Decades of Internationally based research shows that students that read more read better. They develop more expansive vocabularies and achieve higher levels of reading and writing development. This is particularly true for students that have daily opportunities to read, year after year.
Daily time to read in school is not a frill or waste of classroom time; on the contrary, it is one of the best ways for a child to:
- Learn new vocabulary and information.
- Increase speed and fluency (that is, read smoothly and accurately).
- Improve comprehension.
- Notice authors’ writing styles (which in turn helps their own writing).
- Develop a greater interest in reading and learning.
- Develop a love of reading.
Therefore, a major part of our reading program will be daily quiet time during which students read books of their own choosing. During that time, I will be monitoring your child’s reading development through individual reading conferences. Your child will also be expected to maintain a reading record and to read at home each evening. Our reading program will also include whole-class and small-group work.
Your child is expected to have a book at school everyday, one he or she has selected from our classroom library. Our main goal is for your child to enjoy reading for pleasure and information, and to become a stronger, more flexible reader. Please join me in helping create an environment in which our children can enjoy books for a lifetime.
Sincerely,
Lara Norton & Michelle Goethe
