|
WEEKLY READER IN YOUR CLASSROOM—DECEMBER
|
 PRE-K EDITION
Animals Move! Get children excited about animals and how they move. Invite them to look at each photo, to name each animal, and to describe how it moves. This will help them acquire new vocabulary as they connect pictures with words. Children will also see how Mingo prepares for the holidays. Encourage them to make personal connections. Ask how their families prepare for the holidays. Invite children to draw a picture to illustrate that.
Attention Teachers: Download the Teacher's Guide for more information.
Weekly Reader Web Watch!
Print out this month's reproducible BLAST! (Balanced Literacy Activities and Skills for Today!). Invite children to create a pattern of alternating colors as they color each alphabet letter box. Encourage children to say the name of the letters aloud as they follow the pattern, or laminate a page and cut it apart for a hands-on learning center activity.
|
|
 KINDERGARTEN EDITION
Happy Holidays! Children will be introduced to a variety of cultural holidays celebrated in December. Through colorful illustrations, they will see decorations and customs involved in the celebrations and learn about each holiday. Have a holiday party. Invite children to bring in an item that represents their holiday. Create a lesson to combine the holidays with the issue about our country. Explain that the Unites States is a country that is filled with lots of different people and different holidays. That's what makes our country such special place!
Attention Teachers: Download the Teacher's Guide for more information.
Weekly Reader Web Watch!
Print out this month's coloring page featuring Zip decorating a holiday card. Invite children to color the picture. Then use it as a springboard for them to create their own cards.
Print out this month's reproducible BLAST! (Balanced Literacy Activities and Skills for Today!).
|
|
 GRADE 1 EDITION
Feliz Navidad! Holiday celebrations represent wonderful ways to teach about cultures. This month's issues highlight holiday greetings from across the globe. Through learning about special foods, specials words, and special days, children will begin to understand how people of different cultures celebrate holidays in different ways. Select readings to share some holiday stories. Have a holiday feast. Invite parents to bring in special foods that their family might enjoy during the holidays.
Attention Teachers: Download the Teacher's Guide for more information.
Weekly Reader Web Watch!
Print out this month's reproducible BLAST! (Balanced Literacy Activities and Skills for Today!). Invite children to write the holiday words in alphabetical order to help reinforce vocabulary, spelling, and alphabetizing skills. For an additional challenge, encourage children to write a holiday story using words from the list.
|
|
 GRADE 2 EDITION
This month, students will learn about some winter holidays celebrated by different cultures in and around the United States. Students will learn how each holiday is celebrated with lights. Featured holidays include Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan.
Later in the month, students will meet the emperors. That issue lets students explore the lives of emperor penguins. The last issue of 2005 demonstrates some of the different ways students go to school in the United States-by airplane, by subway, and even by mule.
Each issue includes a "Whiskers's Corner" for an important lesson in citizenship and an activity that tests students' understanding.
Attention Teachers: Download the Grade 2 Edition, Issue 12, Teacher's Guide for more information.
|
|
 GRADE 3 EDITION
In our first December issue, students will learn about the world's great apes and a recent pledge by countries in Africa to save these endangered animals. Another cover story will teach students why listening to portable music players may lead to hearing loss and how they can protect their ears. And later on in December, look for our special report "The Tsunami: A Year Later." Students will learn about Weekly Reader's visit to a city in southern India where new homes are bringing hope.
Attention Teachers: Download the Grade 3 Edition, Issue 12, Teacher's Guide.
|
|
 GRADE 4 EDITION
Iraq's new constitution recently passed, but will it bring peace to this war-torn country? This month, Edition 4 brings students up-to-date on the war in Iraq. The day after the draft constitution was unveiled, Weekly Reader sat down with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to talk about the war and her job as head of the state department. In other issues this month, students will read about emperor penguins in Antarctica. These creatures and other wildlife are feeling the effects of rising temperatures, which some scientists attribute to global warming. And don't miss our last issue before the holidays—"A Year after the Tsunami." Weekly Reader traveled to India and found hope after tragedy as the area rebuilds. Each issue this month is packed with a reading comprehension round-up, along with maps, charts, and diagrams. Happy Holidays!
Attention Teachers: Download Grade 4 Edition, Issue 12, Teacher's Guide.
 SENIOR EDITION
Weekly Reader's Topics for Teaching
This month, Senior Edition takes students to southern Asia, one year after a deadly tsunami struck. Weekly Reader editor Mia Toschi traveled to the affected countries and talked with children there about "the black wave." Students will learn how tsunami victims are rebuilding their lives and how donations from U.S. kids are making a difference.
