Parent Explanation Letter with CONTRACT

Dear Parents,
I firmly believe that home is the first classroom and parents are the first teachers. Parents who
read to their children everyday and talk about what they are reading together promote a joy of
reading and literacy achievement. It is my desire to encourage reading at home and to support
your role as your childs most important teacher. To this end, next week we will start our
thematic take-home bag program.
Our bags correlate with the Utah State Core Curriculum and the current units we are studying in
our classroom. Each bag includes books and enrichment activities for you and your child to
enjoy at home. The activities will provide skill reinforcement and exciting, hands-on activities to
build upon what the children have been learning in class.
For this program to be successful we must work together to make sure the bags are taken care of
and returned to school on time. Typically, the bags will go home on a Monday and are to be
returned at the end of the week, on Friday. Every student will have the opportunity to take home
a different thematic bag twelve times during the school year. When your child brings home a bag
I need you to help your son or daughter complete the activities at home, one per night, and then
return the bag on the assigned due date. Please make certain all books and materials are returned
in the bag. Each bag will have a materials list and parent feedback form. If there are lost or
damaged materials, please indicate as such on the feedback form.
If you would like your child to participate in this exciting enrichment program, please sign the
permission slip below and return it to school by _______________________.
I am confident that you and your child will learn from and enjoy the take-home bags. Thank you
for your support.
Sincerely,
2nd grade Team
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Parent and Student Contract

I grant permission for my child ____________________________________ to participate in the
take-home bag program.
I understand the important role I play in my childs education and I agree to participate in the
provided activities with my
child. I also understand that if he or she loses or damages the bags or materials we are
responsible for replacing them.
Parents signature ____________________________________ Date ________
Students signature ___________________________________ Date ________
At this time, I do not wish for my child _______________________________ to participate in
the take-home literacy bag
program.
Parents signature ____________________________________ Date ________
Michelle Michelle Roderick for EDPS 5350/6351 Fall 2014

Parent and Student Feedback Form

Once you have completed the activities in the ___________Take-Home Bag, please complete
this
form and return it to school with the bag.
Parent
My child and I enjoyed:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
My child was able to complete the following activity / skill with ease:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
One activity / skill that was difficult or challenged my child:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Please note any damaged books or items that need to be replaced: __________
_________________________________________________________________
Student
My favorite activity in the bag was:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
One new thing I learned was:
_________________________________________________________________
Michelle Roderick for EDPS 5350/6351 Fall 2014

Parents Material Checklist for Weather Bag

Please help make sure our bag returns to school with the following materials:

Texts:

Its Fall, By: Linda Glaser

Skip Through the Seasons, By: Stella Blackstone
The Four Seasons, By: Rozanne Lanczak Williams
Whats the Weather like Today?, By: Rozanne Lanczak Williams

Activity Supplies:

Thermometer
Picture sort (including all cards)
Glue
Crayons
Fall leaves (5-6)
Turkey cut-out

Student Activity and Reference Sheets:

Interview Questions worksheet

Bar graph worksheet
Turkey cut-out
Thermometer sheet
Blank page for reflection activity

Parent Bag Introduction Letter

Dear Parents,
In our classroom we are learning how to observe and describe and measure seasonal weather
patterns. To extend your childs learning beyond our classroom, your child is bringing home this
literacy activity bag to share and explore with you. Please read the enclosed books with your
child and participate in the accompanying activities. Please return the bag by
____________________. We will share your childs reflection with the class. Please help him or
her complete the reflection before returning the bag to school. IN addition, please refer to the
materials checklist. Prior to returning the bag to school please make certain all materials are
returned with the bag.
I hope you enjoy learning with your child.
Sincerely,
2nd grade team
Reading together is one of the most important activities you can do with your child. Please take
time to read the provided books with your child and complete the accompanying activities.
Narrative Texts
Picture Walk: Before you begin reading, walk through the book by looking through the pictures
and skimming the words.
Ask your child what he or she thinks the story will be about.
Predict what will happen in the story: After taking a picture walk or talking about the story make
some predictions about
what the story will be about. After reading, your child can compare their predictions with the
actual story.
Read Together: Read the book with your child. Take turns reading to each other. Or, read the
book to your child and
then, have your child read the book to you.
Talk about the story: After reading the book ask your child to retell the story in his or her own
words. Ask your child to
identify the character, the setting and the problem. Ask What happened first? What happened
next? How did the
story end?
Talk about new words and their meanings: Use the context to guide your understanding of new
words. Lets reread the
sentence. Does it help us understand what the word means? Lets look at the pictures. Do they
help us understand the
new word?
Informational Texts

Text Features: As you read, point out important features of the book. Look at the pictures,
graphs, maps, table of
contents, index, bold words, etc. Talk about how these features provide information.
Ask questions: As you read, ask questions about the content. Encourage your child to ask
questions as well. Record
their questions in a journal. If the text doesnt provide an answer, do some research together.

