Christianson/Chapman Resource Review

Welcome to 3rd Grade Resource Inclusion with Mrs. Chapman And Mrs. Christianson

Wow!  It is the start of a new year and already we love our students!  Mrs. Chapman and Mrs. Christianson (Mrs. CC) loved co-teaching 3rd grade with Mrs. Becky Hobson and are very excited about starting our second year together.  Mrs. Chapman and Mrs. CC will be job sharing again this year which means that we work alternating days.  On most days, only one of us is here with Mrs. Hobson.  The three of us have known and worked together in various capacities for many years.  Our experience teaching together last year was very enriching and rewarding for us, and we feel our students received benefits from having all three of us teach them.  Our personalities and our teaching philosophies are very similar, so we feel we are providing our students a very positive, encouraging, and nurturing environment to learn and grow in.  All three of us feel that our personalities compliment each other in a unique and positive way.  We are so excited about meeting and working with all our new students and parents this year.  We want each of you to stay in close contact with us throughout the year and keep us aware of what is going on with your wonderful students both in and outside of school.  We want our parents to feel free to keep in touch by emailing us and sending us notes to keep us updated and to share information we need to know.  Our goal is to have an on-going working relationship with all of our parents.  We work hard to build close relationships with each of our students in order for them to feel relaxed and confident about their learning.  Please email any of us at any time, and we will respond as soon as we can.  We are off to an amazing start to the school year, and we know that it is going to continue to be more and more exciting as we get to know our students and become a family!

*Please scroll down to see previous posts which provide useful hints and information to help make this a successful school year for your student.

connie.christianson@cobbk12.org

kim.chapman@cobbk12.org

Spring Tips

You may ask yourself, "How am I going to survive the kids' spring fever?"  We teachers sometimes ask ourselves the same thing.  As the weather becomes warmer, spring break gets closer, and the end of the school year approaches, little ones become restless!  You may notice your student having more difficulty focusing and/or completing homework.  There may be more "checks" on their behavior updates/contracts.  This is also the time of year when talk is increased in regard to the CRCT testing.  This increases anxiety on top of the spring fever!  Please don't panic!  We see the same thing in our students at school year after year.  We notice our students becoming more talkative, less attentive, and more restless.  Behavior issues do seem to increase.  This is the time of year that we usually have to review rules and expectations and tighten up on discipline.  A former counselor once led an in-service for teachers that dealt with this very topic called, rightly so, "Phenomena".  The counselor explained to us teachers that this behavior is normal and is part of the growth process.  She encouraged us to "hang in there" and gave us tips to help us deal with the changes seen in our students at this time of year.  We would like to encourage you to do the same and to offer some tips to help at home.

*Read with your student nightly and make it a fun and relaxing time together.  Instead of making them read as much as normal, you might alternate with them, and actually do most of the reading on some nights.

*Play games to help learn skills and facts.  You can use any type of board game and just substitute the game cards with index cards listing the words, facts, and skills to be learned.

*Allow time for students to play outside daily before they sit down to do homework, but make sure homework is done at the same time daily.

*As spring becomes busy with sports and school activities, be sure to spend time just hanging out, talking, and laughing with your child.  This will help you both relieve stress and relax.

*Encourage the progress your child makes, and remind them of the successes they have had this year.

*Try to stick to a consistent bedtime as the weather becomes warmer and the students want to be up later.  Tired students have difficulty attending and listening.

*Provide healthy snacks and meals to increase energy and focus.

*Try to alleviate fears in regard to upcoming standardized testing by being positive, offering encouragement, and being careful not to put too much pressure on your child about the test.

*Be consistent with discipline.  We teachers have to especially remember this during "spring fever" time.

*Remember that your have survived this time of year in the past, and you will do it again!

