Students cultivate reading fluency, accuracy and comprehension through development of word-attack skills, study of grammar, written and oral activities, and group work. Comprehension activities include individual written and oral responses to reading material, group and partner discussions, and book report presentations to the class (in costume.) Students now “read to learn” and tackle increasingly challenging literature, poetry and fiction works including Charlotte’s Web, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and Greek Gods and Heroes. Selections include short stories, excerpts from noteworthy books, poetry, and topic-appropriate artwork. Students will be discussing issues of friendship, learning about the origins of money, imagining what life is like in faraway lands, and comparing country life to big city life. Journal writing continues and creative writing leads to the production of illustrated and bound books by the students. In composition, form – complete sentences, proper use of paragraphs, descriptive detail – is stressed, along with proofreading and self-editing.