January 15 and 16, 2026 Skills

Good morning and good evening, depending on when you are reading this post! I hope you are back in the swing of things . . . even though you have Monday off in honor of the great Martin Luther King Jr. I know the teachers are speaking to you about his impact on civil rights and quest for equality, and I hope you take some time to think about his vision for a world in which we are all respectful and kind to one another! We can do it right now, in our very classroom, when we treat each person in a courteous, compassionate way!

Part One
Idioms of the Day
Directions: Use context clues in the sentences below to find meaning for the idiom shown in bold print.
1. Young children sometimes try to butter up their parents with positive words so that they will buy them the latest new toy!
My inference for the meaning of butter up:

2. When Danny lost his job, he felt upset but soon realized there was no use in crying over spilt milk. He needed to move on from the experience and search for something that was a better fit!
My inference for the meaning of crying over spilt milk:

3. When Ronaldo was told he might be getting a raise, he made a list of all the things he was going to buy that very day. His wife told him not to count his chickens before they've hatched, so he put his list away for now.
My inference for the meaning of to count his chickens before they've hatched:

Bonus: Can you think of a time when you experienced any of the above idioms?  Write a few sentences here about your experience, remembering to use complete sentence structure and correct punctuation. Share them with your classmates!


Part Two
Cause and Effect
Directions: Everything we do in life causes something else to happen! If we wake up late, for instance, this may cause us to be late for work. If we are late for work, this may cause our boss to speak to us. If our boss speaks to us, this may cause us to be upset. If we become upset, this may cause our entire day to be off.  (As you can see, there is truly no end to the cause and effect relationship in our lives!)

In the first example from the above sentences, the cause of our being late for work is that we woke up late. The effect is that we were late for work. The cause always comes first! It is important to note that this cause and effect relationship is the basis for every fictional story we read. It is also known as the plot!

In the sentences below, I have given you a possible cause or effect. Please provide your own possible answer in the space provided. There are two examples to start you off!

Example:     cause: You studied hard for the HiSET.
                    effect: _______________________________ (A possible answer could be: You passed the HiSET.)

Example #2: cause: __________________________  (A possible answer could be: You practiced your instrument for hours each day.)
                     effect: You became an accomplished musician.

Note: In the examples above, you either had to imagine what would come next OR what might have happened before!

Your Turn:
1. cause:  You buy a lottery ticket at the local drugstore.
    effect:

2. cause: You enjoyed the meal you had at the restaurant.
    effect: 

3. cause:
    effect: You take the job and are happy with your choice.

4. cause:
    effect: You decide to shop at a different store to find the perfect present.

Note Again: This section is great for logic, inference, sequencing, and creativity!

Part Three
Greek and Latin Roots
Directions: The purpose of learning Greek and Latin roots is to learn the meanings of specific words/word sections so that we can apply that meaning to other words, as well.

Root: mono-
Origin: Greek, from the Greek word monos
Meaning: one, single, alone
Example: monotone
Sentence: He spoke in a monotone, which meant his voice did not change pitch (go up or down in sound). The person is using only one tone in his voice.

Directions Part Two: Please answer the questions about the word in bold print in each sentence below.

1. The actor went on stage and delivered a heartfelt monologue.
This means that the actor:
a. had five other people on stage with him    b. gave a wonderful performance    c. spoke alone on stage/was the only one speaking

2. There was a certain monotony in her job that Vera did not like. She would rather do a variety of things throughout the day.
This means that Vera:
a. was doing one thing often       b. was doing many different tasks              c. loved her job

3. A company had a monopoly on the items being sold. No other company could compete with the low prices they could offer.
This means that the company
a. sold many items        b. was the only company from which most people made purchases       c. was ready to close down

4. The children enjoyed riding on the monorail. They had never seen that type of train track before.
This means that there was:
a. only one rail for the train                        b. only one train                            c. only one passenger

Part Four
Writing
Directions: Please continue this story starter, writing at least an additional paragraph (or more) that adds to the story's content. Remember to maintain good sentence structure, point of view, and tone. Enjoy!

      Charles could not believe his luck! Every single one of the numbers on his lottery ticket appeared in the winning number! Charles found himself checking and rechecking his ticket to be sure he hadn't made a mistake, but he hadn't. It was true--he had all the winning numbers! Charles was so excited that he did not know what to do first!