Homework

EVERY DAY, EVERY NIGHT: Be readers and writers. Readers read, think about what they read, let ideas grow in their minds and hearts, then talk about them with others. Writers observe the people and the world around themselves, notice little things, and write about them in their writer's notebooks. And writers read. Be readers and writers.

Writing: Use your Writer's Notebook regularly. I will set expectations for the number of entries each week.


Independent Reading: You are expected to read regularly (books you choose) outside of class. Write down ideas you want to talk about (with me or classmates) on sticky notes, Thinkmark bookmarks, or in your Reader's Notebook. Be prepared for scheduled reading conferences. I expect you to read outside of school for at least a half hour a day, at least five days a week.

In your Reader's Notebook, write deeply (about a page) three times a week about ideas you have about your reading. In your notebook, you have a list of some ideas for this kind of reading response. I will read these about every two weeks and give them a grade based on your thinking and writing.

When you read a book you love, give a book talk (a sales pitch) to recommend the book to other readers.

(NOT ASSIGNED THIS YEAR) I may ask you to write a “Reader’s Letter-Essay” that will show your deep thinking about a book. Click here to see a sample letter-essay. Some guidelines are below.



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Guidelines for Letter-Essays
Here are some guidelines for writing a letter/essay about a book you have read.

It’s a first-draft, final copy;. That means it’s informal and unrevised, but it's not sloppy. Use your best spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
About two pages in length.
It should be addressed to your teacher (or to a classmate, if you have been given permission to do so) and use letter conventions (Date the letter, use the standard greeting Dear Mr. Hoh and a polite closing such as Sincerely or Your student. Sign the letter.)
Write about your experience as a reader.
Here's a basic structure:
First paragraph – a brief introduction. Include the title (underlined and properly capitalized) and the author.
Second paragraph – Start with a significant, important idea you have about this book (see the “starters” below). Write a substantial paragraph about that idea.
Third and fourth paragraphs (or more) – Same as second, but each a different idea.
Wrap it up with a closing paragraph – Do you look forward to the sequel, something else by this author, another book in the same genre. Would you recommend the book to a friend? Who and why? Or something else that makes the essay feel finished.
For one of your middle paragraphs, quote a short passage from the book that illustrates what you are saying about the author’s style, a character, or a theme.
A really good letter-essay is one that teaches you something you didn’t realize about the book or yourself before you wrote it. That is something to work toward this year.
Possible paragraph openers:

I was angry/shocked/incredulous/moved by ….
I liked the way the author....
I noticed how the author....
I’m confused about....
This novel (or character) reminded me of....
I didn’t agree with....
I wish that....
This book was written in an interesting way. (then describe it and how that affected the reading experience.
I think the book could have been better if.... (perhaps it had a different narrator, or a different ending)
I was struck by this passage”….” It shows ______about the author/book.

Assignment adapted from Nancie Atwell’s The Reading Zone.