Materials
Each student should come to reading class completely prepared for optimal learning. Materials
should include his/her RED READING TEXTBOOK, RED READING FOLDER, STUDENT
PLANNER, and a PENCIL. Students may bring their A.R. books to reading, in order to read if
he/she completes an assignment early.
Attendance
Regular school attendance is critical to the learning process. Our school day officially starts at
7:45 A.M. and ends at 2:30 P.M. When your child is absent or tardy, he or she misses valuable
instructional time. Students arriving after 7:55 A.M. are tardy and must be accompanied by an
adult to the office in order to be properly checked into school. If a late arrival occurs during
reading group, your child will come straight to reading class without stopping by his/her
homeroom.
Reading Newsletter
I will send home a class newsletter each Thursday with graded papers containing information for
the upcoming week. If something happens and you do not receive a newsletter on Thursday,
please expect the newsletter in your child’s reading folder on the Friday.
Homework/Classwork
I believe that homework is necessary for practicing skills that have been learned, problemsolved, or for enriching the classroom experience. On the other hand, I do not believe in
overloading students with busywork. On some days, homework may consist of unfinished
classwork. I try to give ample time in class for completion of assignments, but some
assignments may need to be finished at home and returned to me the following day.
In order to help students get their homework assignments done, students will be given a student
planner and a read reading folder. They will write their assignments in their planner and place
any important papers in the red reading folder. After they complete a homework assignment,
students should place the work back into the red reading folder and return it to school the
following day.
NOTE: After the first couple of weeks, it is the student’s responsibility to come into reading class
and write their homework assignment in their “student planner”.
I expect all homework and classwork to be turned in on time. Late assignments will be graded if
they are turned in within a week, but later work will receive a lower grade. Students will not be
allowed to call home if they forget their work. Students should pack their book bags at night
with all the materials needed for the next school day. Organization is a key to success!!!!
Tests
Tests are a weekly occurrence in my reading class. Students will be expected to use skills that
have been learned and strategies that have been taught to complete these weekly tests. We will
have a spelling test, a reading comprehension test to accompany our weekly story, and a
comprehension cold read (see explanation below). Students should treat all three of these
assessments as tests.
Comprehension Cold Read
Each week students will complete a comprehension cold read. This is a reading passage where
students are asked to read the passage and answer questions about the information he/she has
read. The whole purpose of the comprehension cold read is for students to complete this with
absolutely no help from the teacher. This gives teachers an accurate explanation to each
student’s independent reading comprehension capability. The comprehension cold read should
be taken as seriously as a weekly test.
Weekly Spelling Tests
Each week students will be expected to complete a written spelling test. These spelling tests are
comprised of 15 words that are given to students each Friday. Students are expected to copy
these words into their student planner, under the appropriate week. I will check “student
planners” until Thanksgiving. After Thanksgiving, it becomes the student’s sole responsibility to
take care of getting their spelling words into their “student planner”. Students should know how
to spell these words in writing and/or how to use these words correctly in a sentence.
Bonus words: Along with the 15 spelling words, students will be given bonus words. These
words will be the vocabulary words from their weekly story. For each bonus word spelled
correctly, students will received one extra point added to their spelling test.
Classroom Climate Control
I have no way of regulating the temperature in our classroom. There are times when it may
become very chilly. Please allow your child to bring a lightweight jacket or sweater to keep in
his/her backpack so that he/she may be comfortable during reading class. Please take time to
talk with your child to determine if he or she thinks bringing a jacket to my classroom would be
necessary.
Student Conduct
Students are expected to come into reading and conduct themselves in a manner conducive to
learning. We will review our classroom rules and expectations during the first couple of weeks
of reading. Please refer to the following classroom management explanation for further details
on my methods of classroom management.