Letter to my Intensive Reading Students for Monday

I teach Intensive Reading class where students who read below grade level work to raise their reading ability to grade level or better.  Here is the letter we will do as a fluency reading on Monday when we return for second semester:

Dear Students,

                I am glad to be back for another semester.  We made great progress by raising lexile scores, reading hundreds of pages per person, developing better fluency, and passing so many classes.  I am proud of you!

                I look forward to building our skills and reading interesting texts to better our knowledge.  I enjoy teaching and watching the young men and women I teach grow to be well informed capable adults.  I believe each one of you will grow to be a successful adult and be able to read complex texts and make smart decisions on your own. 

                We will continue to find success and grow in ability to identify the meaning and purpose of written words.  Analyzing author’s purpose is particularly important.  Knowing what an author is trying to do is important because some author’s will purposefully try to mislead or convince the reader of something not necessarily true.  It is important to be a careful and aware reading when it comes to money.  To be a responsible and self-sufficient adult, one needs to understand author’s purpose to avoid being cheated or mislead.

                Reading well is a vital skill thriving in modern America.  Those who strive to read well can make better decisions, spend money wisely, and communicate effectively through computers and the internet.  Reading opens realms of imagination, relaxation, and higher learning.  Investing in reading well this semester will show rewards not only in high school, but in post-secondary learning, work force advancement, or personal enjoyment.  Reading matters, and together we can read better. 

                I look forward to seeing the growth we achieve this semester.  I am personally invested in helping you be a better reader and opening opportunities for the future.   How much can you do this semester to improve your reading ability?

(It's just under 300 words - so that is a one page fluency reading :) )