Parent Helper

o Comments such as: “I was never good at math (spelling, reading…etc.)” should be avoided.

Grade 4 -- Word Recognition
1.1 Read narrative and expository text aloud with grade-appropriate fluency and accuracy and with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression.

Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.2 Apply knowledge of word origins, derivations, synonyms, antonyms, and idioms to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
1.3 Use knowledge of root words to determine the meaning of unknown words within a passage.
1.4 Know common roots and affixes derived from Greek and Latin and use this knowledge to analyze the meaning of complex words (e.g., international).
1.5 Use a thesaurus to determine related words and concepts.
1.6 Distinguish and interpret words with multiple meanings.

Grade 5 -- Word Recognition
1.1 Read aloud narrative and expository text fluently and accurately and with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression.

Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.2 Use word origins to determine the meaning of unknown words.
1.3 Understand and explain frequently used synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.
1.4 Know abstract, derived roots and affixes from Greek and Latin and use this knowledge to analyze the meaning of complex words (e.g., controversial).
1.5 Understand and explain the figurative and metaphorical use of words in context.

Choose a topic or hobby of your child’s and subscribe to a magazine or go to the library and look through her favorites. Read through them together – or have her read through them alone. Have her circle any words she doesn’t know and try to figure them out by the type of article she is reading – basically, by the context clues. When you’re driving, have her circle root words and try to figure out the meaning of the attached prefixes and/or suffixes.

Choose a prefix, suffix or root word and look up other words that contain the same part. Write these words on sticky notes and place them all around the house. At the end of the week test her on them – for the number she gets correct – reward her with something small – like a minute off of chores for each correct answer.

Comics are filled with metaphors. Search for them while reading the funnies together and discuss them.

While driving or at dinner – play the Metaphor or the Simile Game. Choose one, simile, and use that as the rule for talking. No one can say anything – even asking to pass the pasta unless they speak in a simile. For example, “the pasta, sitting as red as a rose at twilight, looks wonderful, please pass it,” or “my day was like an spinning top.”

Grade 4 – Reading Comprehension -- Structural Features of Informational Materials
2.1 Identify structural patterns found in informational text (e.g., compare and contrast, cause and effect, sequential or chronological order, proposition and support) to strengthen comprehension.

Grade 5 – Reading Comprehension -- Structural Features of Informational Materials

2.1 Understand how text features (e.g., format, graphics, sequence, diagrams, illustrations, charts, maps) make information accessible and usable.
2.2 Analyze text that is organized in sequential or chronological order.

Read magazines together and discuss the context and type of article. Discussing the context helps gauge understanding and order. When talking about the type of article – ask if it compared something or if something happened that triggered something else.

Look for pictures, charts, maps etc. and use them to help understand the articles. Discuss how these tools make the information organized and accessible at a glance.

Talking about cause and effect and compare and contrast in real life situations helps students understand the concepts and make them easier to apply to reading. For example, if you are driving and you see a Highway Patrolman on the side of the road with another vehicle…discuss what may have happened…what was the cause of the stop and what is or will the effect be.

Your sons favorite television show can help him acquire the necessary tools towards comprehension. At commercial breaks, discuss what happened and what will like result from what happened. Television is the perfect short format for analyzing this – it is predictable and your child will easily find cause and effect patterns as well as master sequence and order.

Go over the TV guide together and let your child circle shows he would like to watch. After each show – talk about what happened in each that was similar and what happened in each that was different.. Have him summarize the show. Added value: reading a TV guide helps him gather information.

Introduce compare and contrast in the context of her favorite meals. What is similar about the top two – what is different? Look at two different recipes of the same thing – chocolate chip cookies – for example. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences and then discuss how these differences will effect the cookies. Throw in a math lesson by baking each recipe and see if your analysis was correct.

Scholastic, Troll and other book orders sent home are great inexpensive ways to get books. Let your child choose three or four titles. When the books come in – read each together. After each book ask: what happened in the story? What was your favorite part and why? If you could change anything about the story, what would it be?

When you are finished with all of the books – compare and contrast them. Talk about which was her favorite and why.

Grade 4 – Reading Comprehension -- Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
2.2 Use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes (e.g., full comprehension, location of information, personal enjoyment).
2.3 Make and confirm predictions about text by using prior knowledge and ideas presented in the text itself, including illustrations, titles, topic sentences, important words, and foreshadowing clues.
2.4 Evaluate new information and hypotheses by testing them against known information and ideas.
2.5 Compare and contrast information on the same topic after reading several passages or articles.
2.6 Distinguish between cause and effect and between fact and opinion in expository text.
2.7 Follow multiple-step instructions in a basic technical manual (e.g., how to use computer commands or video games).

Grade 5 – Reading Comprehension -- Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
2.3 Discern main ideas and concepts presented in texts, identifying and assessing evidence that supports those ideas.
2.4 Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with textual evidence and prior knowledge.

Expository Critique
2.5 Distinguish facts, supported inferences, and opinions in text.

Take a favorite recipe and change it. Ask your son how he would like to change it and why. Discuss what the possible results of the change could be. Make it the new way. What happened?

Read a weekly reader or magazine – even a high interest newspaper article will do – stop after every paragraph or so and talk about what is in the paragraph that foreshadows what will happen.

Stop during the commercials of favorite TV shows, or stop the DVD when watching movies, and ask your child what he thinks will come next. Ask what has happened to help him base his opinions.

Read a few pages of your child’s AR, SSR or free reading book together. Ask her what has happen in her life that will help her predict what is going to happen in the story. Ask her to consider the titles and topic sentences and other clues within the writing, context clues, to help with the prediction.

