An independent school in Middletown, DE for students in Preschool through Grade 8

Summer Family Literacy 

Greetings parents of rising 1st to 6th graders! Are you ready for an exciting summer of reading?! 

Our school is embarking on a special and innovative reading project. Every family with a rising 1st to 6th grader received a copy of the same book with a blank journal and was asked to read it aloud together at home over the summer. Mr. Davis read the first chapter out loud on Facebook live, feel free to take a look if you missed it here

By reading a single, age-appropriate, book together as a community, we will generate a school-wide conversation about characters and literature, a conversation in which all are welcomed and included. We’d like you to be able to participate in this conversation, too, by reading aloud and sharing this book with your child. Reading aloud helps children build vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. It engages them in a different way and ignites passion for literacy and various topics. Throughout June and July there will be various resources posted below, including suggested activities, family discussion questions, and journal response questions to go with the chapters and themes of the book. 

We read many books together as a school throughout the year to encourage important conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some titles include: Hey Little Ant, When the Shadbush Blooms, Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History, and Eyes that Kiss in the Corners. This summer's novel complements the conversations that have started last year with the all school read alouds. We plan to engage students in discussion and activities about the book across curriculum and grade levels when we return in the fall. We encourage you to partner with us and help turn our students into lifelong readers. Thank you for playing an active role in your child’s education, and enjoy this book – together!

Students younger than 1st grade will be given suggestions of age appropriate picture books that match the themes to read over the summer. Students in grades rising 7th and 8th will read the book during Advisory when we return to school to be able to join in important school connection activities. 

Rising PK to K Suggested Picture Books 

• The Belonging Tree – Maryann Cocca-Leffler
• The Scarecrow – Beth Ferry
• Yaffa and Fatima – Fawzia Gilani-Williams
• Strictly No Elephants – Lisa Mantchev
• Thank You, Garden – Liz Garton Scanlon
• Under the Canopy – Iris Volant
• Our Tree Named Steve – Alan Zweibel


 

Throughout June and July there will be various resources posted here, including suggested activities, family discussion questions, and journal response questions to go with the chapters and themes of the book. This section will continue to be updated as we progress through the book so check back weekly!