables such as onsets and rimes, and, finally, individual phonemes. Across these various units, blending sounds is typically easier than segmenting sounds.
Growth in phonological awareness can continue past the primary grades, but a typical trajectory shows that most of the growth is achieved before third grade (Berninger, Abbott, Nagy, and Carlisle 2010).
Phonics and word decoding
Word decoding: Beginning with letter sounds and moving to word reading, decoding is the task of turning sets of letters on the page into the sounds they represent. Phonics is a term more particular to instruction, focusing on the systematic ways that spellings relate to speech sounds (Snow, Burns, and Griffin 1998).
Broadly, youngest children begin to approach word identification logographically, according to Frith’s model (1985); they recognize how a whole word looks without attending to letter sounds at all. Next, after understanding the alphabetic principle, they shift to an alphabetic stance, relying on letter sounds quite adamantly. At least in initial phases, students attend more to initial sounds in words than to medial or final sounds (Guthrie and Seifert 1977). Gradually, they use letter sounds and phonics patterns to move from consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words to single-syllable words with blends, digraphs, and long-vowel spellings; later still, they read multisyllabic words (Guthrie and Seifert 1977; Pirani-McGurl 2009).
Relationship between phonemic awareness and word decoding
Decoding and phonemic awareness have an overlapping learning trajectory in typical early reading development. The two are codependent and reciprocal (Perfetti et al. 1987). Both segmenting and blending skills are enlisted in decoding unfamiliar words (Johnson and Baumann 1984). Moreover, researchers have reaffirmed that development in decoding in turn facilitates growth in phonemic awareness: it is easier to process the task of blending or manipulating sounds when a visual symbol—a letter—is engaged to represent each sound (Shanahan and Lonigan 2010).
How Reading 20 Minutes a Day at Home Impacts your Child
Please Read...Important Parent Information
No Lane Changing in front driveway loop. Once you are in a designated drop-off or pick-up lane, remain in that lane. If you're in the wrong lane, we will ensure your child gets to the right place. After you have dropped-off in the designated drop-off zone, you will wait in the current lane and exit with the traffic flow. This is also true of the afternoon pick-up process. If you have questions about our procedures, please ask the staff on duty or contact Lisa Young.
Running Club (RC)- We're a little bit rusty in our process, so there were some first-day glitches. Thank you for being patient with us. We've worked through them and are ready for a smoother transition to RC next week. This is what we need parents to know:
- 2nd, 3rd, & 4th graders will be led out to the field by RC volunteers
- Clayton Care students of all ages must go directly to Clayton as usual. The Clayton staff will ensure your RC kiddo is accompanied to the field for Running Club.
- Kinder and first-grade students must be picked up by their parent/guardian via their designated dismissal process and accompanied to the field for Running Club. For example, if your student is car pick-up, you would go through the pick-up line in your vehicle as usual. You would park your vehicle and walk your student(s) to the field for Running Club. You must remain at Running Club for the duration of RC to supervise your student(s).
- Walking up to the pick-up hallway to request your student is still not an option.
- ALWAYS use a crosswalk
- Never release your student from your car onto Dalton or General Worth.
- Cell phone use in the school zone is illegal.
- Car seats save lives -
Submit your Student's 2021-22 Socioeconomic Information Form
For the 2021-22 school year, all students are eligible for free meals; however, Keller ISD still needs to capture free/reduced meal status information to apply for a number of additional grant funding to support District programs.
Families who qualify for free or reduced lunch program could then qualify for many other programs outside of school:
- The P-EBT program SNAP
- SAT/ACT fee waivers
- College application fee waivers
- A variety of district and community resources
Click here to begin Keller ISD’s 2021-22 Socioeconomic Information Form!
Thank you for your help and your support for Keller ISD! If you have questions, please feel free to contact Keller ISD’s Child Nutrition Department at 817-744-3980.
Watch D.O.G.S
WATCH D.O.G.S. is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement, organizations in the country. Since the program’s creation in 1998, more than 6,800 schools across the country have launched a WATCH D.O.G.S. program of their own. Each school year hundreds of thousands of fathers and father-figures make a positive impact on millions of children by volunteering millions of hours in their local schools through this amazing one-of-a-kind program. Who are WatchDOGS? Fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer to serve at least one day a year in a variety of school activities
Remember to complete your volunteer background check on the KISD website well in advance of your scheduled Watch D.O.G day. Approval of your background check must be received before you can volunteer on campus.
BPE Career Day 2021 - Call for Presenters
See the flyer below for details. A copy of this form is attached to the BPE Monthly email.
Show your Support - Join PTA Today
- Field trips for all of our students
- Annual holiday & end of year parties for all of our students
- Fall & Spring Family events. This year's Fall event will take place on the evening of October 8th.
