Breaking the READING Stigma

My post this week is all about getting my students to start to enjoy reading and writing.

Most despise it.

I am really trying to find different ways to show them "words" in various forms.

So who wouldn't want to start off the week with a little One Direction!?! HA!

Our interactive reading this week focused on the use of "Hyperbole"- An exaggeration that cannot possibly be true. This fun and entertaining boy band's lyrics are chalked full of "Hyperboles"! HEHE!

Watching the "One Thing" music video and following along with some of the lyrics, my students were asked to highlight all of the exaggerated sentences, phrases and words.

After the hyperboles were highlighted, the students then had to write why they chose certain words or phrases as exaggerations. It was definitely an activity that had my kids focused, all while being entertained :)

I have been continuing to play off of Erin Cobb's literacy ideas with a little more work with narratives. Looking again at an authors plot structure-- I find that using this structure also allows me to check my students reading comprehension and retell abilities in a different way.

We read the 3:15 series story "Reflecting Pool" projected off of the iPad.

Another, on the edge of your seat" story, that my students enjoyed. A great and unique way to bring shared reading into your Junior or Intermediate classroom.

After reading, we used a flip book approach again, and students filled in their recall and text support onto each flip-tab.

During independent reading, my grade 7's used the reading response prompt cards from the "Independent Reading Box" that Christine and I created last year.

The students chose a prompt, and using text support, answered the question of their choice.

Because the choice is up to them, it really gives me a peak at the kids who truly show initiative and those that try to pull fast ones.

Last week I posted a little about Graphic Texts. This week my students presented their "Comics with a Message" to the class. Very well done and a great oral communication/drama mark-- as their voices needed to adapt to their characters and story line, all while entertaining the crowd!

 A long, but good week in 7E! Lots of things planned as we inch closer to the Christmas season!

Stay tuned!

Happy Saturday!

~Kaitlin~