READING VARIETY OF GENRE

This is a nice way to ensure students are reading a variety of genre.  I showed pictures of Star Quilting Patterns, to encourage creative coloring.  Make sure these go in the Journal/Memory Book.

ABSENTEE BAGS

 What happens when you have a child that is absent or a child that is going on a trip and missing a few days of work?  I would have a student gather all of the textbooks/workbooks needed and add all the worksheets.  This would create a stack that could be unwieldy for young children.  To help, I purchased medium sized canvas bags from Hobby Lobby.  I found iron on clip art and wording that was appropriate for the bags.  Try to find colored clip art to save time from coloring it yourself.  You can also go online and find clip art to print onto iron on sheets.
Look on posting: http://okscribbler.blogspot.com/2010/09/absentee-sheets.html for the paper work I attached to the stack of worksheets.  I asked that ALL the work come back attached to the front sheet so I could check that everything had been completed. This ensured the student was prepared for the curriculum being presented in class when they returned.

REPORT CARDS

I always like to give my parents a Written  Conference Report.  I fill out what I can before the conference:  child's strengths, immediate need, areas to work on at school and home.  As I conference with the parent I use what I filled out as a guide.  By the end of the conference, the sheet is very full with helpful information.  I copy the sheet and send the original one home and keep the copy in the child's file.  This document keeps us on track in helping the child have success.   On the back of the Conference Sheet is the Reading Record (left)  I used for the children.  It helped the parents see how their child was progressing in reading throughout the year.                                                                                        When children are old enough, they need to start understanding what their grades will be and where they come from.  One way to begin to let them get an idea of the process is the "self report card".  After it is filled out, conference with the child to let them see the differences and why they are there.   

DATA FOLDER IDEAS

If your school requires Data Folders on each child, this posting might be something that helps you.  Below are samples of The Data Folder, School Requirements, Mission Statements, Goals,  Students Tracking Charts, Student PDSA and End Of The Year Testing Results in one area.

READING RECORD FOR QUARTER REPORTS

Reading is such a serious endeavor in the lower grades.  Parents always want to know how their child is doing.  I filled these sheets out for each child and showed parents at report time or during conferences.  This report was based on a reading program from TOTAL READING.  You can set up your own requirements based on your grade level and reading program you are running.

Eventually our school went to the Accelerated Reading Program.  At the end of the year, I would send home the Student Record Report with a teacher note attached.    

READING FOLDER COVER

I glued this onto the front of a file folder, put the student name and number on the folder tab, and attached record sheets on the inside.  I added record sheets when a student had filled out the prior one or was ready to move forward in reading level.  At the end of the year, a student will have his reading record in one folder.

KEEPING PARENTS INFORMED

On the left is an ABSENTEE FORM that allows a teacher to list all the missed work for the day. Then attach all the worksheets in order to the form.  This makes it easy for the parents to help their young students with their missed work.  I ask that the form come back with all the worksheets attached, so I can verify that everything was completed.  I also encouraged missed work to be done in a day or two (unless very ill), so students would be ready for the following lessons they would receive when they returned.  On the right is the WEEKLY GRADE/BEHAVIOR sheet that is attached to all graded work sent home at the end of each week  When report time comes around, you just tally all behaviors for every student.  This shows you a clear picture of what each child has done in your classroom for a grading period.  So if one student talked incessantly and most of the other students rarely did, then that one student needed a behavior mark that lets the parents/student know what needs to improve.