Independent Reading Letter

December 2014
This month, you have a new audience for your letter!
You will write a letter to a reading buddy. Think about how you might vary your
language and ideas to better connect with your reader. Your reading buddy will
respond to your letter during our letter exchange.
Since we have been working on character traits, your ideas should focus on the
traits of your character.
1st paragraph - introduction:
1. Write the date, greeting, title (underlined), author and genre of your book.
2. Brief summary of setting and plot (1-2 sentences at the most).
2nd paragraph - Character Traits:
1. Use ideas from your thinking trackers and inner conversations to discuss
characters traits( 2-3 total). Traits are based on what the characters say, do, and
what other characters say about them.
3rd paragraph - Reading Strategy and Authors Craft:
1. Discuss one reading strategy: connecting, predicting, inferring, visualizing,
questioning, and reacting to the story, monitoring comprehension
2. Authors craft: Authors use careful word choice to create figurative language like
simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, analogy, and alliteration. Find
some examples of figurative language in your book and describe the effect these
devices had on you as a reader.
4th paragraph - closing:
Write the page number where you left off. Answer any questions I asked from the
previous entry. Ask questions, share your opinion about the book or anything else
you wish to add in your closing.

Happy Reading!!