Summer Programs

Page history last edited by Ginny Mason 4 mos ago

Grant Summer Reading and Math Program 2009

Welcome Grant Students and Parents!

Check out our two summer program offerings and help.

Summer Reading with Accelerated Reading
Summer Math Facts In A Flash Mastery
Help with Logins and Other Frequently Asked Questions
Summer Reading Lists and Reading Fun

Just in....Grant Summer Writing Program! Find out more...

Want to take the plunge?

Just submit your participation form.
One per student please. Open to current students (school year 2008-09) in grades 1-6.

* Participants will be acknowledged during the first Best Assembly at the beginning of the 2009-10 school year

Summer Reading with Accelerated Reading

How many words do you think you can read over the summer? Use our Accelerated Summer Reading program to find out! (With over 120,000 quiz titles, you are sure to find a book that you like with a quiz.)

Tools for Summer Reading and Math Program

(Need login and other help!)

Take a Reading Quiz

Take a Math Fact Test

Accelerated Reader

Math Facts in a Flash

Find Books To Read

View Quizzes Word Counts

Practice Math Facts

Home Connect

Chart your reading and math goals.

Example reading and math goal charts.

It's easy to read books over the summer.

READ a book
LOGIN to Renaissance Place
Take a QUIZ on the book.
Chart your progress. (Print this chart. View example chart.)

Need HELP!

Happy Reading!

*Access to the program will be available during the weeks of the summer break. AR reading and quiz taking will resume in the classrooms only when school starts up again.

Summer Math Facts In A Flash Mastery

Can you become a Math Master this summer? Use our Math Facts In A Flash program to help you get there.

Spend 5 minutes a day this summer to become a Math Master.

LOGIN to Renaissance Place
PRACTICE (P) once in Math Facts in a Flash
TEST (T) once in Math Facts In A Flash.
CHART your progress. (Print this chart. View example chart.)

Need HELP!

In no time, you'll become a Math Master!

Help with Logins and Other Frequently Asked Questions

Try the following frequently asked questions and solutions first!

Renaissance Place Explained

Renaissance Place is a series of math and reading tools. Grant is only using two tools during the Summer: Accelerated Reader and Math Facts In A Flash.

Students take quizzes on books they've read or had read to/with which checks their understanding of the text and logs the number of words in the book.
Studnets take tests (they can also practice math facts on the current level) on math facts mastery.

Renaissance Place logs the goals and achievements.

Home Connect Tabs Explained

Home Connect is a tool generally used at home during the school year. It offers students the ability to:

View quizzes taken and the results as a summary, their last quiz taken or all quizzes taken (the bookshelf). You cannot take reading quizzes in Home Connect.
Practice math facts families in any order and as many times as they want. While practices and tests are provided, the school results (tests take in Renaissance Place) record mastery. Home Connect practice and test results do not show up in Renaissance Place reports.

Reading Tab

Current Marking Period = Summer
Number of Quizzes Taken/Passed in current marking period
Total Word Count for all quizzes in current marking period
Last quiz taken and results
Bookshelf contains a shelf with book covers of all quizzes taken since Grant began the program.
AR Bookfinder link = the same link as those found on this page and the front page.

Math Tab

School Results link for those tests taken in Renaissance Place
Last test taken in Renaissance Place results
Number of levels mastered
Home Results link = results from practices in Home Connect
Link to start practicing in Home Connect; last results recording on Home Results link

Logins and Error Messages

What username and password should a student use?

Use the same username and password used all during the school year. All students in grades 1-6 (school year 2008-09) have a username and password.

What if my child doesn't remember their username and password?

Use the "Find User Name" link on the Renaissance Place login page. Enter either your last name or first and hit search. Click on your name, Your username is then added to the login box. Your password is your initials.
If that doesn't work, use the following form (leave estimated words blank and answer "no" to the math program). Please be patient, we are on vacation too! Email may not be checked daily.

What if my child doesn't have a username and password?

Unfortunately, if you are a new student entering Grant for 2009-2010 school year or a Kindergartner (in 2008-09), we are unable to add you at this time. However, you can still submit a form and keep track of your own words read (just look up the book in AR Bookfinder) and keep a log. We want to recoginze these students as well, so we'll catch up with you when school begins in August 2009.

What if my child gets locked out?

You have 3 tries to enter your username and password correctly. If you get locked out because you tried 3 times, your account will unlock at the same time the next day, so try back the next day.

What if we get an error message about a plug-in missing?

