Entering Grade K-5

Entering Grade K-5

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

— Jacqueline Kennedy

Dear Parent or Guardian,

During the summer months children experience significant learning loss. In an effort to help them continue to grow as learners and readers, the Office of Language Arts and Social Studies will host the 2nd Annual Books to Home reading initiative on June 26th from 11:00AM - 7:00PM. At this event children will be given the opportunity to select books that are theirs to keep. This event will be held in the Public Meeting Room located in the Felicio Administration Center at 52 Third Avenue. At our Books to Home event, representatives from the Brentwood Public Library will be in attendance to talk to you about their summer reading programs and to explain how to obtain a library card. All information regarding our summer reading program can be found on the District website www.brentwood.k12.ny.us including links to websites that will help your child select “just right” books.

Summer Assignment

Children entering grades K-5 are encouraged to read books by many authors over the summer. Attached, please find a list of books appropriate for your child’s grade and questions to help you guide your child’s summer reading. Please help your child choose “one” favorite book and complete the BOOK REVIEW handout to submit on the first day of school. Our teachers are planning some extra special activities the first week of school including having children read their Summer Book Reviews over the school’s loud speaker. J

Thank you for your encouragement and support in our daily efforts to help all children reach their full potential. By working together, we will help all children read, achieve, and succeed. We look forward to seeing you and your child at our exciting Books to Home event!

Ann Palmer, Coordinator of Language Arts and Social Studies K-12

631-434-2241

Fiction

· How do you feel about this character? Why do you feel this way?

· What do the character’s choices tell about him?

· What can you infer about the conflict in the story?

· Why do you think the author chose this setting?

· How would the story be different if the setting or time period were different?

· What is the big message of this book?

· What ideas does the writer want you to think about?

· What does this book remind you of?

· Do the illustrations enhance the story?

· Was the ending satisfying? predictable?

· Which characters changed and which didn’t? Is the character change important in the story?

Non-Fiction

· What were the writer’s feelings about the topic? How do you know?

· What is the writer’s purpose?

· Did the writer describe a problem (and solution)?

· How did the writer use language to make you feel in certain ways about the topic?

· What new information did you gain from the illustrations (graphics)?

· How does the organization (structure) of the text (story, book) help you to predict what the author will tell about next?

· What clue words does the writer use that tell you what might happen next?

Helpful Websites

http://www.lexile.com

http://www.bookweekonline.com

http://www.scholastic.com/100books

http://www.reading.org/resources/booklists/childrenschoices.aspx