Teacher’s Guide to Newspaper-Based Activities

Designed to Develop the Reading Fluency Skills

of Elementary School Students As They “Read All About It”

Created and Compiled by Wendy Grimshawfor Master’s in Education Research Project entitled“Newspaper-based Reading Strategy Instruction:

Developing the Fluency Skills of Third Grade Students As They “Read All About It”

Mary Washington College, James Monroe Center,

Fredericksburg, Virginia,April 15, 2004

Table of Contents

Note to Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Recommended 10-day schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Activities and Reproducibles:

Newspaper Story Nomination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Newspaper Reading Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

High Frequency Words Warm-Ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Newspaper Story Word Worm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Word Wall Word Play Map. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Ways to Phrase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Comics Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

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References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Dear Teachers,

Research has demonstrated that students who participate in literacy programs that incorporate the newspaper as authentic text outperform students who do not use the newspaper. In conjunction with these findings, I conducted a study with third-grade students using newspaper-based activities to improve reading fluency skills.

Most reading researchers agree that fluency, which involves accuracy in decoding, automaticity in word recognition, and the appropriate use of prosodic features (stress, pitch, and juncture), bridges the gap between merely recognizing words and reading comprehension. Because the newspaper offers students many opportunities to decode unfamiliar words, recognize frequently used words, and practice prosody, it was the logical choice of authentic text for my research.

The results of my study showed that students who participated in the newspaper-based instruction developed significantly better reading abilities, in terms

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of correct words per minute and prosody skills, than their peers who used the basal series. In the hopes that other students will have similar success in developing reading fluency skills, I have compiled this guide of activities to share with you. I have left the activity guidelines fairly flexible so that they might suit the needs of your students more adequately.

I hope you find, as I did, that using the newspaper as text strengthens fundamental reading skills and fosters in students a love of reading—both for learning and for enjoyment.

Best Regards,

Wendy Grimshaw

Recommended 10-day Instructional Schedule for Fluency Development Unit

Day One Day TwoWarm-Up: 10 minutes to free-read newspaper Warm-Up: read Newspaper Reader’s ChecklistProcedure: 1. Introduction to the Newspaper Procedure: 1. Demonstration: Read Aloud*

A. language 2. Introduction to 300 High-B. page numbering Frequency WordsC. folds 3. Practice—Frequent A and BD. parts and index word sentences

2. Practice—Story Nomination* Closure: share sentencesClosure: reassemble newspapers Homework: Newspaper Reading Log

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Homework: Newspaper Reading Log

Day Three Day FourWarm-Up: Frequent CDE word warm-up Warm-Up: Frequent FGH word warm-upProcedure: 1. Shared Demonstration: Procedure: 1. Shared Demonstration:

Running Records/ Teacher-StudentTeacher-Student Assisted Reading*Assisted Reading* 2. Word Wall of Non-Frequent

2. Newspaper Story Word words from Article*Worm Activity* 3. Word Wall Word Play Maps

Closure: Shared Demonstration: Choral Reading* Closure: share postersHomework: Newspaper Reading Log Homework: Newspaper Reading Log

Day Five Day SixWarm-Up: Frequent IJK word warm-up Warm-Up: Frequent LMN word warm-upProcedure: 1. Shared Demonstration: Procedure: 1. Shared Demonstration:

Teacher-Student Tape-Assisted Reading*Assisted Reading* 2. Comics Captions Activity*

2. Ways to Phrase Activity*Closure: share Newspaper Reading Log highlights Closure: share comic strip dialogue

Homework: Newspaper Reading Log

Day Seven Day EightWarm-Up: Frequent OPQ word warm-up Warm-Up: Frequent RST word warm-upProcedure: 1. Guided Practice: Partner Procedure: 1. Guided Practice: Partner

Reading of Article* Reading of Article*2. Guided Practice: Newspaper 2. Guided Practice: Newspaper-

Circles*§ Based Readers Theater*§Closure: share circle task with group members Closure: RT Rating--High-Frequency WordHomework: Newspaper Reading Log Homework: Newspaper Reading Log

