Alittle help...maybe

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Alittle help...maybe
By CQ

I first begin all new stories and/or chapter books/novels with a book talk. We discuss cover, the blurb, why I chose the book/story, what their predictions are...and list them on a chart so we can go back and revise. I
assign them vocabulary words, just major ones weeding out the others. I then assign them some pages to read and use sticky notes to mark passages they don't understand, make a connection with, don't like or like, etc. The next day we have literature circle where all the students show up with sticky notes hanging out their books. My circles are now student-led with me as a guide (which

really isn't needed). You'd be surprised at how they monitor one another and actually prepare for it. If a student doesn't then that student sits out and reads to get caught up. We have a vocab quiz a couple of days down the road...after we talk about the qualities of a good definition... Other words we discuss during literature circle...there are"word researchers" in the group whose jobs are to find out the meaning of unusual words and help the others figure it out using context clues.
Quizzes and/or tests are on Fridays...after review, review, discuss, review...