Our Reading Focus for December 14th-18th!

Dear Families,

This week we'll consider the question "What are different ways to enjoy music?" First, we'll read about different musical instruments and the type of music they make in Ah, Music! Then we'll practice rhythm while reading the song There's a Hold at the Bottom of the Sea.

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: vibration, concentrate, relieved, creative, performance, tune, expression, volume

Phonics Skills: Vowel digraph ai ay

Vocabulary Strategy: Idioms

Comprehension Skill: text and graphic features--tell how words work with art

Comprehension Strategy: Question- ask questions about what you are reading

Spelling Words: pay, wait, paint, train, pail, clay, tray, plain, stain, hay, gray, away, stay, day, raisin, birthday

Our Reading Focus for December 7th-11th!

Dear Families,

We'll begin this week with a humorous fiction story called Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type. Farmer Brown's cows have found a typewriter, and they're using it to demand better working conditions. What will Farmer Brown do? We'll also read about how real animals communicate in the informational text Talk About Smart Animals! Throughout the week we'll consider the question "How can people and animals help each other?"

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: problem, impossible, understand, impatient, furious, demand, gathered, believe

Phonics Skills: Base words with ending -s -es

Vocabulary Strategy: Prefixes pre-(means "before") and mis- (means "not" or "badly")

Comprehension Skill: Conclusions-use details to figure out more about the story parts or important ideas

Comprehension Strategy: Infer/predict--use clues to figure out more about the story parts or important idea

Spelling: hens, eggs, bikes, boxes, wishes, dresses, names, bells, stamps, dishes, grapes, jets, frogs, stitches, fences

Our Reading Focus for November 30th-December 4th!

Dear Families,

This week we'll explore the question, "What's special about animals that live in the ocean?" We'll read two informational texts about the deep blue sea. The first selection, Jellies, features beautiful underwater photographs and fascinating facts about jellyfish. In Splash Photography we'll learn about the different equipment used when photographing animals that live in the ocean. What an exciting and wet job!

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: decide, disgusting, drift, millions, simple, wrapped, choices, weaker

Phonics Skill: Contractions- don't, it's

Vocabulary Strategy: Base words and suffixes -er and -est

Comprehension Skill: Fact and opinion-tell if an idea can be proved or is a feeling

Comprehension Strategy: Monitor/clarify-find ways yo figure out what doesn't make sense

Spelling words: I'm, Don't, Isn't, Can't, We'll, It's, I've, Didn't, You're, That's, Wasn't, You've, Us, Them, They've, Wouldn't

Reading Focus for November 16th-20th!

Dear Families,

This week we are going to answer the question "How can stories help you learn a lesson?" First we'll read a folktale called How Chipmunk Got His Stripes. then we'll read a traditional tale called Why Rabbits Have Short Tails. 

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: curled, direction, healed, height, toward, tunnel, tease, brag

Phonics Skills: Base words and endings -ed, -ing (including spelling change of dropped final e) words with consonant/vowel (CV) pattern

Vocabulary Strategy: Synonyms

Comprehension Skill: Understanding characters--tell more about character

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize--stop to tell important events as you read

Spelling Words: liked, using, riding, chased, spilled, making, closed, hoping, baked, hiding, standing, asked, mixed, sleeping, teasing, knocking

Reading Focus for November 9th-13th

Dear Families,

This week we will investigate all kinds of weather. As we read we'll explore the questions "How can some storms be dangerous?" In the informational text Super Storms, we'll learn about several kinds of extreme weather. Then we will read Weather Poems, including "Night Drumming for Rain," "Who Has Seen the Wind," and "Weather."

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: flash, equal, damage, reach, pounding, prevent, beware, bend

Phonics Skill: Consonant Digraphs th, sh, wh, ch, tch, ph; base words with ending -s, -ed, -ing

Vocabulary Strategy: Compound Words ball base=baseball

Comprehension Skill: Main ideas and details--tell important ideas and details about he topic

Comprehension Strategy: Visualize--picture what is happening as you read

Spelling words: Dish,, Than, Chest, Such, Thin, Push, Shine, Chase, White, While, These, Flash, Which, Then, Catch, Thumb

Our Reading Focus for Nov 2nd-Nov 6th

Dear Families,

This week we are going to read a realistic fiction story and an informational text that will help us answer the question "What can you learn from planting a garden?" In The Ugly Vegetables, a girl learns about her neighbors when she plants a garden. We'll also see some HUGE plants from real gardens when we read They Really Are GIANT!

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: blooming, muscles, nodded, plain, scent, shovels, tough, wrinkled

Phonics Skill: Double Consonants and ck. fill, will, duck

Vocabulary Strategy: Homophones: flour, flower

Comprehension Skill: Conclusion--use details to figure out more about the text.

