A Message from our Family Engagement Specialist

A Message from our Family Literacy Specialist:

Hello Families,

My name is Lexi Lundberg and I am the PreK-5th grade Family Engagement/Literacy Specialist for Moorhead Area Public Schools. This month you will have the opportunity to meet with your student’s teacher at family-teacher conferences. Conferences will be held on October 17th, 18th from 4:00-7:30 p.m. and October 19th from 8:00-11:45 a.m. Conferences allow teachers and families to: 

  • Build Trusting Relationships

  • Share Progress

  • Set Goals 

You are equal partners in your student’s education.You are a supporter, encourager, monitor, and advocate for your student and may have certain questions or topics you would like to discuss during conferences. Teachers welcome questions and want to learn more about your family, your student’s interests, and challenges. This information helps teachers to support them and create a positive school experience.  Below you will find four questions you can ask to better understand your student’s school experience this fall and how you can support them at home.  


   Do you think my student is making adequate academic gains at this time of year? 

Is my student learning and following classroom routines and procedures? 

How does my student interact socially with classmates? Do you see my student making friends and building relationships with others? 

What can I do at home to support my student at school? 

During the conference you might hear their teacher use words or terms you may not be familiar with. Below you will find common terms and definitions that can support your understanding of your student’s progress.

Benchmark

The goal for students in this grade at specific times throughout the school year, usually fall, winter, spring

Phonics

Using letter sounds to make words; some letters make more than one sound

Phonemic Awareness

Knowing that sounds go together to make a word 

Sound Spelling

Spelling a word based only on the sounds the child hears (Ex. kat = cat, ugen = again)

High-Frequency Words

Words that are used a lot in reading and writing. (Ex. said, is, can, it, from)

Fluency

Reading that matches talking. This includes pace, emotions and saying words smoothly.

aimswebPlus

An online literacy and math assessment used three times per year in the fall, winter, and spring. 

Read Well Summary Report

Federally mandated document shared with families two times per year to share literacy assessment results and small group intervention if applicable. 

AVMR 

Add+VantageMR® (AVMR) assessments are given to students in grades K-5 to measure students' understanding of numeracy. The AVMR assessments evaluate the following:

  • counting forwards

  • counting backwards

  • identifying numbers

  • addition and subtraction

  • place value

  • multiplication and division

Families are a child’s first and best teachers. We want to support you and your family to have a great fall family-teacher conference! 

Kindly, 

Lexi Lundberg, Family Literacy Specialist 

Phone: (218) 284-6376 Email: alundberg@moorheadschools.org