Language Arts
Language Arts time consists of 5 different areas:
Reading- We are using Rooted in Reading as our primary curriculum this year. This is what they used in second grade, as well. Each week revolves around a main story and comprehension skill. Supplemental stories that complement the skill or theme are also utilized. We will spend part of our time in direct instruction and the rest of our time will be spent in small groups, book clubs, individual reading, one-on-one conferences, etc. depending on how the year progresses. Each Friday, we will take a comprehension quiz based on the story and skill of the week.
Writing- We will learn to write personal narratives, information reports, fiction stories, opinion essays, five-paragraph essays, and poetry this year. We’ll work on the writing process and typing our work.
Vocabulary- Each week will feature six vocabulary words from our main reading story. We will take a quiz on these on Fridays.
Grammar- Each week features a grammar skill taught in relation to our reading story. In addition, each day, we have two sentences to correct and discuss for our “Daily Fix-It.” We will have a grammar quiz each Friday.
Phonics/Spelling- K-3 uses Orton Gillingham for phonics and spelling. This is the curriculum recommended by reading and dyslexia experts to build a vital foundation. We will be working on it for 15-30 minutes daily. They do not have a list of words to memorize, but will have a test each Friday on the skills and spelling pattern they’ve learned throughout the week in class.
Reading- We are using Rooted in Reading as our primary curriculum this year. This is what they used in second grade, as well. Each week revolves around a main story and comprehension skill. Supplemental stories that complement the skill or theme are also utilized. We will spend part of our time in direct instruction and the rest of our time will be spent in small groups, book clubs, individual reading, one-on-one conferences, etc. depending on how the year progresses. Each Friday, we will take a comprehension quiz based on the story and skill of the week.
Writing- We will learn to write personal narratives, information reports, fiction stories, opinion essays, five-paragraph essays, and poetry this year. We’ll work on the writing process and typing our work.
Vocabulary- Each week will feature six vocabulary words from our main reading story. We will take a quiz on these on Fridays.
Grammar- Each week features a grammar skill taught in relation to our reading story. In addition, each day, we have two sentences to correct and discuss for our “Daily Fix-It.” We will have a grammar quiz each Friday.
Phonics/Spelling- K-3 uses Orton Gillingham for phonics and spelling. This is the curriculum recommended by reading and dyslexia experts to build a vital foundation. We will be working on it for 15-30 minutes daily. They do not have a list of words to memorize, but will have a test each Friday on the skills and spelling pattern they’ve learned throughout the week in class.
Here's a list of the main book, comprehension skill and grammar focus for each week:
9/8
Picture Day Perfection
Summarizing
Intro to Nouns and Verbs
9/14
Pinduli
Describing Characters, Character Traits, Emotions
Intro to Adjectives
9/21
Saturday and Teacakes
Mental Images
Common and Proper Nouns, Capitalization
9/28
Finding Winnie
NF Test- Ask and Answer Questions
Verb Tenses
10/5
The Raft
How Characters Change
Pronouns
10/12- 3 day
Princess Hyacinth
Recount Details of Fairytale
Contractions
10/19
Substitute Creacher
Predictions/Foreshadowing
Quotations and Commas
10/26
Creature Features
NF Text: Locate Facts and Details
Conjunctions
11/2
Picnic at Mudsock Meadow
Ask Questions (Before/During, After)
Singular and Plural Nouns
11/9
Turkey Bowl
Character feelings and how they contribute to events
Commas in a Series
11/16
Cactus Soup
Compare and contrast setting in folktales
Simple and Compound sentences
11/23- 2 day
How Many Days to America
Historical Fiction (characteristics of a genre)
Subjects and Predicates
11/30
The Legend of Old Befana
Recount events of a folktale
Verbs- regular and irregular
12/7
Seven Spools of Thread
Details from Folktale to Determine Central Message
Adverbs- Time and Manner
12/14
The Carpenter’s Gift
Inferences
Sentence Review
12/21- 3 day
The Perfect Christmas Tree
Drawing Conclusions
Subject and Verb agreement
1/4
The Polar Bear Son
Synthesizing
Adverbs and Adjectives
1/11
Ruby’s Wish
Interaction of Characters
Possessives
1/18
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother and Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare
