Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to 8th grade! In middle school, we continue to hone students’ reading and writing craft using a workshop approach to teaching.
Within the structure of Reading Workshop, students learn strategies to comprehend and make meaningful responses to a variety of literary genres; within the structure of Writing Workshop, students compose authentic pieces of writing in a variety of genres.
Throughout the year, we expect each student to build up reading muscles through stamina and volume. Students should always have an independent book to read. Students may check out books from our wonderful school library, our classroom library, your local library, or bring books from home, etc. Students will have opportunities to read during class but should also be reading for a minimum of 30 minutes in the evening. Here are some questions you can ask your student about his/her book.
Before your child reads a book, ask:
While your child is reading a book, try asking:
After your child has finished a book, ask questions like:
Student choice is important, but you as parents/guardians are essential in the decision-making process regarding what is/is not appropriate for your child. The following are some sources to help you and your 8th grader make informed decisions about their reading. One great resource is Common Sense Media (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/). If you can’t find the book there, we turn to the American Library Association (http://www.ala.org/), the New York Times book reviews, etc. In some cases the links on these websites will take you to the actual author or publisher website to get more information about each text. Please use these resources in order to keep an open dialogue with your student about his/her reading choices.
If you have any questions about our Independent Reading program, please contact me with your questions.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Elizabeth Atz