Week's Reading Selection-4/28/08

Your child is reading “Alejandro’s Gift,” a story about a lonely man named Alejandro,who digs a water hole for desert animals that live near his home. The animals stay away because the hole is too near Alejandro’s house,so he digs a second hole that is more sheltered.In the end,he is no longer lonely.You may wish to work with your child to complete these activities as a way to develop your child’s language skills.
Discuss Desert Details
Invite your child to describe what Alejandro’s life was like.Prompt your child with questions such as these: What kind of home did Alejandro live in? Where was it? What kinds of plants were around his house? How did Alejandro get water? You and your child might also enjoy reading other fiction and nonfiction books about the desert.
Retell the Story
Invite your child to retell “Alejandro’s Gift” in his or her own words.
Then ask your child what he or she thinks are the three most important parts of the story. Ask your child to draw three pictures to show the order of these events.Then help your child write a sentence telling about each picture. Suggest that he or she begin each sentence with a word that shows the order in which the events happened, such as first, next, and finally.

Maricopa County Fair

Week of April 7, 2008

AIMS Testing is HERE! We will be testing April 7-April 15

Ways Parents can Help
1. Make sure your child is at school every day unless they’re sick. WE NEED EVERYONE PRESENT DURING TESTING.
2. To prepare for testing day, make sure your child is physically ready. Put them to bed a little early each night during test and serve a healthy breakfast.
3. Practice relaxation techniques, such as counting from one to ten or taking deep breaths, if your child thinks he/she may be nervous on test day.
4. Encourage reading, particularly non-fiction, which often appears on standardized tests. Ask questions to ensure they understand what they are reading: What is the main idea? How was the problem resolved? Ask them to express their own ideas or opinions about what they’ve read.

5. Encourage your children to decipher difficult words their own. Don’t just provide the answer. Also, practice using the dictionary at home to look up words to double check spelling and learn their meanings.
6. Make Math a part of every day, asking what time you should leave the house to get to school by 7:45 if it takes 25 minutes to get here.
7. Take time to review skills nightly. There is NO HOMEWORK during test, but encourage your child to review reading and math skills nightly.