Digging Into Literature
Story Elements
THEME= The "big idea" explored in a story.
August 9, 2012
Dear Students,
This year, you and I will write letters to each other about books, reading, and writers. Our letters will help us learn together. The letters will help you learn more about reading.
When you write letters in your reading journal, do your best work and share your best thinking. For example, you might:
* Tell what you like or dislike about a book and why.
* Tell about parts of your book that puzzled you or made you ask questions.
* Tell what you noticed about the characters, such as what made them act as they did or how they changed.
* Write about something in the book that surprised you or that you found interesting.
* Write about your predictions and about whether you predictions were right.
* Ask for help in figuring out the meaning of your book.
* Tell about the connections that you made while reading the book. Tell how it reminds you of yourself, of people you know, or of something that happened in your life. It might remind you of other books, especially the characters, the events, or the setting.
* Write about the author’s style and how it makes you feel.
* Write about the language the author used and why you think the author wrote this way.
* Write about the author’s craft-what was effective about the way the author wrote.
Write a letter to me once a week. The completed letter is due each Thursday. Write this in letter form (like you do to your grandmother or aunt). Type these letters in your online journal. It is perfectly alright to ask a parent to help you with the typing, if you need. (You can also check out the typing game I posted to this website, which will help you become a better typist. ;)
Read through your letter to make sure that it says all you want it to say before you publish it on your site.
When I read your journal, I will learn from you, and together, we will learn more about literature. We will also have fun getting to know each other better!
Eager to read your letters!
Mrs. Foster
Source: Guiding Readers and Writers. Fountas and Pinnell
Dear Students,
This year, you and I will write letters to each other about books, reading, and writers. Our letters will help us learn together. The letters will help you learn more about reading.
When you write letters in your reading journal, do your best work and share your best thinking. For example, you might:
* Tell what you like or dislike about a book and why.
* Tell about parts of your book that puzzled you or made you ask questions.
* Tell what you noticed about the characters, such as what made them act as they did or how they changed.
* Write about something in the book that surprised you or that you found interesting.
* Write about your predictions and about whether you predictions were right.
* Ask for help in figuring out the meaning of your book.
* Tell about the connections that you made while reading the book. Tell how it reminds you of yourself, of people you know, or of something that happened in your life. It might remind you of other books, especially the characters, the events, or the setting.
* Write about the author’s style and how it makes you feel.
* Write about the language the author used and why you think the author wrote this way.
* Write about the author’s craft-what was effective about the way the author wrote.
Write a letter to me once a week. The completed letter is due each Thursday. Write this in letter form (like you do to your grandmother or aunt). Type these letters in your online journal. It is perfectly alright to ask a parent to help you with the typing, if you need. (You can also check out the typing game I posted to this website, which will help you become a better typist. ;)
Read through your letter to make sure that it says all you want it to say before you publish it on your site.
When I read your journal, I will learn from you, and together, we will learn more about literature. We will also have fun getting to know each other better!
Eager to read your letters!
Mrs. Foster
Source: Guiding Readers and Writers. Fountas and Pinnell