• Welcome to Mrs. McElwee's Class Page!!

     

    Back to School Night:

    September 16th     Grades K-1     7:00pm-9:00pm

    September 17th     Grades 2-3     7:00pm-9:00pm

    September 23rd     Grades 4-5     7:00pm-9:00pm

     

    Homework:

    Practice reading words in your word wallets.

    Read 30 minutes.

    Practice your math facts.

      

    Please feel free to email me at dmcelwee@jacksonsd.org.

     

     
     Popular Questions Parents Ask:
     
    How can I find the just right Book for my child?
    Ask your child's teacher what level he/she is at, and request a list of appropriate books. However, when reading at home, educators say that children should read a level or two below the one they read at in school, when they are receiving instruction from the teacher. Teachers refer to this as a student's independent level. For a book to be independent, a child should read any given page with 95% accuracy or greater.

    How can I help my child become a better reader?
    Continue to read to him every day and expose him/her to the language of books. Have him/her read to you. To increase comprehension, talk about the story after you've read it.

    What level should my child be reading at in each grade?
    There is a range of levels within each grade. Your child's teacher can address your child's current level and the goals she is working on with your child. With good instruction, your child will steadily become a better reader, even if he/she is one or two levels behind peers.
     
     
     
     
    Remember to practice math facts! Addition, Subtraction and Multiplication. Knowing these facts will make math so much easier!  Some fun websites to practice your facts are listed below!
     

    Math Fact Fun:

    http://www.funbrain.com/math/

    http://www.mathplayground.com/

    http://www.abcya.com/math_facts_game.htm

    Have an I-pad, I-pod or I-phone?
    Try Math Ninja Free or Rocket Math Free for fact practice.
     
     
    Switlik Reading Challenge

    Students will begin bringing home Switlik Reading Challenge Books. Students should be reading 30 minutes each night. 


    Research supports this reading practice with student success. Last year we noticed many of our students had weak reading muscles. Therefore, this year we will focus on reading stamina. Classroom teachers will encourage students to read actively at one's just right level.

    One way you can help is to talk with your child about his reading. Have him describe the characters, tell you how the story is developing(plot), or explain the story problem....generally all fiction stories center around some type of story problem. Using some of these stems should start the conversation and from there keep chatting...Good luck! Remember working together, we are building a community of Readers!!!!
    and...Readers ARE Leaders!

     
     
     
    OUR SCHOOL IS A BUCKET FILLING SCHOOL!
     
    "Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed."~ Maria Montessori