November Newsletter

4th Grade NewsletterDear Parents/Guardians,

Conferences are now over! Thank you to all those who showed up and had an opportunity to talk about their student’s progress. If you have not had a conference, please reach out to your student’s homeroom teacher to discuss your students’ progress – it is imperative to their development if we all can get on the same page moving into Thanksgiving Break.

Reading Strategy of the Month:

Asking Questions Before, During, and After Reading

To aid their comprehension, skillful readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after they read. You can help your child become a more proficient reader by modeling this process and encouraging your child to use it when he/she reads independently.

This questioning strategy will be important during the month of January, when your child will be researching a topic both independently and with a group. By asking questions before, during and after

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Upcoming Events

November 1

Fall Break

November 7

Book Fair Assembly

November 8

reading, your child will be able to pinpoint the areas he/she would like to know more about. The questions that your child has can also serve as a catalyst for conversations with other group members.

Why Is Asking Questions Important?

Successful reading is not simply the mechanical process of "decoding" text. Rather, it is a process of active inquiry. Good readers approach a text with questions and develop new questions as they read, for example a reader may ask:

"What is this story about?"

"What does the main character want?”

"Will she get it?" "If so, how?"

Even after reading, engaged readers still ask questions such as:

"What is the meaning of what I have read?"

"Why did the author end the paragraph (or chapter, or book) in this way?”

"What was the author's purpose in writing this?"

How Can You Make It Happen?

To help your child learn to ask questions before, during, and after reading, think aloud the next time you are reading a book, article, or set of directions. Write each question on a post-it note and stick it on the text you have the question about. You may be surprised at how many typically unspoken questions you ponder, ask, and answer as you read. You may wonder as you read or after you read at the author's choice of title, at a vocabulary word, or about how you will use this information in the future. Encourage your child to do the same as he/she reads and discuss the questions that he/she had after they have read.

Examples of Questions a Reader May Ask:

"What clues does the title give me about the story?"

"Why am I reading this?"

"What do I already know about___?"

"What predictions can I make?"

"Which of my predictions were right? What information from the text tells me that I am correct?"

"What were the main ideas?"

"What connections can I make to the text? How do I feel about it?"

Continue to model the questioning process and encourage your child to to use it often. It can be a great conversation starter and could be a wonderful entry for your child to include in his/her Reader’s Notebook.

Happy Reading!

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