Puma Progress Form

Hello Puma Families,

Let us introduce Puma Progress: Strengthening the Home–School Connection.

At Pinebrook, we believe that when teachers, parents, and students work together, student success thrives. Our new Puma Progress form is designed to strengthen that partnership by connecting everyone around each child's quarterly progress.

After receiving the report card, parents and students will review it together, celebrate strengths, and choose one area for growth. Using information shared by the teacher throughout the quarter, families will record both the identified success and growth goal on the Puma Progress form, sign it, and return it to the teacher.

Research continues to show that one of the strongest predictors of student success is a parent's value of education—and the Puma Progress process gives families and teachers a meaningful way to work together to nurture that value.

Forms will come home Monday, Nov. 10, and should be returned by Friday, Nov. 14. Thank you for your partnership in helping every Puma grow!

Need the form in a different language? Click here for a tool to use!

Phonics Resources

 Phonics Resources

• What is phonics? video
• What is phonemic awarness? article from Reading Rockets
• phonemes - individual sounds

Phonemic awareness is broken up into different categories:

• letter sounds
• how to pronounce each phoneme video

• blending
• taking individual phonemes and putting them together to make a word
• example - /h/ /short a/ /t/ would be hat

• segmenting
• breaking a word into its individual phonemes
• example - cat would be /c/ /short a/ /t/, ring would be /r/ /short i/ /ng/

• encoding
• being able to spell words that you hear

• decoding
• being able sound out and read words that you see

Activities

• article from Scholastic

• article from Oxford Owl

• article from "From Sound to Spelling"

• Reading Rockets is a fantastic resource. They have materials from Kindergarten up to 2nd grade (on the left hand side of the website).
• phonemic awareness
• phonics and decoding
•  

Math Resources

Math Resources

• Magma 
• This is the county-supported math program that we are using in the classroom.
• There are assignments from the teacher in the Assignments tab.
• The Practice tab is additional practice and can have some stuff assigned by the teacher.
• How to access:
• LCPS Go
• Math folder
• Magma
• use LCPS login to log into the program

• Kiddom
• This is the math curriculum from the county. We have not used the online program in our class yet but you are welcome to explore it.
• How to access:
• LCPS Go
• Math folder
• Kiddom
• use LCPS login to log into the program

• Freckle
• Freckle has both math and reading skill practice and we do use both.
• Math has 4 different categories and can include assignments from the teacher. Students can use it anytime without needing an assignment.
• How to access:
• Go to https://student.freckle.com/login (also on our Schoology page under Math)
• Use class code from your teacher
• Type in your first name and last initial

• Boddle
• This is an additional math program that we use in class ocassionally. 
• It has your student practice their math facts and other math skills.
• How to access:
• Go to boddlelearning.com (it is also on our Schoology page under Math)
• Click on Play Game
• Log in using your login information from your teacher.

• Flash Cards
• They may be an old strategy but they are still a good one! Flash cards are still effective at helping students learn and remember their addition and subtraction facts.

• Reflex Math
• We used to have Reflex as an online program at Pinebrook. 
• It focuses on addition and subtraction facts. Once your child masters those, you could move them onto mulitplication and division.
• You would have to pay for it because I do not have access to it. I do very much recommend it if you can do it because we saw great progress in students' ability to recall addition and subtraction facts while we were using it.

Vocabulary Resources

Vocabulary Resources

last updated 21 November 2024

• Parts of Speech
• noun - name of a person/place/thing/idea
• video
• verb - something you can do; an action word
• video
• adjective - describes a noun
• video
• adverb - describes a verb
• video
• video on homophones, homonyms, homographs
• homophones - words that sound the same but are spelled differently
• to/too/two
• hi/high
• homographs - words that are spelled the same but sound different
• I live in the house.
• I saw the concert live.
• homonyms - words that look the same, sound the same, and have multiple meanings
• produce
• verb - to create
• noun - food grown on a farm

• What is Vocabulary? (article from Reading Rockets)

• How to teach your child new words (Video from Britney Bale)

• Article from Reading Rockets
• includes MANY different activities to try and video demonstrations

• Point out words that you see around you
• Ask your child if they know what the word means and have a conversation about what it tells you
• In the car, what signs do you see? 
• Oh, that sign says "turn here"! What does that mean? Oh, I have to move the car to the right to stay on the road.
• at the grocery store, what words are on the containers?
• This can of soup says that it's "on sale". What does that mean? Oh, I can get it for less money!

