October Happenings!

For what seemed to be a very slow start, our year is progressing very quickly. Just a brief update on how things are moving along.

I have been assessing all students to find out strengths and areas for improvement in reading and writing. To give you an overall idea of where the students are I can state the following:

Reading:

Strengths – There seems to be a genuine interest on improving their reading.

Areas to work on – Continued reading on a nightly basis.

Research clearly shows that the reading of meaningful connected text results in improved reading achievement (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988; Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkerson, 1985; Elley & Mangubhai, 1983; Ingham, 1981; Taylor, Frye, & Maruyama, 1990). In one of the most extensive studies of independent reading yet conducted, Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding (1988) investigated a broad array of activities and their relationship to reading achievement and growth in reading. They found that the amount of time students spent in independent reading was the best predictor of reading achievement and also the best predictor of the amount of gain in reading achievement made by students.

Independent reading builds fluency.

Independent reading leads to increased vocabulary development.

Independent reading builds background knowledge, or schema. Another extremely well established research finding is that students' reading ability is dramatically influenced by the amount of interrelated information (schema) they have about the topic about which they are reading (Anderson & Pearson, 1984; Ausubel & Robinson, 1969; Bartlett, 1932). By reading widely, students are exposed to diverse topics and information, which they can then use in future reading.

Improving in the areas of thinking about our reading. Think writing as demonstrated in “4 Squares.”

Readers learn more if they become actively involved with written material. Think writing requires the reader to react to what the author is saying on an ongoing basis. Think writing requires the reader to note reactions to the text. Think writing requires the reader to note when meaning breaks down. Think writing requires the reader to note when personal connections are made. The 4 Squares personalize the learning situation and encourages readers to develop a point of reference with the writer by trying to interpret the words and meaning they read.

Writing:

Strengths – There seems to be a genuine interest in improving their writing.

Areas to work on – Developing Thesis Statements.

Students need to understand the following about Thesis Statements:

· tells the reader how they will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.

• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument or main idea to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

Please glance at the October homework calendar for updated information on assignments, readings, classroom activities, early releases, and no school days.