Sierra Verde STEAM Academy

Science with

Mrs. Anderson

• Encourage your child to talk about what he/she is learning in science.  
• Ask questions and have them explain in detail the things discussed in class that day.
• Ask your child to show your their science notebook at least once a week.  Check to see that each page is complete and your child can explain what each page is about.
• Have your child use flashcards to study vocabulary words.
• Visit my website and check out the videos, games, and song about our current topic.  This is a great way to review and study what we are learning about in class.
• During 4th quarter students will be tested over the bones, muscle, and joints.  They will need to be able locate them on a diagram and explain their function. They will also need to be able to spell the names of the bones.
• Quiz your child on these topics.  Point to a bone, muscle or joint and have them name it and spell it.  

Social Studies with Mrs. Liguori

• Ask your child to explain what they worked on in class (use the topics on the Weekly News as a guide to spark discussions).
• Help your child pace out studying when a quiz or test is coming up.  
• Suggest various ways to study-online games, songs, videos, practicing labeling on a map for geography, flashcards.
• Quiz your child on content being tested on prior to the test to check that material is clear and understood.
• Check Powerschool regularly to see progress and any areas needing improvement.

Math with

Mrs. Copenhaver

• Check your child’s homework. Make sure the answers are correct, that they are using strategies, (underline the question, circle clue words, circle information, cross off information that isn’t needed), and that word problems are restated and answered in a complete sentence.
• If your child did 5 problems and missed any of them, have them do extra problems for practice after correcting the errors.
• Have your child log on to Khan Academy with their assigned username and password. Click on the Engage NY link on Khan and find the Module and Lesson we are working on in class. This will help supplement their learning.
• Your child should have their basic math facts mastered (0-12). Work on fluency to gain mastery. There are tons of websites online that will help them practice, or create your own flashcards. Keep a set in the car to practice!
• Any work that comes home, have them correct the problems they missed.

English Language Arts with Mrs. Orr

AND...

Any time students are reading and/or writing in any of their classes

• After your child reads in the evening, ask questions like “What did you think about?” or “What would you have done differently than the character?  Questions like this encourage them to think, and it allows you to verify that they were focused during their reading time.
• If your child is a struggling reader, you can also take turns reading - you read aloud a page, they read aloud a page, etc.
• After your child finishes responding to a text (reading homework), double-check them for accuracy (capital letters, words spelled correctly, end marks, etc.).  Also, encourage them to be detailed and varied in their responses, as many students have their “go-to” response that is repeated over and over (Ex: I noticed..., I noticed..., I noticed...)
• If the Weekly News mentions a topic of study, such as Leonardo da Vinci or Punkin Chunkin, encourage your child to do some online research to read and learn more about the topic.  Once a week or so, they can even print an article about that topic to use as their nightly reading - they can then write their HRL statements about this topic.
• If the Weekly News mentions an upcoming vocabulary quiz, encourage your child to study the words in various ways (make flash cards, make up quizzes, use them in conversation, etc.).  Everyone learns and studies best in different ways, and while we are teaching various strategies for how to study at school, your child needs to find the way that works best for him/her.  This would be the case for any vocabulary in any class.
• Read, read, read!  The way to become a better reader is to read!
• One of the biggest ways to help your child with writing at home is to build in authentic opportunities to write at home.  Encourage your child to write without making it seem like more work or a punishment. For example:
• Send a handwritten or typed letter to a family member, especially after receiving a gift (proofread for conventions - spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization)
• Help you make reminder and to-do lists (proofread for conventions - spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization)
• Write in a journal
• Write back-and-forth to you in a notebook (ex: they could write 3 things they learned or 3 things they did that day, and you write back about 3 things you did that day, too - they can see your strong writing skills and use that as a model to improve)
• Encourage your child to read like a writer!  When they are reading, stop them periodically and have them pay attention to the way the author uses punctuation, dialogue, and reasons to explain more about the topic.  Authors get published for a reason… they are good at what they do… and when we can encourage kids to look for those good things in writing, they can include them in their own writing.
• Have your child practice their typing.  Typing Club is the program we use to track progress and improve WPM.