Getting a jump start on school

Dear Families,

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Better yet, I hope that you are sipping on something cool on a secluded island. School is around the corner and I wanted to give you a few tips to get your child ready for the school year.

1) Visit your state's website for the standards. Download them. Study them and try to understand the expectations (what do they want Joe to be able to do?). I would recommend you start visiting the library and identifying resources to support math and science standards.

2) Have your child to start practicing math for 15-20 minutes per day.

3) Have your child to start getting back into the habit of reading an hour per day. Check their comprehension.

4) If you have not met with your child's school counselor (High School), do so right away, but first familiarize yourself with the course offerings and college requirements.

5) Attend all meetings with your child and their counselor. Why? I have noticed that counselors ask students what courses they would like to take. The students pick a course, then are told that some courses do not count for admissions into 4 year colleges and universities. Be sure that your child is taking the A-G requirements, just in case they want to go straight to a four year college. Its great that your child be involved, but let's face it they are still children, not adults. They do not know the ramifications of middle and high school yet.

6) Help your child choose electives that are aligned with their strengths and interests, not what the school has left over.

7) Ask what the school has in place should your child need extra support. Are they using Response to Intervention (RTI)? Will the teacher run small groups if necessary? Are teachers available before and after school for assistance? Does the school offer free peer-tutoring? Is there a list of local tutors?

8) Encourage your child to engage in sports and music at the school site. It may help them to feel like a part of the larger community. Coaches have turned out to be some of the main reasons many students are successful in academics and in life.

9) Start to develop their routines including: bedtimes, chores, and limited television and computer time.

10) Have on-going conversations about expectations at home and school.

Getting a jump start on school

Dear Families,

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Better yet, I hope that you are sipping on something cool on a secluded island. School is around the corner and I wanted to give you a few tips to get your child ready for the school year.

1) Visit your state's website for the standards. Download them. Study them and try to understand the expectations (what do they want Joe to be able to do?). I would recommend you start visiting the library and identifying resources to support math and science standards.

2) Have your child to start practicing math for 15-20 minutes per day.

3) Have your child to start getting back into the habit of reading an hour per day. Check their comprehension.

4) If you have not met with your child's school counselor (High School), do so right away, but first familiarize yourself with the course offerings and college requirements.

5) Attend all meetings with your child and their counselor. Why? I have noticed that counselors ask students what courses they would like to take. The students pick a course, then are told that some courses do not count for admissions into 4 year colleges and universities. Be sure that your child is taking the A-G requirements, just in case they want to go straight to a four year college. Its great that your child be involved, but let's face it they are still children, not adults. They do not know the ramifications of middle and high school yet.

6) Help your child choose electives that are aligned with their strengths and interests, not what the school has left over.

7) Ask what the school has in place should your child need extra support. Are they using Response to Intervention (RTI)? Will the teacher run small groups if necessary? Are teachers available before and after school for assistance? Does the school offer free peer-tutoring? Is there a list of local tutors?

8) Encourage your child to engage in sports and music at the school site. It may help them to feel like a part of the larger community. Coaches have turned out to be some of the main reasons many students are successful in academics and in life.

9) Start to develop their routines including: bedtimes, chores, and limited television and computer time.

10) Have on-going conversations about expectations at home and school.

Parental involvement that makes a difference in middle school!

There are varying ideas about what parental involvement is. Essentially it is two things: The infrastructures and efforts school use to involve parents and the voluntary actions parents take to support their children in meeting academic and behavioral expectations.

What you may not know is that while all types of involvement are beneficial, they are not beneficial in the same ways. Hill and Taylor (2009) hypothesized that parental involvement that increases middle school student’s autonomy will be more impactful on academic achievement than other types of home and school-based involvement. To test this theory they examined 50 empirical studies published between 1985 and 2006, representing 127 correlations and 82 beta coefficients for the relationship between specific types of parental involvement and academic outcomes (Hill & Taylor). 

Hill and Taylor (2009) found help with homework to be negatively associated with student academic achievement, while the types of parental involvement that led to students being autonomous, understanding the purposes and goals of academic performances; providing strategies the student can use; and communicating expectations about involvement were most positively associated with academic achievement. 

Help with homework in middle school is negatively related to academic outcomes. Why? It may be for a variety of reason including: a student's need to advocate for themselves in school by asking questions or for extra-help, lack of familiarity with standards, lack of skills to complete the work, and student may achieve better results when they get help directly from the teacher who can model and guide the student to meet their expectations. 

