tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59571269378895170892024-02-07T20:27:20.271-08:00News from Early ChildhoodMs. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-80225899328001921122019-05-27T12:57:00.003-07:002019-05-27T12:57:53.805-07:00May 27, 2019<br />
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Let the fun begin!!!<br />
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<img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaR0V0j4NwI9jH27iR3OjSQGnM59fRI6tR5bxKCBSIqVibQ_axGZmfDzwpSIEY-kan_Fy-hNAkAaLoYOM6-TbekMfjHtVG-QYRwNDMJ8vXyD4SgdfCMvNMXwRJ-L29yppwzi9gCv23cM/s640/Summer+Camp+2018-2019.png" width="480" />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-47892662665283953192019-05-11T11:20:00.004-07:002019-05-11T11:20:44.823-07:00May 13-17, 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaR0V0j4NwI9jH27iR3OjSQGnM59fRI6tR5bxKCBSIqVibQ_axGZmfDzwpSIEY-kan_Fy-hNAkAaLoYOM6-TbekMfjHtVG-QYRwNDMJ8vXyD4SgdfCMvNMXwRJ-L29yppwzi9gCv23cM/s1600/Summer+Camp+2018-2019.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="959" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaR0V0j4NwI9jH27iR3OjSQGnM59fRI6tR5bxKCBSIqVibQ_axGZmfDzwpSIEY-kan_Fy-hNAkAaLoYOM6-TbekMfjHtVG-QYRwNDMJ8vXyD4SgdfCMvNMXwRJ-L29yppwzi9gCv23cM/s640/Summer+Camp+2018-2019.png" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-80899267348236981312019-05-06T12:09:00.000-07:002019-05-06T12:09:46.153-07:00May 6, 2019<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tracking
Students’ Emotions and Mindsets</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By
Benjamin Herold<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">The race is on to provide students with personalized learning
experiences based on their individual emotions, cognitive processes,
“mindsets,” and character and personality traits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Academic researchers, for example, are busy developing
computerized tutoring systems that gather information on students’ facial
expressions, heart rate, posture, pupil dilation, and more. Those data are then
analyzed for signs of student engagement, boredom, or confusion, leading a
computer avatar to respond with encouragement, empathy, or maybe a helpful
hint. “The idea is that emotions have a powerful influence on cognition,” said
Sidney D’ Mello, an assistant professor of computer science and psychology at
the University of Notre Dame, in Indiana. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The increasing power and affordability of eye tracking,
speech-recognition, and other technologies have made it possible for
researchers to investigate those connections more widely and deeply, he said.
“Ten years ago, there were things you could do in a lab that you couldn’t do in
the messiness of the real world,” D’ Mello said. “Now, you can get a reasonable
proxy of a student’s heart rate from a webcam.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Still, widely available classroom applications of such work
might be a decade or more away. More prevalent now are digital resources that
seek to measure and support the development and self-identification of such
“noncognitive competencies” as self-management, perseverance, and a “growth mindset”
that recognizes skills can improve with effort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-7518714355429666952019-04-12T13:52:00.000-07:002019-04-12T13:52:24.862-07:00April 23, 2019<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Movement-Based
Activities for the Classroom<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Movement-Based SEL Activities for the Classroom Children love
to move! As educators, we enjoy engaging young children in playful and fun
movement explorations. These activities also help children develop valuable
skills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Some of the benefits of movement for children are readily apparent: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Children are physically active, usually practicing large-motor skills; they are
gaining body awareness; and they are developing spatial awareness as they move
in different directions in the shared space. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">If there is a musical component,
children are also learning to recognize and move to a beat and to discern
rhythmic patterns. </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">However, one of the wonderful gifts of creative movement is
that it also provides a perfect vehicle for nurturing social-emotional skills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">The very nature of creative dance (also called creative movement) embodies the
idea of creativity and developing self-awareness. Some other SEL skills that
are often addressed through guided creative dance are delayed gratification,
impulse control, goal setting, individual or group problem-solving, teamwork,
self-discipline, and group cooperation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">EC Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 106%;">(504) 9500-1720<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-21986774973611211812019-04-01T09:12:00.001-07:002019-04-01T09:12:39.897-07:00April 1-5, 2019<br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Growing
Up to Read<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Birth
Through Age Four:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16pt;">Children begin to
develop their language skills in infancy. Even their babbles and coos and the
ways their families speak to them before they really understand can help them
to become speakers of their native tongue. When an infant shows excitement over
pictures in a storybook, when a two-year-old scribbles with a crayon, when a
four-year-old points out letters in a street sign—all these actions signal a
child’s growing literacy development.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The more children already know about the nature and purposes of
reading before kindergarten, the more teachers must build on in their reading
instruction. Research reveals that the children most at risk for reading
difficulties in the primary grades are those who began school with less verbal
skill, less phonological awareness, less letter knowledge, and less familiarity
with the basic purposes and mechanisms of reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To prepare children for reading instruction in the early
grades, it is best that they be exposed to high-quality language and literacy
environments—in their homes, day care centers, and preschools. The best time to
start sharing books with children is during babyhood, even when they are as
young as six weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here are some concrete, activities, and ideas for how
families, early childhood educators, health care professionals, and communities
can bring literacy into the lives of young children:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyday
Literacy: One Family Home<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Promoting literacy at home does not mean creating an academic
setting and formally teaching children. Parents and other caregivers can take
advantage of opportunities that arise in daily life to help their children
develop language and literacy. Often, these are unplanned, casual acts, like
commenting on words on an article of clothing or engaging children in conversation.
At other times, it is a conscious effort to read good books with children or
provide toys that promote good literacy development.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Extended
Vocabulary and Language Development<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Children who are exposed to sophisticated vocabulary in the
course of interesting conversations learn the words they will later need to
recognize and understand when reading. Vocalization in the crib gives way to
play with rhyming language and nonsense words. Toddlers find that the words
they use in conversation and the objects they represent are depicted in
books—that the picture is a symbol for the real object and that the writing
represents spoken language. In addition to listening to stories, children label
the objects in books, comment on the characters, and request that an adult read
to them. In their third and fourth years, children use new vocabulary and
grammatical constructions in their own speech. Talking to adults is children’s
best source of exposure to new vocabulary and ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Early Childhood Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-26889468623260966812019-03-25T09:58:00.002-07:002019-03-25T09:58:41.350-07:00March 25, 2019<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why
Is Summer Reading So Important for Kids' Success?<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Teachers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Summer reading is
critical for students to retain knowledge and skills learned in the previous
school year. Students who don't read are at risk of falling behind their
classmates. Parents and teachers can avoid this by making sure kids take time
to read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Summer
Reading Defeats Summer Learning Loss<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Reading over summer vacation may not be a priority for
children, but parents and teachers should make it one. Why? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Summer reading is critical to a child's
ability to not only retain information learned the previous year, but also to
grow in knowledge and critical thinking skills for the coming year.</b>
Literacy expert Julie Wood believes that it is necessary for children to read daily
in order to maintain literacy skills learned in the previous school year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Exercise
the Brain Over Summer<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Assistant Principal Twana Santana-Embry likens reading to
exercising. She encourages students to read to strengthen their reading skills.
Just like exercising keeps muscles in shape, reading keeps the brain in shape.
If you don't exercise, you lose muscle, and if you don't read, you will lose
literacy skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A University of Tennessee, Knoxville, research study shows
that children who don't read over the summer lose at least two months of
reading development. This is often referred to as 'the summer slide' or the
'summer learning loss.' On the other hand, students who do read over the summer
may gain a month of proficiency in reading. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reading over the summer is not a suggestion to keep kids busy; it's a
critical requirement to help students stay on track for their entire
educational career and beyond.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Increase
Knowledge<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Reading, in general, is highly effective at building up a
child's knowledge in a vast amount of subject areas, including English, math,
science and history. Studies conducted by Dr. Alice Sullivan monitored the
impact of reading in a child's life from elementary through adulthood. These
studies discovered a greater intellectual progress in vocabulary, spelling and
math than that of a child not reading more than the required school amount.
Clearly, reading is a strong tool for growing in comprehension skills and
general knowledge of the world. Therefore, children who read can stay ahead of
their classmates during the school year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Encourage
Summer Reading<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Summer reading is very important for maintaining a child's
current grade level skills and for pushing forward to develop skills above the
current grade level. But how can parents encourage their children to read over
the summer? Here are a few summer reading suggestions from teachers who shared
their thoughts with Scholastic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Send
Books Home with Students<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Teachers have discovered that students who are sent home with
books of their choosing are more apt to read over the summer than students who
are given a summer reading list or are simply told what read over the summer.
