Writing Skill 5

Writing Skills
Builder
Level 5
English
Scholastic Study Smart: Writing Skills Builder (Level 5) © Scholastic Teaching Resources
Copyright © 2013 Scholastic Education International (Singapore) Private Limited
All rights reserved.
Previously published as Success with Writing and Week-by-Week Homework for

Building Writing Skills Grades 3–5 by Scholastic Inc.
This edition published by Scholastic Education International (Singapore) Private Limited

A division of Scholastic Inc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval

system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. For information
regarding permission, write to:
Scholastic Education International (Singapore) Private Limited
81 Ubi Avenue 4 #02-28 UB.ONE Singapore 408830
education@scholastic.com.sg
First edition 2013
ISBN 978-981-07-3283-7
Welcome to !
Writing Skills Builder lets provides opportunities for the
systematic development of your child’s writing skills as he
progresses from word to sentence to paragraph.
It is often a challenge to help children develop their writing

skills. The high-interest topics and engaging exercises in this
book will both stimulate and encourage your child to
develop the necessary skills to become an independent
writer. As your child encounters a variety of texts and
language features, he will learn to select the appropriate
language structures and plan, write and proofread
his writing.
Every section targets a specific skill and there are two

mini-projects that are appropriately placed to ensure
that your child uses the skills he has picked up in
previous sections.
How to use this book?

1. Introduce the target writing skill at the top of the page to
your child.
2. Direct his attention to the Note, where there is one, and

go through the skills tip with your child.
3. Let your child complete the writing exercises.
4. Reinforce your child’s learning with an extension activity

at the end of each activity. These activities provide
additional practice, and extend your child’s learning of
the particular writing skill.
Note: T o avoid the awkward ‘he or she’ construction, the pronouns on

this page and in the parents’ notes will refer to the male gender.
3
Contents
Capitalizing................................................................. 6
Using Quotation Marks . ............................................... 7
Punctuating Dialogue................................................. 8–9
Using Commas in a Series........................................... 10
Using Commas in Sentences......................................... 11
Writing Complete Sentences.................................. 12–13
Identifying and Writing Four Kinds of Sentences....... 14–15
Identifying Order in Sentences................................ 16–17
Writing Questions from Statements.......................... 18–19
Varying the Lengths of Sentences............................ 20–21
Expanding Simple Sentences.................................. 22–24
Adding Details to Simple Sentences......................... 25–26
Writing Compound Sentences................................ 27–28
Combining Details from Several Sentences............... 29–32
Avoiding Run-on Sentences.................................... 33–35
Writing with More Exact Verbs............................... 36–38

Writing with Specific Details................................... 39–40
Writing to Set the Tone...........................................41–43
Using Words Other Than Said. ...............................44–47
Identifying Overused Words....................................48–49
Using Figurative Language: Similes............................... 50
Using Figurative Language: Idioms................................ 51
Using Onomatopoeia............................................ 52–53
Using Pronouns in Writing...................................... 54–55
Mini Writing Project 1.................................. 56–57
Completing a Sequenced Paragraph....................... 58–59

Identifying Parts of a Paragraph.............................. 60–63
Writing Topic Sentences........................................ 64–65
Building a Paragraph: Identifying Supporting Sentences.... 66
4
Building a Paragraph: Sequencing Supporting
Sentences............................................................ 67
Building a Paragraph: Writing Supporting
Sentences...................................................... 68–69
Writing Topic Sentences and Supporting Sentences... 70–71
Writing a Descriptive Paragraph................................... 72
Writing Introductions: Using a Quotation................. 73–74
Writing Introductions: Using Descriptive Vocabulary........ 75
Writing Introductions: Restating the Prompt..................... 76
Writing Topic Sentences and Supporting Details ............ 77
Writing Closing Sentences........................................... 78
Writing a Descriptive Paragraph............................. 79–81
Expanding Paragraphs.......................................... 82–85
Planning and Writing a Persuasive Paragraph.......... 86–87
Planning and Writing an Expository Paragraph........ 88–91
Writing Expository Paragraphs............................... 92–93
Writing More Expository Paragraphs....................... 94–95
Using an Outline to Organize Ideas........................ 96–97
Keeping a Journal................................................. 98–99
Planning and Writing a Letter..................................... 100
Writing a Friendly Letter............................................. 101
Planning a Story............................................... 102–103
Writing a Story................................................. 104–106
Writing Instructions........................................... 107–109
Proofreading ................................................... 110–114
Mini Writing Project 2..............................115–116
Writing Tips..................................................... 117–120

Answers........................................................... 121–127
5
Date:
Capitalizing
You know that the first word of a sentence is always capitalized.

Here are other rules to remember when you write. Capitalize
• the names of people and pets.
Note • titles of respect such as Dr, Mrs, Mr, Miss and Ms.
• the names of days, months, and holidays but not the seasons.
• titles of relatives when they are used as a name.
• names of places, buildings and monuments.
Find and correct 14 errors in capitalization in the paragraph below. Some

words should be capitalized and some should not. Mark three lines under each
letter that needs to be capitalized. Draw a line through each letter that should
not be capitalized.
A Capital Adventure
The best time to visit Washington, D.c., is in the early Spring. the weather is just
right in april, not too hot or cold. The cherry blossoms were in bloom while we
were there, so that made my Mom happy! We got to the Capital early monday
morning after a ten-hour drive from the midwest. After checking into our hotel,
we decided to visit the national Air and space Museum first. I could have spent
all week there, although the Washington monument, the Lincoln Memorial and
the White house were really cool. I was hoping to see the president, but he was
in europe.
Ask your child to address a letter to someone in your family. Ensure that names and addresses are
To parents
correctly capitalized.
6
Date:
Using Quotation Marks

Some stories may include dialogue. Use quotation marks around a
speaker’s exact words and commas to set off quotations.
“Get away from my bowl!” yelled Little Miss Muffet when
Note
she saw the approaching spider.
“Please don’t get so excited,” replied the startled
spider. “I just wanted to try some curds and whey.”
Use your imagination to complete the dialogue between the fairy tale or nursery
rhyme characters. Include quotation marks and commas where they belong and
the correct end punctuation.
What Did You Say?
1. When Baby Bear saw the strange girl asleep in his bed, he asked his parents,

His mother replied,

2. Humpty Dumpty was sitting on the wall when he suddenly fell off. On the
way down he shouted,
Two of the king’s men approached. One whispered nervously to the other,

3. When Jack realized he was about to fall down the hill with a pail of water,
he yelled,
cried Jill,
as she went tumbling down the hill after Jack.
To parents Use a story your child knows well. Ask him to include some dialogue for the characters.
7
Date:
Punctuating Dialogue
When you include dialogue in a story, remember to place end

punctuation marks and commas inside the quotation marks. If a
quotation is divided but still one sentence, use commas to separate
the quote from the words that tell who the speaker is.
“You may think you’re a comedian,” replied Ben, “but you’re
Note not funny.”
If a quotation is divided and two separate sentences, place a
period after the words that identify the speaker. Then begin the
second sentence with a capital letter.
“I’m sorry,” Sam apologized. “Your sneakers are on the back
porch.”
Read the following part of a story. Add the missing quotation marks, commas,
and end punctuation.
Time to Talk
Breakfast will be ready in about five minutes Maggie yelled up to her brothers
Do you want some help offered Mom, who had just walked into the kitchen
Thanks, Mom replied Maggie but I’d really like to do it myself
Okay agreed Mom I’ll just take the dog for a quick walk then.
Maggie popped the bread into the toaster and went to check on the eggs and
bacon.
About a minute later, Ben said to Sam Do you smell something burning
Yup answered Sam It smells like burnt toast to me, and there goes the smoke
alarm
I guess Maggie’s making breakfast again laughed Ben, as they ran down to the
kitchen
Do you want some help, Maggie Ben and Sam asked.
Read a page of a story or book with dialogue with your child. Ask him to identify each rule the
To parents
writer used for quotation marks, commas and end punctuation.
8
Date:
Punctuating Dialogue
Read the story. Use the words in the brackets to write the dialogue. Remember to
use quotation marks and other correct punctuation. The ‘/ ‘ tells you where the
quotation should be broken up.
Talking About Fishing
1. Joan and Nancy were chatting in school. _______________________________________
______________________________________________ Joan asked Nancy.
(how did you spend your weekend)
2. _____________________________ pondered Nancy_____________________________
(well/I went fishing with my family)
3. ________________________________ asked Joan excitedly______________________________
(really/did you catch any fish)
4. ________________________________________________________________________ sighed Nancy.
(I caught a one but it got away as I was reeling in my line)
5. _________________________________________________________ asked Nancy.
(would you like to come along the next time we go)
6. _______________________________ beamed Joan happily________________________________
(sure/I’d love to)
With your child, think of a suitable continuation for the story. On a separate sheet of paper, ask
To parents
him to write it down with suitable dialogue and correct punctuation.
9
Date:
Using Commas in a Series
Use commas when you list three or more items in a series in a

single sentence.
Note
Max dressed quickly, ate breakfast and raced out the door.
Luis, Jamie, Leroy and Sam met Max at the baseball field.
Answer each question below in a complete sentence. Use commas where they
are needed. Make sure each sentence begins and ends correctly. Remember to
check your spelling.
Triple the Fun
1. What are the titles of three books you would like to read? Remember to
underline the title of each book.

2. What are four of the planets in our solar system?

3. What countries would you like to visit? Include at least three in your answer.

4. What months fall between January and July?

5. What activities do you and your friends enjoy in the summer?

6. Who are some of the most important people in your life?

Make up some questions like the ones above and challenge your child to answer them on another
To parents piece of paper.
10
Date:
Using Commas in Sentences
We use commas in a series of three or more items.

Max, Sam and Alex ordered burgers, fries and
milkshakes for lunch.
We also use commas
• to set off the name of the person or group you
Note are addressing.
Here’s your order, boys.
•a fter words like yes, no and well.
Well, what do you want to do now?
• before a conjunction that joins two sentences.
The boys finished lunch, and then they went to a movie.
Read the sentences below. Decide which ones need commas and which ones do
not. Add commas to the sentences where they are nedded.
Comma Capers
1. I’d like a bike a pair of in-line skates and a snowboard for my birthday.
2. Well my friend you can’t always have what you want when you want it.
3. No but I can always hope!
4. My friends and I skate all year long and snowboard during the winter.
5. I used to like skateboarding but now I prefer snowboarding and in-line

skating.
6. What sports games or hobbies do you enjoy most Jody?
7. I learned to ski last year and now I’m taking ice-skating lessons.
8. Skiing ice skating and skateboarding are all fun things to do.
Ask your child to look for examples of commas in sentences in newspapers or articles. Then see if
To parents he can figure out the rules.
11
Date:
Writing Complete Sentences
A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete

thought. It contains a subject (the naming part) and a predicate
(an action or state of being part).
These are sentences.
Note Sally sells seashells at the seashore.
Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.
These are not sentences.
Peck of pickled peppers
Flying up a flue
Make complete sentences by adding words to each group of words. Try to

create tongue twisters like the sentences above.
Sassy Sentences
1. Sixty slippery seals ______________________________________________________________.
2. ________________________________________________ fed Ted ______________________.
3. Ruby Rugby’s baby brother _____________________________________________________.
4. Sam’s sandwich shop ___________________________________________________________.
5. ______________________________________________________________ back blue balloons.
6. _______________________________________ sawed Mr. Saw’s ________________________.
7. A flea and a fly __________________________________________________________________.
8. _______________________________________________________ black-backed bumblebee.
To parents Ask your child to create a tongue twister. Make sure each one expresses a complete thought.
12
Date:
Writing Complete Sentences
Complete the sentences with the phrases given by adding your own subject or
predicate. The first one has been done for you.
Make It Whole
1. Mrs Robbins, our English teacher, taught in our classroom. (classroom)
2. My brother Janson ___________________________________________________ (television)
3. The orchard workers __________________________________________________ (orchard)
4. Sara was feeling sleepy so ______________________________________________ (room)
5. Jack had an early lunch because ______________________________________ (hungry)
6. We are not going to the party unless ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________ (homework)
7. Bernice is delighted to see Uncle Tom because ________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________ (favorite)
8. Nick, the naughtiest boy in our class, ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________ (noise)
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to write out three complete sentences that include a
To parents
subject and a predicate.
13
Date:
Identifying and Writing Four Kinds of Sentences
There are four kinds of sentences.

A declarative sentence tells something. It is a statement
and ends with a full stop.
My grandparents grew up during the 1960s.
An interrogative sentence asks something. It is a
question and ends with a question mark.
Note Do you know who the hippies were?
An imperative sentence tells someone to do something.
It is a command and ends with a full stop.
Check out this photo of my grandmother.
An exclamatory sentence shows strong feeling. It is an exclamation and
ends with an exclamation mark.
Now that’s one strange-looking outfit she has on!
Read the following sentences. Identify what kind of sentence each one is. Write
S for statement, Q for question, C for command and E for exclamation.
That’s Groovy
_____ 1. Grandma says there was a fashion revolution in the 1960s.

