October 1st, 2019

Dear Families,

Room 1 is ready to start our Junior Home Reading program for this school year. Your child is bringing a duotang home to record daily reading. The recommendation for Grade Four and Five is to read at least 20 minutes per day. I am providing incentives for students who can complete 40 books by the end of the school year (this works out to just over one book a week). The focus in Grade Four and Five is to explore genres for their different characteristics. Students are asked to record what type of book (genre) and to read a required amount of each. Just as home reading is optional, the 40-Book Challenge is also optional. Many parents ask me what they can do for homework with their child. My answer to this question is…read! Students in the past have found a love for reading by experimenting with different genres.
If you choose to participate in the 40-Book Challenge, there is a page at the front of the duotang titled “Encouraging Words”. This is a page for you to write to your child about your belief in them as a reader. Students should select books that are “just right” for their reading level (no more than five tricky words on a page). As a class, we have looked at picture books written for junior students that fit into a few of the genres. Students do not need to be reading chapter books in order to complete this challenge. There are many options available online through the school or public library to read digital books or audio books that read to your child. We also talked as a class that students could share the reading with someone at home by taking turns reading pages, paragraphs or even sentences. The point of this activity is to expose children to the content and structure of different genres of books.
The homework component of this project is to fulfill one written letter to me a week about something the student has read. There is a sample letter in the duotang that students can use as an exemplar. As all students have their own individual learning needs, feel free to assist your child in any way they need. For example, some students are writing independently at their grade level but need to “think-aloud” before beginning to write. Other students require someone to help organize their writing or need someone to scribe for them. Feel free to prompt and guide your child so they feel successful with their writing. If you would prefer to submit written letters electronically, please let me know, and we will discuss the best options for this. In order for me to respond to student letters, I have given groups of students different days to submit their homework each week. This should be written on the front of the duotang and on a letter written by me inside. If duotangs are submitted on a day that is different from when I have requested it, that is totally okay, but know that I might not be able to get it back to you right away. You can start sending the duotangs in starting next week (October 7th and onward).
At the end of each term, students will choose one book they have read to present to the class. This will be an informal book talk (less than 3 minutes) providing students the opportunity for a structured presentation. More information about the book presentations will be provided closer to the end of the term.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I am happy to collaborate with you about what works best with you and your family.

Sincerely,

Michele Smith