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January 2007
Reading Comprehension Connection
A truly comprehensive comprehension connection.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
http://www.readingcomprehensionconnection.com/reading_lesson.php
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CONTENT: This interactive site from Merit Software provides online reading comprehension lessons that can be used in the classroom or by students at home. The lessons come from the software versions that are available for sale at the site but the free lessons offer lots of practice for students. |
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SITE DESIGN: The site is easily navigated through the use of pull down menus, simply select a subject and a skill level and simply start the lesson. |
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Copyright © 2007 Education World
01/19/2007
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You've reached the end of another grading period, and what could be more daunting than the task of composing insightful, original, and unique comments about every child in your class? The following positive statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their strengths.
You can also use our statements to indicate a need for improvement. Turn the words around a bit, and you will transform each into a goal for a child to work toward. Sam cooperates consistently with others becomes Sam needs to cooperate more consistently with others, and Sally uses vivid language in writing may instead read With practice, Sally will learn to use vivid language in her writing. Make Jan seeks new challenges into a request for parental support by changing it to read Please encourage Jan to seek new challenges.
Whether you are tweaking statements from this page or creating original ones, check out our Report Card Thesaurus [see bottom of the page] that contains a list of appropriate adjectives and adverbs. There you will find the right words to keep your comments fresh and accurate.
We have organized our 100 report card comments by category. Read the entire list or click one of the category links below to jump to that list.
AttitudeBehaviorCharacterCommunication SkillsGroup WorkInterests and TalentsParticipationSocial SkillsTime ManagementWork Habits
Attitude
The student:
is an enthusiastic learner who seems to enjoy school.
exhibits a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom.
appears well rested and ready for each day's activities.
shows enthusiasm for classroom activities.
shows initiative and looks for new ways to get involved.
uses instincts to deal with matters independently and in a positive way.
strives to reach their full potential.
is committed to doing their best.
seeks new challenges.
takes responsibility for their learning.
Behavior
The student:
cooperates consistently with the teacher and other students.
transitions easily between classroom activities without distraction.
is courteous and shows good manners in the classroom.
follows classroom rules.
conducts themselves with maturity.
responds appropriately when corrected.
remains focused on the activity at hand.
resists the urge to be distracted by other students.
is kind and helpful to everyone in the classroom.
sets an example of excellence in behavior and cooperation.
Character
The student:
shows respect for teachers and peers.
treats school property and the belongings of others with care and respect.
is honest and trustworthy in dealings with others.
displays good citizenship by assisting other students.
joins in school community projects.
is concerned about the feelings of peers.
faithfully performs classroom tasks.
can be depended on to do what they are asked to do.
seeks responsibilities and follows through.
is thoughtful in interactions with others.
Communication Skills
The student:
has a well-developed vocabulary.
chooses words with care.
expresses ideas clearly, both verbally and through writing.
has a vibrant imagination and excels in creative writing.
has found their voice through poetry writing.
uses vivid language in writing.
writes clearly and with purpose.
writes with depth and insight.
can make a logical and persuasive argument.
listens to the comments and ideas of others without interrupting.
Group Work
The student:
offers constructive suggestions to peers to enhance their work.
accepts the recommendations of peers and acts on them when appropriate.
is sensitive to the thoughts and opinions of others in the group.
takes on various roles in the work group as needed or assigned.
welcomes leadership roles in groups.
shows fairness in distributing group tasks.
plans and carries out group activities carefully.
works democratically with peers.
encourages other members of the group.
helps to keep the work group focused and on task.
Interests and Talents
The student:
has a well-developed sense of humor.
holds many varied interests.
has a keen interest that has been shared with the class.
displays and talks about personal items from home when they relate to topics of study.
provides background knowledge about topics of particular interest to them.
has an impressive understanding and depth of knowledge about their interests.
seeks additional information independently about classroom topics that pique interest.
reads extensively for enjoyment.
frequently discusses concepts about which they have read.
is a gifted performer.
is a talented artist.
has a flair for dramatic reading and acting.
enjoys sharing their musical talent with the class.
Participation
The student:
listens attentively to the responses of others.
follows directions.
takes an active role in discussions.
enhances group discussion through insightful comments.
shares personal experiences and opinions with peers.
responds to what has been read or discussed in class and as homework.
asks for clarification when needed.
regularly volunteers to assist in classroom activities.
remains an active learner throughout the school day.
Social Skills
The student:
makes friends quickly in the classroom.
is well-liked by classmates.
handles disagreements with peers appropriately.
treats other students with fairness and understanding.
is a valued member of the class.
has compassion for peers and others.
seems comfortable in new situations.
enjoys conversation with friends during free periods.
chooses to spend free time with friends.
