Daily Reading Homework
We would like all of the students to read at least 20-30 minutes each day. Reading at home (and not just at school) is very important. It is also good for your child to see you as a reader. Thank you for your support at home, too!
We read in class every day. The students read group books and books that they choose. They are taught to choose "just right books" for their book boxes.
We read in class every day. The students read group books and books that they choose. They are taught to choose "just right books" for their book boxes.
Unit 1: Biographies
Biography. A form of non-fiction that is based on the life of a person. Children enjoy reading stories about other people - biographies and form an effective "bridge" between storytelling and nonfiction - after all - everyone's life is a story! Because biographies are almost always published about notable people in notable fields, biographies are often used to introduce children to the concept of nonfiction. Biographies can also be extremely motivating - young children love to dream about what they will be when they grow up. The lives of famous, important people let children see how the process of growing up shapes the opportunities, choices, and challenges people face in life.
Learning Strategies:
Learning Strategies:
- Ask Questions
- Identify Main Idea & Supporting Details
Unit 2: Personal Narratives
A personal narrative tells the true story of something that happened to you.
Learning Strategies:
Learning Strategies:
- Determine Text Importance
- Identify Sequence of Events
Unit 3: Historical Fiction
The genre of historical fiction in the field of children's literature includes stories that are written to portray a time period or convey information about a specific time period or an historical event.
Learning Strategies:
Learning Strategies:
- Visualize
- Make Inferences
Unit 4: Realistic Fiction
Books that are written for today's youths, representing contemporary times, based on real-world situations are called realistic fictions. Similar to historical fiction, except these stories are based on current events. They feature children as their main characters and often allow young readers to "experience" different settings, cultures, and situations than what is the norm for their lifestyle. Children's realistic fiction features main characters of approximately the age (or slightly older than) the book's intended audience. The books present a "real-world" problem or challenge and show how a young person solves that problem. By nature, children's realistic fiction is positive and upbeat, show young readers how they too can conquer their problems.
Learning Strategies:
Learning Strategies:
- Fix-Up Monitoring
- Summarize Information
Unit 5: Trickster Tales
There are several elements that a Trickster Tale must have:
Learning Strategies:
- A clever animal or person who plays a trick on other characters.
- One of the characters has a problem to solve.
- The trickster has one or two main characteristics, such as greediness or boastfulness.
- The language sounds as if someone were telling the tale out loud.
- The plot moves fast and the ending comes quickly.
- There is a moral or lesson to learn.
Learning Strategies:
- Determine Text Importance
- Compare & Contrast
Unit 6: Pourquoi Tales
A pourquoi story ("pourquoi" means "why" in French), also known as an origin story or an etiological tale, is a fictional narrative that explains why something is the way it is, for example why a snake has no legs, or why a tiger has stripes. Many legends and folk tales are pourquoi stories.
Learning Strategies:
Learning Strategies:
- Make Connections
- Identify Cause & Effect
Unit 7: Fairy Tales
Fairy Tales. Also called "magic stories," these are filled with dreamlike possibility. Fairy tales feature magical and enchanted forces. They always have a "happily ever after" ending, where good is rewarded and evil is punished.
Learning Strategies:
Learning Strategies:
- Make Inferences
- Draw Conclusions
Unit 8: Tall Tales
A tall tale is a humorous fictional story told about a larger-than-life character, based on a real person who has exaggerated adventures and performs exaggerated feats of daring, strength, courage and intelligence. It is common on the American frontier, often focusing on cases of superhuman strength.
Learning Strategies:
Learning Strategies:
- Summarize & Synthesize
- Evaluate Author's Purpose
Unit 9: Persuasive Letters
Learning Strategies:
- Make Connections
- Distinguish & Evaluate Fact & Opinion
Unit 10: Fables
Fables. Short stories, in verse or prose, with an moral ending. These types of stories are credited Aesop (6th century BC), who told tales of animals and other inanimate objects that teach lessons about life.
Learning Strategies:
Learning Strategies:
- Ask Questions
- Make Judgments