A Visitor for Bear

Hey all!

This week will be a relatively short week because we will be having Team Day on Friday (go Orange Iguanas!!!)

Due to several scheduling issues this week, we will be reading a story, but will have a short comprehension test on Tuesday, and do a non fiction read on Wednesday.  The story this week is called A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker.

The link to the read aloud can be found HERE.  The skill we will be reviewing will be making inferences (using what we know and the clue from the text to help us figure things out).  There will not be vocabulary words tested this week!

On Thursday all my reading classes will have a "Reading Camp-In!"  Students will be allowed to bring a pillow or stuffed animal and a flashlight.  We will make cozy spots around the room and spend our time reading and taking AR tests.  I will be encouraging kiddos to bring their favorite books to read on and I will be doing the same!

When we return from Fall Break, Green group will be starting the chapter book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. 

I will be sending home additional information about the book this week. 

The Salamander Room

I am so excited about our story this week.  It is called The Salamander Room and it will definitely send the kids on an adventure!

I do have a link to a read aloud of the story on YouTube.  I encourage you all to watch it AFTER Monday!!!  The reason being, we are going to be studying mental images, and I want the students to picture the story using their senses before I let them see the illustrations.

Green, Yellow and Orange Groups will be responsible for the following vocabulary words:

boulder--a large rock or stone

multiply--to increase greatly in amount

sail--to move in a quick and smooth way

fern--a type of plant that has large leaves and no flowers

hoot--a loud, deep sound that an owl makes

roost--to rest or sleep somewhere 

Reading homework this week will be:

Monday--read 20 minutes, study vocabulary words
Tuesday--read 20 minutes, study vocabulary words, fiction passage/questions
Wednesday--read 20 minutes, study vocabulary words, non-fiction passage/questions
Thursday--read 20 minutes

I will be posting later in the week about some strategies you can use when reading with your child, and why it is so important to be reading at home!

When I was Young in the Mountains

Our story this week will be When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant.  Our skill will be setting.  All groups will be reading this story and taking a comprehension quiz over it on Thursday.  Here is a YouTube link to the reading of the story.

Yellow, Orange and Green Groups will be tested on the following vocabulary words:

pasture--a large, grassy area where animals feed on the grass

mound--a heap or pile of something

heat--to cause something to become warm or hot

shiver--to shake because you are cold or afraid

dusk--the time when day changes into night and the sky gets darker

threaten--to say or act like you will harm something unwanted

We will also be reading about the Appalachian Mountains this week.  I encourage all my kiddos to do their own research to help understand better and learn more!

Reading Class This Week

This week, reading classes will be reading Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.

An online version of this story is available at StoryLine Online.  You can listen as many times as you wish!  We will have a comprehension quiz on Friday, and students can take an AR test, but there will not be a vocabulary section!

Long Weekend, Short Week

I hope everyone has enjoyed their long weekend!  I know I sure have!  I have been able to catch up on some wonderful books:  Stella By Starlight by Sharon Draper and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling.  Both were absolutely fabulous.

I also worked on setting up my Dojo rewards.  If your child has his/her homework, they can earn Dojo points and cash them in for prizes/rewards.  Here is a picture of the current list:

Due to a shortened week this week, and MAPS testing last week, things are a little off.  We will not be having spelling words this week.  We are also not doing a formal reading story this week.  I will read a book with the kiddos, and there will be a short comprehension quiz, but no vocabulary words.  In science, students are starting to learn about pumpkins--their uses and life cycles.  In math, we will be continuing with number concepts--place values, sequencing numbers, writing numbers in different ways.