Day Nine Day TenWarm-Up: Frequent UVW word warm-up Warm-Up: Frequent XYZ word warm-upProcedure: 1. Reading with Expression— Procedure: 1. Independent Practice: Running

stress, pitch, and juncture Records using Article* 2. Guided Practice: RT script 2. Independent Practice: Readers

reading Theater PerformanceClosure: RT Rating—High-Frequency Phrase Closure: Share Newspaper Reading Log highlightsHomework: Newspaper Reading Log

* newspaper story chosen by students was used in these activities§ activities from Featuring the Frameworks: Linking Language Arts to Your Newspaper , A project of the Massachusetts

Newspaper in Education Council written by Dr. Darla Shaw

Activity: Newspaper Story Nomination

Preparation: Introduce students to the page numbering system (lettered sections, numbered pages), folds, types of news (hard

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news, opinion, feature stories), index, and language* of the newspaper.

Materials: Newspapers and Nomination Form reproducibles

Procedure: 1. Have students read an assigned portion of the

newspaper (front page, sports section, comics, etc.). 2. Instruct students to choose from the assigned portion

their favorite story.3. Have students complete the Nomination Form to

nominate their favorite story to be used for upcoming lessons.

4. Tally the nomination forms as if they were votes.5. Conduct a second class or group vote if there is a tie

for first choice. *Table of Newspaper Terms

Flag—title or name of the newspaperByline—the reporter’s nameCutline—identifying information that appears under a photo or illustrationDateline—the location from which the story is submitted Headline—large type above the story stating the main ideaIndex—table of contents listing topics, sections, and pagesJumpline—directions to continuation of storyLead—the first few sentences of a story (usually supplies answers to the 5 W’s)Rail—column down left-hand side of front page that highlights stories insideTop Story—story with the biggest headlinePower Head—the biggest, boldest headlineWire Service—a national or international news-gathering agency that distributes news and photographs electronically to newspapers around the world

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Newspaper Story NominationFlag: __________________________________________________________________

Date: _______________________ Page(s): __________________________

Headline: ____________________________________________________________

Cutline: ______________________________________________________________

Dateline: _____________________________________________________________

Byline/Wire Service: _________________________________________________

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Newspaper Story NominationFlag: __________________________________________________________________

Date: _______________________ Page(s): __________________________

Headline: ____________________________________________________________

Cutline: ______________________________________________________________

Dateline: _____________________________________________________________

Byline/Wire Service: _________________________________________________

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Newspaper Story NominationFlag: __________________________________________________________________

Date: _______________________ Page(s): __________________________

Headline: ____________________________________________________________

Cutline: ______________________________________________________________7

Dateline: _____________________________________________________________

Byline/Wire Service: _________________________________________________Activity: Newspaper Reading Log

Preparation: Introduce students to the page numbering system and language of

the newspaper (see Newspaper Story Nomination Activity, p. 5).

Materials: Daily or weekly newspaper for each student and reproducible.

Procedure:1. Have students read and record a minimum of fifteen

minutes of newspaper reading per day in their log. 2. Instruct students to have a parent sign or initial the log to

verify the time and effort. (It is a good idea to notify the parents about this activity before sending the logs home with the students.)

3. Give students an opportunity to share what they have read with their peers at least once a week.

4. *OPTIONAL*--Have an incentive program to encourage full participation. For example, for each “signed” entry the student receives a raffle ticket. A drawing can be conducted at the end of the week/month for a prize.

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Newspaper Reading Log

Day : ____

Page(s) Article(s) Minutes

Student Signature Parent Signature

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Day : ____

Page(s) Article(s) Minutes

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Student Signature Parent Signature

Activity: High Frequency Words Warm-Ups

Preparation: Introduce students to the 300 most frequently used words in the

English language and supply them with a reference table of these words that is easily accessible. Introduce students to the page numbering system of the newspaper (see p. 5). And review the basics of sentence structure and punctuation as appropriate.

Materials: High Frequency Words Table, newspaper, and reproducible.

Procedure:1. Instruct students to label the reproducible with the

letter(s) of the alphabet on which they should focus.2. Have students read the word(s) on the Table that begin

with the letter(s) specified.3. Instruct students to search in a specific section of the

newspaper (sports, editorials, classifieds, etc.) for the frequently used words that begin with the selected letter(s) and record where they were found (each word need only be found one time).

