Reading Response Letters

6th graders are required to write one reading response letter a week about the book they are reading independently.  Students may not write about the book they are reading for book club.  Student letters are due on different days.  Your child's due date should be written on the front cover of their reader's notebook.  Check with your child the day before his/her letter is due and make sure they have completed it.  You may also want to remind your child to turn in their letter on the day it is due.  I will be checking in with students and giving them reminders here at school as well, but I say the more reminders the merrier!!!  Especially in the beginning as we are working on forming new habits. :)

While students are required to write one letter each week, I will collect and grade response letters every other week.  Students must be responsible and disciplined to make sure they complete their letter even on the weeks I do not collect their notebooks.  Please encourage your child to stay on top of his/her response letters, and ask about how their letters are coming along. 

Students may use independent reading time in class to write their response letters, although some students may need to work on their letters at home as well. Your child should have a copy of the scoring guide in the middle section of their notebook, along with a copy of this letter:

9/11/13

Dear Sixth Grader,

            This year you will be writing letters to me once a week during Reader’s Workshop. Your letters will be a response to the book you are reading independently.  You will always write these letters in your reading notebook.   Your letter will be due on the day of the week recorded on your notebook.  Late response letters will not be accepted.  These response letters will be a major part of your reading grade this year.  Please do your best each time you write me a letter.  This will be a fun way for you to share your thoughts about the books you are reading with me.

            You will need to write these letters using the friendly letter format. Your letter will need to include the title and author of the book you are reading (don’t forget to underline the title).  You will need to summarize what you’ve been reading in your book that week.  Remember summaries include the setting, main characters, problem, and important events.

Most importantly you will need to share some of your thoughts with me as they relate to the text you are reading.  Remember READING IS THINKING!  Good reader’s think about several things while they are reading. 

1.                       Good readers make connections.  You will need to write about connections you made while reading (text to text, text to self, or text to world) in each letter. 

2.                       Good readers ask questions.  They also know when they don’t understand what they are reading.  You can write about questions you have while reading. 

3.                       Good readers make predictions and inferences.  You can write about what you think will happen next or write what you think about certain characters or events based on clues the author gives you. 

4.                       Good readers Visualize.  You can write about how you pictured parts of the book in your mind.

5.                       Good readers decide what is important.  You should write the most important details and events you’ve been reading about.  If it’s a fiction book make sure you include the problem and what is getting in the way of solving the problem.

6.                       Good readers summarize.  Always write a summary of what you’ve read.  Summarizing helps us to understand what we are reading and helps us to remember important information.

7.                       Good readers monitor their understanding. You can write about how you thoughts changed about certain characters or events as you read. 

I will expect you to use your best handwriting while you write in your response journals. I will also expect you to use 6^th grade conventions.  You’ll need to follow the rules we learn about in writer’s workshop as you write your letters. Each letter you write me should be 1 full page.  Please do not skip lines and do not write too big or too small.  I can’t wait to read your letters!

Your teacher,

Mrs. McDowell