By Guest Columnist Voncille Anderson,
Principal, Pelahatchie High School
As Pelahatchie High School students settle into the second nine weeks of school, they are noticing a common focus in every class. Teachers have been challenged to incorporate the components of literacy in their lessons. Reading, writing, thinking, and discussing are skills students need for success in college and career.
The ultimate goal of literacy is to increase skills in comprehension, writing, and communication. The focus this month at PHS is Writing to Learn. Most people think of writing as a way to demonstrate what students have learned such as an essay or report. Writing, however, is most effective when used during the learning process. Students are asked open-ended questions and allowed time to reflect, think, and write. Pausing to make their thinking visible through quick-writes gives every student a chance to demonstrate their thoughts and provide evidence of their learning.
How can parents help? In partnering with the school, parents can be instrumental in ensuring that their students achieve success. The hours in school don’t provide enough time for students to excel academically and meet the demands of high-stakes testing, especially during the summer when loss occurs most often. Parents can help in the following ways:
1) Have conversations with your children about school. Talk to them about what they “learned” in school each day. If you ask a child what he or she “did” at school, typically the answer is “nothing.” Be specific. Ask what they learned in science or English or math. Having discussions at home helps to reinforce the discussion skills students are taught in school.
2) Read with your children and allow them to see you reading. Find a good book and read a few pages a day. Listen to an audio book together and discuss it. Find a good PodCast to listen to and discuss. Students who read are better writers. Students who read are better communicators. Students who read score higher on standardized tests such as the ACT and the state assessment.
3) Find other opportunities to expose your students to learning. Watch documentaries related to history, science, art, or music. Go for walks and talk about the things you see. Encourage them to have a positive attitude about school and their community.
Working together, we can equip our students with the skills they need to compete not just across our state but also nationally and globally.
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