This year we will be implementing a new curriculum for reading. The curriculum we will be using is Lucy Calkins, which is what we currently use for writing curriculum as well. The first unit of study we will be learning is "A Deep Study of Character." The other two units of study include: "Social Issues Book Clubs" with dives into reading for empathy and advocacy and "Tapping the Power of Nonfiction" which dives into nonfiction reading skills such as, discerning central ideas, summarizing to create a concise version of a text, synthesizing within and across texts, building vocabulary, and reading critically to question an author's point of view and perspective.
I highly encourage students to read every night for at least 30 minutes a night. Students have access to Freckle wherever they have an electronic device and internet connection. Freckle is a website that students are familiar with at school which provides students with different non-fiction and fiction articles and reading comprehension questions. It is a great tool to use to help improve reading at home. Students can also read chapter books, magazines, online articles, newspapers, etc.