January Notes from the Reading Teacher
New Year’s Reading and Other Resolutions
Happy New Year Conant Families! Many of your students returned to school after the winter break to spend some time reflecting and setting academic goals. This is a perfect time to reassess just how much reading time your child is engaged in at home. With limited assigned homework, it is hoped that the students will choose to read texts that interest them on a daily basis. You can help by modeling reading habits at home, making time for library visits, reading aloud to your child, and so on. This is also an opportunity for you to encourage your student to try out a new author, a new genre, or a new series. A helpful resource for our international families is uniteforliteracy.com. Visit this free website for a plethora of texts that may be narrated in multiple languages. Remember to visit the Conant Families’ Website for other resources.
January Super Readers Theme: Kindness
The third graders have replenished Conant’s Kindness Rocks Garden. Classrooms have been sharing literature where kindness is a predominant theme. It is hoped that the students will feel empowered and inspired by characters in stories, and subjects from history and present-day, who have impacted others through generosity and kindness. Click here to read a blog from Pam Allyn, co-author of Every Child a Super Reader, about the importance of the read-aloud experience and click here for the Super Reader Family Guide for Kindness. For a list a strength-specific texts organized by grade levels, click here.
Lunch Bunch Book Clubs
This month, students in grades three through six will have the opportunity to enroll in Lunch Bunch Book Clubs for the coming months. We are thrilled to be able to offer so many different and high-interest titlesl.
Coming Soon…
February 5, 2020: World Read Aloud Day; click here to learn more about this Lit World initiative and here to view resources for families from Scholastic. Click here to watch a video by Pam Allyn offering guidance for parents and caregivers for reading aloud to children.
February 5, 2020: Global School Play Day; Conant will participate!
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss/Read Across America/Literacy Week: March 2-6, 2020
In Dr. Seuss’ words... “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”
Hoping you are able to find a great book and the time to enjoy it with each other.
~Mrs. Pastor
Ann Marie Pastor
Conant School
"Where the Whole Child is the Whole Idea"
Reading Specialist/Coach
978-266-2550 Extension 2026
Follow Room 17 on Instagram at mrs.pastor (Click here.)