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Timony Grammar

School

Reading/Language Arts

This year in reading students will be focusing on using reading strategies to increase their comprehension (their understanding). Students should be reading from “just right” books. They should be reading the same book for independent reading AND at home until they finish that book, at which point they can begin a new book. Students should also choose books that will interest them.

Reading logs are handed out and due back, signed almost every Friday (exceptions tend to be holiday and/or vacation weeks).

Coming Soon…

Topics to be Covered Under

the Common Core Standards/New Standards-Based Report Card:

Reading Strategies—Study Tips

Choosing Just Right Books:

Too easy: The student knows ALL of the words, reads aloud smoothly and easily, and can easily tell all of the details of the story in order (and correctly).

Too hard: There are many words (3 or more on a single page, especially if this pattern in repeated on many pages) that the student doesn’t know (either how to pronounce or the meaning of the word). The student reads aloud much slower with many pauses and has difficulty telling what has happened in the story.

Just right: There are some words the student doesn’t know (1-2 per page). For the most part, students read smoothly, but there are some places they need to slow down. Students can still understand the story and tell what is happening (correctly), but without as many details as they’d be able to do for a book that is too easy.

Preview the Book:

Before reading a new book, look at the cover and browse through the book. Look at the front and back covers, pictures, table of contents, chapter titles, etc. Predict what the book will be about based on this information.

Ask Questions:

As you read, stop to ask yourself questions about what you are reading. Try to answer them as you continue reading.

Make Predictions:

As you read a fictional book, stop and make predictions. Try to imagine what will happen next based on the clues the author has given you. Then keep reading to see if you were correct or if you find more clues that help you adjust your prediction.

Make Connections:

Stop and think about your connections to the book. In other words, think about whether this book reminds you of any other people, places, or events. Ask yourself if it reminds you of any other books you have read. How are the books similar?

Visualize:

Try to picture the characters, places, and events of the story in your mind. What would it look like if the book was a movie? Remember to imagine not only what you would see, but also what you would hear, smell, feel/touch, or taste. Also think about how you feel—Does the book make you laugh or cry? Do you feel excited for or worried about a character? Does one character really annoy you? Is there one character that is your favorite? Why?

Infer:

Sometimes authors don’t tell us EVERYTHING. We have to figure out what an author means because the author has tried to create a new, more interesting way of saying something. Think about what you know that the author didn’t tell you directly. Example: An author might write: The girl stamped her feet and her face turned red. We might INFER that the girl is mad about something even though the author didn’t TELL us that. It is often more interesting to SHOW what is happening in the story rather than TELLING what happened, but that means we must learn to infer what the author meant.

Retell the Story or Restate What You Have Learned:

Stop and think about what has already happened in the story or what you have learned. You can think about it in your head OR tell another person about what you have read.

Summarize:

This is similar to retelling the story, but when you summarize a story you are only focusing on the most important parts, not every single detail.

Remember, if a student does not like reading, perhaps it is just because they haven’t found the right book! Ask them what they like to read about, and see if you can find some books about that topic at a just right level at the local library!