Another New Homework Element

This week we are adding a new piece to our homework routine: reading journals.

This is a place for your student to write about what she or he is reading.  Writing in this way can be scary but it is the best way to discover how smart you actually are.  When a young reader understands that they are in conversation with the writer to make meaning, their reading comprehension and critical thinking blossom.

We will support our young readers intentionally, starting with simple techniques to summarize their reading.  This will be the groundwork for our year long comprehension strategies work. Tools for writing summaries are included in the journal, along with a family checklist you can use to support your child.

I am asking that each child write one meaningful writing response in their new reading response journal per week.  You can adjust based on the amount of time you have and your expectations for your child.  We can plan together during conference times to set individual student goals. One strategy is to break up the writing of the response so that your child writes a few sentences a day.

Please return the journal to school on Friday.    We will look over the work together as a class and students will share their thinking with each other.  I will look over the work but may not have time to respond to each child each week. Journals will come home again on Mondays.

This is a big new step and it will take our students some time to master the process.  We will be working on this same process in class, so everyone should be up and running soon!

In the journal you will find:

• Tools for summarizing what you read (We use these same tools in class).
• A model response that shows expectations for how students should be writing by December. Note that the first few entries might be shorter as we build skills and endurance.
• Topics for responses.
• Reading strategies and “sentence starters” that match them.
• A checklist for making sure writing is the best it can be.

These tools are new to our students.  I do not expect them to use them independently yet.  We will be studying them and practicing over the next few weeks so they should be clear on everything soon.  I am sending them home so you can use them to support them until they are independent.

HOMEWORK THIS WEEK:   Due Friday 9/25

• MATH: a Math challenge activity
• READING: Daily reading and one Reading Journal Response.