Reading Week 4

In Readers' Workshop this week, all classes are continuing to learn strategies that will help them build their reading stamina and monitor and grow comprehension.

Specifically, we're concentrating on strategies that will keep us reading when we "get stuck".  As all students are reading just-right texts, they will run into unknown words, more complex text structures, flashbacks, etc.. So it's important to have strategies under our belts to keep us engaged with the text.  One way we can do this is by recognizing unknown words (words we can pronounce but don't know the meanings of yet) and using context to figure out what these words probably mean. In class, we describe context in fiction as "what's happening in the story right now".  Take a look below at how some students are using this strategy.

Other strategies of the week include:

• visualizing-- in fifth grade, a common way we get stuck is not recognizing when the setting has changed  
• predicting/ questioning-- it's important to stress these strategies as they help us "think while we read".  If students aren't thinking while reading, that's when they typically abandon books, daydream, lose track of characters, plot, etc.. 
• paraphrasing-- "checking-in" every few pages, making sure students are monitoring comprehension

Thank you for your continued support,

Mrs. O'Neill