FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

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How much homework should my child have a night?
The rule of thumb is approximately 10 minutes per grade level. If your child is consistently having
more than one hour of homework a night, please feel free to contact me. We need to see what is
causing the problem and try to correct it. I truly believe your child should have a life outside of school.

How does the reading log work?
Your child is expected to read 80 minutes from Monday through Thursday evenings at home. Your
child is expected to read at home and not on the bus on the way home. If your child needs to read
while attending a sibling's baseball practice, etc... that is fine as long as you feel confident that good,
focused reading is taking place. Please initial your child's reading log. With busy schedules, I know
always trying to fit in a certain amount of minutes a night can be difficult. The 80 comes from an
average of 20 minutes per night, but your child can read the 80 minutes the way it fits your schedule.

What does my child have to read to count on the reading log?
I tell the students that if your parents are okay with what you're reading for the log it is acceptable for
me. Some kids do not like reading chapter books, but they do enjoy magazines or non-fiction books.
If your child has been given reading for science, social studies, or reading class, this reading can count
on their log. There is no reason to then read something else unless you would like for your child to
read something else.

Can my child read over the weekend to count for their 80 minutes?
No, I'm sorry this does not count. However, every Monday I check with those who read over the
weekend, and they earn mone y in their class checking accounts. This is one way your child can earn
extra money for the Banker's Bonanza at the end of the quarter.

What happens with the reading log? Can it affect my child's grade?
Every Friday, the reading logs are checked to make sure the kids did their independent reading. This
reading log counts as part of their reading grade in class. There is a 10 point deduction for each week
that the reading log is not completed. It constitutes 5% of their total reading grade. Your child will
earn a soda to drink in class when they reach 600 minutes. Their choices are Sprite, Mello Yello,
Mountain Dew, and Lemonade. The more they read the more soda they earn. For many kids, this is
the best incentive!

How does the behavior checking account management system work?
Each child begins with $125 in their checking account. By the end of the nine weeks, your child must
still have $125 in their account. Their account could dip below the $125, but they must have earned it
back by the last day of the quarter. Your child keeps up with their balance in a check register. These
registers remain here at school, so they do not get lost. You may ask your child at any time what their
current balance is in their account.

What would cause my child to lose money in his/her account?
Whenever your child breaks a class rule, they will write a check and deduct $5 from their account. The
check will be stapled to their work in their Friday folder. Please be sure to read the reason your child
will write on the check.

How can my child earn money into their account?
Your child has the opportunity to earn money daily. I give out money for correct behavior and
compliments earned. Also, if your child earns an E for conduct and an E for effort on their Friday
folder, they earn $3. Your child can earn $1 per day for reading Friday night, Saturday, or Sunday.
Therefore, if your child read all three nights, they could earn $3 for the weekend. It is not uncommon
for kids to end up at the end of the nine weeks with over $200 in their accounts.

What happens at the end of the nine weeks? What is the Banker's Bonanza?
At the end of the nine weeks, if your child has $125 in their checking account they are able to attend the
Bonanza and celebrate . If their balance is under $125, your child will attend a study hall and reflect on
what caused them to miss the bonanza and what they can and will do to earn the opportunity to attend
at the end of the next quarter. My goal is that all my students will be able to attend and enjoy the fun!

How does A.R. work in your classroom?
Fifth grade as a whole requires students to read 3 books in their reading range with at least a score of at
least an 80 on the test. Students who accomplish their 3 books with an 80 or above score will be able
to watch the AR movie at the end of each quarter. If your child does not read the required 3 books,
they will attend a reading study hall. Kids will read books instead of watching the movie.

If your child reads 4 or more books with 80 or above scores, they will be able to attend a pizza party
with our class and Mrs. Johnson's class. We eat pizza delivered to the school, and the kids can bring
in a soda and dessert to eat with their pizza. We'll keep their drinks cold in the classroom fridge.

Does AR affect my child's grade?
No! Absolutely not. AR is a motivational reading program and incentive based. It is not a school
requirement. I want your child to read what they love, and if they can't find an AR book they like,
please let them read what they love. The reading log and its incentives are for those kids who want to
read other material than the AR book list.

What are literature circles?
Literature circles are part of your child's reading class. Students choose a chapter book and meet in a
group of 5 or 6. They will read the book over six weeks, but each week there are assigned chapters.
This reading is done outside of class. Each member of the group has a job that they are expected to be
in charge of during the literature circle meeting each week. This is an important reading grade! The
kids are in charge of their reading literature circle groups. I meet with each group during literature circle
group and check to make sure that everyone has their completed roles and monitor behavior. This has
been a popular learning activity with the students, and they grow so much in their responsibility and
discussions about good literature. Please check with your child about what day their literature circle
meets and if their reading of the book and job are ready for group.

What are your expectations about the agenda?
At the beginning of the year, all students are expected to have their agenda signed nightly by a parent.
(Monday-Friday) There will be homework sometimes on the weekend, so please check and sign the
agenda. At the end of the nine-weeks, if your child is getting all of their classwork and homework
completed, you will not need to sign the agenda. However, if your child begins having homework or
completing classwork issues, we'll need to return to having the agenda signed nightly.

Also, please do not sign the agenda if the homework is not completed. Your signature indicates to me
that you've seen the work completed. It also lets you the parent know what homework was expected
to be completed.

What if my child couldn't get his homework done because of something beyond his/her
control?
This will happen occasionally, and as long as it doesn't become a common occurence, it will be fine.
However, please write me a note in your child's agenda indicating what happened, and I will excuse
your child from consequences in the classroom. Your child will still need to possibly make up some of
the homework depending on what the homework was assigned. This does not mean that your child
can take a test a day late unless there was an absence. Mrs. Johnson and I give students days to study
for major tests, so please make sure your child begins to study when they find out.

How will we know when upcoming tests are coming?
As soon as we can, Mrs. Johnson and I will tell the kids about upcoming tests. These will be written
on the board, and the kids will be notified. They are told to write this information in their agenda.

How can I help my child study for tests?
Your child will be given study guides for social studies, science, and math. Use these to help your child
study. I would suggest creating notecards with questions on one side and answers on the other. Quiz
your child and make it a game. Fifth graders are not really ready to "study" all by themselves for tests
yet. I have my own kids create note cards, so they can study independently, and when they believe
they're "ready", my husband or I quiz them. The cards they know can be put aside, and you have the
questions they really need to focus on studying. You can also make a game of concentration with
questions on one card and the answers on the other.

Mnemonic devices got me through college, and I will try to teach your children about them as well.
Mnemonic devices are memory aids that can be used to memorize lists of information. Here's an
example: memorizing the Great Lakes

Think of the word HOMES.
H uron
O ntario
M ichigan
E erie
S uperior

There are many web sites you can find by just typing in Mnemonic devices in a search engine. Good
luck!

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