Dibels Testing for Grades 1-3
DIBELS, which stands for Dynamic
Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills,
is an assessment given to all first through
third graders. The dates for testing are
January 10-14, 2011. This test is given at
the beginning of the year, in January, and
at the end of the year and assesses a
variety of literacy skills including fluency
and decoding. All DIBELS measures are
timed with most taking only one minute.
The reason for timing is to find out if a
child is able to answer the questions
automatically. Having these basic reading
skills at the automatic level allows
children to focus on understanding the
meaning of what they are reading This
assessment assists us in placing students
in reading intervention programs as well as
guiding instruction for the classroom
teacher. Our goal this year is to have
90% of all our students on grade level in
reading. These results will be shared with
you in the second quarter report cards as
well as the March parent-teacher
conferences. To help your child be
successful in reading, research clearly
shows the importance of reading at home
EVERY night for at least 20 minutes in a
text which the child can read with at
least a 90% accuracy rate. Your child's
teacher is a great resource who will be
able to tell you the level of books that is
appropriate. Remember, THE MORE YOU
READ, THE SMARTER YOU GET!
Who Is a Bully?
Children who bully their peers regularly
tend to :
-Be impulsive, hot-headed, dominant;
-Be easily frustrated
-Lack empathy;
-Have difficulty following rules;
-View violence in a positive way.
Common myths about children who bully:
-"Children who bully are loners"-Research
indicates that children who bully are not
socially isolated, they report having an
easier time making friends who support or
encourage their bullying.
-"Children who bully have low selfesteem"-Most research indicates that
children who bully have average or aboveaverage self-esteem, therefore,
interventions that focus on building the
self-esteem of children who bully
probably will be ineffective in stopping
bullying behaviors.
There is no single cause of bullying among
children. A host of different factors can
place a child at risk for bullying his or her
peers. It is most important to recognize
that children who bully need support and
guidance to learn appropriate behaviors.
In doing this they will be more likely to
develop friendships and relationships they
deserve.
Parent Contact Information Updates
If you have new contact information such
as an address change or a phone number
change for home or work, please send a
note or call the office to update your
child's information. We often have
children who get sick at school and we
have no way to contact anyone!