Reid had a vocabulary test the next day, so we began with that. He completed a vocabulary review and pre-test on his iPad and submitted his scores to his teacher. Next, we co-read chapter 26 of "The Ghost of Fossil Glen." Reid wrote a summary of the chapter and I helped him edit his work, focusing on varying his sentences and avoiding run-on sentences.
After I defined literary terms such as "theme" and characterization , I distributed a reading comprehension exercise that addressed plot, theme ,characterization, and textual support for conclusions . In order to assist Colson, I read the passage aloud after which he answered a series of comprehension questions. He did very well on the exercise noting how having the passage read aloud aided his comprehension .
Today I provided instruction on drafting a cohesive paragraph using time order transition words such as: next, then, before, after, while etc. First, we listed on the board in sentences the prime plot events in the novel . Next to this list,I wrote out the time of order transition words. Colson then worked on preparing a cohesive paragraph by joining the plot event sentences using the time order transition words.
Cade arrived with a language arts packet that his mother wanted him to complete. We practiced his spelling words (both auditory and on the white board). I was pleased that Cade could easily spell the words. He read a passage about stars and answered the comprehension questions. We went outside for a break, playing pickle ball as we reviewed his spelling words. Back inside, I conducted a one-minute phonological awareness exercise. Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds within words and is predictive of reading and spelling success. Cade practiced syllabicating unfamiliar VC/CV words; I am pleased that he is confident in using the strategy of identifying the vowels and dividing the words. To conclude, Cade decorated a cover for his session notebook.
Kaniyah, Tyjia and I co-read a short story by Jason Reynolds entitled "First-Day Fly." Told from the point of view of a middle school boy, the story details his preparation for the first day of school, specifically his outfit. I modeled a different note-taking strategy, underlining the text as we read and writing important details in the margins. We paused as we read to answer comprehension questions. I taught the concepts of figurative language, specifically metaphor and simile. The girls were engaged with the story and did good work.
Kaniyah, Tyjia and I co-read a short story by Jason Reynolds entitled "First-Day Fly." Told from the point of view of a middle school boy, the story details his preparation for the first day of school, specifically his outfit. I modeled a different note-taking strategy, underlining the text as we read and writing important details in the margins. We paused as we read to answer comprehension questions. I taught the concepts of figurative language, specifically metaphor and simile. The girls were engaged with the story and did good work.
We continued to work on writing skills today. I assigned as a writing exercise the preparation of a letter from the novel's main character, Bruno, to one of his friends back in Berlin describing Bruno's experience and new surroundings. As I pointed out the text passages that would be helpful in creating such a letter, Colson drafted a letter describing how and why Bruno deeply dislikes his new home. I reviewed the need to separate ideas into separate but complete sentences, and the importance of properly using capital letters and punctuation to clarify meaning. By the end of the session ,Colson had drafted a one paragraph letter based on the novel we are studying.
Using an article Colson selected about an NFL football game played yesterday, we discussed how to write a summary. I provided instruction on forming a topic sentence that summarizes the article and set up a format for the exercise on google docs. Colson then drafted a paragraph on the game which he had watched as well as read about. As Colson tends to write in long disjointed phrases , we worked on breaking down his ideas into sentences and explaining how one sentence logically leads to the next. After we rewrote the paragraph, we read the revisions aloud to note how the revisions provided a clearer picture of the events of the game as well as a summary of the article.
Today we focused on reading comprehension. Reid and I co-read "Against All Odds" by Justin Brown, a short story in the "Guys Read: The Sports Page" anthology. The story is about a hockey player, which was of interest to read. We practiced reading comprehension strategies such as pausing to summarize, asking questions, and making predictions. To conclude, we went outside and played basketball while I quizzed Reid on his multiplication facts 3-12.
I began by discussing expectations for tutoring with Reid's father. It is my understanding that his new teacher is much stricter than last year, and that many students in the class are adjusting to the higher expectations. I will support Reid with his language arts work. The class is reading the book "Al Capone Does My Shirts" and are about 75% finished with the book. I reviewed chapters 27 and 28 with Reid and helped him complete reading comprehension worksheets, comprised of both short and long writing answers. I notice that Reid understands the text well, but sometimes struggles to recall the very specific details that the questions asked. Reid will benefit from practicing reading comprehension strategies (pausing to summarize, ask questions, and make predictions) while reading. I look forward to working with Reid this year.
