Polly Fuller has some questions for us. Answer any of them as we must continue to try to help our new members get the basics down:
Ben,
I have been reading as much as possible over break and am starting to feel completely overwhelmed. I am enjoying all of it, but finding it hard to manage the information with having 2 younger children (10 and 8) and the many other responsibilities that life has! I am still going to give it a go next week, but have a few questions that I’d like to ask you.
1. What all do you grade as I know this will be a big factor for many kids/parents. I personally hate getting bogged down in the grades as I value learning over grades, but that is not what our educational system has taught them. Could you start by giving me the categories/things you grade and what they are each worth.
2. I know you do quizzes on story days but do you also do quizzes on reading days and Fridays? How much are these worth? Also, what does a Friday look like as I know these are different days for you?
3. I love the jGR but how much is that worth as well? Do you input that weekly or quarterly? How do you evaluate the kids for this portion?
4. Do you give the students composition notebooks to do dictations and free writes and are these kept in the classrooms? Do you grade them as you do them and what are they worth? Also, are these composition notebooks used for anything else other than dictation and free writes?
5. When you read a story do you give them a hard copy or is it all on the overhead/Smart Board? Do they read silently first or do you start by having a student translate? Do you always have questions at the end for them to answer and if so, then do they write these answers in their notebooks or where? Do they answer first and then you show them the correct answer or do you always answer them together?
6. I currently have the Anne Matava scripts one and two but will have to do a lot of the writing myself as the scripts are in English and I will try to personalize as best as possible. A copy of Blaine’s materials are on the way, but only one copy for me to look at. Thus, the students won’t have copies of anything to read/work from. However, most of them throw any paper away at the end of the year or as soon as we’re done with it. Just wondering if you have any thoughts on the reading days as I won’t have any novels to utilize until possibly next year.
7. I saw where you start your classes reading for 10 minutes. Do you do anything after this to discuss it or have them do free writes or just go right into the story/reading for the day. I would love to do this, but again may have to wait until next year when and if we can purchase some Blaine novels.
I know this is a lot to answer, but I appreciate any guidance, especially when it comes to the grading and reading. Thanks again for all of your help. I really do value it.
Polly