In school, first grade is when many students are first introduced to the concept of a complete sentence. A complete sentence must have two things: a subject and a predicate. The subject is the noun or pronoun that represents what or whom the sentence is about. The predicate is the verb or verb phrase that represents what the subject is doing. It's important for first graders to learn how to identify and write complete sentences so that they can communicate their thoughts clearly and effectively. What Is a Subject? The subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that represents what or whom the sentence is about. For example, in the sentence "The dog chased the cat," the subject is "dog." In the sentence "I am going to the store," the subject is "I." First graders should be able to identify subjects in simple sentences so that they can begin to understand how sentences are constructed. What Is a Predicate? The predicate of a sentence is the verb or verb phrase that … [Read more...]
Main Idea of a Story for Second Graders
The main idea of a story? Funny thing - I started reading when I was two and writing when I was five. My mind went faster than my hands so I just wrote down the first letter of each word on a piece of paper. I could read it back to people, but they couldn't understand it very well. It kind of drove my kindergarten teacher nuts, until she figured out what I was doing. She helped me with a few tips and tricks so other people could understand my stories too, LOL! It is important for children to learn the main idea of a story at a young age. This will help students read more effectively both now and in the future. Main Idea of a Story for Second Graders The main idea of a story is what you can retell about it. The main idea tells you what the story is all about. For example, if someone were to ask you what happened in Beauty and the Beast, without reading it, you would say something along the lines of "There's this girl named Belle who lives with her dad. Then, one day, … [Read more...]
Get To Know My Hometown Free Printable
Kids need practice writing, it is a critical skill for college! I can't tell you how many essays I wrote last semester - just for my history course! This Get To Know My Hometown Free Printable is just the ticket to work on those skills! What is a hometown? The town or city that a person is from, especially the one in which they were born and lived while they were young. Why should people visit your hometown? Should you leave it before you turn 25? What are the top five things you should do in your town if you were a tourist? These are all common questions people ask and that is what makes this a perfect exercise! Get to know your hometown is a great writing prompt for you. Not only will your student be able to practice their essay skills, they will dig a little deeper into their local community and write about and Get To Know their Hometown. It is an exercise that will build them up, in more than one way. Get your Get To Know My Hometown Free Printable here : learn my town Check out … [Read more...]
Meet My Hero Writing Prompt Free Printable
One thing I learned when Sun Prairie Exploded, was the simple fact that a Hero comes in all different packages. It's not just the Marvel universe of characters or our first responders, it could very easily be the person sitting right next to you! My Meet My Hero Writing Prompt Free Printable came out of the fact that there were so many heros that day - all rushing to the scene to help, even my dad! We saw TV reporters helping move bed ridden seniors down the street from the local senior center that was being evacuated from the fire "hot zone". We saw Moms and Dads jump in and help direct traffic or knock on doors to get people to safety. Local restaurant owners opened up their shops and whipped up meals for the Red Cross shelters. Kids had lemonade stands to raise money for the survivors. I could go on and on. This My Meet My Hero Writing Prompt Free Printable came out of the fact that there were so many heros that day - all rushing to the scene to help, even my dad! is a simple … [Read more...]
Reading and Writing Skills Every 3rd Grader Needs to Know
I always wanted to study what Miss Sarah was going to be taught in school, before that year started. I thought that would help better to prepare me to assist her in her lessons or find material that worked with it so I could build on her education. Third grade is a transitional year for your child. Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade are considered primary grades where your child learns basic skills that serve as the foundation for learning. In third grade, your child will begin to learn skills that are more complex. This is especially true in reading and writing. If your child is in third grade, you can help by supporting these reading and writing skills every third grader needs to know. Reading Comprehension Reading comprehension is a big deal in third grade. Your child will need to be able to ask and answer questions about a text, as well as determine the main idea and any supporting details. This is especially important since most third graders are expected to take part in … [Read more...]
Learning How to Write a Haiku
This summer I have a unique opportunity through the Belin-Blank Center in Iowa to learn about Japanese culture with Kazumi Wilds, MFA in Book Art and award-winning illustrator of multiple children’s books about Japan! Learning How to Write a Haiku was on the agenda! In this class, we will explore Japanese history, culture, and society through her books, The Peace Tree from Hiroshima (2014) and All About Japan (2011), and others. Students take a hands-on approach to explore various aspects of daily life in Japan, including language and calligraphy, food and tea, books and manga, festivals and folk tales, and U.S.-Japan relations. We will take field trips to the University of Iowa Asia Library to read manga in English, and to the Library Special Collections to experience reading traditional Japanese books and illustrated hand scrolls in person. Other activities include writing calligraphy and name-stamp carving, creating a small handmade book for composing haiku poetry, among … [Read more...]
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