Further studies reveal that children of lower income have more difficulty
finding access to books and reading programs. Allowing students to pick a few
books to take home over summer vacation not only increases access to books, but
it also encourages students to read on their own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Build Up
Anticipation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Another suggestion from a teacher is for teachers to get their
students hooked on a book series close to the end of the school year. Read the
first book in a series aloud to the class and build up excitement and
anticipation for the next book in the series. When school lets out for the
summer, encourage students to go to their local library or bookstore and pick
up the next book in the series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Suggest
Audio Books<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If students have a hard time reading, suggest they read a few
books over the summer to help build their reading skills. At the same time,
find books that are also available on audiotape. This can help encourage
students to keep reading even if they don't particularly like it. A book on
tape still opens the world of adventure and gives students a boost in literacy
skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Don't
Forget to Read for Fun<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Encouraging children to read is critical to helping them stay
on track with other students and retain information and literacy development
over the summer break. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Don't forget to keep reading fun. Give your child the
opportunity to choose books on his own as well. This can help keep reading
interesting and inviting. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reading over
the summer is a necessity, but it should also be fun!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora
Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC
Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Discovery
School<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-64685444754617746252019-03-19T09:31:00.001-07:002019-03-19T09:31:03.080-07:00March 19, 2019<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMl9XnoCIpViHLNL87qUfzY_w2RWYDVndhO1PYhB-L4MTthH18Rc6hARNESKevKSDAo_F5Az707GWQvYQZ1_rKURPDoBJHXwe2786X2L9mGn3cbEK37ez1KpbO3ENQxtUfyktiBHze20/s1600/Happy-Fathers-Day-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="580" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMl9XnoCIpViHLNL87qUfzY_w2RWYDVndhO1PYhB-L4MTthH18Rc6hARNESKevKSDAo_F5Az707GWQvYQZ1_rKURPDoBJHXwe2786X2L9mGn3cbEK37ez1KpbO3ENQxtUfyktiBHze20/s400/Happy-Fathers-Day-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Little boys aspire to be “him”, and little girls think he’s
the “King of the World.” A dad is the first important male figure in a child’s
life. Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity for the little ones to show how
important this special man is to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC"; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Father’s Day is the perfect time to show your dad how much
you love and care for him. Instead of giving the usual gifts, try to do
something different that your father will love and cherish forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-80559454640110213502019-03-11T08:55:00.003-07:002019-03-11T08:55:32.729-07:00March 11, 2019<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlXzapjbACg4u1paiV8UzcTEmTdq1I_uz4nXWdcz5SuHEZxmNjm8sfUZr7m1-I1SGoCLEO55UygR5U0TK1Aw9WVpqIKZXdHAtjKWQuwStirey2oF-dSr_h2hPaodcK4hNFBlMq-bwhMk/s1600/dr-seuss-horse-museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1174" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlXzapjbACg4u1paiV8UzcTEmTdq1I_uz4nXWdcz5SuHEZxmNjm8sfUZr7m1-I1SGoCLEO55UygR5U0TK1Aw9WVpqIKZXdHAtjKWQuwStirey2oF-dSr_h2hPaodcK4hNFBlMq-bwhMk/s400/dr-seuss-horse-museum.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SAN DIEGO -- Children
will soon be cheering yea and neigh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A new Dr. Seuss book,
titled "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum</b>,"
is hitting the shelves 28 years after the acclaimed author died.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The book, which came
out in September, celebrates art and "how we all see the world in
different ways," publisher Random House said in a <a href="http://www.seussville.com/media/assets/Announcement_DrSeussHorseMuseum.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #00a4e2;">statement</span></a> Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Young readers will
join a friendly horse on a guided tour of an art museum. The book will feature
reproductions of famous horse artwork by Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and
other artists, Random House said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fans of Seuss'
previous works will be delighted to see some of their favorite characters
again. Some of the classic Dr. Seuss characters, including the Cat in the Hat,
the Grinch, and Horton the Elephant, also make cameos in the book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr. Seuss, whose real
name is Theodore Seuss Geisel, died in 1991 at age 87 after writing and
illustrating dozens of playful children's books, including "Green Eggs and
Ham" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The manuscript for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">"Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum"</b>
was discovered in the late author's La Jolla, California, home 21 years after
his death. Using Geisel's original sketches and taking inspiration from his
past work, Australian illustrator Andrew Joyner completed the unfinished
artwork.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"We're so excited
to have 'Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum' to share with readers, and to give them an
inside look at how Ted thought about art, and how he viewed the world—which was
with a creative eye, and a passionate belief in imagination," said Susan
Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In 2015, the
posthumous release of Dr. Seuss' <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/20/living/dr-seuss-new-book-first-picture-feat/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #00a4e2;">"What Pet Should I Get?"</span></a> became
a #1 New York Times bestseller.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="es-419" style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #580A; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ms.
Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="es-419" style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-ansi-language: #580A; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">EC
Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-6192511491329479652019-03-04T06:32:00.006-08:002019-03-04T06:32:53.274-08:00March 4, 2019<br />
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<h1 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #004789; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 2rem; letter-spacing: 0.055rem; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.67em 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
4 life lessons I learned from reading Dr. Seuss books</h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFuqbvXr2b4sieTN1XwGjvFcPc_j4PDKVzs_ZuCCfNeAkSxNMc-Viilf44izYzKYD86Pt2Zk_9uEEpezJcwtA6oLh3xgNSTtb1R7HE0Coaq49Z__YzAZcsNSu_8nxj1iir_AdcPXMIOc/s1600/Dr.+Seuss+Reading+Importance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="680" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFuqbvXr2b4sieTN1XwGjvFcPc_j4PDKVzs_ZuCCfNeAkSxNMc-Viilf44izYzKYD86Pt2Zk_9uEEpezJcwtA6oLh3xgNSTtb1R7HE0Coaq49Z__YzAZcsNSu_8nxj1iir_AdcPXMIOc/s320/Dr.+Seuss+Reading+Importance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #004789; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">When it
comes to children’s books, Dr. Seuss is one of those authors who has maintained
a spot-on bookshelf across generations. His unique literary style remains
relevant to new generations of kids and in hearts of their parents and
grandparents, too.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A big
reason for this success is probably because his books are simply fun to read,
with their rhyming phrases, made-up words, and quirky illustrations. However,
another reason they’ve continued to be popular is that teachers, librarians,
and parents all agree his books teach important life lessons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Honestly,
I hadn’t really thought about how many lessons one can take home from his books
until recently. When I was reading books like <i>The Lorax</i> and <i>The
Cat in the Hat</i> as a kid, I focused on the fun, silliness of the books:
the wacky characters, colors, and rhymes. Not realizing the deeper meaning, I
was interpreting. Now looking back on some of my favorites, I see the powerful
ideas sprinkled throughout.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To
celebrate <a href="http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm"><span style="color: #afcbe6;">Read Across America Day</span></a> and Dr. Seuss’
114 birthday, here are a few of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes and the lessons
they taught me:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Lorax<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYVOaUmksQ0-VNJQyb8S4Twa7udP0P-EmYgT5gSqVvO_bPWw1CTvJq3zLKQxQi3cZVF1eAdE4w3_wsStufjUai9p00CX425KQX3z_TAoNs6TbF3FNkLjQbAMLkKPSH7oTr58Hy43P02s/s1600/The+Lorax+blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="759" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYVOaUmksQ0-VNJQyb8S4Twa7udP0P-EmYgT5gSqVvO_bPWw1CTvJq3zLKQxQi3cZVF1eAdE4w3_wsStufjUai9p00CX425KQX3z_TAoNs6TbF3FNkLjQbAMLkKPSH7oTr58Hy43P02s/s320/The+Lorax+blog.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f48120; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unless
someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s
not.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In <i>The
Lorax</i>, Dr. Seuss shares a story of a world overrun with greed and
environmental turmoil. Through sharing wise words from the Lorax, Seuss
empowers young readers, telling them that if they let their passion guide them,
they have the power to change the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Happy
Birthday to You!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWZIiTL6V_bDtJlHXANKDXqZgCHpID9ZKiAVBsF8ngKkyIPYp6wyHBqWMRCijuK3N8p_-IaFqqSRXbonWD5xzV12g1JVzsP9LIy5ZNSOzCWOuBT-S5AOMjOeX4m1WVLect5DE8ItEkfU/s1600/happy+Bday+to+you+Dr.+Seuss+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1600" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWZIiTL6V_bDtJlHXANKDXqZgCHpID9ZKiAVBsF8ngKkyIPYp6wyHBqWMRCijuK3N8p_-IaFqqSRXbonWD5xzV12g1JVzsP9LIy5ZNSOzCWOuBT-S5AOMjOeX4m1WVLect5DE8ItEkfU/s320/happy+Bday+to+you+Dr.+Seuss+Blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f48120; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today
you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than
you.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #004789; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In </span><i style="color: #004789; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Happy
Birthday to You!</i><span style="color: #004789; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Dr. Seuss celebrates individuality, telling readers
about a world where a friendly bird organizes a party for everyone on their
birthday with all of their favorite things. In this quote, Seuss lets readers
know that they are unique and that it is something to be proud of.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Horton
Hears a Who!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfzf5lMld-X7mnI9m19dXv0qPNqLQ3kPRaFa-p_1rnzVE31ewhzJdgrH54YQLNpW51fHqfXy1tODFomz7he2qWCoQIgCsGuNa4IRrb-tVxXMXyQbeTvO_GMhi5ZAAeRXGTfnpnpGPXnw/s1600/Horton+Blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="641" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfzf5lMld-X7mnI9m19dXv0qPNqLQ3kPRaFa-p_1rnzVE31ewhzJdgrH54YQLNpW51fHqfXy1tODFomz7he2qWCoQIgCsGuNa4IRrb-tVxXMXyQbeTvO_GMhi5ZAAeRXGTfnpnpGPXnw/s320/Horton+Blog.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f48120; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t
give up! I believe in you all. A person’s a person, no matter how small!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #004789; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In </span><i style="color: #004789; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Horton
Hears a Who!,</i><span style="color: #004789; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Dr. Seuss highlights the importance of supporting
