Reading Activity Workbook
This book will help your students to improve their reading,
writing, spelling and comprehension.
Reproducible Workbook
(You may reproduce this book for your students.)
This book was designed to accompany Reading Voyage
Computer Reading Programs.
Reading Solutions Inc.
1423 Union Chapel Road
Pembroke, NC 28372
https://readingsolutionsinc.com/
Certificate of Achievement
Student Name
Has been awarded this certificate for successful completion of
Reading Solutions Web Site Instruction
Instructor
Date
Dr. Reginald Oxendine
(Author)
Reading Solutions Inc.
Pembroke, NC 28372 USA
Table of Contents
1. Say the ABCs ................................................................................................... 1
2. Write the ABCs ................................................................................................. 2
3. Long Vowels ...................................................................................................... 3
4. Short Vowels ...................................................................................................... 5
5. Beginning Consonants ........................................................................................ 7
6. Ending Consonants ........................................................................................... 10
7. Beginning Clusters ............................................................................................ 12
8. Ending Clusters ................................................................................................. 15
9. Vowel Digraphs ............................................................................................ 16
10. Application of Phonic Sounds ........................................................................ 17
11. Days of the Week .............................................................................................. 18
12. Colors ............................................................................................................... 18
13. Months of the year .......................................................................................... 19
14. Numbers ............................................................................................................ 20
15. Sight Words ..................................................................................................... 21
16. Creative Writing .............................................................................................. 22
Improving Reading Skills
17. Types of Sentences 25
18. Creative Sentence Writing 26
19.
Punctuation Marks
27
20. Using Punctuation Marks 28
21.
Capitalization
29
22. Using Capital Letters 30
Go to Next Page
Table of Contents Continued
Improving Reading Skills Continued
Page
23.
Synonyms, Antonyms & Homonyms
31
24.
Applications of Synonyms, Antonyms & Homonyms
32
25.
Root Words, Prefixes and Suffixes 33
26.
Using Root Words, Prefixes and Suffixes 34
27.
Dividing Words into Syllables
35
28.
Application of Dividing Words into Syllables
36
29.
Decoding Skills Clues 37
30.
Using Decoding Skills 38
31.
Parts of Speech 39
32.
Parts of Speech Activities 40
33.
How to Improve Reading Comprehension
41
Improving Writing Skills
34.
Tips to Improve Writing Skills 42
35.
Narratives
43
36.
Narratives Should Include: Beginning, Middle and End
43
37.
Who? What? When? Where? How? 44
38.
Sample Narrative Writing Format
45
39.
The Writing Process 46
40.
Steps in the Writing Process 47
41.
Outline of the Writing Process 48
42.
Generating Ideas for Writing - (Brain Storming) 49
43.
Map of a Story 50
44.
Story Chart
51
45.
The Helping Circle 52
46.
Practice Writing Creative Stories 53 - 57
1
Aa
Say the A B Cs
Bb
Cc
Dd
Gg
Jj
Mm
Pp
Ss
Vv
Ee
Hh
Kk
Nn
Qq
Tt
Ww
Ff
Ii
Ll
Oo
Rr
Uu
Xx
Yy
Zz
2
Write the A B Cs
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3
Long Vowels
Long Vowels are letters which say their name as you pronounce words.
Circle each long vowel in each word below.
_
a Example: cake
ace ate
lake
make
take ape
made hate
_
e
Example:
eat
each meat
need
three escape even
eve
evil
_
i
Example:
pie
die five high line mine nine pine size
time
_
o
Example:
boat
coat hope foe
go
goat
pope
rope so
_
u
Example:
mule
cute due fuel
rule
4
More Long Vowel Sounds
Circle the long vowels in each word and sentence.
_
a cake may pail
Mary ate her cake in a boat on the lake.
_
e he
we
me
The goat will eat the yellow wheat.
_
i pie side hi
Jack will fly his kite on Monday at night.
_
o
rose hold
coat
I have a red coat in my little boat.
_
u use mule blue
The sky is blue and so is my
mule.
5
)
)
)
)
Short Vowels
Short Vowels are vowels which make sounds but do not completely say
their name.
