December Notes from the Reading Teacher

Lunch Bunch Book Clubs

Several groups of third through six graders met this month for Lunch Bunch Book Clubs. The texts range in genre from realistic fiction to fiction with elements of dystopia, and historical fiction as well. The students have shown themselves to be highly engaged and insightful contributors to lively conversations around books. We applaud the effort and commitment of all those who participate in the book clubs!

Looking Ahead

As the New Year approaches, we often ask the students to reflect upon their learning and progress and to set academic goals for themselves. We encourage you to engage in a conversation with your students, especially around their reading habits. Perhaps your student is working on fluency, considering a new genre, title, author, building sight word recognition and/or working on vocabulary development. There is no substitute for daily reading engagement. Make it a family affair!

The December recess can be a special time for families to enjoy a novel together. Even if your students can read on their own, they are never too old to be read to. We encourage you to set aside time to read together as a family in the same manner that some families enjoy a family movie or board game night. Some popular books for families include Frindle by Andrew Clements, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and others by Grace Lin, Charlotte’s Web and others by E.B. White, Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, Louisanna’s Way Home and many others by Kate DiCamillo, and so many more. Remember, a family trip to the local library can fill a winter afternoon with wonder. Click here for a link to the School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2019 organized by categories.

Please visit the Conant Families’ Website for more resources.

Wishing you all a safe and happy winter break with time to enjoy each other AND a good book, too!

~Ann Marie Mercadante-Pastor

Conant Reading Specialist