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My Educational Background:
I graduated from Fairmont State College with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and a specialization in Specific Learning Disabilities. I received my Masters Degree from West Virginia University.
I began my teaching career as a special education teacher at Norwood Elementary School. After thirteen years as a LD educator, I transferred to a first grade position at Nutter Fort Elementary School. I taught first grade there for eleven years and transferred to Lumberport Elementary. I have been teaching here for five years.
Classroom Goals for 2011-2012
Reading: My core program will focus on five main elements of reading 1) fluency 2) comprehension 3) phonics/word attack skills 4) high frequency words 5) vocabulary
In order to make progress in these areas it is important for your child to read daily. Your child has been equipped with a Reading Fluency Notebbok and is required to practice three timed readings of each pasage. In addition, your child will be given a Book Buddy each week to read at home. Parents are asked to record the name of the book on the provided sheet. When this sheet is filled, your child will earn a No Homework Pass for the day. Your child also has an opportunity to compete in the Reading Counts program. Students may check out Reading Counts books from the library or from my classroom library. After reading the book, students may take a comprehension test on that book in the library (7:00-7:30) or in the classroom. In addition, your child has been issued a reading textbook containing our reading selections. Students will be assigned a reading selection (story) to read at home as part of weekly homework. However, your child may take the textbook home daily to practice reading.
Your child will be given a Resource Sheet for each selection (story) that we read in class. Vocabulary words/definitions, phonics skills, high frequency words, wall words, and spelling words will be listed on this sheet. A good strategy to use for the development of vocabulary words is to have your child draw a picture of that word, put the definition in his/her own words, and to use it in a sentence. Always attempt to relate each word to the child's own experiences. High frequency words and phonics skills will be sent home for additional practice in the form of Speed Drill. The focus point is for your child to practice reading the words Quick as a Wink to build fluency with the words. In addition to the core program, an intervention program will also be implemented for students who continue to struggle with word attack/high frequency skills. Small group guided reading will also focus on these skills as well as reading fluency.
Spelling/Language Arts Skills: The core reading program will coincide with our phonics program for each selection
. Our core reading program/spelling program goes hand in hand. Whatever phonics skills being taught in reading for a selection will be the same skill taught in spelling.
Weekly homework sheet will focus on using each word in a well constructed sentence. I suggest the use of the 7-up rule which means using seven words in each sentence. To expand sentences, ask words such as "why, where, when, what, or how." Your child will also work on ABC order to the second, third, and fourth letter. This is a skill that can be practiced at home. Your child has spelling word cards that he/she may bring home weekly. Use a yellow crayon to highlight the letter that your child needs to look at when placing the words in ABC order. These word cards may also be used to play a game of "Memory." You can also use the word in a sentence leaving out the spelling word and have your child locate the correct word that will fit the sentence. When practicing for the spelling test, it is a good practice to have your child write the words versus spelling them orally. I suggest "Look, Write, Cover, Write, Check." Your child looks at the word, writes, it, covers it up, and writes it from memory, and checks to see if it was written correctly.
Math:
The most important skill for your child to master this year is memorization of addition/subtraction facts.
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