In other issues this month, students will learn about the late Rosa Parks's famous refusal to give up her bus seat, in a special classroom play. This month marks the 50th anniversary of Parks's heroic act, which helped spark the civil rights movement. Students will also learn about changes in the Supreme Court, how hybrid cars can help the environment, and about a great white shark's amazing journey from Africa to Australia. Each issue is packed with pictures, charts, maps, and graphs to help bring the stories to life.
Attention Teachers: Download the Senior Edition, Issue 12, Teacher's Guide for more information.
 |
NEW! Student Practice Books for Kindergarten and First Grade
Let's Read About Series
Which animal do you like best? This series invites children to meet pets and zoo, farm, and forest animals, and then complete grade-level skill activities!
Each book includes:
- 32 pages
- full-color photos and illustrations
- simple stories and related activities
- grade-level skills such as patterning, classifying, matching, recognizing beginning letter and vowel sounds, graphing, addition, and more
| Title |
Grade(s) |
Item # |
Price |
|
| Let's Read About Favorite Pets |
Grade K |
#130 |
$4.95 |
Order Now |
| Let's Read About Farm Animals |
Grade K |
#132 |
$4.95 |
Order Now |
| Let's Read About Zoo Animals |
Grade 1 |
#129 |
$4.95 |
Order Now |
| Let's Read About Forest Animals |
Grade 1 |
#131 |
$4.95 |
Order Now |
|
Download a sample page from Let's Read About Zoo Animals Animals
To download, view, and print PDF files, you must have a copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader installed, or be using a browser with Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visit Adobe's Web site to download Acrobat Reader.
|
|
Help Your Students Learn About Their State
NEW!
Student Practice Book
Let's Write: Writing About Your State
Teacher Activity Tip:
What do your students already know about their state? Help them find out by encouraging a discussion about the state's climate, crops, sports teams, famous people and so on. Then invite students to put what they know in writing-the beginnings of a great state report!*
*Adapted from Let's Write: Writing About Your State
This new student practice book will guide your students through each step of writing a comprehensive report about their state. Students can practice each key stage from choosing a topic and taking purposeful notes to writing a bibliography. An essential resource for writing a good state report!
NEW!
Portrait of the States
An exciting new series for grades 3 and 4, Portrait of the States gives students a comprehensive look at their state. Thirty-six volumes including Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico are now available with new state books to be released in 2006. Book features state facts and symbols, people, government, and more!
Each book includes:
- 32 pages
- full-color photos and illustrations
- timelines, maps and charts
- facts, symbols, history, economy, and government
- things to see and do
$7.95 per book for orders of 6 or more of the same title. Order Now
To download, view, and print PDF files, you must have a copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader installed. Visit Adobe's Web site to download Acrobat Reader.
|
Library of the States
An up-to-date series of books that introduces students to each state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico with primary source documents! Books correlate to National Council of Social Studies standards.
Each book includes:
- 48 pages
- full color maps and photographs
- informational sidebars, charts, and graphs
$10.95 per book for orders of 6 or more of the same title. Save 15% on 20-Volume State Kits or Complete 52-Book Series. Click here for more details or to order now.
|
| |
| |
|
 |
|
Weekly Reader has teamed up with a variety of high-quality organizations to produce educational materials that we believe will benefit your classroom. Check out their Web sites below. We guarantee that you'll find something to enliven your classroom and make teaching more effective!
Internet safety message: We recommend that you view all Web sites before sharing the URLs with students.
Win Prizes for Teaching Child Safety in the Got 2B Safe Awards Program!
You could win the Ultimate Classroom Makeover or gift certificates for school supplies worth up to $1,000! Visit http://honeywell.eprize.net/got2besafe/ by December 31, 2005 to enter. Don't miss this exciting and rewarding opportunity!
|
The ocean is full of fascinating creatures and this Web site will make a big splash with kids! Help make waves and protect our Water Planet by subscribing to Cousteau Kids, a magazine for kids ages 8-12 developed by The Cousteau Society and published by Weekly Reader. Dive deep into the Teacher's Guide that accompanies each issue.
|
|
|
|
|
Quote of the Month:
"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."
–Benjamin Franklin
|
|
|
Weekly Reader Customer Service | Privacy Policy
|
Weekly Reader and WRToolkit are federally registered trademarks of Weekly Reader Corporation.
©2005 Weekly Reader Corporation
You are receiving this communication because you provided your e-mail address to us for important offers and updates from Weekly Reader Corporation. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please click here.
|
|
RSS