We Love Book Club

Writer's Notebook

All 6th graders will be expected to keep a writer's notebook this year.

We will use our writer's notebooks to
1.  Practice writing => We will write in our notebooks everyday!
2. Learn about writing => We will take notes in our writer's notebooks.
3.  Record ideas => We will look back through our notebooks often and chose entries we would like to turn into full writing pieces.

I tell the students that writing is like playing football or doing gymnastics, or anything else for that matter, if we want to get better we have to practice!  Right now we are learning strategies for our writer's notebook, strategies that will help us practice writing.  These strategies help your child look at his/her own life and world in a way that seeks out stories, poems, and ideas.  Unlike a prompt, a strategy can be used again and again in different contexts with different results. 

The following strategies can be used by your child when they are writing in their notebook.

1. History of a Name

2. Writing from a List

3. Questioning/Wondering

4. Writing off Literature

5. Observations

6. Writing from a Word

7.  Rereading and Highlighting

8.  Lifting a Line

We have not covered all these strategies yet, but we're working on it.  Within the next couple of weeks your child will have been introduced to each of these strategies.  They should be recording examples of each of these strategies in their writer's notebook.  After students have practiced each strategy at least once on their own they will be set free to chose their own strategy and what they would like to write about.  At that time we will talk about notebook expectations and grading requirements.  Look for information about notebook expectations and grading requirements to come home in the next couple of weeks. 

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

Reading Notebook

Each 6th grader has a reading notebook.   We will keep this notebook all year long.  

Our reading notebook is divided into 3 sections.

SECTION 1

*Book List 

- students record all books (title, author, genre) the day they begin reading it
- students record the date on the date they complete their books
- ALL books should be recorded on this list, including books read aloud to the student

 *Reading Interest List
- students record topics and authors that interst them as well as titles of books they would like to read

*Genre Notes 
-Students are required to read 40 books this year :)
-Students will keep a record of the # of books read in each genre with tally marks.
- Notes on each genre can be found in this section as well.
- Students will refer to these notes as they record the genre of the books they read.

 
*Reading is Thinking Notes
- Good readers think while they read!  
-Notes on what good readers think about while reading can be found in this section.
- Students will refer to these notes often as they write their weekly reading response letters.

SECTION 2

*Students will write weekly reading response letters in this section.
*Letters will be collected and graded every other week.

SECTION 3

*Book Club - students will record book club notes and activities in this section.
*Book Club Calendars should be kept in this section.
*Students will refer to Book Club Calendars for club reading assignments.

Scholastic Book Orders

Ordering from Scholastic is EASY!!!! CHEAP!!!!!  And MAKES READING MORE FUN for your child!!!!  Kids love reading new books they have chosen!!

PLUS ordering from Scholastic earns our class free books (ordering online earns us even more free books)!!! 

Check out your child's Scholastic book order today.  There are great, teacher recommended titles to chose from and even more titles on their website!

Follow this link to place your order online.    www.scholastic.com/readingclub
Our class code L74PP.  You'll need that the first time you place an order online.  You may also send orders and $ to school if you'd rather not order online.

Binders

We are getting organized!!!

Last week each student put together a binder.  You can expect this binder to come home EVERY night!  Please ask your child about their binder and have them show you how it is organized.  Check for it each night, especially this week as your child is working on forming new habits and will probably need some extra reminders until they get in the "organized grove!"

Here's what you should see in your child's binder:

1.  Front Inside-Pocket: In the front inside pocket of the binder you will find graded papers, notes, and other important information that needs to come home.  This pocket should be cleaned out EVERY night!  If you need to send money, permission slips, weekly reviews, etc. back to school with your child; this is where it should go.  

2.  Assignment Notebook: Your child should be filling this out daily.  It will give you a clue as to what we are learning each day at school and should help your child remember what homework they have for the evening.  

3.  Pocket Tab-Dividers: There should be one for each subject.  Your child will keep important information and notes that they'll need for up coming test and projects behind each subject's tab.  Homework/assignments should be kept in the pocket of each tab to be turned in the next day.  All homework is due by 9:00 the day after it is assigned.  We do NOT accept late homework in 6th grade.

2 More Days!!!!!!

It was great meeting everyone at Back to School Night.  I'm excited to get to know each of you!!!  See you Monday!  School is starting!  Woot!  Woot!