Mrs. Merrill’s English
Every week we have the following assignments:
· Vocab Test: we have a vocab test at the end of every week (either Thursday or Friday depending on the block schedule). You should see your student studying for this test throughout the week. Your student needs to memorize all 10 vocab words, their definitions, and how to spell them. The format of the test is pretty much the same every week. The first two words I give to them orally; they need to write the words correctly. Other words I give them the definitions and they give me the word, or I give them a sentence and they need to fill in the blank, or I give them the word and they need to use it in a sentence. I do not give your student words to choose from on the test – they need to memorize all 10 words. I have taught them a few study techniques. One memorization strategy is this: make up a weird, nonsense phrase using the first letters of every word. For example: this week’s words are interrogate, flexible, relay, really, rejoice, applicable, mellow, compare, and embarrass. An example of a phrase could be: FARMER LIRC
(Flexible, Applicable, Rejoice, Mellow, Embarrass, Relay, Loathe, Interrogate, Really, Compare)
The vocab lessons are designed to help your student study. Vocab Tests are worth 20 points.
· Vocab Lesson: At the end of every week (either Thursday or Friday) after the vocab test, your student starts their vocab lesson. First, they write down the 10 vocab words for the next week’s test. Then they do the following for each word: (1) Write it out five times (2) Define it in their own words with the help of a dictionary (3) Tell what part of speech it is (noun, adjective, verb, etc.) (4) Connect it to their own lives—making it personal (this could be a simple word or phrase) (5) Drawing a memory clue to visually remember the word (6) Use the word in a complete sentence that shows their understanding of the word. Vocabulary lessons are started at the end of the week (Thursday or Friday) and due the first of the week (Monday or Tuesday). For example, if your student took their vocab test on Friday, they would get the new vocab lesson on Friday, and the lesson would be due on Tuesday. I grade their lessons on the same day and hand it back to them so they can have it throughout the week to study. (Note: if they hand the lesson in late, they need to make sure to get it from me to study from). Vocab Lessons are worth 15 points.
· Reading Record: Reading Records are also due at the beginning of the week (either Monday or Tuesday). For the Reading Records, your student is required to read 100 minutes from a novel (not from magazines, textbooks, newspapers, scriptures, etc.) at home each week. This is about 20 minutes a night. The reading needs to be completed over a minimum of three days. This is to ensure consistent and continuous reading. Your student records the dates they read, the title of the book they read, and how many minutes they read. They write a quick response on what they read, they sign the paper, and the parent/guardian signs the paper. By having the parent sign it, I know they saw the students reading at home. Reading Records are worth 10 points.
· GUM Sentences: This is in class work. Every day at the beginning of class, we correct sentences as a class. This helps the student’s grammar, usage, and mechanics in their writing (hence, GUM). If your student is absent, it is their responsibility to get these sentences from a fellow classmate. GUM sentences are worth 5 points.
If your student is failing right now, they need to hand in their homework ON TIME and COMPLETED. Because we do these assignments every week, if your student consistently hands in their homework, their grade will be brought up in the next few weeks. LATE WORK: If an assignment is late, your student can only receive a 70% on it. I DO NOT accept late work after one week of it’s due date.
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