Time Management
The student:
tackles classroom assignments, tasks, and group work in an organized manner.
uses class time wisely.
arrives on time for school (and/or class) every day.
is well-prepared for class each day.
works at an appropriate pace, neither too quickly or slowly.
completes assignments in the time allotted.
paces work on long-term assignments.
sets achievable goals with respect to time.
completes make-up work in a timely fashion.
Work Habits
The student:
is a conscientious, hard-working student.
works independently.
is a self-motivated student.
consistently completes homework assignments.
puts forth their best effort into homework assignments.
exceeds expectations with the quality of their work.
readily grasps new concepts and ideas.
generates neat and careful work.
checks work thoroughly before submitting it.
stays on task with little supervision.
displays self-discipline.
avoids careless errors through attention to detail.
uses free minutes of class time constructively.
creates impressive home projects.
Report Card Thesaurus
Looking for some great adverbs and adjectives to bring to life the comments that you put on report cards? Go beyond the stale and repetitive With this list, your notes will always be creative and unique.
Adjectives
attentive, capable, careful, cheerful, confident, cooperative, courteous, creative, dynamic, eager, energetic, generous, hard-working, helpful, honest, imaginative, independent, industrious, motivated, organized, outgoing, pleasant, polite, resourceful, sincere, unique
Adverbs
always, commonly, consistently, daily, frequently, monthly, never, occasionally, often, rarely, regularly, typically, usually, weekly
Updated: 2/6/2017
The last few days of the school year are upon you, and you're at a loss for what to do. Do you emphasize fun or attempt to squeeze in some last-minute learning? Education World offers suggestions for keeping kids focused during the last hours of the school year.
As days grow warmer and summer beckons, quite often the kids are tired and restless. What's a teacher to do?
A couple of years ago, a teacher posted the following idea to an email list I subscribed to. I admired that teacher, whose project for the last days of school was not only fun but also challenged students to use what they had learned in the previous months.
These last two weeks of class, my kids are working in groups on a "final exam" project. Each group is given a latitude and longitude coordinate. The students create a culture for the coordinates. They need to describe the climate, geography, shelters, clothing, food, economy, traditions, values, and so on of their imaginary cultures. They need to consider a multitude of variables that draw on the work we've done during the year. During the last two days of class, the students demonstrate their cultures.
Fun and learning—that's what many teachers think the last days of school should be about!
More Learning Activities for the "Winding Down" Days
Are you looking for other project ideas for the last days of school? Your students might get a kick out of some of these.
Produce a TV Commercial. Challenge students to create their own new breakfast cereals. Each student will create packaging and a TV commercial pitch to go along with it. Record students as they present their TV commercials!
Alpha Autobios. Invite students to create their own alphabetical autobiographies. Here's an example: "A is for Arkansas; that's where I was born. B is for Bonnie; that's my sister's name. C is for Cub Scouts; That's my favorite activity."
ABC Books for Days! Adapt the ABC book idea, and challenge students to learn about a topic they want to explore. For example, students might be interested in the Civil War, music, authors, Hawaii, sports, or plants.
[This Grade] Scrapbook. Gather samples of student work that you've been setting aside all year long, and invite students to make a Second-Grade, Third-Grade, Fourth-Grade (or any year, any subject) Scrapbook.
Egg Drop! Water Balloon Drop! (Other Outdoor Physics Experiments). Many schools save the last days of school for their annual "egg drop" activity. Each student works within guidelines to fashion a container for an egg so that the egg won't break when the student drops it from an established height -- the school's third-floor window, for example.
A Little Drama! Another idea for fun and education—put on a play! Students might write their own script, or you might use a script you find online. If you're looking for a great resource, see the Education World story All the Classroom's a Stage!
Reading Theme Days. Keep kids reading right up to the last bell by offering special classroom or schoolwide reading theme days. You'll find tons of ideas in the Education World story Reading Activities for Read-In!
Scavenger Hunt for Info. Plan a scavenger hunt for information! Develop questions for books or websites--make sure each student in the class has access to a mix of resources. Give prizes to the teams who come up with the greatest number of correct answers!
Still More Fun Ideas!
Maybe you're looking to put a little more emphasis on fun during the last days of school. A few more ideas follow.
T-Shirt Memories
When Donna Thomas, a teacher at Heritage Prep Middle School in Orlando, Florida, was teaching first grade, she had each of her students bring a white T-shirt to school on one of the last days of the year. Thomas painted each child's hand with bright-colored paint; then each student pressed his or her handprint onto the T-shirt. The students signed their names under their handprints. Finally, students went around to one other's desks and collected autographs. They used thick, pointy-tipped, permanent black markers to sign the T-shirts.
