Homework for “Super Storms” October 12 –October 16, 2015
(Return this sheet, initialed, on Monday, October 19th)
Name:___________________________________________________________
This week’s story is Super Storms is written by a former science teacher. Seymour Simon has
written more than 200 books for children. He wants children to get excited about the world
of science. Mr. Simon has always been interested in science. He decided to teach science
after he finished college. Mr. Simon taught science for 23 years. He stopped teaching so he
could write full time. He thinks that being a teacher was the best way to learn how to write
for kids. Mr. Simon has written about almost every science topic!
Monday
________ Practice spelling words. (Find fun ideas for practicing listed on our website.)
________ Practice target vocabulary– beware, damage, bend, flash, pounding, prevent, reach,
equal
________ Review sounds and past high-frequency/sight words on skill sheet.
________ Read or be read to. Minutes read:__________ (Books, fluency passages, etc.)
Tuesday
________ Practice spelling words.
________ Practice target vocabulary words if not yet memorized.
________ Read, “Super Storms”
________ Math review page: (Look in green folder Tuesday)
________ Read or be read to. Minutes read:__________
Wednesday
________ Practice spelling words.
________ Practice high-frequency/sight words if not yet memorized.
________ Read, “Super Storms”
________ Math review page: (Look in green folder Wednesday)
________ Read or be read to. Minutes read:__________
Thursday
________ Practice spelling words.
________ target vocabulary words if not yet memorized.
________ Read, “Super Storms”
________ Read or be read to. Minutes read:__________
The spelling test and reading/vocabulary word test will be on Friday, October 16th.
+ Minutes of reading on: Friday:________Saturday:_________Sunday:_________
Total minutes read this week:______________ (Please total all minutes read during
the week.)
Research has shown that the single most influential factor in creating successful readers is the amount
of time they spend reading. Reading is a skill that improves only with repeated practice. The more
children read, the more they are able to read. Make it a goal to read for at least 15 to 20 minutes
every day.
Spelling/Phonics Pattern for “Super Storms”
October 12 – October 16
Rather than memorizing a specific list of words, focus on learning the spelling rule so that your child
can spell any word that fits this rule. Use the week’s fluency passages to help you study, as well as
the ideas listed on our website. Help your child become a problem solver when it comes to spelling
by asking questions such as, “If you can spell ring, how do you spell sing? That’s right! You just
change the first letter because they rhyme!”
This week’s spelling / phonics pattern: Consonant Digraphs th, sh, wh, ch, tch
Spelling words for test (Plus the two review words and two optional challenge
words):
dish than chest such thin push
shine chase white while these flash
Your child should also be able to spell these “Review Words.”
which Which desk is mine?
then You go, and then I’ll go.
Your child will be given the opportunity to write one more word that follows the spelling
pattern and harder “High-Frequency” words. This is optional for those students who
are interested in a challenge. Do not worry about studying these words unless the “cvc”
words are easy and automatic for your child. There is no grade penalty for trying
Challenge words:
These words follow the same rule as above.
Examples of the kinds of challenge words your child may see:
catch thumb
Skill Review Sheet
The skill sheet reviews previously learned sounds, sight words, contractions, inflections, etc.
This week’s new sounds, words, etc. will be reviewed on next week’s skill sheet.
Please study any parts of this skill sheet that are not yet automatic and easy for your child. If the sight
words are still difficult for your child, focus on mastering those before moving down to the
contractions, color/number words, etc.
Letter/Sound Relationships:
ank ink ang ing ong ung ck = k
Letter/Sound Long Vowels
a_e (cage, game, rake, skate, tape, vane) i_e (kite,
mice, nine, prize, slide, vine)
o_e (globe, hose, nose, note, rope, stone ) u_e (cube,
flue, mule, tube, )
Initial and Final Blends: Practice reading these consonant blends.
__mp (as in lamp) sl__ (as in slide) cl__ (as in clock)
__nk (as in bank) fr __(as in frog) fl __(as in flag)
cr__ (as in crab) __nd (as in land) pl__ (as in plant)
bl__ (as in block) br__ (as in brown) tr__ (as in truck)
__nt (as in tent) __ft (as in gift) dr__ (as in drum)
__st (as in nest) __sk (as in desk) gr__ (as in grass)
gl__ (as in glad) pr__ (as in present) __lk (as in milk)
Sight Words: Students should be able to read these words automatically, without sounding them out.
before my eye open few people happy starts high yellow air car
cried funny he pictures pretty told try windows both cold eat green
little long we by cheer could hello hundred mind play see
today other this children eat could family comes want right
don’t put buy now are day got walk was every grows your
friends make was when be good help she night saw said our
Fluency Passages for “Super Storms”
Rereading the same passage increases fluency. Reading fluently allows students to focus
their concentration on comprehension. Emphasize reading naturally and accurately rather
than “speed reading. Color copy of the story with picture is available on our classroom web
page: http://berkeleycountyschools.org/Domain/3034
Super Storms
By: Seymour Simon
The air around us is always moving and changing. We call these changes
weather. Storms are sudden, violent changes in weather.
