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Relevant Learning Objectives

Use parentheses and hyphens correctly. Understand and apply simple persuasive techniques in writing. Paraphrase information presented orally or in text form. Capitalize and punctuate titles of works and organizations. Synthesize information from a variety of sources. Write in response to literature. Revise, edit, and proofread written works. Present a report or multimedia work. Write legibly in cursive. Identify and write similes and metaphors. Write a short report. Recognize and use irregular verbs. Spell using root word meanings. Create multi-paragraph written works. Write using compound sentences. Broaden writing to include all parts of speech. Use apostrophes in contractions.

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8/12/2009Copyright © 2009 International Learning Corporation

Use parentheses and hyphens correctly. Students should be able to identify parentheses and hyphens in written text and explain their purpose within the text. Students should also be able to use parentheses and hyphens in their own writing. Tutorial:

Begin by asking the student to name some types of punctuation that he or she uses often. The student will probably name periods and other end marks, quotation marks, and commas. Ask the student if he or she has had experience using hyphens or parentheses. This will give you an idea of how much time to spend reviewing the following rules and examples of the punctuation marks covered in these activities. Discuss the following information and examples until you feel comfortable that the student has an understanding of both the punctuation mark and its function. If he or she is having difficulty grasping any of the marks, refer to a grammar book for more examples. You can even do an on-line search for help. One suggested site is Guide to Grammar and Writing at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/. Definitions and Examples

A hyphen is used to join the words in compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine, to divide words at the end of a line (between syllables), and within compound adjectives before the word they describe or modify (such as well-liked and brown-eyed). Look at the following examples:

My brother will turn twenty-one on Saturday. When we went to the state fair last weekend, I ate so many dif-

ferent types of foods that I had a stomach ache. We used to have a dot-matrix printer before the ink-jet printers became popular.

Parentheses are used around words that are included in a sentence to add information or to help make an idea clearer. They are usually used around words that are unnecessary to the main thought of the sentence. Look at the following examples:

The SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is holding a pet walkathon in the park tomorrow morning.

I called you yesterday (or was it the day before?) to give you the message. *Notice that the question mark goes inside the parentheses when the information contained within them is a question.

In general, schools provide the following subject areas to their students: math, science, reading, and language arts (some schools combine reading and language arts into one subject). *Notice that the words inside the parentheses are not capitalized if they do not refer to an organization.



Activity 1: Recognize Hyphens and Parentheses within Text

For this activity, you will need the following:

Index cards Pen or pencil Magazines or newspapers Highlighter (can use pen or pencil as a substitute)

Before the student begins the following activity, have him or her create a flash card for each punctuation mark. On an index card, the student should write the symbol for the mark, a definition (in his or her own words), and a couple of examples. Then, the student can look back at the cards if he or she is unsure of a mark’s function within a sentence.

Next, find some newspapers and magazines that the student can write on. Ask the student to find examples of hyphens and parentheses and highlight or underline them. Ask him or her to explain the use of each mark. For example, the student might say, "This hyphen was used to separate a word at the end of a line of text." For parentheses, he or she may say, "These parentheses were used to set off information that was not necessary for the meaning of the sentence to be clear." Identifying and explaining the punctuation marks will help the student understand their appropriate use within written materials and will provide the student with enough examples to use in his or her own writing. Continue this activity until the student appears confident with each mark. Activity 2: Use Hyphens and Parentheses in Writing

For this activity, you will need the following:

Notebook paper Pen or pencil Highlighter Index cards from Activity 1



Ask the student to brainstorm possible topics for a fictitious newspaper article. When he or she has chosen a topic, ask the student to write an article that includes the following:

3 hyphens 3 sets of parentheses

Tell the student to use the punctuation marks for a variety of functions. For example, the parentheses can be used to show the abbreviation of an association and to set off unimportant information.

The student should highlight the different punctuation as he or she writes so that the student is aware of how many times he or she has included each mark. Discuss the finished product with the student, point out any errors, and ask the student to revise his or her writing if necessary. You might have the student refer to a grammar book to clarify any marks he or she has difficulty with. Conclude this activity by pointing out that, as the student begins using more and different types of punctuation, his or her writing will become more interesting and advanced.

Review:Write a sentence that contains parentheses. Write a sentence that contains a hyphen.



Understand and apply simple persuasive techniques in writing. Students should understand techniques used to persuade readers and use these in their writing. At this level, this includes supported argumentation and persuasive language. Tutorial:

Persuasive writing uses facts and reasoning to show that one idea about something is better than another idea about the same topic. The goal is to persuade the reader to believe in the writer’s viewpoint and/or to take action after reading the essay.

Activity Sometimes students are intimidated when asked to write a persuasive essay; it’s a mature style of writing. You can help take the mystery out of persuasive essays by providing the student with the following guidelines.

1. Purpose: Choose an issue. It’s important to choose something which interests the student and that is age appropriate. Which side of the issue or problem are you going to write about and what solution will you offer? For example, suppose your town is debating on using property across your street for either a public pool or a public parking garage. If the student loves to swim, he or she would love to have a swimming pool built on the property instead of a parking garage. 2. Audience: For whom are you writing? This will set the tone for your writing. In the example of the swimming pool vs. the parking garage, your audience may be your town government, in which case the tone of your writing should be professional. 3. Support: Convince your reader that your viewpoint is the best one. Use a variety of facts, examples, statistics, and maybe even some quotes from trusted sources in order to support your point of view. At this level, the student should be comfortable with doing some research at his or her school and with your assistance, your local library. In the town property example, facts could be obtained from town hall employees, as well as information about the costs and benefits of building a pool versus building a parking garage. 4. The Opposing View: Address the other side of the issue. While collecting research for your viewpoint, don’t forget to find out about the opposing point of view. Counter the opposing viewpoint by giving contrasting proof or by finding mistakes and inconsistencies in the logic of the opposing viewpoint. For example, building a parking garage across the street from your home may be cheaper than building a public pool, but what if your town already has plenty of parking garages, but no public pools? What if you could prove that money generated by the pool would be more than money generated by a parking garage? You should practice persuasive writing with the student as often as possible. Here are some web resources if you need more guidance or writing ideas: ABC Teach Information at http://www.abcteach.com/Writing/persuasive.htm ABC Teach Activity at http://www.abcteach.com/endangeredspecies/persuwrite.htm 10 Prompts at http://www.tengrrl.com/tens/018.shtml



Review:What does it mean to persuade? List three persuasive topics. Choose one of the topics and explain how you would defend your argument in a persuasive essay.



