Mrs. Angelo's Reading Room

Click here to read Mrs. Angelo's Open House letter to parents! It explains most of what we do in class, grading, and other essentials.

Please use the three small bars on the upper left side of this page to navigate to other sections. [For translations, use Google Translate. / Para traducciones de español y portugués, use Google Translate. / Para traduções em espanhol e português, use o Google Translate. / Для переводов на испанский и португальский используйте Google Translate.]

This class supports students who are having difficulty with reading, including vocabulary, comprehension, and strategies for understanding and remembering what they read. The students often write in response to reading.Classes are small, which allows students to receive a significant amount of one-on-one attention. I use Massachusetts' 2017 Curriculum Framework for K-12 English Language Arts and Literacy as well as current, researched reading strategies in my flexible lesson plans. The overall daily objective for each lesson is posted so that students can focus on what they learn from the class.

I stay after school for students who want and/or need extra help on Tuesdays until 3:20. Please let me know if your student is planning to stay for help on a particular Tuesday in case of schedule changes.

 Students should read every day outside of the classroom for 15+ minutes. Just getting in the habit of opening a book and reading daily will help students enjoy and improve in reading. Vocabulary is essential to being a good reader, and frequent reading improves vocabulary, especially if your student is asked to make a list of 3 new words from what is read that day. I do this in reading class as well. Collecting new words found in a book being read at home into a small notebook, and bringing it to class would be helpful.

 Taking turns reading out loud with your student and then discussing it together is also one of the most valuable (and fun!) ways to increase your student's proficiency, and many middle school students do enjoy this, although they may not admit it! Audiobooks are a good option as well, especially if the student follows along in the book. Graphic novels are wonderful and are an attraction for even a very reluctant reader. For more information, please check out the following links: "Helping Your Student with Reading at Home" / "Books That May Interest Your Middle School Reader." I have many books in my classroom, as do the Language Arts (ELA) teachers and the school library - we have a knowledgeable librarian who can match students to books that they might enjoy or find that they like. 

My Grading System has changed this year so that it is aligned with the other Language Arts classes.