Home-School Connection

Dear Family Member:

This week our class will be focusing on
what good citizens do. How do people
display good citizenship in their lives?

Here are some activities that you can do

with your child to help reinforce the skills
we’ll be practicing.

Word Workout (see page 104)

• Words to Know: suffixes You and

your child will write newspaper
headlines using the list words.
• Spelling/Phonics: diphthongs ou, ow
You will give your child time to look at
the list words, then cover them. Then
you will say each word, have your child
spell it and tell you how the vowel sound
is spelled. This week’s words contain
the phonic sounds of ou as in found,
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

and ow as in down.

Comprehension: point of view (see page 105)

Your child will decide which pictured person makes each statement
and write that person’s name under the correct statement.

Unit 5 • Week 1 101

 Word Workout
Words to Know
Let’s imagine it is election day. Every day there are articles in the
newspaper about different campaigns. I’ll use one of the words from our
list in a newspaper headline about a politician or an issue that citizens
have to vote on. Then you use a word on the list to make up a different
headline. We’ll do this for all the words on the list.

champion determined issues promises

votes volunteered rights responsibility

Spelling Words
I’ll give you some time to look at the words. Then I’ll cover the words.
Next I’ll say each word on the list, and you spell it for me. When we’re
finished, you can write two headings on a sheet of paper—ow and ou.
Then write each word on the list in the column that shows how the sound
of ow is spelled.

sound growl cloud crown

brown clown pound shout

howl mound

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Review: chair where

104 Unit 5 • Week 1

 Comprehension: Point of View

Who Said It?

I’ll read each passage. Then look at the pictures below. You can match
the picture to the passage by writing a name on the line.
1. It was funny. I could hear them running around in the attic. I called my
sister to come listen. I was afraid they’d chew through the wires and
get a shock. Also, we’d lose our TV picture!

2. They called me to come see about getting some squirrels out of their
attic. You never saw so much mess in your life. I trapped them and
set them loose in the park.

3. I told the gang not to make so much noise. It was really a nice place
to live. But I like living outside, too. The human guy trapped us and
put us into a nice park. Now we have to go find a new place to live.

4. There’s always something going on at their house. Sports, music,

animals … it’s always something. Just now a man got out of a truck
with traps that are used to catch animals without hurting them.

5. I didn’t want to call animal control. I like the idea of squirrels living in
the attic. But dad said they’d be just as happy outside where they can
find nuts. So my brother called the guy. Now it’s quiet up there. I
really miss them.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

6. My son called me at work. He said it sounded as if there was a party

in the attic. I told him to call animal control to come and get them. I
love animals, but squirrels belong outside.

next-door animal control squirrel son father daughter

neighbor worker

Unit 5 • Week 1 105