Paraphrase information presented orally or in text form. Students should be able to paraphrase information that is presented orally or in text. Putting the information in their own words will ensure that they comprehend the subject matter. Tutorial: People of all ages, students and adults alike, confuse the terms summarize and paraphrase. Ask the student if he or she can explain the difference between the two. Then share the following definitions with the student. Summarize: Give the main facts of a text, passage, or oral presentation in a condensed (shortened) form. Paraphrase: Restate a text, passage, or oral presentation in your own words, usually to clarify meaning. It’s important that the student is able to recognize the difference between the two and apply them both to information that he or she hears or reads in school. Paraphrasing will aid the student in checking his or her comprehension of the material. The student will use paraphrasing to restate information when writing research papers or reports and when giving speeches. Activity 1: Paraphrase Idioms For this activity, you will need the following materials:

A list of idioms from one of the following sources: Scholastic dictionary of Idioms by Marvin Terban* A Dictionary of American Idioms (Barron’s Pet Handbooks) by Brenda Belmonte* The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer* http://www.idiomconnection.com www.eslcafe.com/idioms/id-list.html List of idioms provided below

Unlined paper for drawing Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

*Can be checked out from a local library.

Begin by explaining that an idiom is a phrase or expression that means something different from what the words actually say. Tell the student that he or she probably already knows several idioms or has at least heard them, even if the student’s unsure of their meanings. Begin by reading the following idioms to the student:

1. Don’t cry over spilt milk. 2. The early bird gets the worm. 3. It’s as easy as pie.

Ask the student if he or she can tell you what any of these mean. If the student doesn’t know their meanings, explain each, providing the following sentences as examples. If he or she can explain any of them, ask the student to use them in sentences that apply to him or her or to family members. For example:

Because I studied so much, that spelling test was as easy as pie.



I told my brother not to cry over spilt milk when he kept complaining that I had eaten the last piece of cake.

My dad said that the early bird gets the worm, so I’d better get out of bed if I want to be first in line to get tickets to the baseball game.

Provide a list of ten idioms (or use the list below) and ask the student to orally paraphrase the meaning of each. We have provided the meaning of each idiom for you. You can give the student hints to their meanings by using the idioms in sentences as we did in the example above.

1. busy as a beaver (working hard; very busy) 2. don’t count your chickens before they hatch (Don’t depend on something that has not

happened yet.) 3. kept it under your hat (hide it; keep it secret) 4. let him off the hook (let him go easily, or forgive him) 5. too many cooks spoil the soup (Too many people helping can make things difficult.) 6. it’s raining cats and dogs (pouring rain) 7. we’re all in the same boat (Everyone is experiencing the same thing.) 8. you’re pulling my leg (You’re kidding with me.) 9. she’s got cold feet (She is scared.)

10. don’t throw in the towel (don’t quit)

For a fun activity, give the student a piece of drawing paper and ask him or her to fold into four equal squares (See below for an example). Have the student choose the two idioms that he or she likes most and write one in the top left square and the other in the bottom left square. Below the idiom, the student will paraphrase the idiom. Then ask him or her to draw a picture of a scene in the square to the right that explains what the idiom actually means according to his or her paraphrase. Discuss the pictures and how the student paraphrased each idiom.



Activity 2: Paraphrase an Oral Presentation For this activity, you will need the following materials:

A brief text of your choice that is age-appropriate or The passage included below Pen or pencil Notebook paper

Use the passage below about caring for dogs during the winter or choose a short passage of a similar length from a text that will interest the student. Give the student a sheet of notebook paper and a pen or pencil and explain that he or she is going to paraphrase (put into his or her own words) the information that you read aloud. Read a couple of sentences at a time, and allow the student time to put the information into his or her own words on paper. Be sure to repeat the sentences if necessary. When the student has finished paraphrasing the text, ask him or her to share it with you. Compare his or her reworded version with the original. Make sure to point out any sentences that the student did not put into his or her own words. Ask how the student thinks paraphrasing material that he or she reads or hears might help him or her in school. The student should be able to tell you that by putting the text or oral presentation (such as a speech) into his or her own words, it will help the student to better understand it and remember it. Remind the student that summarizing is different from paraphrasing because when you summarize, you include only the main idea and most important details, but when you paraphrase, you include ALL ideas and details--but in your own words.

Taking dogs outside to run around and exercise is important for their health and happiness. During the winter months you will need to take some precautions.



Check the temperature to help you decide if it’s safe for your dog to go outside. If your dog has long hair, he can go outside when the temperature is 20 degrees F or higher, but for short-haired dogs, you should not take them outside if the temperature drops below 40 degrees F. Older dogs and puppies also should not be taken outside if the temperature goes below 40 degrees F. When you decide to take your dog out for a walk or even to play during the winter, make sure you cover him from head to paw. A sweater or doggy coat is a wise investment. You can even purchase booties for your dog’s paws to keep them from getting too cold! If you keep your pet well groomed, his coat will keep him warmer when he’s out in the cold. Did you know that dogs can get hypothermia, just like people do? Hypothermia is a condition that occurs when the body’s temperature drops below normal. Make sure you watch him carefully when you are outside. If you see him shivering, it’s time to go in. Be sure to use this advice if you have a dog and live somewhere where it gets cold in the winter!

Extended Activity: You can also use written materials in place of an oral reading for Activity 2 above if you want to give the student more practice paraphrasing. Try having the student paraphrase a section of one of his or her reading assignments for social studies or science to help him or her better comprehend and remember the material. This also works well for definitions of terms.

Review:Read a short passage and paraphrase the content.



Capitalize and punctuate titles of works and organizations. Students should be able to correctly capitalize and punctuate titles of works and organizations. At this level, works include periodicals and books. Tutorial:

Ask the student, "When you write the title of a book or magazine, how does it differ from when you write words within a regular sentence?" He or she should be able to tell you that the punctuation and capitalization are different. If the student doesn’t already know this, explain that titles of magazines and books are always underlined. Write the following titles on a piece of notebook paper for the student. Charlotte’s Web, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and National Geographic for Kids. Besides underlining, ask the student if he or she has ever seen book or magazine titles written any other way. If not, tell the student that when using a word processor, he or she can also italicize book or magazine titles. It is a tool at the top of the screen, usually between the B for bold and U for underlining. It would be too difficult to italicize words when you are writing them on paper. Show him the following examples of italicized titles: Charlotte’s Web, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and National Geographic for Kids. Before the student begins the following activity, ask him or her to look back at the titles at the top of the page. Explain that not only do book and magazine titles have to be underlined or italicized, but they also have to be capitalized a special way. The rule regarding capitalizing titles is that the first and last words in the title have to be capitalized, as well as any other important words within the title. However, articles (the words a, an, and the) are NOT capitalized. Neither are short conjunctions (such as as, and, or, but) or short prepositions (including of, for, and to.) If the student looks at the titles from above, Charlotte’s Web, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and National Geographic for Kids, he or she should be able to point out the words that are not capitalized and explain why. Clarify any questions that the student has. For example, make sure that he or she understands why of and a are not capitalized within the title, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Activity 1: Edit Titles That Have Been Written Incorrectly For this activity, you will need:

The titles written below Pen or pencil Highlighter

Print out (or copy by hand) the following titles, and ask the student to highlight the word, or words, that have not been punctuated or capitalized correctly. (There is a key at the very end of the activities so you can check the student’s answers.) Review what he or she has highlighted and discuss any titles that the student has incorrectly edited. Then have him or her make the appropriate corrections.