others, even when they might be a little different from you. Even though Horton
can’t quite relate to the experiences of the Who’s, he does everything he can
to ensure their safety.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdZmDWLVymUt5TtekZY-wen8N7rfNnSOnJpc9lk8qk2-IT-W26cY4euoIBaVKrXvLszB4RZCC3-QR_OtQihwuJS-v8LXYxYwkhixQmWVIYjNowpMT6BbiSy6H4wo7NjD_dzkyzcOUb5w/s1600/Eyes+Shut+Blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="638" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdZmDWLVymUt5TtekZY-wen8N7rfNnSOnJpc9lk8qk2-IT-W26cY4euoIBaVKrXvLszB4RZCC3-QR_OtQihwuJS-v8LXYxYwkhixQmWVIYjNowpMT6BbiSy6H4wo7NjD_dzkyzcOUb5w/s320/Eyes+Shut+Blog.png" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I Can
Read with My Eyes Shut<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #f48120; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the
more places you’ll go.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #004789; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
quote might be one of my favorites. In <i>I Can Read with My Eyes
Shut, </i>Seuss informs readers on how magical and important reading can
be. The quote is self-explanatory; reading is the key to success!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Enjoy,</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqh01PLUwAX9C-wmPnirT5cktXCbZIgufZdaUuBHi9wPn7CP5JHtLRGnaeY3kJNMlPa1FfcMkJTHY6kuHiZQQ6khfsFCrLrN68L2gzlaQaDQF_EEqbsgE1x_v36INe53JjJS-drz2fpZ4/s1600/dr.+seuss+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqh01PLUwAX9C-wmPnirT5cktXCbZIgufZdaUuBHi9wPn7CP5JHtLRGnaeY3kJNMlPa1FfcMkJTHY6kuHiZQQ6khfsFCrLrN68L2gzlaQaDQF_EEqbsgE1x_v36INe53JjJS-drz2fpZ4/s1600/dr.+seuss+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-6792563847219991582019-02-04T07:16:00.004-08:002019-02-04T07:17:22.840-08:00February 4, 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqfD1Q1w0NpfYugOATVHKFJV6hKxxV2lK3Eq77bIJI5UPpuvXGizRKRtZfFxC7xlmSJupedIplxvwiaLRdeig0kBv4yqG8puddKUrsea8U6vamv8NiaAauUWS48uAIOgvKFbkM75weo8/s1600/Differentiation+in+Classroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqfD1Q1w0NpfYugOATVHKFJV6hKxxV2lK3Eq77bIJI5UPpuvXGizRKRtZfFxC7xlmSJupedIplxvwiaLRdeig0kBv4yqG8puddKUrsea8U6vamv8NiaAauUWS48uAIOgvKFbkM75weo8/s400/Differentiation+in+Classroom.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">When you walk into
a good preschool classroom, you will see varied learning areas; a variety of
opportunities for students to explore their developing skills playfully. Youwill see materials that have more than one way to be used and children who are
engaged with these materials. Most importantly you will see a teacher playing
with her students. What you may not see but is present in a good preschool
classroom is a teacher carefully selecting the materials, to fit the students’
specific developmental levels. You may not see that when that teacher is
playing, he is shifting how he speaks, what questions he asks, and how he
models using the materials based on the child using it. This is differentiation
in preschool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Differentiation
means adjusting or changing the lesson and its goals based on the specific
needs of the learner. In a playful preschool environment, differentiation is
subtle and takes some practice to do well, but once you get in the habit, it’s
second nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdS_cphhGvTIfezD57IESyZBQl9iKOpMtDzW7T8dlepKQiOjyolJ5CnHFCD3YjqbU_MOjru48SITX87X0E8ak5tvjmeN-5orf6DW8eTrr_7In2biCg_8ftggi4ohoonU8PwqWe1UqWsE/s1600/Differentiation-in-preschool-no-time-for-flash-cards.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="650" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdS_cphhGvTIfezD57IESyZBQl9iKOpMtDzW7T8dlepKQiOjyolJ5CnHFCD3YjqbU_MOjru48SITX87X0E8ak5tvjmeN-5orf6DW8eTrr_7In2biCg_8ftggi4ohoonU8PwqWe1UqWsE/s320/Differentiation-in-preschool-no-time-for-flash-cards.png" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WHY
DIFFERENTIATE?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">“…just because there is a predictable
pattern to growth, and a predictable season for blooming, doesn’t mean that
every flower on the plant will bloom on the same day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each flower opens at its own rate within the
growing season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a flower, the season
for blooming may be a matter of weeks or months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In child development, some seasons may even
last a few years.” – Amanda Morgan Not Just Cute<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Children are
simply not ready for the same things at the same time. As preschool teachers,
we should be meeting our students where they are at with an eye to the next
stage. Our job is to be thinking of how we can support, not force them to get
there. In any preschool class no matter what school, geographic area, or
socioeconomic class you will find a wide range of abilities, this is normal.
Differentiation allows you to provide a rich experience for all your students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Differentiation
may seem like a lot of work, but it makes your job easier, I promise. When the
materials and activities are differentiated, they fit your students’ needs. And
that fit equals better engagement, less frustration, and less boredom. You can
probably guess what this means… WAY better behavior, giving you as a teacher
more time to focus on connecting with the students through play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">EC Assistant
Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-6805308382734375792019-01-22T06:37:00.004-08:002019-01-22T06:37:48.764-08:00January 22, 2019<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguS4jZpTCrLOlJ0WxKI2wiTduOVaAt7tlN4Zrw2kIwdgyS9UzM71D4bMkGyQT5Cqrx-HaVSm-mbQUTJEsMckoSdi7fSUQ6Q4NznEqEQ9lPnYAyCLsygay1prjhBSf-P8XTidmI29smmLg/s1600/Sight+Words.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="672" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguS4jZpTCrLOlJ0WxKI2wiTduOVaAt7tlN4Zrw2kIwdgyS9UzM71D4bMkGyQT5Cqrx-HaVSm-mbQUTJEsMckoSdi7fSUQ6Q4NznEqEQ9lPnYAyCLsygay1prjhBSf-P8XTidmI29smmLg/s400/Sight+Words.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What are
Sight Words?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Successful readers use several tools to help them understand
texts. One of the most effective and powerful reading tools that parents, and
teachers can help children develop is sight word recognition. When a child can
grasp and identify sight words, he is well on his way to becoming a thriving
reader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Believe it or not, 50% of all reading texts are made up of the
same 100 words! The most frequently used and repeated words in the English
language are known as sight words. This list of words includes the, a, is, of,
to, in, and, I, you, and that. Think about the number of times that you have
seen these words in a piece of reading material. It’s probably too many times
to count.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sight words are critical to reading not only because they are
used so frequently, but also because many of them cannot easily be sounded out
or illustrated. Imagine what reading would be like if you attempted to sound
out walk every time you encountered it in your reading. Then imagine that you
do not know the word the. You cannot use the pictures accompanying a text to
help you decipher this word because it cannot be illustrated. Using phonics or
picture reading skills for words like these is useless and fruitless for
readers, especially those who are in the early stages of developing their
decoding skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because they are used so often it is important that readers be
able to recognize these words on sight (hence the term “sight words”). When a
reader masters sight words she can understand at least half of the words in a text.
By eliminating the need to decode these words, the reader can focus on those
that are more difficult and less familiar. Beyond this, sight words offer
important clues about the meaning of a sentence. For example, when a reader can
identify and understand the word and, in a sentence, he knows that there will
be multiple figures, actions or descriptors in the sentence. Similarly, if the
reader sees the word into in the sentence, she knows there is movement from one
location or idea to another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When a reader masters sight words her memory automatically
brings the sound and meaning of the word into the person’s consciousness. The
action is so unconscious that she doesn’t even realize it is happening. In
fact, researchers found that when they presented readers with illustrations of
some sight words along with the written word s, the readers could not avoid
looking at the words. They used the written words rather than the illustrations
to determine meaning because their brains were “trained” to read these words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-47510821842398979892019-01-16T07:07:00.004-08:002019-01-16T07:07:54.421-08:00January 14-18, 2019<br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Reading Readiness: The Top 5 Skills<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21FFoZhgHZIIVP0_h2Tv7roZccsid4TZ1pPCHpMHx5GFwBINSs_zhyphenhyphenJdUmH4rkMrPK3h4XDGXTzfw31uO3E6h6GdijbVJffJlHxYcVFXBUO9tW3CO9_O062vxGqOugZxNyj0n_HAdVkU/s1600/reading-readiness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="540" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21FFoZhgHZIIVP0_h2Tv7roZccsid4TZ1pPCHpMHx5GFwBINSs_zhyphenhyphenJdUmH4rkMrPK3h4XDGXTzfw31uO3E6h6GdijbVJffJlHxYcVFXBUO9tW3CO9_O062vxGqOugZxNyj0n_HAdVkU/s400/reading-readiness.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did you know that there are five skills your child should
master before you begin formal reading instruction? Because these reading
readiness skills are so important, we call them The Big Five Skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although much of your child’s learning comes naturally as he
plays and experiences life, there are some skills, like reading, that must
eventually be taught. That may feel a little scary, but if you’ve taught your
child how to pick up his toys or put on his socks, you can teach your child to
read, too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">5
Critical Skills for Reading Readiness<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9hia2QH8oNrQXT0FpIeumcesuZWGAKPoIaja7HQmlm8nc-2en95cG9Z0TOnxlRU1R1a8B3eWC-M2oFnOFQTGTM7jU77bYkkRADHqgdm3VatYJo9UDrlZ3iKvGATdC9DazwqVy5JCQk8/s1600/book+with+stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9hia2QH8oNrQXT0FpIeumcesuZWGAKPoIaja7HQmlm8nc-2en95cG9Z0TOnxlRU1R1a8B3eWC-M2oFnOFQTGTM7jU77bYkkRADHqgdm3VatYJo9UDrlZ3iKvGATdC9DazwqVy5JCQk8/s200/book+with+stars.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Print
Awareness<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Print awareness is the understanding that the print on a page
represents words that have meaning and are related to spoken language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To develop this skill:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Open book<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">:</b> Help
your child learn how to hold a book correctly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As you read books together, emphasize the fact that you’re
reading from front to back and from left to right. Let your child turn the
pages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As your child helps you in the kitchen, point out the names on
the food boxes and cans and the ingredients as you read your recipe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Point out and read road signs and store signs as you travel in
the car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV6uGEeUPkevCe5Ay4NUiQz0Xxa00WXuLxXHBdjsC30yWph3wRNjttMKTgFRNhlv_oH1Xz6MpwfM-Dkr4KKA9A6P9GGbPqWz0laWsdEI5jjG1ioElUIW_O0kSczzDpvZRnL6MyoTlOZY/s1600/Letter+knowledge+A.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="257" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV6uGEeUPkevCe5Ay4NUiQz0Xxa00WXuLxXHBdjsC30yWph3wRNjttMKTgFRNhlv_oH1Xz6MpwfM-Dkr4KKA9A6P9GGbPqWz0laWsdEI5jjG1ioElUIW_O0kSczzDpvZRnL6MyoTlOZY/s200/Letter+knowledge+A.png" width="171" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Letter
Knowledge: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Letter knowledge enables a child to recognize the
letters of the alphabet and to know the names and sounds of each.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To develop this skill:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Friendly letter A: Sing the alphabet song together. Practice
