Characters

As many students in the Third and Fourth Grade Hallway know, there are some strange characters that travel our hallway.

Last week, we met KiDee. She is everything our school character traits are not ...

This week, we met some of the ladies ... although they may look rather familiar, they are merely "bffs" ("best friends forever" in the vocabulary of a fourth grader), and they connect through text messages ...

Madame Prediction

Clara Clarifier

Queenie (Queen of Questions)

Sunny Summarizer

The ladies represent a researched-based reading strategy called "Reciprocal Teaching" (called "Reciprocal Reading" in class). The idea is based on the four strategies successful readers use when they are reading and comprehending. Successful readers continually make predictions when they read. Their predictions may be wrong - as some of the BEST stories are when the unexpected happens - or exactly on target, and both have satisfaction. Successful readers also ask a LOT of questions. They want to know, who, what, where, when, why, how, and more. When combined with clarifying, the strategy that uses "reread, reread, and reread again", connecting to text, and answering the questions, clarifying makes sure you understand what you read before you keep reading. Lastly, successful readers summarize what they read. They can retell it.

The ladies each have their own personality and "voice". Madame Prediction has a "slightly" French accent (insert imagination here). Queenie (of Questions) is rather flamboyant, excited, and quick with her questions (there is so much she wants to know!). Clara Clarifying speaks with a "southern" accent (again insert imagination). Finally, there is Sunny Summarizer. She is a reporter, an observer, on the lookout for a "fascinating story" and "just the facts".

Another character is "Captain No Name". Wearing a pirate hat, Captain No Name is developing her pirate speak. She is brash, loud, and will make kids "walk the plank" and "take a punch" (on the responsibility cards) for forgetting your name. (So far, she is all talk, and the only punches are for students who miss the warning and turn their papers IN without their name). Somehow, students do a lot more smiling and giggling when she is around than actually fear her ... she may need to work on that (or not)! ;0)

The characters illustrate and model the strategies. Rumor has it that as student progress to future grades, they remember the characters and their strategies.

When it is possible, the characters travel to other rooms in the hallway, but between us who follow this blog, their favorite place to visit, is Ms. Leom's room. They are all just "a text" away (funny how Ms. Leom doesn't even take out her phone to text, and they just appear on cue ...). Now if only Ms. Leom was able to meet them in person!

The students met KiDee, Madame Prediction, Clara Clarifier, and Captain No Name. Please "keep a hat on" the characters to come ...