Hey 3rd Grade Friends and Families,
Lately, our reading practice has been slacking. We
have not been reading any outside of class. There were only 10 Accelerated
Reader tests taken last week! Some of us have not taken a test or visited the
library since we returned from Christmas break. Next year in 4th grade, students will be expected to read 2 chapter books per week. We have to get back on track.
When you consider that the current reading rate for a 3rd grader at this point
in our year is 90 words per minute. Each page in a chapter book has on average
100 words. We should be reading about a page per minute. The book Magic
Tree House: Lions at Lunchtime has 5,313 words. It could be read in its entirety
in 59 minutes.
The only way to grow and improve as a reader is to practice
everyday. Practice helps us get better in reading, playing a musical instrument, or playing a sport. Research suggests reading 20 minutes per day outside of class. Consider the following:
AR Top 5 Word Count
- Daves
- Nate Campbell - 58,114
- Holland Herod - 49,599
- Sheala Ring - 43,084
- Reece Davis - 41,741
- Michael Bailey - 41,474
- Richardson
- Carleigh Helton - 146,603
- Kialie Hewitt - 103,990
- Jocelyn McCallie - 79,677
- Autumn Morgan - 71,197
- Chandler Scott - 43,810
- Scott
- Damien Cordell - 137,449
- Selene Brown - 30,316
- Kayden Farmer - 25,031
- LaTell Gholar - 24,852
- Rihanna Brown - 23,257
Student Teacher News
As many of you know, Chase Horne is doing his student teaching with my classes this year. He was with us the first semester two days per week. This semester, he is with us everyday. As his time continues, he will take over more and more of the teaching responsibilities. I am on-hand to guide and mentor. He is required to do a two-week takeover of all teaching responsibilities. He will do so at the end of March prior to Spring Break. I will still be in the building, but not actually in the classroom. I'll check in daily to help with grading responsibilities, parent communications, etc.
Mr. Horne has done an amazing job thus far and will continue to do so. Chase was a Gilbert Gator. He was a student at Gilbert Elementary. He even won the Gilbert Scholarship when he graduated LaFayette High School. It is awesome having one of our own back as a student-teacher! Please join me in supporting him as he continues his experience with us.
Until next time,