_____ 2. What an amazing time it must have been!
_____ 3. Here’s a photo of my grandfather in his teens.
_____ 4. How do you like those sideburns and the long hair?
_____ 5. Take a look at what he’s wearing.
_____ 6. I don’t believe those bellbottoms and sandals!
_____ 7. I’m glad these fashions are no longer in style!
_____ 8. Have you ever seen anything so funny?
_____ 9. One day our grandchildren may laugh at us.
_____ 10. What’s so funny about what we’re wearing?
14
Now, look at other “photos” from the sixties and write a statement (S),
a question (Q), a command (C) and an exclamation (E) about each one.
Make sure to begin and end your sentences correctly.
S
Q
C
E
S
Q
C
E
S
Q
C
E
Listen as your child expressively reads aloud the sentences that he wrote, showing what kind of
To parents sentences they are by the way that he reads them.
15
Date:
Identifying Order in Sentences
When you write, the words and phrases in your sentences must be
in an order that makes sense. Compare the sentences in each pair.
Which ones make more sense?
Note An enormous fish what the whale shark is!
What an enormous fish the whale shark is!
The largest fish in the world the whale shark is.
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world.
Use each group of words to write a sentence that makes sense.

A Whale of a Fish
1. of 60 feet? that the whale shark Did you know to a length can grow
2. two school buses end to end! That’s about parked as long as
3. are not a threat These huge creatures like some other sharks are.
to humans
4. to look for float near the surface plankton and tiny fish. Whale sharks
5. it must be alongside a whale shark. Imagine to swim how amazing

Write a sentence on another piece of paper. Cut it up into four separate parts and get your child to
To parents piece the sentence together.
16
Date:
Identifying Order in Sentences

When you write, the words and phrases in your sentences must
Note
be in an order that makes sense.
Rewrite the sentences correctly so that they make sense.

Brave Mr Carter!
1. The brave man our neighbor who caught Mr Carter was the burglar.

2. To catch the burglar how did Mr Carter manage?

3. The sounds he heard outside his home was by he woken up.

4. A stranger crept out and saw behaving quietly Mr Carter suspiciously.

5. He who was escaping caught the man with another neighbor’s possessions.

6. To do that Mr Carter was very brave I think.

Write a question and answer on another piece of paper. Rearrange the words and then get your
To parents
child to rewrite the question and answer so that they make sense.
17
Date:
Writing Questions from Statements

Words such as who, what, where, why, when and how,
and helping verbs such as is, are, was, were, do, did and
can at the beginning of sentences, signal interrogative sentences
Note or questions.
What is an odd number?
Do you know what an even number is?
Change each statement below into a question. Remember to begin and end
each sentence correctly.
Number Sentences
1. Numbers that cannot be divided evenly by 2 are called odd numbers.

2. All even numbers can be divided evenly by 2.

3. Odd numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9.

4. The number 317,592 is an even number because it ends in 2.

5. The sum is always an even number when you add two even numbers.

6. The sum of two odd numbers is also an even number.

Ask your child the following question: Can you figure out all the rules for working with odd and
To parents even numbers? Then ask your child which of the two answers is the correct one: Yes, the same rule
applies. / Yes, I can.
18
Date:
Writing Questions from Statements
Write an appropriate question for each statement. Remember

to begin and end each question correctly.
What’s So Funny?
1.
Melanie was laughing heartily because Tom told a joke.
2.
Tom told a joke about a silly cat.
3.
No, I did not hear the joke.
4.
Yes, I think we should ask him to tell the joke again.
5.
I think he’s in the classroom.

6.
No, he is not there!
Look for an interesting sentence from a favorite magazine or newspaper article. On a separate
To parents
sheet of paper, ask your child to write an appropriate question for it.
19
Date:
Varying the Lengths of Sentences
When you write, make sure that your sentences are not all of the
Note same length. That could make your writing boring. Make some
sentences long and some short.
Arrange the sentences or sentence fragments in order, forming a paragraph that

makes sense.
Delicious!
_______ Delicious and heavenly!
_______ A hot fudge ice-cream sundae is my favorite dessert.
_______ Two big scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream, topped

with hot chocolate fudge, is the perfect way to enjoy a
Sunday afternoon.
Now, write a long sentence, a short sentence and a sentence fragment for one
of the topics below. Try to make sure that the sentences and sentence fragment
can be read as one paragraph.
Topics: A Place I Love

My Favorite Food
Read an advertisement together with your child. Ask your child to say if it uses a variety of sentence
To parents
lengths and whether that makes the advertisement interesting to read.
20
Date:
Varying the Lengths of Sentences
Use the helping words to write a long sentence and a short sentence. You may
choose to use any one or all of the words, and write about different things in
each set of sentences.
A Short and Long Ball
relieved arrived stadium
Long sentence:

Short sentence:
excellent score happy
Long sentence:

Short sentence:
match exciting between
Long sentence:

Short sentence:
Using the words ‘kitten’, ‘piteously’ and ‘sorry’, challenge your child to make a long sentence and
To parents
a short sentence with some of the words.
21
Date:
Expanding Simple Sentences
We can expand sentences by adding an adjective (a word that

describes a noun), an adverb ( a word that describes a verb) and
Note a prepositional phrase (a phrase that begins with a
preposition, such as on, under and by, and tells where or when the
actions happened).
Read the short sentences in bold. Then make the sentences longer by adding
adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases.
The boy walked.
The boy walked.

(adjective)
The boy walked .
(adverb)
The boy walked
.
(prepositional phrase)
The girl laughed.
The girl laughed.

(adjective)
The girl laughed .
(adverb)
The girl laughed
.
22
A kite flew.
A kite flew.
(adjective)
A kite flew .
(adverb)
The kite flew
.
The snake slithered.
The snake slithered.

(adjective)
The snake slithered .
(adverb)
The snake slithered
.
Expand each short sentence below into a long sentence. Can you make them
even longer than the examples above?
The bubble popped.
The coins popped.
Ask your child to write a short sentence. Then take turns with your child to add four more details to
To parents
the sentence.
23
Date:
Expanding Simple Sentences

Add adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases to expand the following
sentences. Use the preceding answers at each step to build up to the final
sentence.
1. One day, a boy visited a muffin shop.

Add adjectives:
One day, a boy visited a muffin shop.
Add an adverb:
One day, a boy
visited a muffin shop.
Add a prepositional phrase:
One day, a boy
visited a muffin shop .
2. The boy decided to buy one of the muffins.

Add adjectives:
The boy decided to buy one of the
muffins.
Add an adverb:
The boy decided to buy one of the
muffins.
Add a prepositional phrase:
The boy decided to buy one of
the muffins .
Write out a simple sentence for your child. Then get him to add adjectives, adverbs and
To parents
prepositional phrases to make it more interesting.
24
Date:
Adding Details to Simple Sentences

A sentence can be very simple. As you write, add details about
people, places, or things, or about where, when and what happens.
The construction crew worked.
The construction crew worked quickly.
The construction crew worked quickly to clear
Note
the rubble.
The construction crew worked quickly to
clear the rubble at the building site.
The construction crew worked quickly yesterday to clear the rubble at the
building site.
Rewrite each sentence four times. Add new details each time to tell more about
whom or what, how, where and when.
Make It Interesting
The children played. A package arrived.

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

Rewrite the sentence below on another piece of paper. Ask your child to remove a detail each time
To parents he rewrites the sentence until only a very simple sentence is left.
The excited team cheered wildly after winning the championship basketball game.
25
Date:
Adding Details to Simple Sentences

Add on details to the sentence at each step to make it
more detailed and interesting than before. The first one
has been done for you.
1. Zack does not like to eat.

What? Zack does not like to eat steak.
Where? Zack does not like to eat steak at that restaurant.
Why? Zack does not like to eat steak at that restaurant because they are
always overdone.
2. Jim was walking.

How?
Where?
Why?
3. Father drove the car out.

When?
With whom?
Why?
Add your own details for the next sentence. Use question words such as who,
what, where, why, when and how to help you get ideas.
3. It was late at night.

On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to choose one of the sentences he has written and
To parents
write a short story with it.
26
Date:
Writing Compound Sentences
When you write, you may want to show how the ideas in two simple sentences are
related. You can combine the two sentences by using a comma and the
conjunctions and, but or or to show the connection. And shows a link between
the ideas, but shows a contrast, and or shows a choice. The new sentence is
called a compound sentence.
Note My sister joined a football team. My parents aren’t happy about it.
My sister joined a football team, but my parents aren’t happy about it.
Annie is determined. Her coach likes her.
Annie is determined, and her coach likes her.
Should Annie play football? Should she try something else?
Should Annie play football, or should she try something else?
Combine each pair of sentences. Use and, but or or to show the connection
between the ideas and make a compound sentence.
A New Challenge
1. My sister Annie has always participated in sports. Many say she’s a
natural athlete.

2. Soccer, basketball and softball are fun. She wanted a new challenge.

3. My sister talked to my brother and me. We were honest with her.

4. I told Annie to go for it. My brother told her to stick with soccer or basketball.

5. Will Dad convince her to try skiing? Will he suggest ice skating?

Ask your child to continue the story about Annie’s choice on another sheet of paper. Include some
To parents
compound sentences to tell what happens.
27
Date:
Writing Compound Sentences

Combine each pair of sentences using a comma
and and, but or or to make a compound sentence.
A New Home
1. We got a new house. We are starting renovations.

2. Our cousins are supposed to help us paint our house. They forgot to bring
the paint.

3. Should I paint my room blue? Should I paint it green?

4. We can put the bookshelf in the study. We can have the computer there too.

5. I want to put my toys in the glass cabinet. There is not enough space.

Read a paragraph from a favorite magazine with your child. Challenge your child to choose two
To parents
sentences with related ideas and combine them to make a compound sentence.
28
Date:
Combining Details from Several Sentences

If you use only short sentences in your essay, it could make your writing very
choppy. Sometimes we can combine details from related sentences.
Note May and Jim wanted to go to the beach.
May and Jim are my friends.
My friends May and Jim wanted to go to the beach.
Combine the underlined details in each pair of sentences to form a

single sentence.
Adventures by the Beach
1. May, Jim and I went to the beach.
The beach is near my house.

2. We found a bottle.

The bottle contained a piece of paper.

3. We took the paper out of the bottle.

The paper was crumpled.

4. There was a drawing on the paper.

The drawing was smudged.

5. It looked like a picture of a girl.

The girl was dressed in a Victorian gown.

29
Date:
When you write about something, try to include interesting

details. You can take the important details from several
related sentences and add them to the main sentence.
Kyle and Jim had a great plan.
Note
They’re my brothers.
The plan was for a tree house.
Now here’s a sentence that combines all the important details.
My brothers Kyle and Jim had a great plan for a tree house.
Read each group of sentences. Take the important details from the two related
sentences and add them to the main sentence to make one sentence.
Sentence Building
1. My brothers built a tree house. They built it in the old oak tree. It’s in
our backyard.
2. Jim made a ladder for the tree house. He made it out of rope. It is sturdy.
3. Kyle bought paint. The paint was brown. He bought a gallon.
4. Kyle and Jim finished painting. They painted the walls. It took an hour.
30
5. Jim painted a sign. He painted “no trespassing.” The sign is on the tree
house door.
6. A squirrel leaped into their tree house. It leaped from a

branch. It was curious.
7. The visitor startled my brothers. It was unexpected. My brothers were

unsuspecting.
8. The squirrel leaped out of the tree house. It was frightened. It was in a
big hurry.
9. The squirrel ran to another tree. It ran quickly. It was looking for food.
Write three short sentences on another piece of paper about a funny experience. Then ask your
To parents child to combine them into one sentence. Which sounds better, one sentence with lots of details or
two or three shorter sentences each with one detail? Why?
31
Date:

Read each group of sentences. Take the important details from the two related
sentences and add them to the main sentence to make one interesting sentence.
James’ New Computer
I have a friend named James.

He received a desktop computer from his father.
It was a Christmas present.
1.

James’ father came home one afternoon.

He carried a huge wrapped-up present for him.
It was a reward for him.
2.

James was thrilled.

It was the first time he owned a computer.
He could not stop grinning the whole day.
3.

James is very kind and generous.

He has invited me home to play on his computer.
I will be going this Saturday.
4.

Look for three related sentences in a children’s storybook. On a separate sheet of paper, ask your
To parents child to take the important details from the sentences and add them to the main sentence to make
one interesting sentence.
32
Date:
Avoiding Run-on Sentences

Writers sometimes make the mistake of running together two or
more sentences without telling how the ideas are related. This
kind of sentence is called a run-on sentence.
Kansas holds the record for having the largest ball of twine
in the United States can you believe it weighs over
17,000 pounds in fact, the giant ball is made up of
Note more than 1,100 miles of twine!
To fix a run-on sentence, identify each complete thought or
idea and break it into shorter sentences.
Kansas holds the record for having the largest ball of twine in the United States.
Can you believe it weighs over 17,000 pounds? In fact, the giant ball is made
up of more than 1,100 miles of twine!
Rewrite each run-on sentence correctly. Remember to begin and end each
sentence correctly.
Keeps On Going
1. Did you know that the United States is the top meat-eating country in the
world each person consumes about 260 pounds of meat each year beef is
the most commonly eaten meat.

2. It would be fantastic to have a robot to do all my chores, help do my home-

work, and play games I really think the day will come unfortunately, it won’t
come soon enough for me.