Choose a passage that is about 100 words or so. Have your child read aloud to you as you check for errors. Under four errors is fine, five to ten errors – ok if she is reading with someone else, over ten…this could be too difficult for her.

When ever you are reading with your child help him or her figure out what is fact and what is opinion. This works great in the grocery store. Have your child help you pick out the products you are going to buy. Have her help read the labels and figure out how nutritional the product is and how it will fit the needs of your family. Now, discuss what a commercial or ad may have said about this product. What is fact and what is opinion…go one step further and talk about what is product “hype”. Kids remember advertisements…this is fun even if you are window shopping.

Grade 4 -- English/Language Arts -- Literary Response and Analysis Structural Features of Literature
3.1 Describe the structural differences of various imaginative forms of literature, including fantasies, fables, myths, legends, and fairy tales.

3.2 Identify the main events of the plot, their causes, and the influence of each event on future actions.
3.3 Use knowledge of the situation and setting and of a character's traits and motivations to determine the causes for that character's actions.
3.4 Compare and contrast tales from different cultures by tracing the exploits of one character type and develop theories to account for similar tales in diverse cultures (e.g., trickster tales).

Grade 5 -- English/Language Arts -- Literary Response and Analysis Structural Features of Literature
3.1 Identify and analyze the characteristics of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction and explain the appropriateness of the literary forms chosen by an author for a specific purpose.

3.2 Identify the main problem or conflict of the plot and explain how it is resolved.
3.3 Contrast the actions, motives (e.g., loyalty, selfishness, conscientiousness), and appearances of characters in a work of fiction and discuss the importance of the contrasts to the plot or theme.
3.4 Understand that theme refers to the meaning or moral of a selection and recognize themes (whether implied or stated directly) in sample works.

Pick one day a week that is “library day”. If you can’t do it during school time – try for vacations and summer. Let your child browse as long as she wants. Be a good model by browsing along with her. Find something good and settle in if she is taking a long time.

When a book is selected have your child begin reading it to you, while you prepare dinner, in the car, anytime. Talk about the plot and characters and how each of these things influence what happens in the story. Talk about how the plot is resolved and how your child would have resolved it if it was her story.

Choose a week for different genres of literature – one for fairy tales, one for trickster tales etc. Your child will probably find a favorite and want to read everything in that genre.

During holidays – yours and those of other cultures – choose books that depict cultural differences. Read the stories and compare them to the similarities and differences in your lives.

What ever your child’s hobby – help him or her find anything to read about it that she possibly can. Surf the web. Reading through descriptions together is a great way to find information and a great skill your child will use for the rest of her life.

Look for favorites songs on the internet or encourage your child to remember the words and write them down. Remind her that the lyrics to songs are just poetry set to music.

Talk about the different kinds of reading we do and why we do each. Pleasure reading is different than reading labels at the store, which is different than reading the mail. Let your child help you with different reading tasks. At the store, have her compare the labels on two different packages of something you are buying. Let her compare ingredients on cereal boxes and choose one to purchase. Have you help you read a map when driving. Reading is everywhere…share it all.

Literary Terms

The following are definitions that are important in the academic life of an upper elementary student. Not only should students be able to define these words – he/she should be able to apply them to his/her writing.

Figurative Language Definitions

Allusion: An allusion is a reference to a famous or well-known person, place, thing or happening that a writer assumes the reader will be familiar with. Make sure that you target your audience when using allusions.

· Catherine jumped up and flew to her sister like Superman to save her from falling down the stairs.

Analogy: Comparison of like objects. An analogy implies that since things are alike in some ways they will be alike in all ways.

· Puppies are like plants. If you give them care and attention, they will be strong and healthy. If you ignore them they become weak and sick.

· George Washington cut down the tree and when asked, by his father, if he had he quickly told him he did. (This anecdote shows Washington's honesty.)

Antithesis: An antithesis is the exact opposite. It is used in writing to show opposite ideas in the same thought or sentence.

Exaggeration: Like a hyperbole or overstatement, an exaggeration is a stretching of the truth to illustrate a point.

Flashback: A flashback is when a writer interrupts a story to go back and explain an earlier happening.

Foreshadowing: Clues or hints a writer uses to suggest what is going to happen next in the story.

Hyperbole: An extreme exaggeration or overstatement used by a writer to add emphasis.

Idiom: Words used in a way that is usually different from their actual or literal meaning.

Irony: A technique by which a word or phrase means the exact opposite of its normal meaning.

Juxtaposition: Putting two or more thoughts, ideas, pictures or words together to create a new, mainly ironic, meaning. Oh, the fun of a dentist visit!

Loaded words: Persuasive writing in which words are used to make one feel for or against something. Often used in advertising.

· The new and improved dishwashing liquid is milder and cleaner smelling than the other brands.

Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two things without the use of as or like.

Onomatopoeia: The use of words whose sounds makes you think of the meaning.

· Example: buzz, gushy, swish, zigzag or zip

Oxymoron: When two words with opposing meanings are put together for effect.

Paradox: A true statement even thought it appears to be stating two opposing things.

Parallelism: Repeating similar grammar and rhythm structures in words, phrases and sentences.

· The go-cart raced down the hill, turned the final corner and almost screeched to a halt before it flew over the cliff.

Sarcasm: A word or phrase that makes fun of or puts down someone or something; however, used in a way so as to have the exact opposite meaning of what is intended.

· "Way to go!" I said as my friend spilled her soda down the front of her pants.

Literary Terms

Figurative Language Definitions

Onomatopoeia: The use of words whose sounds makes you think of the meaning.

· Example: buzz, gushy, swish, zigzag or zip