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February 2012

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6th grade language arts

J. Corbett

EAST COWETA MIDDLE SCHOOL

Zip Code: 30276

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I can now "tweet" updates to m... Posted January 29th, 2012 at 2:22pm   Comments(0)

For your younger readers Posted January 17th, 2012 at 12:43pm   Comments(0)
PICTURE BOOKS AND READING by Jeanne McDermott Parents are great about sharing picture books with their children, starting when they are babies, bringing them to story times, and making sure that they are surrounded by lots of books and print materials at home. They celebrate and encourage their preschoolers’ first steps towards reading. Parents understand what picture books bring to their very young children, but I’ve heard some express concern that their burgeoning readers are unable to read picture books, and this confuses some parents. Picture books are, after all, what they have used to introduce their youngsters to books, so it makes sense that picture books would also be children’s first independent reading experience, right? Not necessarily. PARENT-CHILD SHARING Picture books are designed for parent-child sharing. They are the perfect combination of words and pictures in a package just the right size for a lap-time snuggle. Through them, children are exposed to any number of concepts and experiences, many of which require explanation. As they are pored over, children begin to develop the skills that make them ready to read: They understand how to hold a book, enjoy the rhythm of language, expand their vocabulary; they are introduced to basic and abstract concepts, learn the structure of a story, and begin to recognize letters and some words. A lot of important work is being done, all of which becomes the foundation for reading success – all in a mere 24-48 pages. GETTING READY TO READ We know that tots need to be interested in and enjoy books to become readers. It is a good sign when children ask for repeated readings and open books to browse them on their own. In addition, they begin to notice signs and print around them. The jargon for this, Print Motivation, belies the joy we feel when we see the world opening up to our children. Librarians see enthusiastic new patrons being formed while parents see budding scholars – and why not? Reading is an exciting way to explore the world! As we read together, young children absorb a lot about reading that we never actually teach them, such as how to hold a book, that we read text from left to right, and that stories continue from page to page. These mechanics of reading, Print Awareness, are learned so naturally by children who are read to that it is easy to overlook, but those who have not been exposed to books may start school with no idea how to hold a book right-side up. With repeated readings, tots hear the rhythm of language and begin to play with words. Think of any number of beloved nursery rhymes such as “Hey Diddle, Diddle” and “Jack and Jill.” Books based on rhymes and songs are always popular, too, such as Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed and The Wheels on the Bus. As they bounce their way through these books, children develop an ear for rhythm and rhyme. They play with words by breaking them into their smaller parts or syllables and memorize parts of books, saying them over and over. All of this is at the heart of a basic but necessary skill called Phonological Awareness. As we move from nursery rhymes, counting, and alphabet books, longer picture books allow us to introduce more complex stories and concepts to children. These books introduce new words, get children comfortable with language they may not hear in everyday situations, and reinforce a growing Vocabulary. Take the favorite The Very Hungry Caterpillar which names a variety of foods and identifies things found in the natural world such as leaves, the moon, caterpillars, and butterflies -- not to mention how brilliantly Eric Carle explains metamorphosis! Research indicates that children who are read to arrive in school with significantly larger vocabularies than their counterparts. Youngsters learn that, in a tale, there is a sequence of events. Sometimes we stop and talk about the story and predict what might happen next. We look for clues in the illustrations. All of this helps children understand the arc of a story. If children are really excited about a tale, they will often retell it, practicing their Narrative Skills. Using books like Tell Me the Day Backwards helps children understand that a story may be revealed in a number of different ways. As toddlers and preschoolers begin to identify letters, they may even start to sound out words in picture books. This, called Letter Awareness, is a common first step in reading. Sharing books that emphasize type can be especially fun – Dinosaur vs. Bedtime is one of many. As we point and sound out letters, words, talk about the story, search for details in illustrations and predict what is coming next, children are learning to track letters and words. I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE The movement of the eye across the page and the ability to focus on letters and words is a fine motor skill that requires practice. Just think how challenging it is for children to develop the hand-eye coordination to hold a spoon, work scissors, or complete a sewing card – they have to repeat the action. To be most successful identifying letters and words, children need to see them in big type on a white or pale-colored background. Short words are best at this point, because as children are developing the muscles that control eye movement, they may only be able to absorb one letter space to the left and one to the right (adults can see several more to the right). Space between words is important so new readers make the distinction. White space on the page allows their eyes a resting place. A controlled vocabulary and lots of word repetition is essential so children recognize and learn the word. The illustrations should demonstrate the action so children can successfully predict it and be prompted to turn the page. When our youngsters are ready for their first steps towards becoming fluent readers, we want to steer them towards engaging stories with these features. Some picture books accomplish this, such as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Laura Vaccaro Seeer’s Dog and Bear books. There is also a whole category of books, Beginning Readers, that are created specifically to meet the criteria. These include the Cat the Cat, Mr. Putter and Tabby, and Fly Guy books. On ReadKiddoRead.com, some of the best are listed under Great Illustrated Books: Easy Kid Reads. PICTURE BOOKS FOR ALL AGES: Just because children begin to read independently does not mean they have outgrown picture books or being read to. Children and parents love the relaxing time spent reading together, and picture books continue to fit the bill. Sophisticated subject matter is often covered. Through them we develop a shared body of folklore and fairy tales, learn new concepts, broaden our vocabulary, and have the experience of standing in someone else’s shoes. Some authors/artists tell their stories best through art and text. The Wall, which recounts Peter Sis’s experience growing up behind the Iron Curtain, is a good example. Reading a story through pictures can be especially important for children who are visual learners – and more and more our video-game-playing computer literate youngsters are visual learners. This also accounts for the increasing popularity of Graphic Novels. And when the time is right, if you are lucky, your child will read a picture book to you!

Welcome back! I hope you have... Posted November 28th, 2011 at 9:05am   Comments(0)

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Research report

Language Arts

For the next FOUR WEEKS we will be conducting research and creating a research project. Each step of the project is outlined in the letter that went home with students on Monday. Listed here are a few key dates and deadlines. You'll find the letter attached to this website, as well.

Week of February 6 - 10, 2012

Monday - go over research letter

Tuesday - choose and narrow a topic

Wednesday - ask questions to guide research

Thursday & Friday - research stations

Friday - signed letter, topic choices, and research questions due

Week of Feb. 13 - 17, 2012

Monday - Friday RESEARCH WEEK

Friday - 25 note cards from research due

Week of Feb. 20 - 24, 2012

Winter break

Week of Feb. 27 - March 2, 2012

Monday & Tuesday - create an outline from note cards

Tuesday - outline of research due

Wednesday & Thursday - create bibliography

Thursday - bibliography due

Week of March 5 - 9, 2012

Monday - presentation due

PRESENTATIONS ALL WEEK

NOTEBOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS

syllabus
DGP packet
conjunction notes 1
conjunction notes 2
clauses notes
worksheets pp. 77 & 78
clause t-chart
sentence structure notes
worksheet p. 86
study guide
Scope vocabulary
Watch & Think
Sentence structure test
DGP quiz #18 & #19
adjectives notes (common & proper)
adjectives notes (demonstrative & compound)
If I Were Mayor graphic organizer
If I Were Mayor rough draft
Research instructions
Choose and narrow a topic

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