1. Treasure island 2. the Mouse and the Motorcycle 3. Where The Sidewalk Ends



4. Sports Illustrated for Kids 5. superfudge 6. "Zoo Books" 7. Your big Backyard 8. The Great Brain 9. Into The Land Of The Unicorns

10. The Indian in the cupboard

Activity 2: Create Titles of Books, Magazines, and Organizations For this activity, you will need:

Notebook paper Pen or pencil

Tell the student that when writing the name of an organization, he or she will follow the same capitalization rules for newspapers, books, and magazines. Organization names are not underlined. Once you’ve explained this to the student, ask him or her to tell you what the rules are for capitalizing organizations. (He or she should repeat the rules as listed for books, magazines, and newspapers.) Share the following names of organizations with the student so that you are certain that he or she understands how to write them.

Red Cross Humane Society of the United States San Diego Padres the Democratic Party the American Cancer Society

Point out that the word "the" is used in front of the names of some organizations, but it is not capitalized because it’s not actually part of the name. Ask the student to brainstorm and create the titles of

5 books 5 magazines 5 organizations or clubs

The student should have fun with this activity. He or she can create some silly titles, and create organizations about things that interest him or her. For instance, if the student likes soccer, he or she could create the Soccer Lovers of San Luis Rey. Have the student write the titles on a piece of notebook paper. Remind him or her to capitalize the first, last, and all important words within his or her titles, and to underline book and magazine titles. When the student has finished, review his or her fifteen titles, point out any errors he or she has made, and have the student make corrections.

Answer Key for Activity 1

1. Treasure Island (capitalize Island) 2. The Mouse and the Motorcycle (capitalize the first the) 3. Where the Sidewalk Ends (do NOT capitalize the) 4. Sports Illustrated for Kids (underline the title of the magazine) 5. Superfudge (capitalize Superfudge)



6. Zoo Books (underline the title, do not use quotation marks) 7. Your Big Backyard (capitalize Big) 8. The Great Brain (underline the title) 9. Into the Land of the Unicorns (do NOT capitalize the or of within the title)

10. The Indian in the Cupboard (capitalize Cupboard)

*Titles can be written in italics or underlined.

Review:What are the rules about capitalizing and punctuating titles of works such as books and magazines? How would you capitalize and punctuate the title of an organization, such as boy scouts of america?



Synthesize information from a variety of sources. Students should be able to gather information from books, reference materials, and technology sources. They should also be able to compare and organize information to create a written work. Tutorial:

The student will gain a lot of experience writing research reports and papers during his or her middle and high school years. Thus, it will be beneficial to gain experience using a variety of resource materials. They should include but not be limited to books, magazine and newspaper articles, websites, on-line sources, personal interviews, and reference materials including almanacs and encyclopedias. It’s very possible that the student will use these research skills later in life in his or her chosen profession. Not only is it critical that the student become aware of the abundance of available resources, but he or she should also learn how to access these sources and evaluate their reliability. Although the multitude of resources and information available through the Internet has made access to information and materials much more available and abundant, it also has created many unreliable and undocumented resources that people often assume are fact. You will need to help the student learn to evaluate his or her sources. Activity 1: Select a Topic and Begin Organizing For this activity, you will need the following:

Library or Internet access Note cards Writing utensil Notebook paper Reference source such as Write Source: a Book for Writing, Thinking and Learning by

Sebranek Kemper Meyer or Research: The Student’s Guide to Writing Research Papers by Richard Veit. *Both books can be purchased at www.amazon.com

The student will need to choose a topic before beginning his or her research. If there is not a class assignment related to this activity, Science Fair research is one possibility. A report about a place or event in history for social studies is another. Even a biography about a famous writer for a language arts or reading class would fit this assignment. If the student is permitted to choose the topic, try to guide him or her to choose a topic of interest. Make sure that it’s a topic that isn’t so current that it would be difficult to locate information about. After selecting a topic, the student should develop a thesis statement or topic sentence about the topic, write it on an index card, and number it as card #1. If the student is not too familiar with his or her subject, it may be necessary to take a trip to the library to allow him or her the opportunity to do some research about the subject. Then, he or she can write a thesis statement. For example, "I believe that Benjamin Franklin is one of most influential people in American History." This will be a research guide and enable the student to think about information he or she wants to locate about Franklin to support this statement.



After the student has had the opportunity to read information about the topic from a variety of resources, he or she should have a better idea about different areas to research. Have the student brainstorm some possible topics to write about within the body of his or her report. Then ask the student to write each topic on an index card and number it. Card #1 contained his or her thesis, so card #2 for Benjamin Franklin might be something like, "Studenthood and Early Years." Card #3 could be "Inventions," and Card #4 could be "Political Life." The student would now have a thesis and three topics to develop into paragraphs for the BODY of the report.

Explain that when researching his or her topic at the library, the student should use index cards to write down facts about the subject and number them according to the topic they apply to. For example, if the student writes about where Franklin was born, he or she would put a #2 on the card (because it goes under Studenthood and Early Years.) Point out that this will help organize all of the student’s information when he or she is ready to begin writing. Activity 2: Select, Evaluate, and Use a Variety of Resources to Complete a Research Report For this activity, you will need the following:

Note cards from Activity 1 and additional cards Writing utensil Notebook paper Reference source Library and Internet access

Make sure the student has his or her index cards containing the thesis and subtopics that he or she will locate information for. You can schedule time with one of the librarians for a tour of the library and all the available resources. This is especially helpful because many people are unfamiliar with the reference section where a lot of useful information can be found. If a tour is not possible, then take the time to show the student around the library yourself. Point out that it is very important to use a variety of sources to obtain the most factual information. This will allow the student to compare information from different sources to see if it’s reliable (or valid) information. Explain that one important part of a research paper or report is the Works Cited. That is a list containing all of the resources used for his or her paper. The student will need to write down the necessary information about each source used



