LA Curriculum Update

September - October

Reading

Good Fit Books*

A large part of becoming a successful, independent reader is learning to pick “Good Fit Books”. We will be focusing on this important skill all year long. Students are learning the acronym “I PICK” to help them make good choices.

  1. I choose a book - Independently!

  2. Purpose – Why do I want to read it?

  3. Interest – Does it interest me?

  4. Comprehend – Am I understanding what I read?

  5. Know – Do I know most of the words?

*From “The Daily Five” by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser

Reading Comprehension Strategies

Schema

Schema is also known as our background knowledge. We get this knowledge from all of the things we experience, the books we read, the people we meet, the places we go, and so on. Because we all lead different lives, we all have different schema. Our brains never stop learning new things so our schema is always changing and growing.

Being aware of our schema helps us to make connections to the things we read. In class we call this a text to self connection. Sometimes we are reminded of other things we have read and we call that a text to text connection.

At home, parents can help their child with this strategy by asking;

  • What experiences might you have that are like those that this book cover is showing you?

  • What do you already know about this content, genre or author?

  • While reading, ask if this part of the story reminds you of anything?

*From “The Daily Five” by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser

Visualization

Visualization is also known as creating “mental images”. Mental images can help us to picture what is happening in a reading, as well as help us to recall important details. When we are able to picture how something looks, smells, feels, sounds, or tastes, we are able to truly bring the reading alive.

At home, parents can help with this strategy by encouraging their child to;

  • Think about what they know about the text before they read.

  • Use sensory details to create mental pictures. (what did it look like, smell like, feel like, etc)

  • Encourage your child to look back at the picture in his or her brain after the story to remember.

*From “The Daily Five” by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser

Writing

In writing, students will begin their personal journals and reader's response journals. We will focus on displaying proper sentence structure, and using capitals and periods consistently in our writing. Students will write a variety of paragraphs, focused on a main idea, and supporting details. Students will utilize technology to support their writing, and be introduced to cursive writing as well.