We read 1,982 books this year! Actually, that's the number we came up with a couple of weeks ago. The celebratory "Book Bell" has been ringing like crazy lately, so I feel fairly certain we have read over 2,000 books! That's an amazing accomplishment!
Way back in September we established purpose for our reading. We decided as a class that working to become the best readers we could be was a worthwhile endeavor.
My Son Sam's Bookcase Way back in September we established purpose for our reading. We decided as a class that working to become the best readers we could be was a worthwhile endeavor.
I shared a picture of my son Sam's bookcase displaying the books he read in a year's time. I explained that Sam has a learning disability that made learning to read a real challenge. Sam's hard work and determination led to his success. The class was impressed with Sam's accomplishment. We set a 40 book per student goal and began the hard work of filling our own "Bookcases". Now here we are 10 months later, and every student has accomplished this goal. We are well on our way to becoming life-long readers!
Classroom Reading Instruction
Reading instruction this year has consisted of three parts:
-Decoding
-Fluency
-Comprehension
Thanks to Mrs. Kurtzman, we all know about open syllables, closed syllables, and "scooping". More importantly, we have the tools needed to decode multisyllabic words.
We had fun reading fluently with "Pizazz" on Fluency Fridays, paying special attention to punctuation, phrasing, and intonation.
We practiced our comprehension strategies throughout the school year during whole class read alouds, shared reading in small groups and book clubs, and independent reading.
Practice, practice, and more practice is the only way to turn these three components into authentic reading. Reading in volume was the key to our success. The more we read the better readers we became!
Moving Forward
I know that life is jam packed, and it is not always easy to set aside time for reading, but my hope is that every student will continue to read "volumes". This week we will have a "Summer Book Pass". We will pass potential reads around the room and watch book trailers to inspire our summer reading. Every student will come home with a "Books to Read" list.
In addition I will keep student blogs on "Kidblog" open, so that students can blog about their summer adventures as well as their reading. I will blog on Kidblog throughout the summer as well. Every Friday I will hold a drawing for students who have blogged about their reading that week. The winner will receive a book from their "Books to Read" list. We will start this week, so that every student understands the process. This is of course optional.
Summer "Backslide" is a proven phenomenon. Please let me know if there's any other way I can support your child's reading this summer. It is important that all students keep up their reading!
Let's Celebrate!
We hope you will be able to join us on Thursday from 11:30-12:30 to celebrate your child's accomplishments this year. Please bring a picnic lunch for your family, and don't forget to check out our spectacular hall display!
Classroom Reading Instruction
Reading instruction this year has consisted of three parts:
-Decoding
-Fluency
-Comprehension
Thanks to Mrs. Kurtzman, we all know about open syllables, closed syllables, and "scooping". More importantly, we have the tools needed to decode multisyllabic words.
We had fun reading fluently with "Pizazz" on Fluency Fridays, paying special attention to punctuation, phrasing, and intonation.
We practiced our comprehension strategies throughout the school year during whole class read alouds, shared reading in small groups and book clubs, and independent reading.
Practice, practice, and more practice is the only way to turn these three components into authentic reading. Reading in volume was the key to our success. The more we read the better readers we became!
Moving Forward
I know that life is jam packed, and it is not always easy to set aside time for reading, but my hope is that every student will continue to read "volumes". This week we will have a "Summer Book Pass". We will pass potential reads around the room and watch book trailers to inspire our summer reading. Every student will come home with a "Books to Read" list.
In addition I will keep student blogs on "Kidblog" open, so that students can blog about their summer adventures as well as their reading. I will blog on Kidblog throughout the summer as well. Every Friday I will hold a drawing for students who have blogged about their reading that week. The winner will receive a book from their "Books to Read" list. We will start this week, so that every student understands the process. This is of course optional.
Summer "Backslide" is a proven phenomenon. Please let me know if there's any other way I can support your child's reading this summer. It is important that all students keep up their reading!
Let's Celebrate!
We hope you will be able to join us on Thursday from 11:30-12:30 to celebrate your child's accomplishments this year. Please bring a picnic lunch for your family, and don't forget to check out our spectacular hall display!