What does this all mean and what can you do? Anything that you can do to increase your middle-school child's independence, do it. 

1. Give them strategies for asking for help. This can include notes to teachers, asking friends, or staying after school for help. 
2. Provide them with resources they can access anytime on their own, should they need them including website, encyclopedias, family and friends. 
3. Teach them specific learning strategies. More on learning strategies http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/srs/cresource/#content. 
4. Communicate to them the goal of the standards.
5. Help them to be organized. Teachers are human and sometimes forget to give credit for a paper or to review an important concept. If the student is organized they can refute any missed items, study better for test, and think clearer. 

Stay informed

More on Reading: Are E-readers and Kindles okay for kids?

Now that I am an adult and I don’t HAVE to read, I love reading. I can spend my entire paycheck on books if I’m not careful. I prefer biographies, and expository text but am becoming more open to other types of literature. Children’s books are my favorite. Yep. From time to time, I still pick up children’s books and get immersed in that world. I recently read a wonderful article, remember reading by Sarah J. Robbins, and I wanted to share some of it with you. The article can be found in the June (2014)  issue of Real Simple magazine.

According to experts deep reading, fully immersed, has benefits beyond fun. When you are fully lost in a book: you connect information to your background knowledge which helps to form creative thoughts, reduce your stress level by 60% (Mindlab, 2010), are better able to relate to others, better able to understand other people’s feelings, you excel academically, stop multitasking which is good for the brain, and are more likely to pursue higher education (Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 2010).

So what about reading screens? According to Maryanne Wolfe (2014), a professor of child development and the director of the Tuft’s University Center for Reading and Language Research, reading from a screen encourages scanning. Scanning for keywords is what we typically do when surfing the Internet and that skimming and scanning has leaked over into our reading habits on screens (Kindle, IPads). People also tend to multi-task while using  screens and listening to audio books which indicates they are not fully engaged with the text.

What about e-readers? According to Jordan Schugar http://college.usatoday.com/2014/04/17/print-vs-ebooks-it-is-so-e-on/, kids in grades 3-8^th comprehended significantly higher when they read conventional books. E-readers may be just fine for adults and college students according to research by the PEW Internet & American Life Project .

1. Avoid multitasking while reading. Immerse yourself in the story because that’s when you get the benefits of reading.
2. Don’t feel compelled to finish a book you don’t like. Give it 50 pages to win you. Don’t make your children finish a book they aren’t interested in reading.
3. Don’t wait for bedtime. According to Heather Ruetschlin an associate professor of literacy at West Chester University kids need to see adults reading. She advises, laughing out loud and reading to your children to share the joy of reading.
4. Re-read chapters you’ve already read.
5. Support children with reading difficulties by using books on tape. If the audio doesn’t exist, make one. All you need is a recorder.
6. When it comes to novels and non-fiction, audio books are almost equivalent to reading says Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.
7. Fill your shelves with a variety of books. Homes with books have children that are more likely to pursue more years of education.
8. Choose books you like. All reading does not need to be challenging. Children’s reading should be at or just above their reading level. Let them choose what they like, even comics.
9. Read aloud to kids who can already read. Here are few recommended books to share – The One and Only Ivan (Katherine Applegate), The Watsons Go to Birmingham (Christopher Paul Curtis).
10. Read books as a family.
11. Make time to ask critical questions about what has been read or provide time for children to share what they are reading, why they like, and what they would change.
12. Pull out and review difficult words before you allow children to sit and read silently. Make sure they do not skip words they don’t know.
13. Reward readers!!

10 things to do in the first 6 weeks of school

1. Talk to your kids about expectations. There is a lot going on in middle and high

     schools. Make your expectations clear. Cell phones can do just about anything.

     Do you want your child’s “friends” having pictures of them? What if there is a

     fall out? What will become of the pictures? Kids gather in bathrooms and all

     around to watch movies. What are your expectations for what your children

     watch? Kids like to gather off campus to have fun. What steps are in place so

     that no child is used by an adult to lure your child? How do you ensure that

     your child’s routine is not routine enough for someone dangerous to predict your

     child’s behavior? Kids in middle and high school are having sex. What have you

     shared with your children about the topic? Or will they learn about it from their

     ignorant friends?

2. Establish a good rapport with teachers and other parents. Smile. Say hello.

3. Meet with your child’s teachers. Discuss communication, expectations, strengths,

    areas of concern, and ask about any supports the school may provide should your

    child struggle.

