English/Language Arts
In the classroom this year, we will use both whole group and small group instruction to meet the needs of all students. We will spend the first grading period establishing routines and modeling best practices. We will be using the book The Tiger Rising to learn and practice reading strategies that will be used all year. Some of these strategies include predicting, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, making connections, and understanding unfamiliar words.
We also will be introducing our vocabulary study of Greek and Latin roots. Every few weeks, a new root will be introduced with 10 words that all share that particular root. The goal is that by understanding different affixes, students will be able to break apart words they don't know and use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to determine the meaning. Students will complete different activities and assignments in class that involve these words before taking an assessment. By studying different words, how they are formed, and how they relate to other words, students will be able to build their vocabulary and word skills.
The main form of homework in ELA class is the independent reading log. This year, we will be using a digital reading log! These will be turned in twice a month (October due dates will be posted at the beginning of the school year). The three main requirements for each time the students turn their reading logs in are: 1) 8 nights of reading recorded (4 nights a week, 20 minutes or more each night) and 2) 2 Post-its related to the reading strategies we have learned in class completed. Students will also have to complete an RRQ twice a month for their reading log. An RRQ is a "Read and Respond Question" that will be answered following the R-A-C-E-R format. For the first turn-in date of the month, students will have to complete an RRQ at home. For the second turn-in date, students will be completing the RRQ in class. This will help us compare students' writing abilities at home and in the classroom. We will complete the first "Read and Respond Question" together and also will keep a variety of sample Post-Its in the ELA binder where the Post-It explanation pages can be found. These in-class examples will be a great reference tool for students to use when they are completing the reading log on their own!
Finally, we have students set a page number goal every 9 weeks in their reading binder. This is simply a goal for how many pages the student can read on their own throughout one grading period. We will practice silent reading in the classroom and determine these goals together at the beginning of each 9 weeks. These will be goals that the children should be working towards throughout the entire grading period. Students will only be allowed to use books within their "reading zone" for their page number goal. A child's reading zone is found when we complete our benchmark assessment at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. We use the Fountas and Pinnell benchmarking system to determine what "letter" each child is reading at independently, and assign them a reading zone based on those results. A reading zone will look something like "QRS", "STU", "UVW", etc. This provides parents and the teacher with an idea of what types of books are "just right" for the students, but they should be choosing books they are interested in as well! Book levels can be found in the top right corner of books borrowed from my library, or by using the Scholastic Book Wizard site/app.
Reading Log Due Dates for October: **Reading logs will not be collected in September
Block 1: **Coming Soon**
Block 2: **Coming Soon**
Block 3: **Coming Soon**
Guided Reading
The Guided Reading model will be used during our small group instruction time. See tab labeled "Letter from our Literacy Coach" for a detailed explanation.
We also will be introducing our vocabulary study of Greek and Latin roots. Every few weeks, a new root will be introduced with 10 words that all share that particular root. The goal is that by understanding different affixes, students will be able to break apart words they don't know and use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to determine the meaning. Students will complete different activities and assignments in class that involve these words before taking an assessment. By studying different words, how they are formed, and how they relate to other words, students will be able to build their vocabulary and word skills.
The main form of homework in ELA class is the independent reading log. This year, we will be using a digital reading log! These will be turned in twice a month (October due dates will be posted at the beginning of the school year). The three main requirements for each time the students turn their reading logs in are: 1) 8 nights of reading recorded (4 nights a week, 20 minutes or more each night) and 2) 2 Post-its related to the reading strategies we have learned in class completed. Students will also have to complete an RRQ twice a month for their reading log. An RRQ is a "Read and Respond Question" that will be answered following the R-A-C-E-R format. For the first turn-in date of the month, students will have to complete an RRQ at home. For the second turn-in date, students will be completing the RRQ in class. This will help us compare students' writing abilities at home and in the classroom. We will complete the first "Read and Respond Question" together and also will keep a variety of sample Post-Its in the ELA binder where the Post-It explanation pages can be found. These in-class examples will be a great reference tool for students to use when they are completing the reading log on their own!
Finally, we have students set a page number goal every 9 weeks in their reading binder. This is simply a goal for how many pages the student can read on their own throughout one grading period. We will practice silent reading in the classroom and determine these goals together at the beginning of each 9 weeks. These will be goals that the children should be working towards throughout the entire grading period. Students will only be allowed to use books within their "reading zone" for their page number goal. A child's reading zone is found when we complete our benchmark assessment at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. We use the Fountas and Pinnell benchmarking system to determine what "letter" each child is reading at independently, and assign them a reading zone based on those results. A reading zone will look something like "QRS", "STU", "UVW", etc. This provides parents and the teacher with an idea of what types of books are "just right" for the students, but they should be choosing books they are interested in as well! Book levels can be found in the top right corner of books borrowed from my library, or by using the Scholastic Book Wizard site/app.
Reading Log Due Dates for October: **Reading logs will not be collected in September
Block 1: **Coming Soon**
Block 2: **Coming Soon**
Block 3: **Coming Soon**
Guided Reading
The Guided Reading model will be used during our small group instruction time. See tab labeled "Letter from our Literacy Coach" for a detailed explanation.