What does it mean when I hear educators talking about LITERACY?

Literacy is a complex concept and there are some key misunderstandings about what, exactly, literacy is.

LITERACY = Reading, Writing, Listening & Speaking

Building student literacy is a complex process that starts with children’s language and literacy experiences from their earliest months and continues throughout their early years as the effects of knowledge acquisition and skill development build.  Our goal is to provide parents with resources and tools that will assist them in helping their child excel on this journey.  Over the coming months we'll be sharing links and resources on this blog.  We believe parents play a critical role in their child's educational success.  We encourage you to bookmark this blog and visit often.

It's about more than just reading the words!
For many, the confusion about literacy arises when we're talking about the skills and knowledge surrounding literacy.

The SKILLS are essentially the foundation, while the KNOWLEDGE is the application of that SKILL.

For example, a literacy skill would be recognizing words, spelling, or knowing the alphabet.  Where literacy KNOWLEDGE is understanding a concept, expressing complex ideas or vocabulary.  When you combine SKILLS and KNOWLEDGE you are talking about a complete set of competencies that make up the developmental process and the whole when talking about LITERACY.

While skills-based competencies are usually master early, knowledge-based competencies must be supported during the entire educational experience.  For many children knowledge‐based competencies  are more likely to be key sources of academic difficulties.  In a knowledge-based, global economy, knowing how to read well  and then apply what you've learned is more important than ever.

Literacy is  JOURNEY not a DESTINATION
Children need environments that support reading skills, background knowledge and active discovery. Neither skills (such as alphabet knowledge, word reading and print awareness), nor knowledge (such as understanding concepts, oral language development and vocabulary growth) are enough by themselves.

Connected, engaged parents are crucial to children’s success. Even parents without strong reading skills can make important contributions to their children’s cognitive development and later reading success through conversation and joint engagement in learning via traditional and digital media.  None of the information posted here is to be considered a substitute for instruction.  Links and resources are strictly offered as resources and supplemental information.

Got a newspaper? You’ve got learning!

Most families have access to a newspaper. Either one arrives on your doorstep or a local community paper is available for free at the coffee shop or grocery store. Even just a few pages from the newspaper can be turned into lots of early learning activities. Grab your young child and a pair of scissors, and let’s get learning with a newspaper!

SPANISH: http://www.colorincolorado.org/articulo/60707/

Letters and Words
Have your child cut out the letters needed to spell his first and last name. Have him glue these onto a piece of paper.

Ask your child to find capital and lower case pairs of letters. Glue the pairs onto a piece of paper.
Ask your child to find and cut out all the words in headlines that she can read. Paste them on a piece of paper and practice reading them together.

Writing 
Cut out a few pictures from the paper. Ask your child to write a caption for each one. Compare their caption with the paper’s caption. Talk about ways captions help readers understand one small piece of the story.

Turn a recent family event into a newspaper story. Try to write a headline, the story, include a picture or drawing, and add a caption.

Ask your child to circle all the ads they can find in the paper. Discuss what makes a good advertisement and what does not. Discover what types of words and punctuation are often used in ads, and how those are tools writers use to capture a reader’s attention. See if your child can create an ad for their favorite game or TV show.

Understanding the News 
Help your child understand the structure of the newspaper. Browse through the different sections of the newspaper. Sort news stories into international, national, and local. Point out other sections such as sports, food and entertainment.

Talk about the difference between fact and opinion. Then, read one of the articles from the newspaper. Are there facts in the story? Are there any opinions? How can we tell the difference? What sorts of words are used for each? Within which section are opinion stories usually found?

Choose an interesting and age-appropriate story from the newspaper. Read the story with your child. After reading, ask your child if she can answer the “who, what, where, when, and why” questions about the story.

Learn more at: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/got-a-newspaper-you-ve-got-learning

Understanding Children Who Are Dual Language Learners (DLLs)

One third of the children enrolled in Early Head Start and Head Start are Dual Language Learners (DLLs). They are a diverse group who have different languages, experiences, strengths, and gifts. Recent research points out the

Similarities among ALL young children – those who are leaning one or several languages (e.g., children are born with natural capabilities for language and for learning);

Differences between children growing up with one language (monolinguals) and children who are DLLs (e.g., children may learn some ideas such as counting, in one of their languages but not the other); and

Diversity among children who are DLLs (e.g., individual differences of temperament, interests, etc.).

EHS/HS programs can best support the school readiness for Dual Language Learners when they understand each child’s unique characteristics and needs.

