Grade Level Specific Skills Fourth & Fifth Grade

A number of families asked about key reading skills that could be reinforced while reading this
years book. This is not intended to be written homework. Hopefully the question strategies
and such will help foster discussions of the story.
Enjoy!
Reading Skills to Practice with One School, One Book 4thGrade
The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
Use context (other words in the sentence or passage) to clarify meaning of unfamiliar
words and phrases.
The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts.
Explain the authors purpose.
Describe how the choice of language, setting, characters, and information contributes to
the authors purpose.
Identify the main idea.
Summarize supporting details.
Identify sensory words (words the author uses to stimulate your senses).
Draw conclusions/make inferences about text.
Make, confirm, or revise predictions.
Reading Skills to Practice with One School, One Book 5thGrade
The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
Use knowledge of homophones words that look the same (The wind blew the leaves in
the yard. We will need to wind up the toy airplane.) or sound the same (May I go to the
store with the two of you?).
Use knowledge of root words (base word careful = full of care), prefixes (beginnings of
words such as un- re- and dis-) and suffixes (endings of words such as ing ed).
Identify an authors use of figurative language. Simile - compares two different things
using like or as. (My puppys fur is as soft as a cloud.) Metaphor compares without
using like or as. (My neighbor is a bear when we cut through her yard.) Personification
give human qualities to objects. (Your papers will be happier inside your folder.)
Hyperbole extreme exaggeration. (I nearly melted at recess today.)
The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction,and
poetry.
Describe character development.
Describe the development of plot and explain the resolution of conflict(s).
Describe how an authors choice of vocabulary contributes to the authors style.
Identify and ask questions that clarify various points of view.
Identify main idea.
Summarize supporting details from text.
Draw conclusions and make inferences from text.
Make, confirm, or revise predictions.

One School One Book at Beaverdam -

Winter 2015

Kenny and the Dragon

By: Tony DiTerlizzi
Dear Beaverdam Families,
We are so excited about One School, One Book. This is a community book club whose
members are the students, parents, and all the staff members at Beaverdam Elementary
School. The whole school will be reading the same book at the same time. One School, One
Book is intended to be a read-aloud selection. Each family receives one copy of the book to
use as a family read aloud. We are very excited about centering our whole community around
reading one book! On the reverse of this paper, is the timeline for reading with your child.
During the school day, there will be trivia questions with prizes to further enhance your childs
enjoyment.

Children whose parents read to them tend to become better readers and perform better
in school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Reading to kids helps them with language and speech development.
It expands kids' vocabulary and teaches children how to pronounce new words.
Kids and parents can use reading time as bonding time. It's an excellent opportunity for
one-on-one communication, and it gives kids the attention they crave.
Being read to builds children's attention spans and helps them hone their listening skills.
Curiosity, creativity and imagination are all developed while being read to.
Being read to helps kids learn how to express themselves clearly and confidently.

For more information - http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/02/07/reading-aloud-to-kids-the-12benefits-of-reading-books-out-loud-to-children-of-all-ages.htm

We hope you enjoy reading this story with your family. Reading a story together is a
wonderful experience which also promotes literacy! Please remember that although you may
have a student who can read this book independently, it is intended to be read aloud by the
parent and enjoyed by the entire family. At the end of the book, students will have the option
to keep the book or return it to be donated.
Book Donations We will be holding a book swap later in the year. If you have gently
used books, which are appropriate for elementary school students, which you would like to
donate, please drop them off at the school library!
Thank you for your support! One School One Book Committee:
Mrs. Brigham, Mrs. Doucette, Mrs. Favale,
Mr. Joseph, Mrs. Love, Ms. MacPherson, and Ms. L. White

Family Reading Schedule Beaverdam One School, One Book 2015

Please try to read the following pages with your child(ren) each night. A trivia question will be asked the
following day on the morning announcements!
One School, One Book Kick-Off Jan. 27
Make a prediction first.
Then read the Preface: Before I Forget
Pages iv-vii
Jan. 30-Feb. 1
Feb. 2
Ch. III: Grahame Like
Ch. III: Grahame Like
the Cracker (first half) the Cracker (second half)
Pages 14-22
Pages 23-28
Feb. 5
Feb. 6-8
Ch. V: The Least Bit
Ch. VI: Kerfuffle Down
Worried
in Roundbrook
Pages 46-55
Pages 56-67
Feb. 11
Feb. 12
Ch. VIII: George Our
Ch. IX: A Well-Willed
Slayer (second half)
Chap
Pages 87-93
Pages 94-102

Jan. 28
Ch. I: That Devil
Scourge
Pages 1-6
Feb. 3
Ch. IV: Youre All Right
in My Book (first half)
Pages 29-36
Feb. 9
Ch. VII: Imminent
Extermination
Pages 68-79
Feb. 13-16
Ch. X: A Dragon and His
Wrath & Ch XI
(first half) Pages 103-116

Feb. 18
Ch. XI Rolling Out a
Purple Carpet (second
half) pages 116-126

Feb. 20-22
Ch. XIII: The
Performance of a
Lifetime Pages 139-143

Feb. 19
Ch. XII: One Fierce
Beast
Pages 127-138

Jan. 29
Ch. II: Dishes and
Homework
Pages 7-13
Feb. 4
Ch. IV:
Youre All Right in My
Book (second half)
Pages 36-44
Feb. 10
Ch. VIII: George Our
Slayer (first half) Pages
80-86
Feb. 17
Literacy Night
Look for information
about our family
reading night!
Feb. 23
Ch. XIV: A Favorable
Outcome & coda: And
So Pages 144-151

* In the event of inclement weather, we will make every attempt to stay with the same reading
schedule and just ask extra trivia questions to make up for any days that we miss school.
Sample questions to help guide your discussion of our book with your family.
What is happening in the story so far?
What is the setting of the story?
If you could create a sound to describe the setting what would it be? Why?
What might be another possible setting for the story? How might that change what
happens in the story?
Which character in the story is most like you? Explain why.
Which story characters do you like the least? What traits does the character exhibit that
you dislike?
What do you think is the main problem in the story? Can you tell what caused it?
What might another possible title for the story be? Why?
What might a book jacket or advertisement for this book say?
What color might you choose to describe the main character? Explain your choice.
What feeling do you get when reading the story? Look for examples of imagery used by
the author.
What part of the story would you change? Explain your choice.
Pretend you are the author of this story. Tell why you wrote the story.
How was the problem in the story resolved? Were you happy with the resolution? Why or
why not?
Questions courtesy of: Simply Achieve, Inc.