Thank you!
Dear Families,
It was wonderful to see so many of you at Family Friday last week. I was so proud of our students who took up brave and worthy causes and who spoke and wrote so convincingly. The food was delicious, and it was great to see so many cultures represented. Thank you for your contributions!
Thank you so much for your generous class gift and to your children for their beautiful card. I appreciate all of your kind words. I love this class, and am so grateful to work with your children every day. I look forward to continuing our work in the new year.
I have been thinking a lot about reading lately, and I’ve had the opportunity to conference with many of the children during independent reading. They are all doing such fascinating work while they read. I’ve been particularly interested in their book choices, as I’ve found that having the ability to choose books of interest leads to more engaged reading. When I talk to the kids, many of them say that they choose their books based on recommendations from friends. In class, we will start having book talks during Morning Meeting as a way for kids to share their recommendations with a larger audience. Students will be able to sign up to share their books after the new year. I’m sure that many kids will become interested in new genres and series after hearing the recommendations of their friends.
At home, I encourage you to allow kids to read books that they choose themselves. Many kids get excited about reading new books from the library. Vacation may be a great time for you and your child to go to your local library branch and choose some books. Try not to worry about the “level” or difficulty of the book. Kids may choose books that you feel are too easy or too hard for them. Use this as an opportunity to find out more about your child’s thinking while reading. You can ask questions about what is happening in the book, parts that are surprising or interesting, parts that made them think, and anything that was challenging.
My hope is that reading at home is enjoyable for children. This vacation, children will not need to log their reading. Instead, they should find a comfortable spot, settle in with a great new book, and get lost in their reading.
Have a wonderful, relaxing break. I look forward to connecting with you all in 2020.
Best, Ms. Anne