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Grand Slam Summer Reading Introduction & Directions

Grand Slam Summer Reading

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this letter finds you well. As a celebration of the wonderful culture of reading here at Green Woods and in an effort to keep all of our students reading at-level over the summer months, I am happy to announce that we will continue the program, Grand Slam Summer Reading.

Research suggests that reading outside of the classroom, especially over the summer, is critical for maintaining and expanding children’s literacy skills. Students should spend a minimum of 20 minutes a day reading outside of the classroom. Participating in Grand Slam Summer Reading will help to avoid the “summer slide” of your child’s reading level.

The goals of Grand Slam Summer Reading are simple:

• Encourage lifelong readers
• Build stamina for reading
• Encourage family discussions about reading
• Reinforce and build fluency, accuracy and comprehension skills

This is the second year of our effort to increase reading time during the summer. We are hoping that as many students as possible participate, but this is not mandatory. Any student that participates will be recognized on our “Grand Slam Summer Reading Hall of Fame.” Students should keep track of their minutes on the attached calendar and return it to their homeroom teacher at the start of the school year.

On the GWCS website, there are suggested books for students’ independent levels. Your child’s independent level is one level below their instructional level, which is indicated on his/her report card. If your child wants to read a book that is not listed and you want to find the level of the book, you can use www.scholastic.com/teachers/bookwizard to look up that information. If you have questions or need additional reading recommendations, feel free to email Elisabeth Horry at ehorry@greenwoodscharter.org. This summer reading program will allow you to spend quality time with your child. This time will also strengthen the reading comprehension, fluency, accuracy and critical thinking of your child. Remember, reading is the key!

Sincerely,

Elisabeth Horry, M.Ed

Reading Specialist,GWCS