Have a wonderful spring and enjoy your incredible students!  We sure do!  :)

Parent Support Sites

There are many websites available to offer support for parents of students with disabilities of any type.  Cobb County has a parent mentors' support site that has a ton of resources.  You may contact them at http://www.cobbk12.org/~specialeducation/Usedpages/parentsupport.htm.  Other education links that may offer you assistance are listed below:

Georgia Department of Education, www.doe.k12.ga.us 

Georgia Learning Connections, www.glc.k12.ga.us

Special Education Links and IDEA, www.ideapractices.org/idealinks.htm

Attention Deficit Disorder Association, http://www.add.org

Children and Adults with ADHD, http://www.chadd.org

Council for Exceptional Children, http://www.cec.sped.org

Commonwealth Austism Service, http://www.autismva.org

Learning Disability Association of America, http://www.ldanatl.org and http://www.ldonline.org

Parents Count, http://www.parentscount.net

CRCT Practice

Students may take practice tests for the CRCT on-line at https://www.georgiaoas.org.  For students to log on, they should use their 10-digit GA state testing ID which will be sent home in a letter in a few weeks.  The password is "education".  The letter will give specific directions on how to log on and where to find specific tests created by the teachers.  Be of the lookout for the letter in a few weeks.

Brain Studies

The brain is a fascinating organ to say the least!  An excellent website is available that gives information about the brain and studies that have taken place.  You can observe pictures of the brain under different conditions.  For example, you can observe a "normal" brain in comparison to a brain of a student with ADHD.  There are also pictures of the  brain after the student has taken different medications for the condition.  I found the website quite interesting.  Such pictures and studies hold promise for finding medications that work for the many different types of ADHD.

Go to www.brainplace.com and check it out.

Homework Help For Students with Learning Difficulties

Homework can be a frustrating time for students and parents, especially for students who have disabilities and learning difficulties and their parents.  Teachers understand this and want to help make this practice time as pleasant an experience as possible.  Although we try not to give very much homework it is necessary to reinforce skills practiced and taught in class.  It should not take hours for students to complete homework, although we understand that students with learning weaknesses may require a longer time to complete assignments.  Students who struggle with learning frequently need additional practice and drill in order to master skills.  At the same time, they may have difficulty keeping focused and attending after a long day at school.  Many have had to struggle to maintain focus during school, so having to come home and do additional work can be overwhelming and frustrating for them.  Students may balk at practicing a skill at home that they were struggling to grasp at school, although this extra practice is exactly what they need.  Mom and Dad then have to deal with the frustration, whining, and/or complaining. 

There are several ways to help make this time less stressful and more productive.  We frequently make modifications for our students, but sometimes we may forget.  Please feel free to make modifications that we may have mentioned to you already or those that will be mentioned below.  Before starting homework, make sure your student has a chance to sit down and tell you about his/her day.  Ask them questions about what they liked and were successful at.  Discuss topics they are learning.  Allow them a chance to have a snack and some "down" time to go play for a few minutes.  If possible, have a set time to work on homework daily.  Go over their agenda and homework with them and make sure they understand the directions.  Please feel free to highlight key words on worksheets.  Decide on how long you think your student should work on the assignment.  If the student is working on the assignment alone, check to make sure they are actually working.  If so, stop them after the time limit has expired if you feel they have been working long enough on the assignment.  Just draw a line and make a note on the paper indicating that you stopped the student after a certain time limit.  You may also have your student do every other one on a page with several problems or questions.  Setting a timer and allowing the student to stop for a break or snack when it goes off  works for some students.  Allowing them to work for small time periods instead of one long one may help them focus and not become discouraged.  Students may use highlighters as they read directions to mark key words or keep up with their place.  The use of a place marker also helps when reading.  For reading assignments, parents can read every other sentence, paragraph, or page.  It is not nearly so overwhelming to the student when they know they do not have to read "the whole thing".  When students read, ask them questions about what they read to aid in comprehension.  Let them make up questions to ask you.  You will be able to tell if they understood the passage by their questions, but it allows them to change roles and be the "teacher".  To encourage oral reading, students sometimes enjoy reading into a tape recorder.  They can then listen to themselves and practice rereading with expression.  For any assignment that requires writing, students are always allowed to use the computer (spelling, writing, language arts).  Playing games is another way to aid learning and make homework more pleasant.  Any board game can be used.  To move, the players have to answer a question, spell a spelling word, read a vocabulary word, etc.  For math, sometimes having your child use a calculator to check the problems, after he/she has worked them is motivating.  If your child struggles significantly with handwriting, it is sometimes okay to copy the problems for them and allow them to just work them out, especially on nights when there is a lot of homework. 

