Readin g Tips f or Par en t s of

M iddle Sch ool St u den t s

A Gui de to

Be attentive to your child?s

interests and developing skills.
Remember to be somewhat
non-judgmental about the text
your child chooses. Cartoons,
instructions for video games,
fantasy, sports, or fashion
magazines can be the key to
unlocking a lifetime of reading
pleasure.

The40BookChallenge

Take reading materials with

you to shared outings.
Encourage your child to read
while riding in the car, waiting at
the doctor ?s office, or passing
time between activities.

Wher e all st udent s will succeed in

lear ning.

If your child is struggling to

complete a text, try taking turns
listening to him/her read, and
reading aloud to your child,
checking frequently for
understanding.

408 East Main Street

Thurmont, Maryland
21788

Write notes recognizing your

child?s accomplishments. A little
praise can go a long way!

240-236-5100

?Today a r eader ,
t om or r ow a leader .?
-W. Fu sselm an

Or igin of ?Th e 40 Book

Ch allen ge?
Extensive research demonstrates
that people who are avid readers
are better students. Donalyn Miller,
a seasoned 6th grade Language Arts
and educational author, wrote The
Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner
Reader in Every Child in 2009. Miller
writes in her
book,
?Reading
changes your
life...reading
shows you
how to be a
better human
being.?
Stephen Krashen, a reading
researcher and author of The Power
of Reading, proclaims independent
reading as a key to reading
achievement and motivation.

The 40 Book Challenge is based on

the research of Krashen and many
others and is also detailed in Miller ?s
text. The challenge sets a goal of
students reading at least 40 books
across a variety of genres
throughout the year!

Pu r pose:
This year-long project is designed to
push students beyond their comfort
levels as readers and encourage
them to explore the wide variety of
books available. As they experience
new genres, they will be challenged
as readers and asked to use the
comprehension strategies they have
learned in different ways.
Throughout the year, students will
receive support through whole class,
small group, and individual
instruction. Teachers will share their
reading with students and support
them in making choices that are right
for them.

Gen r e Expectation s:
Poetry Anthologies/Novel in Verse 3
Traditional Literature 3
Realistic Fiction 5
Historical Fiction 3
Fantasy 4
Science Fiction 3
Mystery 3
Informational 4
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir/Narrative
Non-Fiction 3
Free Choice 9

How parents
can support:

?Failure is not an option, so why talk about it??

-Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer

We realize that some students may be

intimidated by such a high reading goal.
However, from research, we know that
the best way to become a better reader
is to spend more time reading a variety
of materials on their independent
reading level. Students are influenced
by your actions. We encourage you to
share what you are reading with your
student. Informal book talks will help
meet several literacy standards.
Here are some question prompts you can use
with your child:

~What do you think will happen next?

~How have the characters changed?
~Does this text remind of you of
something you've read before?

290

~What was the most important part of

the text?

**

~What did you learn from the text that

you can apply to your own life?