Monthly Archives: January 2010

Newspapers Can Spur Talk with Teens

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Here’s another article from the 2005 NIE Literacy tab on how newspapers can spur talk with teens. The article, written for the 2005 NIE Literacy tab, comes from the National Center for Family Literacy, a nonprofit organization recognized worldwide as the leader in family literacy development. For more information, visit www.famlit.org. The tab was produced by the Newspaper Association of America and sponsored by VerizonReads.com.

You ask your high school-age child, “Where are you going?” and “What are you going to do?” only to hear “Out” and “Nothing” in reply.

If communicating with your teenager seems harder than beating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, try a different conversation starter—newspapers! The newspaper covers a broad range of topics—from local, national and international news to business, entertainment, health, technology and science. It also includes editorials, opinion articles and letters to the editor. Any of these sections may get your teen to talk and may even spark a healthy debate.
 

In addition to opening lines of communication, the paper also offers opportunities for building and practicing reading and math skills. Try some of these ideas with your teen:

ASK YOUR TEEN TO READ THE REVIEW OF A NEW MOVIE HE/SHE WANTS TO SEE.  Suggest using the Internet either at home, school or the library to check out how reviewers from around the country feel about the movie. Point out that the reviewers are merely stating their opinions, and everyone’s opinion is not the same. How do the reviews in a West Coast paper differ from those in the East or South?  After he/she has seen the movie, ask your teen how he/she would write the movie review. Is his/her opinion the same or different from the review in your local paper?

NEWSPAPERS PRESENT A LOT OF INFORMATION THROUGH CHARTS, GRAPHS AND MAPS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACCESS INFORMATION QUICKLY AND SIMPLY. Point out some charts and maps in your newspaper. Ask your child questions about what they represent. Combining reading and math skills sometimes makes both a little more appealing to teenagers. Have your teen find the number of ads for five or six types of used vehicles (BMW, Corvette, SUV, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen, etc.). What car is featured most often in the used car ads? Which car holds the greatest percentage of the total number of ads? The lowest?
 

THE HEALTH AND FITNESS SECTION OF THE PAPER CAN TRIGGER MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR TEEN.  Articles on new beauty products, fitness equipment, healthy foods and exercise routines often capture teens’ attention. Parents can build on this interest by asking their teen to plan a week’s worth of dinner menus for the family. Ask him/her to consider a diversity of food groups, cost and preparation time. Give your teen a certain amount of money to spend on the ingredients for the meals and see if he/she can stay within the budget. Prepare some, if not all, of the suggested dinners. Talk about the meal and why your teen chose the food that he/she did.
 

THE SPORTS PAGES OF THE NEWSPAPER MAY BE THE FIRST SECTION YOUR TEEN TURNS TO.  Games played by local high school, college and professional teams are of special interest. If your teen has a favorite sport, suggest finding out about the history of that sport—how did it get started, in what country did it begin, and what countries play it now? This could be a long-term project involving books from the library, Internet searches or even visits to a sports Hall of Fame museum.

The teenage years can be challenging for both teens and their parents. Having a common meeting ground like the newspaper helps you stay connected.
 

Motivating the Middle-School Reader

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Here’s an article from the 2005 NIE Literacy tab on motivating your middle school reader. The article, written for the 2005 NIE Literacy tab, comes from the National Center for Family Literacy, a nonprofit organization recognized worldwide as the leader in family literacy development. For more information, visit www.famlit.org. The tab was produced by the Newspaper Association of America and sponsored by VerizonReads.com.

Does your young teen read a lot? If so, good for you! If not, don’t worry—many teenagers do not place reading high on their priority list. But there’s hope!

Numerous distractions vie for your teen’s attention. During the middle-school years, children often find that their lives begin to revolve around social experiences. Reading is generally considered a solitary experience, which isn’t very appealing to the socially minded adolescent. On top of that, reading can seem like a chore that leads to even more work, like writing book reports or taking quizzes.
 