Read more:
https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/docs/same-different-diverse.pdf?utm_source=ReadingRockets.org&utm_medium=Twitter

FAFSA Day 2014

We're excited to invite families in Spring Branch to participate in Houston's FAFSA Day 2014.

Houston FAFSA Día - 20 de febrero 2014
The goal of FAFSA Day is to increase the FAFSA/TASFA completion rate in the city of Houston.  Houston is the 4th largest city in the country and yet it has a very low financial aid completion rate among students.  Research shows that if students complete the FAFSA they are 90% more likely to attend college.  We hope you will join us at one of the FAFSA Day Trusted Centers to learn, prepare and apply for student financial aid.

Los estudiantes que completen la Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes (FAFSA) es un paso clave en la educación continua después de la secundaria. La ayuda está disponible!​

I'm not sure what FAFSA and TASFA are?  FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  TASFA is the  Texas Application for Financial Aid for undocumented students.

What can I do today to prepare for FAFSA Day 2014?

• Mark your calendar!  FAFSA Day is Feb. 20, 2014. (Learn more at: www.houstonfafsaday.org)
• Sign up for your FAFSA PIN on the official FAFSA website. (http://www.pin.ed.gov)
• File your taxes.

What type of assistance will I receive if I go to an official FAFSA Day Trusted Center on Feb. 20

From answering questions about the FAFSA and TASFA to assisting you and your student apply, individuals will be on-hand at trusted Centers to assist you with your FAFSA and TAFSA.  The new application for the FASFA is available online now.  (View schedules and locations at: www.houstonfafsaday.org)

What should I bring with me when I go to the FAFSA Center?
Qué llevar al llenar la FAFSA / TASFA

• FAFSA PIN
• Social Security Number

  (Número de Seguro Social)

• Driver’s License (If You Have One)

  (Número de licencia de conducir)

• 2013 W-2 Forms (Records of Money Earned)

  (Más recientes W-2 o de fin de año de pago talón)
  

• You and Your Spouse’s, or Your Parents’ 2013 Federal Income Tax Return (IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040 EZ, Foreign Tax Return)

  (Más reciente declaración de impuestos federales)

• 2013 Untaxed Income Records (Veteran’s Benefits, Child Support Received, Worker’s Compensation)

  (Registros de ingresos no tributables)

• Current Bank Statements

  (Extracto de cuenta (s))

• Current Business & Investment Mortgage Information, Business & Farm Records, Stock, Bond, and other Investment Records

  (Registros comerciales y de inversión)

• Alien Registration or Permanent Resident Card if Not a US Citizen

  (Tarjeta de Registro de Extranjero (si no es un ciudadano de los EE.UU.))

• If you were born before Jan. 1, 1992 you do not need to bring parental information.

  
  Los estudiantes que nacieron antes de 01 de enero 1992 no tienen que llevar la información de los padres.
  

When applying for the FAFSA, make sure you are on the official government website. 
There is no charge to apply for the FAFSA.(http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ )

Things to remember:

• Merit-based scholarships often require a complete FAFSA.
• Check for verification status to be sure you're finished and your application was submitted.
• Compare award letters to get the best deal.
• Mark your calendar to do the FAFSA again next year!

The Journey Begins! Your Child's Career Key

This is the second in a series of emails to help you guide your child as you prepare for the upcoming process of course selection - the first steps in the transition to high school. Our first email provided an overview of HB5. This email provides information about Career Key, a career inventory that your 8th grader recently completed in our new Naviance system.

Career Key is a career inventory that helps students match their personality and interests to careers. It’s a great way for kids to learn about themselves and the types of careers that may be their best match based on personality type.  Learn more at www.careerkey.org.

A Conversation That Will Last a Lifetime

Your child’s Career Key findings are a great resource to spark conversations between the two of you. Please use these tools as you and your child consider his/her roadmap to and through high school. This will prepare your child for the upcoming course selection process which starts in mid-January. The insights these tools provide will be helpful as you work together in the spring to select an endorsement as part of the new Foundation Plan for high school graduation.

Naviance: Your Online Planning Tool

The first step in reviewing your child’s Career Key results is to log onto Naviance, our new online portal for planning for high school, higher education and beyond. If you have not received your Naviance password, please contact your child’s counselor.

Winter Break is a great time to review your child’s Career Key results in Naviance. Eighth grade counselors will review Career Key results with students during the school day in early January and with parents at January parent meetings. (Stay tuned for dates coming directly from your middle schools.)

