We are so excited to begin our Home Reading program for this school year. We will be running the program differently this year in order to ensure that materials are managed safely. Students will be able to take new books home twice per week. Each Home Reading exchange day, students will return their previous books to a return bin to be quarantined until they are safe to be borrowed by another student. They will then be able to choose 3 new books to work on at home until the next Home Reading exchange day. Students will only be able to choose new books on Monday and Thursday. Books will be laid out for students to choose and the teacher will then help them put their chosen books in their Home Reading bag. This will ensure that only your child and their teacher will touch the books that they are bringing home. If your child forgets their books on a reading exchange day, please keep them until the next Home Reading day as they can continue to re-read those books and gain mastery.
In your child’s Home Reading bag, you will find a Home Reading log book. This book has some information for you on how to support your child in their reading. Having students re-read their books multiple times helps them to become proficient in their reading. Please have your child look for their high frequency words (word list) in the books that they are bringing home. We also encourage you to ask questions and have your child re-tell their book as a way to demonstrate their understanding of what they are reading. You can initial one box in the log book for each 10-minute period that your child spends reading.
Home Reading books should be at your child’s proficient reading level. They should not have to struggle with more than a couple of words in their chosen books. This is a chance for your child to practice the reading that they are learning with the teacher at school and to develop their comprehension and fluency in reading.
Having students read texts at their level daily is important for their development as a reader, but they also need to have exposure to stories and books that are beyond their reading level. We encourage all families to take time to share books together in support of literacy.
Happy Reading!