Circle each short vowel.
a Example:
apple
an man hand hat can pan plant black fast
sand
e Example: egg
hen
pen
ten
men best
tell
den
second
i Example: fish
bin tin fin gin win witch give will pin
knit
o
Example: pot
dot fog cot hog jog lot soft
stop
sock pond
got
hop
u Example:
duck
cut dug
gun
hug lug rug sun
tug bug puppy
rust
mule
nut
up
)
6
)
)
More Short Vowel Sounds
Circle each short vowel in the words and sentences below.
a
daft an bat mad
The little old man sat on a pan.
e hen red fell pen
set
The boy will wet his little gray pet.
i
rid hit
in
hill
I hurt my chin with a pin.
o
hot fox pond
pot
Put the blue pot where it is hot.
u ugly run cut
mud
Take the bug off my rug.
)
)
)
7
Beginning Consonants
Beginning Consonants
are
letters which come at the beginning of
words which make sounds.
Fill in the blank with a word from the bottom of the page that has the same
consonant sound as the underlined word.
1. The cat sat on a .
2. The boy put a in a hat.
3. Dan and I did eat with .
4. Put the flower in the .
5. She hit the man with a .
6. Let the frog play a game with the .
7. I will sit in the .
8. The tent is on of the hill.
bug
can
pot laid goat mop sand
dad
yell
hat
well
top
Write 10 words which have the same beginning consonant
letters as the words above.
8
More Beginning Consonant Sounds
Underline each beginning consonant sound.
Bb
boy blue
box
big
bag bug
Little Boy Blue put a bug in a big box.
Cc cookie can cap cop
The cookie monster sees a cop with a cat.
Dd dog
did
dad duck
Daffy Duck did eat with dad and a dog.
Ff fox fall
five
fog
The fox will fall at five in the fog.
Gg goat got game gave
The girl played a game with a goat.
Hh he hot hill hair
He was hot in his hat on the hill.
Jj Jack
Jill jet
jam
Jack and Jill ate the jam in a jar on the jet.
Kk Kermit
kit
kick kite
Kermit the Frog will kick the kite with
his foot.
Ll Lucy Locket
let
lamb lot
Lucy let the lamb in the lot.
9
Mm Mickey man mop
met
Mickey met a man with a mop.
Nn
nanny not
nice
name
no
Nanny goat is not a nice name.
Pp
Peter pot pet put
Peter Pan put the pet in a pot.
Qq queen
quick quietly
quail
The queen is quiet, quick and eats quail.
Rr rose
rope red ride road
Rose Red will ride on the road with a rope.
Ss spider
sun soap
sit
The spider will sit on the bar of soap in the sun.
Tt
Tom tent
trap
top
Tom set the trap on top of the tent.
Vv violet vase vine
vet
Violet put a vine in a vase at the vet.
Ww worm went
watch
The worm went to watch the show.
Zz zoo zebra zero
The girl saw a zero on the zebra in the zoo.
10
Ending Consonant Sounds
Ending Consonants are letters which come at the end of words which
make sounds. (b c d f g h j k l
m
n p q r s
t v w
x y z)
(Circle the word which best completes the sentence.)
1. The mice are under the .
bed
mud dog
2. My sled is stuck in the .
coat tree
mud
3. The dog a hole. dug ball pin
4. I can go fast in my
. car
fish man
5. The tent is
green. not
ten tent
6. The mule will the car.
pan pull
pot
7. The kite is from
.
grass
come
mom
8. The girl will at the dog. yell led red
9. I can rub the brown
.
pup
boy
stick
10. His cap is on my
. map
head pin
11
More Ending Consonant Sounds
Fill in the blank with a consonant letter.
b I wash in a tu
.
c The ri e is white.
d I have mu on my shoe.
f Take of my coat.
g The ru is brown.
k The choclate ca e was good.
l The mu
e
will pull the cart.
n Jack ca jump the rope.
p He will fli in the grass.
r The ca is red.
s Gras is green.
t I have five fish in a ne .
x The man cut wood with an a .
12
Beginning Clusters
Beginning Clusters are two or three consonants at the beginning of a
word which make a sound.
Examples
bl
br
Chr cl cr dr
fl
fr gl
gr qu
pl
pr
sk
sl
st
str sm sn
sp
spl
spr
sw
st
tw
(Use the above beginning clusters to make words.)
ock ayon
ess ee
own istmas
ag esent
ate een
ower ies
ash ess
ipper oom
ove eet
ane oke
ock in
13
More Beginning Clusters
Circle each beginning cluster in the sentences.
bl The blue block was blown on the blanket.
br My brother broke the broom.
cl The class clown is clean.
cr A crow put a crayon in the creek.
dr My dress will drip and dry.
fl Flipper flips on a flower with a fly.
fr My friend ate fries with a frog.
gl The glass glows and glitters.
gr The green grass will grow.
qu The queen is quick and quiet.
pl The plane flies over the plains.
14
pr The preacher pressed the prize in a press.
sc The scooter scattered scum on the street.
sk The skate skidded on the ice.
sl My slipper slipped on the sleet.
sm The smoke smells bad as the fire smothers.
sn Snoopy snorted at the snake.
sp Speak to the spider because it is special.
st The stick stopped on the top step.
str The strap struck the street as it fell.
tr Try to treat all people with respect.
tw The twins twisted the twig.
15
Ending Clusters
Ending Clusters are consonant letters at the end of a word which
make a sound.
Ending Clusters ck
ng
st
nt
mp
lt
lk
ft
sp
lp
lf
ld
nd
nk
Example
chick
Use the above ending clusters to make words.
chi wo
ri he
ne she
te wi
cha fi
be tha
mi so
wa
Write 5 sentences using your words from above.
16
Vowel Digraphs
Vowel Digraphs are two vowels which make one sound.
Vowel Digraphs ou ow aw oo ew oi oy ow
Example: new
Complete each sentence with the correct vowel digraph sound below.
1. That is a n
book.
ew aw ow
2. The plant is in the s
l.
oo
oi
ou
3. I lost my t_ .
oi
oy ew
4. The ball is r
nd.
ou oy oo
5. Put the b k on the shelf. oo aw oy
6. She has a b in her hair.
ow oi
aw
7. Cut the wood with the s
. oi
aw oo
8. The baby eats with a sp
n.
oo ew ou
17
)
)
)
Application of Phonic Sounds
1. Write two words with short
a
sound.
Example
apple
2. Write two words with short
e
sound.
Example egg
3. Write two words with short i sound.
Example ink
4. Write two words with short
u
sound.
Example umbrella
5. Write 5 words with beginning consonants letters.
6. Write 5 words with ending consonant letters.
7. Write two words with beginning consonant clusters.
Example br
own
8. Write two words with vowel digraphs.
Example soil
)
18
Days of the Week
Write one sentence for each day of the week.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Colors
Write one sentence for each color word.
red
white
black
green
brown
yellow
blue
purple
orange
Months of the Year
Write one sentence for each month of the year.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
19
20
Numbers
Make one sentence using each of the numbers below.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
21
Sight Words
(Words Used Most Often In Reading)
Read the list of words below to one of your friends.
and are ball big but can call car come dad did dog eat
eight end fall far father four girl go green had hand
has have in into jump just kitten let little look mother
my name night not off on one or play put queen red
run said say school see six so stop ten the them
three too up under us use very was we well went
who with x-ray yes you zoo
Use as many of the above words as you can and write a story.
22
Creative Writing
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23
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24
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25
Sentences
When we read or speak, we read and speak in sentences. A sentence is a group of
words that tells a complete thought. It tells who or what. Sentences usually tell or
ask something.
Types of Sentences:
A sentence that tells something is a statement. It ends with a period (.) .
Examples: The wolf howls at the moon.
My lion likes to sleep in the basket.
A sentence that asks something is a question. It ends with a question mark (?).
Examples: Have you seen my monkey?
Where is his hat and shoes?
A command is a sentence that tells you to do something. It ends with a period (.).
Examples: Put the parrot on your shoulder.
