Dear Mr. HenshawDear Mr. HenshawGenreGenre: Realistic Fiction: Realistic Fiction
Realistic characters and events Realistic characters and events come to life in a fictional plotcome to life in a fictional plot..
SummarySummary:: After years of corresponding with and After years of corresponding with and
writing in his diary to Mr. Henshaw. writing in his diary to Mr. Henshaw. Leigh finally has the chance to meet Leigh finally has the chance to meet with a writer when he wins with a writer when he wins “Honorable Mention” in a writing “Honorable Mention” in a writing contest at school.contest at school.
Background Background 414K414K
The other stories have all described The other stories have all described relationships between people. relationships between people.
In this story, the main character In this story, the main character has developed a relationship with has developed a relationship with someone he has never met.someone he has never met.
Read 414-415 Read 414-415 A World of WritingA World of Writing
Does anyone keep a diary? How do Does anyone keep a diary? How do you feel to send a letter? How does you feel to send a letter? How does it feel to receive a letter? it feel to receive a letter?
Background Background 414k414k
Let’s discuss these key Let’s discuss these key vocabulary words.vocabulary words.
differencedifferencediarydiary
experience experience descriptiondescription
proseprose
Phonics/Decoding Phonics/Decoding SkillsSkills 415A415A
What are our What are our Phonics/Decoding skills?Phonics/Decoding skills?
They are They are chunkingchunking, , words words we knowwe know, , beginning and beginning and endingsendings, , affixesaffixes, , syllablessyllables, , try different vowel soundstry different vowel sounds, , base words or root words, base words or root words, blendingblending, , look carefullylook carefully
Phonics/Decoding Phonics/Decoding SkillsSkills 415A415A
Yesterday Miss Neely, the Yesterday Miss Neely, the librarianlibrarian, asked if I had , asked if I had written anything for the written anything for the
Young Writer’s Yearbook, Young Writer’s Yearbook, because all writing had to be because all writing had to be
turned in by tomorrow.turned in by tomorrow.Help me figure out this word.Help me figure out this word.
Vocabulary Vocabulary 415A415A
Trans 4-23 PB 247
diarydiary: a daily record or journal: a daily record or journaldisappointeddisappointed: made unhappy by : made unhappy by
seeing one’s hopes come to nothingseeing one’s hopes come to nothingexperienceexperience: something that : something that
happens to someone; personal happens to someone; personal involvement in an eventinvolvement in an event
proseprose: ordinary spoken or written : ordinary spoken or written language as opposed to verse or language as opposed to verse or poetrypoetry
Vocabulary Vocabulary 415A415A
rejectedrejected: turned down; did not accept: turned down; did not accept snoop: someone who tries to find out snoop: someone who tries to find out
about other people’s doings in a about other people’s doings in a sneaky waysneaky way
splendidsplendid: excellent: excellent submittedsubmitted: offered one’s work to : offered one’s work to
someone who might publish itsomeone who might publish itunderstanding: knowledge of
something; being aware of why something is the way it is
Vocabulary LinkVocabulary Link migrate: to move regularly from one migrate: to move regularly from one
region to anotherregion to another swarms: large groups moving togetherswarms: large groups moving together arduous: demanding great effort; difficultarduous: demanding great effort; difficult accomplishment: an action successfully accomplishment: an action successfully
carried out; achievementcarried out; achievement offspring: the young of a person, an offspring: the young of a person, an
animal, or a plantanimal, or a plant
Reading Strategy Reading Strategy 415B415B
EvaluateEvaluate Strategy FocusStrategy Focus
The author has chosen to show the The author has chosen to show the main character only through his diary main character only through his diary
entries and a letter. As you read, entries and a letter. As you read, evaluateevaluate how well this format works in how well this format works in
telling Leigh’s story.telling Leigh’s story. To evaluate a story:To evaluate a story:
Use Use story informationstory information and and your own your own opinionsopinions to decide how well the to decide how well the
author has made a point or author has made a point or represented a situation.represented a situation.
Comprehension Skill Comprehension Skill 415C415C
Making InferencesMaking Inferences Trans 4-24 PB 248
As you read focus on combining As you read focus on combining story cluesstory clues and and your own your own knowledgeknowledge and and life experiences life experiences to to figure out things about characters figure out things about characters that the author does not state.that the author does not state.
Readers must read “between the Readers must read “between the lines” in order to understand story lines” in order to understand story events.events.
Making InferencesMaking Inferences
Inferences are predictions madewith your own knowledge and experiences plusthe informationgiven by the author.