Ask your child to read one of the paragraphs he corrected. Then read the uncorrected version.
To parents Discuss with your child why one makes more sense than the other.
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Date:
Avoiding Run-on Sentences
To fix a run-on sentence, identify each complete thought or idea in

Note the run-on sentence and break these off into shorter sentences.
Rewrite each run-on sentence correctly, using the appropriate punctuation when
forming shorter sentences.
And On and On…

1. A bus was rumbling down the road the rugged-looking tourist was checking
his map he was on his way to the next town.

2. Windsurfing is a water sport that combines surfing and sailing you will need
a board with a rig connected the rig consists of a mast, a pole and a sail.
3. The nanny will be here tonight because our parents are going out I will at
over at my best friend’s house my younger brother will be alone at home.

4. I was at the post office when I saw Mandy she was so engrossed with her
book that she did not see me when I called her, she jumped in surprise
before smiling at me.
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Rewrite the following paragraphs and fix the run-on sentences so that the
paragraph makes more sense.
Hercules
In Greek mythology, Hercules is the son of Zeus who is a
Greek god and a mortal woman, and Zeus’ wife Queen
Hera was very jealous of Hercules so she sent two snakes
to kill Hercules when he was a baby but Hercules strangled
both the snakes.
Hercules is said to be very strong and he is known for his many heroic
adventures and most famous of all his adventures was the twelve major tasks that
he had to complete and one of the tasks required Hercules to capture Cerberus
which was a three-headed creature.
Due to his heroic achievements Hercules was given a home on Mount Olympus
and a goddess as a wife and when he died he became a god.
Ask your child to look at the paragraphs above and think about whether that is the only way to
To parents
break up the ideas. One point to consider is to vary the length of the sentences.
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Date:
Writing with More Exact Verbs
When you write, think about the verbs that you choose to express
action in your sentences. Are they as exact as they can be?
The child broke the plastic toy.
Note
The child smashed the plastic toy.
The child cracked the plastic toy.
Each verb creates a different picture of what happened.
Read each sentence. Underline the verb. Then rewrite each sentence using a
more exact verb. You may want to use a thesaurus.
Action Alerts
1. Three young hikers went up the steep hill.

2. A lone runner ran around the track.

3. The wind blew through the treetops.

4. The audience laughed at the hilarious scene.

5. The diners ate the delicious meal.

6. The young tourists liked the castle most of all.

Here are some commonly used verbs: make, tell, say, speak, ride. On another piece of paper,
To parents ask your child to list as many exact verbs as he can think of for each one. Use a thesaurus for
additional words. Then write several sentences using the exact words on the list.
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Date:
Writing with More Exact Verbs
When you write about actions, choose verbs that tell your readers
Note exactly what you want to say by using words of the exact intensity
to express your thoughts.
Rewrite the sentence and replace the verbs in bold with more exact ones. You
may want to use a thesaurus.
1. Michael smiled when his father praised him.
2. The shipment of goods is being sent from Europe.
3. Kelly was thinking of her favorite holiday destination.
4. Ben shouted in pain when he walked and fell onto the rocky track.
5. The mongrel smelled at the dog food before eating it hungrily.
6. Audrey told me to tell the teacher about the errant students.
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Rewrite the sentences and replace each set of words in bold with one
suitable word.
1. Please do not cut in when we are in a discussion.
2. Let’s all say sorry to our teacher for causing trouble to him.
3. When Jon’s pet died, he cried over it for quite a while.
4. Take off your grip on the rope or it will brush against your hand.
5. Let me think about your suggestions before I call you up again.
6. The policemen checked out how the burglar ran away at the crime
scene.
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to write down five action words or phrases. Then get
To parents
him to think of more precise verbs to replace these action words.
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Date:
Writing with Specific Details
Try to be specific when you are writing. Avoid using general

Note
words like stuff, things and something.
Rewrite the story below, replacing the words in bold with more specific ones.
Feel free to add other sentences to make your story more detailed.
Add More Details!
One time (when?), a boy (who?) was feeling very unhappy because a lot of
bad stuff (what bad stuff?) had happened to him. One morning, he walked
into a room (what room?) to find a new pet (what pet?) waiting for him. The
pet made him feel different (what emotions?). He was no longer sad. Now he
felt better (how did he feel?) because the pet had done something (what?)
to change his mood. At last the boy felt happy again.
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Date:
Writing with Specific Details
Using specific descriptions rather than generic ones can make your
Note
story more interesting and memorable to your readers.
Rewrite the below story and make it better by changing the generic information
in bold to specific ones.
A Lazy Day
It was a lazy day and the weather was too bad for Casey to go out. He
decided to stay at home to do his own things.
He found some things in the house, cooked them and ate his breakfast
happily. Then, feeling lazy again, he stretched out on the furniture in the
house. He flipped through some books then turned on the television and
watched some shows.
When his mom came back, she exclaimed, “Casey! Have you finished your
homework? Stop lazing around the house!” Casey made a sound; he had
forgotten all about it. He took out his homework and managed to finish them
before mealtime.
Get your child to read out the original version and the version he wrote. Then discuss with the
To parents
difference between both paragraphs with your child.
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Date:
Writing to Set the Tone
The word said is often overused and does not tell how a character
Note is feeling. You can replace said with other telling verbs to set the
tone of a story.
Fill in the blanks with words that mean the same or nearly the same as
said. Make sure the words you choose convey an appropriate mood for the
conversation.
Setting the Tone
Scene 1: These children are cheering for the Tigers to win the baseball game.
”Michael just hit a home run,” Tiara.

”I didn't see him do it,” Carlie.
”The Tigers are ahead by one run,” Jordan.
”They can win the championship game,” Ben.
”Michael is a hero,” Mikayla.
Scene 2: These children do not want the Tigers to win the baseball game.
”Michael just hit a home run,” Cathy.

”I didn't see him do it,” Joann.
”The Tigers are ahead by one run,” Jamie.
”They can win the championship game,” Brando.
”Michael is a hero,” Allison.
Role-play both scenes with your child. Ensure that the sentences are read with the appropriate tone
To parents
and emotion.
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Date:
Writing to Set the Tone
There are many alternatives to the word said. Set the tone of your
Note writing by using other words that convey different emotions such as
happiness, sadness, anger, fear, humor or suspense.
Rewrite the passage with suitable words from the boxes to replace the word said
and convey the right mood in the story.
barked grumbled murmured whispered whined
While the teacher’s back was turned, Jackie said, “Psst! I’ve got a note for you!
It’s from Sherry.”
I took the note and said, “Thanks.”
Suddenly, Mrs Taylor our teacher turned around and said, “Who’s that talking?”
I said to myself, “I hope she doesn’t know it was me.”
Jackie said, “It always happens when I’m passing a note to you.”
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Rewrite the passage with suitable words from the boxes to replace the word said
and convey the right mood in the story.
commented confessed confided remarked suggested
Yva was looking up gift ideas on the Internet when her friends came along. Yva
said, “I am getting some ideas for a gift for my mother.”
Lindy said, “Your mother’s birthday is over so why are you getting her a gift?”
Yva said, “I made my mother angry and I want to apologize to her.”
Macy said, “It’s the thought that counts, Yva, not the gift.”
“Why don’t you make something for her instead?” said Lindy. Yva thought that
was a great idea.
To parents Get your child to think of other words to replace the underlined words.
43
Date:
Using Words Other Than Said
There are many alternatives to the word said that can signal
Note different kinds of moods in a dialogue.
Read each sentence. List the feelings of each speaker.
The Tone of Talk
1. “Silence!” bellowed Dad.

2. “What was that?” the child whispered.
3. “Please be careful,” warned my mother.
4. “It’s been a long, exhausting day,” she yawned.
Read the incomplete dialogue. Think about the word that signals each speaker’s
words. Then write what you think each speaker said.
My brother Mikey is three years younger than I am, but he always wants to tag
along with me.
“ ,” insisted Mikey.
“ ,” I muttered, as I
tried to leave without getting into an argument.
“ ,” he countered,
grabbing his baseball glove.
“ ,” I yelled,
walking toward my bike.
I smiled at Mom and replied, “
.” Then I looked over at Mikey who was now pouting
and promised, “ .”
44
Look back at page 44. Underline all the words that were used in place of
said. Here are more words you can use. Think about what each might indicate
about the feelings of a speaker or a speaker’s tone of voice. Then complete the
dialogue below by adding a word that you think best signals each speaker’s
words.
accused giggled persuaded sobbed

argued groaned pleaded squeaked
balked hesitated predicted stuttered
blubbered hissed proposed tattled
bragged instructed quoted teased
consoled joked refused urged
corrected laughed repeated wailed
demanded mumbled reported whimpered
exclaimed objected roared wondered
gasped ordered scolded yelped
“Have you ever seen anything so incredible?” ___________________ Ben.

“There must be thousands of them,” he ______________________ , pointing to
the cloud of monarch butterflies flying overhead.
“There are,” ________________________ his grandfather.
“Where are they going?” ________________________ Ben.
“Every fall,” ___________________ Ben’s grandfather, “millions
of monarchs migrate from Canada and parts of the United States
to Mexico for the winter. Some travel up to 2,000 miles.”
“Let’s get the camera!” ________________________ Ben.
Ask your child to think of a scenario and write a conversation between two or three characters on
To parents
another piece of paper.
45
Date:
Using Words Other Than Said
Complete the dialogue below by choosing a suitable word to fill in the place of
the word said in the story.
announced begged chided chorused
quipped relented reminded whooped
“All right kids, Uncle Miles is coming over for the summer vacation,”
______________ Mom. “Hooray! I hope our cousins are coming along too!”
______________ Frank. “Yeah, me too!”______________ his younger brother
Nick.
Dad ______________,“ Remember Uncle Miles wants peace and quiet around
the house, boys.” “Yes Dad!” ______________ the two boys together.
Mom shook her head and ______________, “Remember the last time Uncle Miles
was here and you children made a ruckus? I’ve a good mind to tell him not
to come.” The boys ______________, “Aw come on, Mom, we promise to be
good.”
“Oh okay,” Mom ______________, and smiled at the boys. “Just make sure you
don’t give him another headache this time.”
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Complete the dialogue below by writing a suitable word to fill in the place of the
word said in the story.
“Guess what? I’ve been offered a place in the college that I wanted!”
______________ Ted ecstatically. His friend Hayden ______________
good-naturedly, ”Well, it didn’t come as much of a surprise since you have
always been the class geek.”
Ted playfully boxed Hayden on the arm and ______________, “I’m not the
only class geek here. Haven’t you also gotten into the same college as well?”
Hayden ______________, “Well, yes. But I got in through sheer hard work
unlike —” Ted ______________, ”Now give yourself more credit, Hayden. We
all know it wasn’t that easy to get in.”
“Well, I suppose so,” ______________ Hayden. “So how did your parents react
to the news?” Ted ______________, “Mom was over the moon! She had a
perpetual smile on her face.” Hayden ______________, ”Ha! So did my dad.
The news put him in a really good mood.”
Ted ______________, “I wonder if we will get to be room mates over
there?” Hayden ______________, “Even if we don’t get to be room-mates, I’m
sure we’ll be classmates, so don’t worry.”
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to continue the story with a pair of dialogue, one each
To parents by Ted and Hayden. Remind him to use alternatives to the word said to convey the right mood in
his writing.
47
Date:
Identifying Overused Words

Overused words can make your writing boring.
The weather was good for our first camping trip. (fair)
A ranger gave us some really good tips about the park. (useful)
Mom thought the campsite near the stream was good. (lovely)
Note My older brother is a good fly fisherman. (skilled)
He said his equipment is too good for me to use, though!
(valuable)
Reread the sentences and use the words in the brackets to replace
the words in bold.
Identify eight frequently overused descriptive words in the passage below. List
them in the answer spaces. Next, use a thesaurus to write three synonyms for
each word.
Numerous, Spectacular Words
Our family has a dog named Scooter. He’s normally very

good until it’s time to bathe him. That’s when our nice, little
terrier turns into a big, furry monster. Scooter isn’t really bad.
He’s just hard to handle when he doesn’t want to do
something. I think he’s afraid of water. You should see how
sad he looks once we manage to get him into the tub.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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Revise the passage. Replace the overused descriptive words you identified with
the synonyms you found.
Write another three sentences to describe Scooter. Use the picture to help you.
Think about your choice of descriptive words. Are they overused words? If they
are, change them.
Ask your child to reread an essay that he recently wrote. Challenge him to look for overused words
To parents
and use a thesaurus to find other words that could replace those overused words.
49
Date:
Using Figurative Language: Similes
A simile is a comparison using like or as. It helps the reader

Note know exactly what the author means and often helps ”paint a
picture” in the reader’s mind.
What word do you think should go on these blanks? Fill in the blanks
with similes.
Compare with Similes
1. The room is as hot as .
2. My fingers are as cold as .
3. He ran like to get home.
4. He laughed like .
5. His nose was as red as .
6. He was as angry as .
7. She is as stubborn as .
8. He yelled like .
To parents Ask your child to think of a simile to describe a person he likes.
50
Date:
Using Figurative Language: Idioms
An idiom is an expression that means something special to us

in our language, but would make no sense at all if you looked
Note at the words one by one. For example, if someone is ”the
top banana,” it doesn’t mean that the person is a banana.
This expression indicates that someone is important.
Match the idioms in the left column with their meaning in the right column.
Popular Idioms
1. The Harry Potter books • • A. If you start early, you will
sell like hotcakes. be more successful.
2. The early bird catches • • B. You will be extremely

the worm. happy.
3. Biking is as easy as • • C. Don’t complain about things

rolling off a log. that cannot be changed.
4. We’ll cross that bridge • • D. Something that sells quickly.

