1:1 Reading Comprehension + Writing Practice: Seventh Grade

A fun way to help your kids reading and comprehension is to give them interesting subjects to read about.  Students will read 3 fun short stories from topics in science and history. This helps students learn to love reading, all the while they are practicing and building their skills. This 1:1 class will provide your student an opportunity to read aloud in class, allowing the teacher to help them  as needed.  Students will answer 5 comprehension questions about the story they read. 

Next, the student will write 1-2 paragraphs about their favorite story from class using the writing prompt. We will use the a google doc, (students will be provided a link to) to have the student type up their answer to the writing prompt question. The teacher helps give guidance on their writing, including grammar, punctuation, spelling. These would be considered short essay type writing assignments. (NOTE: typing is preferred as I can offer more feedback in students writing and better able to see their writing, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation and so on in typed essays than in written essays.)

This class is meant to be 1:1 to provide the help that students need in both reading and writing.

NOTE: This class is set as 45 minutes, but not all student need the whole time to complete the three stories and writing assignment. But I have this set as 45 minutes for those student who do need this much time to not feel rushed in completing the class assignments. This makes it manageable for all students. 
There are 15 weeks of stories at this level, and will repeat every 15 weeks. Students will be provided a copy of the story and questions in the classroom weekly.

Week 1:
What is the truth about pirates? 
Is pluto really a planet? 
Where can you see four centuries of America? 
Week 2: 
When can one tree become a whole forest? 
What was the Iron Age like? 
Are all big cats alike? 
Week 3: 
Why does the aye-aye go tap-tap for food? 
Who was the Red Baron? 
Week 4: 
What makes the anglerfish so interesting? 
What were the first video games? 
What is a tsunami? 
Week 5: 
Who is Maya Angelou? 
What sticks really well without being sticky? 
Where did rubber come from? 
Week 6: 
Who is Sue? 
Who was Stagecoach mary? 
Week 7: 
What horse is truly wild? 
Who really wrote Skespeare’s plays? 
What are the La Brea Tar Pits? 
Week 8: 
Who was Mary Cassatt? 
What is your moose IQ? 
Week 9: 
What creatures will you find in New Zealand? 
What was America’s first submarine? 
Why is the “king of cactuses” in danger? 
Week 10: 
Who was Walt Disney? 
What is quinine? 
What is yoga? 
Week 11: 
What are windmills used for? 
How did sore feet lead to a great idea? 
Why are there so few mountain gorillas? 
Week 12: 
What is a good way to bring down a skyscraper? 
Who was a “2,000-miler” three times? 
Week 13: 
Is there anywhere you will not find a spider? 
What is the “Chunnel”?
Can the whooping crane be saved? 
Week 14: 
Who was Henry Ossawa Tanner? 
What is so special about Japanese gardens? 
What are Paekil and Tol? 
Week 15: 
What is a hoatzin? 
Who was Miles Davis? 
What animal is hard to spot? 
Who is Shirin Ebadi?