Let's Get Our Read On!
Updates from Literacy Engage
These past few weeks have been a whirlwind in the Literacy classroom as kids learned rules and routines and got a taste of the things that they will be doing if they take Literacy Engage classes. When we get back from Labor Day holiday, we will be starting on the first block of the school year. The name of the game in Literacy is help kids learn to love reading and writing, and I have a schedule full of classes to do just that! Here's a sneak peek of all the awesome things that literacy students will be doing in the upcoming Engage block:
Don't Let Mo Willems Drive the Bus!
This class is designed for 1st and 2nd grade students and features the kid-favorite author Mo Willems. Our author study will begin with the Pigeon books and will include activities to help kids learn prosody and support the reading skills that they are learning in Foundations. We will be singing, reading, dancing, writing, and...throwing tantrums!
Our study will then move on to the amazing Elephant and Piggie series. This early reader series boasts funny and relatable stories that get kids learning about dialogue and prosody while allowing them the opportunity to read independently. We will be acting, puppeteering, reading, writing, and... making slop!
Robert Munschkins
This class is designed for 1st and 2nd grade students and features the amazing Canadian Author Robert Munsch. Like the Mo Willems class, Robert Munschkins will feature an author study where kids will practice literacy skills they are learning in Foundations. One of the aspects of Munsch's books that makes them so intriguing is that they are published versions of stories that real kids have told him. These stories are often hilarious and very relatable to kids and adults alike. Along with other fantastic activities, like Reader's Theatre, students will have the opportunity to imagine and write their own Munschesque stories.
Word Games
This class is designed for 3rd and 4th grade students and will feature several games that will support and review foundational literacy skills. Students will practice their prosody and reading fluency through games like Emotional IQ, build vocabulary with games like charades and Pictionary, and practice their writing skills through activities like speed writing and corpse writing. Students will learn and play one to two new games each week, with Fridays reserved as student choice days. On student choice days, the class will be able to independently play any of the games that were learned up to that point.
Advanced Word Games
This class is designed for 5th and 6th grade students and will feature several games that will support and review foundational literacy skills. Students will practice their prosody and reading fluency through games like Emotional IQ and Utter Nonsense, build vocabulary with games like Scrabble and Taboo, and practice their writing and story telling skills with games like Dixit. The advanced class will also be working on their persuasion and debate skills with games like Balderdash and Superfight. Students will learn and play one to two new games each week, with Fridays reserved as student choice days. On student choice days, the class will be able to independently play any of the games that were learned up to that point.