Talk about new words and their meanings: Use the context to guide your understanding of new
words. Lets reread the
sentence. Does it help us understand what the word means? Lets look at the pictures. Do they
help us understand the
new word? Use a dictionary to define unknown words. Make a list of new vocabulary words.
Michelle Roderick for EDPS 5350/6351 Fall 2014

Additional Supporting Resources

More books about seasons:

The Four Seasons, By: Rozanne Lanczak Williams
Four Seasons Make a Year, By: Anne Rockwell
The Reasons for Seasons, By: Gail Gibbons
Round and Round the Seasons Go, By: Rozanne Lanczak Williams
Skip Through the Seasons, By: Stella Blackstone
Circle of Seasons, By: Gerda Muller
The Seasons of Arnolds Apple Tree, By: Gail Gibbons
What Will the Weather Be?, By: Lynda DeWitt
Whats the Weather like Today?, By: Rozanne Lanczak Williams
Its Spring!, By: Linda Glaser
Its Summer!, By: Linda Glaser
Its Fall, By: Linda Glaser
Its Winter!, By: Linda Glaser
Spring is Here, By: Heidi Pross Gray
And Then Its Spring, By: Julie Fogliano
Everything Spring, By: Jill Esbaum
Summer, By: Gerda Muller
Summer Days and Nights, By: Wong Herbert Lee
I See Summer, By: Charles Ghigna
In November, By: Cynthia Rylant
Fresh Fall Leaves, By:Betsy Franco
Let It Fall, By: Maryann Cocca-Leffler

The Big Snow, By: Berta and Elmer Hader

Winter At Long Pond, By: William T. George
When Winter Comes, By: Nancy Van Lann

Web Pages:
Exploring weather, recording weather, and taking it further:
http://www.pbs.org/parents/catinthehat/activity_exploring_weather.html
Short movie about different seasons, weather, and lesson plans:
http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/bp-jr-topic/seasons/
Weather & Seasons Science Activities and Experiments:
http://www.education.com/activity/weather-seasons/
Parent tips on teaching seasons and weather:
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/science/tips/weather-science-lessons/

Activity 4: Temperature Recording

SWBAT: record temperature by reading a thermometer and recording the temperature on a
thermometer page.
Materials:

Thermometer (please ensure it is returned at the end of the week)

Whats The Weather Like Today? by Rozanne Lanczak
Thermometer sheet

1. Read Whats The Weather Like Today? by Rozanne Lanczak with your child. Begin
reading the story and as your child feels comfortable invite them to read along with you.
2. Place the thermometer outside. Your student will take two temperature recordings. The
first in the morning or afternoon and the second at night. Before you record the
temperatures have your child predict if he/she believes the temperature will be higher in
the morning/ afternoon or at night. Or when the temperature will be lowest if in the
morning/afternoon or night.
3. Help your child record the temperature on the thermometer sheet before they go to school
in the morning or when they get home after school. Record the thermometer reading by
coloring in the temperature on one of the thermometers on the sheet. Then have your
child record the temperature on one of the other thermometers once again before they go
to bed.
On the third thermometer help your student find the difference between the two recordings by
subtracting the two temperatures to find the difference. Color in the difference one the third
thermometer. (see sample located in the book bag)

1.

2.

3.

Activity 5: Reflection
SWBAT: reflect about the weeks activities by rereading one of the books and writing
about their favorite activity.
Materials:

Sheet of writing paper

Your favorite book from the book bag.

1. Reread your childs favorite book from those in the book bag. Begin reading the
story as your child feels comfortable invite them to read along with you.
2. Have your child write one or more sentences about why this was their favorite book.
Then, in one or more sentences have you child write about what they learned from the
book.
3. Have your child also write one or more sentences about what their favorite activity was
this week and what they learned.
Place their writing in the reading folder located in the reading bag.