Madison Middle School

1
How Parents Can SupportStudent Learning at Home

• Madison Middle School
• August 18, 2007

2
What are theSunshine State Standards?

• The Sunshine State Standards (SSS) were approved
  by the State Board of Education in 1996 to
  provide expectations of student achievement in
  Florida. In grades 6-8 there are 8 benchmarks
  which are tested and grouped into four clusters
• Words and Phrases in Context
• Main Idea, Plot, and Purpose
• Comparisons and Cause/Effect
• Reference and Research

3
Creating a Reader FriendlyEnvironment at Home

• Be a role model for your child by reading books,
  magazines and the newspaper
• Read to your child
• Make your home reflect the importance of reading
• Allow your child to choose what he wants to read
  (within reason, of course)
• Using a computer can provide an additional
  opportunity to read and motivating

4
What Parents Can Do

• Involve your child in conversation at home
  utilizing vocabulary being learned at school
  (especially multiple meaning words)
• Participating in word games with your child
  (Scrabble, Taboo)
• Encouraging your child to read a variety of texts
  (newspaper, magazine, books) and to look for
  words they have been taught

5
What Parents Can Do

• When reading at home have student point out or
  state the main topic or message of what is being
  read
• Model the process of deciding what the main idea
  is for your child
• When reading ask students to share details about
  what is being read

6
What Parents Can Do

• In conversation discuss activities in daily life
  where there are similarities or differences
• Point out when there are cause and effect
  situations in day to day life

7
What Parents Can Do

• Share opinions and discuss important and relevant
  issues to student
• After reading have student summarize in own words
  what he/she has read
• Discuss the importance of providing a strong
  rationale when supporting a certain point of view

8
Using Technology toSupport Reading Skills

• Look for websites that your child is interested
  in and guide him
• Ask your child to research something for you and
  have him share the main idea of what he found and
  read
• Find a couple of newspaper sites (e.g., Miami
  Herald, New Times, USA Today)
• Ask your child to find a map of your city and
  locate the home address and determine how far it
  is from the local mall, park and school

9
Free Resources Available toParents to Help Their
Child

• Local public library
• North Central Branch
• 9590 NW 27 Avenue
• Miami, FL
• [phone]
• Local bookstores (e.g. Barnes Noble and
  Borders)
• Schools Media Center

10
Exit Slip

• List three things you have been learned about
  how you can support your childs learning at home
• List two questions you still have about your
  childs 6th grade school year at Madison Middle
  School
• As a parent, what was the most important part of
  todays presentation?

11
Resources

• FCAT Explorer
• http//www.fcatexplorer.com/home.asp
• The Achiever USDOE Newsletter for Parents
• http//www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/achiever/index.
  htm
• Helping Your Child Series
• http//www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html

12
Resources

• Key Things Parents Can Do To Make Sure Their
  Children Are Prepared for the 21st Century
• http//www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/prepare
  d.html
• Education News Parents Can Use
• http//www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/brochure.pdf

13
Contact Information

• Roxana Hurtado
• FLaRE Literacy Coordinator
• [phone]
• rhurt_at_mail.ucf.edu
• http//flare.ucf.edu