Resource Program
Little by little, one walks far.
Christy Bedard is the resource teacher at St. Ignatius School. She is passionate about literacy development and plays a large role in the Guided Reading program at the school. Seeing students get "tuned into" and "turned on by" excellent literature lights up her day.
Mrs. Bedard's goal for all students is that they develop a toolbox of skills and strategies that will enable them to be successful lifelong learners.
Reflections from the Resource Room . .
Holly, Holly, Holly, Holly, Holidays
Students, teachers and parents are all happy to have summer holidays. Parents often ask how they can best support their children's learning throughout the summer, and to that question I have two suggestions:
Play, play and play some more;
Read, read and read some more.
Extended periods of free play time allow children to develop many skills that are referred to as "executive functioning" skills. Think of the steps involved in building a tent or fort in the backyard:
- formulate a goal
- develop a plan
- break the plan into manageable pieces and put those pieces into a logical sequential order
- gather the necessary materials
- begin construction
- evaluate the plan and refine, as many times as necessary, in order to achieve the goal
- continue construction
- enjoy the rewards of the completed project and the feeling of success in having reached your goal.
How many of us read this list and say, "Gee, that sounds just like the steps I use at work every day."
Reading opens the doors of the imagination. This summer take the opportunity to share with your child the joy of reading. Have your child read to you; read aloud to your child those wonderful stories that are beyond their reading level; visit the library or bookstore and check out any reading programs they may be hosting; and take time to talk about the stories you are reading. This discussion is so important because . . .
- talking about new words helps to build your child's vocabulary,
- encouraging your child to create and share with you their mental picture of what is going on in the story helps build your child's visualizing skills,
- discussing what is going on in the story helps build your child's comprehension and summarization skills,
- asking questions such as, "What do you think will happen next?" or "Why do you think a character behaved in a particular way?" helps build your child's ability to reflect on a story , ask good questions in relation to a story, and to think beyond what is printed in black and white,
- asking your child what the story makes them think of helps your child make connections to literature, to see how stories can relate to each other, and how what we read can relate to our own life and to the larger world, and
- modeling that everyone reads and good readers think about what they are reading will aid your child in becoming a more committed, capable and confident reader.
I wish each of our St. Ignatius School families a safe and spirit filled summer holiday.
Christy Bedard
Resource Teacher