"I still hear comments from the children," Thomas told Education World. "They say things like 'I dream about my friends in my shirt' and 'I remember all my friends from first grade, even the ones who've moved away, because their names are on the shirt.' The parents really oohed and aahed about the shirts since the kids wore them home on the last day of school," Thomas added. "I felt it made a great lasting and positive impression about their year."
Tin-Can Ice Cream
Cara Bafile, a former classroom teacher and an Education World writer, shared one of her favorite activities -- making tin-can ice cream. Of course, ice cream is good any time of year -- but this activity is a great small-group activity for the last days of school!
"I got the recipe for tin-can ice cream from my mother, who got it from another teacher," said Bafile. "It's one of those teacher hand-me-downs with no particular source. I have seen some similar recipes using self-sealing plastic bags, but I can vouch for this one -- you'll make the best ice cream you'll ever have!"
This recipe makes about 3 cups of ice cream, Bafile noted. Teachers might adapt the recipe, depending on the size of the group or whether they want small groups of students to make their own batches.
Tin-Can Ice Cream
(Ice cream without an ice-cream maker!)
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (pure vanilla extract works best!)
Other materials needed:
1 small coffee can
strapping tape (It's the only tape I've found that will hold the lid tightly in place.)
1 large coffee can
1-1/2 cups rock salt
crushed ice (2 bags)
a rubber spatula
spoons, cups, and bowls
Mix the ingredients in the small coffee can and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Tape the lid on the can securely with strapping tape. Place the "filled" small coffee can inside the large coffee can. Pack the large can with crushed ice around the smaller can. Pour at least 3/4 cup of rock salt evenly over the ice. Place the lid on the large coffee can and tape securely with strapping tape. Roll the can back and forth for ten minutes. Then open the outer can. Remove the inner can. Remove the lid and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula. Scrape the insides of the can. Do not allow mixture to become liquid. Replace the lid on the small can. Tape securely again. Drain the ice water from the larger can. Insert the small filled can. Pack it with more ice and salt. Roll it back and forth for five more minutes. Enjoy!
A Penny for Luck
Finally, if you're looking for a positive message to leave for your students, teacher Robert Courtmanche agreed to let us share his end-of-year message to students.
"Each year we have an awards banquet, and I give the seniors a little gift and a penny with a message attached to it," Courtemanche, a teacher at Galena Park (Texas) High School, told Education World. The wording of that message, penned several years ago by Courtemanche, follows:
My graduation gift to you is a penny, but why?
Look at the penny and you will understand.
The year is 2014—so you will always remember this time.
"Honest Abe" Lincoln is on the front—always be honest with yourself and others.
The word LIBERTY—as they say in the Navy, you are now "at liberty," and that means you are free to do as you like. Don't waste that freedom.
IN GOD WE TRUST—you must trust in someone or something; you can't go through life alone. Trust in yourself, trust in God, trust the life you make.
A penny may be worth only one cent, and you can't buy much with a penny anymore. However, every dollar is made up of 100 pennies, and every kid's piggy bank starts with one penny. The penny, like each of you, is not made of pure silver or gold—but surely if you put enough pennies together, they will amount to something.
I ask that you go out into the world and amount to something. Set your own value on life, set your own standards and goals.
And, in case you need it ...
Here's a penny for luck.
Feel free to use the poem as-is or adapt to students in your grade level or adjust to reflect your personal style. This is just a stepping off point for ideas to make the last days of school memorable. Please share your own ideas in the comments below.
Education World®
Copyright © 2000, 2015 Education World
Education World®
Copyright © 2000 Education World
June Every-Day Edits
Use Every-Day Edits to build language skills, test scores, and cultural literacy. Be sure to see our tips for using Every-Day Edits in your classroom.
The Summer SlideTennessee Charles R. DrewD-DayTiananmen SquareKing George IIIDonut DayHelen KellerGwendolyn Brooks, PoetFrank Lloyd WrightFallingwaterDonald DuckJudy GarlandJeannette RankinEric CarleGeorge H. W. BushMiranda Rights Harriet Beecher StowePresidential RadioFlag DayArkansasChris Van AllsburgMartha WashingtonJuneteenthFather's DayGo SkateboardingWimbledonSt. Lawrence SeawayPaul BunyanA Giraffe in Paris A June BridePearlsRoses Aren't All RedAfrican American Music
Looking for ideas for using Every-Day Edits in your classroom? See our idea file.
Run out of Every-Day Edit activities for the month of June? Check out our Xtra activities for any time of year.
Receive timely lesson ideas and PD tips
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