« August 2006 | Main | October 2006 »

September 25, 2006

Dear Young Author,

Thank you for connecting with your language arts blog. This obviouly shows you are a proactive thinker and planner!

This week we will continue reading Old Yeller. This novel study will count toward your 25-book count. Our focus for this study is viewing and understanding conflict among the characters, and developing reading fluency when reading aloud to an audience.

You have a Spelling-Plus Quiz today, Monday, September 25. You were to have been prepared for this quiz by last Friday, but the weekend allows for some extra time for additional study. Today you will be introduced to spelling section four in your workbook. You should keep your spelling workbook at home. I will give you a copy of the word list for your folder.

Bring your grammar workbook to class each day for discussion and test-wise tips; take your grammar workbook home each evening for study review. There is a test scheduled for one week from this Tuesday.

You will have an online research task this week; the topic is "Hyphen Use" and you will need to have a copy of hyphen rules by Wednesday.

Our writing topic for this week will a descriptive narrative piece. The writing prompt is "A Favorite Place." This topic may be entered in the Reflection Contest. The due date for the contest is October 5.
Remember, ALL must be original work of the writer. Ideas generated from online suggestions cannot be used for the Reflection Contest.

Daily Oral Language: Study each evening for your test this Thursday.
You have a handout that provides a key in your folder. We will discuss the model sentences each day. Take notes carefully and listen to the "Test Tips for Success" that I provide. Write these notes on the back of your DOL handout. If you are absent, you are responsible for asking a peer for the notes.

Check back daily to see if there are additional notes added to your language arts blog.

Write-On!

Mrs. Worthington

(Chief in Charge of Classy Work!)

Posted by Worthington at 06:34 AM

September 17, 2006

Thank you for visiting your language arts blog!

By now, you have viewed your progress report and shared it with your parent(s). If you have an average of 93 or below, you need to return your progress report (signed by your parent). If you have 94, or above, you do not need to bring it back to show me.
What is up for this week . . .

Marvelous Monday:

A.Spelling-Plus Quiz: Lesson #2 is today.

B.Spelling-Plus Lesson #3 is introduced.
Be prepared for this by Friday; however, to allow for two extra days for those who need extra practice, the quiz for #3 will be on Monday, 9/25. (TIP: This allows you a chance to monitor and manage your schedule, but do not forget there is a quiz on Monday. :)

C.We will read "A Boy and a Man" by James Ullman in the literature textbook.

This will be a literary study about conflict and elements of story.

To show you are a student who takes responsibility for your own learning, you can do extra and look up the following words from the story; be prepared for discussion on Monday. You will shine, be a leader during discussion, and impress the teacher! The words from the story are as follows:

1. prone (adj.)
2. taut (adj.)
3. pummeled (v.)
5. reconnoiter (v.)
6. malevolent (adj.)
5. denigrate (n.)

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Literary Analysis

Answer questions on page 189. Due Wednesday, 9/20

TIPS FOR "How to Earn an A!"

#1.

As always, restate questions and use supporting evidence from the text. Elaborate and show your thinking.

#2.

Avoid using the word “it” and pronouns like he, she, they, them at the beginning of your answers.

#3.
Format carefully; neatness, and formatting organization results in a "professional" looking document.

Writing is the "inking of your thinking;" you make an impression by the quality of work you submit. Make that impression one you are proud of!

#4.

Plan ahead, allowing time for revision, editing, and proofreading.

REMEMBER: Rushed and careless submission of work is not accepted. (Avoid having to do your paper over; the highest grade you can earn for redo papers is an 80.)

KUDOS!

Most of you are remembering how to format your papers correctly, and you are now using mature handwriting size. Your goal should be neat and legible writing. Also, during the next few weeks, you will be focusing on writing fluency in which you will pick up speed without compromising legibility.

Terrific Tuesday . . .

A. Discussion of this week's writing topic: "A Favorite Place.” (If you like your essay, you may want to enter it in the Reflection Contest!)

B. Finish reading and discussing "A Boy and a Man."

C. Daily Oral Language sentences 1-4 recorded in notebooks. TEST on Friday.

D.DEAR Reading . . . Focus on how the author writes dialogue.
("Reading like a writer" is a strategy we will discuss.)

E. HOMEWORK: Reading the excerpt from Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer,located in your literature textbook. Answer questions on page 192.

Wonderful Wednesday . . .

A.Integration of language skills (Literature text, pages 194 ~ 195.)

B.We begin our study of Latin and Greek Prefixes. See page 194 of literature text.)

C. Review of Daily Oral Language sentences and Spelling Lesson #3 for the week.

D.Writing Studio: Begin draft of "My Favorite Place" essay using early stages of the writing process.

Thrilling Thursday . . .

