Dear Parents of Incoming 3rd Grade Students: St. Patrick Catholic School 3rd Grade Summer Reading 2017 The goal of the St. Patrick School summer reading program is to keep students engaged in reading over the summer break. Our emphasis is on total minutes read not on the total number of books read. While we understand some children may resist reading during the summer, research shows that, regardless of the form it takes, summer reading leads to academic gains, which will support students throughout their lives. Since a typical summer includes approximately 75 days or 900 daytime hours, we are asking that students spend between 2 to 3 percent of that time reading, and we hope they choose to exceed that level. Students will select books, fiction/nonfiction, to complete 1050 minutes during the summer, approximately 15 minutes per day. Students will document their reading minutes on the Summer Reading log which can be printed off from ParentsWeb. The logs may be filled out by the students but must be verified by a parent. Summer Reading Logs are due to the reading teacher on the first Friday of the school year. Reading Logs will count as a test grade for the first quarter of reading. 3 rd Grade Minimum Summer Reading Requirements Minutes 1050 (17.5 hours) documented on Summer Reading log found on ParentsWeb including at least one fiction and one non-fiction book. (1050 minutes = 100%, then 1 point deduction for each minute under the required amount. For example, 1040 minutes = 90%, 1000 minutes = 50%, etc.) We have also designed an incentive program to encourage students to exceed the minimum requirements. 3rd Grade Incentive Reading Minutes Free Dress Day - 2100 (35 hours) Get out of class for 30 minutes of Free Time in the Gym - 3000 (50 hours) 3 rd Grade Required Reading Project Each student is also required to complete a Reading Response Project. The students may choose the book and the type of project from the Reading Response Project list. Please see the pdf attachment titled Not Your Grandma s Book Report. This has a list of several possible projects to choose from and complete before the first week of school. Reading Response Projects are due to the reading teacher on the first Friday of the school year. Reading Response Projects will count as a test grade for the first quarter of reading.
We encourage students to choose a variety of books as judged appropriate by their parents. Following is a list of popular titles but you do not have to choose titles from this list. Abbott, Tony Adler, David Brown, Marc Danziger, Paula Greenburg, Dan Greenburg, J.C. Gutman, Dan Kimpton, Diana Klein, Abby Kline, Suzy McDonald, Megan McMullan, Kate Meadows, Daisy Osborne, Mary Pope Peters, Stephanie Rodda, Emily Roy, Rob Sachar, Louis Scieszka, Jon Sobol, Donald Van Draanen, Wendelin Various Authors Atwater, Rick Auch, Mary Jane Birdsall, Jeanne Blume, Judy Byars, Betsy Christopher, Matt Cleary, Beverly Clements, Andrew Colfer, Eoin Dahl, Roald DiCamillo, Kate Howe, James Hurwitz, Johanna Kelly, Katy King-Smith, David Levine, Gail Carson Lowry,Lois MacDonald, Betty Series The Secrets of Droon Cam Jansen Mysteries Arthur chapter books Amber Brown The Zack Files Andrew Lost My Weird School Pony-Crazed Princess Ready Freddy Horrible Harry Judy Moody and Stink Dragon Slayers Academy Rainbow Magic Fairies The Magic Treehouse Soccer Cats Fairy Realm A to Z Mysteries Marvin Redpost Time Warp Trio Encyclopedia Brown Shredderman The American Girls Beginning Novels Mr. Popper s Penguins I Was a Third Grade Spy The Penderwicks Freckle Juice My Dog, My Hero and Tornado The Dog that Called the Pitch (and other sports titles by this author) Ramona the Pest (and other titles by this author) Frindle (and other titles by this author) The Legend of Spud Murphy (and other Legend titles) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and other titles by this author) Because of Winn-Dixie and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery (and other titles by this author) Russell and Elisa (and other Russell and Elisa titles) Lucy Rose: Big on Plans (and other Lucy Rose books) Lady Lollipop (and other titles by this author) The Princess Test Gooney Bird Greene (and other books in the collection) Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (and other Mrs. Piggle Wiggle titles)
Barretta, Gene Clements, Andrew Cole, Joanna Cole, Joanna DePaola, Tomie George, Jean Craighead Hatkoff, Isabella Kalman, Maira Leedy, Loreen Old, Wendie Raven, Margo Theis Schwartz, David Simon, Seymour St. George, Judith Various Authors Weatherford, Carole B. Aylesworth, Jim Bagert, Brod Clements, Andrew Dakos Demarest, Chris Florian, Douglas George, Kristine O. Gottfried, Maya Hoberman, Mary Ann Horton, Joan Janeczko, Paul Katz, Alan Kirk, Daniel Prelustky, Jack Rex, Adam Shields, Carol Diggory Sierra, Judy Silverstein, Shel Stevenson, James Whitehead, Jenny Nonfiction Poetry Now and Ben Dolores and the Big Fire Ms. Frizzle s Adventures (series) The Magic School Bus adventures 26 Fairmount Avenue (and other biographies) and The Popcorn Book How to Talk to Your Dog Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of John J. Harvey There s a Frog in my Throat! To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot How Much is a Million? (and other books by this author) Earthquakes (and other titles by this author) So You Want to Be President? You Wouldn t Want to Be series Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom The Burger and the Hot Dog Giant Children Dogku If You re Not here Please Raise Your Hand (and other titles) I Invited a Dragon to Dinner Insectlopedia (and others by this poet) Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems Good Dog You Read to Me, I ll Read to You (and other books by this author) Hippopotamus Stew and Other Silly Animal Poems A Kick in the Head Take Me Out of the Bathtub Dogs Rule! Any by this author (the U.S.A. s 1st Children s Poet Laureate) Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich Almost Late to School Antarctic Antics and Monster Goose A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends Candy Corn and Corn Chowder Lunch Box Mail Below are topics to be explored in 3rd grade science and social studies. Your child might enjoy building background knowledge during the summer to enhance fall learning. Matter & Energy Water cycle Gravity, friction, magnets Weather Volcanoes & Earthquakes Weathering and decomposition Life cycles Scientists and inventors Earth & space Body systems Ecosystems Communities Natural Resources Native Americans The colonies Inventions Government Culture
Name: Grade page of St. Patrick School Reading Log Summer Reading 2017 Date # of minutes Title of Novel/Nonfiction Book Read Initials TOTAL With our signatures below, we hereby verify the above documentation as a truthful accounting of this student s summer reading time. Please feel free to use additional sheets as necessary. Student s Signature: Date: Parent s Signature: Date:
Name: Grade page of St. Patrick School Reading Log Summer Reading 2017 Date # of minutes Title of Novel/Nonfiction Book Read Initials TOTAL With our signatures below, we hereby verify the above documentation as a truthful accounting of this student s summer reading time. Please feel free to use additional sheets as necessary. Student s Signature: Date: Parent s Signature: Date:
Name: Grade page of St. Patrick School Reading Log Summer Reading 2017 Date # of minutes Title of Novel/Nonfiction Book Read Initials TOTAL With our signatures below, we hereby verify the above documentation as a truthful accounting of this student s summer reading time. Please feel free to use additional sheets as necessary. Student s Signature: Date: Parent s Signature: Date: