This Week in ELA Workshops

In our Reader's Workshop this week, we are continuing our study of Chris Van Allsburg. So far, readers have been enthralled with his wonderful books! All of the fourth grade readers are loving this author study!

Today, we read The Wretched Stone, a story of a crew of sailors who discover an abandoned island. As with all of Van Allsburg's books, we see elements of magic and impossibilities. In this story, the sailors find a glowing stone that is gray and smooth. It gives off an attractive and enticing light. The sailors who once loved to read, play music, and tell stories, are now drawn into the stone's magical glow. Pretty soon, they turn into apes! When we ask ourselves about the theme of this story, we try to answer the questions: What is the author trying to teach us? What is he trying to make us think about? What is he trying to say?Readers... What do you believe the theme of this story was? Using evidence from the text, tell your friends what the stone represents. What do you think of this particular story? Share your thoughts for others to respond to?

In Writer's Workshop this week, we are raising the quality of our narrative writing. Today, we read with a writer's eye. The quote in Mrs. Koster's room reminds us that, "To write like a writer, we must learn to read like a writer." Instead of reading like we normally do, we studied "mentor texts" to uncover what real writers do. We ask ourselves, "What did this author do that I could try in my own writing?" Then, we do the hardest but most important part... we try it out in our own writing!

Later this week, we will study the leads and engaging beginnings of writers. We will also learn how to use commas correctly in our writing. As we revise this week, we will learn that yesterday's revisions become today's standards of practice! If I learn how to fix something, next time I should know not to make the same mistakes!

Writers... By investigating your own current chapter books, what do the authors you love do that you could try in your own writing? What kinds of things do you notice? For Mrs. Koster's class- What did the authors of the personal narratives we explored do in their writing that you enjoyed?