January 16-19th
Let me start by celebrating my students in my ELA class! Each child improved their Reading Inventory score! In your child's agenda this week, you will see a slip of paper taped in that will show the score from Aug and the score from Jan. Please celebrate your child's growth, interest, reading stamina and comprehension!
In Language Arts, my class is focused on Informational writing. After completing the on-demand piece (like a writing pretest) last week, we will begin learning about the characteristics of the genre and how to structure research.
Reading will focus on nonfiction work and often be integrated with writing. Students have been reading various nonfiction texts and noticing the text features in each text. This week, we will continue more work with studying nonfiction texts. We will also review how to write a summary. Now that we have finished The Last Holiday Concert, students will be completing a summary of the book.
In grammar, we will continue with contractions and begin possessive nouns practice.
Let me start by celebrating my students in my ELA class! Each child improved their Reading Inventory score! In your child's agenda this week, you will see a slip of paper taped in that will show the score from Aug and the score from Jan. Please celebrate your child's growth, interest, reading stamina and comprehension!
In Language Arts, my class is focused on Informational writing. After completing the on-demand piece (like a writing pretest) last week, we will begin learning about the characteristics of the genre and how to structure research.
Reading will focus on nonfiction work and often be integrated with writing. Students have been reading various nonfiction texts and noticing the text features in each text. This week, we will continue more work with studying nonfiction texts. We will also review how to write a summary. Now that we have finished The Last Holiday Concert, students will be completing a summary of the book.
In grammar, we will continue with contractions and begin possessive nouns practice.
Happy New Year!
This week, we will begin the Informational unit in Writing. Students will learn the characteristics and format of this genre. Students will begin brainstorming topics that they are familiar with, as well as topics that they would like to learn more about.
In grammar, we will look at contractions and possessive nouns.
In Reading, students will be begin scouring nonfiction pieces and learn how to read for information. In class during this unit, students will only read nonfiction texts. At home, they may read any genre, but at school we are going to immerse ourselves into informational reading and wriitng.
This week, we will begin the Informational unit in Writing. Students will learn the characteristics and format of this genre. Students will begin brainstorming topics that they are familiar with, as well as topics that they would like to learn more about.
In grammar, we will look at contractions and possessive nouns.
In Reading, students will be begin scouring nonfiction pieces and learn how to read for information. In class during this unit, students will only read nonfiction texts. At home, they may read any genre, but at school we are going to immerse ourselves into informational reading and wriitng.
October 23-27th
Writing:
We have kicked off our Argument unit! Students usually love this unit and I hope to teach your children how to "properly" argue their position. In class, we read The Giving Tree and students took the position of whether they think the tree is strong or weak. We are working on writing a position statement and supporting this position with specific reasons. This week, we will focus on writing the perfect paragraph on our position.
Reading:
Hopefully you have seen your child working on the reading response prompts that were assigned on October 9th. I have given students 9 prompts to work on during this month. The 9 prompts written as a paragraph are due this Thursday. In class, we are working on various skills in reading stations. I am going to be meeting with students in these stations a couple of times a week. Last week was the first week for this so it took some time to work through each station. These reading stations are in addition to the whole group lessons that I am teaching. In the stations, students are working online to take a grammar pretest, practice reading comprehension, read with me, and work independently on a specific reading skill.
As a reminder, your child should be reading aloud each night for 20 minutes. Many students still need practice with reading stamina and this time at home will help reinforce what I am teaching in class.
Grammar:
Our focus over the last two weeks has been on homophones and subjects/predicates. This work will continue this week. Students have a quiz on Wednesday on homophones, as you should have seen noted in their agenda. They will need to know how to spell the words, as well as the meaning of the word.
Homophone Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/236981320/homophones-flash-cards/
Writing:
We have kicked off our Argument unit! Students usually love this unit and I hope to teach your children how to "properly" argue their position. In class, we read The Giving Tree and students took the position of whether they think the tree is strong or weak. We are working on writing a position statement and supporting this position with specific reasons. This week, we will focus on writing the perfect paragraph on our position.
Reading:
Hopefully you have seen your child working on the reading response prompts that were assigned on October 9th. I have given students 9 prompts to work on during this month. The 9 prompts written as a paragraph are due this Thursday. In class, we are working on various skills in reading stations. I am going to be meeting with students in these stations a couple of times a week. Last week was the first week for this so it took some time to work through each station. These reading stations are in addition to the whole group lessons that I am teaching. In the stations, students are working online to take a grammar pretest, practice reading comprehension, read with me, and work independently on a specific reading skill.
As a reminder, your child should be reading aloud each night for 20 minutes. Many students still need practice with reading stamina and this time at home will help reinforce what I am teaching in class.
Grammar:
Our focus over the last two weeks has been on homophones and subjects/predicates. This work will continue this week. Students have a quiz on Wednesday on homophones, as you should have seen noted in their agenda. They will need to know how to spell the words, as well as the meaning of the word.