starting at different letters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Use activities that help children recognize both uppercase and
lowercase letters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Begin to encourage an association between letter names and the
sounds they make.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Explore the alphabet with refrigerator magnets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Create the alphabet with building blocks or form letters with
playdough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7eomG4ZGnmB6A48XRQ9jvrcRxNQUd40p9lt83OkGsQW4AMhx-HUbzyqRaLl0763oX_pbKlNGqoV7mH06_JCYgLPYKcCyAVXDXRB0EpDB52Ohmfo5ucolOwsDoQjMu-6hsffkFDgk15M/s1600/dog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7eomG4ZGnmB6A48XRQ9jvrcRxNQUd40p9lt83OkGsQW4AMhx-HUbzyqRaLl0763oX_pbKlNGqoV7mH06_JCYgLPYKcCyAVXDXRB0EpDB52Ohmfo5ucolOwsDoQjMu-6hsffkFDgk15M/s200/dog.png" width="200" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Phonological
Awareness<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s a big term, but it’s quite basic. Phonological Awareness
is the ability to hear and identify the various sounds in spoken words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To develop this skill:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dog with perked ear: Read lots of nursery rhymes and rhyming
picture books together. Encourage your child to anticipate rhyme as you read
together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Play clapping and rhyming games like Miss Mary Mack and
Pat-a-Cake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sing silly songs by changing the first sound in some of the
words. For example, sing, “Bingle bells, bingle bells, bingle all the bay,” or
“If you’re chappy and you chow it, chap your chands.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Play games that encourage children to identify words that
begin with a specific letter sound. For example, say, “I spy with my little eye
a color that starts with /r/.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Listening
Comprehension<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK6Of7faU75LmPbSftBdmp9LGy8ZokhHau0JpACMdU30QKb1V62NHhd6xwNwV1gfvzUzWH1wG5UEUYIWY-jCGZDbAQZdccE9xITbql9qHBWdmqv_iqVvMVt5gOnlY6FgIgl_ksEoi3Y0/s1600/globe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK6Of7faU75LmPbSftBdmp9LGy8ZokhHau0JpACMdU30QKb1V62NHhd6xwNwV1gfvzUzWH1wG5UEUYIWY-jCGZDbAQZdccE9xITbql9qHBWdmqv_iqVvMVt5gOnlY6FgIgl_ksEoi3Y0/s200/globe.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Listening comprehension is the ability to understand the
meaning of words heard and to relate to them in some way. A child with good
listening comprehension has a wide vocabulary and a growing understanding of
the world around him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To develop this skill:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">World globe: Read aloud to your children daily. Read books
that are in line with your child’s interests, so he begins to realize that
there is a benefit to learning to read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Encourage even young children to interact with books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Attend story time at the library.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let your child see you enjoying books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Make read-aloud time an enjoyable shared time. Here are some
picture book lists to get you started.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-i-BBWV0M57DffsQP14cQIIVDGaoZdQH8PyHW1kOvn0NjIkmTfipn2XX_LAqZ8eEdef1u4Q_l0gXfJ4QOQcUgx17E-Vrsfwo-olBSpA93j5VG2vABmNCsTbsjqFNVgtkK5eLQWEPGn4/s1600/boy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-i-BBWV0M57DffsQP14cQIIVDGaoZdQH8PyHW1kOvn0NjIkmTfipn2XX_LAqZ8eEdef1u4Q_l0gXfJ4QOQcUgx17E-Vrsfwo-olBSpA93j5VG2vABmNCsTbsjqFNVgtkK5eLQWEPGn4/s200/boy.png" width="200" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Motivation
to Read<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Motivation to read is a child’s eagerness and willingness to
read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To encourage your child:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Smiling cartoon boy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Read both fiction and nonfiction books to your child.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As you read, ask open-ended questions. For example, ask “What
do you think is going to happen when we turn the page?” or “Why did the boy go
outside?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Use everyday life experiences to build your child’s
vocabulary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Encourage imaginative play and storytelling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC Assistant principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-13287524530482090152018-12-04T06:50:00.000-08:002018-12-04T06:51:44.445-08:00Dec.4, 2018<br />
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 107%;">CELEBRATING
CHRISTMAS AROUND </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 26pt;">THE WORLD</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbUwdAGs1TIOZKzlkm2cX6456I6Xgijc3RirOSE5FyLcvt0MDdSYHofoFvsUIhJQQ-3XEeWpYAoqcf4eG-P1Mi7ROvYXLTHskWFDPDhkerFa7pImJHmb7U4GskYlRokad1DvVkRGNTeQ/s1600/Christmas+Banner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="680" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbUwdAGs1TIOZKzlkm2cX6456I6Xgijc3RirOSE5FyLcvt0MDdSYHofoFvsUIhJQQ-3XEeWpYAoqcf4eG-P1Mi7ROvYXLTHskWFDPDhkerFa7pImJHmb7U4GskYlRokad1DvVkRGNTeQ/s400/Christmas+Banner.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14pt;">It's almost Christmas, and according to some people, it's
"the most wonderful time of the year."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Here are Christmas celebrations that are found around the
world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">ARMENIA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Some Armenians choose to fast the week before Christmas. Then,
they break their fast with a light Christmas Eve meal called
"khetum," which includes rice, fish, chickpeas, yogurt soup, dried
nuts and grape jelly desserts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">SOUTH AFRICA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Why have eggnog and pumpkin pie when you can celebrate Christmas
by eating plump, fuzzy caterpillars, aka Emperor Moths? Don't worry, they're
fried in oil, so you know it's good... right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">UKRAINE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Ukrainians use fake spider webs to cover their trees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Why? According to legend, a poor widower had no money to decorate
the family's tree. Some friendly spiders were grief-stricken when they saw the
widow and her crying children, so at night, when everyone was asleep, they
decorated the tree with silver and gold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">After that, the poor family became prosperous, lucky and never
had a financial woe, ever again. Thus, a spider web-covered tree
signifies prosperity and wealth for the next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">VENEZUELA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">On Christmas Eve, Caracas, the capital
of Venezuela, closes its streets so everyone and anyone can make
their way to church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">INDIA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">India is one of the most populous countries in the world,
meaning that translates to 25 million people who celebrate Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Due to lack of fir and pine trees in the region,
Indians use banana or mango trees as a substitute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">PHILIPPINES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">You won't find stockings hanging on chimneys in the Philippines.
Rather, kids will polish their shoes and leave them by the window sills, so
when the Three Kings walk by at night, they'll leave presents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">IRELAND<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Rather than milk and cookies for Santa, it's all about Christmas
pudding made with Guinness or Irish Whiskey. This tradition also carries over
to the UK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-57182893032137458522018-11-08T11:55:00.003-08:002018-11-08T11:55:39.895-08:00Nov. 8, 2018<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 36.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Technology in the Classroom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One Person’s Point of View: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By Robert Holl<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjzxHOhr7VtSgCThuSEpT_xqpu2MlzYHek6lXz1ONiJcui-3PW09gCzUFCIzvCNN9ByeJJ1EITvB7BLa1cgexx_cpsFvUeLpdDNwgk562-7KBUkfEFb59PpXBaDq5XbL3AsQSIzZO1JQ/s1600/technology-in-the-classroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjzxHOhr7VtSgCThuSEpT_xqpu2MlzYHek6lXz1ONiJcui-3PW09gCzUFCIzvCNN9ByeJJ1EITvB7BLa1cgexx_cpsFvUeLpdDNwgk562-7KBUkfEFb59PpXBaDq5XbL3AsQSIzZO1JQ/s400/technology-in-the-classroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">I have seen many
changes impacting how instruction is delivered, and nothing has impacted change
more than technology and the internet. As with most change, there have been
both positive and negative outcomes. Whether a given change is positive or
negative will often depend on one’s own perspective.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">My name is Robert
Holland my career, upon graduating from college, began as a classroom teacher
and then transitioned into various facets of educational publishing. These
varied experiences have affected my point of view and influenced my current
thinking. However, the last 15 years, during which I founded and grew the
Learning A-Z Publishing Company and developed hundreds of classroom resources,
have led me to appreciate more fully how technology can assist teachers and
improve learning for students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">As a publisher of
learning resources and as a former classroom teacher, I have always believed
that it is vital to never lose sight of the teacher’s significance in and out
of the classroom. I have carefully weighed every product development decision
to ensure that it strengthens a teacher’s instructional efficiency and
effectiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;">CLASSROOM TECH: TWO FACES<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAfn5GKs71zVoF4EonnvPZ7zhCUv5qOCLO5ZkbAeeieE2Mo3vVDCvltY_SDoJc4tEHAs2qIAtq02NmgYMlCM9fDBkhEO_LdVjuZtwdzaJ2cMn4wjp1sDZp_79Ow03nV_fg7Lj18mMRIE/s1600/technologyclassroom-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAfn5GKs71zVoF4EonnvPZ7zhCUv5qOCLO5ZkbAeeieE2Mo3vVDCvltY_SDoJc4tEHAs2qIAtq02NmgYMlCM9fDBkhEO_LdVjuZtwdzaJ2cMn4wjp1sDZp_79Ow03nV_fg7Lj18mMRIE/s400/technologyclassroom-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">It seems to me
that there are two faces of technology in the classroom. On the one side, I
have come to believe that overuse of technology can have a dehumanizing effect.
But on the other hand, I also have come to believe that technology can help
personalize learning, promote interaction and engagement, and help improve
motivation. From my point of view, we should not park students in front of a
computer or other device and deliver technology-driven curriculum solutions
that place limitations on human connections. This, I believe, would be
detrimental to the development of the whole child. But there are countless
benefits that support the use of technology in classrooms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">One of the most
compelling benefits technology offers is its ability to save teachers time and
deliver resources economically. Take, for example, books and other resources
needed to build reading skills, grow knowledge, and motivate readers. Today’s
teachers can have a library of electronic books delivered directly to their
classroom as PDF documents that can be printed and made into low-cost books for
their students to read in the classroom or at home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">These same books
can be assigned as eBooks to read on any type of device. Teachers can also project
these books within whole-class and small-group instructional settings. Never
have so many books and other reading resources, in multiple formats, been so
readily accessible to teachers and their students – developmentally appropriate
books aligned with students’ interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Technology-enhanced
text resources can have many embedded tools to support and guide the reader.
