- Can you tell me about Independent Reading?
- When do you meet with students to talk about books?
- Is it ever okay to re-read a book or to abandon a book?
- To grow as a reader, what do you recommend?
- What is a book talk?
- What do I need to do to succeed in Verbal this year?
- What do I do if I'm confused/lost on a topic or book in class?
- How do you grade our Reader Response Journals?
- How am I graded in Verbal?
- What supplies do I need every single day for Verbal?
- What are our areas of study this year?
- Do students practice for the NJ ASK?
- Do we ever work with the 7th Grade Verbal students?
- What is "Everyday Vocabulary"?
- What are Marble Parties?
- What is the "Oops, I Forgot" book?
- Any other questions?
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Can you tell me about Independent Reading?
Sure! Students are responsible for reading 30 minutes, 5 times a week. Therefore, students must
have an Independent Reading book with them EVERY SINGLE DAY! Students can borrow a book from
my library at anytime. They must sign the book out and remember to return it when they are
finished! Students can also visit the Hammarskjold Media Center to borrow books. Books can be
taken out for 2 weeks.
Independent Reading is done both at home and in class. During the week, students have ample
opportunities to read their IR book in class! Any time spent in class reading counts towards their 30
minute goal a day.
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When do you meet with students to talk about books?
When students select an IR book to read, they must complete a "goal sheet" which can be found in
the basket on the counter in our classroom. Students establish a "target finish date" based on the
expected number of pages they plan to read each day. Then, students fill their name in on our class
calendar. I meet with students as they are reading their books, and especially when they finish their
books. During a conference, students explain how they rated the book, why, and then respond to
several questions about the book. Students receive a sticker on their goal sheet to indicate a
completed book.
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Is it ever okay to re-read a book or to abandon a book?
Yes, of course! I certainly believe that students should have the freedom to re-read a book they
have already read, but I also encourage my students to try as many new books and genres as they
can. If a book is too hard, not living up to your expectations, or simply "boring", please feel free to
find something you can really "sink your teeth into." With so many amazingly wonderful books out
there, why waste time on something you don't absolutely adore?
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To grow as a reader, what do you recommend?
I recommend trying new genres - Don't fall victim to a genre-rut. Branch out, you never know what
surprises await you in a new genre, new series, new author, etc. If you love realistic fiction as I do,
you may find an unexpected pleasure in science fiction. You won't know unless you try! To grow as
a reader, you must try even the books that you don't think you'll like, look up difficult words as you
encounter them, question, predict, visualize, connect and challenge your books!
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What is a book talk?
A book talk is an informal way to share a great book. If you've ever read a book that you absolutely
love, please share it with someone! One of the best ways to find new books is to find out that
someone else loved the book first! Please feel free to bring in a great book to share with your
classmates. A book talk is a 2-3 minute briefing on why your book is worth reading! Remember -
Don't give away the ending!
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What do I need to do to succeed in Verbal this year?
This is simple: Show up, be prepared, get involved, work hard. There is absolutely no substitute for
hard work. Please remember that if you work hard, the chances are great that you will succeed with
flying colors!
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What do I do if I'm confused/lost on a topic or book in class?
Ask for help! Please feel free to email me with questions about class discussions, books, projects, etc.
Or, you can always stay after school to work with me one-on-one... just let me know when you plan to
stay and I will be there to help!
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How do you grade our Reader Response Journals?
Reading Response Journals are graded once a marking period. I will collect your RR Journals at the
end of each marking period and select ONE entry to grade. The graded entry will represent your
grade for IR for the marking period. Reminder: Since you don't know which entry I am going to
grade, you'll need to do your BEST work on all of them!
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How am I graded in Verbal?
Students are graded in three areas:
25% - Quizzes
25% - Homework/Classwork
50% - Writings, Tests, Projects
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What supplies do I need every single day for Verbal?
For class each day, students should have:
Verbal Binder
Pen/Pencil
Highlighter
Reader Response Journal
Independent Reading Book
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What are our areas of study this year?
Mythology
Ethics - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Tolerance - The Wave by Todd Strasser
Justice - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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Do students practice for the NJ ASK?
Yes! Every marking period, students practice for standardized testing. Students complete timed writing
prompts on a quarterly basis. Also, each marking period, students practice reading passages and
responding to multiple choice questions and open-ended questions.
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Do we ever work with the 7th Grade Verbal students?
All the time! Sixth and seventh grade Verbal students will get to know each other very well throughout
the year. Classes will merge on a monthly or bi-monthly basis to work on our joint unit - Poetry.
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What is "Everyday Vocabulary"?
Everyday Vocabulary is a program designed to help students recognize vocabulary words in a
context other than the one in which I taught them. For instance, in the myth "Arachne", students
learned the word "indignant". If a student finds the word in another context (IR book, song lyrics, a
teacher says it, TV program, etc.) the student should record the word and bring it to class. Each time
a student finds a word and correctly defines the word, he/she will earn a sticker. Ten stickers
results in a homework pass!
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What are Marble Parties?
I believe great behavior deserves a reward! At the end of class each day, students discuss how many
marbles they think they earned for the period. Students can earn up to 10 marbles a day. A "perfect
day" means all students arrived on-time, began the Do-Now quietly, completed the homework,
finished all classwork, participated, were respectful, and entered the "reading zone" during IR time.
Once students fill up their class jar, they will have a party.
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What is the "Oops, I Forgot" book?
Each time a student forgets something for class, he/she must sign the "Oops, I Forgot" page. Each
signature is worth two points. At the end of the quarter, I total the amount of points a student lost and
count it as a quiz grade. The lesson to be learned - Come Prepared!
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Any other questions?
Please feel free to email me any questions I forgot!
