Leap into Literacy
November/December- Second Grade
Reading: Encouraging Written Responses to Non-fiction
Before Reading
I predict that……
The big ideas are…….
The title of this book makes me think……..
The text features tell me ………
The pictures tell me…….
This topic is familiar to me because….
My background knowledge of this topic is….
During Reading
A question that I have about this book is…...because…..
I predict that…..
Some important details I noticed were….They were important because….
I found this book hard to follow when….
I noticed that the author…….
I like/dislike this part of the book because…..
I am beginning to think…..
I don’t understand..but I think…..
I wonder…..
I was confused when….
I am remembering….
After Reading
I like/dislike this book because…..
I like/dislike this part of the book because…..
A question that I have about this book is…...because…..
This book reminds me of I’ve read….because….
My favorite part of the book is……
The repeated words in this book were….
Some important details I noticed were….They were important because….
I think the author wrote this book to….
I found this book hard to follow….
The author got me interested when….
I learned….
This book makes me want to ……
What I remember about this book is……
I noticed that the author……
This book helped me to…..
This made me think of….., and now I realize that…….
I already knew….., and now I learned….
I understand this better because…..
Writing: Understanding Your Students' Writing Abilities
Have you ever looked at a piece of second grade writing and wondered what the piece could tell you about your student’s writing abilities and what might be the next step(s) in helping to move this writer forward? Access the Reading Rockets link below to view five second grade writing samples. Each sample provides insight into the writing behaviors of five different students and offers suggestions for next steps in moving this writer forward. These five samples may provide some suggestions to help to guide your next writing conferences with the students in your classroom!
Use THIEVES to read and understand non-fiction
T….Title
H….Headings
I…..Introduction
E….Every First Sentence
V...Visuals
E...End of section or book
S...So What…..(summarize)
Suggested Opinion Mentor Texts
- Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
- My Brother Dan's Delicious by Steven L. Layne
- Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
- Earrings! by Judith Viorst
OverDrive
Use OverDrive to borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and more from your local public library - anywhere, anytime. All you need is a library card.
Speaking and Listening: Discussion Strategies
Spice up your classroom by changing the structure of a class discussion. The article and podcast from Cult of Pedagogy outlines 15 different structures to use in your classroom.
- Gallery Walk
- Philosophical Chairs
- Pinwheel Discussion
- Socratic Seminar
Low-Prep Discussion Strategies
- Affinity Mapping
- Concentric Circles
- Conver-Stations
- Fishbowl
- Hot Seat
- Snowball Discussion
Ongoing Discussion Strategies
- Asynchronous Voice
- Backchannel Discussions
- Talk Moves
- Teach-OK
- Think-Pair-Share