Family Capers with Newspapers
Grades 4-6
by Shani Yero, National Center for Family Literacy Program Specialist
Students
in grades 4 to 6 enjoy reading a wide range of materials, from comics to biographies.
They read, re-read, crosscheck and discuss to construct meaning from the text.
Youth at this stage of development are eager to absorb information relevant
to them in this period of exploration and discovery.
Often these students use their own experiences and knowledge as a lens through which they view everything they hear, see and read as they seek to understand new information. Young people ages 9 to 11 begin to read with confidence, and newspapers provide just the right level of relevancy, readability and accessibility to hold the diverse interests of students in this age range.
Many young people are interested in sports and might rush to the newspaper to read the stories about Tiger Woods or a high-school rivalry game. Not only do sports stories provide useful and interesting information, they also arm students with the opportunity to exercise their ability to read and think critically.
Ask
your child to gather information about a favorite team and your favorite team,
and then chart the progress of both teams. Clip articles about your home
team or a favorite sports star and discuss each article in terms of style, mood
and tone. Encourage your child to write an article about a favorite player.
The
“Letters to the Editor” section provides an excellent means for young
people to share their views about issues that impact them. If your child
has strong feelings about something in the community, encourage him or her to
write a letter expressing an opinion. In doing so, your child can apply persuasive
writing skills learned in the classroom to a real-life situation that has personal
meaning.
Store
ads create a wealth of fun and exciting activities to ignite the imagination
of boys and girls. Using a store circular, direct your child to go on a
shopping spree with $100 to spend. One stipulation is that your child must purchase
something for every member of the family. Turn it into a game for the whole
family and see who can come closest to spending exactly $100 without going over.
Ask your child to use ads or coupons to help you find the best price for an
item or chart sale prices from two or three stores to find out which has the
best buy.
The
entertainment section of the newspaper holds a great deal of attraction for
students this age. For this activity, your child creates a movie log, cutting
out pictures and advertisements of movies he or she wishes to see. Ask your
child to write a letter explaining why he or she wants to see a particular movie,
perhaps making a case by citing reviews or comments from friends who have already
seen it. If your child presents a persuasive argument, take him or her to see
the movie. Discuss the ideas and concepts portrayed in the movie. Ask your child
to write a short review of the movie, including a brief summary, and describe
why he or she would or would not recommend the movie to a friend.
The
comics section is another area of the newspaper that youth flock to, and it
can serve as a vehicle to foster children’s creativity and humor. Take
a comic strip and blot out the text in the dialogue bubbles, then let your child
fill in new text. Make it a family affair by giving each family member one frame
to fill in, then put the strip together and read it out loud. Play “comic
strip puzzle” by cutting several comic strips into individual frames. Put
the frames face-up in a pile. Each family member selects a frame, one at a time.
The first person to put together a comic strip that makes sense wins!
Planning
a vacation doesn’t cost anything—exploring the travel section of the
newspaper with your child will lead to discovery of new worlds. Each member
of the family should choose an ideal vacation spot, then look in the travel
section each week to gather information on attractions, hotels and airfare to
that destination. Start a collage with pictures and articles for each vacation
destination.
Newspapers provide exceptional opportunities for children ages 9 to 11 to expand their knowledge about the world around them as well as enhance and apply skills and strategies learned in the classroom. To open a window to the world for your child, just open a newspaper.
by Shani Yero, National Center for Family Literacy Program Specialist
Students
in grades 4 to 6 enjoy reading a wide range of materials, from comics to biographies.
They read, re-read, crosscheck and discuss to construct meaning from the text.
Youth at this stage of development are eager to absorb information relevant
to them in this period of exploration and discovery.Often these students use their own experiences and knowledge as a lens through which they view everything they hear, see and read as they seek to understand new information. Young people ages 9 to 11 begin to read with confidence, and newspapers provide just the right level of relevancy, readability and accessibility to hold the diverse interests of students in this age range.
Many young people are interested in sports and might rush to the newspaper to read the stories about Tiger Woods or a high-school rivalry game. Not only do sports stories provide useful and interesting information, they also arm students with the opportunity to exercise their ability to read and think critically.
Ask
your child to gather information about a favorite team and your favorite team,
and then chart the progress of both teams. Clip articles about your home
team or a favorite sports star and discuss each article in terms of style, mood
and tone. Encourage your child to write an article about a favorite player.The
“Letters to the Editor” section provides an excellent means for young
people to share their views about issues that impact them. If your child
has strong feelings about something in the community, encourage him or her to
write a letter expressing an opinion. In doing so, your child can apply persuasive
writing skills learned in the classroom to a real-life situation that has personal
meaning.Store
ads create a wealth of fun and exciting activities to ignite the imagination
of boys and girls. Using a store circular, direct your child to go on a
shopping spree with $100 to spend. One stipulation is that your child must purchase
something for every member of the family. Turn it into a game for the whole
family and see who can come closest to spending exactly $100 without going over.
Ask your child to use ads or coupons to help you find the best price for an
item or chart sale prices from two or three stores to find out which has the
best buy.The
entertainment section of the newspaper holds a great deal of attraction for
students this age. For this activity, your child creates a movie log, cutting
out pictures and advertisements of movies he or she wishes to see. Ask your
child to write a letter explaining why he or she wants to see a particular movie,
perhaps making a case by citing reviews or comments from friends who have already
seen it. If your child presents a persuasive argument, take him or her to see
the movie. Discuss the ideas and concepts portrayed in the movie. Ask your child
to write a short review of the movie, including a brief summary, and describe
why he or she would or would not recommend the movie to a friend. The
comics section is another area of the newspaper that youth flock to, and it
can serve as a vehicle to foster children’s creativity and humor. Take
a comic strip and blot out the text in the dialogue bubbles, then let your child
fill in new text. Make it a family affair by giving each family member one frame
to fill in, then put the strip together and read it out loud. Play “comic
strip puzzle” by cutting several comic strips into individual frames. Put
the frames face-up in a pile. Each family member selects a frame, one at a time.
The first person to put together a comic strip that makes sense wins!Planning
a vacation doesn’t cost anything—exploring the travel section of the
newspaper with your child will lead to discovery of new worlds. Each member
of the family should choose an ideal vacation spot, then look in the travel
section each week to gather information on attractions, hotels and airfare to
that destination. Start a collage with pictures and articles for each vacation
destination. Newspapers provide exceptional opportunities for children ages 9 to 11 to expand their knowledge about the world around them as well as enhance and apply skills and strategies learned in the classroom. To open a window to the world for your child, just open a newspaper.
