Book in a Bag

Dear Parents,

Your child will bring home a blue reading folder each day containing a book that is just right for him/her. Each student will choose a book that is interesting to him/her to read at home. This is called the “Book in a Bag” program. The reading folder and book come home inside a plastic bag to protect them. Remind your child that this book should be treated gently. Send the folder and plastic bag back to school everyday. Your child will read the book and you will fill out the title, reading level, and signature parts of the record sheet.

There will be a “Book Report” sent home in the folder. Your child will need to complete one “Book Report” each week. After reading the book, choose the fiction or non-fiction Book Report. Each student is responsible for completing one “Book Report” each week and reading one book each night as part of your homework assignment. However, if your child is reading a chapter book, they may read the same book each night until they finish. The Book in a Bag will not come home on Fridays.

The “Book Report” will help your child improve their comprehension skills. When students are reading a story, they will be expected to recall characters and detailed events from the story. When reading directions, students should be able to apply them to the assignment.

Reading is a strategic process. Predicting, making mistakes, self-correcting and confirming are part of the process. Familiarity, repetition, and rhyme help children become successful readers. There are several reading strategies I teach the students in the classroom. Use the following link to view these strategies: Reading Strategies. Please reinforce these strategies by helping your child use them when reading at home. Here are some other ideas to use in supporting your child’s reading:

• You may need to read the book to your child first.
• Talk about the story. Predict what the story might be about or what will happen next.
• When your child comes to a word he/she doesn’t know, suggest rereading the first part of the sentence, looking at the picture and/or using the beginning sounds.
• It is alright to tell your child a word when he/she is “stuck.”
• Always keep this special reading time positive!

On the record sheet inside the folder, there will be a box to record the reading level. Your child should be able to read the book independently with ease. If you are assisting your child with more than two words on each page, the book is too hard for your child and should be recorded with a level H (too hard). The students should be reading books that are level R (just right). This means that the books should be read independently and only need help with one or two words on each page. Please do not record these books with level E (too easy) if you are helping them learn most of the words in the book. If your child can read their Book in the Bag with little assistance, they will feel more confident in their reading ability. This will also transfer to the classroom and students will be able to reach higher goals in reading.

The purpose of this program is to help your child practice reading books on their level and develop independence in reading. Let this enhance the time you already spend reading with your child.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Daniel