BCS Elementary Ed Newsletter

May 8 - Required Workday

May 29 - Holiday-Memorial Day

June 1 - Last Day of School

June 2 - Required Workday

June 5-8 - Required Workdays

June 9 - Non-Required Workday

This month, the nation shines a light on teachers for Teacher Appreciation Day and Week. Thank you to each and every teacher in Brunswick County Schools. As we celebrate classroom teachers this month, I'd like to also shine the light on our Elementary Instructional Coaching team for the work they do with all of the content areas in all 6 grade levels as well as their work within our elementary schools. Thank you for all you do for our students.

One research-based elementary school level comprehension reading strategy is called "making connections." This strategy encourages students to connect what they are reading to their prior knowledge and experiences. By making connections, students are better able to understand and retain the information they are reading. For example, students might connect a story about a character who is afraid of the dark to their own experiences with fear, helping them to better understand the character's emotions and motivations. Making connections also helps students to engage with the text on a personal level, making reading a more enjoyable and meaningful experience.

To implement the "making connections" strategy, teachers can encourage students to share their connections with the class or with a partner. Teachers can also model the strategy by sharing their own connections to the text. Additionally, teachers can provide graphic organizers or other tools to help students organize their connections and make them more concrete. By using this strategy, students will not only improve their reading comprehension, but they will also develop important critical thinking skills and become more confident and engaged readers.

Savanna Helms Literacy Intervention Specialist