Homework Packet

 

Our first homework packet was sent home today!

• When will it be sent home? It will typically be sent home on Mondays. If we have a short week, it will be sent home the first day we are in school that week.

• When will it be due back at school? It will typically be due on Fridays. If we have a short week, it will be due the last day of that week.

• What is in the homework packet? 
• a cover page with our current topics and upcoming content assessements (science and social studies) for your reference to know what we are learning this week
• It also has extra credit assignments that your child can complete for extra dojo points for responsibility.
• 1 paper of math homework (front and back)
• 1 paper of phonics homework (front and back)
• sometimes a study guide (science/social studies/health)
• Study guides can also be found on the blog under the Student tab at the top.
• There might also be a "brain dump" paper attached to the packet. Click here to learn more about brain dumps.

• What will be expected to be completed? The completed math paper should be returned to school and the cover page should be returned with a grown-up's signature/initials.

• Who is considered a "grown-up"? I use the term "grown-up" as a general term for adults in a student's life. Since families can be different and a parent may not be the one checking homework, I do not want someone to feel excluded. So a grown-up could be a parent (mom, dad), a caregiver, an aunt, an uncle, grandma, grandpa, etc.

Tutoring Resources

Tutoring is an important resource that can help your child outside of school, or even the school year. Your child can recieve more individualized and focused attention on a skill or topic that they need more support in.

• Pinebrook teachers

• LCPS teachers

Additional tutoring resources

• https://www.lcps.org/Page/140424
• https://www.lcps.org/tutoringva

Free Parent Resource from LCPS

 Free Parent Resource! Care Solace Care Coordination Help students, staff, and families find mental health and substance use treatment matched to their needs. 

• The multilingual and culturally sensitive Care Companion team is available 24/7/365

• parentguidance.org

• Free unlimited parent coaching 

• Virtual Mental Health Series 

• English and Spanish

Coaching CCHC LCPS 2024.pptx

Care Solace Care Coordination Help students, staff, and families find mental health and substance use treatment matched to their needs. 

Multilingual and culturally sensitive Care Companion team is available 24/7/365

Resources:

Care Solace Admin Best Practices Information

Marketing Materials - English and Spanish

 

caresolace.com/loudoun

Report Card/Testing Glossary

There are several words/phrases that are used in testing data reports and report cards that are not always explained on the document. Here are the definitions/explanations for some of these words:

Phonics/VALLS

• VALLS - Virginia Language and Literacy Screening)

• phoneme - the individual/single sounds that each letter or digraph makes
• example - In the word "dog", there are 3 phonemes - d, o, g. 

• digraph - when two or more letters combine into a single phoneme
• example - In the word "math", there are also 3 phonemes beacuse of the one digraph "th" - m, a, th.

• phonemic awareness - the knowledge of any given phoneme
• This is a skill that is taught directly to students. It is not a skill that they just pick up from reading. Your child is being explicitly taught different phonemes in class and once taught and practiced, should be able to use it when they are reading or writing.

• phoneme segmenting - the ability to sound out each phoneme in a given word
• example - If your child hears the word "broke", they should be able to sound out the 4 phonemes - b, r, o, k. They may not have learned about silent e, but you cannot hear it so they should only say 4 sounds.

• blending - the ability to take each phoneme and combine it into a single syllable or word
• example - If your child segments "m-a-th", they should be able to blend it into "math".

• encoding - the ability to break down a word while writing
• example - If your child hears "cat", they should be able to spell it out correctly using c, a, t in order.

• decoding - the ability to break down a word while reading
• example - If your child sees "hog" in a book, they should be able to sound it out "h", "o", "g" and blend it into "hog".
• You may also see "decodable". This means that the text that your child is reading only has words that are easily decodable at their grade level. They should have the phonemic awareness to read all the words.