In the meantime, you also may wish to visit the SBISD website under STUDENTS > GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS for a one-page overview of reading your child’s Career Key results.

We hope you are finding these emails helpful. We welcome and appreciate your feedback as we work to assure you have the information you need to best help your child succeed.

http://www.springbranchisd.com/achieveit/message2_eng.html

Introduction to House Bill 5

Click here to watch informational video on House Bill 5.

THE FOUNDATION PLAN

HB 5 creates a new graduation plan called the FOUNDATION PLAN.  The FOUNDATION PLAN replaces the previous Minimum, Recommended and Distinguished plans and is the plan under which students entering high school during the 2014-15 academic year will graduate.  The FOUNDATION PLAN expands the availability of career and technology (CTE) courses and encourages students to select a personal pathway of study, called an ENDORSEMENT.  All students entering the 9th grade in 2014 will select an endorsement pathway in late Spring, 2014. 

The new plan offers a strong foundation of study with the benefit of added flexibility for students to personalize their own educational experience.  Students will be able to explore areas of interest and study before they reach college and may earn an Associate’s degree or certification while they are still in high school.

The FOUNDATION PLAN consists of 4 English credits, 3 math credits, 3 social studies credits, 3 science credits, 1 fine art credit, 2 foreign language credits, 1 P.E. credit, and 5 elective credits.
Remember, advancement at the high school level is based on the number of credits a student earns in particular content areas.  Successfully passing five End of Course Exams (EOCs) is required for graduation.

ENDORSEMENTS

The plan offers students the choice of an ENDORSEMENT, or targeted area of study.  Much as a student would pick a major in college, the new option for an ENDORSEMENT offers a student the ability to earn a total of 26 total credits (a combination of core requirements and endorsement electives in a targeted area of study) for high school graduation.  The five ENDORSEMENT options are:

• Arts and Humanities
• Business and Industry
• Public Service
• STEM (Science and Math)
• Multidisciplinary

Endorsement course work consists of 1 Math credit, 1 Science Credit, and 2 Electives.  All 8th graders will choose an ENDORSEMENT in the spring, using EXPLORE and other career interest assessments to help inform their decisions. (More on these in upcoming emails along with a parent meeting at your child’s school (dates to be determined).)  Students may change their ENDORSEMENTS at any time, or may opt at the end of their 10th Grade year to graduate under the FOUNDATION PLAN with no endorsement.  Students who graduate under the FOUNDATION PLAN with no endorsement will be eligible to apply to 4-year public universities in the state of Texas, but will not qualify for Top Ten percent consideration.  We recommend that all students graduate with an ENDORSEMENT.  Doing so ensures students have the most opportunities and options available to them.

HB5 WEBSITE

For an in-depth look at course offerings,  credit options, credit restoration, graduation planning and additional resources beyond what we've covered here, visit the SBISD website under STUDENTS > GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. Or, visit the SBISD website and look for the HB5 icon on the homepage.

In Spring Branch we believe all students deserve an education that fits their personal needs.  One size does not fit all when it comes to learning or our student's futures, and we believe the new FOUNDATION PLAN with ENDORSEMENTS offers students the chance to customize their learning and be better prepared for their future upon high school graduation. 

Please look for more information in the days and weeks ahead. Your campus will notify you of dates for January parent meetings at your child’s school.

What can I do as a middle school parent to help my child?

Talk to your child about your expectations, their dreams, and how exploring coursework or extracurricular activities now will help them find interests that may lead to a future career. Start a college or career dialogue with your student. Talk to your child about the future, and why it's important to think about career or college options now. Express your thoughts, concerns or expectations about college or future career options. Even if it doesn't always seem like it, your student is looking to you for guidance and direction.

Visit the SBISD PARENT TOOLKIT for tips and information on a wide range of topics.

Talk to your campus counselor or teacher. Success for our students takes all of us working together. We're here to help!

Additional Resources:

• Texas Education Agency (TEA) Website
• State Graduation Requirements (TEA)
• State Board of Texas (TEA)
• Student Assessment Website
• STAAR Website
• HB 5 Impact on Graduation Planning/What is the Foundation Plan? (In English /en Espanol)
• HB 5 Frequently Asked Questions (In English /en Espanol)
• A Look at House Bill 5 (HB5 Website)
• HB5 Overview (PPT)

Top 10 Ways to Develop Readers

Model It:

People in the child’s life should show that they value reading. Children know we value it when we actually do it, not when we only say “go read.” a. It doesn’t matter what you read; it only matters that you read. It would be great to model reading {sometimes} off of electronic devices if you use e-readers. Children don’t always realize that people are reading on electronic devices because they so frequently use them for playing games. b. It would be great if older brothers and sisters or cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents also modeled that they valued reading.

