Beverly Cleary School

Weekly Reading Homework Expectations

Each week (Monday--Thursday) students are required to read two hours outside of school.  This breaks down to 30 minutes a night.  Students need to fill out a Homework Reading Log with the title of the book, author, time they read, and weekly reflection.  Reading each night should be inititaled by an adult.  Reading can be done out loud or silently.  Students can choose what they would like to read for the first quarter.  After the first quarter, I'd like students to be reading a chapter/novel book.  Students can choose to break down their weekly time and time manage according to their weekly activities.  The weekly reflection question is given out on Monday IN class and can be found below on the website.  The weekly reflection should be written on the BACK of the homework reading log.  This should be thoughtful and edited.  Reading logs are due on Friday.  We will NOT have reading logs on short weeks and as directed by the teacher. 

Weekly Reflection Topics

2/13--2/17:  What is the author's purpose of the novel your reading?  Please do not say:  to entertain, to persuade, to inform, and to express ideas.  Go beyond and find examples and context clues from your novel.  Be specific and use examples.  What is the reason the author has for writing? 

2/6--2/10:  Choose 1 character from your book to do a fake interview  of.  Write 4/5 questions for the character.  Write answers to the questions as if you were the character being interviewed.  How would they respond? 

1/30--2/2:  Choose two characters from your book and compare and contrast them.  Do not do a Venn diagram.  Please write 1-3 paragraphs explaining with examples from the text.  Please move beyond the literal...Liz is a girl and Harry is a boy.  What are their similiarties and differences.  Note:  Log given out on 1/27, 2 hours still required. 

1/23--1/27:  What is a possible theme of your book?  Give 1-2 examples from the text to support your opinion. 

1/17--1/20:  No reading log this week, but first literature meeting this week!!! 

1/9--1/13:  Practice ONE of the literature circle jobs/roles of your choice that you learned last week: Discussion Director, Connection Connector, Word Wizard, Passage Picker, Private Eye, Artful Artist/Poetry Person.   

1/3--1/6:  No reading log this week. 

12/12--12/16:  Make a connection to what you're reading.  Choose 1 type of connection:  text to self, text to text, or text to world.  Be detailed and through and use examples from your novel.  Text to self:  relating what you read to yourself and your life.  Beyond the idea of the character is a girl and so am I.  Text to text:  relate what your reading to another book or story.  Text to world:  relate your novel to something that is happening in the world, the US, Oregon, our city....a current event.  Elaboration is key. 

12/5--12/9:  Please summarize with a short retelling of the portion of the novel that you're reading what the main idea is.  What is the most important idea?  Please use details that support the main idea and leave out the unimportant details. 

11/28--12/2:  What is the author's purpose of the novel your reading?  Please do not say:  to entertain, to persuade, to inform, and to express ideas.  Go beyond and find examples and context clues from your novel.  Be specific and use examples.  What is the reason the author has for writing? 

11/14--11/18:  What do you think is a possible theme in your book?  Use at least 2 examples to support your opinion.  Remember context clues helped lead you to form your opinion. 

11/7--11/9:  No Reading Log this week

10/31--11/4:  Find an example of where the author uses "show, don't tell".  Do you think the author does a good job of describing to the reader and using show versus telling.  ***Only 90 minutes this week***

10/24--10/28:  What is the setting of the story?  Describe where and when the story takes place.  Use examples from your reading. 

10/17--10/21:  What is the main idea of what you're reading this week?  Give supporting details to show what the main idea is and how you know. 

10/10--10/13:  What do you think the author's purpose is?  Why?  Give reasons and examples from the book.  ***Only 90 minutes this week***

10/3--10/7:  No Reading Log this week

9/26--9/30:  Tell about the problem or conflict in your story.  If there was a solution, please describe it.  If not, make a prediction about a possible solution. 

9/19--9/23:  Describe a character in the story.  Tell me what they look like, how they act, personality traits, interests, etc.  Tell me why you like or dislike them?  Give at least 2 reasons why.