For example, an audio track for listening to the entire text with words and
phrases highlighted so the student can follow along can be especially helpful
to struggling readers and English language learners. In addition, words that
are unknown and difficult to pronounce can be selected for a pronunciation and
a definition. EBooks can also have recording features for students to record
their reading of text and then play it back to self-monitor fluency. They can
also send a recorded reading to their teacher who can then listen and monitor
student progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Student engagement
and interactivity with text can be facilitated by highlighting and other
mark-up tools, notetaking and journaling features, as well as embedded prompts
for students to respond to as they read. These tools and features can enhance
comprehension and free up the teacher to interact more personally with students
who need extra help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">EC Assistant
Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-45290740837035835012018-10-22T09:03:00.000-07:002018-10-22T09:03:36.988-07:00October 22, 2018<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Importance of Listening Skills for Your Preschool Child’s Learning and
Development<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7EFojFi-4zMMdM5b5DHIblZXWtL8G_RaSUpqgkh2JYuaJvKIqC3aKv9VLJRDS15JLtl9zXQ_XpzxEd32-d0eQKplBnAe6jpgsZOD_-hWhMhxdlawJ0rITYXq5lWzuk58t_jWxPHkjc0/s1600/Music+and+Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7EFojFi-4zMMdM5b5DHIblZXWtL8G_RaSUpqgkh2JYuaJvKIqC3aKv9VLJRDS15JLtl9zXQ_XpzxEd32-d0eQKplBnAe6jpgsZOD_-hWhMhxdlawJ0rITYXq5lWzuk58t_jWxPHkjc0/s400/Music+and+Kids.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Most people know that hearing and speech are very important in
a child’s development. What is as important is the skill of listening. Some
people think hearing and listening are the same skill, but they are not.
Hearing is simply the physical act of receiving sound stimulation through the
ear and sending it to the brain for reception. Listening, however, involves a
mental process of tuning into a sound, recognizing its importance, and
interpreting the information at the brain. For the developing child, both
hearing and listening are important, since a child can have good hearing, and
not have good listening skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The ability to detect a sound is hearing, and the ability to
attach meaning to it is the foundation for development. This is listening.
Sounds are not only speech sounds. Sounds are all around us. Before a child
learns to produce speech sounds, they begin to respond to sounds in their
environment—responding to their mother’s voice, or a dog barking, or a baby
crying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">These sounds imprint their brain with rhythm, inflection,
pitch, intensity changes and more. These sounds prepare the way for the ear to
respond to incoming speech sounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The ear is also one’s balance and coordination center. Often,
weak early motor skills suggest the possibility of future weak listening
skills. The ear, through vibrational stimulation, also impacts all of one’s
senses, either directly or indirectly, so poor listening skills often accompany
children who have sensory integration or sensory processing issues. Sometimes,
children are too sensitive to sound, or crave vestibular sensation like
spinning, or enjoy more than normal, hugs or squeezes. These needs are all
directly related to how sound stimulation is sent to the brain through the ear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Listening skills become extremely important when the child
enters a learning environment such as a preschool. They are equally important
to their social development as they attend and participate in conversations.
Listening to spoken language is an integral part of developing speech, language,
and communication. A preschool child also enjoys listening to music, songs, and
stories. Some children enjoy music but can’t listen to conversation for long
periods of time. Other children can listen and attend only if a visual picture
is also present like the television. Each of these children have different
listening skills, some of which can have a negative response in a school
environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mastering listening skills include developing auditory
perceptual skills such as auditory detection, discrimination, recognition,
sequencing, and memory. The blend of these skills allows for vocabulary
development, proper grammar skills, future reading skills, and the ability to
listen in background noise. These skills, when weak, can be enhanced by
repatterning how the ear responds to surrounding sounds. The best time to
repattern these skills is during the preschool years, as the brain is still
growing. This can be done with repetitive activities that exercise the specific
weaknesses over a long period of time. Speech Pathologists help develop
communication skills, also typically over a long period of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-32588472568627698012018-10-15T08:52:00.001-07:002018-10-15T08:52:56.582-07:00October 15, 2018<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Creativity
and Play</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"><span style="font-size: 34.6667px;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHX6cW0FD9dzJCHb4MqjXffUDENi0S25ShpxfUhedUz6S8C-Xv1xPICMeHlUlKudHOF4yie3B87nXjZenpAm_HjwJP0nWv827QFv7tYsAYFiVpQWer86tU3n3zGR8A60mrQHFmVtmHhxU/s1600/creative+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="480" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHX6cW0FD9dzJCHb4MqjXffUDENi0S25ShpxfUhedUz6S8C-Xv1xPICMeHlUlKudHOF4yie3B87nXjZenpAm_HjwJP0nWv827QFv7tYsAYFiVpQWer86tU3n3zGR8A60mrQHFmVtmHhxU/s400/creative+image.jpg" width="400" /></a></u></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Creativity is the freest form of self-expression. There is
nothing more satisfying and fulfilling for children than to be able to express
themselves openly and without judgment. The ability to be creative, to create
something from personal feelings and experiences, can reflect and nurture
children's emotional health. The experiences children have during their first
years of life can significantly enhance the development of their creativity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Importance
of the Creative Process<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All children need to be truly creative is the freedom to
commit themselves completely to the effort and make whatever activity they are
doing their own. What's important in any creative act is the process of
self-expression. Creative experiences can help children express and cope with
their feelings. A child's creative activity can help teachers to learn more
about what the child may be thinking or feeling. Creativity also fosters mental
growth in children by providing opportunities for trying out new ideas, and new
ways of thinking and problem-solving. Creative activities help acknowledge and
celebrate children's uniqueness and diversity as well as offer excellent
opportunities to personalize our teaching and focus on each child.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Opportunities
for Creativity<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Children need plenty of opportunities for creative play and
creative thinking. Start by providing activities that are based on the
children's interests and ideas. This means learning how to listen intently to
what children are saying. It is very helpful to tape record and transcribe
children's conversations as well as take notes and review them with your
co-teachers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure to offer
children a wide range of creative materials and experiences. Being creative is
more than drawing or painting. There's also photography, music, field trips,
working with wire, clay, paper, wood, water or shadows. The possibilities are
endless. It's important to provide children lots of time to explore materials
and pursue their ideas. This includes time to think about how to plan, design,
construct, experiment and revise project ideas. Don't forget to build in time
to talk these ideas over with other people - both teachers and children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Varieties
of Experience<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Look for ways to provide multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and other
community experiences for children. Activities such as field trips, celebrating
holidays and activities with other ethnic groups, and encouraging children to
bring visitors to school enhances the creative process. The more varied
experiences children have in their lives, the wider the range of creative
expression. The more personal experiences children have with people and
situations outside of their own environment, the more material they can draw on
to incorporate in their play. Our challenge is to try not to be intimidated by
the variety and diversity of artistic expression in our classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fostering
the Creative Process<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Encouraging children to make their own choices is important.
Children should be permitted frequent opportunities - and lots of time - to
experience and explore expressive materials. Put your emphasis on the process
of creativity and not on the finished product. What children learn and discover
about themselves is vital to their development. Show your support for the
creative process by appreciating and offering support for children's efforts.
Independence and control are important components in the creative process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Early Childhood Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-57458167206265905392018-10-08T12:14:00.001-07:002018-10-08T12:14:14.203-07:00October 8, 2018<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WHY BOOKS
MATTER…….</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj_0LgdhLD-6YsV-VafB49aLJPB1VOZ3BOib6osU09ZjllN4da4DuV6WZvKSvJuZldhe9MiZ6Dgz4SjXE3rhjhjiHIK4Sy1uvSqcT0ye-iyB6TRQmEiRVmoi_CZa_xxszf0Q0HHaWSFQ/s1600/books.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="155" data-original-width="300" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj_0LgdhLD-6YsV-VafB49aLJPB1VOZ3BOib6osU09ZjllN4da4DuV6WZvKSvJuZldhe9MiZ6Dgz4SjXE3rhjhjiHIK4Sy1uvSqcT0ye-iyB6TRQmEiRVmoi_CZa_xxszf0Q0HHaWSFQ/s640/books.webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We find that books in the home have a positive payoff in
improved test scores throughout the world,” writes a research team led by
University of Nevada-Reno sociologist Mariah Evans. “The relationship is
strong, clear, and statistically significant in every one of the 42 nations (we
studied).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Evans made this same point in a 2010 study, which found “home
library size has a very substantial effect on educational attainment.” Her new
research confirms that conclusion using data from even a larger number of
nations—42, rather than the 27 in the earlier report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"REGARDLESS
OF HOW MANY BOOKS THE FAMILY ALREADY HAS, EACH ADDITION TO THE HOME LIBRARY
HELPS CHILDREN DO BETTER (ON THE STANDARD TEST)."<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“They enhance the academic performance of children from
families as all educational and occupation levels,” the researchers write, “but
the enhancement is greater for families with little education and low-status
occupations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Evans and colleagues Jonathan Kelley and Joanna Sikora
examined data from the Program for International Student Assessment, a project
of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Academic achievement of participating students (most of whom
were 15 years old at the time of the study) was determined by a test that the
researchers describe as “carefully designed, comprehensive, structured to
minimize class and ethnic bias, and anonymously graded.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Data was also collected on family demographics, as well as the
number of books in the student’s family home. (There was no information
available on the specific types of volumes.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The results were unambiguous: “Regardless of how many books
the family already has, each addition to the home library helps children do
better (on the standard test),” Evans and her colleagues report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A home with books as
an integral part of the way of life encourages children to read for pleasure
and encourages discussion among family members about what they have read,"
Evans and her colleagues write, "thereby providing children with
information, vocabulary, imaginative richness, wide horizons, and skills for
discovery and play.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They concede that their research leaves something of a
chicken-and-egg question: Are books in the home merely an indication of that
sort of “scholarly culture,” or does their presence create an intellectually
stimulating family environment?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While the answer isn’t clear, the researchers point to recent
research suggesting that “books themselves do matter.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Being read to, reading for yourself, discussing what you’ve
read—that’s the sort of positive spiral that can lead to greater academic
achievement years down the line. The Cat in the Hat may turn out to be the
catalyst between the covers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-44733065512909886702018-09-24T10:43:00.003-07:002018-09-24T10:43:28.559-07:00September 24, 2018<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFpFnXxNkLKz0SmGLR7eKWiQ3O1Y-u2qR46rImna0_Nu98BQB0r5TzPw9ZF4nev5IKK2D_RUOA8q5hKufJFQeyeLZSBl3Vh1eTjX6OjOdJpXTdTlM_Qx1mimC-C-wAV4LuY7MQloqX3g/s1600/Phonemic+Awareness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFpFnXxNkLKz0SmGLR7eKWiQ3O1Y-u2qR46rImna0_Nu98BQB0r5TzPw9ZF4nev5IKK2D_RUOA8q5hKufJFQeyeLZSBl3Vh1eTjX6OjOdJpXTdTlM_Qx1mimC-C-wAV4LuY7MQloqX3g/s640/Phonemic+Awareness.jpg" width="417" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">PHONEMIC
AWARENESS</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Phonemic Awareness
is an important early reading skill for preschoolers and kindergarteners to
develop. It is the ability to play with sounds in a variety of ways to
manipulate, substitute, and hear isolated sounds. It is also an essential skill
to develop before a student can learn to read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Many of the students
who have phonics difficulties also had an underdeveloped phonemic awareness.
