ROE Special Edition
December 3
One School, One Book
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Our school is about to take part in a special, community wide shared reading event. Every family will receive a copy of the same book – The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies – and will be asked to read it together at home over the next few weeks. I am personally asking you to make the time so that your family can participate in this special activity.
Reading aloud at home is valuable because it better prepares your child to be an effective reader, and it is also a fun, worthwhile family activity. With this program, we aim to build a Community of Readers at our school. Everyone – students, parents, teachers, even administrative staff will all be following along together.
Your child will receive a copy of The Lemonade War at a special school-wide assembly introducing the program and the book. Along with the book, you will receive a reading schedule so that you can keep up at home. Generally, you will be asked to read about 15 minutes each night.
In school, your child will be invited to answer daily trivia questions to encourage and reward attentive listening. You will soon find that your child will take pride in knowing and anticipating the details of the story. In class, students will explore the book through activities and discussion. You will want to make sure your family keeps up so that your child can be included. Throughout the month, everyone will be talking about The Lemonade War!
This is a novel program in that children of all grade levels will all be listening to their parents read the same book. Strange or daring as that may seem, it actually makes sound educational sense. Reading professionals recommend reading material out loud that is beyond a child's own reading level. We also believe that you can and should continue reading chapter books with your older children, even when they are able to read by themselves. We have selected a title that can be followed and understood and enjoyed by younger students, but will still captivate and stimulate older children.
I know that you’ll enjoy this special reading time with your children. I hope to talk with both you and your student sometime in the days to come about Jessie and Evan and their lemonade competition – and maybe even a little about math and economics! "When a whole school reads a book, there's a lot to talk about." With your help, we can build a Community of Readers at our school.
Thank you for joining us on this journey!
Megan Corns
Principal
Our Book - The Lemonade War
FAQs
This book is a chapter book - I have a Kindergartener.
The love for reading can start small. Reading aloud is a proven, research based strategy to improve comprehension and more importantly instill a love of reading. Use the story as a platform for conversations and as a shared experience with your student and family.
This book seems too easy for my 5th grader.
Let them trade off reading aloud to you. Let them lead and guide questions and conversations about what could happen next or analyzing a character from the story. Comprehension, summarization and inferencing are some of the hardest skills to master. Take time to discuss these concepts as you share the reading experience.
Do we need to still read their take home book?
Yes, let them read their book from their guided reading group if it comes home. You can read this book to them. This should only add a few minutes to their evening and some grades may incorporate the book in assignments.
Do we turn in the book after we have read it?
Nope. This book is yours. We chose to participate in this program as part of our Title I Reading initiative this school year. If your child was absent today we will have a book ready for him/her tomorrow.
If you have more questions, feel free to contact your child's teacher for more information.
One last note
Red Oak Elementary
Email: megan.corns@redoakisd.org
Website: http://roe.redoakisd.org/
Location: 200 Valley Ridge Dr, Red Oak, TX, United States
Phone: 972-617-3523
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redoakelementary/
Twitter: @roelementary