when we come to it.
5. You’ll be tickled pink. • • E. Don’t worry about future

events now.
6. Don’t cry over spilled milk. • • F. It requires very little effort.
To parents Ask your child to make a list of some idioms he knows.
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Date:
Using Onomatopoeia
When you want readers to ‘hear’ something you are describing,

you can use words that imitate the sound it makes. This use of
words is called onomatopoeia.
The kettle hissed as the water came to a boil.
Note
As the blazing campfire crackled, it warmed
the chilled campers.
Everyone buzzed with excitement as they
awaited the president’s arrival.
What comes to your mind when you read aloud each word listed below? Add
to the following list of words that imitate sounds.
Crack! Splat!
tick tock ______________________ ______________________
hum ______________________ ______________________
fizz ______________________ ______________________
zoom ______________________ ______________________
meow ______________________ ______________________
ding dong ______________________ ______________________
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Use onomatopoeia to complete each of the following sentences. Try to use some
of the words from your list.
1. The train _____________________________________ to a stop as it pulled

into the station.
2. The cat’s sharp claws ________________________________________ the

upholstery to shreds.
3. The racing car ______________________________________________ by at

140 miles per hour.
4. The well-oiled machine ____________________________________ quietly in

the background.
5. The windows ______________________________________ noisily as the wind

grew stronger.
6. Some of the floorboards and wooden steps in our house are loose, so they
______________________________________ when you walk on them.
7. The siren _______________________________________________, warning

both drivers and pedestrians along the busy street to make a path for the
approaching ambulance.
8. We _______________________________________________ for air as smoke

filled the room.
Ask your child to think a scene, such as an approaching thunderstorm or a walk along a busy
To parents city street. Ask him to use onomatopoeia to develop the scene so that the readers will ‘hear’
the sounds.
53
Date:
Using Pronouns in Writing
Pronouns are words that replace a noun or noun phrase in a

Note sentence. Possessive pronouns are used to refer to the owner
of things.
Rewrite the sentence and replace the words in bold with pronouns.
1. Sarah told her brother that she had a present for him.

2. The spectators cheered loudly when their team scored.

3. We were thrilled when the dolphin leaped out from the sea.

4. Uncle Tom’s air ticket was misplaced on the way home.

5. The cat’s paws were dirty from the mud.

6. Mrs Walter’s portrait is displayed in the front hall.

On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to form two sentences using pronouns and make them
To parents
more interesting with describing words.
54
Date:
Using Pronouns in Writing

Rewrite the following paragraphs by replacing the words in bold with pronouns.
“Wake up, Maggie! It’s time to get up!” Maggie’s mother shook her gently.
Maggie yawned. The time was exactly eight in the morning. Maggie sat up
and stretched. Maggie’s mother was busily getting breakfast ready.
Maggie’s brothers were planning the activities for the day. John asked,” Shall
you and I go fishing at the river?” Sam pondered, “The weather doesn’t look
too good. Dad has a big umbrella. Let’s get it from Dad.”
The children had a lot of fun. “To think it was Mom and Dad’s idea!”
grinned Sam. “Let’s thank Mom and Dad for the trip.” Maggie suggested,
“The three of us can do that by being very well-behaved for the rest of the
trip.” The boys agreed.
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to write a short continuation to the story. Remind him to
To parents
use pronouns at appropriate parts of the story.
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Date:
Mini Writing Project 1
1. Decide on a scene where an event is

going to take place and the three Recap
characters that will appear in your Two examples of figurative
scene. Write them here: language are similes and idioms.
Similes are comparison phrases
A Scene
that contain the words like or as
Characters: that help readers get a clearer
idea of the visual image in the
1. author’s mind. Idioms are
expressions or sayings that have a
2. certain meaning when read as an
entity rather than word for word.
3.
2. Secondly, let’s think of some similes and idioms that you think you may use
in your writing. Write them in the space here:
56
3. Next, let’s decide on your topic sentence to start the scene.
Topic sentence:
4. Now let’s put the topic sentence properly at the beginning of your
paragraph and continue with the supporting sentences and closing sentence.
Remember to use the idioms and similes you have thought up to make your
writing better.
Tip: As you write, keep the picture of the scene and what the characters are
doing in your mind. That will keep your writing on track.
5. Check your work.
To parents Read your child’s description of the scene and suggest ways to improve the writing.
57
Date:
Completing a Sequenced Paragraph

In a paragraph, sentences can be ordered according to
Note
beginning, middle and end to tell a story.
Read the content guides for writing the beginning, middle and end for the
paragraph. Write at least one sentence for the beginning, middle and ending
parts of each paragraph. You may like to include dialogue and suitable
adjectives to make your writing more interesting.
At the Annual Carnival
Content guide for the beginning:
You have arranged to meet your friends at an annual carnival. At this instance,
you have arrived and were taking in the sights of the carnival as you waited for
your friends.
Content guide for the middle:

Suddenly you heard the sounds of a child’s cries. You spotted a small child
crying amidst the crowd. He/she has lost his/her parents. You decided to bring
the child to the information counter at the carnival.
Content guide for the end:

After pacifying the child you started leading him/her to the information counter.
At this moment, a couple approached you and thanked you profusely for taking
care of their child. You reciprocate their thanks with a kindly response.
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to add to the story by writing a new sequenced
To parents
paragraph. Remind him to use a beginning, middle and ending sentence for his new paragraph.
58
Date:
Completing a Sequenced Paragraph
Write a paragraph about each set of pictures to make a short story.
A Circus Train
To parents Ask your child to read the paragraphs and try to improve on them by adding more details.
59
Date:
Identifying the Parts of a Paragraph
A paragraph is a group of sentences that tells

about one main idea. The topic sentence tells
the main idea and is usually the first sentence.
Supporting sentences tell more about the main
idea. The closing sentence of a paragraph
often retells the main idea in a different way.
Here are the parts for one paragraph.
Paragraph Title:
Starting Over
Topic Sentence:
Note Today started off badly and only got worse.
Supporting Sentences:
1. Everyone in my family woke up late this morning.
2. I had only 15 minutes to get ready and catch the bus.
3. I dressed as fast as I could, grabbed an apple and my
backpack, and raced to the bus stop.
4. Fortunately, I just made it.
5. Unfortunately, the bus was pulling away when several kids
pointed out that I had on two different shoes.
Closing Sentence:
At that moment, I wanted to start the day over.
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Parts of a Paragraph
Use all the information on the previous page to write the paragraph about a day
when everything went wrong.
Paragraph Title
Get your child to identify the topic sentence, supporting sentence and closing sentence in the
To parents
paragraph he wrote.
61
Date:
Identifying the Parts of a Paragraph
Other than the beginning, middle and end of a paragraph, you

Note should also be familiar with the topic sentence, supporting
sentences and closing sentence.
From the sentences below, identify the topic sentence (TS), supporting sentences
(SS) and the closing sentence (CS). Indicate the code TS, SS or CS in the
brackets beside each sentence.
Home Run!
( )A
nother player will try to score a run by hitting it with a bat and touching
the four bases of the baseball field.
( ) Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams.
( ) On each team, there are nine players.
( ) The pitcher of the other team will try to stop the player from scoring runs.
( ) In baseball, the team with the most runs at the

end wins.
( ) To play baseball, a player first throws the ball.
Write the sentences into a paragraph using the lines given below.
62
For each title, write a topic sentence, a few supporting sentences and a
closing sentence.
At the Annual Carnival
An Exciting Adventure
To parents Ask your child to do some research and write a short paragraph about a favorite sport.
63
Date:
Writing Topic Sentences

Every paragraph has a topic sentence that tells the main idea of the
paragraph or what it is about. It usually answers several of these
questions:
Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
Note
Here are some examples.
The doe and her fawn faced many dangers in
the forest.
We were amazed by our guest’s rude behavior.
Here are some topics. Write a topic sentence for each one.
What’s the Topic?
1. an important person in your life

2. an embarrassing moment

3. lunchtime at the school cafeteria

Now list some topics of your own. Then write a topic sentence for each one.
Topic #1 Topic #2
Topic sentence #1
Topic sentence #2
To parents Review the topic sentences with your child. Then ask him to try and improve on them.
64
Date:
Writing Topic Sentences
Most paragraphs begin with a topic sentence, but it can appear

elsewhere in a paragraph. Sometimes, a topic sentence is located
at the end of a paragraph or even in the middle.
A boiling mass of clouds was almost
overhead. A bolt of lightning streaked across
the darkened sky. Thunder boomed, and it
Note
began to rain and hail. We had to find a
safe place quickly! There wasn’t a moment
to spare because early summer storms
sometimes turn into tornadoes.
Read the paragraph again. Try placing the topic sentence else-
where in the paragraph.
Read each paragraph. Notice that each one is missing a topic sentence. Think
about the supporting sentences. What main idea do you think they support?
Write a topic sentence to tell the main idea of each paragraph.
Topic Talk
1. The days are growing longer. Snow is melting as the temperatures rise.
Colorful crocuses are popping up here and there. Robins have begun to
return north, and creatures are beginning to come out of their winter burrows.

2.
It was fun and easy. Students, parents and teachers began saving the box
tops from all Healthy Foods products. After we collected 100,000 box tops,
we mailed them to Healthy Foods headquarters. We earned 10 cents for
each box top for a total of $10,000. Our school will use the money to
buy computers.
Look for an appropriate article from a magazine. Ask your child to identify the topic sentence in
To parents
each paragraph.
65
Date:
Building a Paragraph: Identifying

Supporting Sentences
Note Supporting sentences tell more about the topic.
That Drive Me Crazy!
Read the paragraph below. Cross out the three sentences

that do not support the topic.
My Pet Peeves
I am a pretty agreeable person, but there are a few things

around my house that drive me crazy. One such thing is
when my younger brother goes into my bedroom and destroys my building
creations. My three-year-old brother has blonde hair. I also get upset when my
sister sings at the dinner table. Her favorite sport is gymnastics. My greatest pet
peeve is when my older brother taps his pencil on the kitchen table while I am
studying spelling words. I wish I had a fish tank in my room. My brothers and
sister are really great, but there are moments when they make me crazy!
Rewrite the paragraph above skipping the sentences that you crossed out. The
new paragraph should have a topic sentence followed by supporting sentences.
To parents Challenge your child to add one more supporting sentence to the paragraph above.
66
Date:
Building a Paragraph: Sequencing

Note The supporting sentences should be in an order that makes sense.
Read the topic sentence, then number the supporting ideas first (1) to last (4).
A Great Trick
Last week, I played a great trick on my mom.

_______ won a huge rubber snake
_______ went to a carnival
_______ called my mom outside
_______ put snake in my mom’s flower garden
Now use the topic sentence and ideas in the correct order to write a paragraph
telling the story. Be sure to use complete sentences.
Ask your child to think of a trick he has played on someone. On another piece of paper, ask him to
To parents
write a topic sentence and three supporting sentences about what he did.
67
Date:
Building a Paragraph:
Writing Supporting Sentences
Note A good paragraph has at least three supporting sentences.
Finish the paragraphs below by writing three sentences that support each
topic sentence.
Good to Know
Airplanes are useful in many ways. First,
Second,
Third,
Life as a child today is quite different from the way it was when my parents
were young. First,
Second,
Third,
Cut out a topic sentence from a magazine or newspaper article. Glue it to another piece of paper
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and ask your child to write three supporting sentences.
68
Date:
Building a Paragraph: Writing

Write three supporting sentences to complete each paragraph.
Shorter Weeks
I think the school week should be shortened to four days for three reasons.
The first reason is
Another reason is
The last reason is
I think four-day weeks just make more sense!
Looking Back:
Now proofread your paragraph for:
• capital letters and periods
• complete sentences
• describing words
• sentences that support the topic
On another piece of paper, ask your child to write a paragraph that begins with this topic
To parents
sentence: I think I should be able to stay up later for three reasons.
69
Date:
Writing Topic Sentences and Supporting Sentences

When writing a topic sentence, think about the main topic or idea
of the paragraph and the details you plan to include. Remember
that a topic sentence can answer several questions: Who? What?
Where? When? Why? How?
Tony Hawk
• skateboarder
• in his forties
Note • turned professional at age 14
• has won more skateboarding contests than anyone
• made history at Summer X Games in 1999 — landed a
“900” (a complete somersault done 2 1⁄2 times in mid-air)
Possible topic sentences:
There is no other skateboarder like Tony Hawk.
Tony Hawk is an extraordinary skateboarder.
Tony Hawk is the “old man” of skateboarding.
Write a topic sentence for each topic below.

A Lot of Details
1. 2.
Pet Rocks Komodo Dragon
• fad in the 1970s • member of monitor family
• idea came from Gary Dahl, a salesman • grows to 10 feet and weighs 300 pounds
• sold rocks as pets • meat eater
• came with a manual • dangerous to humans
• manual had tips on how to teach a pet • largest lizard in the world
rock tricks • long neck and tail, strong legs
• found on Komodo Island
1.

2.

70
Remember that the supporting sentences you write support or tell more about
the main idea in your topic sentence. Read the paragraph below. Draw one line
under the topic sentence. Draw two lines under the supporting sentences.
Check (√) the closing sentence.
Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk is an extraordinary skateboarder.

