Reading Letter to Classroom Families

            Remember, the right book to read is the book your child chooses on their own; it’s the book they can’t wait to read, the one they may read under the covers with a flashlight, or even heard about from one of their friends, or that they included on their summer reading plan (ask your child about their well developed plan for reading this summer!). The right time to read might just be those in between times (as my literacy-ed hero Donalyn Miller so smartly points out). In between times are when we’re waiting in line, sitting at a sibling’s sports practice, or even waiting for the rest of the family to wake up on a weekend morning. The best time to read certainly does not have to be a dedicated hour. Although, wouldn’t it be great if all of us could find that hour everyday- imagine how much kinder and wiser our society as a whole would be!

               It is my sincere hope that your almost middle schooler continues to read for pleasure after we say goodbye on June 1st. The academic and social demands of middle school can easily allow pleasure reading to fall by the wayside. This is why every entering sixth grader needs a reading champion to keep them going with what they started way back in kindergarten and intentionally crafted here in fifth grade. Encouraging and ensuring frequent trips to the local or school library, one of our many local bookstores, or even a few downloads on a tablet are a good start!