Thursday, January 26, 2012

Step for Reading Nonfiction

Want an easy guide to reading difficult text.  Here are steps to follow.

1.  Skim the entire article FIRST
2.  Look at the title, headings, subheadings, and bold print
3.  Does the introduction give facts or just get the reader engaged?
4.  Visualize and make connections
5.  Stop and think. Ask yourself, “does this make sense?”
6.  Reread sentences, paragraphs, or the whole article to help you understand
7.  Focus, know when you don’t know
8.  Wonder, ask questions, predict and confirm
9.  Look for capitalization of names and other proper nouns
10. Find the W’s (who, what, when, where, why, and how)
11. Mark out and substitute hard words
12. Cross out words that don't matter
13. Highlight only the important parts (BIKINIS ONLY)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Vocabulary Games

Want to play a little Pinball?  Check out these Pinball Vocabulary games from Ms. Amanda's 6th Grade Language Arts Class.


  • Red A1

  • Red A1 cont.

  • Red A1 cont.

  • Red A1 cont.

  • Red A13
  • Red B7
  • Red A4

  • Red A4

  • Red A13

  • Red A15

  • Red A5

  • Red B9

  • Red A15 Antonyms



  • Red B10 Antonyms

  • Red B7

  • Red A15

  • Red B9

  • Red A15 Antonyms



  • Red B4 Antonyms

  • Red B7

  • Red A15

  • Red A3



  • Red A15 Synonyms

  • Red B7

  • Red A2

  • Red B9

  • Red A15 Synonyms

  • Red A4 Antonyms

  • Red B7

  • Red A6
  • Red B1
  • Red A2

  • Red B9 Synonyms

  • Red A4 Synonyms

  • Red A5

  • Red A13

  • Red A3 Synonyms

  • Red B4 Synonyms

  • Red B9 Antonyms

  • Red B4 Synonyms

  • Red A13

  • Red B1

  • Red B8

  • Red B10

  • Red A3 Synonyms

  • Red B10 Synonyms

  • Red B9 Antonyms

  • Red B10 Synonyms

  • Red A13

  • Red B10

  • Red B8

  • Red A4

  • Red A3 Antonyms

  • Red B1 Synonyms

  • Red B9 Synonyms

  • Red B1 Synonyms

    Tuesday, January 17, 2012

    Want to See What is Going on Here?


    There is nothing like a picture to show something soooooooooo  if you want to see a daily picture from The Reading Workshop, just check out Ink361.com.  You can also check out the photos on Flickr.  If you have an Iphone, you can get on Instagram @jmcguire14 (you can download the free app) and see our daily photostream.  Unfortunately Instagram is like everything else Apple and you can't access it from a PC or Droid.

    Enjoy the pictures of our stars and more.  :)




    www.flickr.com


    This is a Flickr badge showing items in a set called School 2012. Make your own badge here.



    Wednesday, January 11, 2012

    Are You Brave Enough to Dream?

    What do you want to do?  What do you want to be?  Do you have the guts to dream?  Do you have the courage to make it happen?



    Reading Workshop students, your assignment is to do a picture scrapbook on your blog of what your life will be in the future.

    Thursday, January 5, 2012

    When I was a Star

    I have been reading Guys Write for Guys Read, a collections of stories edited by Jon Scieszka.  These stories are from successful writers sharing their story of growing up trying to be a guy.  Some stories are funny, some not so.  Some stories are adventurous, others just make you think.  But almost all of the stories are interesting.

    One of my favorites is by Dan Gutman called Let's Go to the Videotape.  In this story, Gutman tells the tale of himself, the skinniest, most unathletic kid in his school playing kickball.  Through shear anger and luck he manages to kick a homerun and be a hero for the day.  This moment of glory has stuck with him throughout his lifetime.

    He says:

    But sometimes, when I'm lying in bed at night before I fall asleep, I roll this mental videotape I have of the time I kicked a basket in gym class. In my mind, I watch myself kick that basket over and over again.  

    I'll bet every kid has at least one of those moments in his life when he did something really, really great, something really unexpected.

    Close your eyes and think of that moment from time to time. Remember it just the way it happened.  Never let that video fade away. Someday, forty years from now, when you're lying in bed at night, you might want to replay it.

    What about it Reading Workshop students? Your assignment for today is to tell me of a time when you had a great moment. Tell me of a time when things went just right.

    Wednesday, January 4, 2012

    The Bloggers are Back

    Christmas break is over and students are getting back in the groove.  Students spent some time today working on their blogs publishing drafts and working on new posts.  Although we were all a little fuzzy-brained yesterday, the brain cells have awoken and quality work is coming out.

    Molly posted over the break recommending a few of her peers' blogs.  You can find links to blogs she thinks are great on her blog, Molly's Mystery Journal, or links to all of the students' blogs on the sidebar on the right.