They could not isolate and blend sounds. They just didn’t have enough practice
in listening to and playing with sounds, apart from the letters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">When a five-year-old
enters kindergarten, their phonemic awareness skills need to be as strong as
ever. Phonemic Awareness is an important early reading skill for preschoolers
and kindergarteners to develop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">WHAT IS PHONEMIC
AWARENESS?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">In the simplest of
terms, it is an awareness of sounds. It is the ability to hear, identify, and
manipulate phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound that have meaning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">One very important
thing to emphasize is that phonemic awareness is done <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">without letters</b>. It is all <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sound</b>.
Once you add letters, it becomes <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">phonics.</b>
Students need a strong phonemic awareness foundation before you add phonics on
top of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">COMPONENTS
OF PHONEMIC AWARENESS<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">RHYMING / ALLITERATION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Rhyming is one of
the earlier phonemic awareness skills to develop. It is present in most of our
nursery rhymes and songs for young children. Alliteration is like rhyming, but
on the other side of the word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Rhyming is a
difficult skill to learn for some readers, especially for English learners.
Although rhyming is a phonemic awareness skill, I wouldn’t focus intervention
on it. Teach it, yes. Do songs, poems, and rhymes in your classroom, yes.
However, if a student is not able to produce rhyming words after some
instruction, I would move into the other phonemic awareness skills. Is Rhyming
Ability Important in Reading? is a great article about how much emphasis to put
on rhyming. The basic conclusion is that the other components of phonemic
awareness are more influential in reading success than rhyming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ORAL BLENDING & SEGMENTING<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Oral blending is
the ability to put units of sounds together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oral Segmenting is the ability to break a word apart into the units of
sound. For example, say the word cat. Tell me the sounds in cat. /k/ /a/
/t/.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both segmenting and blending should
be practiced regularly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Start with
compound words, like pancake, then move onto (2) two-syllable words, then onto
(3) cvc words with continuous sounds. Finally do (4) open syllables, (5) cvc
with stop sounds, and (6) long vowel patterns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">INITIAL, FINAL, MEDIAL SOUND ISOLATION
& IDENTIFICATION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Consonant
isolation is the ability to tell the first sound of a word. For instance, say
the word cat, tell me the first sound, /k/? Teach and practice the initial,
final and then medial sounds. Start with consonants in the initial and final
positions before you work on the vowels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">DELETION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Deletion is the
ability to remove a sound from a word and tell what is left. For instance, say
the word cat. Remove the /k/. What is left?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">SUBSTITUTION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Substitution is like
deletion, but a little more advanced. It requires a student to remove a sound
and place another sound in its place. For instance, say the word cat. Replace
the /k/ with /b/. What do you have?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">PHONEMIC
AWARENESS ACTIVITIES<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Most phonemic
awareness actives should be done daily for short intervals of time throughout
the day. The point is short, frequent interactions with the sounds to build
competency, moving from simple cvc words to more complex blends. Also move from
simple rhyming and identification tasks to segmenting, blending, deletion and
substitution tasks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Which words do you
choose? Choose words based on the activities that you’re doing in class and
stories that you’re already reading with students. Pull words that are familiar
to students and play around with the words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having some familiarity with the words will help students break them
apart into their sounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> TIPS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; text-indent: -0.25in;">Be
sure you are pronouncing the sounds consistently and accurately. The stop sounds are the most difficult,
because we want to put an /uh/ sound after them, like buh. Do your best to
isolate the sound. Like for /p/, put your hand in front of your mouth and feel
the air. It’s quick. Likewise,
exaggerate the continuous sounds more than usual. Like, /m/ should be
mmmmmmmmmmmm . . . emphasize that it’s a continuous sound. This over emphasis
will pay off when you get to blending.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; text-indent: -0.25in;">Use
the letter sound, not the name, when you’re working on phonemic awareness
skills. Using the sound consistently helps students form a pattern isolating
the sound.</span></li>
<li><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; text-indent: -0.25in;">Do not
use letters or symbols. I said this earlier, but this is an important
distinction. Phonemic awareness is the awareness of sound without letters. When
you add letters, it becomes phonics.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pictures
help, especially for English learners or students with speech problems. If you
can find a good source for pictures of common cvc words. Picture Sorting for
Phonemic Awareness has some good pictures in it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; text-indent: -0.25in;">Use
the full body. Have students hold up their fist and then fingers to isolate
sounds. I would have them put their hands together with the finger tips
touching and draw them apart to blend sounds slowly. (Slinkies are a great tool
for this, too!) Have students hop each sound. Draw some boxes or dots onto
floor and have students hop or walk the sounds. Clap hands for sounds or
syllables.</span></li>
</ol>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Pay
attention to your students. Assessments help to understand where a student is
in their phonemic awareness journey. Can they rhyme? Identify initial, final,
and medial sounds? Can they delete sounds? Substitute sounds? I know
assessments are a lot of work, but they also give you a lot of information, if
they’re the right assessment, and can guide your instruction to make it
meaningful, focused and valuable for most students in your classroom.
Assessments will also tell you which students are not successful, so you can
focus more targeting instruction with them in small groups.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">If
something is not working, try something else. There is no right way to teach
phonemic awareness for all students. Some things will click for some students
and other things for other students. The point is that students are learning to
play with sounds and learning how to blend and segment sounds, so that they can
apply those skills to reading and phonics instruction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-57781303552874079982018-09-10T06:25:00.002-07:002018-09-10T06:25:32.212-07:00September 10, 2018<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Learning
should be fun to grab students' interest with engaging lessons<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDESAxN-Cf-SEIlolGp4YjJfqsVMGWb0vzbxGbu13RvrvIbOXxWoY3cF33NYv9ck2UxWw2c8JqnNDlcr8_jfWakP2wKb4-z65YVverMPFPHpzLgikHB-kYP7vtRcHa1Wsd-EsvMjVJPhM/s1600/kids+at+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="341" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDESAxN-Cf-SEIlolGp4YjJfqsVMGWb0vzbxGbu13RvrvIbOXxWoY3cF33NYv9ck2UxWw2c8JqnNDlcr8_jfWakP2wKb4-z65YVverMPFPHpzLgikHB-kYP7vtRcHa1Wsd-EsvMjVJPhM/s400/kids+at+school.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">If the longstanding TV program Sesame Street teaches anything,
it is that kids don't need dry lessons and humorless lectures to learn. In
fact, when teachers add fun activities to their classroom agendas, they ignite
kids' natural curiosity about more than just the three R's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And that's not the only reason learning should be fun. The
real benefit is that when children are taught early on to enjoy learning,
they'll make it a lifelong habit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Learning
Fun: What It Is and Isn't<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When teachers talk about fun lesson plans, they don't mean
replacing traditional school work with back-to-back board games. Nor do they
mean diluting academic standards to the point that coloring within the lines
can substitute for having to write grammatically correct sentences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What fun learning does mean is that teachers use
non-traditional lessons to teach essential skills. Why non-traditional? Because
allowing students to create a PowerPoint presentation rather than draft a
five-paragraph essay allows them to demonstrate knowledge of a topic that might
not grab their interest in a way that does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Naturally
Curious<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The theory behind educational fun comes down to this: children
are born with a hunger for knowledge about the world around them. Fun learning
is based on a fact that's almost inarguable: learning doesn't begin on the
first day of kindergarten. It starts at birth. The 100 million or so cells in a
newborn's brain allow infants to soak in knowledge just by observing the world,
by hearing the sound made by a rattle or seeing their mother's face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As babies grow, their natural curiosity about the world
they've been observing leads them to make discoveries. They discover, for
example, what happens when they trap a lightning bug in a jar or stick a fork
into an electric outlet. These natural desires children have -- to observe,
explore, and discover -- are traits teachers are hoping to provoke when they
design classwork around fun activities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-60524701024335732042018-08-31T06:33:00.001-07:002018-08-31T06:36:19.405-07:00August 31, 2018<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">6
Essential Skills for Reading Comprehension<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQ_L3upvSIIjTm9Kc8pad8cN-75o_XrVSn0BwxurS9AUpG5Y0s0J489o9uKPTBJvuibDUMvkaEo25kjBxq64iR7hEJ3w_0Z8Fr8KI4WjWlA7pk4BjlBf4ts8aJCvSKO5mfpvF97cC2nE/s1600/reading_matters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="940" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQ_L3upvSIIjTm9Kc8pad8cN-75o_XrVSn0BwxurS9AUpG5Y0s0J489o9uKPTBJvuibDUMvkaEo25kjBxq64iR7hEJ3w_0Z8Fr8KI4WjWlA7pk4BjlBf4ts8aJCvSKO5mfpvF97cC2nE/s400/reading_matters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14pt;">Reading comprehension can be challenging for kids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kids must master several key skills to fully understand what
they’re reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are ways to help struggling readers build these skills
at home and at school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some people think of the act of reading as a straightforward
task that’s easy to master. It’s a complex process that draws on many different
skills. Together, these skills lead to the goal of reading: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">reading comprehension or understanding what’s been read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Reading
comprehension</span></b><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> is a challenge for some kids with learning and
attention issues. That’s especially true of kids with dyslexia. Knowing the
skills involved, and which ones your child struggles with, can help you get the
right support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here are six essential skills needed for reading
comprehension, and what might help struggling readers improve this skill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1.
