Ready to re-engage

As the world tries to move toward a semblance of normalcy, everyone is thinking about what their “new normal” will look like.

My new normal has changed, significantly, since moving from Texas to Oregon.  The time change has been the second biggest issue.  The biggest issue for me has been connecting with parents of students who are struggling in classes – especially in STEM subjects.

STEM subjects require a great foundation for concept clarity. Along with math and sciences, English Language Arts must be included in that foundation. It is, exceptionally, difficult to grasp concepts and how they work together if the words you’re reading are hard to understand. Students who read – a lot – have a larger vocabulary from which to draw when it comes to deciphering conceptual explanations. Students who learn and USE a new word daily increase their ability to harness mental math skills which speed up problem solving capacities. As this holiday season quickly approaches, make a plan to help your students learn and use a new word daily. Help them start a Composition book for vocabulary:

1. Read a current event news article and choose an unfamiliar word;
2. Look up the definition of that word and write it in your Composition book;
3. THINK of a sentence that uses the word correctly and
4. Use that sentence in conversation 3-5 times during the day.

Once a word is found, bookmark my electronic flashcards and practice mental math until their “sight math” is as easy as their “sight words”!

Here are the electronic flash cards – Enjoy!

Until next time … dream BIG and let your D.R.E.A.M.S. take you there!