It's Elementary Archives

It's Elementary: What Are Leveled Books?

If you are a kindergarten or first grade parent, you have just received your child's first report card. Your child's teacher may have told you your child was reading at a certain level and the benchmark for your child's grade was at another level. You are probably wondering about these levels and why they are used.

Especially in kindergarten through second grade, teachers use leveled readers with your child in their guided reading groups as they teach the strategies and skills needed to become a good reader. These books receive levels based on a variety of characteristics such as the vocabulary used, the length of the sentences, and the content. These levels help your child's teacher select a book that is appropriate for learning and practicing reading strategies. Your child may also bring these leveled books home to continue their practice and to build confidence as a reader. However, all of your child's reading should not be related to a certain level. Use your time with your child in the library or bookstore to select books of interest that you can read together because it is important for your child to read a variety of texts.

Posted by Nancy Mangum at 4:15 PM on February 24, 2009 | Leave Feedback

It's Elementary: How Do I Help My Child Develop the Ability to Think Critically?

Our future depends on the abilities of young citizens to make informed decisions about science issues that affect us all. Think about all the controversy around such issues as stem cell research, developing new energy sources, and global warming. For our children to be informed citizens, we all have to help them now to become critical thinkers.

Our elementary science program uses an inquiry approach that starts a science lesson with a question or problem about an issue related to the science curriculum. Then students have opportunities to work in pairs or small groups with materials to make observations and collect data about the question. The teacher's role is to question and probe the students to explore their understanding.

You can help your child at home by posing questions that are open-ended. At times, ask your child to restate his or her understanding, elaborate further, or articulate a particular position on a topic. Ask questions such as, "What do you mean by that?", or "Can you be more specific about that?"

You can probe more when your child's answers are flimsy or partially explained. Probing questions encourage children to clarify answers by providing more evidence or giving supporting details. They also cause children to think and respond at higher cognitive levels. For example, ask, "What are you thinking about when you say that?", or "What do you think you should do next?"

When we ask open-ended questions, children reap great benefits as they think through their responses to express what they want to say. And with their answers, we find out more about what they think and feel.

Posted by Nancy Mangum at 4:43 PM on February 2, 2009 | Leave Feedback

What do I need to know about Kindergarten registration?

Kindergarten registration begins in Wake County Public Schools on the first Thursday in February. This year that will be February 5. Students may register for kindergarten throughout the spring but it is helpful in planning for your entering student to have him or her registered as soon as possible.

Your child must be five years old on or before August 31, 2009 to be eligible for kindergarten. You do not need to bring your child with you to register. You will need the following documents: a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate, proof of residence (such as a housing contract, rental agreement, electric or water bill), immunization records, and a health assessment must be completed before the beginning of the school year.

Additional information can be found on our website.

Posted by Nancy Mangum at 4:47 PM on January 16, 2009 | Leave Feedback

It's Elementary: How Can I Help My Child Develop Higher-order Thinking Skills?

Teachers often say that they want to develop a student's higher-order thinking skills in order to improve their achievement. As parents when we hear this it can seem like a very complicated process, best left to the classroom, but there are some very important things that parents can do to develop and practice thinking skills that simply require having purposeful conversations with your children.

A little purposeful conversation with your child can offer meaningful practice of higher-order thinking skills. Here are two simple possibilities.

1. If your student has a favorite television show, ask your child to tell you about the plot of the episode. Inquire about what happened last week and how it relates to this week. Ask your child to make predictions about what may happen next, then ask, "What events so far make him/her predict that?"
2. If your child loves video games, ask him or her about the strategy they use to play the game. What have they learned that will help them be successful in the game, or get a better score?

Having these conversations has a double payoff. As you ask your child questions about their interests, you learn more about their activities, and through these conversations, you are offering your child real-life opportunities to describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate. These four skills will help your student develop his/her critical thinking skills.

Posted by Nancy Mangum at 10:23 AM on November 21, 2008 | Leave Feedback

It's Elementary: What is Title I?

Title I is federal funding for schools to help students who are falling behind academically. Funding is based on the number of students eligible for free and reduced lunch in a school. In WCPSS, elementary schools with 35 percent of their students qualifying for free and reduced lunch receive Title I monies. The funds are used to hire teachers; purchase materials and supplies; and provide family involvement activities, professional development, pre-kindergarten programs, summer school track-out academies and more. Wake County has 40 identified Title I schools providing reading and math support for students achieving below grade level expectations.

Posted by Nancy Mangum at 3:06 PM on November 6, 2008 | Leave Feedback

It's Elementary: How Can I Prepare for a Parent-Teacher Conference?

Parent-teacher conferences are an important time to find out how your child is doing in school. You want to make sure that you ask the right questions and walk away with a good understanding of how your child is doing in school. The conference is also a good time for you to share things about your child with his/her teacher. Here are a few tips to help you prepare in order to get the most out of your conferences this year.

Prior to the conference, write down questions and concerns that you have for your child's teacher. Prioritize your list in case time runs short. Also, write down any information that you would like to share about your child. During the conference the teacher will talk about your child's progress and will probably show you work samples. Ask questions if you do not understand. It is also important to find out if there are any problems academically or socially, so if the teacher does not mention these, make sure you ask. If there is a problem, talk about how you can work together to help your child. Ask the teacher what you can do at home to support your child.

Remember, sharing and working together, to insure your child's success, is what the parent-teacher conference is all about!

Posted by Nancy Mangum at 4:52 PM on October 7, 2008 | Leave Feedback

It's Elementary: What is Being Taught in my Child's Classroom?

Editor's note: Here's the first in a series of blogs exploring what's happening in our elementary classrooms. Your host is Nancy Mangum, a coordinating teacher in our Curriculum and Instruction Department. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to hit the "feedback" link below. -- Chip Sudderth

You might be wondering what your child is learning each day when you send them off to school.

In Wake County the teachers teach the objectives outlined in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for their grade level. To provide consistency from school to school, WCPSS has developed a pacing guide for all teachers to help them know when each objective from this standard course of study should be taught. Assessments are built into this guide to assist the teachers in gathering data about your child's progress.

The assessments are an important piece because they allow teachers to differentiate upcoming instruction so that each child gets what they need. For some students, they might need to review the objectives assessed because they have not yet mastered them. This might be done in small groups or one-on-one with the teacher or teacher assistant. For students who have mastered the objectives, the teacher knows that they are ready to move on and might even provide them with some enrichment or extension activities.

By teaching the objectives and assessing student mastery of the objectives, WCPSS's plan for teaching the North Carolina Standard Course of Study insures that all students learn the objectives and are prepared to go on to the next grade.

Next week's question: What should I ask about at a parent-teacher conference?

If you have any questions that you would like answered about your child's elementary classroom let us know!

Posted by Nancy Mangum at 4:45 PM on September 29, 2008 | Leave Feedback