Homophone Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/236981320/homophones-flash-cards/
October 9-13th
Students will publish their narrative piece and on Friday, we will open our Argument unit with The Giving Tree. This unit is always fun for the students and produces great work! In Reading, we will begin poem work with Love that Dog. Grammar focuses this week will include homophones and subjects/predicates.
Students will be presented with new reading homework this week: They will be given a choice board to complete for reading homework. They will choose one activity to complete every night after reading. The board will be due after two weeks.
Students will publish their narrative piece and on Friday, we will open our Argument unit with The Giving Tree. This unit is always fun for the students and produces great work! In Reading, we will begin poem work with Love that Dog. Grammar focuses this week will include homophones and subjects/predicates.
Students will be presented with new reading homework this week: They will be given a choice board to complete for reading homework. They will choose one activity to complete every night after reading. The board will be due after two weeks.
October 2-6th
We will begin the week with a reading only day. We are going to finish up discussions and work from the week before fall break. I will introduce the spelling focus for the week: homophones. Students will be tested on these word and skills on Friday. As the week progresses, we will finally finish our personal narrative story.
We will begin the week with a reading only day. We are going to finish up discussions and work from the week before fall break. I will introduce the spelling focus for the week: homophones. Students will be tested on these word and skills on Friday. As the week progresses, we will finally finish our personal narrative story.
September 11-15th
This week we will continue our focus on writing a detailed reading response and including appropriate text evidence. This will include another lesson on explicit details. On Friday, students will complete their first graded reading response. We have looked at the rubric together in class and they will use that as the guideline when they write their response.
In grammar, we are studying plural nouns. In class, students sorted a group of words into two columns and determined the pattern for when to add -s and -es. You will see homework this week to practice these words and rules. The test will be pushed to next week since we missed two days this week.
In Writing, the focus will be on adding detail to our paragraphs. I will also teach a lesson on writing a great introduction and students will write the introduction for their narrative.
This week we will continue our focus on writing a detailed reading response and including appropriate text evidence. This will include another lesson on explicit details. On Friday, students will complete their first graded reading response. We have looked at the rubric together in class and they will use that as the guideline when they write their response.
In grammar, we are studying plural nouns. In class, students sorted a group of words into two columns and determined the pattern for when to add -s and -es. You will see homework this week to practice these words and rules. The test will be pushed to next week since we missed two days this week.
In Writing, the focus will be on adding detail to our paragraphs. I will also teach a lesson on writing a great introduction and students will write the introduction for their narrative.
September 4-8th
We are continuing work on our narrative writing piece. Hopefully you've had a chance to read your child's first two paragraphs on the nights they brought them home to edit. This week, we will focus on writing a great introduction. Next week, students will write the last body paragraph. We will then slow down to review sentences and paragraphs and how they shape writing essays.
In grammar, we have been reviewing writing complete sentences with correct punctuation and capitliazation. A review of proper nouns was completed today. At this point, all students should consistently use correct capitalization. I encourage you to look at your child's writing in all subjects to see their level of mastery.
Yesterday, we began a word study on plurals. We are studying the when to add -s and when to add -es to a root word when making it plural. This work and study will continue next week.
We are continuing work on our narrative writing piece. Hopefully you've had a chance to read your child's first two paragraphs on the nights they brought them home to edit. This week, we will focus on writing a great introduction. Next week, students will write the last body paragraph. We will then slow down to review sentences and paragraphs and how they shape writing essays.
In grammar, we have been reviewing writing complete sentences with correct punctuation and capitliazation. A review of proper nouns was completed today. At this point, all students should consistently use correct capitalization. I encourage you to look at your child's writing in all subjects to see their level of mastery.
Yesterday, we began a word study on plurals. We are studying the when to add -s and when to add -es to a root word when making it plural. This work and study will continue next week.
August 7-11th
Welcome to Language Arts with Ms. Hodge! I am looking forward to working with your child and helping them perform their best in Writing and Reading.
This week we will be focusing on reading stamina. I want each student to be able to read for 15-20 without taking a break. This will continue as practice at home this week as well. For homework, students will need to read for 15 minutes 4 nights a week. This can be any 4 nights in the course of a 7 day week.
In writing and grammar, we are focusing on sentences. Naming the types of sentences, what makes a complete sentence, and how sentences make a paragraph will be the focus this week.
We will begin our read aloud, The Tiger Rising. During read aloud, I will be reading the book while the students listen. We will stop and discuss as we read. Also, reading skills being currently studied in class will be woven into our read aloud discussions.
Welcome to Language Arts with Ms. Hodge! I am looking forward to working with your child and helping them perform their best in Writing and Reading.
This week we will be focusing on reading stamina. I want each student to be able to read for 15-20 without taking a break. This will continue as practice at home this week as well. For homework, students will need to read for 15 minutes 4 nights a week. This can be any 4 nights in the course of a 7 day week.
In writing and grammar, we are focusing on sentences. Naming the types of sentences, what makes a complete sentence, and how sentences make a paragraph will be the focus this week.
We will begin our read aloud, The Tiger Rising. During read aloud, I will be reading the book while the students listen. We will stop and discuss as we read. Also, reading skills being currently studied in class will be woven into our read aloud discussions.