For the Week of September 27

Chess Club Begins!

Monday from 2:25-3:25 all students whose last names begin with A-G and S-Z.
Wednesday from 2:25-3:25 all students whose last names begin with H-R.

Please remember to pick up your child at the 3rd grade door in the Prairieview parking lot at 3:25.

3rd Grade Reading Skills with Mrs. Csorba

We will begin working on making inferences this week. We will be using the story, Mulan.

4th Grade Reading Skills with Mrs. Beseth
The fourth graders will be reading Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say. They will focus on the reading strategy to determine author's viewpoint. Author's viewpoint refers to the author's opinion, ideas of what is important or attitude. The author might give their opinion directly or you might have to infer the
information by reading clues or other information that the author provides.
Here is a great link to practice author’s viewpoint: http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/o/authorsviewpointp.cfm. The vocabulary for the week is: bewildered, surrounded, reminded, longed, homeland, and marveled. Your child can practice these words at: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/tnc/ewordgame/index.html?grade=4&
theme= 1&selection=2. We will also workon the skill of putting words in alphabetical
order.

5th Grade Reading Skills with Mrs. Bucklin

This week we will focus on the skills of generalizing and fact vs. opinion. We'll visit Alaska with our read aloud called Wild Alaska and enjoy another story from our textbook entitled Grizzly Bear Family Book. Author generalizations will be identified by the students as they read the various selections this week.

For the Week of September 20

Important Date

Remember that there is no school on Friday, Sept 24th because of teacher inservice.

3rd Grade Skills Class with Mrs. Csorba

We will continue to focus on summarizing and sequencing this week. We will work on applying this strategy to different texts.

4th Grade Skills Class with Mrs. Beseth

This week, we will finish reading Akiak by Robert Blake. We will continue to focus on story structure. The children will also explore character and setting in depth. When your child is reading at home, you can practice and review story structure by asking them to identify characters, setting, and plot (which includes the problem, sequenced events, and the solution).

5th Grade Skills Class with Mrs. Bucklin

We will continue learning the elements of a tall tale. The students will read the tale of Old Stormalong and complete an organizer to go with the story. Also, they will be planning and writing their own tall tale. Check assignment notebooks for possible homework in this.

For the Week of September 13th

I am excited about the start of skill based reading groups. I have been working closely with the classroom teachers to make sure that every student is placed in the group which will benefit him/her the most. I will continue to work with the classroom teachers, team teaching and helping to make sure student's needs are met in the area of reading. This year I will be team teaching with Mrs. Csorba in 3rd grade, Mrs. Beseth in 4th grade, and Mrs. Bucklin in 5th grade.

Our skill based reading groups will begin on Monday. Students will find out Monday morning who their skill based reading teacher is.

For the Week of September 6th

Many times parents ask what they can do to help their child to read better. One thing that could help at the beginning of the year is to make sure that your child knows the first 220 Dolch sight words. Have your child read each word to you. If they can't read it in 3 seconds, make a flash card for it. Make some games with the flash cards so that your child will learn the words. You can write phrases that include the word and have your child read those. For example you might make phrases such as "after dinner," and "all around the house." These are the most used words in writing so your child will see these words over and over again. If they know them instantly, it will help their reading.

about
after
again
all
always
am
an
and
any
are
around
as
ask
at
ate
away
be
because
been
before
best
better
big
black
blue
both
bring
brown
but
buy
by
call
came
can
carry
clean
cold
come
could
cut
did
do
does
done
don't
down
draw
drink
eat
eight
every
every
fall
far
fast
find
first
five
fly
for
found
four
from
full
funny
gave
get
give
go
goes
going
good
got
green
grow
had
has
have
he
help
her
here
him
his
hold
hot
how
hurt
I
if
in
into
is
it
its
jump
just
keep
kind
know
laugh
let
light
like
little
live
long
look
made
make
many
may
me
much
must
my
myself
never
new
no
not
now
of
off
old
on

once
one
only
open
or
our
out
over
own
pick
play
please
pretty
pull
put
ran
read
red
ride
right
round
run
said
saw
say
see
seven
shall
she
show
sing
sit
six
sleep
small
so
some
soon
start
stop
take
tell
ten
thank
that
the
their
them
then
there
these
they
think
this
those
three
to
today
together
too
try
two

under
up
upon
us
us
walk
want
warm
was
wash
we
well
went
were
what
when
where
which
white
who
why
will
wish
with
work
would
write
yellow
yes
you
your