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October 2005
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Dear Educator:
For many, October is the most pleasant month. The heat of summer is gone; the cold blasts of winter are yet to come. October is brightly colored by falling leaves, Halloween candy, football cheers, and the sharp crack of bats at the baseball playoffs. In school, your young students (one hopes) have settled into a cozy and comfortable learning mode, having gotten over their September nerves and looking forward to a winter of learning and fun. We at Weekly Reader hope that our publications have also become a familiar and welcoming part of your classroom.
For teachers of Grades K-1 this year, Weekly Reader has a new literacy program called "What's Your Story?" The program is designed to help your students become proficient and enthusiastic readers, writers, listeners and story tellers. Each month "What's Your Story?" focuses on a specific aspect of literacy. The October focus is about celebrating kindness. Students are encouraged to celebrate kindness in their classrooms by communicating their ideas, thoughts, and visions about peace, friendship, and goodwill to go along with national "Peace, Friendship, and Goodwill Week," October 25-31.
If you are a Weekly Reader teacher with ten or more subscriptions and teach in grades K-2, you should have received a special "What's Your Story?" activity guide with month-by-month activities and teaching tips for your grade. Also look in each issue of Weekly Reader itself for stories and activities relating to "What's Your Story?" If you don't have an activity guide, go to www.weeklyreader.com/wys for activities and resources at your students' grade level.
Don't forget to check out this section of Weekly Reader's Web site every month for a new edition of the Weekly Reader Teacher's Companion. In it, we'll not only tell you what's happening that month in our PreK to Grade 1 publications, but also give you information about other Weekly Reader publications and programs designed to make your entire school year more fun and more productive. We're very glad to be teaming up with you this year as your educational partner. We hope this October will be your best October ever!
—The Editors at Weekly Reader
WEEKLY READER IN YOUR CLASSROOM—OCTOBER
There are a lot of topics to look forward to in October issues of Weekly Reader. We've included a few highlights of upcoming issues below. Try posting a few clue words and pictures on your classroom message board the week before reading each issue. It's a great way to build background, assess prior knowledge, and get students excited to read their Weekly Readers!
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 PRE-K EDITION
Firefighters are our friends! That's an important message for young children. We know that young children are sometimes fearful of firefighters dressed in heavy clothing and carrying gear. This issue will help ease children's fears while reinforcing important fire safety rules. After reading the issue, schedule a fire safety day. Encourage each child to wear something red. Then invite a firefighter to visit your room or plan a trip to a local firehouse. Children will enjoy meeting
firefighters and seeing fire trucks up close-all exciting and authentic learning experiences!
Attention Teachers: Download Pre-k Edition, October, 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 match pumpkin faces to reinforce important pre-reading skills: visual discrimination and left-to-right progression.
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 KINDERGARTEN EDITION
Stop! Drop! Roll! Weekly Reader introduces important fire safety rules for Fire Prevention Month. School is a great place to reinforce these rules. With children, make a list of fire safety rules and draw a sample of a fire escape plan. Be sure to post the rules near your room for parents and caregivers. Everyone needs to remember fire safety rules! Before reading the issue, "My Book of Colors," schedule a color day. Invite children to wear their favorite colors. This month's issues also teach about Christopher Columbus and the habits of bats.
Attention Teachers: Download Kindergarten, Issue 1, Teacher's Guide for more information.
Weekly Reader Web Watch!
For reproducible graphic organizers, including a word web, a flag template, and more, go to www.weeklyreader.com
Print out this month's reproducible BLAST! (Balanced Literacy Activities and Skills for Today!). Invite children to match pumpkin faces to reinforce important pre-reading skills: visual discrimination and left-to-right progression.
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 GRADE 1 EDITION
Let's get along! Social skills can be difficult to teach, but it's a great subject to reinforce early in the school year. This issue will help soothe the uncertainties young children may have about making new friends. Use the ball of yarn activity described in the teacher's guide to encourage teamwork and listening skills while helping children feel comfortable about speaking aloud. This month's issues also reinforce fire safety rules and teach about spiders-hand out colorful plastic spider manipulatives to reinforce tactile learning and counting skills.