Research finds that young teens frequently adopt negative attitudes about reading. Even kids who were strong readers in elementary school may lose enthusiasm as they get older,when reading is associated with homework, and the focus is on subject comprehension. At the same time,however, young teens have a lot of interest in the world around them. Connecting their world to the information that’s available to them may help foster an enthusiastic and lifelong reader.
 

That’s where your newspaper comes in! Middleschoolers not only read more but also benefit more from their reading when the information they’re exposed to is relevant to their lives. There is a wealth of information in the newspaper that young teens might find interesting, whether it’s an article about a favorite sports star or celebrity, an advertisement for a clothing sale, an editorial about a community issue, horoscopes or the local weather forecast.
 

Scan the newspaper for articles that would be of particular interest to your child. Then invite him to read an article and tell you what he thinks about it, based on his understanding of the subject matter. Here are some other tips to help motivate a reluctant reader.
 

ASK QUESTIONS FIRST - AND LATER.  Once you’ve read an article in the newspaper, ask your child questions before she reads it. For example, if the article is about a new fad diet, ask your child whether or not she thinks the diet offers a healthy approach. After he/she reads the article, ask him/her to generate her own questions related to health and diet, and help her find the answers by rereading the article, visiting the library or looking up information on the Internet.
 

KEEP IT REAL – REAL FUN!  Some adolescents might be embarrassed by reading aloud, but many also have a flair for the dramatic. Look for an article in the newspaper that has a lot of quotes in it. Read it out loud with your child, and act out the quoted passages. Then try reading it like a TV anchorperson in a “just-the-facts” tone. Talk about which version was more fun to listen to and read. Engaging children actively in what they read helps them retain vocabulary, and repeated reading builds fluency.
 

MAKE IT QUICK. The beauty of an article in a newspaper is that it can be read in one sitting. This means that your child can read the article for an immediate sense of accomplishment and still catch the afternoon movie with his/her friends.With a short investment of time, he/she might also come across some useful information.
 

LET YOUR CHILD KNOW WHEN YOU READ SOMETHING YOU THINK WOULD INTEREST HIM/HER. You can show an interest in his/her world while encouraging his/her interest in the world around him. Make reading a part of your family’s routine, by stopping by the bookstore or library when shopping or helping your child follow up about a topic on the Internet. The world is out there, and middleschoolers will appreciate having a tour guide.
 

If you suspect your child has a learning disability that is affecting reading-skills acquisition, visit the site www.ldonline.org. This site has information about assessments of learning disabilities and a section full of tips for parents of children with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder.

Linking Language Arts to the Newspaper

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Information and activities are from Featuring the Frameworks – Linking Language Arts to Your Newspaper from the Washington Times, provided by the NIE Institute.

People who read the newspaper understand its unique language. The activities below will help you to learn this newspaper language.

1. The FLAG is the name of the newspaper. You will find the flag on the front page at the top.  What is the name of your newspaper?

2. A HEADLINE is the title of a newspaper story. Headlines are written in larger type than the rest of the story.  Find a headline in your newspaper.
 

3. The INDEX is the list of the main contents of a newspaper and the page number where they appear.  Find the index of your newspaper and locate the page number of the comics. (Hint:  the index of the Grand Forks Herald is listed on the top half of the front page.)
 

4. In a newspaper, the information describing a photograph is called a CUTLINE.  Find a cutline describing a photograph in your newspaper. 
 

5. At the beginning of some stories, a DATELINE will give the location and origin of a story. In your newspaper, find a dateline of a city not in the United States.
 

6. Organizations which sell news and pictures from distant cities are called WIRE SERVICES. Common wire services are AP (Associated Press) and UPI (United Press International). Find the name of a wire service in the newspaper.

7. The name of the reporter who wrote an article is often printed at the beginning of the story. This is called a BYLINE. How many bylines are on the front page of today’s newspaper?
 

Writing Ideas for Students

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Adaptable writing activities for many ages.  These activity ideas are good for individual assignments or writing with a buddy. Written by Lisa Davison, Chicago Tribune.
 

WRITING IDEAS FOR STUDENTS

1. Write a feature story about a person. (It could be about your parent, brother/sister, writing buddy, etc.) Be sure to include basic facts about the life of the person, as well as interesting information about the person. Look at features in today’s newspaper for ideas about what to include.
 

