Tonight's open house focused on content area reading. Sarah Mrozinski, Karen Rider, and Jean Strohpaul presented on how reading differs in various content areas like science, math, and social studies compared to leisure reading. They discussed using both fiction and non-fiction texts and websites to teach counting, Michigan history, the environment, and other topics while highlighting text features like glossaries, captions, and headings.
Book shelf clip art http://www.pdclipart.org/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=28 VO- Tonight we will be explaining content area reading and strategies that can help your student be a better reader in the content areas.
Bored girl reading http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=3858&picture=bored-woman-studying Sleeping reader http://www.wpclipart.com/education/reading/reader_sleeping.png.htmlFrustrated boy reading http://openclipart.org/detail/28635/readerboy-by-jantonalcorVO- Confused, frustrated, bored? Is this what it feels like at your home when it is time to do math, science, or social studies homework?
Science, Math, History book images http://www.wpclipart.com/VO-Content areas are the subjects, other than English Language Arts, that students learn in school; like science, math, and social studies. So when a student reads within a content area to get information, they are reading in the content area.
Newspaper clip art http://www.wpclipart.com/phps.php?q=newspaperVO - Your answer is probably “no” and even if you do, it’s likely that it’s really hard to remember everything you did read, especially in those information loaded content area books. Content area reading is so different because it requires different reading strategies than traditional, good ole, literature. Content area reading strategies will help your student understand and enjoy the learning that takes place in the content areas.
Boy writing http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=19767&picture=practice-makes-perfectClip art boy http://www.clker.com/clipart-10213.htmlVO-Our goal tonight is to give you ideas, strategies, and book suggestions that your student can use to become a motivated reader in the content areas. We hope to turn the reluctant reader on the left into an engaged, eager reader on the right.
Numbers made using power point word artVO - The following information will include strategies for content area reading in math, helpful websites, and books focused at the kindergarten level for counting and counting strategies.
Jack the Builder book cover image: http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780060557751Turtle Splashcover image: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Turtle-Splash-Cathryn-Falwell?isbn=9780061429279&HCHP=TB_Turtle+Splash!VO - Both Jack the Builder and Turtle Splash tell fun counting stories that will engage students and activate their imagination. Jack the Builder is about a young boy who learns that by adding building blocks together you can create exciting new things. In the book Turtle Splash, students will take a trip to the pond and count the number of turtles sunning themselves on a log before they jump into the water and swim away.
Count on Me book image: http://www.learningprops.com/set_eng_book.phpMighty Math: Counting book image: http://childsworld.com/shop/show/3999VO - Count on Me uses actual images to teach students what each number represents. Mighty Math: Counting teaches students about why we learn to count and encourages students to count along as the book is being read.
Public domain image of penguin: http://www.pdclipart.org/displayimage.php?album=19&pos=9Public domain image of apples: http://www.pdclipart.org/displayimage.php?album=42&pos=0Public domain image of bananas: http://www.pdclipart.org/displayimage.php?album=42&pos=78Public domain image of balloons: http://www.pdclipart.org/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=38Public domain image of flowers: http://www.pdclipart.org/displayimage.php?album=94&pos=62Counting Graphic Organizer example created by Karen RiderVO- This graphic organizer was created so that students were able to see the written and numerical representations of each number. In the last column they can draw or physically move items or objects into the box that represent the number. This will help to meet the needs of both visual and tactile learners.
Screenshots from www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game4.htm andwww.primarygames.com/math/fishycount/index.htmVO - Here are two fun websites students can visit to practice their counting skills. The first link will take you to the Count Us In, where you can play the game shown on the bottom left hand side of the screen, along with many other games that are designed for counting. The second link will take you to primarygames.com where you will also find multiple counting games that your student can play.
Image of flag and state of Michigan outline http://www.wpclipart.com/flags/US_State_Flags/Michigan.png.htmlVO-The following information will include strategies for content area reading in social studies, helpful websites, and books focused within the 3rd grade to complement the studies of Michigan.
Information and organizer design from http://www.tn.gov/education/ci/reading/grades_6-8.pdf pg.30VO- One of the easiest and best ways to begin a new topic or book is to find out what your student already knows, or think they know about that topic– as shown in the first column of this graphic organizer. Good readers will also begin to think of things they want to know more about – the second column of this graphic organizer. They can even add to this column as they read and have more wonderings.Finally, the student can record what they learned from reading the book and list some of the most important details.
