Reading/Language TAG Recommendations for PEPs
Reading:
*Read 2,000 pages per semester (100 pages/week)
*Book choices include:
*500 pages non-fiction
*Keep a reading response journal for all reading.
*Fiction is Newbery or Newbery Honor or OBOB books.
*2 books/semester should be historical fiction.
Since 5th grade social studies core begins study of
American history, here are a few suggestions for the first semester:
*The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
* My Brother Sam Is Dead by James L. and Chris Collier
* Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
*George Washington's Socks by Jean Fritz
*The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
*Indian Captive by Lois Lanske
*The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
*Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
*Incident at Hawk's Hill by Allan W. Eckert
Integrating Reading and Writing:
Fifth grade students need to begin to use computers to delve into
connections between literature and real world experience. Using 2
books read as a springboard to broader learning, research either
current or real world connections, and use that information to present
learning to the rest of the class in the form of an oral presentation,
complete with posters or a "brochure" for class members. For
example: If you read The Witch of Blackbird Pond, you might
research Quakers and religious prejudice in colonial America. If you
read Johnny Tremain, you might read a biography of Paul Revere or
John Adams and do a venn diagram comparing information about the
beginnings of the Revolutionary War. All work should be factually
accurate, grammatically correct, in your own words, attractively
displayed and presented, and allow other students to learn from your
research.
Vocabulary and Word Study
One of the most powerful ways to boost intelligence, reading and
writing skills, and to prepare for college-bound academics is to
devlope a solid foundation in the most used Greek, Latin, Germanic,
and Old English word stems (prefixes, suffixes, roots). These
improve reading comprehension and aid vocabulary inference. This
year, instead of the usual "spelling list," a study of these stems is
required:
*25 stems/week. Know the meaning of the stem, and at least one
"trigger word" or example as a reminder of the stem's meaning.
*Quizzes are cumulative, so the learning is not learned one week
and forgotten the next. These willl be graded strictly with 98%-100%
= A or 6; 90-96% = A- or 5, 80-89%-B or 4, 70-79% a C or a 3.
You may want to create a study system with each stem on a file
card divided into quadrants: Stem in one quadrant; meaning in the
next quadrant; a "trigger word" or nmemonic to help you remember it
in one quadrant; and an illustration in the last quadrant. Put these
on a ring. Add to it weekly, so all study is cumulative.
Writing:
Writing assignments can be the same as for the rest of the class;
however expectations for grammatical correctness, spelling accuracy,
and writing complexity should reflect student ability. The
assignments required for reading done can and should count toward
the writing grade.