89 words
Attention Teachers: Download Grade 1 Edition, Issue 1, Teacher's Guide for more information.
Weekly Reader Web Watch!
Weekly Reader, Test Yourself! Be sure to print out the reproducible Fall Literacy Skills Assessment. It is designed to assess students' knowledge of vocabulary, and phonics: initial sounds and final sounds. Go to www.weeklyreader.com/teachers/grade1. You'll also find this month's reproducible skills calendar, and more.
Print out this month's reproducible BLAST! (Balanced Literacy Activities and Skills for Today!). Invite children to match pumpkin faces to reinforce important pre-reading skills: visual discrimination and left-to-right progression.
Character education, and learning about civics and government don't have to be boring and difficult for students to understand. Weekly Reader proves that in our new workbook series, "Living in the U.S.A.". These engaging and colorful workbooks use humor and familiar characters not only to foster student understanding of good citizenship and government, but also to develop research, reading, and literacy skills.
Grades K-1:
The Good Citizen Club
Young students follow a group of six children as they take part in a good citizens club. The kids learn rules of getting along with each other and what good character means. They learn that they are an integral part of a community. Along the way, students are also able to practice penmanship, identify symbols in writing, and build phonics skills. Among those skills are working with vowel and consonant sounds and blends, practicing letter sounds, and developing rhyming words.
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 GRADE 2 EDITION
This October, students set sail with explorer Christopher Columbus. The first issue of the month focuses on Columbus's search for a shorter route between Europe and Asia. Students will explore different parts of Columbus's ship and will track his path as they practice map-reading skills.
Students can also look forward to learning about some amazing animal helpers. As daylight gets shorter, Weekly Reader uncovers the mysteries of the moon. And just in time for the end of October, students will learn the difference between some hair-raising arachnids and insects. Our issues are packed with diagrams, maps, and charts.
Attention Teachers: Download Grade 2 Edition, October, Teacher's Guide for more information.
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 GRADE 3 EDITION
Does your school have a plan to prevent and deal with bullying? In issue 5, students will learn how one child, who was once a victim of bullying, spoke before lawmakers to support Maine's new anti-bullying law. Students will also learn safety tips from the National Center for School Safety. A bullying survey is included in the teacher's guide to use as a discussion starter.
Attention Teachers: Download Grade 3 Edition, October, Teacher's Guide for more information.
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 GRADE 4 EDITION
Will the Gulf Coast ever be the same? Students can find out how people across the country are helping those affected by Katrina and Rita rebuild. In addition, students will learn about the science behind hurricanes: How do hurricanes form? What do storm categories mean? The issue is also packed with a number of other curriculum-related news stories, including why a group of pilots is following monarchs on their fall migration journey. Plus, we remind students to stay candle safe for Fire Prevention Week, which begins October 9. And don't miss out on Edition 4's newest monthly feature—our Mark Your Calendar section that incorporates language arts and math skills. (Dictionary Day is October 16. Challenge your students to find out what somnambulate means.) On the skills page, students read a hurricane-related chart, answer comprehension questions, and identify synonyms.
Attention Teachers: Download Grade 4 Edition, October, Teacher's Guide for more information.
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 SENIOR EDITION
The October 7 issue of Senior Weekly Reader puts your students in the middle of Hurricane Katrina. The story examines how that Category 4 hurricane devastated the Gulf Coast, and how Americans came together to help the storm's victims. You can also read in that issue why the governing body of college athletics has banned the use of Native American team names and logos from tournament play. Are these names racist, or are they meant to honor various Native American tribes? Also this month, Senior examines why Israeli settlers were forced to move from their homes in the Gaza Strip, and how steroids are ruining baseball. Skills include map and graph reading exercises.
Attention Teachers: Download Senior Edition, Issue 1 Teacher's Guide for more information.
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Character education, and learning about civics and government don't have to be boring and difficult for students to understand. Weekly Reader proves that in our new workbook series, "Living in the U.S.A.". These engaging and colorful workbooks use humor and familiar characters not only to foster student understanding of good citizenship and government, but also to develop research, reading, and literacy skills.
