This is a neat idea - have students bring in lyrics to their favorite song - then use the lyrics to figure out the probability of certain words in the song.
I've done this in years past and it's powerful. In third grade, I got some tears when we damaged the dolls so I stopped doing it! I will do it again this year and tie it into my anti-bullying talks. I have some paper cut-out dolls that the students can trace - you are welcome to borrow.
At the beginning of every school year, I always spend the first few days with my fourth grade students discussing our hopes and dreams for the year. This idea is based on the Responsive Classroom approach to developing a positive learning environment with students.
This page contains detailed information about the Reading Street curriculum by grade level. Scroll down to view and read about Launching the ELA Block, How the Week is Organized, Correlation Maps, and many other valuable resources.