Realistic Fiction

Over the past few weeks 3^rd Graders have been learning Reading Workshop routines such as: setting up their seats with their book, reading folder, bookmark & pencil; taking notes on their thinking as they read by recording evidence found in the text; stopping to think about non-literal language and learning even more about characters by looking at what they say. This week our class started reading the realistic fiction book, The Stories Julian Tells. Julian is a boy who embarks on many adventures with his little brother Huey and neighbor Gloria. Together, the kids share stories about cooking, household chores, riding bikes and neighborhood friendships!

Writing Notebooks

This week our authors made a plan to improve their writing and listed goals to support their journey for this year in Writing Workshop. This week, writers are learning to fill their notebooks with true stories that tell what the writer did first, next, after. They put the date on each page and documented if the writing was completed at home or at school. Writers are learning to use dialogue and are using lots of different types of punctuation. Each student is aiming to write at least one page each day. Third graders are also finding ideas for true stories by thinking of a person who matters to them, listing small moments about that person, and then writing stories from their list. Another strategy students are using is thinking of a place that matters to them, mapping out their special place, and then writing stories from their map. Ask your young author about their list or map!

Curiosity

Third graders are recording wonders and organizing these wonders by level of urgency. By using our class Wondermeter, scholars are rating each wonder into a “passing wonder”, a “motivational itch” or a “compelling wonder”. Passing wonders may be a question that they would ask a friend or a family member. Students would be content hearing an answer to this question or be okay with not fulfilling this wonder. Motivational itch wonders would bring a student to the library or Internet to do some research! Compelling wonders would bring our scholars to action by making a plan to do something about the topic researched. Students would take their wonder to guide a project or idea!

Important Dates:

• Thursday, September 29^th     Curriculum Night, 5:30-6:30
• October 10^th & 11^th                   Fall Break, No School