• pseudoword decoding - the ability to use phonemic awareness to break down/read a word that is NOT real; this shows what phonemes that your child has mastered and can use anytime they are reading
• example - If your child sees "rog" (not real), they should still be able to read it because they know the "r" phoneme and that "og" is like "log".

Reading

• inferring/inferencing - the ability to look beyond the text and find information about a character or event in a fictional text
• example - If the text says, "It is sunny and the children are wearing shorts.", then your child should be able to infer that it is warm outside.
• This can also apply across all subjects. 
• A way we practice this skill is at recess, I tell the kids the temperature and they decide if they need a jacket.

• WPM (words per minute) - how many words your child is able to read in a timed minute from a decodeable text

• background knowledge - the facts and information that your child already knows about a given topic
• Every child has different amounts of knowledge about different topics.
• example - A child who helps count money at the grocery store check-out will know more about money and coins than a child who does not. That child could know more about what things you see at the park than the first child.
• This is why we do a focused topic during reading while learning reading skills. It helps fill out the background gaps so that each child has a base amount of knowledge that is the same so they can focus on the reading skill instead of thinking "I don't know anything about volcanoes! How will I answer questions about it??"

Writing

• letter formation - how your child writes each letter
• This is more than just considering if your child's writing can be read by other people. We are looking to see if they know what letters need to be tall, what letters are short, and what letters hang below the line.

Playdough Recipe

The kids have requested that I share our playdough recipe. I have made this to use in the classroom for years and the kids have said it is more similar to slime (I've taken that to mean that they like it better 😉). 

I got the recipe from Playdough to Plato (click to see the full page). I typically make half the recipe and it works well as a size for one kiddo to use (I'm also making 6 different colors at the same time so it saves me time/ingredients too).

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour (You can substitute with gluten free flour if you’d like.)
• 3/4 cups of salt
• 6 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 3 cups of water
• Gel food coloring (The gel variety is a little pricier but the colors come out brighter.)
• wax paper (for cooling down)

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium/large pot.
2. Add water and oil until the clumps are gone.
3. Add food coloring.
4. Put on stove on medium heat.
5. Continuously stir until it becomes a mound of playdough.
6. Remove from pot and put on wax paper.
7. Let cool until you can handle it.
1. Knead the dough until all the color is mixed in.
2. Let sit for up to 30 minutes (or it will dry out).
8. Store in an air-tight container.

I typically replace it every 3 months or so.

Ways to Study at Home

 Click for a printable copy.

• Arabic
• English
• Persian
• Turkish

Brain Dump Explanation

Dear families,

We are trying a new way to help us study for our tests! It is called a “brain dump” where the kids write what they know about a topic IN THEIR OWN WORDS. 

Rather than just reading over or copying someone else’s words, they write down facts using their own wording. This activity is based on using the “retrieval process” which is how your brain pulls stored information and uses it. By writing their learning in their own words, the kids are pulling information from their brains rather than putting it INTO their brains.

The brain dump is NOT required, like a project or homework. It is just a tool that gives the kids another strategy to help them process their learning. It will, hopefully, help them remember their learning more easily. If it does not work well, or frustrates your child to use, that’s okay! They do not NEED to do it. We did complete one in class so they should understand how to do it.

Thank you for your continued support!

Ms. Stiffler

Click to view copies of this letter:

• Arabic
• English
• Persian
• Telugu

Click to print a copy to use at home.

Loudoun County Grading Marks (updated 10/2021)

post updated 10/5/21

*Students earn a + or 4 by correctly answering the challenge question, which is a higher-level question. On tests and quizzes, this is generally the last question and involves explaining their thinking.

While it doesn't list the 1,2,3,4 system, you can view the LCPS grading policy HERE.

Hybrid Learning - Grade 2 (Updated 10/19/2020)

Updated 10/19/2020

      

Please view the below Google Slides for information about Hybrid:

The Blog

Our best friend, the blog, will continue to be the best place to find information about homework, playlists, classroom events, school information, etc.