He turned professional when he was only 14
years old. Now in his forties, Tony has won
more skateboarding contests than anyone else
has. He even made history in 1999 by
landing a trick called the “900” at the Summer X
Games. Tony Hawk may just be the greatest skateboarder in the world.
Now, review the topics on page 70. Choose one. Use the information to write at
least three supporting sentences to support the topic sentence you wrote. Include
a closing sentence and a title. Write the paragraph below.
Ask your child to write a paragraph for the other topic on page 70, and include supporting
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sentences and a closing sentence.
71
Date:
Writing a Descriptive Paragraph
A descriptive paragraph creates a vivid image or picture for readers. By

choosing just the right adjectives, you can reveal how something looks, sounds,
smells, tastes, and feels. Compare the two paragraphs. Which one creates a
more vivid picture?
The pizza with sausage and onions tasted so good.
Note
The smooth, sweet sauce and bubbly mozzarella
topped with bite-sized chunks of extra hot sausage
and thin slivers of sweet onion on a perfectly baked,
thin crust delighted my taste buds.
Cut out a picture of something interesting

and paste it in the box. Then brainstorm a list
adjectives and descriptive phrases to tell about it.
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________
Write a paragraph about the picture. Begin your paragraph with a topic
sentence. Add supporting sentences that include the adjectives and descriptive
phrases listed to create a vivid picture.
Ask your child to think of what the following adjectives could describe: bumpy, dusty, narrow,
To parents steep, curvy, unpaved, well-worn. Then ask him to use the words to write a descriptive paragraph
that paints a picture.
72
Date:
Writing Introductions: Using a Question
There are many ways to begin an essay or a story. One way is to

Note
use a question in your introduction.
Write a three-sentence introduction for each topic below. One of the sentences
must be a question, and it can be the first, second or third sentence.
1. Explain why a particular book is your favorite.
2. Tell what happened when you found something exciting.
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Date:
Writing Introductions: Using a Quotation

One way to begin an essay is to use a quotation. However, the
introduction should have at least three sentences, with the quote at
the beginning, middle or end. Here are some hints for using quotes
in an introduction:
Note • The quote can be famous: “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
• It can be actual words someone has uttered: “Susan, please
take these papers to the office,” said Mrs Sheldon.
• It can be a made-up quote from a real or fictional character:
“Watch out for the dementors!” warned Harry Potter.
Write a three-sentence introduction for each topic below. At least one of

the sentences should be a quotation. Remember that a quotation must have
beginning and ending quotation marks.
1. If you could make one change at your school, what would it be?

2. Tell a story about a time you had some bad luck.

74
Date:
Writing Introductions: Using Descriptive Vocabulary
Sound and motion words give readers a hint of

where the story takes place, what action is
occurring or what the essay is about. They can
Note be part of a whole sentence, but not necessarily.
Scribble, Scribble, Scribble! Erase, erase,
erase! That is the sound of writing in
our classroom.
Write a three-sentence introduction for each topic below. Your introduction

should include words that indicate either sound or motion.
1. What is your favorite game? Why is it your favorite?

2. Tell a story about a time an animal did something funny.

75
Date:
Writing Introductions: Restating the Prompt
One easy way to begin writing an essay or story is to restate

the prompt. It may not be very exciting, but it is a solid and
Note
valid way to start writing. Restating the prompt means using the
words in the prompt to create the introduction.
Use the words in each prompt to write a three-sentence introduction for each topic.
1. Most people have a favorite day of the week. What is your favorite day?
Write a paragraph to explain why that day is your favorite.

2. You are taking out the garbage. As you approach the garbage can, you
suddenly see a bright green light in the sky. Write a paragraph about what
happens next.

Write a few topics for your child to choose from. Ask him to write an introduction by restating the
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topics and expanding on them.
76
Date:
Writing Topic Sentences and Supporting Details
The topic sentence is the main idea of the paragraph. The

supporting details tell more about the main idea. For example:
The truck was awesome. It was painted a bright blue with red
and yellow flames down the sides. It had enormous tires, large
Note enough for a man to stand in the center of them. The top of the
truck had to be at least twenty-feet high. Everyone called it
“Big Foot.”
“The truck was awesome” is the topic sentence. Everything else in
the paragraph explains what made the truck so awesome.
Write an appropriate topic sentence for the paragraph below.
When I got to the finish line, I thought I would die. I crashed over the line and fell
right on the ground. I was exhausted, but I won the 100-yard dash?
Write supporting details for this topic sentence.
You will not believe what I found under my desk!
Ask your child to add on one more paragraph about the truck. Remember to check that there is a
To parents
topic sentence and supporting details.
77
Date:
Writing Closing Sentences
A paragraph needs a closing sentence. One way of writing a

closing sentence is to restate this topic sentence again using
Note different words. For example:
I love your outfit. Those shoes go well with your blouse. The scarf and
skirt match well too. You look really great in those clothes.
Write a topic sentence and a closing sentence for the following paragraph:
While Mr Catogni got out the clay, everyone put on smocks and got quiet. Then
he showed us how to roll the clay like a snake and curl it around into a pot. He
let us roll out clay and make our own pots. Mr Catogni says we can fire our pots
in the kiln.
Write supporting details for this topic sentence and closing sentence.
Last week we had the easiest assignment ever.
I wish we had more easy assignments like this one.
Ask your child to look at some of the paragraphs from page 77 and write a closing sentence for
To parents
one of them.
78
Date:
Writing a descriptive paragraph involves more than just

adding adjectives. A full description of a person, scene or animal
Note can be an entire paragraph. You can include a descriptive
paragraph even when you are writing a narrative story,
especially if the character is very peculiar.
Imagine you saw the character below. Think of adjectives you can use to
describe her. Then write a paragraph describing her from head to toe. You
can even add in other details to describe her that may not be obvious from
the picture.
Adjectives
___________________________________ ___________________________________
___________________________________ ___________________________________
___________________________________ ___________________________________
The Woman Who Lives in the Old House!

Ask your child to review their description. Can he or she think of some of the activities that this character
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might do? Ask your child to add those activities into the description.
79
Date:
Choose any person you know and describe that person, starting at the top of
the head and working your way down to the feet. You can be humorous, but not
hurtful. (NOTE: This person can be real or fictional.)
I choose to describe
Do you have pet at home? Or maybe know of an animal that lives outdoors,
such as an ant or a lizard? Take a good look at the animal — real and fictional
— and then describe it, starting at the nose and continuing down to the tail.
Include details that will make your description interesting to read.
I choose to describe
To parents Ask your child to draw out a picture for either of the paragraphs above to enhance the description.
80
Date:
Besides describing characters, we often need to describe a scene

Note in the story. In a descriptive paragraph of an event, we need to
describe what happened in detail, not just list the events.
Choose an action that happened at school today or yesterday. Work together to

write a paragraph that describes the action. Here are some hints to help you.
1. Write an opening sentence that tells where the action happened.

2. Tell the names of the people involved. (You can say “the whole class” or “all
of the boys” if you do not want to list everyone's names.)

3. Write the action paragraph. Remember that this is just one action
paragraph within a longer story.

Ask your child to review the paragraph he has written, and add adjectives and adverbs to set the
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mood of the paragraph.
81
Date:
Expanding Paragraphs
You can expand a simple paragraph and make it more

interesting by
• combining short, choppy sentences.
• adding details to help create a picture, mood or feeling.
Note
• replacing dull, overused or inexact nouns, verbs and adjectives.
• changing the order of words in sentences.
• adding words or phrases such as also, first, meanwhile, in fact,
however, eventually and in the end to connect ideas or events.
Grab Some Interest
Expand and rewrite each of the following paragraphs using some of the
suggestions above.
It was dusk. The snow began to fall. I was surprised.

It was the end of April. Snow is unusual then. The
temperature had fallen. That was earlier. Clouds
began moving in. I knew a storm was coming.
Would it be a snowstorm? I woke up the next
morning. Snow covered the ground. There would be
no baseball practice today!
82
Something smelled good. We had just passed the bakery. We looked at
each other. We smiled. We headed back to the bakery. Maggie opened the
door. We went inside. What a sight! There were all kinds of goodies. There
were breads and rolls. Some were just out of the oven. I went from case to case.
Everything looked and smelled good. It was a hard decision. Finally, I chose.
Find a children’s storybook in which the sentences and paragraphs are very simple. Ask your child
To parents
to rewrite the book for students who are of his age.
83
Date:
Expanding Paragraphs
Edit and expand the paragraphs below to make them more detailed
and interesting.
Jennifer was late for band practice. She went into the room. Everyone was in
the middle of a piece of music. She went to get her instrument and walked to her
seat quickly. Gwen, her best friend, shot her a whisper, “Why are you so late
today?” Jennifer whispered back, “I stayed up last night to wrap our present for
Mr Collins.” It was Jennifer’s turn to play and she quickly focused on her score.
“We’ll continue working on our new song tomorrow,” said Mr Collins. “You all
did a great job today.” While everyone was packing up, Gwen poked Jennifer.
Jennifer nodded. She cleared her throat and said, “Mr Collins, on behalf of
everyone here, we would like to give you a present. Happy Teacher’s Day to
you!” Mr Collins beamed, “What a pleasant surprise! Thank you students!”
84
Cut out a short paragraph from a newspaper article or a magazine. Paste it in
the space below:
Rewrite and expand this paragraph you have chosen, using some of the ideas
above to make it more detailed and interesting.
Read the paragraph your child wrote and suggest ways to improve on it. On a separate sheet of
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paper, ask your child to write down an improved version of the paragraph.
85
Date:
Planning and Writing a Persuasive Paragraph
A persuasive paragraph gives your opinion and tries to

Note convince the reader to agree. Its supporting ideas are reasons that
back up your opinion.
Circle the topic sentence and underline each of the supporting ideas in the
paragraph below.
I'm Sure You'll Agree!
Our family should have a dog for three reasons.

First, pets teach responsibility. If we get a dog, I
will feed him and take him for walks after school.
The second reason for having a pet is that he would
make a good companion for me when everyone else
is busy. I won’t drive Dad crazy always asking him
to play catch with me. The third reason we need a
dog is for safety. He would warn us of danger and
keep our house safe. For all of these reasons, I’m sure
you’ll agree that we should jump in the car and head
toward the adoption agency right away. I don’t know
how we have made it this long without a dog!
Plan and write a persuasive paragraph asking your parents for something (such
as a family trip, new sports shoes or permission to go for a school excursion).
1. Choose a topic.
2. Write a topic sentence.
86
3. Brainstorm three supporting reasons.
Reason 1
Reason 2
Reason 3

Write a persuasive paragraph using the points you wrote on page 88.
87
Date:
Planning and Writing an Expository Paragraph
An expository paragraph provides facts or explains ideas.

Note
The supporting sentences give more details about the topic.
Our school day ends by completing our

homework assignment books. First, I read the list of
the day’s assignments from the chalkboard, looking
for work that I have not completed. Then I copy the
incomplete assignments into my notebook. Next, Mr.
Brown checks the assignment book for accuracy and
initials it. Last, I collect all of the books and papers I will
need in order to complete the work. By spending the
last few minutes of each day completing my homework
assignment book, I know just what to do when I get
home (after my snack)!
That’s a Fact!
Plan an expository paragraph explaining one part of your school day. Use the
example above as a guide.
Write a topic sentence.
List four supporting ideas.
1.
2.

