Reading & Writing

Many parents ask what can I do to help ensure my child progresses in literacy?
The answer is, have your child Read, Read, Read  and Write, Write, Write!

All About the Daily Five

The Daily Five is a structure that is used during the literacy block time. It allows students to gain independence and daily practice in the areas of reading, writing and word study. The Daily Five structure may look different within each classroom. During this time, teachers are meeting with small groups, individual students and/or assessing students.

Read to Self: This is an independent reading time in which students read their self-selected good fit books. The purpose is to build reading stamina.

Work on Writing: Students work individually on writing of their choice. The purpose is to provide daily writing practice.

Word Work: During this time, students use materials to work on word study (phonics, spelling and vocabulary development). The purpose is to increase student’s word knowledge.

Listen to Reading: Students use various media to listen to texts at this time. The purpose is to expose students to fluent reading and new vocabulary.

Read to Someone: Students read to a partner and discuss the meaning of the text. The purpose is to share thinking and learning with another person.

Have you ever wondered why an author wrote a piece? Have you thought about your purpose for writing a piece before? There are three main reasons that writer's write. First, an author may write to entertain their audience and tell stories that are not true. Another purpose could be to inform the audience about someone, something or someplace. The author is telling you information about a true subject. Finally, an author may write to persuade or convince you to do something.

Like Shoes, a Good Book “Fits”

We all know if we want our children to become better readers they must spend more time reading. However, one of the most important elements is choosing and providing the right books for our children. It is essential that children have the ability to choose books that are “good fits” for them. I share with students that choosing the right book is like selecting the right pair of shoes. When selecting a shoe we first decide upon the purpose for the shoe. For example, we do not choose baseball cleats unless we are interested in baseball. It is important to be interested in the book you are choosing.

Secondly, we must select shoes that fit, not too big and not too tight. Readers must select books that are good fits for them, as they should not be too easy or too hard. If a book is a good fit for us, we can understand what we are reading and know most of the words.

Good luck helping your child pick books that fit them.

The following are websites that read to the students. There are also many author’s websites that have the author reading to their books aloud as well.

Scholastic Book Link
External LinkBook Flix (students need to know our username and password)

Other Website

External LinkNew York Public Library Site – great site!
External LinkStory Line Online
External LinkSilly Books
External LinkPBS Kids
External LinkReading is Fundamental
External LinkKids-and-Games
External LinkBBC Little Animals Activity Center
External LinkStar Fall
External LinkStories to Grow by
External LinkDream Time

Edward Fry has created a list of the most common words in English, ranked in frequency order. The first 25 make up about a third of all printed material. The first 100 make up about half of all written material, and the first 300 make up about 65 percent of all written materials. It is essential that children learn to read and spell these words correctly.

The following link is a great resource to help students practice their sight words. There are numerous activities on this site.

External LinkSight Word Resources

Here’s a word document template that contains 500 sight words. This template can be printed on address labels (Avery 5160). Place the label on an index card to make sight word flash cards.