Reality/FantasyReality/Fantasy 419419
Fantasy often includes characters Fantasy often includes characters that that could notcould not exist in the real exist in the real
world, characters that behave in world, characters that behave in ways they ways they could notcould not in real life, in real life,
and events that and events that could notcould not happen happen in real in real life.life.
Fantasy might have some realistic Fantasy might have some realistic elements such as a realistic setting elements such as a realistic setting and some characters that are true and some characters that are true
to life.to life.
Decoding Longer Words Decoding Longer Words 437E437E
Suffixes –fulSuffixes –fulThe grove was quiet and The grove was quiet and peacefulpeaceful.. -ful is the suffix (-ful means full of)-ful is the suffix (-ful means full of)A A suffixsuffix is a word part added to the is a word part added to the
end of a word to add to or change end of a word to add to or change its meaning.its meaning.
Removing a suffix and looking at Removing a suffix and looking at the base word is a helpful way to the base word is a helpful way to figure out what a word means. figure out what a word means. PB 252
Decoding Longer Words Decoding Longer Words 437E437E
Suffixes –ly Suffixes –ly (cont)(cont)
We We finallyfinally got the burglar alarm to got the burglar alarm to work with some help from a library work with some help from a library
book.book. Help me figure out this word.Help me figure out this word. -ly means a state of, quality,
instance of being, being like something
Decoding Longer Words Decoding Longer Words 437E437E
Suffixes –ly Suffixes –ly (cont)(cont)
ment – a means, result, act, statement – a means, result, act, state ment (argument) (argue) ment (argument) (argue)
-ness (swiftness)-ness (swiftness) -ness – like or in a specific manner-ness – like or in a specific manner
-less (worthless)-less (worthless) -less - without-less - without
Adding a suffix Adding a suffix may changemay change the the spelling of a word. spelling of a word. PB 252
SuffixesSuffixesSuffixes are word parts added to a base word that changes its meaning
Phonics Phonics 437F437F
The /s/ /z/ SoundsThe /s/ /z/ Sounds Recognizing letters that stand for Recognizing letters that stand for the /s/ and /z/ sounds can help you the /s/ and /z/ sounds can help you
decode unfamiliar words.decode unfamiliar words. Letters Letters cc, , cece, and , and ss can stand for can stand for
the /s/ soundthe /s/ sound The letters The letters ss and and zz can stand for can stand for
the /z/ soundthe /z/ sound Miss Neely Miss Neely announcedannounced that the that the
Famous Author was Angela Badger.Famous Author was Angela Badger.
Phonics Phonics 437F437F
The /s/ /z/ Sounds The /s/ /z/ Sounds (cont)(cont)
The girls were more excited The girls were more excited becausebecause Angela Badger writes Angela Badger writes mostly about girlsmostly about girls
I couldn’t turn my lunchbox I couldn’t turn my lunchbox experienceexperience into a story. into a story.
A A licenselicense for a truck is expensive. for a truck is expensive. I chased I chased garbanzogarbanzo beans around beans around
my plate.my plate.
Spelling Spelling 437G 437G
Words with Suffixes Words with Suffixes PB 253PB 253
Safely, paleness, enjoyment, cheerful, Safely, paleness, enjoyment, cheerful, speechlessspeechless
Pick out the suffixes.Pick out the suffixes. Remember a word part that can be added Remember a word part that can be added
to the end of a base word is a suffix.to the end of a base word is a suffix. -ly (in a certain way)-ly (in a certain way)
-ness (the condition or quality of)-ness (the condition or quality of) -ment (the condition of an action)-ment (the condition of an action)
-ful (full of)-ful (full of) -less (without)-less (without)
Spelling Spelling 437G437G
Vocabulary-Word Clues Vocabulary-Word Clues PB 254PB 254
unable to speak unable to speak speechlessspeechless
terrible terrible dreadfuldreadful
in recent timesin recent times latelylately
a feeling of pleasurea feeling of pleasureenjoymentenjoyment
Vocabulary SkillsVocabulary Skills 437I437I
ConnotationConnotation PB 256PB 256
Barry’s sisters Barry’s sisters gigglegiggle and hide. and hide. Barry’s sisters Barry’s sisters snickersnicker and hide. and hide. Which sentence shows them being Which sentence shows them being
mean?mean? ConnotationsConnotations are when are when feelings
are associated with a word, in are associated with a word, in addition to its dictionary meanings.addition to its dictionary meanings.
There could be There could be negativenegative and and positivepositive connotations. connotations.
