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Glenbrook Middle School Challenging and Supporting Every Student May, 2010 Dear Parents and Glenbrook 2010-2011 Eighth Graders, Reading is the one skill in which students need to be proficient across all academic disciplines.  In fact, reading is considered to be a “gateway skill.”  Students who excel in reading most often excel in all content areas. According to a recent study at Texas A & M, there is a very strong correlation between student scores on standardized tests and the amount of time they devote to reading outside of school.  Students who scored at the 90th percentile or above read on average for forty minutes per day outside of school.   Students who scored in the 50th percentile read on average for thirteen minutes per day outside of school. With this in mind, teachers have posted a link listing many teen titles from which to choose for required summer reading. (http://plymouthlibrary.org/yabibs.htm) The books on the website have been selected in the hope that students will find them enjoyable, entertaining, meaningful, and thought provoking.  Please select at least two books from the link above for your English class. To help remember each book’s story, a simple form is available on Glenbrook’s website to record relevant information.  Parents are asked to sign each form and are encouraged to discuss the reading with their children or perhaps read a book together.  Students must bring the forms to school on the first day.  They will not be tested on the books, but all reading/language arts teachers will have activities planned for the beginning of next school year to share and celebrate reading.  For your Social Studies class, please choose one title from the list below.  Each team will have separate instructions concerning the books, which will be posted on the website.  An assessment will be given when students return in September. Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes April Morning by Howard Fast Cast Two Shadows by Ann Rinaldi The Fifth of March by Ann Rinaldi My Brother Sam is Dead by the Collier Brothers Sincerely, Glenbrook Eighth Grade English and Social Studies Teachers