Summer Reading
Flat Shoals Elementary, 5th Grade
Summer vacation is almost here!
Now you and your child will have lots of time to read for fun. Reading for fun is the best way to practice, and practice definitely makes a better reader. Fun is the key word. Fortunately, access to great books is available this summer through the FSE ClassLink homepage (see below) and at our own Nancy Guinn public library,. Check their website, www.conyersrockdalelibrary.org for updated information on opening, temporary library e-cards, and access to online resources.
Reading is a crucial skill, and there are several ways to make sure your child becomes a proficient reader:
1. Reading is a skill that must be practiced. It is important that your child reads every day, and it doesn't always have to be a book. You can practice reading at the grocery store, in the car, anywhere there is something to be read.
2. It is very beneficial to read to children. A child's listening vocabulary is bigger than their sight vocabulary. Reading a story aloud that is at a higher level than their own reading ability can help expand vocabulary and improve fluency.
3. Children should read books that are on their own reading level, but they should not be bound by that entirely in their book selections. They can get great satisfaction from choosing books that are interesting to them. Wanting to read that book that's a bit too hard right now can be a great motivator to keep working on reading skills.
4. Choose both fiction (made-up stories) and non-fiction (real information) books. Newspapers and magazines are great choices, too. Many kids enjoy book series, where many of the characters are the same in all of the books. Students should continue to read chapter books, building their reading endurance, but many picture books have great stories, too, and should not be seen as “too easy.”
5. Make reading fun! It should never be a chore to read a book. The goal of reading a book should not be to pass a test, but to enjoy a good story or learn something interesting.
Recommended Books for Rising Sixth Graders
Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick
My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Rules by Cynthia Lord
The Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick
Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson
Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen
Nine Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Bradley
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
Crash by Jerry Spinelli
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings
Ruby in the Sky by Jeanne Zulick Ferrulo
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Travel Team by Mike Lupica
Recommended Series for Rising Sixth Graders
The Crossover
Artemis Fowl
books by Alan Gratz
EBooks
- Destiny Discover
- Tumblebooks
- MyOn
- PebbleGo (click on Capstone--Capstone Interactive library, login: flatshoals, school)
Contact Information
Email: jokelley1@rockdale.k12.ga.us
Website: rockdale.itslearning.com