Washington GT Magnet Elementary School

K-2 Electives

Language Arts

A POEM IN MY POCKET
This course allows the student to develop language skills and an appreciation for poetry through a variety of poems. Students will explore different types of poetry; such has acrostic poems, list poems, free verse, haiku, rhyming poems, narrative poems, and limericks. Various poets will be featured. Students will develop poet craft through the use of sound, word choices, creative imagery, and figurative language. Students will develop an appreciation for various poetry portfolios and create their own poems at the conclusion of this elective.

AUTHOR! AUTHOR!
Within every child there are stories of value. In this course students will become young authors as they delight in writing, illustrating, and making their own books. Stories will be shared with other students.

BEST OF THE BEST K-2 – AG
Students will be introduced to books by award-winning authors and illustrators. Among the Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, or ALA Notable Book winners they will find stories which delight and fascinate them. Their enjoyment will be shared with others through activities such as read-alongs and dramatizations.

BLOSSOMING WITH BOOKS
The primary purpose of this course is to increase children's interest in reading and writing. When children realize that an author's words are interesting and powerful, they begin to recognize that they too have the power to make words exciting and meaningful. Children’s knowledge of good literature will increase as they work on activities which bring to mind a favorite author, his/her titles, writing styles, and illustration techniques.

BUILDING READERS
Ready…Set…Go…We’re off on an exciting adventure! In this eighteen-week course designed for pre-emergent readers, kindergarten students will explore basic curriculum concepts through social interaction and hands on learning. Activities will include puppets, manipulatives, cooking, literature immersion, and projects with an emphasis on learning the alphabet and basic print concepts. Come along with us as we depart on this exciting adventure, and build your skills along the way! Teacher recommendation is required for this course.

FAIRY TALES - AG
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with a variety of fairy tales. Discussion, role-play, reading, viewing, listening, research, and writing activities are used to explore this magical kingdom. Emphasis is placed on the origin and elements of fairy tales.

FAIRY TALES AND FABLES
This course will offer an in-depth look at a variety of fairy tales and fables. Students will participate in enriching activities, which will enhance the stories as well as help students’ work towards an understanding of two of the oldest children’s literary forms.

LISTEN AND READ ALONG
LISTEN AND READ ALONG provides the emergent reader with opportunities to develop good listening and reading skills through participation in language experiences. Students will engage in activities that develop various types of communication skills: listening, reading, speaking, observing, illustrating, and writing. Student will be introduced to different reading strategies to increase control of print and comprehension.

PRIZE WINNERS
The development of good reading tastes, attitudes, and habits will be the focus of PRIZE WINNERS. This course will encourage students to read good literature and to recognize quality, as well as to develop listening skills and reading comprehension.

PUPPET PLAY
This course is designed to motivate creative oral and written expression through the use of puppets.

READING LADDERS
This course is especially designed for students in first grade who are beginning readers. Small group size will allow children more individualized attention. The students will be involved in modeled, shared, guided, and independent reading activities on a daily basis. Students in this course should be recommended by their teacher.

RHYME TIME
Rhyme Time is a wonderful elective for a child who is at the pre-emergent or emergent level in reading. This elective introduces students to a variety of rhymes including nursery rhymes, traditional rhyming songs, and counting rhymes. The students will be engaged in rhyming word activities, phonemic explorations, creative expression through Illustrations and writing, art activities, and dramatic role-play based on the rhyme presented. At the completion of the elective, the students will have a personal collection of rhymes and present their favorite rhymes in a Reader's Theater.

ROOFTOP READERS
This course is especially designed for students in second grade who are reading between levels 4 and 12. Students in this elective will receive small group reading instruction designed to move them to the next level in reading. Every day, students will participate in Shared Reading, Literacy Activities, Guided Reading, and Read Aloud. Students in this course should be recommended by their teacher.

STORYTELLING
The primary purpose of this course is to develop lifelong enrichment and personal enjoyment in storytelling. Students will participate in an art form as old as language itself. They will focus on the elements of a story while reading, viewing, and listening to various types of tales. Students will be encouraged to retell these stories in their own words using various prompts such as flannel boards, puppets, pictures, and the like using appropriate voice control and expression. Students will remain actively involved as they apply skills in reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking to create and present their own stories.

THINKING POWER - AG
Thought processes can be sharpened through directed practice. Students in this course will participate in activities to develop skills such as comparing, classifying, interpreting, and summarizing. Thinking Power is a language arts course designed to spark thinking in a variety of ways, encouraging problem solving and creativity. Planned activities incorporate the multiple intelligences observed in human thought processing. Students will participate in activities designed to address their areas of strength and to develop areas that need improvement.

THINKING POWER PLUS – AG
Students in this elective will further enrich their deductive, analytical, and abstract thinking skills through a variety of challenging opportunities.

Washington GT Magnet Elementary School
Phone: (919) 856-7960 / Fax: (919) 856-7985