August 2008 through May 2009                                        OPTIONAL 

If you are interested in this project, please contact me at 386-503-1014.

Dear Parents, In an effort to improve your child’s reading (as well as to improve his/her grades), I am requiring an on-going daily homework assignment that is family-oriented.  It’s titled “Family Reading Project.”   This project allows your child to select a book of his/her choice, to gain the experience of reading for the pleasure of it, and to improve fluency and speed in the process.  In addition, this project requires that you and your child read a total of four hundred pages per quarter and that you read the same book together.  Take turns: You read to him/her; he/she reads to you.  In my opinion, sharing the reading experience with your child is the most precious part of the entire project.   Obviously, this is something that a middle school child would not normally choose to do, but it is so rewarding for both parent and child.   Please read the attached guidelines carefully, then sign at the bottom of the next page (duplicate) and return it to me.  If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at (386) 503-1014.    Be adventurous.  Take a chance.  It may be your last chance to share an academic experience with your kiddo! Sincerely,Mrs. Gutterman, ITMS 8^th Grade Reading Teacher                               Basic Requirements ·        Read at least four hundred pages per quarter with one or both of your parents.  

• Write 2-3 sentences in a journal notebook after each time you read! If you can’t think of anything to write, use the following “sentence starters.”

•  
  • I felt happy (sad, angry, annoyed, frightened, amused) when…
  • At first I thought…but then I realized…
  • I know how this feels because one time I …
  • I got stuck when…
  • Some words/a word I did not know were…
  • I like the way he/she said “…”
  • I stopped because…
  • I got confused when…
  • I started to think about…
  • The time went quickly because…
  • I figured out that…
  • I wonder if/why/how…
  • I think this will happen:

• Write the DATE and the PAGE NUMBERS every time you read and write in your journal.