Two Hour Delay & I-Pick

In case you didn't receive your call, we will have a two hour delay due to the flooding and poor road conditions. I hope this rain stops soon so we can get back to learning our new school routine!

Before the rain threw a monkey-wrench into our day, we were having a great time. First, we learned how to pick a book using the I-PICK method. I-PICK stands for:

I - I choose reading material.
P - Purpose - Why will I read this?
I - Interest - Does this look like it will interest me?
C - Comprehend - Can I understand what I'm reading?
K - Know the Words - Do I know most of the words in this material?

If your child has picked reading material that suits them then they will be able to answer yes to all four of the PICK questions. It's important for your child to be selecting materials that are on their instructional level or a little lower so they can practice their accuracy, fluency and comprehension. If your child would like to read something more challenging, it would be great for you to read it together. Shared reading is just as beneficial to the kids as reading on their own.

In addition to the I-PICK method, we also talked about the three ways to read a book: reading the pictures, reading the words, and retelling a story you already read. These three methods can all be done during Read to Self. This is silent or whispered reading you do alone to practice the different reading strategies you are learning in conferences, groups and class. Just like professional athletes can't improve without practice, readers don't get better without practice so Read to Self gives us the perfect opportunity to work on these skills.

It was a busy day, and I hope that everybody is staying dry tonight. If you have any pictures of flooding at your house that you'd like to share with the class you can email them to me at rebecca_bair@etownschools.org.