Home-School Connection

Dear Family Member:

This week our class will be focusing on how kids around the world are
different. What kinds of cultures and school experiences do children
have in different parts of the world?

Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help
reinforce the skills we’ll be practicing.

Word Workout (see page 89)

• Words to Know: similes You and your child will make up
sentences using the list words that tell about a family event you
celebrate.

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• Spelling/Phonics: r-controlled vowels or, ore, oar; ar You will
say a word on the list and have your child spell it. He or she will
identify the letters that stand for the r-controlled vowel sound. This
week’s words contain the phonic sounds spelled or, ore, oar, and ar.

Comprehension: compare and contrast (see page 90)

Your child will read a short story and then compare and contrast
characters and settings.

86 Unit 4 • Week 3
 Word Workout
Words to Know
Let’s write some sentences about an event we might plan that celebrates
something special about our family. I’ll make up a sentence about this
family event, and I’ll use one of the vocabulary words on the list. Next,
you identify the vocabulary word and what it means. Then, you make up
a sentence about the family event and use another word from the list,
and I’ll tell you what the list word means.

wonder surrounded travels costume

favorite parade(s) customs common

Spelling Words
I’ll let you see the words for two minutes. Then I’ll say each word for you
to spell. Tell me what letters stand for the r-controlled vowel sound in
the word.

port north more store

oar roar board part

start park
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Review: first hurt

Unit 4 • Week 3 89
 Comprehension: Compare and Contrast

A Summer Vacation
Read the short story. Think about how the characters and the settings
are alike and how they are different. Then let’s complete the questions.

Marcus and his family were

planning their next summer
vacation.

“We went to the mountains

last year,” said Marcus’s
dad. Where should we go
this year?”

“To the ocean or to a big river,” piped up Malia.

I want to go canoeing and swimming. And I’d love to
see a whale.”

“I’d rather go west, where we can see deserts and

neat rock formations,” said her brother Marcus. “I want
to take pictures of the sun on the red rock in Utah.”

“Well, those all sound like good places to visit,” said

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the children’s father. “I’d really like to take a boat trip
down the Mississippi River. It has so much history.”

“Why don’t we go all three places?” giggled the

children.
1. Which character likes history?

2. Which character likes swimming?

3. Which part of the country does Marcus want to visit?

4. Which settings would please both Malia and her father?

5. How are all three characters alike?

90 Unit 4 • Week 3