Grades K-1:
The Good Citizen Club
Young students follow a group of six children as they take part in a good citizens club. The kids learn rules of getting along with each other and what good character means. They learn that they are an integral part of a community. Along the way, students are also able to practice penmanship, identify symbols in writing, and build phonics skills. Among those skills are working with vowel and consonant sounds and blends, practicing letter sounds, and developing rhyming words.
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Grades 2-3:
The Good Character Award
The Clubhouse Kids are at it again. This time they are working hard to earn Good Character Awards. This colorful and interesting workbook encourages students to think about how they, as kids, contribute at home, in school, and in their communities. It helps students in grades 2 and 3 to understand how to work to improve the world around them, what it means to be a person of character, and how to draw conclusions about what is right and what is wrong. In addition, students who use the workbook will find they are reinforcing a number of literacy skills, among them: using descriptive words, reading for details and main idea, decoding new words, sequencing events, and writing creatively.
Grades 4-6:
How Our Government Works
This workbook uses engaging content and solid research to introduce students to the concept of government from "Tough Guys in Charge" (chieftainship) to "The People in Charge" (democracy) and then goes on to explain how the U.S. government came to be what it is today in 14 fun, clear chapters. U.S. history and government has never been more fun to learn about. In addition, by reading and completing activities in this workbook, students will learn to define unfamiliar terms using context clues, be able to identify the main idea of a passage and to simplify it in their own words, understand the cause and effect of language, and develop informed opinions and express them in writing.
Grades 7-9:
Our American Life
This workbook gives a thorough, in-depth platform for teachers to build on social studies and literacy skills through a lively prose style that carries student interest along the often fascinating road that has led to modern American life. Students learn about our national life and an in-depth history of U.S. government, while they develop an understanding of what it means to be an American citizen. Activities on every two-page spread reinforce vocabulary development, writing, research skills, and analytical thinking.
Grades 4-6:
How Our Government Works
This workbook uses engaging content and solid research to introduce students to the concept of government from "Tough Guys in Charge" (chieftainship) to "The People in Charge" (democracy) and then goes on to explain how the U.S. government came to be what it is today in 14 fun, clear chapters. U.S. history and government has never been more fun to learn about. Trust us. In addition, by reading and completing activities in this workbook, students will learn to define unfamiliar terms using context clues, be able to identify the main idea of a passage and to simplify it in their own words, understand the cause and effect of language, and develop informed opinions and express them in writing.
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.
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.
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Take your class for a walk on the moon with this new IMAX® film! Bring the IMAX Experience into your classroom with a FREE Educator's Guide to accompany the film. Visit www.IMAX.com to find an IMAX Theatre near you playing the film today!
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Super Citrus
There is a tremendous focus on children's health right now. Teaching your students about the benefits of fresh Florida citrus fruit can help them adopt healthier behaviors. Visit www.floridajuice.com for information on the nutritional value of citrus, delicious recipes and fun activities for kids.
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Box Tops for Education Kids' Caucus Essay Contest
This fall, Box Tops for Education will give students in grades 5-8 the chance to have their voice heard on Capitol Hill! Students submit essays on creative ways to involve their parents in school activities, and 50 student finalists—one from each state—will receive $1,000 to implement their ideas at their school. Additionally, 10 Grand Prize winners will be selected and sent to Washington, D.C. to read their essays in front of key policymakers on Capitol Hill! Visit www.boxtops4education.com to learn more.
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SHARE A CELL PHONE STORY!
Have your students (6th grade through 9th grade) SHARE A CELL PHONE STORY!
The teachers of the 6 essay winners receive prizes! Topics include using a cell phone in an unexpected way; or when it was really important to have a cell phone; or a time when a student was happy to have a cell phone. The top essay winner receives a trip to Washington, D.C. Log on to www.weeklyreader.com/shareyourcellphonestory for information. Contest is open through November 15th.
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Quote of the Month:
"The origin of thinking is some perplexity, confusion or doubt."
–John Dewey
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