Decoding<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Decoding is a vital step in the reading process. Kids use
this skill to sound out words they’ve heard before but haven’t seen written
out. The ability to do that is the foundation for other reading skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Decoding relies on an early language skill called phonemic
awareness. (This skill is part of an even broader skill called phonological
awareness.) Phonemic awareness enables kids to hear individual sounds in words
(known as phonemes). It also allows them to “play” with sounds at the word and
syllable level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Decoding also relies on the ability to connect the individual
sounds to letters. For instance, to read the word sun, kids must know that the
letter s makes the /s/ sound. Grasping the connection between a letter (or
group of letters) and the sounds they typically make is an important step
toward “sounding out” words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What can
help:</span></b><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Most kids pick up the broad skill of phonological awareness
naturally, by being exposed to books, songs and rhymes. But some don’t. In
fact, one of the early signs of reading issues is trouble with rhyming,
counting syllables or identifying the first sound in a word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The best way to help kids with these skills is through
specific instruction and practice. Kids must be taught how to identify and work
with sounds. Parents can also build phonological awareness at home through
activities like word games and reading to their child.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2.
Fluency<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To read fluently, kids need to instantly recognize words,
including ones they can’t sound out. Fluency speeds up the rate at which they
can read and understand text. It’s also important when kids encounter irregular
words, like of and the, which can’t be sounded out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sounding out or decoding every word can take a lot of effort.
Word recognition is the ability to recognize whole words instantly by sight,
without sounding them out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When kids can read quickly and without making too many
errors, they are “fluent” readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fluent readers read smoothly at a good pace. They group words
together to help with meaning, and they use the proper tone in their voice when
reading aloud. Reading fluency is essential for good reading comprehension.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What can
help:</span></b><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Word recognition can be a big obstacle for kids. Average
readers need to see a word four to 14 times before it becomes a “sight word”
they automatically recognize. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As with other reading skills, kids need lots of specific
instruction and practice to improve word recognition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lots of kids struggle with reading fluency. The main way to
help build this skill is through practice reading books. It’s important to pick
out books that are at the right level of difficulty for kids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3.
Vocabulary<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To understand what you’re reading, you need to understand
most of the words in the text. Having a strong vocabulary is a key component of
reading comprehension. Students can learn vocabulary through instruction. But
they typically learn the meaning of words through everyday experience and by
reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What can
help:</span></b><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The more words kids are exposed to, the greater their
vocabulary becomes. You can help build your child’s vocabulary by having
frequent conversations on a variety of topics. Try to include new words and
ideas. Telling jokes and playing word games is a fun way to build this skill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Reading together every day also helps improve vocabulary.
When reading aloud, stop at new words and define them. But also encourage your
child to read alone. Even without hearing a definition of a new word, your
child can use context to help figure it out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Teachers can help in several ways. They can carefully choose
interesting words to teach and then give explicit instruction (instruction that
is specialized and direct). They can engage students in conversation. And they
can make learning vocabulary fun by playing word games in class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">4.
Sentence Construction and Cohesion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Understanding how sentences are built might seem like a
writing skill. So, might connecting ideas within and between sentences, which
is called cohesion. But these skills are important for reading comprehension as
well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Knowing how ideas link up at the sentence level helps kids
get meaning from passages and entire texts. It also leads to something called
coherence, or the ability to connect ideas to other ideas in an overall piece
of writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What can
help</span></b><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:
Explicit instruction can teach kids the basics of sentence construction.
Teachers can also work with students on connecting two or more thoughts,
through both writing and reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">5. Reasoning
and Background Knowledge<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Most readers relate what they’ve read to what they know. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it’s important for kids to have background
or prior knowledge about the world when they read. They also need to be able to
“read between the lines” and extract meaning even when it’s not literally
spelled out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Take this example. A child is reading a story about a poor
family in the 1930s. Having knowledge about the Great Depression can provide
insight into what’s happening in the story. The child can use that background
knowledge to make inferences and draw conclusions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What can
help:</span></b><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Your child can build knowledge through reading,
conversations, movies and TV shows, and art. Life experience and hands-on
activities also build knowledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Expose your child to as much as possible and talk about what
you’ve learned from experiences you’ve had together and separately. Help your
child make connections between new knowledge and existing knowledge. And ask
open-ended questions that require thinking and explanations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You can also read a teacher tip on using animated videos to
help your child make inferences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">6.
Working Memory and Attention<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">These two skills are both part of a group of abilities known
as executive function. They’re different but closely related.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When kids read, attention allows them to take in information
from the text. Working memory allows them to hold on to that information and
use it to gain meaning and build knowledge from what they’re reading. Working
memory and attention are part of executive function.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The ability to self-monitor while reading is also tied to
that. Kids need to be able to recognize when they don’t understand something.
Then they need to stop, go back and re-read to clear up any confusion they may
have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What can
help:</span></b><span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> There are many ways you can help improve your child’s
working memory. Skill builders don’t have to feel like work, either. There are
several games and everyday activities that can build working memory without
your child even knowing it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To help increase your child’s attention, look for reading
material that’s interesting or motivating. Encourage your child to stop and
re-read when something isn’t clear. And demonstrate how you “think aloud” when
you read to make sure what you’re reading makes sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In conclusion, when kids struggle with one or more of these
skills, they can have trouble fully understanding what they read. Reading
everyday is the KEY TO SUCCESS!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "kg true colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-69153657182597653392018-08-24T11:32:00.001-07:002018-08-24T11:32:20.653-07:00August 24, 2018<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Why
Is Effective Communication In Schools Important?<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><img alt="Related image" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTtkcBStRmxE3X94rvK2haPumsc__nvmwb3pHWLMx2zHcXsgIW3" /><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14pt;">While most of the work done by schools is focused educating
their pupils, many head teachers realize the importance of maintaining and
constantly improving communication with parents. A lot of research and study
has been undertaken in recent years that prove the benefits of involving
parents more deeply in the educational process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14pt;">For some moms and dads, this might be as simple as
understanding better the journey their child is going through. That can include
things like grades and successes, as well as subject areas where an individual
might be struggling. For other parents, effective communication can make them
feel more involved in the school and lead to them willing to play a bigger
part.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s all about creating interest and that can’t be done
without a communication process that allows parents to feel part of the school
community. This means developing an open and inclusive policy for reaching out
to parents that helps build a stronger link between the bricks and mortar of
the school, its teachers and the home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s been 25 years since Discovery School has invited parents
to come and participate in all special events or classroom activities. We have
lots of fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Essentially, communication strategies create a much stronger
bond between parents, pupils and teachers to form a strong community that works
together to produce the best in education. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-32860412661231678372018-08-17T13:52:00.004-07:002018-08-17T13:52:51.008-07:00August 17, 2018<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Creating
Classroom Routines & Procedures<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 31.3867px;">Best Practices</span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"</span><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14pt;">Routines are the backbone of daily classroom life. They
facilitate teaching and learning…. Routines don’t just make your life easier,
they save valuable classroom time. And what’s most important, efficient
routines make it easier for students to learn and achieve more."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When routines and procedures are carefully taught, modeled,
and established in the classroom, children know what’s expected of them and how
to do certain things on their own. Having these predictable patterns in place
allows teachers to spend more time in meaningful instruction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Arriving
in the Morning<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Teaching
with Technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfs4jqwxxyVqWvtonEluaIX4czbAWLB16_ejCGURpmnvckx_Ko33CdXLg9C5hJwDbwCCDk5IVMbt1K6oxSB_ACjhFHoLlBeGCZhSNC_tGsXkzYb97tiMiS8nsnDU46RpbhftSlaXMaSSM/s1600/arriving+in+the+morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfs4jqwxxyVqWvtonEluaIX4czbAWLB16_ejCGURpmnvckx_Ko33CdXLg9C5hJwDbwCCDk5IVMbt1K6oxSB_ACjhFHoLlBeGCZhSNC_tGsXkzYb97tiMiS8nsnDU46RpbhftSlaXMaSSM/s1600/arriving+in+the+morning.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As children start trickling into the classroom, they need to
know exactly what to do. What should they do with their homework? Where should
they put their book bags? Where do their coats and other materials belong? What
should they do while they wait for the rest of the class to arrive? When does
class start? When kids know the answers to these questions, they can move
smoothly through the morning routine and get straight into learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9I27RsAvvTpwxc9jSLH2mB7Gihip_kASxZDuGROn8HA7hcsm7vJQEyD-OqogA6tB8gxSINFnoYyKitktsOwH9aYy0fZE4X_KEQphJKrqo6ZHKfuPWWa0smMN2-Tc4Rvi34SwDc962yFM/s1600/Attendance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9I27RsAvvTpwxc9jSLH2mB7Gihip_kASxZDuGROn8HA7hcsm7vJQEyD-OqogA6tB8gxSINFnoYyKitktsOwH9aYy0fZE4X_KEQphJKrqo6ZHKfuPWWa0smMN2-Tc4Rvi34SwDc962yFM/s1600/Attendance.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Taking
Attendance and Displaying Schedules<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Teaching
with Technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After the bustle of putting away book bags, coats, and
homework, taking attendance and discussing the schedule can help bring students
together and build community in the classroom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfNIN17UtDCEnjVdrSemEV8hlWagEZPePvCYM6GW_arLA7zW_gGfrHaKE38X81yCnSle9fkRRDY8lSlbjUBY-iY17f1e_PISPRuCS7k61KSBGKVcSk19lmEAEngVdEtJBIw4NbY0vcw4/s1600/During+the+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfNIN17UtDCEnjVdrSemEV8hlWagEZPePvCYM6GW_arLA7zW_gGfrHaKE38X81yCnSle9fkRRDY8lSlbjUBY-iY17f1e_PISPRuCS7k61KSBGKVcSk19lmEAEngVdEtJBIw4NbY0vcw4/s1600/During+the+day.jpg" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Throughout