• Each day, there will be a post for the NAVY group and the MAROON group. Please be sure that you are checking the title of the post and the icon at the top for your child's group.
• Information will still be posted at 4pm each day for the day before.
• Please be sure to read the posts to make sure that your child has everything they need.
• Instead of "Classwork", it will be labelled "Homework". However, this means that it is what your child will be expected to do the next day.

ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a communication and positive reinforcement program. I use it with the kids to encourage them to continue making good choices as well as strengthen our school-to-home connection.

You will recieve directions on how to create a parent account soon. It has an app for your phone or iPad or you can access it via the website: www.classdojo.com.

Please watch the below video for more information:

As always, if you have any questions, please email me and let me know!

Testing for Second Grade

EDIT 4/16/21: This post has been adjusted to match the current learning environment. 👍

A couple things to keep in mind:

• These assessments are NOT GRADED and have no effect on your child's report card. I use these assessments to determine how to set up small groups and what skills your child needs to work on to be successful.
• It is an assessment of their current skills and knowledge. It is not an assessment of what we are doing in class.

• Some questions may be difficult. It's okay! That is completely expected and not something to worry about. I will be reminding the kids of this prior to testing as well.

PLEASE email me if you have any questions! I'm always open to helping you understand or feel more at ease with things that we are working on.

• PALS (Phonological Awareness and Literacy Screening)
• What is it? It is a required assessment for second graders that assesses their understanding of sight words (cat, the, apple, sandbox, etc.) and how words sound. It has a spelling part, a sight word (words in isolation) part, and a short reading passage. The student will be guided by the teacher. It is not graded and will not be on their report card.
• Why do we take it? Teachers use the data to determine how well students are able to decode words and recognize word sounds. If they are struggling with multiple sounds, then we will know to give them more support. 
• How often do we take it? All second graders take it in the fall; they have been taking it since Kindergarten if they have been in Virginia. Some students will take it again in the winter and the spring. If this applies to your child, I will let you know.
• CLICK HERE for more information from PALS.

• DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment)
• What is it? It is a required assessment for second graders that determines what reading level they are reading at. This includes reading a passage (fluency - how smoothly they read) and answering questions (comprehension of the text). The student will be guided by the teacher. It is not graded and will not be on their report card.
• Why do we take it? Teachers use this data to determine what reading level a student is. This helps us with making small reading groups and knowing what skills to work on.
• How often do we take it? All second graders take the DRA in the fall and the spring. Some students will take it in the winter. If this applies to your child, I will let you know. Students have been taking this assessment since they were in Kindergarten if they were in Virginia.

• MAP (Measures of Academic Progress)
• What is it? It is a required assessment for second graders that assesses their reading skills and their math skills. It adjusts depending on how your child answers the questions. It is not graded and will not be on their report card.
• If your child successfully answers a question, it will give them a harder question. After a couple of questions, it will level out and test them where they are successful.
• We take a reading MAP and a math MAP. They will be taken on separate dates.
• Why do we take it? Teachers use this data to determine what math and reading skills a student has and what they need to work on.
• How often do we take it? Second graders take MAP (both reading and math) three times a year (fall, winter, spring). Students may have taken this assessment previously if they were at Pinebrook in the fall of first grade.

Again, if you have questions or concerns about an assessment (or anything really), PLEASE email me! I do not want you to stress or worry over anything. I am here to help and clarify anything you may be concerned about.

Seesaw & Playlist Explanations

Seesaw

• What is Seesaw? It is an online platform that is easily accessible to young students. Here is some more information from Seesaw itself, which includes a FAQ: https://web.seesaw.me/remote-learning-for-families.

• How is second grade using it? Students will use Seesaw to turn in graded assignments, including quizzes. There may be optional activities posted as well. 

• What are SANDBOX and OPTIONAL activities? These activities ARE NOT graded and are just for the kids to do if they have extra time. Sometimes, they'll be on the playlists, but sometimes they will just be posted by your child's teacher for them to do.