88
3.
4.
Write a closing sentence.
Write an expository paragraph using the point you wrote on page 88.
89
Date:
Planning and Writing an Expository Paragraph
An expository paragraph provides facts and information,

Note
explains ideas or gives directions on how to do something.
Use the instructional steps to building a tree house below to develop an

expository paragraph.
Building a Tree House
Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own Tree House!
1. Look for a tree with thick branches set wide apart sufficiently to hold a
wooden floor.
2. Get the wood and building materials you need for the tree house.
3. Get the tools you need such as goggles, masks, a drill, a hammer and a
handsaw.
4. Next, measure the frame for the floor of your tree house.
5. Put the wood together to make the floor and nail them to the branches.
6. Make the ladder that goes up to the tree house.
7. Make the walls of the tree house by nailing the wood to the floorboard.
8. Nail together the frame for the roof, then drape the material over it and
staple it down. You are done!
90
Select one of the topics below. List the points you will need to write your
expository paragraph and write it in the box below.
Topics:
• My Favorite Snack • My Hero
• Why Smoking Is Bad • Hobby Ideas!
My ideas:
____________________________________________
(Title)
Ask your child to choose another topic from above, and plan and write out another expository
To parents
paragraph. Ask him to include more information by doing some research on this topic.
91
Date:
Writing Expository Paragraphs
An expository text informs readers, usually by giving reasons

Note for something. The text can be your personal response to an event
or thing.
Read this essay about why a school is special. Then use the ”paragraph starters”
to write elaboration paragraphs.
Middleport Elementary School is the best in the country! We have all the greatest
teachers and the best kids. One reason Middleport Elementary School is so good
is the wonderful teachers. They are pretty smart, they don’t give lots of homework,
and they care a lot about kids. Best of all, they make learning fun with great
classroom activities. My favorite activity is
Another reason I love Middleport is that we have the best kids around. I should
know because these kids are my best friends. I can always count on my friends if
I ever need anything. For example,
I am so glad that I get to come to this school every day. Excellent teachers and
helpful friends — what more could a kid ask for?
92
Date:
Writing Expository Paragraphs
Giving specific examples to back up your supporting sentences

Note can make your expository paragraphs much more convincing.
Read the paragraphs below. Provide suitable examples to support the points
mentioned in the text.
Helping Out Around the House
Nowadays, it is really important for us children to help our parents with the
housework. That is because both our parents are busy working hard and the least
we can do to show our love for them is to ease their housework burden.
There are some simple chores we can do around the house. For example,
If we are responsible enough, we can also try handling some outdoor chores.
For instance,
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to add another paragraph to the above text. He can
To parents
write a paragraph about another activity that he can help out with.
93
Date:
Writing More Expository Paragraphs
Use the ”paragraph starters” to write elaboration paragraphs that feature very
short stories.
Class dismissed! Those are sweet words to me. Don't get me wrong. I like school
and I like my teachers, but I am also glad when school in out. It means that I am
on my way to my favorite two activities.
I go to day care after school, but it is pretty cool. We go to a big playground and
run around like crazy. Then, after we run around a little, we get to play games. I
like playing catch and basketball.
I remember one day when I was playing basketball
We also have snacks at day care. They make us eat healthy stuff, but it is fun
because we get to fix the snacks by ourselves. It gets a little messy, but they don't
even yell at us.
Last week, I made
Okay, so it isn't ice-skating or karate lessons, but it is a good place to go after

school. I am glad I get to go to my day care instead of somewhere else.
Ask your child to write an expository essay about a place they like to go to. He can use the same
To parents
paragraph starter as above.
94
Date:
Writing More Expository Paragraphs

You can write expository paragraphs using a vignette. A vignette
is a set of sentences that focuses on one moment or gives more
Note details about a character, idea or object. Vignettes can make your
paragraphs more vivid and create a deeper impression on your
readers.
Read the paragraphs below. Add vignettes to make your writing more vivid and
interesting. You may need to do some research about the topic before you write.
Chlorofluorocarbons and the Ozone Layer
In recent years, there has been much attention given to the problems caused by
pollution. One of the more serious problems is the depletion of the ozone layer.

The ozone layer is
The ozone layer gets thinner when chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) escape from the
Earth into the atmosphere. Chlorofluorocarbons are
It is important for us to reduce the amount of chlorofluorocarbons in our

environment by not using chemicals that contain them. It is our duty to take care
of the Earth.
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to write a short paragraph about how pollution can
To parents
be reduced in the environment. Remind him to include specific examples and vignettes.
95
Date:
Using an Outline to Organize Ideas
When you write a report or story, it helps to review your notes and
organize them into an outline to show the order in which you want to
discuss them.
Chester Greenwood subject of the report
I. Who was Chester Greenwood? main idea becomes
topic sentence
A. born in 1858 supporting details become supporting
sentences
B. grew up in the United States
C. as a child had ear problems in winter
Note II. His first invention – earmuffs
A. needed a way to protect ears from cold
B. 1873 at age 15 began testing his ideas
C. idea for fur-covered earflaps worked
D. people saw and also wanted earflaps
E. grandmother helped produce them
III. His later accomplishments
A. founded a telephone company
B. manufactured steam heaters
C. over 100 inventions
Study the outline above. Then answer the questions.

Let’s Get Organized
1. What is the topic of the report?

2. How many paragraphs will there be?

3. What is main topic of the first paragraph?

4. How many details tell about the second main idea?

96
Use the form below to develop an outline for preparing an interesting and
unusual dish that your family enjoys.
How to Prepare
I. Background about the dish

A.
B.
C.
II. Ingredients
A. D.
B. E.
C. F.
III. Equipment
A. D.
B. E.
C. F.
IV. Steps
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
To parents Ask your child to share the outline with you and discuss how he would organize the text.
97
Date:
Keeping a Journal
A journal is a record of events that happen in our lives, and

our feelings and opinions about them. A journal entry records the
Note
events that occur in one day. It is usually written in chronological
order according to the time that the events happen.
Let’s recall how your schedule is like on a usual school day. Fill in the activities
that you did during the respective times below.
My Timeline
Date: __________________________________________________________________________
Time of day What I did
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Using the information above, write a journal entry starting with the date, followed
by the events in chronological order. At any point, you may include your own
thoughts, feelings and emotions.
To parents On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to write another journal entry for a special occasion.
98
Date:
Keeping a Journal
When you keep a journal, you record the facts and details about
events that happen in your life, and your feelings or opinions about
them. Your journal entries can be a valuable resource when you
are looking for writing ideas.
Note 3 Sep We had to take Fuzzer to his new home today. Our new
landlord said he could not stay with us at our apartment
anymore. I know Fuzzer will be much happier at the farm
where he can run and play, but I still felt so sad. I tried not to
cry, but I could not help it. I will miss him very much!
Think about the events that have happened over the last few days. Did anything
special happen? Record the facts, details, and your feelings or opinions about
two events on the journal page below. Write the date for each entry.
Daily Notes
Date: ______________
Date: ______________
To parents Ask your child to add one more journal entry to what he has already written.
99
Date:
Planning and Writing a Friendly Letter
The five parts of a personal letter include the date, greeting, body,
closing and signature. Notice the punctuation marks that are used
in each part.

greeting 13 August 2013 date
Dear Gramps,
Note
We had a great fishing trip! Dad caught two bass.

body I hooked an enormous catfish, but he got away. I guess
Swan Lake is lucky for us. I’ll always remember this trip.
Love, closing
John signature
Plan and write a friendly letter to a close friend about your school holidays.
Follow the steps below.
To whom are you writing this letter?
What is the reason for writing this letter?
What are some of the activities that you did you did during the school holidays?
Did anything special happen?
Write down some of your opinions or feelings about your school holidays, about
the people you met or about the things that happened.
100
Date:
Writing a Friendly Letter
Paragraph Pen Pals
Write a letter to friend. Use the points you wrote on the previous page to help you.

(today's date)
____________
,

(your name)
To parents Ask your child to pick another topic and write a friendly letter to a family member.
101
Date:
Planning a Story
It is important to make a plan before you begin to write a story.

Note
A graphic organizer can help you to plan your writing.
Write about something exciting that happened on your way to school.
Box 1 Box 2
Where were you? Tell what happened first.
Who were you with? Write one or two details about

what happened first.
Box 4 Box 3
Tell what happened third. Tell what happened second.
Write one or two details about what Write one or two details about
happened third. what happened second.
102
Imagine you witnessed an accident. Write about what happened.
Box 1 Box 2
Where were you? Tell what happened first.
Who were you with? Write a detail about what

happened first.
Box 4 Box 3
Tell what happened third. Tell what happened second.
Write one or two details about what Write one or two details about
happened third. what happened second.
Ask your child to think of an interesting conclusion for each of the story he has planned on pages 104
To parents
and 105.
103
Date:
Writing a Story
A story has characters, a setting (where and when the story

takes place) and a plot (the events that happen in a story). The
Note main story character often faces a problem which is introduced at
the beginning of a story, developed in the middle and solved at
the end.
Develop your own story about the picture. First, answer the questions.
Story Time
1. What or who is the story about?

2. Where and when does it take place?

3. How will the story begin?

4. What happens in the middle?

5. How will the story end?

104
Use your answers to write a story. Include a title. Be sure to tell the events in the
order they happen.
Get your child to compile magazine pictures that spark story ideas. From time to time, get him to
To parents
choose one of the pictures and make up an oral story about it.
105
Date:
Writing a Story
Select a picture or photo that leaves a vivid impression on you. Have it on hand
while you write down the information below so you can refer to it whenever
necessary.
Who are the characters in your story? Use the people in the picture and think up
more to add to the story if you wish.
When and where does your story take place? Think up suitable adjectives to
describe the things in your setting.
Briefly describe your plot. What is the problem that the character encounters?
Let’s put your information into a story with a beginning (B), middle (M) and end (E):
(B)
(M)
(E)
To parents Read through the story with your child. Suggest ways to improve the story.
106
Date:
Writing Instructions
When writing instructions, use clear and simple words that your
Note readers will understand. It should be written in the active voice and
the steps must be in the right order.
You are one of the seniors helping out with your school camp. Use the pictures
and helping words to write instructions for lighting a campfire.
Starting a Campfire
1.

(firewood, different sizes)
2.

(smaller pieces, aside)
3.

(longer pieces, teepee structure)
4.

(light, campfire, match)
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to write another set of instructions that may be needed
To parents
at the camp e.g. how to cook over a campfire or how to pitch a tent.
107
Date:
Writing Instructions
Grandpa Willy has just bought a new computer and is trying to learn how to
use it. Let’s write out some instructions for him so he can learn how to operate his
computer easily. Use the helping words below to write the instructions.
How to Use a Computer
power plug socket electricity
1.
press power button Central Processing Unit (CPU)
2.
press power button monitor
3.
108
wait computer start up
4.
screen lights up ready
5.
mouse move pointer want
6.
click once select program
7.
Find an instruction manual for a home appliance. Read through it with your child and highlight to
To parents him how instructions are written, e.g. simple commands are used such as ‘press the button’, ‘turn on
the…’ and so on.
109
Date:
Proofreading
Quotation marks can be added to a story using these proofreading

marks.
Note
mars = Make a capital letter. ? = Add a question mark. ! = Add an exclamation point.
. = Add a period. , = Add a comma.

“ ”
= Add quotation marks.
Find 16 mistakes in the story. Use proofreading marks to correct them.
Lucky Day
Drew woke up early on Saturday. No school today, he said He found his

mom working in the garden What are you doing ” he asked.
“I am planting these flowers, she answered.
Drew looked down He couldn’t believe it. A four-leaf clover” he shouted
“This should help us win our big game today he said.
Drew’s entire day was perfect. his sister shared her toys, the ice-cream
truck brought his favorite flavor and his team won the big game “What a
day! he whispered to himself as he fell asleep that night.
On another piece of paper, ask your child to write about his luckiest day. Remind him to include at
To parents
least two sets of quotation marks.
110
Date:
Proofreading
Have you ever accidentally left out words when you write?
Whenever you write, it is always a good idea to proofread for
words that may be missing. Here is an example of what to do
when you want to add a missing word as you proofread.
Note e-mail
I got an from my friend last night.
v
met
We last summer when my family was in Japan.
v
Read the passage below about school in Japan. 16 words are missing. Figure
out what they are and add them to the sentences. Use the symbol to show v
where each missing word belongs. Then write each missing word above the
sentence.
A Long School Year
How would like to go to school on Saturdays? If you lived in the of Japan, that’s
just where you’d be each Saturday morning. I have a who lives in Japan. Yuichi
explained that attend classes five and one-half a week. The day is on Saturday.
I was also surprised to that the Japanese school is one of the longest in the
world — over 240 days. It begins in the of April. Vacation is in late July and
August. School then again in fall and ends in March. The people of believe that
111
a good is very important. Children are required to attend school from the age of
six to the of fifteen. They have elementary and middle schools. Then most go on
to high school for another three years. Yuichi says that students work very be-
cause the standards are so high. He and some of his friends even extra classes
after school. They all want to get into a good someday.
Ask your child to write several sentences about something that interests him. Rewrite the sentences
To parents on another sheet of paper, this time leaving out a key word in each one. Challenge your child to
add the missing words. Then compare the two sets of sentences.
112
Date:
Proofreading
When proofreading, read the sentences slowly and carefully to

Note
look for missing words or mistakes in punctuation and spelling.
Correct the mistakes you find in the paragraph. Rewrite them correctly in the
spaces given.
Parkour!
Developed in France by David Belle, Parkour is an intersting physical activity that

train us to become stronger and more agile while still been able to move around
freely In Parkour, you learn overcome various obstacles by running, climbing,
swinging, leaping rolling. You do not need any equipments and it is non-
competitive. It can be quiet challenging to successfully overcome some of the
obstacles so you will need a lot perseverance and determination.
Provide your child with a short paragraph of a favorite sport written on a separate piece of paper.
To parents
Include some errors in the paragraph and challenge your child to spot the errors.
113
Date:
Proofreading
Correct the mistakes you find in the paragraphs below. Rewrite them correctly in
the spaces given.
It was late in the evening and there many people waiting at the bus stop. There
were people than usual because it was raining and some of them were shelter
from the downpours.
Daniel groaned Oh no, I really hate crowds. I can’t even see if my bus is
coming! Irin reassures him, saying, “Don’t worry, once the rain stops there will
be fewer here I’ll a look out for the bus. You just relax.”
Soon, the rain became a light drizle. The people started to dispersed from the
bus stop. Daniel heaved a sigh of relief gushed, “Thank goodness there are
fewer people now!” irin exclaimed, “Our bus is here too! Come on, lets go.”
On a separate sheet of paper, ask your child to continue the story by writing another paragraph
To parents
and proofread the paragraph.
114
Date:
Mini Writing Project 2
Recap
When planning a piece of writing, read the title or topic carefully. Then, decide
what type of text you need to create – descriptive, expository or persuasive.
Next, keep a picture of what you want to write about in your mind and
brainstorm for ideas, adjectives and other describing words you may need.
Organize your ideas by grouping ideas together. Use the words you
brainstorm to make your writing more vivid and interesting.
Proofread your writing and when you are ready to publish your text, you can
type it out on your computer and add illustrations.
You have been asked to write an article for your school magazine. Choose one
of the topics below. Plan and write your article, then proofread and get it ready
for publishing.
Topics:
• Managing Stress: A Survival Guide for Kids!
• Cool Activities for the Holidays
• Making Friendships Last
1. Decide on the topic you wish to write about.

