If you have an old SchoolNotes account, click here to migrate your account into New SchoolNotes.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | |||||
Page Last Updated Nov 12, 2009
Number of Visits: 311
Jump down this page to view:
Favorite Links
|
Mrs. Pam Mesimer Curriculum Coach Landis Elementary
It always amazes me how quickly the school year just slips by ... we are already nearing the end of our first quarter. I can hardly believe it! Our students have been working very hard in their classrooms. I am always so excited to do a lesson with them. Their love of learning is so fulfilling ... I am so proud to be part of it all. Parent/Teacher conferences are in the process of being scheduled. I know you all look forward to discussing the progress that your child has already experienced during the first quarter of school. 3rd - 5th grade students have also started working on their first quarter benchmark assessment. This assessment allows the teacher to see what skills need to be focused on during whole and small group lessons. I am always happy to help in any way, so if you should ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me or come in to see me. Sincerely, Mrs. Pam Mesimer Important Dates to Remember:
Literacy Strategies:I Remember.... Before reading, students select an "I remember" partner. After reading a section of text, students take turns sharing what they remember with their partners by making a statement that begins with, "I remember..." Say Something.... Students read a section of text and SAY SOMETHING about what they've read. This can include making a prediction about what will happen next, asking a question, clarifying something misunderstood earlier, making a comment, or making a connection. If students can not do one of these five things, they need to reread the text for better understanding. VIP (Very Important Point).... While reading, students use sticky notes to mark significant parts of the text. These can be points of interest, points of confusion,main idea of the page, or points where the student felt a personal connection. Key Word.... Students read a section of text. Students use sticky notes to mark a small number of words they think are important to understanding the text. These Key Words can be used to help summarize the text, to create an Alphabox for the selection, or answer questions. Key Words can be individual words or short phrases. Alphabox.... An Alphabox is a tool students can use to record information collected from reading. Using a grid labeled with letters of the alphabet, students record Key Words and VIP's from their reading in the corresponding box. The result is a collective reminder of the text being read. Alphaboxes can be used to recall text and summarize a selection. Read, Cover, Remember, and Retell.... This strategy supports the reader by stopping him/her frequently to think about meaning. It prevents the student from continuing to read something he/she doesn't understand. The student reads only as much as his/her hand will cover. After reading, the text is covered with his/her hand, and the student retells what he/she has just read. This is repeated frequently throughout the reading passage. Sketch-to-Stretch.... Students listen as a section of nonfiction text is read aloud. They Sketch a quick picture to help them remember the content of the text. Students are also encouraged to use captions with their sketches to help them remember what their picture represents. Students can later use their Sketch-to-Stretch pictures to help them summarize the text. The Important Book.... During reading, students focus on one important idea in a topic sentence. They add details that support this main idea and restate it. For example-The important thing about today was.... Interactive Journal.... Students get a change to respond to text and to other student opinions. Students also have a specific audience for their writing. Students are organized into groups of four. Each student is given a piece of paper that is divided into four sections. Each section is numbered 1-4. In the first section, a student responds toa question or statement. After a timed period of writing, the student passes the paper to his right. He reads what the previous student wrote in section 1 then responds to that information. The paper is passes again to the right, and the same procedure is followed except there are now 2 sections to which the student will respond. The procedure continues until the 4th turn when the student has his original paper back. At this time, that student reads what the other three have written and responds to the statements on the paper. Literary Equation.... After reading fictional text, students choose two key parts of the text to add together to equal the theme or plot. For example, from the fairy tale Cinderella, the following equations could be created... fairy godmother + pumpkin = magical coach to the ball Cinderella + one glass slipper = prince's clue to find his true love Information Equation.... Using nonfiction text, students relate Key Words to a VIP by writing them as an equation. For example, if a student read a nonfiction selection about mummies, an Information Equation may be... dead body + natron salt + linen strips = mummy Two-Word Strategy.... Students choose two words that "pop" into their heads as they read. They should be able to explain why these words were chosen and then use them to help summarize