The thrust of this week's instruction centers around the questions: what do we actually do when we read? What is going on in our minds as we read? How can we become more attentive readers who are aware of their thoughts and reactions as they read? Today students are choosing a novel to read independently; they will have opportunity to read a bit in class this week, but this will be their primary homework over the next few weeks. As they begin to exercise their findings to the aforementioned questions--that readers use strategies and that their minds are constantly thinking--they will be raising their awareness of their thoughts as they read. By becoming more active readers, they will retain more focus on their book and deepen their comprehension of it.
Students will monitor their thoughts by using sticky notes to jot quick ideas/thoughts/reactions. Three times during the course of their novel, they will pause to write up a log sheet that encompasses one interesting quote from the book, their ideas/thoughts/reactions to it, and a brief summary of events so far. To culminate their reading, students will choose either to create a plot line poster or to write an essay based on their choice of given prompts.
In addition to all of this activity around reading, I'm hoping to introduce our first vocabulary list this week, too!
Homework:
Monday: if you have not yet submitted the "All Summer In A Day" essay, please submit to CLASSROOM and give me you self-scored rubric.
Monday-Thursday: read choice book w/sticky notes. FIRST LOG due FRIDAY!
Friday: first log is due today; continue reading over weekend using strategies/sticky notes. Next log is due 10/11.
Choice Novel Reading Instructions & log schedule
Independent Reading Activity Choices/Instructions
Reading Log template