2. Write a review of a television show, movie or story. A review should include the strengths and weaknesses as well as what you liked/disliked and why. Be descriptive and use examples. Use reviews from the newspaper as models for your writing.
 

3. Write two classified advertisements selling two different items. You might want to sell a car, a baseball glove, a bike, etc. What will the reader want to see in order to buy your item? Keep in mind that these ads are short; every word counts! (Don’t forget to look at the classifieds in today’s newspaper!)
 

4. Write a classified advertisement for a job you want to fill. You must first think of a position (like teacher, lawyer, secretary, waiter, etc.) and what kinds of characteristics would make someone good at the job. Keep in mind that these ads are short; every word counts!
 

5. Write an editorial supporting your favorite sports team or athlete. What makes this person or team worth supporting? What do you think is important in a sports team or athlete? Look at both the sports section and the editorial/ opinions page for ideas.
 

6. Write an editorial about something at school that you strongly like or dislike. Be sure to explain what the issue or policy is for those who don’t attend your school and follow with your reasons for liking or disliking the current school policy. Look at the editorial/ opinions page, and copy the writing style there.
 

7. Write a news story on some event happening at your school or in your community. Remember a news story should always address Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. You should attempt to give both sides of the story. Do not include your own opinion. Use a front page news story as a guide.
 

8. Create an advertisement that invites people to visit an area attraction. How would you use photographs or drawings in your ad? How would you arrange the words and what would you say to get people to come?  Look through today’s ads for ideas.
 

9. Create an advertisement encouraging people to watch a specific event on television (i.e. a sporting event, an awards show, etc.). How would you arrange photographs or drawings in your ad? Why would people watch the event? You’ll need today’s TV listings to do this assignment.
 

10. Write a news story that tells what is happening in a foreign country. Choose a country in today’s paper and, after reading the articles, write an article that describes the main current event in that foreign country. You might also include why Americans are interested in this story. Always address Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
 

11. Write a weather report using information in today’s newspaper. Include predictions for temperature, rain, snow, etc.
 

12. Write a letter to the editor on an issue in the editorial section of today’s paper. Be sure to agree or disagree with the person writing the editorial, and include a full explanation for your opinion.
 

13. Write a feature story about your favorite subject in school. Use descriptive words, and give examples of what you like/dislike. Use a feature from today’s paper as a prompt.

Sight Word Activities

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Information and activities are from the NIE Institute.

Fry’s Instant Sight Words and the Newspaper
This resource provides the first 600 sight words identified by Dr. Edward Fry as important for students to learn through about 4th grade and in adult education, with practice phrases and sentences, and a variety of newspaper activities. 

Download the pdf by clicking on the link below.

 legacy.grandforksherald.com/pdfs/FRY%20SIGHT%20WORDS%20GUIDE.pdf

Newspaper Activities for Learning Fry’s Instant Sight Words
Sight Words In the News — You can easily have your beginning reader practice sight word recognition by using the newspaper! This works very well, because sight words make up more than 50% percent of most every day reading material. Newspapers are loaded with sight words! You’ll need a highlighting marker or scissors, glue and paper to go on this treasure hunt.
 

Write the sight words that you wish to target on a list or on flashcards. It’s important for early learners to have a model to match. For more experienced readers, you can show the list or model briefly and then have them find the target words from memory.
 

Give the learner a newspaper that can be cut up or marked upon. Use the highlighter to color the target words wherever they are found. Use the scissors and glue to cut the words out and paste them onto a new page to make a collage. You can use this activity again and again! Just choose new target words & grab the newspaper.
 

Fry’s Newspaper Bingo — Have students work in groups to find 25 or more Fry words in the newspaper. Have students write nine of the words on their bingo card. Place all the cut out words in a pile. Draw words from the pile. If players have the word on their card they will mark that spot. The first player to get three in a row, either down, across or diagonal, wins. The bingo board is on the last page of the download.

Newspaper Letters to Form Fry Words — Cut out letters from newspaper headlines. Use the letters to form Fry words.
 

