Adventure Module

Adventure Module

Look at what we are studying in our current unit!  We are focusing on adventure stories written by the wonderful authors Robert Munsch and Mo Willems.  

Below are the books we will study!  Ask your child to tell you about the 

adventure elements or "craft moves" used in each story!  Adventure elements
include danger, risk, excitement, uncertain outcomes, new experiences, etc.! :) 

Readers Workshop

- Readers know when to flip the vowel sound when using Flippy the Dolphin as a strategy.

- Readers notice that "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking."

- Readers notice that two words get "squished together" when an apostrophe takes the place of missing letters.

- Readers can use expression while reading dialogue.

- Readers notice that usually if the word ends with an e, it will flip the vowel sound to say its name.  This is called "Magic E." (For example, in the word "cave," the "e" ZAPS all of its power to the "a" making the letter "a" say its name.

- Readers notice that sometimes a "y" at the end of the word sounds like an "e."  (Example words - happy, sleepy, very)

- Readers notice bold words in a text.  This means that you say the word loudly or emphasize it if it is in a story.  (If the word is in bold in a nonfiction book, it is usually a vocabulary word that can be found in the glossary at the back of the book).

- Readers can name the major events of a story.

- Readers can name the major characters.

- Readers can compare and contrast adventures of characters.

- Readers can retell a story with detail using "Princess Storyteller."

- Readers can ask questions about the story using "Quinn/Quincy the Questioner."

- Readers can clarify if they don't understand a word or part of the story using "Clara/Clarence Clarifier."

- Readers can make predictions before reading a story, during a story, and after a story using "Paula Predictor/The Wizard."

- Readers can summarize the story using "Sammy the Summarizer."

Writers Workshop

We are currently working on our Opinion and Persuasive Unit!  

We have learned that our opinion is how we feel or think about a topic.  We have learned to use graphic organizer to "plan" our reasoning.  Additionally, good writers give two reasons in their writing to explain how they think or feel.  We are really beginning to focus on beginning each sentence with a capital letter, using lowercase letters elsewhere, and ending each sentence with a punctuation mark.  

We also are noticing the "craft moves" that author and illustrator Mo Willems uses in his work.  We are discussing why he uses steam marks, lines, big text vs. small text, speech bubbles, think bubbles, ellipses, action lines, very detailed pictures, etc.  We are working to incorporate his "craft moves" into our own writing.     

- Writers can pick a favorite character from a book.

- Writers can pick a favorite part of a story.

- Writers can pick a favorite animal.

- Writers can write "All About Me."  This book includes our favorite food, color, part of school, toy, TV show, and game.  

- Writers can use our writing to make a change.

- Writers can write a persuasive letter.

- Writers can use spaces, capital letters, and punctuation.

- Writers can use spelling strategies - writing chunks they know, use the word wall, etc.

- Writers can prepare their letters for delivery.

Word Work

Please continue practicing kindergarten snap words with your child nightly.  Students should be able to say the word within three seconds as well as spell the word correctly.  

Ask students to name the vowels for you (a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y!) 

Ask your child to "flip"  each sound a vowel makes.

Review the sounds that are stuck together but make one sound - ch, sh, th, wh 

Ask your child to find vowel teams for you as you read - the "ai" in rain, the "oa" in goat 

Ask your child to find words that have the "Magic E" in them and 

then prove to you why it is a Magic E word.