Fresh English: Independent Reading Expectations

Students need to read two books per grading period (every six weeks).
The books are free choice, though it should be a quality book appropriate for school reading.
We have lots of books to choose from in our classroom. Students are welcome to borrow them, just be sure to check them out using the button on the right >>>

READ:
We read every day in class for 10-15 minutes.
Students should also be reading at home 15-20 minutes daily as their English homework.
Independently reading in a book you enjoy is an excellent way to build vocabulary, reading speed, and stamina.

Assessment:

Assessments of independent reading vary. Sometimes we write book reviews (see picture below, and example here), sometimes we present about a book we loved, sometimes we answer some questions about our books in a form.
It's always a good idea to make some notes about a book you finish in case you need to refresh your memory later.
Also, you will complete several reading progress updates about the books you are currently reading. It helps a lot if you are reading the same book at home and at school.
And, not to sound creepy, but we do observe you while you read sometimes. If you aren't focused on reading in class and you aren't making progress in your book, then it's pretty obvious that you also aren't reading at home.
Wondering about reading progress grades? Remember this scoring guide.

Book list:

Click HERE to get a copy of a spreadsheet you can use to keep a list of books you have read this year.
This list is for YOU. You can share it with your teachers if you want to (and/or if we ask you to), but mostly it is for you to keep track of your own books.

Recommended Books:
We are always happy to help you find books that are right for you.
You can also find a list of books recommended by our former students HERE.
Some books are on the list more than once. That means they were recommended more than once.

Gradebook Explained

My grade book is on Power School for you to view. There are some things you need to know.

If you have a blank score or missing score that is not bad. Often scores are left blank when I do not grade an assignment right away. Sometimes blanks mean a student was absent for an in class experience. The point is do not panic about blank or missing scores.

Zeros however, are a real problem. Students get zeros when they do not turn in an assignment that they should have done. Zeros usually appear after I have asked the student several times to get the work finished. Students can sometimes undo a zero by turning in the work late. Some assignments can be regraded. See the button at the top of the blog to request a re-grade.

Often I do not enter many assignments until the end of the grading period when projects we have been working on for a few weeks become due. I try to enter progress grades every few weeks into the "progress category." Note that the progress category is only 10% of the total grade. Low scores on progress grades indicates that a student needs to improve their work before the final project is due.

Grade categories are weighted as follows:

50% Writing & Speaking (Essays, some in class assessments, and speaking assignments.)

40% Reading & Listening (Book reviews and reading progress and some listening assessments.)

10% Progress (writing draft grades, turning in required paperwork, some formative assessments)

Student grades are based on meeting grade level standard proficiencies. This is not a points or numbers game. There is no extra credit, but there may be additional opportunities to show proficiency.

I hope this will resolve some confusion. Of course if you have questions about grades please e-mail me.

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Independent Reading Expectations

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