We read a story about trains. Liam identified that main idea and learned how to decode words that he didn't recognize using context clues. We also read Miss Nelson is Back. He really likes this series about Miss Nelson and Viola Swamp. I had him retell the story in his own words. This encourages critical thinking skills as students evaluate which parts of the story are crucial to include in their retelling.

Today we read Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe. We discussed the theme of the poem and literary devices that Poe used to convey mood.

Austin asked about the author of the book, 'There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, and he was amazed to learn that the author, Louis Sachar, was a Newbery medal winner for one of his other books that he is currently reading in his class at school ("Holes'). We read chapter ten and I pointed out the use of the device known as 'leit motif,' which is used in literature and art which are recurrent themes throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation. Austin was able to cite two examples of a leit motif the author used in the chapter, and demonstrated an excellent ability to integrate and correctly apply recent learning to new examples. When queried on the characters, meaning, and innuendos suggested by Sachar, Austin answered with insight and accuracy. We examined the use of 'antithesis figures of speech,' the use of language which creates a clear contrast between two opposite ideas using words that are opposite or contrasting in meaning, we examined an example from the book. Austin was able to understand how its use can facilitate contextual understanding and balanced writing. I also gave Austin an exercise in which he was to select the correct word choice in sentences containing two words that have similar sounds or spelling (e.g. accept/except; affect/effect). He did well , getting 7 out of the 9 examples correct. We reviewed the correct choices and Austin was receptive to understanding the corrections. Austin requested a copy of an article on Cristiano Ronaldo, as he is a huge fan of soccer and is looking forward to reading it.

David's assignment today was to write a letter to his future self, outlining hopes, dreams, and goals.

We finished the story. We discussed Poe's use of figurative language throughout the story to set the tone.

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We began reading 'The Lemonade War,' by Jacqueline Davies. I asked Matthew to complete an activity sheet and answer one or two questions based what he could surmise about the book based on its cover and a synopsis written on the back cover. Matthew answered succinctly and required prompts to write down his answers, given supportive prompts and help with spelling. We read chapter one and started the 2nd chapter - up to page 15. He completed half the assignment. As Matthew does not think he will be interested in the book, it was difficult to engage his attention while reading it.

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Today PJ completed a character study of the book. He listed the characters so far and described them. He found quotes to support his ideas.

We are working on understanding how authors use descriptions, dialogue, and setting to help the reader understand the character and his/her motivations in the story.