In the spirit of #motivationmonday, one of the best ways to boost a child’s confidence is when they nail spelling! While the modern day era makes it faster to spell check with those colorful squiggle lines, it is still vital that kids know how to use pen-and-paper to spell with automaticity. How is this achieved? Through repetition, meaningful instruction, and explicit teaching of the spelling rules. To teach spelling effectively, stick to ONE spelling rule/strategy at a time. Combine the sense of seeing (eyes), hearing (ears), and touching (fingers) repeatedly until the automaticity has been achieved.
This week’s #TutorTipTuesday is on R blends - make sure your students can hear, say, and read the different types. Give examples: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, tr. The trickiest ones to spell are dr (because it sounds like /j/ and tr because it sounds like /chr/). A great way to do this is to give multi-sensory tasks. Have the student sound out and write the words! Making sure that R blends are understood and pronounced correctly is very important for a child’s verbal and literacy development, especially in elementary age children.
Thursday, April 29, is National Zipper Day! We often take zippers for granted but they certainly improve life for many people, especially our kids!
Rhetorically speaking, how many times do we ask kids to zip and UNzip those zip-lock bags, coats, bookbags, and some sneakers?! These small inventions make everyday items far more accessible than they have been in the past. Let’s not take for granted the modern comforts we possess and encourage our students to consider the ease with which they can put on clothes, close up their school bags, and even pack their lunches!
Friday, April 30, is National Honesty Day! On Honesty Day, we celebrate frankness, trustworthiness, openness, and truthfulness. This day was created to make people understand the importance of honesty and motivate people to speak the truth. On Honesty Day, tell the truth openly and kindly. National Honesty Day is observed on the last day of April strategically, to balance out the pranks and little white lies that we celebrate on the 1st day of April, April Fool’s Day! Use this day as this week’s #FunctionalFriday and teach your children the importance of honesty in all areas of life, whether it is in school, with friends, or with you.
Hello May! This Saturday is the start of a new month, and I cannot believe it! April has flown by and we are that much closer to the end of the school year. In May, I am most excited for:
☀️ warm weather outdoor opportunities
🎉 family celebrations
🌤️ ✏️ finding fun ways to set up my students for academic success as they transition from school to summer.
Let’s keep working hard for the last of April and the coming May! Have a great week.
Comments