How Can I Help my Child to Become a Stronger Reader?

Five Tips from Scholastic:

1. Read aloud with your child. Find a comfortable spot where the two of you can read together every day for about 30 minutes. Take turns reading chapters from a book for pleasure, or read books that are above her reading level but are about things that interest her.

2. Encourage all reading. Comic books and magazines can provide a good reading experience. As long as they are age-appropriate, don't discourage his interest, but keep a stock of high-quality books in your home so he has other options easily available.

3. Keep a dictionary handy. Together, look up words she doesn't know and invest in a dictionary she can use on her own.

4. Use informative books. Encourage reading for information. If he has a science report, help him find books for his research rather than only going to the Web. While the Internet is an easy resource, teach him that books are often more detailed.

5. Discuss the books. Ask your child what an author's main theme is, how characters are alike or different, what she likes or dislikes about the story, and how it compares to other books she's read. Share your own thoughts.

Below are the types of reading skills practiced regularly in class:

• Identify conflicts within your reading (man vs man, man vs self, man vs. nature) Explain what type of conflict(s) you are reading about and identify which type it falls under.
• Make a text to text, text to self, or text to world connection.
• Identify different examples of figurative language from your reading: metaphor, simile, hyperbole, idiom, personification, or  examples of alliteration.
• What is the mood of your story? How does it make you, as the reader, feel while reading the story? Explain the situation. Why does it make you feel that way?
• Identify a theme within your story.  Who learned what and explain how you know that this lesson was learned.  
• Make a comparison between a character in this book and a character within another book.  Be specific.
• Explain parts of the story that are realistic or unrealistic. Be specific about what is happening in the story and what makes it realistic or unrealistic?
• Identify character traits that describe the actions of a character.  Identify evidence from the text to support your answer.
• Describe examples of irony that you see in the story.

Where is my child in relation to completing trimester one reading responses?

On Friday, November 3rd, all students will receive a note stapled in their agenda indicating which reading responses they have completed.  If the response was completed, I have initialed the box.  If it is not initialed that means I did not receive that response yet.  All trimester one reading responses are due by Tuesday, November 28th.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports went home today, along with conference sign up slips.  Please sign and return by Monday, November 6th.

Thank you!

Movie Theme Assignment

The teacher created reading response for trimester one will be a movie theme assignment.  Why a movie and not a book?  Students need to use the same comprehension skills that they would while reading to determine theme.  The assignment is based around the concept of theme.

Movie Theme Assignment

Due Date: Monday, November 20th

Theme, as you know, refers to the lesson learned within a book, play or movie. It is something that the author is trying to teach throughout his or her work.

As a class we were able to determine several different themes watching the movie “The Lorax”. (See below)

Your task:

• Watch a movie (It will be easiest if you pick a movie that you really understand).
• Write a written summary to include: characters, setting, plot, details, problem and solution.
• Determine, at minimum, three themes from your movie. (Who learned what?)
• Be sure that your themes are universal, meaning that they are life lessons that are general and can be taken from situation to situation.
• Themes should be written as COMPLETE sentences
  Lorax Themes
  • If you interfere with nature, there may be consequences.
  • Even if you do something horrible, you can always try to fix it.
  • If you are hurting deeply, there is always opportunity to heal.
  • If you want something in life, you need to go after it.
  • You can’t always trust people, even if they are leaders.
  • You shouldn’t follow people blindly or you may wind up hurt.
  • You shouldn’t underestimate elderly people.
  • You should listen to people’s ideas because they might have an important message to  
              share.
  • You shouldn’t be full of yourself because you could lose people you love.
  • Having a lot of money doesn’t mean you will be happy.
  • One person can make a difference in the world
  
  
  Your assignment should be set up like this:
  Name
  November 3, 2016
  “The Lorax”
  Exemplar
  Summary:
  Twelve year old Ted lives in an unnatural and controlled environment near the girl of his dreams.  This controlled environment has no trees to create the air humans breathe but instead,  “fresh air” is man made and sold by a greedy business man named Mr. O’Hare.  Trying to impress Audrey, he wants to get her the one gift that she has always dreamed of, a “Truffula” tree.  Ted goes to great lengths and danger to get to the “Once-ler”, the person who knows what happened to the trees.
  The movie then shifts to the story of the Once-ler as a young man trying to make his mark on the world through selling his invention, the “Thnead”.  In trying to create this product, he harvested the soft tufts that grew from the tops of the Truffula tree.  Soon after the business was started, it was determined that the “Thneads” were not being manufactured quickly enough; therefore, it was decided that the trees needed to be cut down in order for the production to go faster and for the money to come in quicker.
  Greed set in and the Once-ler was so blinded by money that he didn’t think ahead to realize the consequences of his actions.  Soon, it was too late and the final tree fell leaving behind a barren wasteland.  The Once-ler lost all of his money, family and friends due to his greed and destruction.
  Yet, when Ted came to seek the truth about the trees, the Once-ler took a chance and gave him the last Truffula tree seed.  It then became Ted’s job to bring this seed back into his unnatural and controlled environment to plant for the whole community to see.  This was dangerous because Mr. O’Hare was also greedy and was making money off of selling “fresh air”.  Despite having to overcome some obstacles, Ted was able to plant the Truffula tree for everyone to see. Eventually, trees grew everywhere again due to the actions of one young man.
  