Comprehension Strategy: Analyze/evaluate--tell how you feel about the text and why?

Spelling Words: Rock, Black, Trick, Kick, Full, Dress, Neck, Add, Spell, Stuck, Class, Doll, Off, Will

Reading Focus for Oct. 26th-30th

Dear Families,

This week we'll begin by exploring the question "What are animal homes like?" We'll read an informational text called Animals Building Homes that tells about different types of animal homes around the world. Can you guess what animal makes a nest in a tree even though it doesn't have wings? We'll find out as we continue to learn about animal homes while reading Whose Home Is This? 

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: beaks, break, deepest, hang, pond, shaped, winding, branches

Phonics Skills: Common final blends nd, ng, nk, nt, ft, xt, mp

Vocabulary Strategy: Base words and prefixes un- (means "not" or "undo") and re- (means "again")

Comprehension Skills: Text and graphic features--tell how words work with art

Comprehension Strategy: Questions--ask questions about what you are reading

Spelling Words: Next, End, Camp, Sank, Sing, Drink, Hunt, Stand, Long, Stamp, Pond, Bring, Jump, Left, Young, and Friend

Our Reading Focus for Oct 19th-23rd

This week we will explore a special kind of neighborhood-the classroom! We'll consider the question "How is a school like a community?" We'll begin with Teacher's Pets, a realistic fiction story about Miss Fry's classroom. It's a lively place for students and animals alike! Then we'll See Westburg by Bus! as we read an informational text about this interesting community.

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: Share, noticed, suddenly, bursting, noises, wonderful, quiet, sprinkled

Phonics Skill: Consonant Blends with r, l, and s, including triple blends (burst, trunks, split)

Vocabulary Strategy: Base words and endings -ed, -ing

Comprehension Skills: Story Structure-tell the setting, characters, and plot in the story

Comprehension Strategy: Visualize-picture what is happening as you read

Spelling words: Spin ,Clap, Grade, Swim, Place, Last, Test, Skin, Drag, Glide, Just, Stage, Slip, Drive, Climb, and Price

Reading Focus For October 12th-16th

Dear Families,

This week we'll explore the question "How do good friends act?" We'll read a fun and fantastic story about Spider's family, friends, school, and favorite places to play in Diary of a Spider. Along with this humorous fiction story, we will read A Swallow and a Spider, a traditional tale written in a read-aloud reader's theater format.

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: rotten, sticky, insects, scare, judge, screaming, dangerous, breeze

Phonics Skill: Words with long o (rose), long u (dune), long e (Pete); hard and soft sounds for g (giraffe, goose)

Vocabulary Strategy: Context Clues

Comprehension Skill: Cause and effect-tell how one event makes another happen

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize-stop to tell important events as you read

Spelling Test: Doze, Nose, Use, Rose, Pole, Close, Cute, Woke, Mule, Rode, Role, Tune, Home, Joke

Reading Focus for Oct 5th-9th

Dear Family,

Dogs have special compassion to humans for countless generations. We'll learn more about "man's best friend" in the informational text Dogs. We'll also read, Helping Paws, and learn how dogs not only serve as pets, but also as care-givers to people that need it. As we read, we'll explore the questions, "What do pets need to be healthy and happy?

This Week's...

Target Vocabulary: hairy, litter, canned, clipped, stayed, coat (of an animal), chews, and mammal.

Phonics Skill: Words with long a, (Gate), long i (mine); hard and soft sound for c (car, cent)

Vocabulary Strategy: Multiple-meaning words

Comprehension Skill: Author's Purpose-Why does the author write the book?

Comprehension Strategy: Tell how you feel about the text and why.

Spelling Words: Cake, Mine, Plate, Size, Ate, Grapes, Prize, Wipe, Race, Line, Pile, Rake, Gave, and Bike. 

Raz-Kids

Dear Parent or Guardians,

I am happy to inform you that your child has access to hundreds of eBooks using the
school's subscription to Raz-Kids, www.raz-kids.com. Students can read, listen to, and even
self-record reading these books. Reading-comprehension quizzes along the way show the
progress that they are making. You can access assignments on a computer, tablet, or phone, by going to

www.raz-kids.com/login/creinking

See which books your child has read, send messages, and review activity using our
Parent Access area. Simply log in as your student, click the "Parents" link in the upper right,
register, then follow the log-in instructions emailed to you.

If you prefer, send your email address(es) to me at creinking@pleasanthill.k12.or.us

When your child uses Raz-Kids, it counts towards their reading homework. So please get them started!