Reading Strategies and Blogging

In reading, we recently finished studying the characteristics of various genres, so students are able to independently self-select books that will capture their interests and broaden their literary horizons. In the weeks leading up to Winter Break, we have been identifying strategies that good readers use, including inferring, summarizing, and making connections and analyzing how they help us better understand a text. Last week, we employed those strategies as we heard a riveting read aloud rendition of All Summer in a Day, written by one of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury. As we return from break, we will continue working on our strategies before diving into Watson's Go to Birmingham. 

In writing, we recently began our  Intro to Blogging unit, which will set us up to discover our writer voices as we share our passions and interests with one another throughout the year. We are using Kidblog.org and will be discussing writing skills, such as focusing around a topic, creating cohesive paragraphs, and determining word choice based on audience. Even though the skills are of my choice, the students will be able to prove their knowledge of the skills through whatever content they decide to produce on their blog. Some blog ideas so far include sports, DIY projects, and even government spending!