Don’t feed the bears.
An
exclamation
is a sentence that shows strong feelings of surprise, fear or excitement.
It ends with an exclamation point (!).
Examples: The bear is chasing me!
The tiger jumped over the fence!
26
Creative Sentence Writing
(Use correct punctuation marks.)
Write 3 sentences that make a statement about the animals at the zoo.
Write 3 sentences that ask a question about the animals at the zoo.
Write 3 sentences that give a command to the animals at the zoo.
Write 3 exclamatory sentences about all the exciting animals you saw at the zoo.
27
Puncutation Marks
When you are reading, you should pay special attention to punctuation marks. They help you better under-
stand what you are reading.
A period (.) comes at the end of a complete sentence.
Examples: The alligator swims in the lake.
The lion chased his tail.
A question mark (?) comes at the end of a question.
Examples: Did you see the bird? How old is that monkey?
An
exclamation point(!)
follows an exclamation statement or strong
feelings.
Examples: The python got out of his cage!
The bullfrog jumped on my hand!
Quotation marks (“ ") set off someone’s exact words from the
rest of a sentence.
Examples: Joe said, “We want to see the Elephants.”
Mary said, “That is my green parakeet.”
An apostrophe ( ' ) is used to show ownership or used in place of
missing letters.
Examples: tiger’s, lion’s, bear’s, eagle’s, bird’s
can’t (cannot), I’m (I am), weren’t (were not), we’re (we are).
Special Note: Follow these suggestions when reading.
You should always slow down at a comma ( , ).
You should stop at a period ( . ).
You should read as if you are asking a question at a question mark (?).
You should also show strong feelings at an exclamation mark (!).
Quotation marks (“ “) are used at the beginning and ending of a person’s exact words.
28
Using Punctuation Marks
Write 3 sentences about the zoo. Use a period at the end of each sentence.
Write 3 sentences about the animals at the zoo. Use question marks at the end of each
sentence.
Write 3 sentences that give a command to the animals at the zoo. Use a period at
the end of each sentence.
Write 3 sentences that shows strong feelings about your exciting day at the zoo. Use an exclamation
mark at the end of each sentence.
Write 3 sentences about the zoo that use quotation marks.
Write 3 sentences about the zoo that show ownership of an object or thing.
Use an apostrophe to show ownership.
29
Capitalization
Rules for capitalization
Every sentence should begin with a capital letter.
The boy ran to see the animals at the zoo.
My cat is a pretty color.
The pronoun I is always a capital letter.
The man and I are friends.
Mommy and I are going to town.
Begin each important word in the names of particular persons, places or
things (proper nouns) with a capital letter.
John George Betty
New Jersey Washington, D.C. Liberty Bell
Titles or their abbreviations when used with a person’s name begin with
a capital letter.
Mr. James Mrs. Jones Doctor Adams
Begin the names of days, months, and holidays with a capital letter.
Labor Day is on the first Monday in September.
The first and last words and all important words in the titles of books begin
with a capital letter. Titles of books are underlined.
The Lady and the Tramp The Boy Who Cried Wolf
30
Using Capital Letters
Write 3 sentences and use a capital letter on the first word.
Write 3 sentences and capitalize the pronoun “I” in the sentence.
Write 3 sentences with two proper nouns in each sentence. Capitalize the proper nouns.
Write 3 sentences with peoples’ names with a title or an abbreviation. Capitalize the name,
title and abbreviations.
Write 3 sentences about days, months or holidays. Capitalize the days, months and holidays.
Write 3 sentences and use the title of a book in each sentence. Capitalize the first, last and all
important words in the titles.
31
Synonyms, Antonyms & Homonyms
Synonyms are words with almost the same meaning.
Examples: small - little, big - large, round - circle, began -
started, noisy - loud.
Antonyms are words which are opposite in meaning.
Examples: happy - sad, up - down, high - low, light - heavy
hard - easy, worse - better, big - little, slow - fast
Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different meanings.
Examples: whole - hole, hear - here, fair – fare, bear-bare
32
Synonyms, Antonyms & Homonyms
(Applications)
Write a synonym for the following words.
circle
loud
large
begin
little
Write two sentences and use at least two synonyms in each sentence.