• How will my child know their grade? Grades will be posted to ParentVUE. I will also leave a comment on their work.
• 1 - Your child is still working on this skill. They do not have a good understanding of this yet. I will work with them on this in small groups.
• 2 - Your child understands parts of this skill. I will work with them on this in small groups.
• 3 - Your child understands this skill! They are ready for the next skill.

• What does it mean that Ms. Stiffler ONLY "liked" my child's assignment, but didn't comment on it (a pink heart)? It means that I've seen it, but it is not a grade. This would mainly go on the Sandbox and Optional activities.

• When are my child's assignments due? Assignments on Seesaw will be posted on the day that they can be found on the playlist. All Must-Dos on Seesaw are due by the following Sunday.
• Example: Citizenship is posted on Tuesday, 9/22 as it is on the Tuesday playlist. The quiz can be done any day before 9/27.
• Teachers would prefer that quizzes are completed on the same day that they are posted on the Playlist. However, if it fits your schedule best to do it on Saturdays, then that works.

• How does my child log into Seesaw? They will need their text code or QR code. This was sent to each parent in an email on 9/15.
• To log in on a laptop/Chromebook, click HERE.
• To log in on an iPad/tablet, click HERE.
• To log in on a phone, click HERE.

• How does my child use Seesaw? Click HERE to view a video about the features of Seesaw.

• What do I need to make sure my child is doing well on Seesaw? 
• Please encourage your child to read all the directions on each activity. There is a recording of the directions that your child can listen to. 
• You can check their "To-Do" folder with them and make sure that they have completed all Must-dos.
• Encourage your child to check over comments left by their teacher on their work. You can view these on the activity or go to "Inbox" and then "Notifications".
• Check your child's "Draft" folder. If I sent something back to them, it will show up as a draft with a comment from me about what they need to finish.
• You can view this video for more about items that are sent back.

Asynchronous Playlist

• What does Asynchronous mean? Asynchronous means that the work is on your own. Your child is working independently from their teacher. In comparison, Synchronous means together at the same time; this is the morning session where the kids are together with their teacher on Google Meet.

• What is a Must-Do activity? A must-do is a required activity. This means that your child MUST complete the assignment. This might be on Seesaw or it might be another program (Dreambox, RAZ kids, Lalilo, etc.). It is the first column on the playlist (the red one). This is where their quizzes would be on the Playlist. Must-Do activities are graded.

• What is a May-Do activity? A may-do is an assignment that your child can CHOOSE to do. It is something that would add to their knowledge, but is not something that they are required to do. It will be related to what we are currently learning about. It is the middle column on the playlist (yellow).

• When should my child work on their Playlist?
• On Mondays, your child will be working on their Asynchronous Playlist most of the day. We only meet as a class from 8:15 - 8:30/8:45am on Mondays.
• When we start small groups, your child might have a small group they will also have to attend in the afternoon.
• On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, your child will be working on their Asynchronous Playlist starting at 12:45pm.
• When we start small groups, your child might have a small group they will also have to attend in the afternoon.

**If you have any questions, please email me and let me know!

First Day Reminders 2020

                                            

Dear families,

The first day of school is almost here! I’m looking forward to getting this school year started with all of you. Every teacher at Pinebrook has been working hard to get everything ready and make sure this experience will be a positive one. I’m sure that we (myself and you!) will be working together to make this year a success as well!

Thank you to all of you for picking up your school supplies on Thursday! That is already a big step in helping you be successful this year. I know you’ve been working hard to prepare your learning spaces at home! I would recommend putting your learning space in an area that is quiet and has as little distractions as possible. Please make sure that your supplies are easily available and accessible in your learning space; you don’t want to be making a mad dash across the house for a pencil in the middle of a lesson!

Over the weekend, please help your child practice logging into Schoology and explore it with them. Try clicking the different buttons and see where they take you! The biggest thing is practicing logging in and going to the Google Meet button. Your child will need to do this EVERY school day morning to access our Synchronous/online sessions. (I will also email out the Google Meet link in the mornings as a back-up for the first week.) Just a small reminder that we do not have our licensing for Seesaw yet and therefore, you will not be able to log into that program at this time; I will email you when it does become available.

