Week of November 9th - We will revisit text-to-self connections using the stories I’m Special, I’m Me, Oliver Button Is a Sissy, and Odd Velvet. As a reader it is important to make and explain connections in order to better understand the characters and story plot. In each of these stories there is also a “big idea” or theme that the author is trying to convey. One underlying theme that these three books have in common is to be happy with who you are and just be yourself.
Week of November 2nd - In reading workshop, we will introduce the last three strategies you use when you come across an unknown word. They are:
· Look and listen for letter patterns found in word family words (i.e. ack ~ back)
· Backtrack and read it again
· Skip it and go on
Please find the link under reading workshop to see posters of all of our strategies.
Week of October 26th - In reading workshop, we will continue to learn about print strategies that help us figure out “tricky” or unknown words. This week’s strategies are:
· Does it sound right?
· Look for little words in big words
On Friday morning the children will be taking their first McGraw-Hill reading test. They will independently read a story and answer questions.
Week of October 19th - In reading workshop, we will talk about how readers have different strategies for figuring out unknown words. Just like a handyman has tools for different jobs, the children use different “tools” when they are stuck on a word: · Look for picture clues
· Look for little words in a bigger word
· Say the beginning sound
· Look for key words and word families
Week of October 12th - The children have been introduced to the word schema (one’s background knowledge and experiences). We will begin using our schema to help us make connections when listening to and reading text. We will begin with text-to-self connections where the children can relate to something in the text because it reminds them of something from their own life experiences. 
Week of October 5th - We will be looking at wordless books this week to help us tell stories through illustrations. The children will be encouraged to use a storyteller’s voice and use words that match the illustrations that and author might write.
Week of September 29th - Each morning the children have the opportunity to choose three new books to read during their workshop time. We call this “shopping for just right books”. The children will learn to identify whether the books they choose are too easy, just right, or challenging. The idea is to look at how much text is on each page, do they know only a few or most of the words, do they have any schema that helps them make any connections to the story, and do they understand what they are reading?