Write 10 sets of antonym words.
Write two sentences and use two sets of antonym words.
Underline the correct homonym for the following sentences.
1.
The
eats honey.
bear
bare
2.
My family went to the .
fair
fare
3.
On my next birthday I will be years old.
ate
eight
4.
The snake was in the in the ground.
whole
hole
5.
The boy brought monkeys to school.
to too
two
Write two sentences and use two sets of homonyms.
Write 10 sets of homonym words.
33
Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes
Root words are the base words of the English Language. Adding prefixes and suffixes to base word
makes many new words.
Sample root words: graph, tract, script, dict, duct, port, tele, man
junct, sect, ped, leg, port, mit, spect
Prefixes are syllables added to the beginning of words to change their meaning.
Sample prefixes: ab-, ad-, ante-, anti-, circum-, con-, de-, dis-, ex-,
in-, inter-, intro-, mis-, per-, post-, pre-, re-, se-, sub-, super- trans-,
un-, uni-.
Sample prefix words: ab sent, ad mit, ante rior, anti freeze
circum stance, con tract, de part, ex tend, in come, inter rupt,
intro duce, mis take, per form, post pone, pre vent, re turn, se lect,
sub due, super human, trans plant, un happy, uni form.
Suffixes are letters added to the end of words to make new words.
Sample suffixes: -al, -ate, -ic, -ful, -ish, -ity, -ance, -tive, -tion,
-ous, -tial,
Sample words with suffixes: person al, evalu ate, bas ic, hope ful,
fool ish, self ish, liabil ity, posi tive, addi tion, fam ous, par tial.
34
Using Root Words, Prefixes and Suffixes
Underline the root word in the following words.
telephone dictate retract graphic
deduct
Use the root words below and write 2 sentences.
Sample root words: graph, tract, script, dict, duct, port, tele
Underline the prefix in each word below.
unhappy uniform prevent return select contract depart
antifreeze
income subdue
Use the prefixes below to write 2 sentences.
Sample prefixes: ab-, ad-, ante-, anti-, circum-, con-, de-, dis-,
ex-, in-, inter-, intro-, mis-, per-, post-, pre-, re-, se-, sub-, super-, trans-, un-, uni-.
Underline the suffix in each word below.
basic foolish hopeful running jumper
addition
working
famous partial
positive
Use the suffixes below and write 3 sentences.
Sample suffixes: -al, -ate, -ic, -ful, -ish, -ity, -ance, -tive, -tion,
-ous, -tial,
35
Dividing Words into Syllables
Rule 1 The number of vowels heard, not the number of vowels in the word, determines the number of syllables in a word.
Examples: one syllable: bird, cat, wolf, claw, wing, fish
two syllables: vul ture, par rot, py thon, liz ard, co bra
Rule 2 When there are two consonants between two vowels, the syllable division is usually between the two consonants.
Vowel Consonant Consonant Vowel {VCCV} is the pattern found in words for this rule.
Examples: but/ter bal/loon
lad/der mon/key cab/bage
ob/ject
Exception to the Vowel Consonant Consonant Vowel (VCCV} Rule is when the letters
ph, gh, sh, ch, th, ng are used in the middle of a word. Sometimes the syllable division is before and sometimes it is
after the digraphs.
Examples: go/pher
hy/phen
sing/er fath/er cash/ier catch/er
Rule 3 When a consonant is between two vowels, the syllable division is usually before the
consonant. Vowel Consonant Vowel (VCV) is the pattern found in words for this rule.
Examples: o/pen ti/ger pa/per to/tem fa/tal pi/lot i/tem ve/to tu/lip
Rule 4 When a word ends in le with a consonant before the l, the pattern is “consonant le or Cle”. The combination
Cle forms a syllable.
Examples: sim/ple pur/ple sam/ple mar/ble tan/gle sta/ble sin/gle ta/ble
Rule 5 When a word is composed of two complete words to make a compound word, the word is divided between the two
words.