Every second, hundreds of thunderstorms are born around the world.
Thunderstorms are heavy rain showers. They can drop millions of gallons of
water in just one minute.
During a thunderstorm, lightning bolts can shoot between clouds and the ground.
Lightning can destroy a tree or a small house. It can also start fires in forests and
grasslands.
Thunder is the sound lightning makes as it suddenly heats the air. You can tell
how far away lightning is. Count the seconds between the flash of light and the
sound of thunder. Five seconds equal one mile.
Hailstones are chunks of ice that are tossed up and down by the winds of some
thunderstorms. Hail can be the size of a marble or larger than a baseball. Nearly
5,000 hailstorms strike the United States every year. They can destroy crops and
damage buildings.
Thunderstorms sometimes give birth to tornadoes. Inside a storm, a funnel-
shaped cloud reaches downward. Winds inside a tornado can spin faster than
300 miles per hour. These winds can lift cars off the ground and rip houses apart.
More than 1,000 tornadoes strike the United States each year. Most of them form
during spring and summer.
Television and radio stations often give early alerts. A tornado watch means that
one may strike during the next few hours. A warning means a tornado has been
seen
by people or on radar. During a tornado warning you should find shelter in a
basement or closet.
Hurricanes are the deadliest storms in the world. They kill more people than all
other storms combined. Hurricanes stretch for hundreds of miles. They have
winds of between 74 and 200 miles per hour.
The eye of a hurricane is the quiet center of the storm. Inside the eye, the wind
stops blowing, the sun shines, and the sky is blue. But beware, the storm is not
over yet.
Hurricanes are born over warm ocean waters from early summer to mid-fall.
When they finally reach land, their pounding waves wash away beaches, boats,
and houses. Their howling winds bend and uproot trees and telephone poles.
Their heavy rain cause floods.
Blizzards are huge snowstorms. They have winds of at least 35 miles per hour.
Usually at least two inches of snow falls per hour. Temperatures are at 20
degrees or lower. Falling and blowing snow make it hard to see in a blizzard.
No one can prevent storms. But weather reports can predict and warn us when a
storm may hit. The more prepared we are, the safer we will be when the next one
strikes.
Comprehension Questions to Discuss Together:
1. What fact from Super Storms surprised you the most? Why?
2. Why is it hard to predict the weather and avoid a storm?
3. Why is the title of the book Super Storms?
4. What causes thunderstorms to turn into tornados?
5. What did you learn about storms in the book? What interested you the most?
How We Made Reading Fun This Week:
___My loved-one read this story to me. I told them my favorite part!
___We “echo-read” this story. (Parent reads sentence, child reads the same sentence)
___We took turns reading! (Parent reads one sentence, child reads the next!)
___I circled all of the words that I knew how to read without help. We counted them up
together.
___I founds all of my “need to know” words in the story and read those sentences perfectly.
___I put rectangles around the words I didn’t know. I practiced reading those words!
___I read this story all-by myself to my family or friends.
___I read this story all-by-myself to my pets, dolls, or toys.
___I read this story in a sill way (e.g. baby voice, monster voice, upside-down, singing it, etc.)
___I played “Hide and Seek” story! (Write story on 3x5 cards. Hide them. Find and read them.
Put them in order)
___(Other)___________________________________
Target Vocabulary/ Sight Words
Target vocabulary words, and sight words, are words that students need to recognize automatically as they read the story. They
may/or may not fit standard spelling rules. The more words children recognize automatically, the better they understand what they are
reading because they can focus on the meaning of the text rather than trying to sound out every word. Students need to be able to say
each word on this list, within 3 seconds, without trying to sound it out.
Words for last week “The Ugly Vegetable” Words for this week “Super Storms”
blooming beware
shovels damage
scent bend
tough flash
wrinkled pounding
plain prevent
muscles reach
nodded equal
In addition to playing memorization games, use the suggestions below to study the meaning
and usage of any of the new words your child doesn’t already know (not checked off):
Cut out the words above or, for more practice, have your child write them on index cards.
Ask your child to make up original sentences using the new words.
Ask your child to say at least one word that rhymes with each of the new words.
While you study next week’s new words, please continue to study any words from previous weeks
that are not yet memorized and review words from past stories.
