Week 1

Thanks so much for your attention on our first week.  I will modify my plan for EEL.  After speaking with most of you, I thought we needed to move quicker.  Next week, we'll slow it down and see how it goes.  Do remind your children to work on Charts A & B for next week.

Of course, each of our schedules will be different, if we all spend 20 minutes a day per subject, we will exceed our expectations this year. Look for creative ways to practice those charts:

• write them
• chant them
• sing them
• act them our
• make puzzles
• play quiz games
• use the memory cards

Please keep in mind that you are the teacher and it is your decision what papers your children write and how fast they move.  While I encourage you to stretch a little further than you think you can, do not have unattainable goals for your children this year.  It is much better for your child to come out of this class feeling like they have mastered "x" amount of information than they were always just a little behind.

Math - Using flashcards makes a difference!  We play a game where the kids have to beat moms time.  One day soon, they may be able to, but I'm still the reigning champ :-)  It's a great way have them enjoy practicing with flashcards.  I do not go easy on them, but sometimes I let them combine their scores.  They can add up two of their best scores to try to reach mine.  If so there is some sort of reward, a snack, a family game, extra screen time...

Writing- We'll start slow as we review, but quickly pick up our pace.  Our focus here is to incorporate our tools in all of our writings, which is why we'll start every class with our journal entry.  If five sentences is hard for your child, ask them to do three.  Please encourage your children to learn/ use one new word a day.  Here's a site dedicated to doing that http://www.vocabulary.co.il/increase-vocabulary-html/ If you have any other tips, please share.  Let's make an effort to carry our banned word list to our everyday communications.  If we attempt to replace one word a day, just imagine how much richer our vocabulary will become.  

With is this subject too, you can scale it to fit your child's needs.  Some assignments are given two weeks, if you can finish it in a week, do so, but if you need two weeks, take it.  Enjoy writing your poems!

See you Tuesday,
Ms. Salvant