Examples: some/where fire/works cow/boy horn/bill
Rule 6 When -ed is added to a word that ends in a t or d sound, the -ed is a separate syllable.
Examples. bolt ed, part ed, post ed, halt ed, ward ed, herd ed, add ed
Rule 7 When -ed is added to a word that does not end in a t or d sound, -ed is not a separate syllable.
Examples. walked, tramped, jumped
Rule 8 Generally the division of a word into syllables is not changed by the addition of a suffix.
Example. paint er, fall ing, farm er, stock ing.
36
Divide the following words into syllables.
butter balloon ladder monkey cabbage
object
open tiger paper totem
fatal
cobra item parrot tulip
simple purple vulture marble tangle stable single lizard
somewhere fireworks cowboy hornbill
bolted parted posted
halted warded herded added
painter falling farmer
stocking
37
Decoding Skills Clues
The r gives the preceding vowel a sound that is neither short or long.
Examples: her, hard, fir, hurt
Words having a double e usually have the long e sound.
Examples: reed, keep, seen, feet
In ay the y is silent and gives a its long sound.
Examples: hay, way , lay, play, may
When y is the final letter in a word, it usually has a vowel sound.
Examples: by, try, my, why
When c is followed by e or i, the sound of s is likely to be heard.
Examples: cent, city, cinder, cell
When the letter c is followed by o or a, the sound of k is likely to be heard.
Examples: coat, candy, cat, cold
When ght is seen in a word, gh is silent.
Examples: light, right, tight, might
When two of the same consonants are side by side, only one is heard.
Examples: letter, middle, pretty, pulling
When a word ends in ck, it has the same last sound as in look.
Examples: duck, luck
When spelling a word with ei or ie, most words have an i before e except after c.
Clues:
ie makes the sound of e
ei (after c) says the sound of e
ei (without c) has the sound of a
Examples: pie, receive, piece, rein, perceive
38
Using Decoding Skills
Mark over the vowel that is long with a and cross out the vowel
that is silent.
Example: seat
hay reed feet say play keep lay seen heel
way
Write five words with vowels influenced by the letter r.
Example: tar
Write the sound k or s for c in each word below.
city cold
cent
coat
cinder
cot
cell candy center
color
Underline the gh in each word below. Then write the sounds heard in each word.
Example: night
nit
fight light might
tight flight right
Mark out each y and change to an i sound.
Example: why whi
my
cry
ply
try
dye
fry
by
sty
why
dry
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Parts of Speech
Sentences are made up of words. Each of these words can be categorized into one
of the eight parts of speech. Each sentence must have a subject and verb.
The eight parts of speech are nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, preposi-
tions, conjunctions and interjections.
A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing or idea.
Samples: boy, girl, John, Mary, zoo, town, Washington,
monkey, boat
A pronoun is a word that is used in place of one or more nouns. It may stand for a
person place or thing or an idea.
Samples: I, you, me, she, it, they, someone, this, those, who
A verb is a word that expresses action or helps make a
statement.
Samples: run, jump, look, go, feel, is, are, were
An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.
Sample: red, black, quick, fast, slow, ugly, bad, fat
An adverb modifies or describes a verb, adjective or another
adverb.
Samples: quickly, slowly, how, when, where,
A preposition introduces a noun, pronoun or a phrase in the sentence.
Samples: of, for, be, from, about, under, during, after, on,
A conjunction is a word that joins words or groups of words.
Samples: and, or, but, either, neither, nor
An interjection is an exclamatory word that expresses strong
emotion.
Samples: Wow! Help! Oh! Great! Fantastic!
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Parts of Speech - Activities
Write three sentences and use a noun(s) in the sentence. Underline each noun(s) in the sentences.
Write three sentences and use a pronoun(s) in the sentence. Underline each pronoun(s) in the sentences.
Write three sentences and use a verb(s) in the sentence. Underline each verb(s) in the sentences.
Write three sentences and use an adverb(s) in the sentence. Underline each adverb(s) in the sentences.
Write three sentences and use an adjectives(s) in the sentence. Underline each adjective(s) in the sentences.
