Parents, thank you for visiting! If you are the parent of one of my students, go back to the main page and log in to access our classroom resources and information. This page is dedicated to providing general information to all parents about educational requirements, homework, and study skills.
Fifth grade in Texas is a very challenging year. Students are tested in the subject areas of math, reading, and science in the form of a multiple-choice, standardized test known as the TAKS, or Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. The Reading and Math TAKS are part of the Student Success Initiative (SSI), which means that a student must pass both of these tests in order to be placed in the next grade. If a student does not pass one or both of these TAKS, a grade placement committee (usually consisting of school administration and the child's teacher) is responsible for deciding if the student may be retained, placed, or promoted. A parent guide to SSI can be found here. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released several TAKS in all subjects and grade levels for public use; these release tests are available as an interactive online version or for download/printing. Typically students take practice TAKS passages and release tests throughout the year in order to prepare for the test, so check with your child's teacher before using any of the release tests in their entirety with your child.
At my elementary school, students in all grades are required to read for 30 minutes every night. Here are some tips for reading to your child and ten tips to help your child read effectively on their own, as well as questions to ask before, during and after they read, all from the Irvine Unified School District. Several resources and links to help your child with math are available here. If you need advice for disciplining your child at home, check out this site.
Are you curious about the way in which your child learns? There are three major learning styles: auditory, kinesthetic and visual. Some people learn best in one way while others learn in a combination. Find more information about learning styles here. This site is a good resource about different types of learning disabilities.
Want to do more??? Volunteer at your child's school... in addition to providing much-needed help, it will give you a chance to know the teachers and staff on a much more personal level. If you would like to donate to a classroom, you can always offer to bring healthy snacks, especially on those long testing days. If you are interested in making a monetary donation, DonorsChoose is a website where teachers from all over the country submit proposals for projects that can help improve their classrooms. Feel free to look me up and donate to one of several projects I currently have posted :)
Storyline Online: Watch your favorite stories read aloud in streaming video by famous actors!
Cool Games 4 Kids: Math games, puzzles, lessons and more.
Arcademic Skill Builders: Math practice through racing games and other activities.
Spelling City: Search for grade level lists or your child's state/city/school.
Reading Planet
Science News for Kids
Zoom! Science activities for kids based on the PBS show.
White House 101