Selected topic:
What kind of text do you need to write?
2. Brainstorm ideas, adjectives and other describing words you can use. You
may need to do some research or interview people to get more information.
Write down your ideas and describing words in the box:
115
3. Organize your ideas into the beginning (B), middle (M) and end (E). Include
the describing words you have thought of to make your writing more vivid
and interesting.
(B)

(M)
(E)
4. Proofread by checking for misspellings, missing words and punctuation in

your writing. Use the symbol ( ) to show where the missing words should go.
v
5. Type your story out on your computer, then proofread it one more time to
make sure there are no mistakes.
6. Finally, print our your final piece of writing and pass it to a family member
to read. If you get some suggestions on making it better, you can include the
new changes into the softcopy of your writing.
Have fun!
116
Writing Tips
Writing Tip 1: Set the tone of your writing by using alternatives to
the word said.
The word said is often overused and does not tell how a character is feeling.
You can replace said with other telling verbs to set the tone.
There are many alternatives to the word said. Set the tone of your writing by
using other words that convey different emotions such as happiness, sadness,
anger, fear, humor or suspense.
Compare the two paragraphs below.
Paragraph 1:
“I’m tired,” said Benny.

“Are we almost there?” said Lisa.
“It’ll be another hour,” Dad said.
“Okay,” said Benny and Lisa.
Paragraph 2:
“I’m tired,” whined Benny.

“Are we almost there?” grumbled Lisa.
“It’ll be another hour,” Dad promised.
“Okay,” sighed Benny and Lisa.
The telling verbs in the second paragraph indicate the feelings and tone of voice
of the characters in the story and make the dialogue more interesting to read.
117
Writing Tip 2: Write a closing sentence for your paragraph.
Every paragraph should contain a topic sentence, supporting details and a
reasonable closing sentence.
The topic sentence is often the first sentence in a paragraph. It indicates what the
rest of the paragraph is about. The topic sentence is then followed by supporting
details. The paragraph ends with a closing sentence that recaps the events or
summarizes the information in the paragraph. One easy way to write a closing
sentence is to simply say the same thing again, but with different words.
Look at the paragraph below.
Jade is my friend because she is always helpful to

everyone. Jade lends people books and helps everyone with
homework. She is kind to everyone and helpful even to the
teachers! It is nice to have such a wonderful friend.
The closing sentence in the paragraph restates that Jade is a friend but in
different words. Both the topic and closing sentences say the same thing and can
be interchanged.
It is nice to have such a wonderful friend. Jade lends

people books and helps everyone with homework. She is kind to
everyone and helpful even to the teachers! Jade is my friend
because she is always helpful to everyone.
Here is another example.
I love your outfit. Those blue shoes go well with your bag.
I love the patterns on your skirt, and it goes very well with your
scarf. Those earrings are a good choice too. You look really
pretty in those clothes.
Here is the paragraph again with the topic and closing sentences interchanged.
You look really pretty in those clothes. Those blue shoes

go well with your bag. I love the patterns on your skirt, and
it goes very well with your scarf. Those earrings are a good
choice too. I love your outfit.
118
Writing Tip 3: Elaborate by writing descriptive paragraphs.
An engaging story or narrative text is one that contains lots of descriptive
paragraphs. Here are some examples of how you can elaborate your story
by describing:
1. Describe the physical characteristics of a person or thing in
the story.
The easiest way to describe something is to use your five senses. You may tell
what something looks like, feels like, smells like, taste like and sound like.
For a clearer description, you could include more specific words. Instead of
saying something “smelled good”, you could say: “It smelled of cinnamon.”
Rather than stating something is a big box, you could specify its size, color
and shape: “It was a huge, brown, rectangular box the size of a refrigerator.”
2. Describe the setting or the scene in the story.
Besides describing characters, we often need to describe a scene in a story.
When you describe a scene, do not just make a list of what is there. You
need to write a genuine description. Provide numbers, colors, sizes and
shapes, and include sights, smells, sounds and even tastes.
3. Describe the action in the story.
When describing the action in a story, you should not merely list a series of
events. Compare the two paragraphs below.
Paragraph 1:
The evil Martian hit Stephen. Then Stephen kicked him. The
Martian hit him again. Stephen took out his laser gun. The
Martian shot the laser out of Stephen’s hand. Stephen ran into
the vault and shut the door.
Paragraph 2:
The evil Martian suddenly hit Stephen in the head. Then

Stephen kicked him soundly on the shoulder. But the
Martian hit him in the head again. Stephen screamed in
pain. At last, Stephen took out his laser gun, and it tumbled
out of reach. The Martian shot the laser out of Stephen’s
hand. Stephen ducked into the vault and slammed the door.
119
The second paragraph describes the action more fully through the use of adverbs
that help tell how the action happened. The prepositional phrases also give the
paragraph more meaning. The second paragraph is more descriptive as it
contains more adjectives, sentences of different lengths and more specific words.
4. Describe a character’s thoughts.

One reason why you enjoy reading stories is because you can tell what the
characters in a story are thinking in different situations. You get to know a
character as he or she reflects on scenes from childhood, hatches plans, sees
humor in different situations and bares his or her soul to the reader in every
emotional state. You grow to care about the characters the writer has created
for the story. It is vital, therefore, to write what the characters are thinking.
Writing Tip 4: Make a plan before you begin to write a story.
Good writers plan their work and have some sort of an outline for where the
story is going or what main ideas they tend to include. You can make use of a
graphic organizer during the planning stage.
Here is a very simple graphic organizer that can be used for any kind of writing.
It will help you to “write in a circle”, which means to include something from the
introduction in your closing paragraph.
Box 1 Box 2
Box 4 Box 3
The organizer looks like a large plus sign. The planning begins in the upper
left-hand corner, where you write the topic of the story and a few details to get
started. Then move to the upper right-hand corner, where you write what
happened first in the story. The next box is the lower right-hand corner, where
you write what happened next. The box on the lower left-hand corner is for the
ending of the story.
120
Answer Key
Page 6 4. “I caught one but it got away as I was reel-
The best time to visit Washington, D.C. is in the early ing in my line,” sighed Nancy.
spring. The weather is just right in April, not too hot or 5. “Would you like to come along the next
cold. The cherry blossoms were in bloom while we were time we go?” asked Nancy.
there, so that made my mom happy! We got to the 6. “Sure!” beamed Joan happily. “I’d love to.”
capital early Monday morning after a ten-hour drive from
the Midwest. After checking into our hotel, we decided Page 10
to visit the National Air and Space Museum first. I could Answers may vary.
have spent all week there, although the Washington
Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the White House Page 11
were really cool. I was hoping to see the President, but 1. I’d like a bike, a pair of in-line skates and a snow-
he was in Europe. board for my birthday.
2. Well, my friend, you can’t always have what you
Page 7 want when you want it.
Answers may vary. 3. No, but I can always hope!
4. My friends and I skate all year long and snowboard
Page 8 in the winter.
Accept all reasonable answers. 5. I used to like skateboarding, but now I prefer snow-
1. “Breakfast will be ready in about five minutes!” boarding and in-line skating.
Maggie yelled up to her brothers. 6. What sports games or hobbies do you enjoy most,
2. “Do you want some help?” offered Mom, who had Jody?
just walked into the kitchen. 7. I learned to ski last year, and now I’m taking ice-
3. “Thanks, Mom,” replied Maggie, “but I’d really like skating lessons.
to do it myself.” 8. Skiiing, ice skating and skateboarding are all fun
4. “Okay,” agreed Mom. “I’ll just take the dog for a things to do.
quick walk then.”
5. Maggie popped the bread into the toaster and went Page 12
back to the stove to check on the eggs and bacon. Answers may vary.
6. About a minute later, Ben said to Sam, “Do you
smell something burning?” Page 13
7. “Yup,” answered Sam. “It smells like burnt toast to Answers may vary.
me, and there goes the smoke alarm!”
8. “I guess Maggie’s making breakfast again,” Pages 14-15
laughed Ben, as they ran down to the kitchen. 1. S 2. E 3. S
9. “Do you want some help, Maggie?” Ben and Sam 4. Q 5. C 6. E
asked. 7. E 8. Q 9. S
10. Q
Page 9 Answers may vary.
1. Joan and Nancy were chatting in school. “How
did you spend your weekend?” Joan asked Page 16
Nancy. 1. Did you know that the whale shark can grow to a
2. “Well,” replied Nancy, “I went fishing with length of 60 feet?
my family.” 2. That’s about as long as two school buses parked end
3. “Really?” asked Joan excitedly. “Did you catch to end!
any fish?”
121
3. These huge creatures are not a threat to humans like Page 26
some other sharks are. Answers may vary.
4. Whale sharks float near the surface to look for
plankton and tiny fish. Page 27
5. Imagine how amazing it must be to swim alongside 1. My sister Annie has always participated in sports,
a whale shark. and many say she’s a natural athlete.
2. Soccer, basketball and softball are fun, but she
Page 17 wanted a new challenge.
1. Mr Carter, our neighbor, was the brave man who 3. My sister talked to my brother and me, and we were
caught the burglar. honest with her.
2. How did Mr Carter manage to catch the burglar? 4. I told Annie to go for it, but my brother told her to
3. He was woken up by the sounds he heard outside stick with soccer or basketball.
his home. 5. Will Dad convince her to try skiing, or will he suggest
4. Mr Carter crept out quietly and saw a stranger ice skating?
behaving suspiciously.
5. He caught the man who was escaping with another Page 28
neighbor’s possessions. 1. We got a new house, and we are starting
6. I think Mr Carter was very brave to do that. renovations.
2. Our cousins are supposed to help us paint our house,
Page 18 but they forgot to bring the paint.
1. Are numbers that cannot be divided evenly by 2 3. Should I paint my room blue or green?
called odd numbers? 4. We can put the bookshelf and the computer in the
2. Can all even numbers be divided evenly by 2? study.
3. Do odd numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9? 5. I want to put my toys in the glass cabinet, but there is
4. Is the number 317,592 an even number because it not enough space.
ends in 2?
5. Is the sum always an even number when you add Page 29
two even numbers? 1. May, Jim and I went to the beach near my house.
6. Is the sum of two odd numbers also an even number? 2. We found a bottle that contained a piece of paper.
3. We took the crumpled paper out of the bottle.
Page 19 4. There was a smudged drawing on the paper.
1. Why was Melanie laughing? 5. It looked like a picture of a girl dressed in a Victorian
2. What joke did Tom tell? gown.
3. Did you hear the joke?
4. Should we ask him to tell the joke again? Pages 30-31
5. Where is he? 1. My brothers built a tree house in the old oak tree in
6. Is he there? our backyard.
2. Jim made a sturdy rope ladder for the tree house.
Page 20 3. Kyle bought a gallon of brown paint.
Answers may vary. 4. Kyle and Jim finished painting the walls in an hour.
5. Jim painted a “no trespassing” sign on the tree house
Page 21 door.
Answers may vary. 6. A curious squirrel leaped from a branch into their
tree house.
Pages 22-23 7. The unexpected visitor startled my unsuspecting
Answers may vary. brothers.
8. The frightened squirrel leaped out of the tree house in
Page 24 a big hurry.
Answers may vary. 9. The squirrel ran quickly to another tree, looking
for food.
Page 25
Answers may vary.
122
Page 32 Due to his heroic achievements, Hercules was given
Accept all reasonable answers. a home on Mount Olympus and a goddess as a wife.
1. My friend James received a desktop computer as a When he died, he became a god.
Christmas present from his father.
2. James’ father came home one afternoon, carrying a Page 36
huge present as a reward for James. 1. went 2. ran 3. blew
3. James was thrilled and could not stop grinning the 4. laughed 5. ate 6. liked
whole day because it was the first time he owned a Answers may vary.
computer.
4. James is very kind and generous, and has invited me Pages 37-38
home to play on his computer this Saturday. Answers may vary.
Page 33 Page 39
Accept all reasonable answers. Accept all reasonable answers.
1. Did you know that the United States is the top meat- Last July, a boy named Timothy was feeling very
eating country in the world? Each person consumes unhappy because he had just moved to a new
about 260 pounds of meat each year. Beef is the town. He missed his best friend Jason, and he
most commonly eaten meat. missed being on his school’s basketball team.
2. It would be fantastic to have a robot to do all my One morning, he walked into the kitchen to find a
chores, help do my homework and play games. I brand new puppy waiting for him. The puppy made
really think the day will come. Unfortunately, it won’t him feel excited. He forgot about feeling lonely.
come soon enough for me. He was no longer sad. Now he felt thrilled because
the puppy licked his face and wagged its tail
Page 34 and made him feel loved. At last Timothy felt
1. A bus was rumbling down the road. The rugged- happy again.
looking tourist was checking his map. He was on his
way to the next town. Page 40
2. Windsurfing is a water sport that combines surfing Accept all reasonable answers.
and sailing. You will need a board with a rig It was a lazy morning and the weather was too lousy
connected. The rig consists of a mast, a pole and for Casey to go out. He decided to stay at home to
a sail. catch up on his readings and television
3. The nanny will be here tonight because our parents programs.
are going out. I will be at my best friend’s house. My
younger brother will be alone at home. He found some bacon and eggs in the kitchen,
4. I was at the post office when I saw Mandy. She was cooked them and ate his breakfast happily. Then, feeling
so engrossed with her book that she did not see me. lazy again, he stretched out on the sofa in the living
When I called her, she jumped in surprise before room. He flipped through some magazines then
smiling at me. turned on the television and watched some cartoons.
Page 35 When his mother came back, she exclaimed, “Casey!

