REPORTS ARE COMING!!

B11 students are known for doing reports and doing them well!  It's time to get that started this year! Our Fall Animal Reports will be assigned next week.  I will have a list of animals for your child to choose and the list will not include dogs or cats.  I want your child to expand to other perhaps not as familiar animals.

Your child will have TWO weeks to write at least a one page report and make a poster to present.  A day will be assigned to present his/her report and you are welcome to come and watch!

I strongly urge you to plan your time wisely.  Many students last year waited until the day before to BEGIN their reports and therefore made the experience very stressful.  Your last few days should be used for practicing in front of a mirror and family members making it as natural as possible.

My responsibility as your child's teacher:
1.  Help your child research his/her animal during our computer lab time.
2.  Send home poster board, a copy of their research, and paper to write their report.

Your responsibility as parents:
1.  Help your child decide what to write from the research.
2.  Allow time each day in the beginning to add a sentence or two in order to have at least one page done (ideally the first week). Don't copy the research word for word, please.
3.  Give time to practice so confidence is instilled.
4.  Help create a poster that gives a visual image of the animal assigned.
5.  If you wish, come and watch your child succeed!  It's wonderful and they are fabulous!!

Here are things that I will look for:


Eye contact
Does your child stop and look up at the audience occasionally? Does he/she hold the paper up in front of of his/her face or lower it where the audience can see eyes.  Some kids even memorize their report.

Organization
Is the report organized in a logical manner?

Speaking voice
Can your child's voice be heard in the back of the room?  (I call it their "teacher voice")

Expression
Does your child read in a manner that is interesting to the listener.  In other words, it's so fun to hear a report that is spoken like the writer is excited about what he/she is writing.

Please make sure that your child does the poster and their own writing.  SORRY, THIS IS NOT YOUR REPORT, Mom.  I know, I know we all want our kid's work to be beautiful and I understand how tempting it is to do too much for your child--believe me! Please, please allow your first grader to do first grade work. Each child's work is far more precious than our's can ever be - trust me on this one!

WARNING:  REPORT WRITING IS INFECTIOUS AND WILL BE SOMETHING YOUR CHILD WILL LOOK FORWARD TO AS THE YEAR PROGRESSES!!  WE WILL DO MORE.........

email me with questions:  carey_suzanne@salkeiz.k12.or.us