We just finished our class read aloud of There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar. The main character, Bradley Chalkers, is a very interesting character to follow throughout the story. Even though Bradley appears to be a bully who doesn't care about school or other people, we learn that he actually struggles with his self-confidence and doesn't believe that he has the ability to make friends or do well in school. With the help of his counselor, Carla, and his new friend, Jeff, Bradley learns how to believe in himself and become a better person.


This Week's Prompt:

If you could give Bradley advice for how to maintain all of the positive changes that he's achieved by the end of the story, what would you tell him?
In your response, do the following:

• Remind Bradley of some of the great things he's accomplished since we started reading about him.
• Give specific examples of what Bradley can do to continue being friendly, working hard in school, and believing in himself. Make sure these examples are realistic to Bradley.
• Use your knowledge of the story and of Bradley as a character to elaborate in your response.

I look forward to reading your advice to Bradley!

Last week we learned about the essential elements needed for a story: character, setting, and plot. A story must have one or more main characters that readers follow. The story must have a setting --a time and a place of some sort. Lastly, the story must have a plot, which is what happens to the character(s), often containing some sort of conflict or problem.

This week, I want you to describe each of those story elements in a book you are reading or have read recently.


This Week's Prompt:

Describe each of the three story elements --character(s), setting, and plot-- in a story you are reading or have read recently.
As you describe each story element, think about the answers to the following questions to guide you:

• Who is the main character and what is he/she like? Are there any important supporting characters we should know about? What are they like?
• Where does the story take place? What time period? Why is the setting important?
• What is the plot of the story? What is the main conflict that the main character faces?

I look forward to reading your responses about character, setting, and plot!

​Check the Reading Response Rubric for the usual requirements for responding to a blog.

Dear Students,

You did well last week replying to my "Test Post." Now we'll start the actual "Reading Response Blog."

Each week, I'll introduce the new prompt, like I'm doing now. Following that, you'll see the phrase "This Week's Prompt." Underneath that, there will be a bolded statement of what you have to do. Then, I will describe in greater detail what I expect you to write about, and I will usually give you some tips that will help you meet my expectations. Review the Reading Response Rubric to learn more fully what the expectations of writing a blog response look like.

Okay, here is this week's prompt...

This Week's Prompt:

Summarize your book. Tell me what it is about.
Write a brief summary of the book you have been reading at home. Help me follow what is happening in the story by describing characters, the setting, and the plot as though I have never read the book. Make sure you write a summary, which focuses on the main events, not a retelling, which is a step-by-step account filled with many details.

If you are reading an informational book, describe the main ideas and specific examples that support each main idea.

I look forward to learning about what you are all reading!

Hi Students,

Welcome to the Reading Response Blog! This is where we'll be sharing about our independent reading and writing to each other each week. I look forward to reading all of your comments!

In class, I am giving you the opportunity to try posting a comment. Before you do, please read the Commenting Guidelines. Once you have done that, please follow the prompt below.

In-Class Prompt:

Say "Hi!" following the proper guidelines.
To do this, click reply to this post and you can literally just write...
"Dear Class,
Hi!
Sincerely,
[Your Name]"
...in the Comments field. Of course, you have to follow the steps from the Commenting Guidelines as best you can. 


Important Info:

For this in-class response, I want to make sure you get the hang of how to use the blog, so I am not asking you to write a real response yet. You'll do that part at home. Remember, when you hit "Submit," you are saying that your response is ready to be published. It is important that you proofread your comment thoroughly and follow the prompts carefully.

I don't expect your spelling, punctuation, and grammar to be perfect --you're only in 5th grade! However, I will not approve comments that have numerous errors that you should have caught by proofreading more carefully.

Just so you know, your comment has to be approved by me first, so you won't see it posted right away. You should see this message "This comment is currently being held for moderation awaiting approval."

I hope you find the Reading Response Blog easy and rewarding!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kimball