***If you are looking for this week’s Homework Log and Fridge Notes, please see the post below. ***
Graded Work
You will find several graded papers in the back pocket of your child’s KOALA Book today. Remember to check this pocket frequently for graded/completed work (these are yours to keep at home unless they are marked “sign and return”), as well as important notes from school. If you have any questions about your child’s grades, please let me know!
Accelerated Reader (AR) Goals
Your child is also bringing home some information regarding our school’s Accelerated Reader (AR) program and the Renaissance Home Connect website. AR tests may only be taken at school, but this website allows you to track your child’s progress in our AR program. You can view your child’s goals, as well as his/her progress towards reaching those goals (including what books he/she has read and how he/she scored on the test). You can even sign-up to have email alerts sent to you when your child completes a test. It is a wonderful parent resource.
I have also included your child’s AR levels and goals for this 9 weeks (it is written on a label attached to their STAR test results). I created each child’s AR goals based on the STAR placement test that the students took a few weeks ago. The reading levels listed are your child’s independent reading levels. AR is designed to promote independent reading, or reading on their own. When the students check out books from our school’s Media Center, they must get one book on their AR level and the other book is a “free choice.” The students will read these books at home in addition to the books they read from our classroom library at school during reading centers.
An important reminder about the reading level colors…even though a child might be able to read all of the words in a higher level book, this does not necessarily mean that the book is a “good fit” for the child. There are some 2nd graders who might be able to read the words in purple or pink dot books, but I tend to discourage it because the content is usually too mature (whether it is vocabulary, theme, experiences or topic). We’ve talked a lot in class about how comprehension is the ultimate goal and that we need to pick books that we can fully understand. With that being said, I do encourage you to read higher level books WITH your child at home. With the one-on-one support of a parent, students can access higher level texts. I do the same thing in class with my teacher read alouds. Through guiding questions and support, I help the students comprehend text that might be above their independent reading levels. It is important for students to be exposed to challenging texts because it is the only way they will grow! It is very important, however, to distinguish between independent reading time and instructional reading time. They each serve very different purposes.
I hope all of that information helps. If you need anything else clarified or have any questions about your child’s specific levels/goals, please do not hesitate to contact me. This first 9 weeks will be a learning period for AR, but I know we will be soaring before long!