Halloween

Reading Update 10/28

Welcome to quarter 2!

Last week, I gave students access to using a resource we have this year called Storia.  Storia is an online location where students can read books of their choosing.  There are many titles to choose from and the levels are included with each book.  Storia can be accessed using any type of device as long as it is connected to the Internet.  That being said, if you feel comfortable having your child bring his/her device to school to read on, Storia is something they can take advantage of.  It is totally optional to use this at school for reading.  Check your child's planner for more information.  Here is the link to Storia:

Storia School Link

We are continuing on with informational text and will continue to read this until Thanksgiving.  After Thanksgiving until Christmas will be a historical fiction unit with kids reading different chapter books.  Each kid will read one of the following books (I haven't assigned them books yet)- I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, Number the Stars, Willow Run, or When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.  All center on the time period around World War 2.  We will be reading some informational text around this time period to give the kids adequate background knowledge before reading.

Click the link below the titles to read about the book on Goodreads.

        

             I Survived                    Number the Stars             Willow Run             Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Lastly, every kid met with me today and set his/her own reading counts goals for the second quarter.  This is due when the second quarter ends in January meaning there is plenty of time for reading books.  Check your child's planner for this.  Every kid also had to write two things that they will do to meet their goals.    Reading counts reports for the first quarter will be sent home in the report card envelopes this Friday.

*Reminder-Fall Festival is this Friday, 10/31

Reading Update 10-20

This is the last week of our 1st quarter!  We are finishing the quarter with informational text.  Students took the reading summative over informational text last Thursday and those tests will be coming home this week.

*Reading Counts Goal are due by this Friday before they go home.  (See your child's planner with his/her goal inside.) Each kid received a print out today to see their progress. 

*Our focus this week is on, "What makes a good leader?"  We will be talking about these qualities, watching a video, and reading in small groups about different presidents.  Students will have to pick out their qualities that make them good leaders.  It should lead to some good discussion.  We continue to work on main idea and details, answering questions using evidence from the text, and figuring out the meaning of words using context clues.

*General reminder that Reading Logs are due each Monday.

Book Talks

Our book talks will start next week!  Attached are two things:

1)  Book Talk Explanation with Graphic Organizer and Rubric

2) Book Talk Calendar for October - please note there are 4 pages with each homeroom teacher's name labeled on the top.

Mrs. Dorner (5th grade reading teacher) and myself have modeled both good and bad examples of book talks for the students.  Ask them about it!

Stagels sharing nonfiction main ideas