We will be starting our school year on Tuesday, 9/8 at 8:15am on Google Meet. Again, please help your child practice getting into Schoology and clicking on the Google Meet button. This button will only work if your child is logged into their Chromebook or THEIR LCPS account (their email and password will also log them into Google), not a parent account. 

There is a new button for the Morning News Show. A new show will be posted each morning for students to view if they choose. It is a great way to start the day. Keep in mind that class starts at 8:15am and that each news show is about 10 minutes long. When the show is finished, your child will need to click on the BACK BUTTON to go back to our Schoology, not close the window. If they close the window, they will have to open and log into Schoology again. You can practice this over the weekend as well.

While Tuesday will likely have some technical difficulties or glitches, we will be okay! We are all taking this one day at a time. If you are having issues, please feel free to email me and I’ll do my best to help. If not, you can also contact LCPS Tech Support; there was a note sent home on Thursday with this information and it is also on Schoology, inside the “Important Links and Documents” folder. 

I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing long weekend and I’ll see our Room 20 kiddos Tuesday morning!

Thank you,

Ms. Stiffler

Welcome to Room 20! (2020-2021)

 Hello and welcome, Room 20 Families! 

I am excited to be starting this journey of a school year together! While it may not be ideal or what we are used to, I am sure we will still make it a great year. There are definitely going to be challenges that we will face this year; please try to keep in mind that this is a learning experience for all of us. I am committed to working together with you, your family, and your child to make this year as successful as possible!

Please keep an eye on the Puma Paw which will provide you with information from Mr. Thiessen, our principal, about school events. This includes Chromebook Pick-Up (students in Kindergarten - Third Grade), student supply pick-up, and Back to School Night.

My main goal with this email is to get started connecting with you! I have chosen to use Google Meet to spend time with each of our Room 20 families and get to know my new second graders. Please use this Sign Up Genius link to pick a time slot that works best for you and your family. My plan is to simply touch base with you, your child, and your family during this time. I would also appreciate it if you would take the time to fill out a Parent Survey prior to our Meet. I am very excited to meet you and get this year started!

Thank you for your support and I look forward to working with you and your child this year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Stiffler

kailea.stiffler (@) lcps.org

P.S. Consider exploring the Blog! There’s some good resources already on there. It’s going to be a huge resource during the school year. You can find it here: stifflersecondgrade.blogspot.com.

Click here for my Meet the Teacher flyer!

(You should have also received this letter in an email earlier this morning.)

Update for Google Classroom 3/23/2020

Hello, families!

So we are aware that there have been issues getting into Google Classroom. This is a new platform to most of us K-2 teachers as it is to some of you! We are still working out some bugs but hopefully, we have narrowed down a solution.

Each of your students have a school email assigned to them when they enter the LCPS system. It is their student ID at lcps.org (ex. 123456@lcps.org) and their password is their normal password for logging into school computers or LCPS Go! Since each child has an email, they should be able to log into Outlook Email using their studentID@lcps.org and their normal password. In their email, they should have an invitation to join the Grade 2 Google Classroom. You can access Outlook through LCPS Go! or by going to the Outlook main website. On LCPS Go!, the icon should look like this:

OR

After joining, students should be able to access the Google Classroom by going to their LCPS Go! Account, clicking on the Google folder, and clicking on Google Classroom. As a parent, you can be invited to view summaries of your child’s work. If you would like to be invited, please email your child’s teacher and request an invitation; be sure to tell the teacher what email you would like to be used. For more information about Google Classroom and the roles we each play in using it, HERE is a resource from one of our tech people (IFT), Mrs. Clark.

Just to clarify, at this point, we won't be using Google classroom regularly until after March 30th. This time is just for us to work out bugs (like not being able to join the classroom) and allow you and the kids time to explore and find where everything is. So if you're having trouble, please don't stress!

If you are having trouble with your student’s password, please call the Support Center Portal at (571) 252-2112. Our on-site tech folks are not able to reset passwords in our current situation.