the selection. Weaving a Web.... Students form a circle holding a ball of yarn. One at a time, students share one thing they remember from a shared text they have just read. Once a student shares, the yarn is passes to another person anywhere in the circle. The yarn ball continues to be passed from person to person in the circle until a WEB of knowledge is created. Word Prediction.... Students preview text quickly, taking notice of any graphic features. They list all the words they think they'll encounter on the topic. After reading, they check their list to see which words appeared. Fix Up.... Readers use a variety of strategies to determine unknown words. Look at a picture, find a chunk, skip it and keep reading, does it make sense.. I Wonder.... Readers engage in self-questioning before, during, and after reading to monitor their own comprehension and to integrate readings with prior knowledge. Test as a Genre.... Students discuss test-taking strategies and create their own list of strategies to remember for test taking. Test-Style Questions.... Students learn to understand the vocabulary and language used in a test by writing their own test questions and providing possible answer choices.  How Can Parents Help With Writing? 1. Share your own writing with your child - for example, notes, shopping lists, personal or business letters you write. 2. Put a bulletin board in a convenient place and use it for messages for the entire family. 3. Ask your child to help with writing that needs to be done in the home - shopping lists, instructions for babysitters, notes to relatives, plans for family outings, and directions for visitors. 4. Help your child write thank you notes, holiday cards, and invitations. 5. Allow your child to keep a car journal for trips or simply a day's event such as a visit to the store or park. 6. Encourage your child to write stories and poems to relatives as gifts. 7. Help your child write letters for various purposes. 8. Write down and collect family stories into a "family book" that you can illustrate. 9. Encourage your child to write daily journals at home.
"Have You Read a Good Book Lately?" Tips for Making Reading With Your Child Successful and Fun Reading with your child is a great way to promote a love for reading and to spend quality time together. The following are tips to make your reading time successful and fun: 1. Choose the right book using the "Five-Finger Rule." Have your child open the book to any page in the middle of the book and read that page. Each time your child comes to a word he/she does not know they should hold up one finger. If your child gets to five fingers before they finish reading the page, the book is too hard. If your child doesn't hold up any fingers, the book is probably easy for your child and can be used to build reading fluency. If your child holds up two or three fingers, the book is likely to be a good level for reading to grow. 2. Use "sound" strategies to tackle a new word.
3. Use the story to help your child learn.
4. Give support and encouragement. This is very important!
5. Be a good role model. Let your child see you reading, and share your excitement when you enjoy a great book of your own. 6. Make reading a priority. Whether it's 10 minutes every night before bed or 30 minutes every Saturday morning, it helps to set aside a specific time for reading. This kind of special "together time" can go a long way in getting your child interested in books. 7. Create the right atmosphere. Find a quiet comfortable place to listen to your children read. While you don't need to build a special reading nook, it helps to ensure that even in a busy home, there's a quiet place for reading. 8. Make reading fun. Kids may not get excited at the idea of quiet time spent curled up on the couch. Why not make it fun by turning reading sessions into impromptu drama sessions? Play around with funny voices to impersonate animals or unusual characters in stories. You'll get to release some tension and your child will learn to think of reading as fun rather than work. 9.Keep reading aloud to your child. Don't stop reading aloud to your child once he/she learns to read by themself. When you take a turn at reading, you let your child enjoy books that are beyond their independent reading level and build their vocabulary by exposing them to new words. Reading aloud is also a chance for you to model reading smoothly and with expression. 10. Introduce new books. Each year there is one book that seems to steal the hearts and minds of all children. While it may seem it's the only book your child wants to read, it's important to remember that there are millions of books that will suit your child's interests and capture his imagination.
Disclaimer: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Analogy of the Day practice your analogy skills
- Spelling games practice your spelling skills while playing some fun games
- Scholastic for Kids
- Poetry for kids Read some funny poems written by kids
- Fun Brain Reading Fun, interactive reading activities
- Readquarium Prefix interactive activity
- Letter Generator Create friendly and business letters
- Inference Questions brush up on your inferencing skills
- Identify the Genre practice your skills at identifying genre
- Figurative Language Skills Play games to fine tune your figurative language skills
- Techno Park Learn all about technology in Techno Park
- RSS Elementary Curriculum Department