on the back of each index card. This should include the title, author’s name, copyright date, city published, and publisher. (Refer to your reference source for the information needed for on-line sources.) Begin by using the on-line catalog (which has taken the place of the card catalog universally). Model how to type in the subject and locate available resources. Have the student write down the Dewey Decimal number that tells where the books are located in the library. You can also show the student how to search using other available sources from the on-line catalog. This will often include magazine and newspaper articles, and even research papers that are available on-line. Let the student spend some time locating information about his or her topic by using the various resources available. After the student has spent time writing down facts on index cards, remind him or her about the validity of sources again. Explain that it’s important to use more than one book by more than one author, because people (including writers) have different opinions about things. Make sure that the student can verify facts about his or her subject by checking with another resource. This is a good time to explain that one reason the student should never rely on only one type of resource (such as a book) is that would limit the type of information he or she found. For example, if the student used only books about a topic that may have been written many years ago, he or she may not have the most up-to-date information or facts available. However, by consulting an on-line source, the student may get information that has been written more recently. It’s always good to compare different sources when you are evaluating information. Once the student has used books, reference materials, and magazines or newspapers to acquire information and record facts on index cards, encourage him or her to use the library’s computer to go on-line and do a search of his or her topic using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo. Explain that many Internet websites aren’t valid sources of information, because anyone can create a web page. Just because a person has a web page doesn’t mean information contained on it is factual. (Use the example that during election years many people have websites that voice their opinions about the best candidate. Just because they state it on a website doesn’t make it true!) It will be important for the student to review the information included in the website to evaluate if it’s a reliable source. For instance, an on-line article on an encyclopedia company’s website would probably be more reliable than a third grader’s website for a school project. Ask the student to tell you why that’s so. Again, encourage the student to verify information with at least one other source before deciding if it’s factual. Activity 3: Synthesize Information to Create a Rough Draft Report For this activity, you will need the following:

Writing utensil Index cards from Activities 1 and 2 Notebook paper Reference source

Next, have the student organize all of the index cards. He or she should have Card #1 containing the thesis, and several cards for #2-4. Help the student organize the cards in order. Review all of the information, and offer suggestions for any changes, deletions, or additions. Ask the student to use one more card to write a closing statement about the topic. (Card #5)



It should simply restate the thesis of the paper. For example, "Because of his or her many contributions to the United States, Benjamin Franklin will always be remembered as an amazing American." The student can then develop this into the final paragraph of his or her paper. When preparing to write the rough draft, remind the student of the report’s organizational format. It should begin with an introductory paragraph that contains a thesis. It should be followed by three body paragraphs. The fifth paragraph should be a closing paragraph. Remind the student not to introduce new information within this paragraph. It should simply summarize the paragraphs that came before it. After the student has completed the rough draft, discuss it, proofread it, and make edits. The final draft can be hand written or typed on a word processor. This would be a good time to review the importance of using a variety of materials and different types of resources when researching a topic. Point out what a good paper the student produced because of his or her thorough research and numerous sources. Ask the student to review all that he or she learned about researching a topic. Don’t forget to have the student complete a Works Cited page listing all sources he or she used.

Review:Choose an animal that you would like to learn more about. Select 3 different resources that contain factual information and write down a total of 6 facts about the animal.



Write in response to literature. Students should be able to write responses to a variety of literature, such as short stories and poems. They should respond to literature in a way that demonstrates understanding. Tutorial:

For this tutorial, you will need the following:

A children’s novel A book of poetry for students Paper Pens or pencils

As students progress through school, their understanding and ability to write about literature should progress as well. From simple paraphrases and summaries in the early years, students should begin to apply more analysis to literature as they reach the upper elementary grades. To help students begin to develop this skill, parents can use the following activity. Take the student to the library. There, you’ll be able to find many different types of literature. Peruse the books available, and settle on one book of poetry and one novel to bring home.

Have the student choose which book he or she would like to read first (the poetry or the novel). The student doesn’t have to read the entire book of poetry; he or she should just pick some of the poems. Read the book and poems together, so that you are both familiar with the works. Perhaps you and the student can alternate reading pages aloud. After completing each piece of literature, explain to the student that he or she should begin writing analytically about what you’ve read. This means that instead of just reading and moving on, you and the student will discuss certain questions about the literature. You’ll want to prompt the student with questions like these:

What was that poem about? What was the book about? What did the author mean by this or that line? What did the author mean by this particular passage? Why do you think the story’s main character made the choices he/she did?



Have the student write down his or her answers, and be sure to correct any errors in understanding or reasoning. Keep in mind when correcting errors, however, that interpretations of literature are rarely right or wrong. The student should simply be able to support his or her assertions with examples from the text. This activity can be repeated with numerous books. Some good books of poetry for students at this level include A Student’s Anthology of Poetry by Elizabeth Hauge Sword and The Random House Book of Poetry for Students by Jack Prelutsky and Arnold Lobel. Good novels for students at this level include Blubber by Judy Blume and Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.

Review:Choose a short story to read. After reading the story, write a short paragraph describing what you liked (or didn’t like) about the story.



Revise, edit, and proofread written works. Students should be able to revise, edit, and proofread written works for organization, grammar, usage, spelling, and capitalization. Tutorial: At this level, the student is just learning to look for ways to improve his or her written works. Each year, more advanced techniques will be mastered, but for now, the student should gain confidence in the basics of revising, editing, and proofreading. So what exactly is the difference among these three terms: revising, editing, and proofreading? Or do they all mean the same thing? Well, these words refer to three different ways to improve writing during the writing process. Revising Revising is the first step in improving writing. It happens while working on a rough draft, that is, the first time a story is created. When revising, the student should ask these questions:

Does my paper have a main idea? Do my details relate to the main idea? Are my details organized well? Did I leave out any information? Do I have a beginning, middle, and ending to my paper?

Editing Editing occurs between the first and final drafts, and focuses on more specific aspects of the paper:

Have I used descriptive language? Are my verbs powerful? Do I use some adjectives? Do I have any fragments or run-ons? Did I use correct verb tenses?

Proofreading Proofreading is the last step before publishing a written work. Most of the hard work has been done. Now you’re checking grammar and mechanics:

Did I capitalize the beginning of each sentence? Did I capitalize proper nouns? Did I punctuate the end of each sentence? How’s my spelling? Did I use apostrophes correctly with plurals and contractions?

Activity Have the student create a simple, short story. It could be about his or her family, some friends, or a make-believe story. After the student has written a rough draft of the story, have him or her revise, edit, and proofread the story. Be sure to monitor the work and remind the student that each step



improves the story in a different way. Once the story has been completely revised, edited, and proofread, he or she can share it with the rest of the family. It’s a good idea for the student to copy down the differences among each of these writing improvement techniques and keep the paper handy. Post it at the student’s work area at home, or have him or her keep a copy in his or her language arts folder. Keeping this information handy will help the student stay organized and focused while completing writing assignments for every subject area.

Review:Write a rough draft story. Look at the story and determine what could be done to improve the content (revise). Make revisions to the rough draft and then edit for spelling, grammar, and usage.



Present a report or multimedia work. Students should be able to use available technology and reference materials to design, produce, and present a work. Tutorial: By this level, students will be writing and presenting reports to their classes. Remember, the student might have reports in subject areas other than language arts. The same skills acquiredin language arts classes can also be applied to social studies and science reports!

With the advent of technology, the student may be able to give presentations far beyond what was expected of you as a student. At this level, the use of computer print-outs or videos may not be expected.