Word of the Day — The teacher should find one or more sight words in the newspaper each day to place on a vocabulary board. Then have students find that word used in sentences in the newspaper. Have students write that word on their own vocabulary list. Keep adding daily words to this vocabulary list. Have students use this list when reading and to practice the words.

Newspaper Flashcards — Find five sight words in large bold headlines that your students need to practice. Paste or laminate each word from the newspaper on a separate card. Hold the cards in a pile showing students one at a time. Work through them several times to see how quickly students can read them. Add two or more new words every day and continue to practice them all.
 

Newspaper Concentration / Memory Game — Help students find eight Fry’s words in the newspaper that students needs to practice. Discuss the meaning and context of the words. This helps memorization. Have students make 2 cards for each word. Shuffle the cards and place them upside down in 4 rows of 4 cards. Take turns turning over 2 cards and read each as it is turned. If the 2 cards are the same word, that player keeps them and takes another turn. Cards that do not match are turned face down again in the same place. Continue playing until all the cards have been matched. The player with the most cards wins!
 

These activities adopted from Tips for Sight Words, www.allinfoaboutreading.com.

Scatter sight words from newspaper headlines, face-up, around the classroom. Use one copy of the word for each child playing the game. That is, if three children are playing, use three copies of each word. Call a word from the list and challenge the students to be first to find and run to the target word. You can make this as competitive or cooperative as you’d like, or even try to beat previous records.
 

Hide sight words from newspaper headlines around the classroom. Have students find them and return to you to read. When one word has been read, the student can go out and look for another.
 

From the front cover of the newspaper the teacher will call out sight words for students to find. Students will find the word and then write it down followed by the full sentence that it was found in. This helps students understand the meaning and usage of the words.
 

The teacher will choose a paragraph or two from the newspaper that contains several Fry words. Have students read the section and highlight the Fry words they find. Now read the text in unison, but allow the student to read the highlighted words alone. Remediate students that missed some of the words.
 

Read a sight word together in the newspaper several times, spell it out loud, then have students blot out a letter with a marker. Read the word again, visualizing the missing letter. Be sure to spell again on each round. Continue to blot out letters, then read and spell until the word is no longer visible. Now have students write the word in a sentence.
 

Have students find Fry words in the newspaper. Then have students cut out the words and place them in alphabetic order. Students could also write a sentence using each word.

Have student trace over sight words found in headlines and regular text in the newspaper. This will help them remember words and develop printing skills in small and large sizes.

Heads Up

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The month of February has lots of events.  I will be posting several different blogs on some of these holidays and happenings.  Here is a preview:  Ground Hog Day,

Fitness from Head to Toe Strength

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Information and activities are from the "Fitness Head To Toe" tab from the NIE Institute.

Shouldering Responsibility

Who gets on you about fitness? Does your mom bug you to eat your veggies? Does your gym teacher want you to run a mile in 12 minutes? Do you have a friend who always pesters you to play softball, basketball or soccer?

Good! It never hurts to get a little fitness push. But there comes a time when you have to start pushing yourself. Like now. You’re old enough to make decisions about eating and exercise that can affect what type of adult you’ll be — a cool mover or a couch potato.
 

A STRONG ARGUMENT  

Strength is a type of fitness measured by how much force you can exert with your muscles. You think of strength when you see a body-builder, but that image keeps many people — especially girls — from exercising to build muscles. You don’t have to be big, though, to get the benefits of strong muscles. Here are strong arguments for building strength:
1. You’re better able to lift heavy stuff and less likely to hurt yourself doing it.
2. You give shape to your body with wellformed muscles.
3. You’re burning more energy (calories) all the time because muscles burn energy.
4. You can do better in sports, games, and every day activities.
Of course, it’s one thing to want well-developed muscles; getting them is another matter. Building muscles happens naturally when you chop wood or lift heavy boxes. You can target muscle development by lifting weights or doing exercises such as curl-ups or push-ups.
 

GET MUSCLE-MINDED                       

The best way to build muscle strength is to lift weights two or three times a week, usually by working out on weight machines that target different muscle groups. Your doctor might discourage lifting weights until your body matures; be sure to ask.
 