These are just a few suggestions that may help make homework time less of a struggle.  Remember that when you become frustrated with your student, he or she becomes more frustrated.  Try to encourage and assure your child that he/she can do the work and will learn the skills.  Be as positive and patient as possible, and when the situation is becoming too stressful or frustrating, take a break and allow the child to do the same.  Homework doesn't have to be frustrating, but can be a time for you and your child to interact and spend time together.  Please feel free to contact us if you would like to sit down and go over more specific ways to handle the homework situation for your child. 

 

Language! Reading Program

Mrs. Chapman and Mrs. Christianson are using a wonderful reading program with many of our inclusion resource students.  The program is called Language! by the Sopris West Company and is a comprehensive, multisensory program that provides differentiation for students of varying abilities.  It involves manipulatives and movement and engages the students in many facets of learning.  You may hear the students mention names of some of the activities, such as "Sort It", "Build It/Bank It", or similar names.  These activities provide opportunites for students to participate in phonemic awareness drills and improve reading skills in vocabulary and comprehension.  Fluency is also addressed, and students participate in fluency drills to improve their speed and accuracy in reading.  This program combines instruction in reading, spelling, writing, and language skills all together.  The students love the materials and activities!  Mrs. Christianson piloted the program last year for Big Shanty, but several other teachers are using it this year.  Mrs. Chapman was also trained on the program in the past.  It is an exciting program and an excellent opportunity for your students.  If you would like to preview the materials at some point in time, please feel free to set up a time to come by and look them over.  You may check out the materials at the company website at WWW.sopriswest.com.  Also, let us know if you have any questions.

Meet Mrs. Chapman

I have been happily married to David Chapman for 18 years.  We have 3 wonderful children, Zach who is a junior at North Cobb and plays football, Courtney who is entering 9th grade at North Cobb and loves cheerleading, and Meghan who is already graduated from high school.  I have been teaching for several years, and this is my 6th year at Big Shanty.  I have a master's degree in special education and a double major in special education and elementary education.  I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and exercising.  We love to go on cruises, and have been on nine so far.  I love working with children and watching them grow and learn. 

Meet Mrs. Christianson

I am very excited about my 6th year teaching resource here at Big Shanty.  I previously taught resource at Kennesaw Elementary for seven years before coming here.  This is my 13th year back teaching after spending 18 years at home with my own children.  I taught 2 years before that.  I have a master's degree in Special Education in the area of Interrelated Resource, and I have a double bachelor's degree in Special Education and Elementary Education as well.  Teaching is my passion, and I receive great joy and fulfillment from helping my students succeed academically and make gains in self-confidence and self-esteem.  I believe that students will be more motivated to take risks and to perform at their ability level if they feel good about themselves and believe they are capable.

PERSONAL INFO.

I have been happily married to my wonderful husband, Jay, for 35 years.  We have 3 amazing children: Jayme, who is 29; Dusty, who is 26; and Kayce who is 23.  Kayce graduated from nursing school and got married this summer, so I also have a wonderful son-in-law named Stephen.  We have a very old cat named Misty.  Our family enjoys all outdoor sports and activities.  We especially enjoy camping, hiking, walking, boating, and traveling.  Cruising has become a great love of ours. 

What is Resource?

What is "Resource"?

Resource is a service provided to students to help them overcome and compensate for weaknesses, build on strengths, and develop and learn strategies to help them perform more successfully in academic areas.  Resource provides opportunities for students to discover their learning styles and take risks within a safe environment.  As well as academics, students in resource work on study skills, organization, and on developing independence.