Shohola Elementary School

Reading Newsletter

March Issue 2007

Play Detective...

Have your child imagine that he/she is a detective. Cut out pictures of at least 40 different things.  I suggest using old magazines or go to Microsoft Clip Art on line at http://office.microsoft.com. There you will find a huge selection of pictures you can print, cut out and glue onto index cards. Write the name of each thing you have chosen on the index card. Place the cards in a tissue box.  Take out 16 cards from the box and arrange them face up in four equal rows.  Choose one person to be the "detective". The other person selects one of the pictures.  The detective tries to figure out which picture was chosen by asking 15 yes-or-no questions.  As the detective eliminates pictures, he turns them facedown.  When the picture is guessed correctly or the player has asked 15 questions, they swap roles. So you ask, "How does this help reading?"  You are reading the name of the object from the index card, you are forming questions and trying to figure things out.  You're predicting, talking, laughing (make sure you choose a few funny pictures), and sharing time together. 

In this game, one player chooses a word from the dictionary.  Then chooses to read the real definition from the dictionary or to make up a fake definition that sounds like it is a real definition. The other person must guess if the definition is real or make-believe.  If he guesses correctly, he earns a point. If he guesses incorrectly, the reader earns a point. The first person to score five points is the winner of the game.  

Location, location, location....

This game can have any number of players. Here's what to do:   Name a setting (location) for a story. Have each player choose four cards from the tissue box you created earlier. Write or tell a story using the setting and objects in the picture. You may also create cards  which say adventure, mystery, funny, happy, or surprising, that each player will take from a facedown pile.

Let's Start Cooking...                                       

Here's a recipe that may help you find time to read and play with your children. While the children are finishing their homework and setting the table, you can do this in less than 30 minutes.

Mix the following ingredients in a plastic bag:  1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenders, 1/2 cup of ranch dressing, 1 tablespoon of dry parsley flakes, 3 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped. Melt one tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan.  Add chicken tenders and fry until golden brown (usually about 15 minutes). In a separate nonstick pan, sauté one chopped sweet onion and one or two sliced red bell peppers in a small amount of butter and/or olive oil for about 10 minutes.  First place the chicken on the plates and top with a serving of red peppers and onions.  Serve with some fresh carrots, celery, salad, or whatever your family likes.