Unlike many assessments, the goal of the i-Ready diagnostic test is not to get 100% of the questions correct. Rather the goal is to identify students’ skill levels so that they can help teachers focus their instruction in person as well as have the student be correctly placed in their personalized on-line pathway. It is an adaptive test meaning that the questions vary based on each student’s answer to the previous question. Generally students only get about 50% of the questions correct and they may see content they have not yet been taught. We then use the scores to measure growth and students should be about half-way towards their growth goal by the middle of the year diagnostic. We also use the detailed information to inform our small group teaching and give your student exactly what they need to grow.
To view your child's middle of the year benchmark results: Go to https://login.i-ready.com/ . Your student's teacher emailed their usernames and passwords at the beginning of the year. If you need it sent again, please reach out to them. Your child may also have it memorized if you ask them. Once you are logged in you should see "For Families" in the upper right corner. When you click on that you should see "For Families Report" . Our school code is Y83Z4F. This will give you your child's benchmark results. Remember to make sure that the pop up blocker is turned off. If you have any questions about your student's results, please reach out to their teacher. Your student's teacher can also provide you with a more detailed report that includes their "Next Steps" for instruction and ways to practice these skills at home.
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Math often has a bad reputation. Math is complex–not only do you have to accurately follow procedures to solve math problems, you also need to make computations accurately–and this can make math challenging. Because math is a powerful tool for understanding the world, its bad reputation is unfortunate. Financial and economic decisions rely on math. Math is also essential to medicine, engineering, and our understanding of the natural world.
Mathematical thinking is more than just counting and computation. It also includes reading and interpreting graphs and statistics, solving logic puzzles, noticing patterns and making predictions about patterns, as well as spatial reasoning, and following procedures. All of these skills can be practiced in enjoyable ways, including through games, crafts, and everyday activities. Engaging students in math that is fun, creative, and social is a powerful way to encourage young people to see themselves as mathematicians, and to help them become stronger mathematical thinkers. Here are some ideas to engage your family in math over winter break: Play math games
Participate in activities that promote mathematical thinking
Research shows that reading for as little as 20 minutes a day is powerful for students. Reading activates the imagination and transports readers to distant places–both real and fantastical. This makes reading joyful and magical.
Additionally, reading builds vocabulary and background knowledge, which empowers readers to learn even more about the world! Since reading is such an essential activity, we have created the Winter Break Mallow-Mallow challenge to help students find fun ways to read over break. Read more about the challenge here. Ideas for joyful and wonder-filled reading Read new-to-your family books:
Think back to your own childhood and teen years. Did you enjoy independent play, perhaps in a special place outdoors, in your room, exploring your neighborhood or town, or with siblings and/or friends? How did your child self feel when you played games that you and your friends made-up with your own imagination, and explored on your own? For most children, independent play–defined as play directed by children without input or direction from adults–is a joyful and magical experience. As it turns out, it’s also an essential part of childhood and the teen years because it fosters well-being and self confidence in children. Unfortunately, independent play is less common now than it was a generation ago, and this decline in independent play is harmful to our children and teens.
School aged children and teens are experiencing an all-time high rate of anxiety and depression. Psychologists believe that many factors have led to this crisis, including social media and the pandemic. Another cause they cite is the decline in independent play. The silver lining is that independent play is easy to foster. (If your child is exhibiting signs of anxiety or depression, please consult your healthcare provider). Parents can support independent play in elementary age children by encouraging them to play in a different room in the house, outdoors, or by simply engaging in other tasks, such as reading a novel or doing chores, while children play nearby. Provide children with toys, such as blocks, dolls, play kitchens, and dress-up toys that allow for open-ended play. Older children and teens also benefit from independent play. Consider identifying safe outdoor spaces that give older children and teens a feeling of independence. Direct the young people in your life to take time away from devices so they can stretch their imaginations. Provide art supplies, tools, and craft materials. Make sure your young people know that they are welcome to have friends visit, and facilitate those visits. Most importantly, know that it’s ok for your child to play on their own, and to experience boredom. While play and quality time with adults is important for child development, children thrive when that time is balanced by the opportunity to develop their own imaginative worlds free from adult input. Click here and here for more ideas about how to foster independent play in younger children, and if you're looking for ideas for older children and teens, click here, here, and here. Parent-teacher Conferences are an important opportunity to build your partnership with your child’s teacher(s) so that your child can reach her/his full potential. Here are some steps that you can take to prepare for a meaningful conference:
1) Talk to your student about how school is going. Questions to ask include:
2) Review any information that has been shared with you by teachers. Things to look at include:
3) Questions to ask at the conference include:
After the conference, review what you learned with your child, listen to their responses and ideas, and then work together as a family to make a plan to implement the teacher’s (teachers’) suggestions at home. We are a third of the way into the school year, and parent-teacher conferences are just around the corner. How is the school-home partnership going for your family? Here are some steps that you can take to improve that partnership:
Show your children that you value what they are learning 1) Tell your student how excited you are about what they are learning and how they are learning–most lessons are caught, not taught, and your student’s attitude towards school will mirror your own 2) Ask leading questions about what your student is learning, such as:
Communicate with teachers and with Pioneer Springs
Provide learning opportunities beyond the classroom
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