Reading Response Letters - Something New :)

1/9/13

Dear 6^th Graders,

We are going to do response letters differently this semester.  You will still be writing 1 response letter a week.  Your letters will need to include the same key points as they have all year.  You will continue to turn your notebook in every other week.  Your notebooks will be due on the same day they have been due all year.  You may be wondering, if all those things are staying the same, what is actually changing???  Well, I’m about to tell you.

         Each month you will write a total of 4 letters - one each week (that part is actually the same).  The part that is changing is who you will be writing your letters to.  Here’s how it will work:        

1.                   The first week of each month Mrs. Washburn’s class will write their letters to a friend in Mrs. McDowell’s class.   Mrs. Washburn’s class will turn their letters in the usual way on the day they are due.  Mrs. McDowell’s class will write back the day they receive your letters.

2.                   The second week of each month Mrs. McDowell’s class will write their letters to a friend in Mrs. Washburn’s class.  Mrs. McDowell’s class will turn their letters in the usual way on the day they are due. Mrs. Washburn’s class will write back the day they receive their letters

3.                   The third week of each month both classes will write a letter to Mrs. McDowell.  Mrs. Washburn’s class will turn their notebooks in that week.  Mrs. McDowell will grade your letters and write you back, as usual.

4.                   The forth week of each month both classes will again write a letter to Mrs. McDowell.  Mrs. McDowell’s class will turn their notebooks in that week.  Mrs. McDowell will grade your letters and write you back, as usual.  

5.                   Mrs. McDowell will assign your letter-writing partner.  Partners will change each month.  

This new response letter process will begin today!  This should be an enjoyable way to tell others about the books we are reading.  Have fun with this!  It will also allow us to continue practicing our meta-cognition (thinking about thinking) skills and writing skills as well.  Remember to always do your best.  All letters – even the ones you write to your 6^th grade buddies – will be recorded as a grade.

Love,

Mrs. McDowell