Schoppe's Rockstars

Sight word knowledge is essential if the beginning reader is to become a truly fluent reader. We have over a half-million words to communicate with, but half of everything we write and read depends on only 0.02 percent–on only those 100 most frequent words. Sight words are not a replacement for learning how words work, but they will give an early reader the confidence to figure the other things out.

According to Patricia Cunningham in Phonics They Use, “In order to read and write fluently with comprehension and meaning, children must be able to automatically read and spell the most frequent words. As the store of words they can automatically read and spell increases, so will their speed and comprehension.”

Readers need to recognize each word as quickly and effortlessly as possible so that they can pay attention to the more mentally demanding task of understanding what they are reading. “When children at an early age learn to recognize and automatically spell the most frequently occurring words, all their attention is freed for decoding and spelling less frequent words and more importantly, for processing meaning.” (Cunningham, 2000)

Most children never had homework in their preschools and daycare so when a child starts going to elementary school they are given a new task they need to do before going to school the next day. Some of these children see older kids complaining about their homework and not wanting to do it so the children that are new to the idea think that is the way to go about it. I have found a better way to stop this behavior before it gets to bad become a habit for anyone.

All adults have “errands” to do some people choose to call them responsibilities other people choose to call it “business”, no matter what you choose to call it you are doing a form of home work. Take your child with you or sit them down and shown them exactly what your “homework” is, the child will see that the reading homework they have is very important so they can read the bills later in life, they will see that the math homework they hate so much will be important so they can make sure their paycheck is correct when they start working.

When I sat my children down and explained to them what would happen if I didn’t do my “daily homework” they didn’t understand at first, so I sat down in front of the television and played on the computer ignoring all my responsibilities for that night. An hour after our usual dinner time my children came to me and asked why we didn’t have dinner and told me that they were very hungry, I looked at them and explained to them I didn’t go to the store and get anything for dinner. I explained to them that my homework for that day was to get food from the store so we could eat it that night, but I didn’t want to do my homework because i wanted to play instead. They understood very quickly why homework was important and decided they were going to do (we did eat that night just a little late).

Some parents may think that kindergarten students are to young to understand the concepts that I have mentioned, but think about the skills they have already learned. Kindergarten today is like second grade was about 20 years ago, children are learning quicker and are more advanced.

In some schools, there are students learning the same lessons in both kindergarten and in first grade because the kindergarten classes are already catching up. It’s never to early to start a student on the correct path and showing them that school is important in order to understand life when they get older. Depending on the child this task may be easy or hard. My children need a reminder from time to time but that’s expected because a life lesson isn’t always taught in one night.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Explaining why homework is important to children – Toledo Elementary Years Parenting | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/elementary-years-parenting-in-toledo/explaining-why-homework-is-important-to-children#ixzz1XE6XKWEz

We all remember our first day of school, the butterflies in our stomach and the ache of leaving our parents. Why does school do this to us? How can we make this day easier for our children?  Exercising the body and the mind is a balanced way to work out any anxiety. Prepare your child for new changes, talk about how the routine will change and what is expected, not just because “I said so” but a good reason, like “children need their rest to be better students at school” . We all want our students to be successful in their environment, here are three ways to help your child thrive:

1.  Regular routines. Family dinners whenever possible, quiet time in the evening, and regular bedtimes set the stage for good study habits later on. And don’t forget downtime: overscheduled kids burn out fast.
2. Opportunities to be independent and responsible. Even a 5 year old can do some chores around the house, and at this age he’ll probably jump at the chance to prove he can. Setting the table, sorting the clean silverware as you empty the dishwasher, and watering plants are small steps to building confidence.
3. Practice being a friend. Most children experience a dramatic change in cognitive ability around the age of 5 and, for the first time, can actually put themselves in a pal’s shoes — well, sometimes. A kindergartener is also emotionally fickle: sensitive one moment, outrageously self-centered the next. Work with your child on sharing, taking turns, and practicing tactful ways to say “No, I don’t want to play at your house” without hurting a classmate’s feelings.

Welcome to Your New Edublogs Campus Site. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!