Thanks for your patience as we navigate through these new waters of teaching!
Love,
Grade 2 Team






For the digital version of the letter, please click here.

Math Resources: Games

Here are some math games that the kids play during math stations. These games can easily be played at home!

1. Subitizing (soo-bit-tize-ing)

• This is something we do during our number talks in math. We don't use it as a game,but you could easily turn it into a game!
• It is basically being able to look at a group of objects (dots/spots) and know how many are there. You can read THIS article for more information and resources about subitizing.
• How we play in class:
1. Show the card three times in short bursts (They only see it for 2-4 seconds at a time). I also look at the card quickly (the same amount of time they have).
2. Wait for the kids to think.
3. Choose a kid to explain what number they saw and how they saw it.
• ex.) "I saw 10 because I saw 4 on the left, 2 on the bottom, and then 4 on the right. I know that 4 plus 2 plus 4 equals 10."
• If their answer is wrong, that's okay! The important part is being able to explain their thinking and it matches up with the card.
4. If you have more than one kiddo, have them explain their thinking OR you could explain how you saw it.
• The goal is to show different ways of thinking.

• Resources:
• I have cards that I use so I will link some resources below:
• Free resources on TeacherPayTeachers (search "subitizing" and choose "free" on the left side, you'll have to scroll down.)
• Number Sense Subitizing 
• This one is closest to the cards that I use in class.
• Fall Subitizing
• Ten Frame Flash
• Apple Subitizing
• Non-Standard Subitizing
• Subitizing cards
• Subitizing Ten Frames
• Jack Hartmann (videos and music)
• The kids know that Jack Hartmann is one of my favorite math people for music! The videos show different patterns of dots and give the kids a couple seconds to answer.
• Subitize Rock (to 10)
• Subitize Country (to 10)
• Subitize Rap
• Making your own cards
• You can have your kiddo(s) make the cards themselves!
• Materials:
• index cards/paper plates
• markers/sticker dots (CIRCLES!)
• Directions: Make various patterns of 3 to 12 dots on your plate/index card. It doesn't have to be perfect!

2. Splat!

• This is VERY similar to normal subitizing. The difference is that the kids are given the total number of dots FIRST and have to determine how many dots are UNDER the splat.
• This is a resource created by Steve Wyborney and can be found HERE.
• There are directions included with each set to help you.

3. Addition/Subtraction War

• This game is based on, and quite similar, to the regular card game "War."

• Materials:
• A deck of cards
• We take out all the face cards, but you could use them and give each one a value. Something like:
• King = 30 or 3
• Queen = 20 or 2
• Joker = 10 or 100
• Ace = 1

• Directions:
• Addition War 
• Subtraction War
• CHALLENGE: Multiplication War
• OPTIONAL: In class, the kids record their numbers and equations as they play so you could also have your kiddo(s) do this while they play.
• Addition Recorder
• Subtraction Recorder
• Multiplication Recorder

4. Tic-Tac-Ten Frame

• This idea was sourced from Greg Tang; you can find more resources from him HERE.

• Materials:
• 1 die per person/group
• If you do not have dice at home, here is a template to make one at home!
• 1 board

• Directions
• You can adjust the number of dice depending on what chart you choose to use.
• The charts are made to be every 10 from 10 to 120.
• You can view a video from Greg Tang that explains how to play HERE.

Lalilo Explanation

Lalilo

What: An online application that focuses on phonics, sight words, word families, and comprehension.

Why: It gives a more phonics-focused approach to words and reading. It really focuses in on words that kiddos are struggling on and is more personalized to each child.

When: The kids are using it during Puma Power on their technology day. They are also welcome to use it at home as they/you wish. It DOES NOT replace their RAZ kids time. It is additional optional practice.

How: Go to the website and log in OR have your child log into their LCPS Go! account and look for the above icon. The SCHOOL CODE is in their agenda.

The kids practiced with the program for the first time before Thanksgiving break. They all showed interest in it. They have practiced logging in before so they should be okay with it at home.