Accept all reasonable answers. Have you finished your math word problems? Stop
In Greek mythology, Hercules is the son of Zeus, who is lazing around the house!” Casey groaned; he had
a Greek god, and a mortal woman. Zeus’ wife, Queen forgotten all about it. He took out his math word
Hera, was very jealous of Hercules, so she sent two problems and managed to finish them before
snakes to kill Hercules when he was a baby. But Zeus dinnertime.
strangled both the snakes.
Page 41
Hercules is said to be very strong and he is known for Accept all reasonable answers.
his many heroic adventures. The most famous of all his Scene 1:
adventures was the twelve major tasks that he had to cheered; wailed; exclaimed; cried; squealed
complete. One of the tasks required Hercules to capture Scene 2:
Cerberus, which was a three-headed creature. groaned; objected; grumbled; gasped; sneered
123
Page 42 Page 50
While the teacher’s back was turned, Jackie Answers may vary.
whispered, “Psst! I’ve got a note for you! It’s from 1. The room is as hot as the sun.
Sherry!” 2. My fingers are as cold as icicles.
I took the note and murmured, “Thanks.” 3. He ran like a cheetah to get home.
Suddenly, Mrs Taylor our teacher turned around and 4. He laughed like a hyena.
barked, “Who’s that talking?” 5. His nose was as red as a cherry.
I whined to myself, “I hope she doesn’t know it 6. He was as angry as a wet hen.
was me.” 7. She is as stubborn as a mule.
Jackie grumbled, “It always happens when I’m passing 8. He yelled like a screeching monkey.
a note to you.”
Page 51
Page 43 1. D 2. A 3. F
Yva was looking up gift ideas on the Internet when her 4. E 5. B 6. C
friends came along. Yva confided, “I am getting some
ideas for a gift for my mother.” Pages 52-53
Lindy remarked, “Your mother’s birthday is over so Answers may vary.
why are you getting her a gift?
Yva confessed, “ I made my mother angry and I want Page 54
to apologize to her.” 1. She told her brother that she had a present for him.
Macy commented, “It’s the thought that counts, Yva, 2. They cheered loudly when their team scored.
not the gift.” 3. We were thrilled when it leaped out from the sea.
“Why don’t you make something for her instead?” 4. His air ticket was misplaced on the way home.
suggested Lindy. Yva thought that was a good idea. 5. Its paws were dirty from the mud.
6. Her portrait is displayed in the front hall.
Page 44
Accept all reasonable answers. Page 55
1. angry 2. frightened “Wake up Maggie! It’s time to get up!” Maggie’s mother
3. concerned 4. tired shook her gently. Maggie yawned. It was exactly eight
in the morning. She sat up and stretched. Her mother
Answers may vary. was busily getting breakfast ready.
Page 45 Maggie’s brothers were planning the activities for the

Answers may vary. day. John asked, “Shall we go fishing at the river?”
Sam pondered, “The weather doesn’t look too good.
Page 46 Dad has a big umbrella. Let’s get it from him.”
announced; whooped; quipped; reminded; chorused;
chided; begged; relented They had a lot of fun. “To think it was their idea!”
grinned Sam. “Let’s thank them for the trip,” Maggie
Page 47 suggested, “We can do that by being very well-behaved
Answers may vary. for the rest of the trip.” The boys agreed.
Page 48 Page 58
1. good 2. nice Answers may vary.
3. little 4. big
5. bad 6. hard Page 59
7. afraid 8. sad Answers may vary.
Answers may vary.
Page 49
Answers may vary.
124
Page 61 Page 71
Starting Over Topic sentence: Tony Hawk is an extraordinary
Today started off badly and only got worse. Everyone in skateboarder.
my family woke up late this morning. I had only 15 Supporting sentences: He turned professional when he
minutes to get ready and catch the bus. I dressed as fast was only 14 years old. Now in his forties, Tony has won
as I could, grabbed an apple and my backpack, and more skateboarding contests than anyone else has. He
raced to get to the bus stop on time. Fortunately, I just even made history in 1999 by landing a trick called the
made it. Unfortunately, the bus was pulling away when “900” at the Summer X Games.
several kids pointed out that I had on two different shoes. Closing sentence: Tony Hawk may just be the greatest
At that moment, I wanted to start the day over. skateboarder in the world.
Page 62 Answers may vary.

SS; TS; SS; SS; CS; SS
Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two Page 72
teams. On each team, there are nine players. To play Answers may vary.
baseball, a player first throws a ball. Another player will
try to score a run by hitting it with a bat and touching the Page 73
four bases of the baseball field. The pitcher of the other Answers may vary.
team will try to stop the player from scoring runs. In
baseball, the team with the most runs at the end wins. Page 74
Answers may vary.
Page 63
Answers may vary. Page 75
Answers may vary.
Page 64
Answers may vary.
Page 65
Answers may vary.
Page 66 Topic sentence: I loved running a race at our school
Cross out the following sentences: sports meet.
My three-year-old brother has blonde hair.
Her favorite sport is gymnastics. Supporting details: It is crammed full of papers and
I wish I had a fish tank in my room. notes. I have about 300 crayons and at least
20 markers. There is even a candy bar stuffed way in
Page 67 the back!
2, 1, 4, 3
Paragraph sentences may vary but should follow the Page 78
same order as the numbered sentences. Answers may vary.
Topic sentence: We had a great time in art class today.
Page 68 Closing sentence: We loved Mr Catogni’s art
Answers may vary. class today.
Page 69 Supporting details: Miss Ridley asked us to come to the

Answers may vary. board and write our names on a piece of giant graph
paper. We wrote names using the letters of other kids;
Page 70 names. It looked like a giant Scrabble board. When
Answers may vary. it was finished, we had to tell the class who we were
named for or why we had this name.
125
Page 79 Page 99
Answers may vary. Answers may vary.
Page 80 Page 100

Page 81 Page 101

Pages 82-83 Pages 102-103


Pages 86-87 Page 106

Topic sentence: Our family should have a dog for Answers may vary.
three reasons.
Supporting ideas: Page 107
• First, pets teach responsibility. Answers may vary.
• The second reason for having a pet is that he would 1. Gather firewood of different sizes.
make a good companion for me when everyone else 2. Take out the smaller pieces of wood and set
is busy. them aside.
• The third reason we need a dog is for safety. 3. Place the longer pieces of wood in a teepee
structure.
Answers may vary. 4. Light the campfire with a match.

1. Put the power plug into the socket and switch on the
Pages 90-91 electricity.
Answers may vary. 2. Press the power button on the Central Processing Unit
(CPU).
Page 92 3. Press the power button on the monitor.
Answers may vary. 4. Wait for the computer to start up.
5. When the screen lights up, you are ready to start.
Page 93 6. Use the mouse to move the pointer where you want.
Answers may vary. 7. Click once to select the program you want to use.
Page 94 Page 110

Answers may vary. Drew work up early on Saturday. “No school today,” he
said. He found his mom working in the garden. “What
Page 95 are you doing?” he asked.
Answers may vary. “I am planting these flowers,” she answered.
Drew looked down. He couldn’t believe it. “A four-leaf
Page 96 clover!” he shouted. “This should help us win our big
Answers may vary. game today,” he said.
Drew’s entire day was perfect. His sister shared her toys,
Page 97 the ice-cream truck brought his favorite flavor and his
Answers may vary. team won the big game. “What a day!” he whispered to
himself as he fell asleep that night.
Page 98
Answers may vary.
126
Pages 111-112 Page 113
How would you like to go to school on Saturdays? If Developed in France by David Belle, Parkour is an
you lived in the country of Japan, that’s just where interesting physical activity that trains us to become
you’d be each Saturday morning. I have a friend who stronger and more agile while still being able to move
lives in Japan. Yuichi explained that students attend around freely. In Parkour, you learn to overcome various
classes five and one-half days a week. The half day obstacles by running, climbing, swinging, leaping and
is on Saturday. I was also surprised to learn that the rolling. You do not need any equipment and it is
Japanese school year is one of the longest in the world non-competitive. It can be quite challenging to
– over 240 days. It begins in the month of April. successfully overcome some of the obstacles so you will
Vacation is in late July and August. School then begins need a lot of perseverance and determination.
again in fall and ends in March. The people of Japan
believe that a good education is very important. Page 114
Children are required to attend school from the age of It was late in the evening and there were many people
six to the age of fifteen. They have elementary and waiting at the bus stop. There were more people than
middle schools. Then most students go on to high usual because it was raining and some of them were
school for another three years. Yuichi says that students sheltering from the downpours.
work very hard because the standards are so high. He
and some of his friends even take extra classes after Daniel groaned, “Oh no, I really hate crowds. I can’t
school. They all want to get into a good college even see if my bus is coming!” Irin reassured him,
someday. saying, “Don’t worry, once the rain stops, there will be
fewer people here. I’ll keep a lookout for the bus.
You can just relax.”
Soon, the rain became a light drizzle. The people

started to disperse from the bus stop. Daniel heaved a
sigh of relief and gushed, “Thank goodness! There are
fewer people now!” Irin exclaimed, “Our bus is here too!
Come on, let’s go.”
127

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Writing Skill 5

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Writing Skills

Previously published as Success with Writing and Week-by-Week Homework for

This edition published by Scholastic Education International (Singapore) Private Limited

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval

First edition 2013

It is often a challenge to help children develop their writing

Every section targets a specific skill and there are two

How to use this book?

2. Direct his attention to the Note, where there is one, and

3. Let your child complete the writing exercises.

4. Reinforce your child’s learning with an extension activity

Note: T o avoid the awkward ‘he or she’ construction, the pronouns on

Writing with More Exact Verbs............................... 36–38

Mini Writing Project 1.................................. 56–57

Completing a Sequenced Paragraph....................... 58–59

Mini Writing Project 2..............................115–116

Writing Tips..................................................... 117–120

You know that the first word of a sentence is always capitalized.

Find and correct 14 errors in capitalization in the paragraph below. Some

Using Quotation Marks

What Did You Say?

His mother replied,

When you include dialogue in a story, remember to place end

1. Joan and Nancy were chatting in school. _______________________________________

______________________________________________ Joan asked Nancy.

(how did you spend your weekend)

2. _____________________________ pondered Nancy_____________________________

(well/I went fishing with my family)

3. ________________________________ asked Joan excitedly______________________________

(really/did you catch any fish)

4. ________________________________________________________________________ sighed Nancy.

(I caught a one but it got away as I was reeling in my line)

5. _________________________________________________________ asked Nancy.

(would you like to come along the next time we go)

6. _______________________________ beamed Joan happily________________________________

(sure/I’d love to)

Using Commas in a Series

Use commas when you list three or more items in a series in a

Triple the Fun

2. What are four of the planets in our solar system?

4. What months fall between January and July?

5. What activities do you and your friends enjoy in the summer?

6. Who are some of the most important people in your life?

Using Commas in Sentences

We use commas in a series of three or more items.

3. No but I can always hope!

5. I used to like skateboarding but now I prefer snowboarding and in-line

6. What sports games or hobbies do you enjoy most Jody?

Writing Complete Sentences

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete

Make complete sentences by adding words to each group of words. Try to

1. Sixty slippery seals ______________________________________________________________.

2. ________________________________________________ fed Ted ______________________.

3. Ruby Rugby’s baby brother _____________________________________________________.

4. Sam’s sandwich shop ___________________________________________________________.

5. ______________________________________________________________ back blue balloons.

6. _______________________________________ sawed Mr. Saw’s ________________________.

7. A flea and a fly __________________________________________________________________.

8. _______________________________________________________ black-backed bumblebee.

Writing Complete Sentences

1. Mrs Robbins, our English teacher, taught in our classroom. (classroom)

2. My brother Janson ___________________________________________________ (television)

3. The orchard workers __________________________________________________ (orchard)

4. Sara was feeling sleepy so ______________________________________________ (room)

5. Jack had an early lunch because ______________________________________ (hungry)

6. We are not going to the party unless ___________________________________________

2. Direct his attention to the Note, where there is one, and

4. Reinforce your child’s learning with an extension activity

Note: T o avoid the awkward ‘he or she’ construction, the pronouns on

2. _ pondered Nancy_

3. __ asked Joan excitedly

6. _ beamed Joan happily__

5. I used to like skateboarding but now I prefer snowboarding and in-line

2. __________________________ fed Ted .

6. _______________ sawed Mr. Saw’s .

3. The orchard workers __________________________________________________ (orchard)

5. Jack had an early lunch because ______________________________________ (hungry)

6. We are not going to the party unless ___________________________________________

7. Bernice is delighted to see Uncle Tom because ________________________________

8. Nick, the naughtiest boy in our class, ___________________________________________

_______ Two big scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream, topped

Topics: A Place I Love

1. We got a new house. We are starting renovations.

2. We found a bottle.

6. A squirrel leaped into their tree house. It leaped from a

7. The visitor startled my brothers. It was unexpected. My brothers were