"Fall" into Reading

Fall is one of my favorite seasons!  It's a great time to grab a blanket, a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and read your favorite book.  I have encouraged my students to find a spot outside to read with the beautiful fall weather we have been having!

Below are some fun things to do to make reading fun and to change things up from your normal "reading routine".  I hope you find a few that you will enjoy!

*Rake up the leaves in your yard.  Grab a book, jump in the leaf pile and READ!
*Go on a walk and find a leaf that you like best.  Use it as a bookmark.
*Find a book about fall, Halloween, or Thanksgiving.  Make connections and talk about what you already know about the book before reading it.
*Before bedtime, get a flashlight and tell stories to one another in a dark room.
*Write your own story about something you love about the fall season.

Happy READING!

Mrs. Szymanski's rules for Christmas break!

I can not believe Christmas is already here!  It has been an exciting past few weeks here at Alward and we are already anticipating the excitement that will be pouring out of kids (and teachers!) on Friday at 3:40.  I did give my kids some "rules" to follow over break:

**Have FUN!**

**Relax**

**Eat yummy foods**

**READ READ READ!**

I know these next few weeks are going to be busy for everyone, but I want to encourage you to READ with your child.  They have come SO far and it is so important for them to keep practicing, especially over a long break!  Also, I will be updating Raz-kids books online over break which is a great way to keep them reading.

Alward also has an online library where you can hear some of our very own students at Alward, along with teachers, reading books aloud.  Please check out the following link to hear some great stories.  You may even recognize a voice or two!

https://blogs2.hudsonville.k12.mi.us/groups/alwardreadalouds/

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

READ!

I have had SO much fun getting to know all of my reading kids these past few weeks!  They have already grown so much as readers in my classroom and I am looking forward to talking with parents about their success next week at conferences. 

I want to stress the importance of reading at home with your child.  Sitting down to read at least 10 minutes a day will help your child immensely.  Not only will this increase their vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension but will also prove to be valuable quality time for you and your child!  You will find many resources for parents and activities for your child on my blog that will hopefully answer questions and be a helpful resource for you! I will discuss additional strategies you can use at home when I meet with you at conferences.

Looking forward to meeting you all next week!

New School Year!

Welcome to my Reading Blog!  I am very excited to post about my love for reading and the happenings in my reading room.  I am anticipating a great 2011 school year!!