News & Notes

 
 
 
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Spelling and assessments

 You might be wondering why I include spelling in both assessments and instruction.  Many people believe that spelling is outdated.  Afterall, spell check on your laptop will fix everything! Well…not so fast!  First, spellcheck can’t address word meaning, so it won’t correct homophones such as SEE and SEA.  How embarrassing for any new employee to send out an email with numerous misspellings!

I firmly believe that spelling is one of the many skills required for both fluent reading and fluent writing.  Once students can read and write words automatically and accurately, they are free to concentrate on the meaning of the text.  In short, word identification, spelling, and reading comprehension work together so that students can read and write meaningful text.

 
 

Winning with E-Learning - Eight Easy tips

Meeting with students during the Covid -19 outbreak has taught me some important lessons about this daunting task. Following is a list of ideas that can make life a bit easier during these difficult times!

  • Create a designated quiet, calm learning area - Your “office”

  • Have these supplies handy:

    • Binder with sections for each subject or individual notebooks

    • Journal or calendar to record daily assignments

    • Pencils, highlighters, pencil sharpener

    • Laptop (CHARGED)

    • User IDs and passwords (Record on post-it note and attach to laptop)

  • Pretend you are actually going to school dressed, breakfast eaten, supplies ready for the day. Prepare to spend the entire day at “school”.

  • Check-in to zoom meeting 10 to 15 minutes early

  • Focus on what you are learning by taking notes in your binder or notebook.

  • Record all homework assignments in a homework journal or on a calendar

  • Tell a friend or parent about what you learned.

  • Do all homework assignments.