Math Homework goes home on Fridays and is due back on Thursdays

Feel free to give me a call @ 281-891-8300 if you ever have any questions. If you don't reach me- I will call you back just as soon as I can!

Please E-mail me at susiec@springisd.org if you have any questions

Kids today are busier than ever. Between ball practice and dance class it can be difficult to find time for homework. But, homework is important. The following tips will help make homework time a little easier.

1.Schedule a regular time for homework each day.
2. Provide a quiet, well lit place to work where supplies are close at hand.
3. Turn off the TV and other distractions.
4. Don't try to "reteach" what your child should have learned in school. If he's not getting it, let the teacher know there was a problem.
5. Learn your child's teacher's policy on homework. And how much she expects you to help.
6. One of the most helpful things you can do, according to the U.S. Department of Education is to show your children that you think homework is important. Ask questions and be supportive and provide help only when he asks for it.

7:50-8:30 Warm-ups and breakfast
8:30-10:00 Math
10:00-10:25 Science
10:25-11:10 Pe/Music
11:15-11:45 Lunch
11:45-12:15 Recess/Tutoring
12:15-12:45 Science
12:45 Change Classe
12:45-2:15 Math
2:15-3:00 Science
3:03 Dismissal

The organized child- while seeming an oxymoron, it doesn't have to be. The earlier you start good organizational habits with children, the more successful they will be in learning and in life. Make organization a part of their everyday routine and soon it will be as second nature as washing their hands and brushing their teeth.

1. Make a lunch date with your child. (Note: be sure to check in advance with the school to see if parents are allowed to visit during the lunch hour and whether or not there is room for visitors in cafeteria.)
2. Ask about your child's day at school. Look for clues about conflicts with teachers or other students and help them think through positive solutions.
3. Check to be sure your child brings home their homework and gets it done every night.
4. Send a note, e-mail or call your child's teacher with questions, concerns or victories to celebrate.
5. Make sure your child eats well and gets rest at night so that they can be at their best mentally during the day.
6. Model the importance of learning. When your child needs to read, turn off the television and read with or alongside them.
7. Engage in family enrichment activities such as trips to local or state historical sites, museums or even college campuses. Such experiences help encourage your child's desire to learn and broaden their exposure to learning opportunities outside the classroom.
8. Help your child practice new skills. If they are learning fractions, prepare only one-half of a recipe and have your child figure what the correct amount of ingredients should be.
9. Model respect for teachers and show support for teachers and education in general.
10. Maintain open communication between parents and teachers throughout the school year.

Probe- Ask nonjudgemental questions. Get as much information as you can in order to understand how and what your child thinks.
Listen- Listen with respect. Avoid interrupting with your own advice.
Appreciate- Look for thoughts from your child that you can truly praise. Smile, agree, and let your children know what you liked about their thoughts.
No Criticizing- Why not criticize and lecture? Because you need to reflect on what your child said. You need to consider new ways to influence your child's thinking toward a stronger healthier character.

If you follow this 4-Point Plan you will be giving your child three priceless gifts that all human beings want:
1. To be heard
2. To be understood
3. To be appreciated

1. Make reading time a regular activity at a specific time each day.
2. Vary how you structure your reading time together.
3. Use the 3 P's. Pause, prompt, praise.
Pause when your child comes to a word they don't know. Don't jump in straight away by telling them the word or getting them to sound it out. Let them think.
Prompt your child if they haven't answered after about 10 to 20- seconds. Say "Make your mouth say the first sound," or "Can you tell me what would sound right there?" Only sound out the word if it can be effectively sounded out.
Praise your child for their efforts. Say something like "Well done, you made it look and sound right."
4. Not every single word has to be right.
5. Talk, talk, talk...
6. Be seen to be a reader.
7. Don't cover up the pictures!
8. Last but definitely not least- make reading fun!!!!

Parents and teachers both have the same interest at heart- your child's success! If possible- you should attend the beginning of the year open house and any classroom events your work schedule permits. If you have an e-mail address, make certain the teacher has it. This is the best way to stay in touch, and it will be a huge help for the teacher.
As this new school year begins, consider ways that you can be a partner in your child's success.

Approval and high regard lie at the heart of raising happy, well-adjusted boys. Boys are approval-seeking creatures. They craved to be liked, loved, and appreciated- particularly by their mothers and other significant women in their lives. They also want approval from thier fathers, which can be a tough task.
Boys need to be encouraged to stand back and look (or think) before they leap (or act) so that they can be a little more intutive. Provide them with male role models who read. Computers are a huge help for those boys who struggle to produce neat, tidy work with neat, tidy borders. To successfully raise and teach boys we must understand and work with the gender differences.