Compare and contrast two texts by the same author
Comparative Adjectives
1/25
I Wonder Why Penguins Can’t Fly
Identify details that support the main idea
Nonfiction text features
2/1
When Marian Sang
NF Text: Inferences and Conclusions
Commas in dates and addresses
2/8
Last Stop on Market Street
Mood, Imagery
Compound words
2/16
Trombone Shorty
Finding difference in autobiography and biography
Possessive pronouns
2/22
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach
Retelling the Story
Prepositions and prepositional phrases
3/1
Two Bad Ants
Point of View
Articles
3/8
I Dissent
NF Text: Describe the relationship between historical events
Prefixes
3/15
Hoop Genius
NF Text: Fact vs. Opinion
Transition Words
3/22
The House that Jane Built
NF Text: Text Evidence
Suffixes
3/29
On a Beam of Light
NF Text: Identify Audience
Abstract Nouns
4/6
What Really Happened to Humpty
1st person/3rd person narrative
Idioms
4/12
The Great Kapok Tree
Theme, persuasive text
Sensory Language
4/19
Book of Animal Poetry
Structure of Poetry, referring to parts of a poem when writing
Poetic devices
4/26
The Tree Lady
NF Text: Cause and Effect. Use info gained from pictures
Complex sentences
5/3
Humphrey the Lost Whale
Comparing two texts on the same subject
Homophones and homographs
5/10
Thank You Mr. Falker
Central Message
Adjectives and Verbs Shades of Meaning
5/17
Pecos Bill Invents the Ten Gallon Hat
Characteristics of a Genre
Onomatopoeias
5/24
Memoirs of a Hamster
Purpose for Reading
Similes and Metaphors
9/8
Picture Day Perfection
Summarizing
Intro to Nouns and Verbs
9/14
Pinduli
Describing Characters, Character Traits, Emotions
Intro to Adjectives
9/21
Saturday and Teacakes
Mental Images
Common and Proper Nouns, Capitalization
9/28
Finding Winnie
NF Test- Ask and Answer Questions
Verb Tenses
10/5
The Raft
How Characters Change
Pronouns
10/12- 3 day
Princess Hyacinth
Recount Details of Fairytale
Contractions
10/19
Substitute Creacher
Predictions/Foreshadowing
Quotations and Commas
10/26
Creature Features
NF Text: Locate Facts and Details
Conjunctions
11/2
Picnic at Mudsock Meadow
Ask Questions (Before/During, After)
Singular and Plural Nouns
11/9
Turkey Bowl
Character feelings and how they contribute to events
Commas in a Series
11/16
Cactus Soup
Compare and contrast setting in folktales
Simple and Compound sentences
11/23- 2 day
How Many Days to America
Historical Fiction (characteristics of a genre)
Subjects and Predicates
11/30
The Legend of Old Befana
Recount events of a folktale
Verbs- regular and irregular
12/7
Seven Spools of Thread
Details from Folktale to Determine Central Message
Adverbs- Time and Manner
12/14
The Carpenter’s Gift
Inferences
Sentence Review
12/21- 3 day
The Perfect Christmas Tree
Drawing Conclusions
Subject and Verb agreement
1/4
The Polar Bear Son
Synthesizing
Adverbs and Adjectives
1/11
Ruby’s Wish
Interaction of Characters
Possessives
1/18
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother and Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare
Compare and contrast two texts by the same author
Comparative Adjectives
1/25
I Wonder Why Penguins Can’t Fly
Identify details that support the main idea
Nonfiction text features
2/1
When Marian Sang
NF Text: Inferences and Conclusions
Commas in dates and addresses
2/8
Last Stop on Market Street
Mood, Imagery
Compound words
2/16
Trombone Shorty
Finding difference in autobiography and biography
Possessive pronouns
2/22
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach
Retelling the Story
Prepositions and prepositional phrases
3/1
Two Bad Ants
Point of View
Articles
3/8
I Dissent
NF Text: Describe the relationship between historical events
Prefixes
3/15
Hoop Genius
NF Text: Fact vs. Opinion
Transition Words
3/22
The House that Jane Built
NF Text: Text Evidence
Suffixes
3/29
On a Beam of Light
NF Text: Identify Audience
Abstract Nouns
4/6
What Really Happened to Humpty
1st person/3rd person narrative
Idioms
4/12
The Great Kapok Tree
Theme, persuasive text
Sensory Language
4/19
Book of Animal Poetry
Structure of Poetry, referring to parts of a poem when writing
Poetic devices
4/26
The Tree Lady
NF Text: Cause and Effect. Use info gained from pictures
Complex sentences
5/3
Humphrey the Lost Whale
Comparing two texts on the same subject
Homophones and homographs
5/10
Thank You Mr. Falker
Central Message
Adjectives and Verbs Shades of Meaning
5/17
Pecos Bill Invents the Ten Gallon Hat
Characteristics of a Genre
Onomatopoeias
5/24
Memoirs of a Hamster
Purpose for Reading
Similes and Metaphors