The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl was this past Saturday at McEachern HS. The team did their best, with Mr Smith and I there to support them, however we did not place in the top level of winners. Being a new co-sponsor for the team, I feel like I learned almost as much as the students did about how the process goes and how I can best support next years' participants! Everyone put forth their best effort and we are proud of them all!
In on-level reading we will begin the novel City of Ember tomorrow. Initially we will be involved in a choosing of "jobs" and research said careers on the web (in the 7th grade lab) on Thurs. In addition we will predict what the novel is about using the movie poster and WORDLE. Most of our reading will occur online, from a loaded KINDLE book through the media center, however I do have a FEW copies of the book available for in class use.
For Ac reading today we completed an anticipation guide that questions the ideas of patriotism and personal truths as pre-reading for the novel, Nothing But the Truth by AVI. We will continue by using a guided reading format, with focus questions and mini-lessons (perspective, belief systems, national pride) along with shared inquiry type groupings.
AC classes also have a long-term MENU assignment with 3 components that is due on different dates- which they have written in their agendas. This work will be based on the reading of their anchor books, which are kept in class and are available whenever students finish their classwork. Yesterday we spent all period doing nothing but reading anchor books. The first part of the MENU assignment is due Fri Feb 3, then every two weeks after that, although students may turn work in whenever they finish it.
Don't forget my ikeepbookmarks.com where you can sign in under "Crain's Nest" and the password is "larocks". I post a variety of websites and activity pages for extra practice in reading and writing at many different levels!