Our super readers have learned several strategies to solve words in both phonics and reading and now they are working on using more than one strategy when they encounter a word they don't know. Reading is an extremely complex task where students are orchestrating using visual information (the letters and sounds that they make), meaning (does the attempt of the word make sense) and structural information (does this attempt at solving sound right). Being able to use all three of these requires the students to do much more than decode words. A great way for you to help at home continue this learning would be to talk to your child about the books you are reading together. What does that make you think of and why, what was your favorite part of the story and why, what other book does this story remind you of and why. This conversation when modeled enough becomes part of their internal dialogue and can help them solve new words, comprehend stories and think beyond the text.
The students also shared their final personal narrative that they published in Writing Workshop. This unit focus on writing stories from the heart that actually happened. The students learned about the importance of easy to read writing (spaces, stretching sounds, using the word wall and forming letters correctly). They also learned how to elaborate their stories to include who, where and what when writing the stories.