Reading Together:

a. The older our children grow, the less likely they are to read during the school day. But college is all about independent reading of difficult texts. b. As students move to higher grades, the reading becomes much more challenging; therefore, they need more practice reading. That reading frequently is expected to happen at home. c. Partner with anyone—parent, brother/sister {older or younger}. The parent or an older brother/sister/cousin can model what good reading sounds like. d. Form rituals around reading—bedtime, morning with breakfast, when we get home from school e. Share the reading—this is good when the child wants to read a text that is too difficult for him or her to read. f. It is great to stop and talk throughout the text. i. What do you think is going to happen next? {prediction} ii. Why do you think that character chose to do that? {character analysis} iii. How do you think the character felt when that happened? {character analysis} iv. Why would the author set the story where it is set or why would the author include such a character or why would the author talk about anything in the story or book? {author’s craft} g. It is wonderful when you spend some time reading out loud to your children. It is even better when you change your voice for the specific characters. i. This models the notion that there are differences in characters. ii. It develops interest where little may have existed before. iii. It is great entertainment. iv. You are modeling good reading. v. This enhances the relationship between adults and child. h. If you are reading a nonfiction text, think out loud about the text. Ask yourself questions. Connect to other things you have read about the topic or connect to things you know about the topic. Don’t forget to include your personal experiences.

Free Choice:

The child should be free to choose what she or he wants to read. a. Initially readers want to be entertained. They move into the stage of escape from their lives and then into seeing themselves in the text. By giving them free choice, they are meeting their emotional needs around reading. If the reader can read the text, all reading is beneficial reading. b. It does not improve one’s reading by reading something that is too difficult to understand. i. 5-finger test—read a page at the beginning of the book. If the child cannot read 5 or more words {not counting proper nouns/names}, the book is probably too difficult. That means that the child will need a lot of help reading the book—partner read. ii. So if she or he wants to read the book, make that book one that you read together. c. Children like series books because they are predictable. That adds a level of ease and comfort in the reading. They also know the characters and enjoy the relationship they have with the characters. After your child has read several in one series, you might encourage him or her to read something else but still leave the decision up to the reader.

Discuss books with your child:

a. Happens during partner reading. b. You don’t have to have read the book to talk about it. i. What are you reading? ii. What do you like about that story? Or What have you learned from the book? iii. Would you want to read another book like that one? Why? c. Traveling in a car is a good place to discuss what they are reading.

Technology:

a. Audio books—entertain, build vocabulary, widen reading interests. They do not build one’s reading skills though. b. Author sites—find a favorite author or series on their site. Builds interest in the books. c. Reading online is also valuable reading. d. Time for Kids and National Geographic have older articles online.

Parent Records Books:

a. The parent can read a book into a recording device. This is great if parent cannot be present for reading time. b. Excellent model for good reading. c. Develops interest in reading.

Personal Library:

a. There is a lot of research showing that it is beneficial for children to have personal libraries. They need to have easy access to reading so that they make the choice to read. b. When we build a library in our homes, it shows that we value books and the reading that we do. c. Public library is a benefit as well. You don’t have to own everything you read.

Required Reading:

a. Required reading may be too difficult for a child. Adults can read the assignment along with their children—take the journey together. b. The discussion will help the child think about the story and its components before he or she goes to class. c. By reading the book together you may help to build an interest in the assigned reading that may not have been present before. d. This also helps the parents to keep track of what is happening in class. Nonfiction: a. Children are interested in nonfiction reading. b. Many children struggle to read nonfiction well. c. Parents can connect the reading to family outings—museum, part, fishing, etc. Have things to read that connect to the trips. Read before the trip—building background knowledge. Read after the trips—enhances what has been learned while on the trip. Many gift shops have books that enhance the experience. d. Use the computer to find additional reading around the topic. e. Create your own book or folder of information about the topic. Reading Assessments: a. DRA/EDL—discuss your child’s reading levels with the teacher. (elementary) b. Bilingual—is the gap between language 1 and language 2 decreasing. It is beneficial to maintain the reading in language 1. But the reading must grow in language 2. c. STAAR—this is NOT a reading comprehension assessment. It is more of an assessment of reading analysis—they types of things we talk about during discussion of the text. d. Stanford—Will be offered in grades 2 through 7 starting this year. There is a reading component on the test.