A. Grammar Study: Read, discuss, and complete pages 1,3,5 in grammar workbook. "Looking Back & Looking Forward" is the theme. (What do you recall? Have you forgotten? Is there confusion? Are there gaps that need to be filled?) Let's catch up and move forward! Next week there will be a quiz on all pages covered. This is a study-as-we-go approach; this means that if you are absent the day before the quiz--you are still prepared--because, you studied a little each evening!

B.Discussion and study: How do you write and punctuation dialogue?
Discussion and short writing responses: How do authors reveal character through dialogue? How do you write interesting dialogue? What verbs can you use to replace "said" and "asked" when you add dialogue to your writing?

Fabulous Friday . . .

A.Writing Studio! "Funny People Chat!"

Show how you can develop characters by using creative dialogue.

B.Daily Oral Language Test today.

WRITE~ON!

Mrs. Worthington

PS We will begin a novel study next week. It is a historical fiction narrative. You may want to consider having your own copy of Old Yeller so you can make notations in the margin and reread portions at home.

(Chief in Charge of Classy Writing!)

Posted by Worthington at 06:48 AM

September 09, 2006

Thank you for checking your language arts blog! This shows you care about your grades and are taking responsibility for your own knowledge wealth.

"Looking Back; Looking Forward" begins this week . . .

"Looking Back; Looking Forward" sessions are fast paced and wrap up the close of class. The last 5-10 minutes of each class is going to be devoted to additional review for tests and quizzes, study tips that make a difference in your grade, review for CRCT Testing and any other information that can be squeezed into the last moments before you leave your language arts classroom. They are not sessions that are packaged as a handout. You must be present during the last 5-10 minutes to listen, tune in, and increase your knowledge. Looking Back; Looking Forward is a time that is thickly packed with valuable information.

Perfect attendance earns you a special pat on the back. You should strive to have perfect attendance and be in each language arts class from the first to last minute of class.

Early checkout may be necessary at some time during the year but it is important to be in class from the first to last minute each day.

Additional review begins this week.

Bell-to-bell instruction is my goal. Instructional tips and opportunities are packed into every moment just like a suitcase with every possible space tightly filled.

What's Up for this Week . . .

Below is a sketch of what is planned at this time; items may be added, or deleted, during the week. This is NOT a complete list. So, check your Write-On blog often.

Agenda notes, written by you, will be the most recent information. You must carefully record any activities or activity changes presented in class. Hopefully, you are doing this in all of your classes.

Marvelous Monday:

Spelling-Plus Lesson #2 word review; these words will be on your quiz on Friday.

Media Center instructional lesson will be done with Mrs. Hendrix for a portion of the class period after the above review.

Hint: Waiting until Thursday evening to study for your spelling quiz is not a good study practice. A student with good study skills “Hops on an assignment” and begins early to prepare.
A student with good study skills who is absent on Thursday, should already be prepared to take the Friday quiz.

Daily Oral Language will have 2-4 sentences for review. Two are already in your binder from the previous week.

Test on Thursday for Daily Oral Language. Remember, any of the sentences from the DOL collection may appear on this test.

Special Story Reading . . .

A special narrative story reading that will make you chuckle takes place right after the DOL test. :)

Terrific Tuesday:

Hyphen Study Packet will be a top priority today. Class discussion and partner work will prepare you for a test next week.

DEAR Reading and documentation of reading is scheduled today. You will be having DEAR Tuesday through Friday--a different class each day. Document this reading on your log, not just during the time I allot in language arts.

Article Reading: This week you will read a nonfiction, expository article about loud noise and protecting your ears. You will begin to recording the 5 articles we have read thus far.

(Tip: Put quotation marks around titles of articles; do not underline.)

Portfolios: Portfolios will be distributed so you can add writing samples: Remember, you may add writings from other subject areas to your portfolios. Your portfolio is a special place to house and protect your writings. If you would like to bring a sample of your writing from 1st to 3rd grade to add to the portfolio you may enjoy seeing how your have grown as a writer! We will talk about this option in class this week.

Handwriting Legibility and Fluency related to Note Taking Strategies. . .

Remember, I read what you actually write;I do not interpret your writing. Use correct letter form. See me for a chart if you are not sure how to form letters. This is a skill that should be mastered by now. SO, "leave the Gap at the mall," and make it a priority to catch up. See me for a chart, and if you need help during a morning-help session, make arrangements, and I will give you a morning pass.

Edit, revise, and proofread carefully.

Each week we will discuss and practice a type of note taking so you can be a champ at gathering information in all of your classes. We did "character maps" last week; we will continue with that strategy, as well as, adding note taking for elements of story.

Wonderful Wednesday:

A narrative story will be read today in our literature text.
The story will be announced in class on Tuesday, and you must write it in your agenda and include the homework assignment requirements.