Write three sentences and use a preposition(s) in the sentence. Underline each preposition(s) in the sen-
tences.
Write three sentences and use a conjunction(s) in the sentence. Underline each conjunction(s) in the sen-
tences.
Write three sentences and use an interjection(s) in the sentence. Underline each interjection(s) in the sen-
tences.
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How to Improve Reading Comprehension
1. Get in a quiet place where you are comfortable and relaxed.
2. Turn off the radio, television or other distractions.
3. Preview what you are about to read. Look at the table of contents
and skim materials. Look at titles, subtitles, and pictures.
4. Concentrate and focus while you are reading.
5. Look for main ideas when reading.
6. Look for details about the main ideas while you read.
7. Pay special attention to the first couple of sentences in each
paragraph.
8. Pay special attention to the last sentence in each paragraph.
9. When reading, try to answer the following questions: who, what,
when, where, why, and how.
10. Reread materials you do not understand.
11. Read slowly if materials are difficult. Make sure you understand
exactly what the author is saying.
12. Try to predict and anticipate what the author is going to write
about next.
13. Study the pictures, graphs, headings and bold face print for clues
about the materials you are reading.
14. Highlight, summarize, review and take notes about important
ideas.
15. Use context clues (other words in a sentence) to find the
meaning of unknown words.
16. Use the dictionary to look up words you do not understand.
17. Try to visualize what the scenes, characters and surroundings look like.
18. Relate the reading materials to your personal experiences.
20. Compare your predictions to what really happened in the text.
21. Reflect on the major ideas of the text.
22. Ask yourself, ‘Did I understand what the author was trying to say
to me'.
23. Talk to someone or write about what you have read.
24. Read for enjoyment and have fun.
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Tips to Improve Writing Skills
(Characteristics of Effective Writing Programs)
Students need daily opportunities to write.
Students need to share their writing with others often.
Students need to choose their own topics that are important to them.
Students need to participate with others in prewriting activities (brainstorming).
Students need to practice a variety of different types of writing.
(fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, legends, poetry....)
Students should do more than one draft of their writing.
Students should write as a group and have collaborative writing
experiences.
Students should have writing folders to display their best work.
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Narratives:
A narrative tells a story or tells about what happened. The narrative should tell about the order of
events (beginning, middle and end), describe the setting (where story takes place), and tell about the
characters (people in the story).
The two types of narratives are personal narratives and imaginative narratives.
In a personal narrative the students tell about things which they have experienced, read
about, or heard. The writer has to recall events that
were experienced.
An imaginative narrative is when a student writes about things that are
imagined or fantasized. The writer has to invent the characters, plot, and settings.
The Narrative Should Include:
Beginning - The story or narrative should begin in an interesting way (hook the reader). It should do
the following: introduce the characters, briefly give the setting for the story, create the mood (state
the point of view), and get to the situation or problem (point or plot of the story).
Middle - The middle is where you build on the story by telling the details about the situation or
problem. You must use evidence to support the main idea, move the story along with details and
elaboration, keep things in order, and reach the peak of the story (the climax).
End - The end of the story tells about how the problem or situation is resolved. It may have an excit
ing or unexpected ending. The action should gradually come to an end.
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When you write you should answer these five questions:
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
How?
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A Sample Narrative Writing Format
Beginning: Start the story telling.....
Who? Introduce the characters
Where? Describe the setting
When? Be specific
Middle: The middle of the story should tell....
First Event:
When?
What?
Who?
Where?
Second Event:
When?
What?
Who?
Where?
Third Event:
When?
What?
Who?
Where?
Ending: Allow the story and action to slowly and naturally
come to an end.
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The Writing Process
The writing process involves the following elements: prewriting, drafting, revision, editing, and
publishing.
The prewriting process is the process of thinking and talking through the
proposed writing assignment.
The drafting process is writing as students brain storm and
let their ideas flow to the page.
The revision process is allowing the students to improve on their work. It may include:
clarifying ideas, reorganizing work, changing word choices, deleting or adding to the
written work, expanding or condensing ideas, polishing the written work, or other
improvements to the work.