Regardless of the medium--paper, video, or computer--a good presentation follows certain guidelines. Before beginning the activity, go over the following guidelines with the student. If he or she has trouble understanding one of them, come back to it during the activity.

Choose an interesting topic. If the topic is assigned, think about ways to make it interesting to your audience. Know your audience. For most school presentations, you’ll want to impress both the teacher and the other students. Keep everyone in mind as you prepare. Know your topic. Whether doing a book report or giving a presentation on an animal for science class, do as much research as possible. Predict what questions the teacher or other students might have. Organize your information. There are many methods for organizing information, such as outlines or note cards. Choose a method that works best for you to keep your information in order. Practice, practice, practice. Give your presentation in front of the mirror, parents, and/or friends. Time yourself and ask for feedback so you can improve the presentation. Work on pacing and volume level. You should speak slowly and clearly enough for everyone in the room to understand you. Remember to take deep breaths while speaking, which will aid with both.

Activity Now that you’ve gone over the basics, it’s time to watch and evaluate other people’s presentations. Ask the student to watch at least three or four "presentations" over the course of a week. (He or she should watch for fifteen minutes to a half hour, to be able to really evaluate the presentation, watching for longer if the student desires.) Presentations can be any of the following: news broadcasts, awards shows, talk shows, speeches, etc. The student can watch on television or on-line. Content should be appropriate for your entire family, so be sure to preview or discuss anything the student wants to watch. Follow these links for programs and times that should be suitable for students.

Dragonfly TV at http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/



Discovery Channel at http://kids.discovery.com/ The White House at www.whitehousegov/news/ American Rhetoric: Famous Movie Speeches at

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/moviespeeches.htm

Tell the student that you want him or her to investigate what makes a show interesting. You’ll want the student to answer the following questions about each presentation. Keeping a notebook or paper nearby, to record his or her thoughts during and immediately after the presentation, will be helpful.

1. Did the student enjoy the program overall? Why or why not? 2. List three things the student liked about the program and three things he or she did not

like about the program. 3. Was there anything the student did not understand during the program? How could the

program be changed to improve his or her understanding?

At the end of the week, or after a presentation viewing, discuss the student’s answers. Print out the guidelines listed at the beginning of the activity. Ask the student if he or she thinks the people in the program followed the guidelines for presentations. If not, how could they improve? How can the student apply what he or she liked about these programs into his or her own presentations? Extended Practice The student should save his or her notes from this exercise, and refer to them the next time he or she has a presentation or report for school. The student can practice now by creating a presentation about a topic of interest to present to family and/or friends.

Review:What are the characteristics of a good presentation?



Write legibly in cursive. Students should be able to write legibly in cursive. Tutorial:

Remind the student how important it was to write legibly when learning to print. The same is true when the student is learning to write using cursive. Although many students point out that they can write their final drafts on a word processor, this is not always true. There are certain writing assessments that are given in the classroom that require handwritten essays. Also, many teachers give assessments that often include essay questions that have to be answered in paragraph form. Activity 1 For this activity, you will need the following:

A writing tablet that contains the proper stroke for each cursive upper and lower case letters or access to the Internet and a printer

A pencil

Begin by stressing the importance of the following when focusing on legible cursive:

Posture Paper positioning Stroke Grip

Ask the student to sit at a desk or table with pencil in hand and his or her paper positioned in front of him or her. Have the student copy the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet according to the order of the letters contained in a handwriting tablet or you can download the cursive alphabet and worksheets for each letter at http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/cursive.htm. The student should copy one row of each letter. (For instance, have him or her copy one row of upper case "A", and one row of lower case "a.")



When the student has completed the writing, check over each letter’s stroke and point out any letters that aren’t correct. Modeling the correct formation of the letter might be helpful. Then have the student copy another line of any letters that he or she had difficulty with. Activity 2 For this activity, you will need the following:

Lined stationery or paper A pen and pencil Markers

Ask the student to think of someone he or she would like to write a friendly note to. Have the student write a rough draft on lined paper first. Edit for spelling and letter formation errors. The student can either use lined paper and decorate the paper using markers, or lined stationery that you have purchased. Remind the student to begin with a greeting such as "Dear Aunt Emily,". On the next line he or she will begin the body of the note. After the body, the student should skip down a few lines and write a closing such as "Your nephew," or "Love,". The student will sign his or her name a couple lines below the closing. This activity is less about letter writing and more about the legibility of his or her cursive writing.

Review:Copy a short paragraph using your best cursive writing.



Identify and write similes and metaphors. Students should be able to identify similes and metaphors when reading. Students should also be able to use similes and metaphors in writing. Tutorial:

As the student improves his or her writing skills, he or she will need to use increasingly sophisticated writing techniques. Comparison is a technique used by many writers to bring their stories to life. Similes and metaphors compare unlike things in order to bring greater understanding to the reader. The following activity will help the student identify similes and metaphors and then use them in his or her own sentences.

A simile is a comparison of two seemingly unlike things using the word like or as. The following sentences contain similes.

He smiled like a sly fox. Her yellow balloon was as bright as the sun. The acrobat jumped from place to place like a grasshopper jumps from bush to blade of

grass.

A metaphor is a comparison of two seemingly unlike things, but it does not contain the word like or as. The following sentences contain metaphors.

The boy was a sly fox. The girl’s yellow balloon was the sun, floating brightly in the sky. The acrobat was a grasshopper as he jumped from place to place.

Activity 1: Identifying Similes and Metaphors

Using the examples and definitions above, work with the student to identify similes and metaphors while he or she reads. You can begin with the following excerpt from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Treasure Island, excerpt from Chapter 1 Mostly he would not speak when spoken to, only look up sudden and fierce and blow through his nose like a foghorn; and we and the people who came about our house soon learned to let him be. Every day when he came back from his stroll he would ask if any seafaring men had gone by along the road. At first we thought it was the want of company of his own kind that made him ask this question, but at last we began to see he was desirous to avoid them. When a seaman did put up at the Admiral Benbow (as now and then some did, making by the coast road for Bristol) he would look in at him through the curtained door before he entered the parlour; and he was always sure to be as silent as a mouse when any such was present. For me, at least, there was no secret about the matter, for I was, in a way, a sharer in his alarms. He had taken me aside one day and promised me a silver fourpenny on the first of every month if I would only keep my "weather-eye open for a seafaring man with one leg" and let him know the moment he appeared.



The similes and metaphors have been highlighted at the end of the activities so you can check the student’s answers. You can complete more activities like this in other books he or she reads.

Activity 2: Writing Similes and Metaphors

Now that the student has had some practice with similes and metaphors, he or she is ready to practice independently. Give the student the following pairs of items. Ask him or her to write sentences containing similes that compare the first set of items. Then, ask the student to write sentences containing metaphors using the second set of items. Possible answers are listed at the end of the activity if you or the student needs more guidance.

