How Read-at-Home Works
On Mondays, each child takes home one of your numbered bookbags (see directions below). Each bookbag contains two children’s books and three, materials-containing 9 X 12 envelopes. On Monday evenings, families read aloud the first of the books to their child.
On Tuesdays, families work with the child to complete the activity card; this is located in the 9 X 12 envelope labeled with the Monday book's name.
Wednesdays and Thursdays, families repeat this process with the second book and its matching activity card.
On Thursday evening, families remove one copy of the nursery rhyme from the 3rd envelope in the bookbag. They then set the bookbag near the door to be returned to school on Friday morning.
Over the weekend, families read the nursery rhyme to their child and ask the important intertextual question: "How does this rhyme remind you of a book we read this week?"
Making Read-at-Home Work in Your Classroom
1. You begin by collecting the books themselves.
2. You make (less expensive; see helpful video) or purchase tote bags.
3. For each book in a bag, you print enough copies of each activity card (found on the Bookbag Content pages) for every student in your class.
4. You place the copies in a 9 X 12 envelope, labeling the envelope with the name of the matching book.
5. Repeat this process for the second book in the bag and then again with the paired nursery rhyme. (See Bookbags pages for each collection of books and rhymes).
6. You number each filled Bookbag in some bold, bright way.
7. You create a Bookbag storage location in your classroom.
8. You set up your management system, either planning for 16 Bookbags or for 32 Bookbags. This system lets you know which child is to receive which Bookbag on each week of the program.
9. You download this letter that introduces the families in your room to the Read-at-Home program. You will want to revise the letter so that it contains YOUR signature.