Great Beginnings

April 2010 Henry Clay Middle School Title I

n All of the Above Inspired by Great beginnings a true story, Shelley Pearsall’s When your child has a book follows four creative-writing assignment, inner-city kids as getting started can be the they try to set a hardest part. Help him find Guinness world record for building the perfect beginning for the world’s largest tetrahedron (a tri- each story with these angular pyramid). Soon the whole ideas. community gets involved. A great tale Introduce the character about setting and achieving goals. Encourage your youngster to choose an unusual n Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools character to narrate his tale. Half-elf Sebastian For instance, he might use an Darke might not alien or a stuffed animal and be funny, but his begin the story with the charac- adventures are. ter talking to the reader. (“You are a on one side, and a dirt path snaked into When he begins lucky reader. Most people have never the forest on the other side.”) his quest to become met a stuffed cat who can talk. Some of a court jester, he Open with action us even write stories.”) meets a tiny warrior, rescues a princess, Have your youngster ask himself, and winds up as an enemy of the king. Show the setting “What exciting thing can happen at the Humorous fantasy by Philip Caveney. Suggest that your child start the story beginning of my story?” He might pick with a tour of the setting. Let him pre- a race, a storm, or an encounter with a n Brothers Below Zero tend he is standing in the middle of the monster. Once he has decided, he can In this adventure novel by Tor Seidler, story’s setting. What does he see as he write an exciting action scene. (“The John is used to doing everything bet- looks in each direction? Have him write giant chased Tom into a corner. Tom ter than his older brother, Tim. But what he imagines. (“The mountains rose screamed as the beast raised its foot to when Tim discovers his artistic talent, to the sky. An empty field stretched away squash him like a bug.”) John is the one who is jealous. His act of revenge ends up putting both boys in danger. (Also available in Spanish.) Really? Using facts for fun n The Word Snoop Use trivia as a fun way to get the whole family reading. Designed for word lovers, this book Gather almanacs, record books, or trivia books from the library, by Ursula Dubosarsky gives children and try these activities: an entertaining look at language. ●●Let your child pose a challenge: “Find a fact about Chapters cover punctuation, word outer space.” Everyone searches the books for a origins, acronyms, word plays, and fact that fits. The first person to find one reads it more. Solve a puzzle or code at the aloud (“Venus is the only planet that spins clock- end of each sec- wise”). Then, she asks for the next fact (“Find a fact tion to spell about a spring sport”). out a secret message. ●●Borrow the board and pieces from any board game. Take turns rolling a die and moving around the board. To make your move, you must answer a question that another player makes up using a fact from the books. Example: “What was Thomas Edison’s middle name?” (Alva) The first player to circle the board wins.

News quiz Newspaper reading Help your child read for details What’s black and white and packed with by having her try to stump you opportunities to improve reading com- with a quiz about a news or prehension? The newspaper! Here are sports story. First, read a story ways to use the news to deliver a together. Then, have her ask daily dose of reading skills. you three questions about it. Headline highlights For a story about a local poli- tician’s speech, she might Explain that a headline gives the ask: “Where did the speech main idea of a news story. Let your take place?” “How many peo- youngster secretly choose a story, read ple attended?” “What was the it, and write a new headline based on weather like?” the main idea. For instance, she might replace the headline “Volunteers Needed for Step by step Local Charity” with “Help the Homeless.” Your job is to Use how-to articles such as match her headline to the correct story in the newspaper. recipes to give your youngster practice following directions. Then, swap roles and rewrite a headline for her to match. She can choose one for the two of you to do together. For instance, you might bake lasagna. You could take turns reading the directions aloud to each other as you cook. TV alternatives My children watch a lot of Wild word web TV. How can I encourage them to turn it off This quick activity will help your young- and spend that time reading and writing ster’s vocabulary grow. instead? Write a word (hippopotamus) in the center of a poster board, circle it, and draw three lines leading away from it Start by making one or more nights each week “TV free.” Then, use your in different directions. At the end of each line, your child children’s favorite shows as a jumping- should write a word that’s related to hippopotamus (ani- off point for activities that involve read- mal, gigantic, gray). She can circle those words and draw ing and writing. three more lines from each circle. On your turn, add a related word at the end of each new line. You might write “whale” for “animal,” “ship” for “gigantic,” and “sky” for “gray.” Circle your words, and add three new lines to each circle. Keep taking turns until the web covers the whole board. Tip: Use a thesaurus to find new words if you get stuck.

Games Software n Perfect Sense n Africa Trail For example, your youngsters might Players solve riddles based on Take an inter enjoy choosing a show they like and out- the five senses (sight, sound, taste, active bike trip lining a plot for the next episode. Or touch, smell) to move around the through Africa they could make up a sequel to a movie. board. The fewer clues you need to and explore its history, geography, and To encourage them to read, go to the solve the riddle, the more spaces you culture in this game from the creators library and look for books based on their get to move. Patch Products of The Oregon Trail. Read maps, track favorite programs or movies. They can your progress in a travel log, and solve n Aunt Millie’s Millions also ask the librarian to recommend problems along the way. Use storytelling and novels with similar plots. The Learning Company strategy to collect O ur P urpos e Aunt Millie’s valu- n Boggle To provide busy parents with practical ways to promote their children’s reading, writing, ables and win this This software program features classic and language skills. hilarious game. But Boggle and four new games, including Resources for Educators, beware! If two players claim the same an outer space and a 3-D version. Play- a division of Aspen Publishers, Inc. 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 item, they must both try to persuade ers have three minutes to create words 540-636-4280 • [email protected] the judge to give it to them. from the scrambled letters. www.rfeonline.com ISSN 1540-5583 Gamewright Hasbro Interactive © 2010 Resources for Educators, a division of Aspen Publishers, Inc.