The editing process is the time to “clean up” your errors in spelling,
grammar, usage and mechanics.
The evaluation process of writing is a continuous process from the
beginning to the end. Students need to put down the paper
often. They should come back to it and read it again, looking
for ways to improve it.
Steps in the Writing Process
1.
Choose a topic.
2.
Make a list of key words to include in the paper.
3.
Write a draft of the paper.
4.
Make revisions.
5.
Get others to look at your paper and ask for suggestions.
6.
Make changes in the story.
7.
Edit your story for capitalization, punctuation and
spelling.
8.
Ask for a conference with teacher or others.
9.
Make last revisions to paper.
10.
Prepare to publish your paper.
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48
An Outline of the Writing Process
1.
Prewriting
A.
Select subject
B.
Decide what you want to include
C.
Collect details and materials about your subject
2.
Write First Draft
A.
Put all of your ideas on paper
B.
Don’t worry about mistakes
3.
Revise your work
A.
Read and review your work
B.
Share your work and ideas with someone else
C.
Make changes to improve your writing
4.
Editing and Proofing
A.
Make sure your words and sentences make sense
B.
Check punctuation, spelling and capital letters
C.
Write final copy of your work
D.
Check once more for errors
5.
Publishing
A.
Share your writing
B.
Submit work to teacher, class, book or newspaper
C.
Display your work with pride
*Note: Always have a beginning, a middle and an end.
*Note: Always answer the following: Who? What?
When? Where? How?
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Generating Ideas for Writing
(Brain Storming)
Introduction: Think about the first lines of your work.
Make them as interesting as possible.
Setting: Think about the setting and stage where your
story is being played.
Characters: Think about the people who will play major
roles in your story.
Climax: Think about ways you can build your story to
become more and more exciting.
Ending: Think about how you will bring the
story to a close.
Plot: What is the overall plan for the story or writing?
Narrative: Plan the story with a beginning, middle and end.
Dialogue: Talk to others about your narrative.
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Map of a Story
(Should Include the Following)
Title
Setting
Characters
Problem or Situation
Events of Story
Solution to Problem
End
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Story Chart
(Should Include the Following)
Characters: Who or what is the story about?
Setting: When and where does story take place?
Problem: What is the problem?
Events: What happens in the story?
Solution: How does the story end?
52
The Helping Circle
The helping circle gives the writer an opportunity to talk and interact with others
and see what others think about his/her writing.
Positive Statements: All comments about a person’s writing
should be positive.
Summarize: Each member of the circle can comment about
the main points of the writing.
Asking for Help: The writer can ask for help from the
group to improve his writing.
Suggestions from the Group: Each member should give
constructive suggestions about ways to improve the writing.
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Write a creative story about a time you went to the zoo.
As you write your story, remember to :
Write a story about a time you visited the zoo.
Be sure that your story has a beginning, a middle and an end.
Write in complete sentences.
Check to be sure that you are writing good paragraphs.
Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
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Other Sample Writing for Students
Think about a time when you visited the zoo. Write a story about something special that happened
that made you very happy.
As you write your story, remember to :
Write a story about what happened that made you very happy.
Be sure that your story has a beginning, a middle and an end.
Write in complete sentences.
Check to be sure that you are writing good paragraphs.
Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
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One morning you get out of bed and discover that you are a monkey.
Write a story about what happens next.
As you write your story, remember to:
Write a story about what happened when you realize you are a monkey.
Be sure that your story has a beginning, middle and an end.
Write in complete sentences.
Check to be sure that you are writing good paragraphs.
Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
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Name a time that you were very surprised.
Write a story about what happened that surprised you.
As you write your story, remember to:
Write a story about what happened that surprised you.
Be sure that your story has a beginning, middle and an end.
Write in complete sentences.
Check to be sure that you are writing good paragraphs.
Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
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Write a story about what would happen if the Captain and his cartoon crew took
you on a voyage on their ship. Write about what you would see.
As you write your story, remember to:
Write a story about what would happen on the voyage on the ship.
Be sure that your story has a beginning, middle and an end.
Write in complete sentences.
Check to be sure that you are writing good paragraphs.
Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.