Teachers across the country are changing instruction strategies to meet new curriculum standards. It’s a confusing time for both teachers and parents as everyone learns about the common core standards. Schools are increasing the "rigor" of their academic programs. Good, bad, or both, it’s challenging for anyone involved with a school age child or teen. For students that have a difficult time with reading and writing, it’s even more so.
Those of us with reluctant language arts lovers need to respect that teachers are doing all they can given limited flexibility. Many still manage to find fun, engaging activities to use in the classroom, but it’s not as common. Here are some things to do with your child to keep his love of the written word alive and support the standards of the common core.
- Use television as your ally. The more students read, the better they read. Reluctant readers and writers are not necessarily strong in this area, making reading harder to encourage. Go with your child's interests, and make sure the material is at or below her reading level. Find books that match apps and television shows your child prefers. Read nonfiction books if your child watches nonfiction videos or programs about weather, history, or technology. Also, games like Minecraft sell books that teach players how to create a bed, shear sheep, and even supplies a Table of Elements. Children’s shows have many books based on popular characters.
- Discover the app. Students are expected to introduce topics and create an organized structure to support a purpose. This means developing a plot or theme and having the ability to support it so readers can easily follow. Stop animation apps are a blast to play with. Users need to brainstorm ideas, develop a plot, and can add special effects to embellish their story. Don’t forget to share it with family members! We use free apps like LEGO Movie, Stop Motion and StopAnimator.
- Get creative: STEM isn't just for science, technology, engineering and math! This is huge for the common core. Even first graders are expected to write informational texts that examine topics and share ideas and material clearly. First graders are also expected to share research and writing projects. Use your child’s love of science for writing. (Science topics are often used on state assessments.) After finding an experiment to try, have your child write a supply list and the steps necessary for an experiment. Encourage more writing by explaining how scientists take notes in order to improve methodology and procedures. Have him keep a notebook just for science activities.
- Develop a comic strip. Students are expected to sequentially explain events, and come to logical conclusions based on those events. This "ordered reasoning" specifically targets cause and effect using given information. Students need to focus on actions in the text and connect them. Comic strips provide a perfect mode to practice this skill! You can download comic strip templates easily. Have your child draw the pictures and write dialogue. He is developing characters, plot, and dialogue but it’s less intimidating than looking at a blank page and writing a whole story.
- Be a pen pal. Students are expected to form opinions and support those opinions with evidence. Start a notebook between you and your child. To promote longer entries that encourage her to state an opinion, ask open ended questions about things that matter to her. Ask your child about chores, television shows, or curfews that will take more than one sentence to answer. It’s okay for her to draw pictures instead, especially in the beginning. You might be surprised at what you read!
- Read with your high schooler. Students need to elaborate on themes and topics after reading. They need to be able to discuss both sides of an argument. Reading with your older child when books have complex themes and adult situations can help develop this. Talk about the characters and situations in a relaxed, conversational way. My son was more involved when we both had copies of the same book. This was easy to do thanks to our library. He often wanted me to do most of the reading, which was fine. He still talked about it.
Teachers really are doing all they can. Many have less control over your child’s education than you think. By using one or all of the strategies above, you can engage your child in language activities that will carry over into school. It’s definitely worth the time!
Julia Garstecki is a teacher and writes for the education market. Visit her website www.juliagarstecki.com and follow her on twitter @juliagarstecki for more tips on how parents can be partners in their child’s education.
for more information
To learn more about Common Core, visit www.corestandards.org. For examples of how the Common Core is being adapted specifically to New York State, visit www.engageny.org
Genesee Valley Libraries have many resources for families and teachers. Visit their website www.gvlibraries.org for inspiration!