Fill out your agenda carefully in all of your classes. Some of you are not recording important information. Keeping an agenda or calendar with a list of tasks to attend to is a life skill.

Soon, I will be doing an assessment of the note taking skills you have applied to your agenda. HINT, HINT!

Thrilling Thursday:

"Daily Oral Language Test / CRCT Sentence Review" is today.
"Looking Back; Looking Forward" sessions will require careful listening as I will provide many extra review hints for this test and tests to come. This extra review, squeezed into the last 5-10 minutes of class, will be a great help to those of you who are looking for a great grade on your report card.

Fabulous Friday:

Novel study today!

Research Bonus:

Look up "hydrophobia" online. Write, by hand or computer, notes in which you find 10+ salient facts about this topic. The facts should be things you did not already know and information you think would interest our classroom audience.

Interesting facts should be written large enough to be read from five feet away. Your facts will go on our "Novel-Study Wall."

Thank you for tuning into to the Write-On Station! 

Mrs. Worthington

(Chief in Charge of Classy Work!)

PARENT CONNECTION!

You may want to view your child's agenda to see if he/she are making detailed notations for EACH class.

A number of students are not viewing "studying for quizzes and organizing binders and folders" as homework. Rather, they are only doing written work. You may want to provide helpful hints on how to keep up and study ahead for quizzes.

Good News!

Students are beginning to take charge of their questions. :) I am encouraging students to take responsibility of speaking directly to me if they have a concern/question. Continue to encourage them to practice the art of speaking and the art of listening and rely less and less on you to do the speaking for them. What an awesome group of students I have! :)

Posted by Worthington at 10:14 AM

September 03, 2006

Thank you for visiting your language arts blog.

Below is a sampling of topics we will cover for the fourth week of school:

* How do writers use hyphens when punctuating sentences?

* How do you spell "No-Miss Words" that should be mastered by now? (This is set #2 of No-Miss Words.)

* Daily Oral Language: Punctuation Pointers for Advanced Sentences

* Literary Analysis: What are the terms that are used to talk about literature?

* What is characterization? How do writers create memorable characters? (Think: What book or TV characters are memorable to you?)

* How do you improve reading fluency when you read orally?

* What do good readers do when reading nonfiction articles/books? How is reading fiction different from reading nonfiction?

* How do you take quality notes?

* Study-Skill Focus: Taking Notes Like a Champ!

* Review/Expand Knowledge on Nouns and Pronouns

* ETC.

REMINDER . . .

Your project, "From the Desk of . . ." is due on either Tuesday OR Wednesday. Turning it in on Tuesday, on the earliest day, would be impressive! Try to "WOW" your teachers by showing enthusiasm; show you are highly motivated. Do you know that saying:
The earlybird gets the worm?" :)

TEXTBOOKS . . .

By now you should have your grammar text and a spelling workbook at home, placed near your study area. These are to stay at home until I call for them during the month of May. If you do not have them at home, you did not follow directions. OOPS! If this is the case~ask yourself why this happened, and make a plan for correcting the situation.

AGENDA IMPROVEMENT NEEDED . . .

Some of you are doing a terrific job taking notes about your assignments and you are writing details in your agenda.

Unfortunately, many of you are not! I hope you are among the first that I mentioned. There will be a grade check on Thursday, so have your agenda in tip-top shape!

Biography Reading . . .

You should be well into your biography book; in fact, many of you have finished! Good for you! On Tuesday you will receive an information packet on some activities in which you will respond to this genre of literature.

To Show You Have Read This Blog Entry . . .

Bring to class a new Response Packet with an MLA heading in which you have numbered each of the five pages. Staple the five sheets together. Write the first entry and have it say the following:

I am on the ball, and I checked Mrs. Worthington's blog.

Draw a line below your comment and ask your parent to sign and date.

SHHHH. . .

When you come into class on Tuesday, quietly place your new Response Packet on my desk, near the front of the room. Shhhh . . .do not say a thing to others; I may have a surprise for you. :)

Write-On!

Mrs. Worthington

(Chief in Charge of Classy Work!)

PS Some of you do not have a hole punch among your at-home desk materials. You will find this helpful as you organize your folders and binders. Ask your parents if this is an item you may add.

THE PARENT CONNECTION . . .

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the Teacher/Parent Connection Section of this blog! :)

I have added hints and small incentives for students to encourage reading of this blog. Please do NOT bring these items to your child's attention. See if they read closely,tune in, and follow directions. Your task is to just be an observer and note if your child is showing enthusiasm, following directions, and taking charge of his/her learning.

Your child is to read the blog and not depend upon you to read, summarize, and remind. :)

Take care,
Mrs. W

Posted by Worthington at 01:47 PM