Home Reading

“Mornings during the school year usually involve a certain amount of chaos. This is just par for the course, I suppose, because even though the school bell doesn’t ring until [8:25] a.m., there’s always a frantic rush to get the kids out the door. This morning was no different. I had to roust my younger son, the late sleeper in the family, 10 minutes before they had to be out the door, which meant scarfing down an Eggo and hastily brushing his teeth.

And then there was the forgotten reading chart to complete .”

(Excerpt from: https://www.scarymommy.com/why-i-hate-reading-logs/)

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I am sure many of you can relate to this families hectic school morning as they rush around to get their children ready for school! I have never been one to push homework, especially for our youngest learners. Instead, I have often encouraged families to read (literacy) and play games together (numeracy) and stressed the importance of these activities being routine but not labour intensive. I have often wrestled with the idea of “home reading,” understanding the importance of students needing to practice their reading at home (often with 1-1 attention from a parent/guardian/older sibling) but not wanting it to become a burden for the students or the families! Learning is fun and exciting and I would never want students to lose their interest in reading for pleasure and reading to learn something new!

After reviewing the literature and having conversations with parents we have come up with a home reading program that I hope will be a fun, exciting part of your family’s routine instead of being just another thing on a long list of activities that need to be accomplished each day!

Here are the details:

What: The students will bring home a monthly “Home Reading Bingo” chart that they can work on over the course of the month! Each square represents a reading activity for your children to participate in and have been divided into several categories: Places I can read (e.g., under the table or in an empty bathtub), What types of literature can I read (e.g., comic book, picture book, chapter book), Who can I read with (e.g, parent/guardian, sibling, friend), and extreme reading (with a flashlight, to a teddy bear, with a puppet). When a child completes one of the activities on their reading log I ask that you both initial it to show that it has been completed! No tracking minutes, pages, titles, or authors! Just a quick initial to show that it is done! When the chart is completed, your child can return it to me to receive a marble to add to our classroom marble book! Our marble bucket is used to celebrate respectful behavior and responsible learning choices! Completing 20 reading activities at home? Sounds like responsible learning to me! When our marble bucket is full we will have a “Classroom Celebration” to recognize the hard work the students are investing this year!

When: Whenever you can! Although there are 20 reading activities planned for each month, they do not need to be completed in any particular order. I would ask that you try to complete all 20 each month, however, if it takes a few extra days into the next month, that is just fine! All I ask, is that you encourage your children to read for approximately 15 minutes at a time (no timers needed, shorter or longer is okay too) and that when you can, you read with them!

But what if…

Q: My child has having trouble with their reading?

A: We can send home books that are a good fit for your child that they can read to you!

Q: Our family likes to have the parent read to our children?

A: This counts too! Climb in an empty bathtub with your child or join them under the bed with a flashlight! It doesn’t matter if the child reads or you read to them, what matters is that they are spending time reading and enjoy the home reading experience!

Q: We didn’t finish in time and we have already received the next months ‘Home Reading’ chart?

A: Keep at it! If you finish Novembers reading log in December, celebrate together! Again, all I ask is that you spend time together reading. Have your child return their reading log when they are finished regardless of the month that is listed at the top of the page!

Q: My child wants to complete 2 of the activities in one day?

A: I will never discourage children from reading! If they are asking to complete more than 1 activity each day, that’s great! My hope would be that, even though the chart may be completed before the end of the month, that students continue to read at home, on their own and with you! Home reading shouldn’t stop just because the chart is full! Complete it a second time and your child can have a second marble to add to our bucket!

Happy reading!