You can check the system requirement plug-ins by clicking on the "Check Software Requirements" at the bottom of the Renaissance Place page (where you select "student"). Any plug-in that is missing is noted along with links to download it. Sometimes you'll need to install updated versions even though the system check indicates everything is fine. You are on your own to solve software problems.

What if the program tells my student that they can't take a Math Facts In A Flash test or quiz in Renaissance Place?

If the program states "The Student capacity has expired. Please see your teacher.", you can try again later. We are out of licenses. If you still don't have any luck later, use Home Connect and print out your progress at the end of the summer.
Check your system requirements. (See question above this one for instructions on how to do this task).

What if the program tells my student that they can't take a Math Facts In A Flash practice or test in Home Connect?

You must first take a practice or test in Home Connect.

Reading

How do we keep track of our goals and quizzes?

Use the following Summer Reading Goals Chart (PDF file) or create your own.

View the example reading chart

What if the program tells my student that they can't take a quiz?

There are three potential situations where this can occur, please check all three.

Your child has already read the book and taken a quiz. You cannot re-take a quiz. To check, view quizzes taken for the entire school year in Accelerated Reader or from Home Connect.
The Summer Program has not yet started. It begins June 6, 2009. Until then, the system may not allow you to take a quiz during school hours or on weekends nor will it track your word count for the Summer period.
We did not setup the program correctly. Please click here and enter the problem in the space provided. Don't forget your email address and a message indicating the problem.

Want to know how to estimate the number of words to read this summer?

Use AR Bookfinder to search for a couple of books that you'd like to read over the summer.
Add up the words.
If you think you'll read a few more books, estimate how many words based on those that you looked up. HEY, THAT"S MATH! I thought this was a reading program!

What do I do if a quiz isn't in Accelerated Reader?

Click here to try these search tips.
Try finding the bok in AR BookFinder if you find the quiz there, search by the Quiz Number in Accelerated Reaader.
If you find the book in AR BookFinder, but still don't see it in Accelerated Reader, use this form. You need to include the title and the author so we can activate the quiz (or the Quiz Number if you've looked that up in AR BookFinder.)
If you don't find the book in AR BookFinder, chances are, the book does not have a quiz. That's okay. Just read another. It is great to read all kinds of books...not all of them will have quizzes.

How do I keep track of my goals?

An email with your estimated words to read goal will be sent after you sign up.
Print the email and print this chart.
Mark your goal on the chart and other labels. There is an example here.
After taking a quiz, login to Home Connect and view your total words count.
Chart your new total.
Post it on the refrigerator!

What is a ZPD?

If you received a ZPD from your child's teacher. You can find out more about it here.

Math

Having difficulty passing a math facts level?

Try the following three methods:

Use Home Connect.

LOGIN to Home Connect for the next few days.
PRACTICE and TEST there.
When the results are close to two minutes for a test round, go back to Renaissance Place/Math Facts In A Flash.

Use a math game to practice.

Find a math game that addresses your level.
Play it for a few minutes a day for a few days.
After a couple of days, go back to Renaissance Place/Math Facts In A Flash.

Use regular flash cards.

Buy or make a set of flash cards for one or more levels.
Keep them in the car and practice when you are going places.
After a couple of days, go back to Renaissance Place/Math Facts In A Flash.

What levels should my child try to master by the end of the summer?

The following guidelines have been set by Grant teachers for each grade.

Students Entering Grade...in 2009-2010	Addition	Subtraction	Multiplication	Division	Beyond Division
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th, 5th and 6th Grades

How can we chart the mastered math levels?

Print the following chart.
View an example chart.
Add your name and mark the goal according to the level above.
Check off the levels after they've been mastered in Renaissance Place/Math Facts In A Flash

What if the program tells my student that they can't take a Math Facts In A Flash test or quiz in Renaissance Place?

If the program states "The Student capacity has expired. Please see your teacher.", you can try again later. We are out of licenses. If you still don't have any luck later, use Home Connect and print out your progress at the end of the summer.
Check your system requirements. (See Login and Error mesages for instructions on how to do this task).

What if the program tells my student that they can't take a Math Facts In A Flash practice or test in Home Connect?

You must first take a practice or test in Home Connect.

Other

What if I've tried all of those above or I have another question?

You may submit the following form with any additional information in the comment box describing your problem or question. Please note, we are not checking every minute of the day! (We are on vacation too!)

Summer Reading Lists and Reading Fun

In addition to the AR Bookfinder (look on the collections tab for award winners or search by genre or level), you can use these resources to help you find books.