Here we are at the end of the first nine weeks already! Students are doing a great job completing their reading logs nightly. Keep looking at and signing planners and reading logs nightly throughout the second nine weeks.
Reading
This week is a short one for many reasons. Wednesday students are scheduled to go on a field trip for Music to the Symphony Orchestra. Then Friday the 28th is a planning which means the students don't have school. However, we are going to go ahead in reading with a new focus since this week's skill is one that students should be very comfortable with. We will discuss and work with story structure this week. That is identifying characters, setting and plot from a story. We have discussed this in depth through our narrative focus in writing so this should be pretty easy. Their story is La Bamba and the vocabulary words are in the textbook on pg 160-161. In addition to those words we added debut, duo, embarrassed, and rehearsal. Since it is a short week tests will be given on Thursday.
Language
Students are still focusing on the narrative genre of writing. They should have turned in their second piece, a tall tale, by no later than Monday the 24th. We will be sharing stories in class as well as focusing on prompt reading. Students will participate in the CSE writing prompt on Tuesday of this week.
Students should have a focused spelling list from a pretest given in class to study throughout the week for spelling.
Important Dates:
Last day of 1st nine weeks.........Monday, October 24
Field Trip.........................Wednesday, October 26
Monster Mash Dance 6-8p.m..........Thursday, October 27
Planning day-No School.......................Friday, October 28
Until next time,
R. O'Steen
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Update October 17-21, 2011
Well we are right at the end of the first nine weeks. It is hard to believe 1/4 of the year is already over! The last day of the nine weeks is October 24 therefore, last week's theme 1 benchmark test will be the last grade recorded for this 1st nine weeks. I will be sending home a current grade update on Wednesday of this week.
Reading
This week in reading our focus will be fact and opinion. A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. An opinion is a statement of how someone believes or feels. Students will be reading the text Michelle Kwan Heart of a Champion as the selection to practice recognizing facts and opinions in a text.
Vocabulary words for the selection are located on page 136 in the text book. Students should understand the words well enough to be able to use the word in context. Finding a connector word is a great way to help remember what the word means. For example for technical the student could pair the word skilled which is a more familiar word to them.
A round of applause...students are doing a great job of keeping up with their reading logs!!!
Language
Spelling words for this week are compound words. Students should have a pretest which they have checked and corrected for a focused study list. I have told them to keep these (vocabulary and spelling) lists in the front pocket of their reading log folder.
In writers workshop students are still working in the narrative genre for writing. They will be publishing and presenting their tall tales with the class this week. Ask your child who their character is and what wild tales they can tell you about them.
Important Dates:
Early Dismissal................October 19
Last day of the nine weeks.....October 24
Monster Mash Costume Dance.....October 27
Planning day...................October 28
Until next time,
R. O'Steen
Reading
This week in reading our focus will be fact and opinion. A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. An opinion is a statement of how someone believes or feels. Students will be reading the text Michelle Kwan Heart of a Champion as the selection to practice recognizing facts and opinions in a text.
Vocabulary words for the selection are located on page 136 in the text book. Students should understand the words well enough to be able to use the word in context. Finding a connector word is a great way to help remember what the word means. For example for technical the student could pair the word skilled which is a more familiar word to them.
A round of applause...students are doing a great job of keeping up with their reading logs!!!
Language
Spelling words for this week are compound words. Students should have a pretest which they have checked and corrected for a focused study list. I have told them to keep these (vocabulary and spelling) lists in the front pocket of their reading log folder.
In writers workshop students are still working in the narrative genre for writing. They will be publishing and presenting their tall tales with the class this week. Ask your child who their character is and what wild tales they can tell you about them.
Important Dates:
Early Dismissal................October 19
Last day of the nine weeks.....October 24
Monster Mash Costume Dance.....October 27
Planning day...................October 28
Until next time,
R. O'Steen
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Updates October 3-7, 2011
I hope you have been enjoying the weather as much as I have!!! This week we have been finishing up our beginning year assessments. Now we can begin to really work on strengths and weaknesses in our Readers and Writers Workshop.
Reading
This week students have been studying the genre of tall tales. Tall tales are stories with exaggerated events and characters. There are four examples of tall tales in their reading textbook. They have been assigned Paul Bunyan and Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind to read this week. There will be a test on these stories on Friday.
Students were also given a vocabulary study guide with the words and definitions for this week.
There is no spelling list for this week.
Writing
Students should have finished their first story and turned it in to me. We are now going to try our hand at writing a tall tale of our own. Ask your child who their character is and what their tall tale qualities are.
Important dates:
Wednesday/Early dismissal........Science benchmark
Thursday.........................M.A.P. test
Friday...........................vocabulary and reading selection tests
Reading
This week students have been studying the genre of tall tales. Tall tales are stories with exaggerated events and characters. There are four examples of tall tales in their reading textbook. They have been assigned Paul Bunyan and Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind to read this week. There will be a test on these stories on Friday.
Students were also given a vocabulary study guide with the words and definitions for this week.
There is no spelling list for this week.
Writing
Students should have finished their first story and turned it in to me. We are now going to try our hand at writing a tall tale of our own. Ask your child who their character is and what their tall tale qualities are.
Important dates:
Wednesday/Early dismissal........Science benchmark
Thursday.........................M.A.P. test
Friday...........................vocabulary and reading selection tests
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