Vocabulary SkillsVocabulary Skills 437I437I
ConnotationConnotation (cont)(cont) PB 256PB 256
WordWord ConnotationsConnotations shiningshining positive; suggests positive; suggests
brightnessbrightness glaringglaring negative; suggests negative; suggests
that that something is hard something is hard to to look atlook at
bunchbunch positive; suggests positive; suggests small, small, friendly groupfriendly group
mobmob negative; suggests negative; suggests large, unfriendly large, unfriendly
groupgroup
Grammar Skills Grammar Skills 437K437K
AbbreviationsAbbreviations Trans 4-26 PB 257
An abbreviation is a shortened form An abbreviation is a shortened form of a wordof a word
Most abbreviations begin with a capital Most abbreviations begin with a capital letter and end with a period.letter and end with a period.
Most abbreviations should be used Most abbreviations should be used only in special kinds of writing, only in special kinds of writing,
such as such as addressesaddresses and and listslists..
AbbreviationsAbbreviations 437L437L
Use abbreviations only when Use abbreviations only when appropriate.appropriate.
A good writer uses abbreviations A good writer uses abbreviations only in special kinds of writing.only in special kinds of writing.
ex. Last Wed. Richard took a bus to ex. Last Wed. Richard took a bus to a st. at the edge of town.a st. at the edge of town.
ex. Correct: Last ex. Correct: Last WednesdayWednesday Richard Richard took a bus to a took a bus to a streetstreet at the edge of at the edge of town. town. PB 259
Grammar Skills Grammar Skills 437K437K
TitlesTitles Trans. 4-27 no trans PB 258
When you write the title of a When you write the title of a magazine, book, movie, or magazine, book, movie, or
newspaper, newspaper, capitalizecapitalize the first, the the first, the last, and each important word.last, and each important word.
Capitalize forms of the verb be, Capitalize forms of the verb be, including is, are, was, and am.including is, are, was, and am.
Capitalize a word such as Capitalize a word such as and, in, and, in, of, to, a, was, or theof, to, a, was, or the only when it is only when it is
the the firstfirst or or lastlast word in a title. word in a title.
Grammar Skills Grammar Skills 437K437K
Titles Titles (cont)(cont) When you use a word processor, put When you use a word processor, put
titles of titles of magazines, magazines, booksbooks, , moviesmovies, , and and newspapersnewspapers in italic type. When in italic type. When
you write with a pen or pencil, you write with a pen or pencil, underline titles of books, movies, underline titles of books, movies,
magazines, and newspapers.magazines, and newspapers. Put titles of chapters, poems, Put titles of chapters, poems,
songs, and short stories in songs, and short stories in quotation marks.quotation marks.
Expanding Sentences Expanding Sentences w/Adjectivesw/Adjectives 437N437N
Trans 4-29 PB 261
Adjectives Adjectives describedescribe nouns nouns and pronouns and are and pronouns and are
important part of writing important part of writing narration or descriptionsnarration or descriptions..
Adjectives help to create a Adjectives help to create a clear, vivid picture of what clear, vivid picture of what
you are describing.you are describing.
AdjectivesAdjectivesAdjectives are words that describe nounsor pronouns
AdjectivesAdjectives
Author’s ViewpointAuthor’s Viewpoint 437Q437Q
The author’s viewpoint is the way the The author’s viewpoint is the way the author author thinks thinks or or feels feels about the subject.about the subject.
Identifying the author’s viewpoint helps Identifying the author’s viewpoint helps readers understand why the author is readers understand why the author is interested in the subject and how the interested in the subject and how the
author thinks.author thinks. You can You can inferinfer an author’s viewpoint by an author’s viewpoint by
identifying the author’s purpose for identifying the author’s purpose for writing the selection and by looking at the writing the selection and by looking at the
facts, opinions, and descriptions given.facts, opinions, and descriptions given.
Spelling TestSpelling Test 1. dreadful1. dreadful 2. enjoyment2. enjoyment 3. safely3. safely 4. watchful4. watchful 5. speechless5. speechless 6. paleness6. paleness 7. breathless7. breathless 8. government8. government 9. cheerful9. cheerful 10. actively10. actively
11. closeness11. closeness 12. lately12. lately 13. goodness13. goodness 14. retirement14. retirement 15. forgetful15. forgetful 16. basement16. basement 17. softness17. softness 18. delightful18. delightful 19. settlement19. settlement 20. countless20. countless
Challenge WordsChallenge Words
suspensefulsuspiciouslydefenselessseriousnesscontentment
Study Guide EvaluateEvaluate Making predictionsMaking predictions Suffixes –lySuffixes –ly S and z soundsS and z sounds SuffixesSuffixes Word cluesWord clues ConnotationsConnotations abbreviationsabbreviations TitlesTitles AdjectivesAdjectives Author’s viewpointAuthor’s viewpoint