First Set teeth/snow a person/pencil an article of clothing/a pumpkin

Second Set a sad person/rain or clouds a car/a cheetah laughter/music

Sample Answers His teeth were as white as the snow. The tall man was so thin that he looked like a pencil. Angie’s shirt is as bright as a pumpkin.

Helena was a rain cloud today and didn’t want to leave her room. My mom’s sports car is a cheetah on the highway. Nathan’s laughter is always music to my ears.

As the school year progresses, check the student’s writing for similes and metaphors, particularly if he or she has a creative writing assignment. The use of similes and metaphors can make a world of difference in a story.

Answers to Activity 1

Treasure Island, excerpt from Chapter 1 Mostly he would not speak when spoken to, only look up sudden and fierce and blow through his nose like a foghorn; and we and the people who came about our house soon learned to let him be. Every day when he came back from his stroll he would ask if any seafaring men had gone by along the road. At first we thought it was the want of company of his own kind that made him ask this question, but at last we began to see he was desirous to avoid them. When a seaman did put up at the Admiral Benbow (as now and then some did, making by the coast road for Bristol) he would look in at him through the curtained door before he entered the parlour; and he was always sure to be as silent as a mouse when any such was present. For me, at least, there was no secret about the matter, for I was, in a way, a sharer in his alarms. He had taken me aside one day and promised me a silver fourpenny on the first of every month if I would only keep my "weather-eye open for a seafaring man with one leg" and let him know the moment he appeared.



Review:How do similes differ from metaphors? Write 2 sentences that contain similes and 2 that contain metaphors.



Write a short report. Students will write a brief report about a topic of their choice. They should use a variety of types of resources and make sure to paraphrase the information that they use when writing the report. Tutorial:

At this level, the student has had some experience writing stories and perhaps even book reports. This activity will help him or her with nonfiction writing, or what he or she probably understands as a report. The student will use the skills he or she learns now to write more difficult and longer pieces in the future, including multi-paragraph informational reports, lab reports for science class, biographies in social studies, and informative writing pieces in English class. There are two things you should emphasize about writing nonfiction texts: (1) always use factual information, and (2) never copy information word-for-word and pass it off as your own. (1) Using Factual Sources At this level, the student is probably familiar with many nonfiction resources: atlases, encyclopedias, biographies, magazines, books, and the Internet. Many students want to use only the Internet. Tell the student that using the Internet has advantages and disadvantages. It provides up-to-the-minute information unlike some books, which might contain information that is already outdated. It also provides information on just about any topic. Unfortunately, this works as a disadvantage, too. Almost anyone can create a web page and post information on it. Just because the student finds information on the web doesn’t mean it’s always true. The best thing to do is verify that the information is true by checking other resources, such as another website and a book to see if they contain the same information. (2) Do Not Copy Word for Word Copying someone else’s work word for word is wrong. Explain to the student that he or she should paraphrase the information he or she finds. Refer to the Getting Parents Involved tutorials about paraphrasing and plagiarism for additional help. Activity: Write a Short Report For this activity, you will need the following materials:

Access to a school or public library Index cards Notebook paper Pen or pencil

Explain to the student that he or she will write a short report, and it must contain only nonfiction information. Allowing the student to choose the topic will ensure that it’s something that interests him or her. Suggest an animal that the student likes or maybe a sport or hobby that the student participates in. It is always wise to use a variety of resources when researching a topic, so you will take a trip to the library together. Once there, the student can gather information about his or her topic. Once you are at the library, ask the librarian to give you and the student a quick tour of the available nonfiction resources, including reference books, encyclopedias, biographies, magazines, Internet sites, and nonfiction books. Now he or she is ready to begin gathering



information. At this level, keep the research process simple. Tell the student to think of three interesting questions about his or her topic. For example, if the student wants to research penguins, he or she could write down three of the four following questions:

1. Where do penguins live? 2. What are penguins’ physical characteristics (what do they look like)? 3. How do penguins communicate with each other? 4. What is something about them that is unlike most other animals?

Once the student has written down his or her questions, help the student find some resources within the library that will help him or her answer the questions. If the student is familiar with the Internet, he or she might want to begin there. Encyclopedias are also an excellent place to start. Remind the student to verify any information he or she gathers from the Internet. If possible, try to find a longer nonfiction book about his or her topic. The student should answer the questions on his or her notebook paper so he or she does not forget any of the information. When the student has found the answers to all of the questions, return home so that he or she can write the report. The report should contain an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. An introductory paragraph identifies the topic and tells readers what information the report will provide. The student’s introductory paragraph should be two to five sentences long. He or she should have three body paragraphs, one paragraph for each question that the student researched. For example, his or her first body paragraph could begin with the question, "Have you ever wondered about all the places penguins live?" Then the student can use his or her notes to answer the questions. He or she will follow the same format, writing a paragraph for each question that was answered. Finally, the student should write a brief concluding paragraph to restate the main idea and summarize his or her topic. You can extend this activity by helping the student edit the rough draft, making corrections, and asking him or her to rewrite (or use a word processor) to create a final draft that the student can share with other students or at home with family members.

Review:How is writing a report different from writing a story? Write a short report on a topic of your choice.



Recognize and use irregular verbs. Students should be able to recognize and use irregular verbs in their own writing. This includes present and past tense irregular verbs. Tutorial:

A verb is a word that expresses action or existence (state of being). Examples of action verbs include the following:

Alexandra kicked the ball. Jose joined his friends at lunch.

Examples of existence or "be" verbs include the following underlined verbs:

Tony was at the concert. Mrs. Chen knows how to read Chinese.

Verbs have three main tenses: present, past, and past participle. All six of the verb tenses are formed from these three parts. Verb tenses refer to when the action occurred. The past and past participle of regular verbs are formed by adding -ed, -d, or -t to the present form. Share the following examples with the student:

Irregular verbs are verbs whose past tense and past participle are not formed by adding -ed, -d, or -t to the present tense. Irregular verbs do not follow the general rules of inflection. Share the following examples with the student:

Activity 1: Recognize Irregular Verbs For this activity, you will need the following materials:

List of sentences containing irregular verbs (at the end of this tutorial)



Highlighter

Print out or write the sentences containing irregular verbs found below. (A key containing correct answers is also provided.) Go over the two example sentences at the top of the list of sentences (in which the irregular verbs have been underlined) with the student. Then ask him or her to read each sentence aloud, highlighting the verb(s) in each sentence while reading. The student should then decide if the verb is regular or irregular. He or she should underline all of the irregular verbs. Point out any errors, and have the student correct them. Helpful Tip: If you can add -ed, -t, or -d to change a present tense verb to a past tense verb, it is likely a regular verb. If a past tense verb does not end in one of those, it is probably irregular. Look at the following two examples:

Try adding -ed to walk. Is walked the past tense form of walk? (Yes) Walk is a regular verb.

Try adding -ed to draw. Is drawed the past tenses form of draw? (No) Then draw is an irregular verb. The past tense of draw is drew.

