Parents

Welcome!

You are cordially invited to be a partner in your child’s education.

Thank you for taking an interest in our classroom and in your student's learning and success this year! On this page you will be able to find important information regarding classroom happenings, school information and events, and other information on a variety of subjects you may be interested in! I hope that you find the information on the page worthwhile!

Stay-Tuned: Ask your child what he or she is studying, and look in the homework folder and agenda every night. The homework folder is where you will find the newsletters and notes that are sent home, as well as any homework that needs to be completed. I will also send home progress reports or make phone calls if I feel that your child is not progressing as expected. Also, check our website often for updates!

Ask Questions: If you have any concerns or are wondering why something is happening, please feel free to call or email me at any time. I welcome all concerns, ideas, and feedback that affect your child or our classroom. If something is not working, I am more than willing to talk. I welcome all feedback! My e-mail address is kkoonce@sheldon.k12.tx.us. Email is the Best way to conctact me and to ensure the fastest response.

Homework: Your child is expected to read for a minimum of twenty minutes nightly. Sometimes additional homework activities will be given. You will always find the homework assignments written in your child's agenda. It will go home everyday. Please sign the agenda daily. I would encourage you to set up with your child a scheduled time for homework each day. Students should be able to do most assignments independently, but do help if it is completely necessary. If you notice that your child is not able to do an assignment on his or her own, please send a note or jot a note to me on the assignment. I will contact you if your child is falling behind or turning in poor work.



Arrival Time: We also would like to request that students arrive at school no earlier than 7:45a.m. It is not safe for them to be hanging around or playing on the equipment with no supervision. We certainly do not want your child to get injured prior to the school day.

Sincerely,

Kelly Koonce

Wondering how your child is doing? Wondering if your child is in a 'normal' place in their reading or writing? Check out the document below. A few pages into the document you will find information about the stages that MOST children progress through in reading and writing. It is important to remember that not all students are alike and no student fits into one individual category at any point in time. This document does, however, give you information regarding the stages children progress through in reading and writing.

=THINKING ABOUT READING =

Many parents see their child reading at night and assume they are understanding what they are reading. Sometimes, students can simply be "word-calling," where they are saying the words fluently, but they might not truly understand what they are reading.

This is where questioning is imperative. Once your child has finished reading for the night, ask them three or four questions about what they read. This holds the child accountable and can be a great time to teach children about what you do as an adult when you do not understand what you are reading. Talk to them about strategies you use to help you make it through a difficult text and it will change the way they look at reading!

Feel free to explore the links below that offer different tools to assess your student's reading. Some valuable information is available!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">[|Reading Comprehension Rubric] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">[|How do I improve reading comprehension?-for Parents] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">[|How do I monitor my child's comprehension?-for Parents] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">[|Reading Strategies that Work-for Parents and Teachers] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">[|Thick Questions for Buddy Reading] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">[|Asking Thick Questions]