Summer Reading
Flat Shoals Elementary, 4th grade
Summer vacation is almost here
Now you and your child will have lots of time to read for fun. Reading for fun is the best way to practice, and practice definitely makes a better reader. Fun is the key word. Fortunately, access to great books is available this summer through the FSE ClassLink homepage (see below) and at our own Nancy Guinn public library,. Check their website, www.conyersrockdalelibrary.org for updated information on opening, temporary library e-cards, and access to online resources.
Reading is a crucial skill, and there are several ways to make sure your child becomes a proficient reader:
1. Reading is a skill that must be practiced. It is important that your child reads every day, and it doesn't always have to be a book. You can practice reading at the grocery store, in the car, anywhere there is something to be read.
2. It is very beneficial to read to children. A child's listening vocabulary is bigger than their sight vocabulary. Reading a story aloud that is at a higher level than their own reading ability can help expand vocabulary and improve fluency.
3. Children should read books that are on their own reading level, but they should not be bound by that entirely in their book selections. They can get great satisfaction from choosing books that are interesting to them. Wanting to read that book that's a bit too hard right now can be a great motivator to keep working on reading skills.
4. Choose both fiction (made-up stories) and non-fiction (real information) books. Newspapers and magazines are great choices, too. Many kids enjoy book series, where many of the characters are the same in all of the books. Fourth graders should continue to read chapter books, building their reading endurance, but many picture books have great stories, too, and should not be seen as “too easy.”
5. Make reading fun! It should never be a chore to read a book. The goal of reading a book should not be to pass a test, but to enjoy a good story or learn something interesting.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR RISING FIFTH GRADERS
Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by Barbara O’Connor
The Tiger Rising by Kate diCamillo
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Seekers and Warriors (series) by Erin Hunter
The Cats of Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Promises to the Dead by Mary Downing Hahn
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Conner
Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
Heat by Mike Lupica
Do the Math: Secrets, Lies, and Algebra by Wendy Lichtman
Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
Bearwalker by Joseph Bruchac
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Marvelous Mattie by Emily Arnold McCully
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building by Deborah Hopkinson
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbie Pyron
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Recommended Series for Rising Fifth Graders
MASTERMINDS
MIDDLE SCHOOL
I Survived
EBooks
- Destiny Discover
- Tumblebooks
- MyOn
- PebbleGo (click on Capstone--Capstone Interactive library, login: flatshoals, school)
Contact information
Email: jokelley1@rockdale.k12.ga.us
Website: rockdale.itslearning.com