Reading Fiction Well

Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(2)

Completed by 6 learners

In this course, I will read aloud from books relevant to kids’ lives and we’ll discuss them along the way! Students will choose from a selection of books (Harry Potter, Home of the Brave, Thief of Always, or riveting picture books).

Sterling Simmons

Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(8)

There are no upcoming classes.

8-9

year old learners

3-6

learners per class

$10

Charged weekly

$5 per class

Meets 2x per week

Runs week after week

45 minutes per class

Cancel anytime

Class Experience

Students will be engaged in powerful reading work by listening to a text be read aloud, including think alouds by the teacher. They will have ample time to discuss the book with both myself and each other. This class will last for 45 minutes and will include an icebreaker activity to start, a recap of the previous session or a quick explanation to expect as we read and listen to reading. Students will explain their thoughts as we read. As a way to make sure students are grasping some of the...

Learners will learn 3 major goals:
1. Learn accountable talk stems that readers use when discussing reading. For example, stems such as “I agree with...because...” and “I want to add onto what...said...”can be used by students as we talk about books.
2. Some of the habits good readers do (Make note of plot and setting; inferring about characters; determining the mean of unknown words; thinking about life lessons)
3. Read for enjoyment.

Each week of the course will cover a specific skill focus:
Week 1: Understanding Plot and Setting
—Book: Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O’Malley
Sample Prompts: Where is this story taking place? Let’s retell the major events so far. What caused this event to happen? What is the first problem our character faced?

Week 2: Inferring about characters’ feelings, motivations, and traits (as well as how characters change)
—Book: Freedom on the Menu by Carole Boston Weatherford
Sample Prompts: What kind of person is______? How does ____ feel at this part of the text? What is the main character’s motivation? How is our character changing?

Week 3: Vocabulary & Figurative Language
—Book: Flossie and the Fox
Sample Prompts: Can you explain the word _____ to me?

Week 4: Determining Themes
—Book: Malala’s Magic Pencil By Malala Yousafzai
Sample Prompts: What lessons did main character learn by the end of the story? What life lesson did you learn from this book? Do you relate to anything that’s happened in this book?

The week will have a two day structure. Day 1 will be a teacher led read aloud. Students will be asked questions along the way. Day 2 will focus on a culminating activity that will focus on the reading skill of the week. Students will create some sort of artifact that illustrates their thinking about how the text relates to the reading skill.

No homework will be assigned. If students are reading independently at home, parents may choose to ask their children some of the prompts listed above.

A journal or loose paper
A pencil or pen
Crayons and markers (optional)

Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Assessment will take place through student work as evidenced by their talk around the reading skill focus and the artifacts they create. These are all informal assessments. I can provide a quick note as feedback for parents.

1 hour 30 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.

Meet the teacher

Sterling Simmons

Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(8)

Hey, friends! I love anything literacy related and want to push children to enjoy reading and writing. I  was a classroom teacher for 4 years in 3rd and 5th grade. Currently, I assist children in a kindergarten classroom. As a teacher, I focused...