They All Saw a Cat

We've been practicing our Reading Strategies.  We've continued to work with, "Readers visualize."  After reading this story, students visualized a cat. Here's their work.

Readers Make Connections

We've been learning about squirrels!  We've read a lot of informational books and during Writer's Workshop wrote squirrel facts.

We connected to Scaredy Squirrel by writing what we were afraid of.  Here are some examples.

There are two sides to every story and if you're looking for a book that shows that this is the perfect book!  The first story is about a little girl who thinks she's rescuing a beast.  The beast is NOT happy though.  The second story is the beast telling his side.

Readers Ask Questions Before, During, and After Reading

This week we worked on asking questions by starting with, "I wonder..."

I introduced this strategy with the book, Officer Buckle and Gloria.  We brainstormed questions as we read.

We practiced throughout the week in our Readers' Notebooks.  Here are some examples.

Tadpole's Promise

The first time I heard this story a professor had read it to our class.  I didn't know what reaction I should've had.  Should I have laughed, cried, or jumped up and said, "Why?!"

If you haven't seen this book and you're looking for a surprise ending where your emotions are in constant turmoil, this is the book.  It's also amazing to see how many students "get" the ending!

Students responded in their notebooks using any comprehension strategy they wanted.  At the bottom, they had to write which strategy they used.

Here's their work!

My Dog Spot

With structured, guided practice students can respond to their reading!  I have taught the comprehension strategies-predicting, connections, questioning, retelling, inferring, and visualizing. Students can now independently pick a strategy and respond in their notebooks.

At times though, I have a specific lesson with a specific strategy I want them to use.  I used this book with my class to continue our work with visualizing.

I covered the front of the book and didn't show them any of the pictures.  I told them they had to visualize what the dog looked like by the descriptions the author used.  At the end, we brainstormed a list of what the dog looked like and they created an illustration.

Here's some of their work!

Sad, the Dog

A teacher came across this book in the library and I just had to share it with my class.  It's about a dog who is an unwanted gift and he gives himself the name Sad.  The couple doesn't appreciated his many gifts.  They move out leaving the dog behind.  A new boy moves and he soon learns that he's the perfect fit.  At the end of the story, he gets a new name.  I'm a dog lover so this had me almost in tears!

I always review the comprehension strategies we've learned and then have students respond in their notebooks.  I try to do this once a week whole group.  At the bottom, they write how they responded.  Here are a few examples.

Readers Infer

Looking for some GREAT books on making inferences!  These are some of the books I shared with my class last week.  Students have learned that they use what they already know and the clues in the book (text or illustrations) to come to a conclusion.

We had a lot of fun with the books below!!

They practiced responding in their Readers' Notebooks.

A Look at Our Week

This week we focused on, "Readers make connections."

I always use Scaredy Squirrel to begin my mini-lessons.  I mean, he's AFRAID of everything and kids can relate to him.  Students had to write one thing they were afraid of and share what they'd use to help with their fear.  They also made Scaredy Squirrels to go with their writing.

Here are a few examples.

I also used the book, Knuffle Bunny.  Students responded in their Readers' Notebooks about a time they lost something.

I introduced Narrative Writing this week.  Students created Heart Maps where they listed topics they could write about.

After listening to a read aloud about mom, I modeled what I did with my mom as a child, and they practiced.

And last but not least, here are our CRAZY pumpkins!  I love making these every year.  

To make these you need:

-Orange construction paper

-White pastels

-Red, orange, and yellow paint

Have students draw the outline of their pumpkin with the white pastel.  Starting with red paint begin painting, then add orange, yellow, and blend.

Once dry make your VERY own unique face.