Reading Strategies
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Everyday students are learning new skills to help them become better readers. They will use and practice these skills all year long. The strategies and skills focused on during reading are:
* Predicting- making a guess about what will happen next
*Inferring- using "what you know" + "what you read" = make a good guess about what's happening; using clues from the text
* Summarizing- telling the most important parts of the story without using all the details (beginning, middle, end).
* Using Context Clues- figuring out what words or phrases mean based on clues given in the text
*Main idea and supporting details- what the story is MOSTLY about and identifying details that support it
*Making Connections- text-to self, text-to-text, or text-to-world
*Author's Purpose- P.I.E (see below)
P=persuade or convince us to try to do something
I= inform or teach us information
E= entertain or written just for enjoyment/fun
*Genre- the type of text based on certain characteristics (fiction, non-fiction, realistic fiction, poetry, fantasy, etc)
* Predicting- making a guess about what will happen next
*Inferring- using "what you know" + "what you read" = make a good guess about what's happening; using clues from the text
* Summarizing- telling the most important parts of the story without using all the details (beginning, middle, end).
* Using Context Clues- figuring out what words or phrases mean based on clues given in the text
*Main idea and supporting details- what the story is MOSTLY about and identifying details that support it
*Making Connections- text-to self, text-to-text, or text-to-world
*Author's Purpose- P.I.E (see below)
P=persuade or convince us to try to do something
I= inform or teach us information
E= entertain or written just for enjoyment/fun
*Genre- the type of text based on certain characteristics (fiction, non-fiction, realistic fiction, poetry, fantasy, etc)
Stations
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During our reading block students have the opportunity to engage in cooperative learning (working with a partner) at a literacy station around the room. The stations currently in use are:
* Word Skills 1 (Magnets)- ABC order and Compound Words
* Word Skills 2- Homophones (words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and mean differently
*Working with Words- Students use cookie sheets & magnetic letters to practice spelling their spelling words or playing word games with their partner
*Question Creation- Students read either a fiction or non-fiction passage, then use questioning cue cards to create multiple choice questions that can be answered in the passage. This is excellent practice for the SOL reading test that they will take in May!
*Classroom Library- Students can get comfy on the pillows while they read quietly in an AR or library book
* Computer- Students will play interactive games on the computer to build reading and phonics skills
* Word Skills 1 (Magnets)- ABC order and Compound Words
* Word Skills 2- Homophones (words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and mean differently
*Working with Words- Students use cookie sheets & magnetic letters to practice spelling their spelling words or playing word games with their partner
*Question Creation- Students read either a fiction or non-fiction passage, then use questioning cue cards to create multiple choice questions that can be answered in the passage. This is excellent practice for the SOL reading test that they will take in May!
*Classroom Library- Students can get comfy on the pillows while they read quietly in an AR or library book
* Computer- Students will play interactive games on the computer to build reading and phonics skills
Guided Reading
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Students have been placed in small groups of 6-8 children based on their specific reading needs. During guided reading, students meet with the teacher for about 15-20 minutes to practice reading and comprehension strategies (mentioned above under "reading strategies and skills"). Students are reading at their instructional reading level while in these groups. Not all students are using the same materials during this time, as they would during our shared reading time (where all materials are on at least a 3rd grade level). It is necessary to expose students that are below, within, or above grade level to the 3rd grade texts, as they will experience them on their SOL test in May. Guided reading groups were established based on a variety of information that I gathered from assessments given towards the start of the school year.
Accelerated Reader
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In our classroom, students are encouraged to read daily! They have multiple opportunities throughout the day to put their books to good use! We have an AR goal of taking and passing a minimum of 2 AR tests per week. Students that successfully meet this goal on a weekly basis are rewarded on Fridays with a "No Homework" pass that is good for one assignment the following week. Students also have a nine weeks AR goal that was set several weeks ago (once all of our testing was complete). This goal states how many points students must earn in order to receive school-wide recognition and to move up to the next certification level. Please encourage your child to read at home whenever possible! Every second counts!