Literacy

Please ensure that your child is reading nightly 15-20 minutes. Students should be bringing home a book everyday that they can read (at home reading program). They are welcome to read their own chapter books at home as well . Ensure that their reading log is signed. We will be discussing in class reading strategies they should be using - check for understanding, cross-checking, back up and reread, tune in to interesting words. We will also be talking about making predictions in our reading as well as visualization - making a mental picture or images while reading. Students will work on book reviews and we will be working on retells and looking at the problem and solution in a story. We will also be working on making connections to a text where students will learn about different ways they can relate to a text (e.g., text to self, text to text, text to media, text to world). It is important for students to be able to make these kinds of connections to their reading as it will help them better understand their reading.

Students will be receiving a monthly poem to memorize and present to the class. This is for oral communication skills. A new poem will be given to students at the beginning of every month, and they will have the entire month to practice and prepare their poetry recitation. Students will be expected to present their poem by the end of the month. Students are encouraged to add actions, props and lots of expression when presenting their poem. A rubric will be handed out at the beginning of the year so that students and parents will know how these poems are being assessed.

For writing students will begin journal writing at the beginning of the year and then review writing a proper paragraph as well as letter writing. We will also cover other forms of writing such as persuasive and story writing.