List of Sentences and Answer Key



If the student needs additional help, try using his or her grammar book to review regular and irregular verbs. Another good source is the Guide to Grammar and Writing website. Specifically, go to the link for irregular verbs at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verbs.htm#irregular. It provides games, quizzes, and examples of irregular verbs and their tenses. Activity 2: Use Irregular Verbs In Your Own Writing For this activity, you will need the following:

Notebook paper Pen or pencil Marker or crayon of any color List of irregular verbs (below)

Ask the student to use each of the present or past tense forms of the irregular verbs below to write a story. The student can also include his or her own choice of regular verbs. He or she should then go back and circle each irregular verb with a crayon or marker. Ask the student to



read the story out loud to you. Point out any errors he or she made regarding the verbs and have the student correct them. To make the activity more challenging, you can ask the student to also point out any regular verbs that he or she used within the story.

Review:What is the purpose of a verb within a sentence? How does a regular verb differ from an irregular verb? Give an example of each.



Spell using root word meanings. Students should be able to use root or base words to spell new words. Tutorial:

A root or base word is a word that does not have a prefix (a word part added at the beginning), a suffix (a word part added to the end), or another word added to it. It stands on its own as a word; it has a meaning. Often, many new words can be made from root or base words by adding prefixes, suffixes, or, in the case of compound words, another word. Look at our examples using the base words use and news:

useless usable misuse

newspaper newsworthy newsstand

NOTE:When adding prefixes and suffixes to root words, sometimes the spelling will be altered. (Notice in the examples above that the e at the end of use is dropped- as in using and usable.) Another common spelling alteration is "change the y to i," as when adding the suffix -ness to happy. The new word is spelled happiness. Share with the student that base words are helpful because he or she can use base words to help spell many new words. Also, the student can figure out the meaning of words that he or she is unfamiliar with when reading by using what the student knows about a base or root word to help discover the pronunciation and meaning of the new word. Learning one base word means the student can learn how to spell two, three, or four other words that use that base word, just by adding a prefix or suffix to the base. Activity For this activity you will need the following:

Note cards Pencil, pen, or markers Dictionary List of prefixes and suffixes below

Common Prefixes

1. re = to do again 2. un = not/release 3. dis = apart/away/reverse 4. co = together/with 5. de = from/down 6. fore = before in time 7. super = above/over/more



Common Suffixes

1. full = full of 2. less = without 3. ion = act of/state of/result of 4. ly = like/manner of 5. ment = act of/state of/result of 6. er/or = one who... 7. ness = state of

Here is a list of base words frequently used at the elementary grade level:

cook faith manage act correct friend happy love suit care decide employ

Begin by printing or recopying the lists of prefixes and suffixes. Together with the student, list one of the base words from above at the top of a note card. Now, see how many words you can think of that are based on this word by having the student look at the different prefixes and suffixes. When one of you thinks of a word, write it down on the note card below the base word. Once you’ve used different prefixes and suffixes, ask the student if he or she knows any compound words that contain the base word. Use our example of the word cook for guidance.

Continue this activity, going through the same procedure with each word on the list. Be sure to check the student’s spelling and encourage him or her to consult the dictionary if unsure of a word’s spelling. Extended Activity You can challenge the student by asking him or her to brainstorm words that can be created by adding both a prefix and a suffix to a base! (Such as unhappiest and unlovable.)



Review:Begin with the root word "happy" and create 4 new words by adding a prefix or suffix to each. (Example: happily) Think of a root word and identify 3 additional words that come from the root/base.



Create multi-paragraph written works. Students should be able to write multiple-paragraph works. This includes essays, research papers, and narratives. They should produce a unified paper with introductory, supporting, and concluding paragraphs. Tutorial:

Writing multiple paragraph papers is a skill used frequently not only in language arts classes, but also in other subject areas such as social studies and science. Let’s start with a single paragraph. At this level, the student should feel comfortable writing a single paragraph, which includes the following elements:

Introductory sentence

Supporting sentences

Concluding sentence

A multiple paragraph paper, often called an essay, composition, or report, applies the same principles; it’s just longer:

Introductory paragraph

Supporting paragraphs

Concluding paragraph

Writing an outline is a great way to transition from writing single paragraphs to writing multiple paragraphs. Encourage the student to first jot down ideas about his or her topic in a brainstorming session. Next, he or she should form an outline using the brainstorming ideas. Here’s an example, using the topic "How to Care for a Cat": I. (Introduction) Caring for a new pet cat is exciting, but it takes a lot of work.

a lot of fun bring enjoyment into your life always there for you several things you must know before getting a cat

II. (Support) You must have your house ready for your new pet.

food litter box put away small things such as jewelry have some toys

III. (Support) You must care for your cat.



brush your cat clip her nails schedule veterinarian visits

IV. (Conclusion) If you do the things I’ve mentioned, you’ll have a fun and rewarding time with your new cat.

may seem like a lot of work ask for help from your family if you can’t always care for your cat might even want another cat

Activity Using the above outline, have the student create a four- paragraph essay about caring for a cat. If the student prefers, he or she may choose a different topic to outline and write about. You can print out the following information, or have the student copy it down, and suggest that he or she keep it close at hand to refer to for future writing assignments.: Essay Format Introductory paragraph (3-5 sentences) Supporting Paragraphs (1-3 paragraphs, 3-5 sentences each) Concluding Paragraph (3-5 sentences)

Review:Create an outline and write a multi-paragraph essay on a topic of your choice.



Write using compound sentences. Students should be able to combine simple sentences into compound sentences and alternate between simple and compound sentences when writing. Tutorial:

You need to know the following: A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses (can stand alone as sentences) connected by a coordinating conjunction, such as and, or, for, but, nor, so, yet. Activity 1 For this activity, you will need the following:

Some paper or index cards Pens or markers A book with pictures of animals, people, or things

Look through the picture book together, and choose an animal. You will each be writing basic sentences about what this animal is doing, and the sillier the better.

For example, you may write: "The elephant put on a pair of shoes." The student may write: "The elephant sang ’Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’."

Next, combine each of your simple sentences into one compound sentence: The elephant put on a pair of shoes, and he sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".

Remember to make your sentences silly, so you and the student have fun while doing this activity.

Activity 2 List groups of two sentences for the student to write out and combine. Use family members or pets in the sentences.

Here is an example:

1. Goldie the goldfish raced to the top of the tank. 2. Goldie the goldfish gobbled up her food.

The student would write the following compound sentence: Goldie the goldfish raced to the top of the tank, and she gobbled up her food.

Here is another example:

1. Uncle Peter fished in his favorite lake all day. 2. Uncle Peter didn’t catch a single fish.

The student could write the following compound sentence: Uncle Peter fished in his favorite lake all day, but he didn’t catch a single fish.