If you need a more organized approach, give your index finger a workout by calling fitness clubs in your area. A good club, or gym, has tons of exercise equipment — treadmills, weight machines, and stationary bicycles — as well as exercise classes and a swimming pool. Some clubs charge a fee, while other facilities are free or offer reduced rates. The big advantage of belonging to a club is that a workout expert is usually on hand to make sure that you are using the equipment — and your muscles — safely and effectively.

Steering Clear of Steroids
Athletes are always looking for an edge over the competition. Some of them have turned to drugs known as anabolic steroids in hopes of getting bigger, stronger, and faster. Non-athletes, too, might be tempted to bulk up with steroids. But unless they’re prescribed by a doctor, steroids are the wrong turn. While steroids can add to muscle mass, they can also cause acne, violent mood swings, and permanent damage to your body. Taking steroids to get muscles can be like setting yourself on fire to get warm — very dangerous.

ACTIVITIES                                                                                                           1. Look in the newspaper for a photo of someone with a body you admire. How did he or she get to be that way? As a class, discuss which features of fitness and appearance are within our control and which are not.
 

2. In small groups, look in the sports section and make a list of every sport mentioned. Next, rank each one according to how much the competitors rely on muscle strength. The more brute strength required, the higher on the list.
 

3. How much does your newspaper weigh? Design an exercise that uses newspapers (rolled up, flat, or spread out) to build muscles.
 

Kid Scoop Earthquake in Haiti

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The news effects everyone, including children. Kid Scoop has crafted a web page for kids dedicated to explaining what is going on Haiti and how they can help. Thanks to Vicki Whiting, Editor of Kids Scoop for making this page available at no charge.  Click on this link to view the page.  www.kidscoop.com/haiti/

In addition, they also have produced a series of worksheets that teachers can use in their classrooms or parents can use in the home.  Click here to download the six worksheets  legacy.grandforksherald.com/pdfs/Haiti%20worksheets.pdf

  

Journalism School for High School Teachers

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Attention High School teachers! 

Here is an opportunity you may be interested in through the Reynolds High School Journalism Institute.  The Reynolds Institute, developed by ASNE (American Society of Newspaper Editors) is a two-week journalism training program for high school teachers.  Instruction is based on the core tenets of journalism and the skills needed to produce a top-notch youth publication – online and/or on paper. 

One hundred and seventy-five teachers will be competitively selected in 2010.  THERE IS NO COST TO THE TEACHER OR SCHOOL. 

WHO SHOULD APPLY?  High school journalism teachers, news media advisers, department heads and administrators may apply.  All academic disciplines are welcomed.  Do you have (or want to know) what it takes to help students start or re-energize a newspaper?  Are you passionate about journalism and First Amendment? 

We welcome teachers and advisers … 

… with little or no advising experience

…from schools that currently do not have a student news Web site.  We’ll get you started.

…and veterans eager to update skills.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors, founded in 1922, is a non-profit professional group.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named.  Headquartered in Las Vegas, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S.

KEY TOPICS – Multimedia reporting, writing, editing, photjournalism, online and digital posting, layout and design, opinion pages, journalism credibility, ethics and responsibilities, the future of journalism and business-side skills.

OBJECTIVES – Help students start or improve a student newspaper online and/or on paper.  Enhance the teaching of journalism and the First Amendment.  A free and vital press is a cornerstone of democracy. Independent student newspapers that practice high journalistic standards inform and engage the entire school community.  Critical thinking, writing, citizenship and media literacy skills are developed, along with a sense of responsibility and caring.

BENEFITS – The Reynolds Institute pays for:  Continuing education credits determined at each university’s discretion upon completion of all assignments. Program and study materials.  Travel to and form the Institute that we pre-approve (flights are arranged by our designated agent OR mileage reimbursement, whichever costs less).  Housing (no roommate) and meals.  A journalism reference library and Membership to the Student Law Center, Journalism Education Association and state/regional scholastic press group.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PROGRAM AND HOW TO APPLY VISIT:  hsj.org/reynolds

DEADLINE FOR APPLYING IS MARCH 1, 2010.