This week we began Listen to Reading using the Chromebooks, which was an exercise in frustration for some of Team Awesome as they are used to tapping a screen and the eye/ hand coordination required to use a touch pad and cursor was new. Listen to Reading provides pronunciation and expression models that can only come from hearing fluent and expressive examples. In other words, it is a model of what good reading sounds like. Hearing a book read helps children see how the words on the page can come alive in a fluid, expressive way. It helps them focus on the sounds of words read without interruption and gives them practice listening — a skill that they must master in order to learn to read. Audio books emphasize reading as a source of pleasure rather than a skill, and make children eager to learn how to read. Beyond their sheer enjoyment of audio books, children also develop a sense of narrative structure and understanding of language. And the children can choose to listen to the books they are interested in, giving them a sense of independence and autonomy. It also adds to those research- recommended 90 minutes per day that children should be interacting with books. So win-win all around!
- Please return library books by next Thursday for exchange.
- April's Family Project (kite and tail) is welcome at any time.
- Wednesday, April 18 BEST will be hosting an Axis Theatre presentation in the gym at 8:45. You are welcome to join us.
- Friday, April 20 is a Fresh Air Friday.
- Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day and BEST will be participating in activities on Friday April 20, as well as doing a garbage pick up around our school.
- BEST PAC is sponsoring its annual meat fundraiser from April 4-17. Order forms have been sent home. Meat to be delivered and picked up on May 3.
- Please sign and return the report card envelope for our last reporting period of the year.
- Mark your calendar for the 4th annual Meet The Machine on Saturday, April 21 at the Kamloops Pow Wow Grounds.
- The BEST April newsletter can be found here.
- April sight words are: all, boy, his, girl, not, some, that, what. Please feel free to practice them at home.
