It is hard to believe that fall is officially here and that we are over one-eighth of the way through the school year!    

Most of our early testing has been completed, and teachers are busy using that data to determine which of our students need additional support in the area of reading.  Reading is the foundation of learning in all subject areas.  The key to success is to catch reading deficiencies early and provide timely and adequate support.

Parents sometimes wonder what they can do to help their children in the area of reading, and the answer is quite simple – READ!  If your child is in the primary grades, take fifteen minutes a night to sit down with your child and read.  Re-reading a book your child brings home from school is a great way for them to practice new words they are learning and it helps to build their fluency.  Fluency is the speed at which a child reads and is often expressed in terms such as “words per minute” or “correct words per minute.”   If your child is older, have them read aloud to you.  By reading aloud, students can often catch mistakes that they make because what they have just read does not sound right.   Oral reading can help with both fluency and comprehension of what was read.

Parents also sometimes believe that helping their child requires a sizable time investment.  Over the years, I have encouraged parents to find two 15-minute blocks of time to help their child.  Spend fifteen minutes reading to your child or listening to your older child.  Likewise, spend fifteen minutes working on math.  Students at all levels of the elementary can benefit from working on number recognition, putting numbers in sequential order, or practicing their math facts.  Don’t spend too much time on the task or your child may feel like it is a punishment, and we don’t want to discourage them.  Throw a set of math flashcards or sight words in the car.  Encourage your child to practice while you travel to the grocery store or grandma’s house.  As you make dinner, ask your child to read to you.  These small investments of time now will pay big dividends in the future!  

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the school. Be sure to mark November 22^nd and 23^rd on your calendar as our parent-teacher conferences are just around the corner!  More information will be sent home in several weeks!

Respectfully,

Mark Lange

First Lady Fran DeWine announced today that the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library Program is now being offered to children in all of Ohio’s 88 counties. 

Kids from birth to age five statewide are now eligible to receive a free book in the mail each month, no matter what county they live in.

When First Lady DeWine started this program with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, only a handful of counties offered the books and 13 percent of Ohio children were enrolled. 

Parents are encouraged to enroll their kids in this free literary program. To sign up, visit ohioimaginationlibrary.org Learn more about the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library in the video below.