the Day<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Teaching
with Technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Students move through many activities during a typical day,
from whole-group lessons to small-group work, from reading time to math time,
from in-class work to specials outside the classroom. It’s important to plan
for these in-between times just as carefully as you plan your lessons. With
predictable routines in place, students can move smoothly from one activity to
the next without losing learning time. The teachers in this section share some
clever ideas for signaling transition times and keeping track of students as
they leave the classroom for various reasons during the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk19OhZLZ5pG2Va0mrqOktOdPIQ1C7EwIGfr1368yHfb7JcXoD21CunSqcqgZ4hBfhqq7K9zGuIignjssNPP3PLJjHuQgcVYrTtAH1kGmaUr1vpdXT_Bxgj661JqHKjjtPVMch8mWA5rI/s1600/ending+the+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk19OhZLZ5pG2Va0mrqOktOdPIQ1C7EwIGfr1368yHfb7JcXoD21CunSqcqgZ4hBfhqq7K9zGuIignjssNPP3PLJjHuQgcVYrTtAH1kGmaUr1vpdXT_Bxgj661JqHKjjtPVMch8mWA5rI/s1600/ending+the+day.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ending
the Day<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Teaching
with Technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just as a morning routine helps set the tone for the rest of
the day, an end-of-the-day routine helps get children and the classroom ready
for the next day. You may want to enlist some children’s help in tidying up the
classroom while others gather their belongings, including homework.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14pt;">Ms. Nora Sierra</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Early Childhood Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "KG True Colors"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-75013925255866797602018-08-07T07:18:00.001-07:002018-08-07T07:18:16.458-07:00August 7, 2018<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkqf9XdWMaUTJMlmNGESJoItrlltnS2PSwycJH-6ZbgNtzjOwtHvd1NinvJSaQHIJ8c1zaZmYf2T8Hch1XpDezfGNa7QXD56vazrmvm-cM4FMsBhJp5iVV-bLygKNMFAhjO0qlQN2cOg/s1600/Art+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkqf9XdWMaUTJMlmNGESJoItrlltnS2PSwycJH-6ZbgNtzjOwtHvd1NinvJSaQHIJ8c1zaZmYf2T8Hch1XpDezfGNa7QXD56vazrmvm-cM4FMsBhJp5iVV-bLygKNMFAhjO0qlQN2cOg/s400/Art+child.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Learning
should be fun to grab students' interest with engaging lessons</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If the longstanding TV program Sesame Street teaches anything,
it is that kids don't need dry lessons and humorless lectures to learn. In
fact, when teachers add fun activities to their classroom agendas, they ignite
kids' natural curiosity about more than just the three R's. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And that's not the only reason learning should be fun. The
real benefit is that when children are taught early on to enjoy learning,
they'll make it a lifelong habit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Learning
Fun: What It Is and Isn't<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When teachers talk about fun lesson plans, they don't mean
replacing traditional school work with back-to-back board games. Nor do they
mean diluting academic standards to the point that coloring within the lines
can substitute for having to write grammatically correct sentences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What fun learning does mean is that teachers use
non-traditional lessons to teach essential skills. Why non-traditional? Because
allowing students to create a PowerPoint presentation rather than draft a
five-paragraph essay allows them to demonstrate knowledge of a topic that might
not grab their interest in a way that does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Naturally
Curious<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The theory behind educational fun comes down to this: children
are born with a hunger for knowledge about the world around them. Fun learning
is based on a fact that's almost inarguable: learning doesn't begin on the
first day of kindergarten. It starts at birth. The 100 million or so cells in a
newborn's brain allow infants to soak in knowledge just by observing the world,
by hearing the sound made by a rattle or seeing their mother's face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As babies grow, their natural curiosity about the world
they've been observing leads them to make discoveries. They discover, for
example, what happens when they trap a lightning bug in a jar or stick a fork
into an electric outlet. These natural desires children have -- to observe,
explore, and discover -- are traits teachers are hoping to provoke when they
design classwork around fun activities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-71791013363712495352018-05-29T10:50:00.000-07:002018-05-29T10:50:35.180-07:00May 29, 2018<br />
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hello Summer!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><img alt="Resultado de imagen para kids having fun in the summer" height="224" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSPkctP2PnKLtLiQ6qzBNV40o87p6OZsLng3whR7AqzUz_4RHEL" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span id="goog_1736069630"></span><span id="goog_1736069631"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let's face it. Everyone's counting down the days until summer
vacation - the students, the teachers, even the administrators! Instead of
merely marking each passing day off on your calendar, make the countdown fun
and give everyone something unique to look forward to!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What's the ABC Countdown?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The "ABC Countdown" is something that teachers put
together so that something cool and exciting happens each day as we count down
to summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When we had 26 days left in school, teachers assigned each day
a letter of the alphabet; for example, the 26th day is "A," the 25th
day is "B," and so on, all the way down to the last day of school
which is "Z."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have Fun With It<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you have fewer than 26 school days left in your year,
consider spelling out a shorter word, such as the school name, mascot, or even
just the word "Summer." It doesn't matter so much how long the
countdown is, just that you have fun with it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Examples You Can Use<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Next, it's time to get creative! On "A Day," we
called it "Art Day" so the kids got to do a special Art lesson in the
classroom. On "B Day," we called it "Buddy Reading Day" so
the kids brought books from home that they got to read with a friend during a
silent reading time. "C Day" is "Career Day" and the kids
dressed up as a person in the career they would like to enter someday. Future
doctors wore white coats and future football players wore their jerseys and
brought along a football.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The countdown continues like that until the final day of
school, "Z Day," which stands for "Zip Up Your Bags and Zoom
Home Day!" The kids love the countdown because it gives them something to
get excited about each day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14pt;">Sound like something you might like to do?</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">A Art day: Create a special art project in class</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">B Buddy reading: Bring a book to read with a
friend<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">C Career day: Dress or bring props to show a job
you may enjoy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">D Donut day: We will enjoy donuts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">E Experiment day: Experiment with science<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">F Favorite book day: Bring a favorite book<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">G Game day: Your teacher will teach a new math
game<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">H Hat day: Wear a hat today<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I Impromptu speech day: Perform speeches in class<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">J Joke day: Bring an appropriate joke to share at
school<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">K Kindness day: Share some extra kindness today<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">L Lollipop Day: Enjoy lollipops in class<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">M Memorial Day: No School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">N No homework: No homework tonight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">O Obstacle course: Compete in obstacle courses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">P Picnic lunch day: Bring a sack lunch<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Q Quiet Day: Who is the quietest student in our
class?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">R Read a poem day: Bring a favorite poem to share
with the class<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">S Summer birthdays and sing a song: You can share
birthday treats<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">T Twin day: Dress like a friend<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">U Uplift someone day: Give compliments to each
other<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">V Video day: Watch an educational movie today<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">W Water balloon toss day: Compete and try to not
get wet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">X X-change autographs day: Go outside and trade
signatures<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Y Year-end clearance day: Clean up desks and the
room<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Z Zip up your bag and go home day: Last day of
school!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have fun with your countdown and enjoy these final days with
your class! Testing is over and it's time to kick back and enjoy your students
to the max! Happy Summer, teachers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957126937889517089.post-45920580457707817382018-04-20T13:38:00.003-07:002018-04-20T13:39:33.882-07:00April 20, 2018<br />
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wrapping Up the School Year<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOWp0Q0k027yqeLozQHwlBA1fiCuZn0OMH-C07MqYbNp0XiPp7kY0_8CfuoCUvRmdqD9v14LIArb6MA7x0-NG7NRWGBp-mtk-B-aw16Ma9KfA3W4oeAjoYo35RoIq7aZqWmCLwjEpLEE/s1600/children+in+preschool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="460" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOWp0Q0k027yqeLozQHwlBA1fiCuZn0OMH-C07MqYbNp0XiPp7kY0_8CfuoCUvRmdqD9v14LIArb6MA7x0-NG7NRWGBp-mtk-B-aw16Ma9KfA3W4oeAjoYo35RoIq7aZqWmCLwjEpLEE/s400/children+in+preschool.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The end of the school year brings the expected joy at
finishing another year, and perhaps some sadness at leaving behind a year
filled with great experiences, teachers, and friends. Consider that this may be
a bittersweet time for your child and help him celebrate as you ease any
anxiety associated with the end-of-school days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Communicate
and Connect<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14pt;">The daily life and structure of school your child has grown
used to is about to end. She may be simply overjoyed to enter the relaxed days
of summer, but more likely, she is probably experiencing some nervousness about
leaving the familiar world of school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let your child know that he/she doesn't have to feel
unequivocally happy about school ending even though his classmates may seem
through-and-through ecstatic about the prospect of summer vacation. Relate a
personal story about a time you were sad to leave school or ask him to tell you
what he'll miss about being in school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Help your child keep in touch with classmates. Ask her which
friends she'd like to keep seeing over the summer and gather contact
information for them. Before school is out, arrange some summer playdates for
her so she knows that she can look forward to seeing her class friend’s weeks
after school ends. If your older child has an email account, encourage her to
keep in touch by computer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If your child is attached to his teacher, have him/her write
an end-of-year thank-you letter or card, or create some other kind of remembrance.
Working on the project will help him feel connected to his teacher, and he'll
appreciate the idea of giving something that will last beyond his attendance in
class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If your child is anxious about a new building or new
grade, try to arrange a visit while this year's still in session. If that's not
possible, schedule a time during the summer to make the trip or find out if
there will be an orientation. Letting your child know that she doesn't have to
walk into a new situation sight-unseen will help ease first-day-back worries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally, remember that
however your child does on his/her report card, it is vital to praise and
encourage all they have learned and how they have changed over the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Enjoy,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ms. Nora Sierra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">EC Assistant Principal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Discovery School<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(504) 9500-1720<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Ms. Nora Sierrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467158965586438963noreply@blogger.com0