Distracted Reader: Part Four

The goal for this class is for students to become motivated from within, to read the pages given, and to be able to participate fully in discussions about the reading.We will build upon reading strategies taught in Distracted Reader Part One, Part three. In addition, we will further explore our novel. We will discuss literary terms as they are present within the text. In Distracted Reader One we used excerpts from Chapters 1 and 2 . Here will explore the qualities of the text that fit into the fiction genre as well as explore the idea of sub-genre. I want to help develop of love for reading along with love for reading classics. 

I will review techniques that will help you to "velcro" details from reading to your brain. Not everything that you read is important actually. In fact, there are ways to skip around in the reading, find your details, and be done with it. I will teach you all of the techniques I know. I have 22 techniques in total and probably a few more we will find along the way.  Class uses Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. I would ask that the student skim the half of the chapter before each class, I will read it with students in class to pull out information. This class focuses on getting through the content and build our reading comprehension as we complete the novel. (Part One was to learn reading strategies and Part Two is to apply these strategies to the next ten chapters in the novel. Part three continued our structure and reading strategies in Chapters 12-21.)

I model, model, model everything. 
We will read half a chapter and review two techniques per class. I am teaching the skills I have acquired teaching over the years and from struggling through reading myself. Class is easy to follow. I will present the name of the technique. Next, I ask students to review any prior knowledge they have about the topic. I will mark all over my paper and students will follow along with me. They will write down or draw exactly what I have written on my page. As an assessment of skill, after we have worked through a short excerpt of text, I will present two comprehension questions. As a class, we will listen to every answer and find if we are all on the same page. If not, I will guide students in their thinking process.

Students are welcome to share at any time. The atmosphere of the class is light and bubbly. The point is to reassure students that they can read and read well. No one memorizes anything in its entirety. I will show you what is important and where it lives in the text. Students are welcome to ask me: who, what, where, when, why, and how. I am never offended and love the opportunity to hear your student's mind. It is not about the content of the text I show to the students. I want to guide students to have real-life tools to succeed and thrive in school and in college. Class uses Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Nov 15    Chapter 22  Discuss the first part of Part Five: My Sea Adventure
                                    Build background
                                    Access prior knowledge
Nov 22    No Class

Nov 29    Chapter 23    Build background knowledge 
                                     Ask questions of the text, of the teacher, of each other
Dec 6      Chapter 24    Identify author's purpose
                                     Identify the main idea
Dec 13    Chapter 25    Discuss details added to our knowledge of each character
                                      Identify author's purpose
                                      Identify the main idea
Dec 20    Chapter 26   Comparison 
                                   Identify Setting
                                   Recognize sequence
Dec 28    No Class

Jan  3     Chapter 27   Recognize sequence
                                    Recognize cause and effect 
Jan 10    Chapter 28   Begin Part Six: Captain Silver
                                    Make inferences
Jan 17    Chapter 29   Make predictions

Jan 24    Chapter 30  Summarize to Build Comprehension and Speed  

Jan 31    Chapter 31  Summarize to Build Comprehension and Speed  

Feb 7      Chapter 32  Close Part Three: My Shore Adventure
                                      Distinguish fact and opinion to Build Comprehension and Speed  

Feb 14     Chapter 33   Find facts and Details to Build Comprehension and Speed  

Feb 21     Chapter 34   Complete Part Six: Captain Silver
                                     Recognize compare and contrast Venn Diagram
Feb 28    Novel Close 
               Setting, Plot Diagram 
               Parts of a Story
               Exposition, Rising Action, Conflict, Falling Action, Climax
               Examine how the simple plot diagram compares to a classic novel.

Mar 7    Literature Response 
              Final Jeopardy 
              Fun Trivia game on Bamboozle
              This will be a celebration of the student's hard work in Distracted Reader Part One, Two, Three, and Four.