  
  Themes:
  Theme One: Ted learned that one person’s actions can make a big difference in the world.  He took a chance going up against a powerful and greedy man and was able to bring real fresh air and the natural beauty of the Truffula tree back into the world.
  
  
  Theme Two: The Once-ler learned that having heaps of money doesn’t mean it will bring you true happiness.  The Once-ler thought he was happy for a while with the money, but he didn’t realize at the time that he was losing all of his friends that actually cared about him and he was left alone to suffer.  Also, his family was never really interested in him until he had money, and when it was gone so were they.
  
  Theme Three: The Once-ler also learned that even if you do something horrible, you can always try to fix it.  Because of the Once-ler’s greed that led to the destruction of all the trees, he wound up alone and suffered.  Eventually, he took a chance on a twelve-year-old boy who would end up doing the right thing and brought trees and fresh air back to the world.  The Once-ler could have remained greedy and kept the last Truffula tree seed, but he did the right thing and gave it to Ted to plant.

Homework for Week of October 23

"obstacle" word of the week due Thursday, October 26th

 Reading log due Monday, October 30th (140 minutes)

Scholastic Book Orders due Friday, October 27th. Please remember the classroom code if ordering online: M8XGB

Please work on reading responses.

Reading Responses

All four reading responses, for trimester one,  are due by Tuesday, November 28th.

-One Fiction Literature Response
-One Non-Fiction Response
-One Biography/Autobiography Response
-One Reading Response Journal Prompts Assignment (There is no template for this assignment as students have choice, therefore each student's  assignment will look different. However, there is a sample assignment to view.)

Templates and examples are available the right under the ELA tab.

Homework Week of October 2nd

Reading Log due Tuesday, October 10th for 140 minutes (It MUST be signed by an adult for credit)

“Famished” WOW due Thursday, October 5th

STUDY: World Map Quiz on Wednesday: Continents and Oceans

Comprehension/Vocabulary quiz Thursday, October 5th “Double Dutch”

Work on/turn in reading responses

E-Mail Addresses

In an effort to get your e-mail address for any future contact, please click on the link below.

Thank you!

E-Mail Address Collection

Reading Responses

Reading responses are trickling into the classroom.  By this time, there should be a steady flow.  Your child should be working on any of the following:

-Fiction reading response
-Non-fiction reading response
-Biography/Autobiography reading response

Remember, specific due dates are not given as students are reading books of different length and genre.  It is your child's responsibility to pick up the appropriate form to complete his/her reading response as ready OR all forms are available on this blog for printing or downloading purposes.  Please see directions for how to type directly onto a form below.

Field Trip Reminders

Trinity field trip permission slips and money are due by Tuesday, October 10th

Pequot Museum field trip permission slips and money are due by Friday, October 13th

If possible, please write out two separate checks, one fore each field trip.

Thank you.

Typing Reading Responses

Do you want to type your reading responses?  If so, that's easy...just follow these steps:

• http://washingtonoak.weebly.com
• Teacher Websites...Mrs. Potvin (which will bring you to this site)
• On the right side under the ELA tab, you will find blank templates for:   

           -Fiction Literature Response

           -Non-Fiction Literature Response

           - Biography/Autobiography

• Click on the type of response you will be working on.  It should pop up, but there will be a blue box that reads "view only."  It is set in "view only" because if you typed on that one, it would change the template for everyone.
• To fix this issue, go to file and click "make a copy."  This will allow you to type on the new one.
• I suggest erasing the lines before you begin to type; otherwise, they will just keep scrolling down the page making your paper several pages longer and messier than needed!

   *** Another suggestion is to share your document with me right away.  Sometimes I view what you have started on my own, but if I have not commented on your paper it means I didn't see it yet.  Please let me know when you are finished and ready for feedback.  I will give you feedback before you hand it in for final grading.***

Reading Response Due Date Timeline

As mentioned previously, reading responses do not have specific due dates; however, there is a general timeline below to use as a reference.

All reading responses for Trimester 1 must be turned in for grading by Friday, December 1st.
All reading responses for Trimester 2 must be turned in for grading by Friday, March 2nd.
All reading responses for Trimester 3 must be turned in for grading by Friday, June 1st.

First Scholastic Book Order

The first Scholastic Book order will be due on Friday, September 22nd. Flyers will come home tomorrow.

Ordering online at Scholastic Book Clubs is easy and convenient.  If you choose to utilize this method, please remember to add our classroom code: M8XGH

Ordering online and using the classroom code provides opportunities to improve our classroom library.

If you wish to send the order back to school, please send a check.  We cannot accept cash for this program.

Thank You

I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your quick response time with all of the beginning of the year forms.

Also, I would like to thank you for the classroom supply donations as well.  Your generosity and support are greatly appreciated.  😄

NUT ALLERGIES

ALL Washington Oak classrooms are nut free, which means, snacks that students have in the classroom cannot contain any nuts or be processed in a facility that contain nuts.  Students may eat a peanut snack in the cafeteria only. Many students in our school have severe allergies, and this policy is important to keep all students safe.

Homework for parents!!!!

Sorry to bombard you all with so many forms at the beginning of the year, but they are necessary and we need them back by Friday, September 1st.  They should all be located in your child's homework folder:

-Welcome letter (sign and return...please be neat when it comes to writing your e-mail address so we have it correct...thank you!)

-"You're the Expert"
-Permanent Walker Form
-Photo Release
-Emergency Card paper
-Free/reduced lunch form