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Homework
Homework is one of the most be assigned each night. If students
important aspects of our classroom. do not have their homework the day
Homework allows students to it is due they will make a phone call
practice what we have learned during to their parents in the morning. The
the school day at home, after it has student will then stay in during recess
had time to sink in. Homework will and finish their homework during that
not be graded for accuracy but we time.
will go over it as a class. We will talk
Homework is a way for me to
about any questions that posed
regularly check and see if your child
problems for students,
understands the material we cover in
Students are expected to do their class.
homework on a nightly basis.
Around 45 minutes of homework will
Classroom Testing
Testing is an integral part of our tests will be held on Fridays.
classroom as well. Various
Unit tests for Math and Reading will
mandated tests will be administered
be held at the end of each unit.
throughout the year as well as Unit
These tests will cover everything that
tests for various subjects such as
has been in the units that has been
Reading and Math.
taught.
Weekly spelling tests will be given.
In addition to tests, students will have
On Mondays the students will take a
opportunities to show what they have
spelling pretest. If they get 3 or less
learned in other mediums, such as
wrong they will get a Challenge List
projects, movies, posters, etc.
and those will be their spelling words
for the week. Students are expected
to practice the words at home over
the course of the week. Spelling
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Standardized Testing
ISAT testing will be done in late RTI testing is also done to
February and early March. In third check student’s progress and
grade, students are tested in reading placement. We use AIMSweb testing
and math. For more information and to check for reading fluency.
practice tests, go to Students are given a reading sample
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/assessmen to read in two minutes. The amount
t/isat.htm. Since this may be your of errors and words read are
child’s first experience with recorded. This test is administered
standardized testing, you can help three times per year-in the fall, winter
prepare him or her! All you have to and spring.
do is remind him/her that they just
need to do their best!
Checking In
I will send home your child’s work and will try to respond as quickly as
every Friday in his or her yellow possible. Also, you can call the
folder. I will also include a note that school to reach me as well!
will update you on anything new that
We will have 2 conferences during
is going on in the classroom.
the school year-one in winter and
Feel free to also email me with any one in the spring. During these we
questions or concerns. I check my can also talk about any concerns you
email frequently throughout the day may have.
Curriculum
Patton uses the Treasures to
Reading/Language-Arts Curriculum. http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/pa
Each student has a textbook and we rents/ for information and for
do worksheets that accompany each supplemental activities.
unit as a class. Visit
Finally, our writing curriculum is
http://activities.macmillanmh.com/rea
called WEX, or Writers Express.
ding/treasures/ for resources and
Students focus on certain skills to
more information.
improve their writing in each lesson.
For math, we use Everyday Math. For more information, go to
Students each have a Math Journal, http://www.wex.org/curriculum/grade
Skills Book and Resource book. Go s3-4/#.
Questions? Concerns?
If you have any questions or I would be more than happy to talk
concerns feel free to email me or call with you about any questions you may
me at the school. have!
Courtney Voss
Assessment Letter Rational
2.20.11
Keeping parents informed about what is going on in the classroom is a vital part
of communication between school and home. Having parent support will help students
do well on these assessments. When parents are aware of when assessments will be
able to see if only certain students do not understand a concept or if it was not taught well
enough. By using norm-referenced tests, teachers can see how students are doing in
comparison to their classmates (Borich, 2010). If almost every student in the class got a
certain question wrong, it is clear that the teacher needs to go back and think of a new
way to teach the lesson. Reflection is a critical part of being a teacher and analyzing
Assessment also allows teachers to see if students can apply what they have
learned in new situations. This works best when test questions require students to use
their knowledge and apply it in different ways. Do students just know the facts of the
unit or are they able to use it in new ways as well? This is a skill that will be beneficial
Testing is not the only part of assessment that needs to be addressed in the
classroom. For many students, formal testing situations are so stressful that they may not
perform as well as they could. Because of these situations, it is important that teachers
often offer other modes of assessment to check understanding. These modes could
include projects, moviemaking, group presentations and more. These options allow
Not only are other forms of assessments helpful for students, preparation for
testing is even more important. Teachers need to help students feel like they are ready to
take these tests. Borich mentions mnemonics that could easily be incorporated into
lessons and review, such as jingles, trigger sentences, number rhymes, or chunking
(Borich, 2010). From my own experiences, I still remember mnemonics that my teachers
taught me such as “eight times eight went to the store, to buy Nintendo 64” to memorize
the multiplication fact 8x8=64. Having students create their own and share with the class
After preparing for these tests, the test itself is something the teacher needs to
think about. What type of test will be given? Teachers need to include a variety of
question types on the test. These include objective test items such as true/false,
matching, multiple choice, and completion items (Borich, 2011). Also, essay test items
Offering different types of questions allows students to show what they know in various
means.
Preparing for state testing, such as ISAT, is even more important for students.
This preparation is important so that students know what to expect on these tests. For
some students (3rd graders), this may be their first encounter with standardized testing.
Doing practice tests in class can help students get familiarized with the format of the test.
students can become acquainted with the form of the test and the types of questions they
will see. This would also be a great website to send home to parents before the ISATS
start so they can get their children comfortable with the form of the test as well.
Letting students know that not everything they complete is a test or is being used
to monitor them is a good idea. Informal assessment is a way for teachers to check up on
students without a typical assessment being done. This can be checking work for
classroom.
Finally, giving parents the resources they need or want to link school with home
is key. Most parents want to be involved with their students’ learning. In my placement
http://activities.macmillanmh.com/reading/treasures/ and
at home. Both of these websites have material to help students with topics that are being
taught in class. These sites are great resources for test prep as well.
Keeping parents and students in the loop about assessment will hopefully help
students feel comfortable with testing. Assessment can be a stressful time for students
Works Cited
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/assessment/isat.htm
http://activities.macmillanmh.com/reading/treasures/