Dear Families,

     For the next several weeks we will be working on MENTAL IMAGING in Reader's Workshop.  Students rely on pictures associated with the text they are reading.  Good readers also create pictures in their minds.  Theses visual images are powerful and help to keep us engaged while we read.  Where do our mental images come from?  When we visualize we connect with our own personal SCHEMA with clues provided by the author.  It is like watching a movie in our mind.  When we are using mental images we are in fact INFERRING what the author wants us to know and understand.  Proficient readers create images from all their senses.  Mental images occur before, during and after reading.  They change as we read and collect new information.  Mental images enhance our reading.

THE DAILY FIVE

Read to Self
We have been working on reading to self in class.  
The students are doing an excellent job finding a
"Just Right Book".
They are using schema and making
connections to improve their comprehension.

Listen to Read
The students can listen to and read along
with many fiction and nonfiction texts.  
We have introduced the listening center.  

Word Work
We have introduced word work.  
The students are doing lots of fun
activities and games while
working with sight words, word families,
blends and digraphs.

Work on Writing
The students have authored several little books and
also write in their Writer's Workshop journal.

Read with Someone
The children love to read with their peers.  
They use sticky notes to find picture clues,text connections and tricky words.

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