I am sure you have all been noticing the four day week discussions popping up in various education articles and I am trying to decide where I stand on this issue. New Hampshire's recent decision to alter the final two years of high school was an easy one for me as I have been preaching European vs. agrarian arguments on both year-round school and early graduation for years, but any fiscal argument for cutting the school week to four days will not wash with me.
Fluency: The Missing Link

I am here today to sing the praises of recorded stories. You can get almost any book in electronic or CD form. Load up those iPods! Play Diary of a Wimpy Kid
For a more structured look at recorded reading, here are a few tips:
*Make sure your young reader has a copy of the recording. It is important to make a connection with the text and the sounds. The struggling reader might start to daydream, but re-center them on the page when necessary.
*Pause frequently to discuss the story. Ask what is happening. See if they caught little hints and funny spots. Ask them how they know what they know (what in the text gave it away). Make predictions about what will happen next.
*Have the reader reread the last section aloud. Do not stop them if they fumble, but assist if they get stuck. Never ever criticize the reader. EVER. If they struggle, ask what was hard for them and would they like to listen to that section again?
*For younger students, read aloud along with them in a chanting sort of manner. This works especially well with poetry/rhymes and song lyrics.
Although NCLB covers repeated readings and silent reading as ways to improve fluency, I feel that just listening to positive models is one of the easiest ways to improve fluency. I have met a ton of kids who tell me that their parent never reads to them and that they have never, really, heard the way reading should sound (not enough to feel comfortable, anyway).
So next time you are trying to entertain them as you drive about, instead of popping in a DVD, pop a CD in the stereo :-)
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Coraline Movie Trailer
I'm usually miffed when one of my favorite stories gets made into a movie, but Neil Gaiman's Coraline
always seemed like it'd be a great Nightmare Before Christmas/ Tim Burton style adaptation on the screen. It looks like my thoughts are confirmed...
Also check out this Fantastic Website To Explore!
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© 2007-2009 Cheryl Vanatti for www.ReadingRumpus.com
Also check out this Fantastic Website To Explore!
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Amadi's Snowman by Katia Novet Saint-Lot with illustrations by Dimitrea Tokunbo - Mini Book Review

Though the central message of Amadi's Snowman
With colorful illustrations that serve the setting well, Amadi's Snowman
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Genre: Picture Book. Age: 4-8. Pages: 32.


Themes: Multicultural, Determination, Family.



ISBN-10: 0884482987 / ISBN-13: 978-0884482987
Buy Amadi's Snowman Here
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Excellent Education News !!!
Arthur of Albion by John Matthews and illustrated by Pavel Tatarnikov - Mini Book Review

The author has condensed the traditional Arthurian legends into smaller snippets for a quick introduction to Arthur Pendragon. The stories are short enough to hold student interest, yet long enough to provide the essentials. Though Arthur of Albion
Recommended to enhance unit supplementals, for read-alouds and for those with an interest in knights or the Arthurian legends.
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Genre: Short Story, Folklore & Legend. Age: 9-12. Pages: 96.


Themes: Hero Quest, Romance, Strength of Character



ISBN-10: 1846860490 / ISBN-13: 978-1846860492
Buy Arthur of Albion Here
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