¨ Parents ¨

 

SWARM Information:

       What are SWARM groups?

          This is a term we use at Dick Scobee Elementary to signify the time of day when many teachers “SWARM” a grade level to provide targeted, specific instruction based on the needs of the students in their groups. 

 

       Does my child participate in SWARM?

Yes.  All children participate by “walking to read.”  A child may go to another grade level teacher, one of the reading rooms, the ELL room, or the Resource Room.

 

What should my child know in regards to reading?

          Washington State has developed Grade Level Expectations (GLE’s) for each grade, Kindergarten – 10th Grade.

          Click here to view the GLE’s:  http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculuminstruct/reading/pubdocs/GLCE-Reading.doc

 

 

What can I do to help my child at home?

      ALL GRADES:

·        Encourage reading every day. Listen to your child read so you can ask questions about what was read.

·        Take your child to the public library.  Libraries often offer wonderful, free programs for children. You are sure to find something there for the entire family.

·        Check your child’s backpack or binder daily.  Ask your child to tell you about their schoolwork.

·        Come to school and volunteer!  Believe it or not, this does help you at home, too!  It lets your child know that you value what is happening at school and shows that you are working with the school to help your child be the best they can be.

 

KINDERGARTEN:

·        Sing the Alphabet song.

·        Write the letters of the alphabet.  Start by helping your child spell his/her own name and the names of family members.

·        Talk about sound and letter associations – a lot!  For example, “I see a bird.  Bird starts with the sound /b/ (make sound).  Hmmm.  What else starts with that sound?  (Child may or may not respond) Baby starts with /b/.  So does ball, bat, bacon, balloon, and brown.”  Make it playful and fun!   If you are at home, you can encourage your child to draw their favorite /b/ thing.

·        Practice recognizing letter names.  Ask your child’s teacher or check your child’s last report card to see the letters he/she has not yet learned.  Put the letters on index cards and practice them frequently.  Focusing on just 5 at time will allow you to go through the cards quickly (many times) and decrease frustration for your child.  When they learn a letter, take it out and put it in a special envelope (to review periodically), and add a new letter to the pile.

·        Ask your child to separate the sounds of a word.  If you say the word “at,” your child should break the word into two sounds “/a/ – /t/.”  Other examples:  cat (/c/ – /a/ – /t/), dog (/d/ - /o/ - /g/), eat (/ee/ - /t/). Use simple words with 2 – 3 sounds.  At school, we often call this game, “Count the Sounds.”  Students will tap the sounds as they say them on the palm of their hand.

·        Say and sing lots of nursery rhymes or other poems.  As the child learns the rhyme, start leaving out words and have your child fill them in.

·        Go to the library and check out books with lots of simple, rhyming text.  Read them again and again.

·        Make up your own rhymes.   For example, “Have you ever seen a goat wearing a coat.” (or a dog sitting on a log, or a pig wearing a wig.).

 

FIRST GRADE:

·        Make sure your child knows all letter names and the sounds they represent.  Make flashcards and keep a set in the car, near the dinner table, and in your child’s room.  That way, you’ll be more likely to practice them. 

·        Sight words (words that are irregular and cannot be easily sounded out) are important to your child’s reading success.  First graders have 3 lists to learn: preprimer, primer, and first grade.  Play games to make learning fun (BINGO, memory)!  Click here for sight word lists.

·        Check out simple books from the library.  Encourage your child to read them again and again in order to build fluency.  The more your child reads a book, the more “smooth” sounding and easier it should become.

·        Ask your child to separate the sounds of a word.  If you say the word “at,” your child should break the word into two sounds “/a/ – /t/.”  Other examples:  cat (/c/ – /a/ – /t/), dog (/d/ - /o/ - /g/), eat (/ee/ - /t/). Use simple words with 2 – 3 sounds.  At school, we often call this game, “Count the Sounds.”  Students will tap the sounds as they say them on the palm of their hand.

·        Make up your own rhymes.   For example, “Have you ever seen a goat wearing a coat.” (or a dog sitting on a log, or a pig wearing a wig.).

 

SECOND GRADE:

·        Sight words (words that are irregular and cannot be easily sounded out) are important to your child’s reading success.  Play games to make learning fun (BINGO, memory)! Click here for sight word lists.

·        Help your child select books he/she can read and practice reading them again and again.  Re-reading helps build fluency (the ability to read words accurately and rapidly).  Sit by your child and offer lots of praise and encouragement as he/she improves with each re-reading! 

·        Use a timer to help build fluency. Find a book that is at your child’s reading level. After reading a page of a book together with your child, time him/her on that same page and record the time.  Practice reading the page several more times and then time them again.  The goal is to beat their previous time.  Continue to try to beat the best time or pick a new page to try. 

·        When reading with your child, point out exclamation points (!) and question marks (?).  Have your child re-read sentences with these punctuation marks with expression!  An exclamation point may be showing excitement or surprise and when reading a question your voice often goes up at the end.

·        After reading, ask your child to tell retell the story back to you or tell you their favorite part.

 

THIRD GRADE – FIFTH GRADES:

·        Sight words (words that are irregular and cannot be easily sounded out) are important to your child’s reading success.  Play games to make learning fun (BINGO, memory)! Click here for sight word lists.

·        Help your child select books he/she can read and practice reading them again and again.  Re-reading helps build fluency (the ability to read words accurately and rapidly).  Sit by your child and offer lots of praise and encouragement as he/she improves with each re-reading! 

·        Use a timer to help build fluency. Find a book that is at your child’s reading level. After reading a page of a book together with your child, time him/her on that same page and record the time.  Practice reading the page several more times and then time them again.  The goal is to beat their previous time.  Continue to try to beat the best time or pick a new page to try. 

·        Make sure your child understands the meaning of some basic prefixes/suffixes.

 

Resources & Links for Additional Information:

          WEBSITES:

www.readnaturally.com:       Information about increasing fluency.

www.talaris.com                  Information about child development with a focus on early learning.

www.starfall.com:                An interactive phonics website.

www.k12.wa.us:                  This is the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. You can find information and resources about various subject areas under the

                                            Curriculum/Instruction tab.

www.kcls.org                        Find information about reading and locate Accelerated Reader books using the King County Library Systems website.  Also, apply for a library card online!

www.readingrockets.org         Information for families about motivating kids to read.

         

          BOOKS:

·        The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease:  This book, written in a parent-friendly format, offers reading information and age-appropriate book lists.  

·        Helping Your Child Become A Reader by U.S. Department of Education:  Obtain a free copy at www.edpubs.org

.