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4. Have students write a sentence using the frequently used words, for the letter(s) specified, that they found in the newspaper.

5. Allow time for students to share their findings and creations.

Letter(s): _____________Directions: As you find a high frequency word that begins with the letter(s) above in your newspaper, record it on the table below. Then record the section and page where you found the word.

High Frequency Word Section

Page

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In the space below, write a sentence using as many of the high frequency words recorded in the table above as you can.

Activity: Newspaper Story Word Worm

Preparation: Introduce students to the 300 most frequently used words in the

English language and supply them with a reference table of these words that is easily accessible.

Materials: High Frequency Words Table, newspaper, and reproducible

Procedure: 1. Have students read each word of the chosen newspaper

article and check to see if it is on the High Frequency Words list.

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2. Instruct students to copy the word onto the matching letter-space of the worm if it is on the list (Each word only needs to be written once).

3. Instruct students to write any words from the chosen article that are not on the list on the Word Wall at the bottom of the page.

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Activity: Word Wall Word Play Map

Preparation: Complete Newspaper Story Word Worm Activity (p. 11) or compile a list of “difficult” words from the newspaper story chosen.

Materials: scissors, glue, large sheets of construction paper, newspapers, and

reproducible.

Procedure: 1. Instruct students to fill in each block on the reproducible

with the Word Wall vocabulary terms.2. Have students cut out the words on the grid lines.3. Instruct students to group or organize the words in a way

that makes sense to them. They may focus on beginning or ending sounds, prefixes, suffixes, syllabication, meaning, or any other criteria that is suitable to the words on the list. This can be done individually or in small groups.

4. Once the students have grouped the words, have them “map” out their groups by gluing the words onto the construction paper and labeling each grouping.

5. Allow time for the students to share their Word Wall Maps, as well as their reasoning for the groups and placement for the words.

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WORD WALL WORD PLAY MAPDirections: Copy each of the newspaper story Word Wall terms onto a box below. Then cut out the boxes on the grid lines. Next, group or organize the words in a way that makes it easier for you to read the words (Hint: Think about letter sounds, syllables, and meanings). Once you have organized the words into groups, glue each group of words onto the paper provided as if they were a place on a “map” of words. Label each group with a heading that describes the words in the group.

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Activity: Ways to Phrase Preparation: Newspaper Story Word Worm Activity (p. 11), or some method of

identifying the most frequently used words in the chosen article.

Materials: List of high frequency words found in the chosen newspaper article,

the article, and the reproducible

Procedure:1. Explain the definition of a phrase to students as a group of

related words that do not include either a subject or a predicate, or both.

2. Make up examples of phrases using high frequency words from table.

3. Instruct students to make up as many phrases as possible using only the high frequency words from the newspaper article.

4. Allow time for students to share created phrases.

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Ways toss PhraseDirections: Use the frequently used words from the newspaper article to create new phrases. Tally your points when you have finished creating new phrases.

Three-Word Phrases (3 points each)_______ _______ ______________ _______ ______________ _______ ______________ _______ ______________ _______ ______________ _______ ______________ _______ ______________ _______ ______________ _______ ______________ _______ _______

Four-Word Phrases (4 points each)_____ _____ _____ _____

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_____ _____ _____ __________ _____ _____ __________ _____ _____ __________ _____ _____ _____

Five-Or-More-Word Phrases (5 points each)__________________________________________________________________

Total Points: _______________Activity: Comics Captions

Preparation: Introduce students to the 300 most frequently used words in the

English language, and provide them with an easily accessible table for reference purposes. Introduce students to the sections (comics), the index, and the page numbering system of the newspaper. Review punctuation rules (quotation marks) as appropriate.

Materials: newspapers, High Frequency Words Table, scissors, glue, and

reproducible

Procedure:1. Have students read through the comics section of the

newspaper and select their favorite series.2. Instruct students to cut out three sequential frames from

the comic strip they like best, and glue the frames, in order, onto the boxes on the reproducible.

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3. Have students re-write the captions/dialogue for each phrase using only high frequency words.

4. Allow time for students to share their creative endeavors.

Comics Captions Directions: Cut out three frames from your favorite comic strip and glue them, in order, onto the boxes below. Then write new captions for each frame, using only frequently used words, in the blank space to the right of each frame.

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