Make sure each compound sentence has two independent clauses that can stand alone as a sentence. Look at the following sentence: Uncle Peter fished in his favorite lake all day, but didn’t catch a single fish. This sentence is NOT compound because the subject, he, is missing from the second clause: "...didn’t catch a single fish" cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Review:Put the following sentences together to make one sentence.

1. I lived in Vermont last winter. 2. I went skiing often.

Write 2 compound sentences.



Broaden writing to include all parts of speech. Students should understand and use the different parts of speech. These include the following: nouns, verbs, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, and interjections. Tutorial:

Each part of speech has a different role within a sentence. We will not be talking about interjections (Wow! Stop! Ouch!) in this lesson, but two types of verbs will be covered: regular and irregular. Point out that when the student first began writing, he or she probably only focused on including a noun and a verb in sentences. As the student gains experience in writing, he or she should include a variety of parts of speech within all types of writing. Activity 1 For this activity, you will need the following:

Markers or colored pencils 8 index cards A pen or pencil Grammar textbook Newspaper or magazine

Have the student begin by copying the following parts of speech and their definitions onto separate index cards using the corresponding colors. The student should write the part of speech on the front side of the card and a definition and example on the back. Use a grammar book to see examples, especially for the many different irregular verbs.

Nouns-(blue) A person, place, thing, or idea. (boy, school, stick, friendship) Regular Verbs-(red) A word which expresses action or existence and follows the general rules about endings. (jump, jumped, talk, talked) Irregular Verbs-(brown) Any verb whose past tense and past participle are not formed by adding -ed, -d, or -t to the present tense, or a verb that does not follow the general rules of endings. (run=ran, break=broke, eat=ate, fall=fell) Adverbs- (green) A word used to modify (or describe) a verb, adjective, or another adverb. If often tells how, when, etc. (loudly, very, slowly, tomorrow) Adjectives-(yellow) A word used to describe a noun or pronoun. (blue, old, shiny) Pronouns-(purple) A word used in place of a noun. (I, you, he, she, we, it) Prepositions- (orange) A word (or group of words) which shows how two words or ideas are related to each other. (under, above, to, from) Conjunctions-(black) A word that connects individual words or groups of words. (and, but, yet)



Allow the student time to review the parts of speech, definitions and examples. Review several examples from a grammar textbook until you feel that the student has a general understanding about the different parts of speech. Have the student choose an article from a magazine or newspaper. For the first couple of sentences, ask the student to identify nouns, irregular and regular verbs, adverbs, and adjectives within the sentences. Ask the student to circle the different parts of speech by using the corresponding color marker or colored pencil. Review these sentences to make sure that the student has identified the correct parts of speech. Encourage the student to refer to the grammar book for words that he or she is unsure of. Then have the student go through the rest of the article identifying pronouns and the nouns they rename by circling them with the corresponding color. Continue with prepositions (and prepositional phrases) and the conjunctions and, but, yet. Review all of the words, asking the student to explain how he or she identified each word’s part of speech. Activity 2 For this activity, you will need the following:

The 8 index cards from the previous lesson Grammar textbook Notebook paper Pen or pencil

Use the index cards to have the student review the different parts of speech and their definitions. Ask the student to choose a topic and write 10 related sentences about the topic. Each sentence should contain at least 5 parts of speech. Instead of using different colors, ask the student to label the part of speech above the words using the following code: noun= N pronoun= Pro Regular verb= RV Irregular Verb= IV adjective= ADJ adverb= ADV preposition= PREP Prepositional Phrase= PREP PH conjunction= CON Remind the student to try and relate all the sentences to each other, as he or she would do when writing a paragraph. Review all the sentences when the student has completed the activity, and provide feedback so the student can make corrections. Encourage the student to think about the different parts of speech in future writing assignments. An analogy that can be made is that the sentence is like a band. The words are the instruments, and the more variety the student uses regarding parts of speech, the more interesting the "music" will be.



Review:Name the 8 parts of speech. Write a story or paragraph that contains all of the parts of speech. Underline at least one example of each part of speech within the story/paragraph and label it.



Use apostrophes in contractions. Students will understand the purpose of an apostrophe when used within a contraction. They should be able to recognize the two words that create a contraction, and combine words to create contractions. Tutorial:

At this level, students should be familiar with contractions, and use them in their writing. In informal writing situations, it makes sense to combine two words into one. Ask the student what it’s called when we shorten a word and combine it with another to make one word. If he or she doesn’t know, give a few examples before telling the student, such as: can’t, don’t, shouldn’t, and isn’t. If the student still doesn’t know the term, explain that they are called contractions. Write examples of the contractions mentioned above on a piece of paper. Ask the student what piece of punctuation they all have in common. He or she should be able to tell you that they all contain apostrophes. Ask the student to look at the words you wrote and try to figure out the purpose of the apostrophe. (The apostrophe takes the place of the letters that are excluded when combining two words.) For example, in the contraction, can’t, ask the student to tell you what letters the apostrophe takes the place of. (The "n" and the "o" in the word "not.") Continue to ask him or her to identify the letters that have been omitted in the other three contractions that you wrote. Activity 1: Identify Contractions in Print For this activity, you will need the following:

Newspaper or magazine article Highlighter Notebook paper Pen or pencil

Have the student look through a newspaper or magazine and find an article of interest. He or she can read it aloud to you, or you can take turns reading, if the vocabulary or content is too challenging. Point out that not all words that contain apostrophes are contractions. Words that show possession also contain apostrophes. For example, "The man’s car veered off the road." In this sentence, the word man’s is possessive. The apostrophe shows that the man possesses the car; it isn’t used to combine words. After reading through it once, have the student go back and highlight all of the contractions. Have the student choose ten of the highlighted contractions and write them on a piece of notebook paper. Next to each contraction, he or she should write out the two words that were combined to form the contraction. Remind the student to include an apostrophe in the appropriate place. He or she should reread the sentence containing the contraction if unsure about what two words were combined to create the contraction, to help figure out the two words it replaced.



Activity 2: Use Contractions in Writing For this activity, you will need the following:

Notebook paper Pen or pencil Highlighter

Ask the student to recall something that happened in school today. He or she should then write a paragraph containing no less than 10 contractions about the event, skipping lines, and highlighting the contractions while writing. Remind the student to include apostrophes in each contraction. Apostrophes replace the omitted letters! When the paragraph is complete, ask the student to go back and write the two words that formed each contraction right above the highlighted words, and then share the paragraph with you. Point out any incorrect contractions, as well as misplaced or missing apostrophes, and have the student correct them. Emphasize that it’s fine to use contractions in casual writing situations, because they save time. (Just like when we talk in casual situations.) However, point out that contractions are rarely used in formal writing situations. This will be helpful for the student to know when he or she begins writing more formal pieces in the next couple of years.

Review:Why do people use contractions in their writing? What do you substitute in place of the letters that you omit when writing a contraction? Create contractions for the following: do not will not I will you have



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