Reading Like Writers, Writing Like Readers – Fairy Tales, Fables, Tall Tales, and Legends

Course Description

Based upon the Teachers College Reading and Writing Workshop format, this week will be devoted to first—and second-grade readers and writers who will be developing their growing skills for reading and writing and learning about its power and purpose. Students will be exposed to reading fairy tales, fables, tall tales, and legends and understanding the similarities and differences between them. They will get ideas to structure their writing and write a folk tale.

The writing session will coincide with the reading unit. This week, the students will be writing their folk tales. They will learn how to write a make-believe story using elements of magic, talking animals, or a story that may include a moral or a lesson. This week will allow them a unique experience to develop informed theories about how folk tales are written. While reading folk tales, they will continue to learn to develop their stamina, fluency, and comprehension. Each day, students will participate in reading and writing mini-lessons, have time to read and write independently, engage in one-on-one conferences with the teacher, and receive individualized instruction. They will learn to deepen their reading comprehension and lift the level of their writing by using various literacy skills, strategies, tools, and mentor texts.

Target Skills

Reading

Students will read with purpose and understanding.

Students will read with independence.

Students will read with accuracy and fluency.

Students will use thinking stems to generate thinking before, during, and after reading.

Students follow a timeline of events to the characters in their stories.

Students will recognize when they are having difficulty in figuring out a word.

They will apply word attack strategies where appropriate

They will expand on sight words to increase fluency

They will fix their reading if and when they make mistakes

Writing

Writers will see themselves as authors of folk tales.

Writers list people, places, and things to help generate what they wish to include in their folk tales.

Writers will be able to write with increased stamina.

Writers will experience the writing process; Collecting, Rehearsing, Drafting, Revising, Editing, Publishing, Celebrating

Pack list

Water bottle and clothing you’ll be comfortable running around outside in