4. Discuss the Individual Education Program. Make sure that each adult working

     with your child has a copy of it or is aware that there is one.

5. Use index card to create a cheat seat for teachers that include the IEP goals and

     supports. Make a copy for everyone. Don’t assume people collaborate.

6. Develop a routine for mornings and after-school. It should include time for meals

     together, quiet time, homework, reading, and family time.  Sometimes we don’t

     know what is going on with our children because we are not approachable. We

     always look busy.  

7. Sign up to volunteer at school. Schools always need help with science labs, yard

     supervision, and extra-curricular activities.

8. Get acquainted with Common Core.

9. If you have had issues in the past, create an individualized learning plan. Perhaps

     your child did not qualify for Gifted and Talented Program (GATE) but

     demonstrates a unique aptitude for math. You may be able to have your child

     participate in a more advanced math class.  

10.  Get informed about the curriculum. Does it align with the local high

     school’s curriculum? Many UCs will accept middle school courses when the high

     school accepts them. Which courses being offered position the student to be

     ready for college admissions? What will they be teaching in sex education? What

     topics are discussed during advisory periods? Is there an extra set of books that

     you can borrow, for home?

A preview of this weekend's Educational Series: Common Core and reading

Tips for helping your child with Common Core Reading

1. Read a variety of text regularly.
2. Expose children to complex reading.
3. Increase vocabulary. Teach kids to code switch. Look for structure of text, context clues, and learn root wordshttp://quizlet.com/626895/sat-latin-and-greek-roots-flash-cards/ .
4. Think aloud with reading.

 Example (Pennigton Publishing Blog) - Tell students that they are to listen to your thoughts carefully, as you read the quotation and that they are not allowed to interrupt with questions during your reading. Read the quotation out loud and interrupt the reading frequently with concise comments about the vocabulary, word choice, syntax, and historical context. Re-read difficult parts of the text and make comments about the ideas that are presented. Ask questions of the author, especially about parts of the quotation that you do not fully understand. Some teachers like to use other voices for the internal dialogue and their normal voices for the reading.

After reading and thinking out loud, ask students if they think they understood the quotation better because of your verbalized thoughts rather than just by passively reading without active thoughts. Their answer will be “Yes,” if you have read and thought out loud effectively

1. Teach critical thinking by asking four questions about what is being read: What did you observe? What does it mean? How can it be used? How can it be changed?
2. Insist on differentiated instruction.  Assessment or demonstration of learning should be differentiated as well.
3. Allow students to read independently but pre-teach vocabulary and ask the four questions.
4. Individual Learning Plan (ILP). Get one if there is a history of resistance. For more on ILPs visit http://www.parentdrivenschools.com/ilp.htm
5. Visit the classroom.
6. Support the teacher in any way you can.

Parent sessions Common Core and more...

This is your chance to learn more about Common Core, your child's strengths, and what steps to take when your child/grandchild/foster child are having issues in school. Join us for this educational series.

Culturally Relevant Engagement Program (CREP)

Features: Collaboration between families and communities

Purpose: The purpose of CREP is to working collaboratively with community organizations and families to empower families to be equal partners in schools.

When : April 26 – Common Core, May 7 – Common Core, May 10 – Learning styles and strengths, June 21 – Prioritizing your engagement, and July 21^st – Steps to take when there is an academic or behavioral concern

Where: April 26, May 10, June 21, & July 12th  -  Bethesda 3723 E Dakota Ave, Fresno, CA 93726

Time: 11:50am-1:00pm

May 7 – Mt. Zion 4368 N Brawley Ave, Fresno, CA
7:00pm

Cost: Free

$25 gift card for the first 40 participants who attend all 4 sessions & complete surveys

Sponsors: Azusa Pacific University Office of Sponsored Grants

Contact: Yvette Latunde, ylatunde@apu.edu; 626-815-6000 or text 626-381-8902 to RSVP

*Light refreshments  *Childcare ages 3-12

April 26^{th and May 7} –Participants will learn how Common Core is different from state standards previously used and how they can support their children’s learning inside and outside of school.

May 10^th – Participants will engage in an informational session about learning styles and strengths. Participants will learn a few ways to use their child’s strengths in the class and at home.

June 21^st- Participants will learn how to prioritize their engagement in schools. Participants are expected to increase their knowledge of decision-making bodies in schools and their role in school governance.

July 12 – Participants will learn what to do when there is a learning or behavior concern. Details will be provided about pre-referral processes schools use and how to avoid un-necessary referrals to special education and expulsions.