Is it August Yet?

I have been thinking about the first two weeks of school.  The first few days are practice, practice procedures, but one does need to start instruction.  SO...the first 2.5 weeks will be spent reading...

and talking and discussing those reading strategies...author's purpose, character traits, theme, etc and my favorite (for writing)...beginning sentences to catch the readers' interest ( the beginning paragraph in this book is wonderful). We will also us vocabulary from the story to make our vocabulary books...something new I'm going to try. (In the past we've just written the words in a composition notebook)

Has anyone else started thinking about this fall?  We start with students on the 12th of August.

More to come...I will be required this year to have an 'I Can' board.  Looking for ideas.  Thank goodness there is Pintrest.