One of my hopes for my students is that they develop a love of reading. Two important parts of this for students are to find books they enjoy and to practice. It is my hope that this reading program can achieve both of these.
Required Reading
In my class, students are required to read 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, adding up to a minimum of 100 minutes per week. Extra minutes read during one week cannot be counted toward another week, but extra minutes read one night CAN be counted toward another day during the same week. (For example, if a student does not read on Monday night, he/she can read extra minutes throughout the rest of the week to make up for Monday.) Home reading is only required on school nights.
The required minutes can include the following: silent reading, reading aloud to/from parents or siblings, partner reading with parents or siblings, and following along with an audiobook. (For the last three, students should be able to see the text and follow along.) I highly encourage students to read to and/or with a parent for at least 10 of the required 30 minutes each night (yes, even in 6th grade).
Recording the minutes:
On the bottom portion of each day in the student planner, the student will record the total number of minutes read for that day. At the end of the week, students should total the minutes read for that week (Monday to Sunday) and write the total minutes in the Spelling List column. Parents should check the total and sign their name next to the total. I will check planners each week (usually on Monday) for totals and signatures. Only one parent signature per week is required.
Hall of Fame
The Reading Hall of Fame requires an additional ten minutes (minimum) to the required 30 minutes per night and also must be recorded with the daily/weekly totals. This means that the student would be reading 40 minutes per day, 5 times per week (or every school night). If a student not only completes the required reading, but also completes the requirements for Hall of Fame, he/she will receive special recognition at the end of the year.
This home reading program is designed for all students. I hope you will encourage your student to reap the benefits of good reading by being a responsible reader. Even if your student reads regularly, he/she will not receive credit unless minutes are recorded each week in his/her planner and a parent has signed.
If you have any questions or need clarification at any time, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mr. Johnson