Mitt, the Michigan Mouse book cover image http://www.mittenpress.com/title.asp?intAcumen=63033Awesome Adventures in History book cover image http://www.mittenpress.com/title.asp?intAcumen=65VO - In the book Professor Tuesday’s Awesome Adventures in History: Chief Pontiac’s War the professor and Robert are captured by warriors – stuck in 1763. Only the knowledge of Michigan history can save them now! Learn about the native people of Michigan and the struggle with the British as they tried to share the same land. Historical fiction learning with a time traveling twist.Mitt, the Michigan Mouse has a more gentle telling of the places, rivers, cities, and towns as Mitt travels throughout the state to try and find his lost mitten. Readers can map out Mitt’s travels as they read.
Nishnawbe book cover image http://www.amazon.com/Nishnawbe-A-Story-Indians-Michigan/dp/B000GYKOFQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334662587&sr=8-1 (publisher website image was very fuzzy and small) M is for Mitten book cover image http://www.kathy-jowargin.com/VO - Study Indians of Michigan in the book Nishnawbe. Learn about Michigan and its earliest people before we were even known as Michigan. There are many maps, pictures, captions, and a glossary to support learning.M is for Mitten is an A-Z guide about all things Michigan. It includes people, places, animals and more.
Screen shots from www.mittenpress.comClip art image of 5 kids http://openclipart.org/detail/93073/cartoon-kids-by-leoggVO-The publisher of Mitt, the Michigan Mouse and the Professor Tuesday book both have a website with parent and teacher access to activities that support further thinking or research into some aspect of Michigan history or Michigan knowledge. These activities can help your student better understand their content area studies. The Michigan.gov website has lots of links for Michigan related reading, activities and more.
Water Image: http://www.public-domain-image.com/nature-landscapes-public-domain-images-pictures/coast-public-domain-images-pictures/coastal-environments-ecology.jpg.htmlTrees and Water Image: http://www.public-domain-image.com/nature-landscapes-public-domain-images-pictures/autumn-public-domain-images-pictures/autumn-trees-mirrored-in-water.jpg.htmlVO - Science may be a difficult subject to understand especially if students are just reading the textbook. So why not make it more fun and interactive? Following this slide are different books and websites that are appropriate for any sixth grader learning about the environment.
Flushhttp://www.carlhiaasen.com/books/books-flush.htmlScat http://www.carlhiaasen.com/books/books-scat.htmlVO -Reading fiction books about science can make it more relatable to students. Scat and Flush are two books about the environment. They both have interesting characters that want to keep the environment safe and clean. They make learning about science fun. Scat is about saving and preserving an endangered black panther. Flush is about saving the harbor from the pollution of the Coral Queen who is dumping their raw sewage into the water.
Not Your Typical Book About the Environment http://www.elinkelseyandcompany.com/booksEnvironment at Risk http://www.raintreepublishers.co.uk/product/9781406202793VO - Non-Fiction books don’t have to be boring. They can have pictures and captions and fun facts. Not your Typical Book about the Environment and Environment at Risk are loaded with information about the environment. It may seem like there is a lot of information and facts, but if you break it down into smaller chunks you can learn a lot. Try this strategy….
Dead Fish Image: http://www.public-domain-image.com/fauna-animals-public-domain-images-pictures/fishes-public-domain-images-pictures/fish-kill-pollution.jpg.htmlImage of dictionary clip http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=593&picture=businessVO- You can use text features to guide you through a non-fiction book. Even though the glossary is found at the end of a book, its very helpful to read it FIRST – so you can know what kind of vocabulary will be found within the text. It is similar to a dictionary because it has the definition of the word found in the book and sometimes the page number . Captions describe the picture or photo on the page. Think of them as the frosting on a cupcake, gobble them up as soon as you get to a new page for the yummy information.
VO - These are a few examples of text features that can be found in non-fiction books. Completing a check list like this before reading a non-fiction book will give you a quick preview of the information in the book. It can also help you find definitions of words you don’t know and locate specific information you might need.Text feature checklist was created by Sarah
Screenshot from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/kids/ andhttp://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/action/way04.htmlVo - These are two interactive websites that students can visit to explore environmental issues. The first website will take you to the EERE Kids website where there are “games, tips and facts just for kids who want to save energy.” The second website takes you to the PBS kids website where there are different types of activities that you can do at home in order to help the environment.
Bookworm image: http://www.pdclipart.org/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=0VO - We hope you feel more comfortable helping your student read within the content areas. If you would like a copy of this presentation to take home with you please see one of the presenters who will have one waiting for you.
