Let's Talk School Supplies

School Supplies?  Summer has just started, why post about this now?

It can be very helpful and budget friendly to plan ahead.  Many schools already have their school supply list for the 2012-2013 school year available.  So it makes sense to keep your eyes open for when these items go on sale.  Sometimes you can get the best deals well before the "Back to School" sales start.  In addition, getting these items as you see them on sale may help you avoid the mad rush of school supply shopping the first week of school.   Some examples of early sales include Amazon school supply specials, Office Depot and Target.

When buying early for school keep in mind the same cannot be said about school clothes.  At the rate children grow if you buy school clothes to soon they will out grow them before they are even worn.  This happened to us as our son was starting first grade. My wife bought pants on sale a month before school, the night before school started it appeared he was ready for a flood.  In addition you need to research whether your school has a uniform dress code before buying.

When reviewing the school supply list note that some teacher's will ask for  a specific brand of an item.  While that might make a difference in crayons (Crayola's might stand up better than other brands). I do not believe that the brand of tissue, or wet wipes you buy will make a great deal of difference.  I recommend you use your judgment on this.  Also keep in mind that in many classrooms the supplies are pooled and the class uses them as a community.  At many schools the PTA sells school supply packs already set up with the needed items.  While these are very convenient, when you break down the cost it usually is cheaper to get the supplies on your own. Of course, by purchasing the packets you do help support the school's PTA.

Finally, remember teachers should not hold it against students if their families are not able to get school supplies due to financial reasons. Students are entitled to a fair and free public education regardless of economic means. Communication with your child's school or teacher in a matter of this nature would be important so they can provide assistance.  Schools usually have a plan to assist those who have difficulty in getting supplies.

Summer Reading Sizzles

Summer is upon us.  The final bell has rang. Teachers have tidied up their rooms.  Students have headed home with their final report cards. Now the children have two months away from academics.  While summer break is a wonderful time to rest and recharge it is important to keep young minds sharp so they are ready once school resumes in the fall.  One of the best ways to do this is through summer reading.  Did you know that if a child reads grade level appropriate materials twenty minutes a night, every night for a year they will see close to a one year gain in their instructional reading level?  Think about the students who do not read every night.  How far behind will they fall?

I would strongly advise parents to check with their child's school to see if they have a suggested summer reading list. In addition there are lots of other summer reading resources available online.  Let me share just a few with you.

As indicated in the banner at the top of the page, Amazon offers summer reading picks for kids and teens.

Education World, PBS and Family Education.com offer reading lists and suggested reading activities

In addition their are several reading incentive programs that reward children for reading over the summer.

TD Bank will pay $10 to a child if the read 10 books.

Scholastic allows students to earn points they can log on line to win prizes.

Barnes and Noble offers a free book to students who read 8 books over the summer.

Hope this provides some assistance for your summer reading adventures.  Please remember that your comments are welcome and feel free to add your questions to our forum.

Educationese II: RTI

This week our term is RtI.  RtI stands for Response to Intervention.  In many states the RtI model is used as a way of providing more individual strategies to help students who are struggling.  The student may be having academic or behavioral difficulty. 

The strategies or interventions used are classified into Tiers.  Tier I would be strategies included in the general curriculum, which means most students are already experiencing some type of Tier 1 intervention.  Students who are struggling might need Tier 2 interventions, which provide more individualized instruction in some manner.  An example of this might be a struggling reader being double dosed with an extra block of reading instruction.  About 10-15% of students in a classroom would be likely to receive Tier 2 interventions.  Should Tier 2 interventions not be successful Tier 3 interventions are implemented.  Tier 3 interventions are more intense individualized strategies.  Some examples might include but are not limited to one on one assistance,  smaller reading group sizes, or an individual behavior plan. About 5-10% of students in a classroom would be likely to receive Tier 3 interventions.

Throughout the process the teacher is conducting ongoing assessment and graphing the results.  The results are compared to the target of where the student needs to be and where their peers are.  Should the gap in achievement shrink as the interventions are implemented the interventions continue.  If the gap widens or little progress is made then a more intense intervention is recommended.  When it becomes apparent that the various interventions tried are not working, then the school will sometimes recommend an evaluation for a learning or behavioral disability.

RTI is a data driven means to determine a strategies effectiveness.  It allows educators to truly paint a picture of how a student is growing by showing progress in a quantitative manner.

Educationese I: ESE, What Does that Mean?

As educators we have the tendency to use professional jargon and acronyms when talking to parents to show how knowledgable and wonderful we are.  Unfortunately, the parent usually doesn't know what many of these terms mean.  Many parents will pretend to act like they understand the term in order to not be embarrassed. This would be like asking a teacher who has never sat in a cockpit to understand the instrument panel on an F-16.

With this idea in mind, comes my series of Educationese blog posts which will be a regular weekly segment at School Bell Support.  In Educationese we will take a look at commonly used terms schools use and what they mean.  This week we look at the term ESE.

ESE stands for Exceptional Student Education.  When parents receive any documents with ESE on it panic sets in, "Will my child be labeled?, Is their brain not working right?, What did I do wrong?,  Is the government going to dissect my child?, "  My advice, just breath!  ESE designations cover a wide range of student needs.  Speech, Language Impaired,  Gifted, Leaning Disabled, Emotionally Behaviorly Disabled and Austism Spectrum are just a few designations that fall under the ESE umbrella. When the school recommends testing for ESE it could be for any of a wide range of concerns.  Some needs require more assistance than others.  Be aware it is through ESE funding that schools can get the services needed in order to provide for students specific learning needs.  If your child has a special need, this will be the avenue the school uses to get services for them. Remember nothing is done with your child regarding ESE evaluations or program placement without your consent.  The school keeps those parents informed and involved in the process.  While today we focused on the meaning of ESE, we will examine this topic more closely in future posts.