How Fast Do You Read?

Are you a fast and fluent reader? Should you be? Today in Reading Workshop we discussed the pace used when reading. Sometimes even the most fluent reader should s l o w d o w n. Sometimes even the slowest reader should speed up and get through the text. The important thing to know is how to pace yourself depending on your purpose.










If you want to be a better reader, first think about your purpose. Then adjust your reading speed to fit your purpose. Most readers do this, at least to a certain extent, without even thinking about it. In fact, as you become a better reader, you will constantly move back and forth on the continuum, without even being aware that you are making adjustments.

However, with difficult text, it is important to consciously take the time to understand what you are reading. Look at key vocabulary, using context clues to figure out words that you don't know. What part of speech is a word? Maybe it is just an adverb that will not keep you from understanding the sentence, so it can be ignored if you don't understand it. Determine whether a point is a major component of an article, or just a supporting detail. Frequently supporting details are not necessary to understand the gist of the writing.

This decision to slow down, and break down an essay for key concepts and ideas (like finding the W's) will help you become a better reader, improve comprehension, and improve your grades.

Responding to a Prompt

In every class, in every subject, throughout their education, students will be required to respond to a prompt or question, especially on tests. They will need to support their answer/position/opinion/idea with details from a text. In sixth grade Reading Workshop, we will spend a lot of time learning how to write a detailed reply that will make sense and score well.

The first prompt focused on the book I am reading aloud, Swear to Howdy.

The questions were:

1. Why did Joey befriend Rusty when he first moved next door?

2. How would your response to a new neighbor be different?


We discussed the need to rewrite the question as a topic sentence. Also, we talked about how a two part question should be a minimum of two paragraphs. Supporting details from the book, and from personal experiences are needed to support the answer.

Below is an essay turned in by James E. that serves as a good example for a beginning sixth grader.

Rusty and Joey became best friends because they were a lot alike. I think they were friends the first day they met because Rusty liked playing with Joey. Rusty thought Joey was playful and adventurous. Joey liked taking Rusty places like fishing and he likes that. Rusty liked having someone to play with.

My response to a new neighbor would be that I might not like him and would not play with him. The new neighbor might not want to do anything I do. I might want to go outside he wouldn't.

Another response to a new neighbor might be that the neighbor and I would like to play together. We might like playing outside with each other. We could ride bikes down the road and have fun. We would play in the woods and become good friends.

James does a good job of turning the questions into topic sentences for each paragraph. He explained his answers by providing details so the reader can understand his points. He might have improved by just picking the one difference and expanding on that, but he does a good job of supporting both parts of the second answer.

Scary Story

Today we will be writing a scary story. When I told students this last week, they thought I had lost my mind. "It's not Halloween," they said. "Why would we do it in May?" they asked.

Well, funny you should ask that. The things we will cover include:

1. The plot and developing problems;

2. Descriptive writing and adding supporting details;

3. Punctuating dialogue;

4. Character development;

5. Building a narrative to a climax;

6. Cooperation and writing with a partner;

7. Edditing-git that speling write;

8. Writing with an introduction, body, and conclusion.

The assignment is to write a scary/horror story. BUT, shooting or guns, and stabbing or knives, or killing in any way is NOT allowed! All injuries must be incidental or accidental. The focus is on scaring the reading in only the most imaginative ways!

I can't wait to read them.

Problems in Writing

All good writing has problems, lots and lots of problems, with lots and lots of details. The more problems in a narrative, and the more descriptive the writing, the more the reader will be engaged. Problems are what give the story a body. They create the interest by getting the reader to insert himself into the story, to think of solutions, and to root for a character to succeed or fail.

Today, students brainstormed a list of problems that could occur in the setting where their scary story takes place. Each partnership came up with problems that might fit in a horror story. These problems had to be realistic enough to be believable, but "sick" enough to fit into a scary fictional narrative.

Once each group came up with a list of 8 - 10 problems, we came to the circle, and shared ideas. Then students revised their essays, inserting new problems and adding details. As we continue writing and improving these stories, I am sure the final drafts will be excellent and eerie.

Letters are Finished

Students finished their letters today on the topic, "Reasons Why I Liked the Book." The following is a letter by Dillon Y. that is a good example of what I was looking for with this project.

September 12, 2007

Dear Mr. McGuire,

I just started reading it but I love my SSR book. My book is The Revenge of the Shadow King by Derek Benz and J. S. Lewis. It Is a really good book and I would recommend it to others.

I like my book because it keeps you guessing, like when the Shadow King attacked Max you thought he was in trouble but it was just a dream. Also, it's kind of like a mystery; Max and his friends, Ernie and Natalie, have to solve why the Shadow Goblin is attacking Max, which keeps me in suspense. They also have to solve why the Codex (magical book) was in Max's grandma's attic. The last mystery they have to solve is why Sprig wanted Max to release an evil shadow.

There are also several evil monsters, like the Shadow King, and all his Faeries, which are Goblins and other things which is cool because I really like reading stuff like that. The evil monsters are all ruled by the Shadow King and Oberon who are also evil monsters. It also keeps me wondering what will happen next. Like one time Max was falling off a water fall towards rocks and you thought he was dead but Sprig the the magical Spriggan swooped down out of the air and saved Max.

A Spriggan is a magical bird/monkey that came out of the Codex when Max opened it to Sprig's page. Sprig helps me like the book because he is funny and always does something you don't want him to do unless you tell him in detail. Like when Max told him he wanted to go somewhere else he took Max to a place where he could not breath.

The final reason why I like this book is because it's a series, so it will be fun to read the remaining books and see how the story develops. All of these are reasons why I love my SSR book and would recommend it to others.

Sincerely,

Dillon Y.

Many of the letters were interesting with good supporting details based on facts from the books students are reading. Great job, sixth grade!

Don't forget, Reading Logs are due on Friday. Students must read at least 4 times a day for at least 15 minutes each day to get a C. To get an A, students must read at least 180 minutes for the week.