Students will read a story each week from their Journeys reading book. The week's phonics skills, spelling words, and comprehension skills will come from this story. Students will be tested over the week's high frequency words, spelling words, and story on Fridays. I highly encourage students to read the week's story nightly in order to ensure mastery of the words and comprehension of the story.
Students are required to read for 20 minutes every night. Why read for 20 minutes? Have a look at this....
Why Your Child Should Read for 20 Minutes Every Day
"Why can't I skip my 20 minutes of reading tonight?"
Let's figure it out ---MATHEMATICALLY!
Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!
Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./week
Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes
Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.
Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.
Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year
Student A reads 3600 min. in a school year.
Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.
Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.
Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.
By the end of 6th grade if Student A and Student B maintain these same reading habits,
Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days
Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days.
One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so, undoubtedly, will school performance. How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?
Source: U.S. Department of Education, America Reads Challenge (1999) "Start Early, Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader." Washington D.C.
Students are required to read for 20 minutes every night. Why read for 20 minutes? Have a look at this....
Why Your Child Should Read for 20 Minutes Every Day
"Why can't I skip my 20 minutes of reading tonight?"
Let's figure it out ---MATHEMATICALLY!
Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!
Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a week = 100 mins./week
Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes
Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.
Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.
Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year
Student A reads 3600 min. in a school year.
Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.
Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.
Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.
By the end of 6th grade if Student A and Student B maintain these same reading habits,
Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days
Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days.
One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so, undoubtedly, will school performance. How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?
Source: U.S. Department of Education, America Reads Challenge (1999) "Start Early, Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader." Washington D.C.