• Dear Parents and Guardians,

    Some of your children may have already shared with you that they will have very little, if any, written reading homework this year.  I’ve explained to the children that as long as they finish their classwork and give me their best effort in class, they will not have written homework from me.  I strongly believe that it is important for children to take a break and have a chance to participate in extracurricular activities if their family chooses.

    That said, the old idea of “Practice Makes Perfect” rings true when it comes to independent reading.  Although we will work on various reading strategies through detailed lessons in class, independent reading practice is so very critical to becoming a successful reader.  Each student in my class will be required to read for at least 20 minutes each night.  The students are responsible for logging the page numbers they have read in their planner and then asking the adult in charge that night to sign their planner acknowledging that the nightly reading was completed.  We have spent A LOT of time this week talking about what it means to be a proactive 5th grader.  The children understand that it is THEIR responsibility to come to YOU with their planner.  So then, signing the planner (a practice you are most likely already familiar with) also doubles as signing a nightly reading log.  The students will receive LiveSchool points each morning that they return with their book pages logged and their planner signed by an adult. 

    Furthermore, I do understand that nights can be busy with afterschool commitments and parents working late.  Please understand that the nightly reading and log is an expectation of all students in my class.  If there is a reason that you or another caretaker is unable to sign the planner, please contact me so we can discuss an alternate plan.  I appreciate your willingness to work with me to help teach responsibility, along with the importance of reading practice.

    Nightly reading practice and reading log expectations will begin Monday, August 20th.  Thank you so much for being my partner in your child’s education.

    Sincerely,

    Mrs. Hoffart