The first six days of school!

  What a whirlwind of excitement, confusion, nerves, taking risks, I have seen in less than a week of school. It is a tremendous transition from 6th grade to 7th, but with patience, understanding, willingness to adapt, students will start to feel confident, conscientious, and enthusiastic about the learning that will happen in a short amount of time.
  As students become more comfortable with the expectations of the classroom, they will settle into routines designed to support them in becoming more strategic readers and writers. Because reading is a process, students must make meaning by interacting with text. Research indicates that effective or expert readers are STRATEGIC. This means they have purposes for their reading and adjust their reading to each purpose and for each reading task, and they use a variety of strategies and skills as they construct meaning.
  With careful planning, I am able to accomplish the goal of creating strategic readers and writers. One plan is the use of "Article of the Week". Students are seeing and learning what it takes as a reader to accomplish a particular goal or complete a given task. This goal will only be accomplished through patience, practice, and perseverance. By mid year, students will be more confident and conscientious as they choose appropriate reading and writing strategies, and they will become more automatic. By the end of the year, each student will achieve independence in using a multitude of strategies.
  Along with the strategies that expert readers use, strategic readers also use a number of comprehension and study skills. It is clear from research that readers develop the use of strategies and skills by reading and writing and being given the support they need to grow in these processes.
   The goal of all reading instruction is to help students become expert readers so that they can achieve independence and can use literacy for lifelong learning and enjoyment. Learning to use strategies effectively is essential to constructing meaning. Readers who are not strategic often encounter difficulties in their reading. These early difficulties in reading may influence the way readers learn throughout the rest of their lives.
  Which brings me back to the reference, "tremendous transition" . . . Please expect some academic "growing pains". As a professional and from personal experience, I understand the significant event that will occur in the life of your child. I understand how that transition can impact not only the child, but the family as well.
  It is my firm belief that a successful and smooth transition necessitates support and collaboration among, me, you, counselors, and administrators, but I also know and believe that each and every one of my students will see it through, and stay the course. I have guaranteed their success if they are resolved in doing their best at the rigorous expectations that lie ahead. They have already learned: practice, practice, practice. We must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order for our children to achieve worthwhile goals.
  "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6