- PTA has contributed to the improvement of our learning spaces in many ways. Recent projects have included: expanding our playground, funding the playground sunshades over the play equipment, adding the outdoor learning center, and purchasing new furniture for our classrooms.
Please join today and support BPES through your BPES PTA membership!
Monthly College Spirit Days
CoVid 19 Reporting Protocol
- Individuals (or parents/guardians, in the case of a student) self-report the diagnosis by filling out Keller ISD’s online Self-Reporting Form at www.KellerISD.net/SelfReport.
- The individual must remain home for 10 days. The isolation period begins (Day 1) the day after symptom onset or the day after the individual receives a positive test. The individual can return to school on the 11th day. Students remaining home will be treated as if they are absent for any other illness.
- Notify the BPES office or your student's teacher that the student will be out for ten calendar days.
Give the Gift of Warmth - Gently Used Items Appreciated
Model Safety
- ALWAYS use a crosswalk
- Never release your student from your car onto Dalton or General Worth.
- Cell phone use in the school zone is illegal.
- Car seats save lives -
Change of Dismissal Plan - Super Important!
Celebrating a Birthday?
Visitor Procedures
- Procedures for visitors apply throughout the entire school day.
- The north end (cafeteria and gym doors) is only available to children. Students may enter through these doors between 7:35 and 7:55 but adults must enter through the lobby doors. Adults attempting to enter through the north doors will be redirected to enter through the office.
ALL visitors will be required to enter through the office, provide picture identification, and obtain a visitor sticker/badge before proceeding to any other part of the building. Adults will be asked to leave their picture identification in the office while in the building and pick it back up as they exit the building through the office. This ensures we know who is in the building at all times.
- Office staff will verify the visitor is a parent, guardian, or approved contact for the student.
Thank you for working with us to ensure the safety and security of our children.
Volunteers
Lunch Dates
Parents are welcome to join their students for lunch. Please remember that state law only allows parents/guardians to provide food for their own children. You will not be able to bring food for a friend's child and have him/her join you.
If you've never had the opportunity to dine with us, be sure to bring your driver's license with you when you check in at the office. If you arrive a bit early, we'll have you take a seat in the office and wait for your student's lunchtime before heading to the cafeteria. You may purchase lunch from the cafe, bring in lunch for you and your child, or just sit and enjoy the time with your kiddo as he/she eats. We have parent lunch tables reserved for you to dine with your student. Please know that students will not be able to bring a friend to the guest table to dine with you.
Lunch Menu
BPE is a Dog-Free Zone
Calendar Events
October 1-8 - Scholastic Book Fair
Our Book Fair offers a cash-free payment option called eWallet. It’s a convenient digital account that your child can use for shopping at our Fair. Grandparents, friends, and others can contribute, too! Cash, checks, and credit cards are also accepted.
If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop online at our school’s Virtual Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.
Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/bpeslibrary
We’re excited to celebrate our love of books together at the Book Fair. We look forward to seeing you!
Book Fair Dates and Events
Student Preview/Wish Lists (During Class Times)
Monday, October 4 and Tuesday, October 5
Student Shopping (During School Hours)
Wednesday, October 6-Friday, October 8
Booknic! During Student Lunch Times
Wednesday, October 6~Families Invited!
PTA Fall Family Event & Book Fair
Friday, May 8: 5:30-8:00pm
October 8 - Fall Festival Event
October 14 - End of the First Quarter of School
- It's Storybook Character Day - Dress as your favorite storybook character
- Early Release: School dismissal at 11:55
October 15 & 18 - School Holiday for Students
October 22 - Field Day
October 25-29 - Red Ribbon Week
Our theme this year is "Drug-Free Looks Like Me"
Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program.
Red Ribbon Week started after the death of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who in 1985 was brutally murdered by drug traffickers he was investigating in Mexico.
After his death, people started wearing red ribbons to honor Kiki’s sacrifice. Today, millions of people celebrate Red Ribbon Week by wearing red ribbons, participating in community anti-drug events, and pledging to live drug-free lives.
In Keller ISD, we focus on demonstrating the importance of making healthy and smart decisions throughout life so that your dreams and goals can be achieved.
These are our Dress Up Days for Red Ribbon Week:
Monday-Patriots are RED-dy for a healthy future...Wear Red
Tuesday-Patriots team up for a healthy goal...Wear team shirts or jerseys
Wednesday-Patriots don’t get mixed up with unhealthy choices...Mismatch your clothes.
Thursday-Patriots Stay Active!... Activewear Day
Friday-Future Falcons continue to make healthy choices...Wear Falcon Feeder Colors or Spiritwear (Purple, Gold, and Black)
Halloween Costumes
We've intentionally incorporated themed dress-up occasions in the school calendar on specific days when the excitement of costumes will be less of a disruption to their learning.
Thank you for your help!