I would like to take a moment of your time to introduce myself. My name is Ms. Pamela MacLean and I will be your son\daughter’s teacher for the upcoming school year. I would like to take this time to give you an idea of what you can expect in the upcoming year.
I want to make this school year a positive experience for your child and you. In order for this to happen, communication is going to be key. I would like to encourage you to stay involved with the classroom over the course of the school year. There will be several opportunities for you to visit the classroom and see how your child is progressing.
I will be sending out a newsletter every other week highlighting what is happening in the classroom. I will also include opportunities for parents to help out as needed. In addition to these newsletters, I will also be sending home a letter similar to this one at the beginning of each grading period.
Each night, your child will bring home a folder containing his\her homework for the night. There will be a page in this folder for you to sign when the homework is completed. This will allow you to stay up-to-date with what your child is learning in the classroom.
In the upcoming weeks of school, there will be an Open House held at the school. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you and your student to visit the classroom and meet me in person. Your child will be showing you around the classroom and there will be opportunities to ask questions.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I encourage you to contact me whenever needed. I am always glad to meet with parents. I will be keeping you up-to-date over the course of the school year about your child’s progress. I look forward to meeting you and teaching your child.

• Get input from your child. He\she knows what they enjoy and can best tell you whether or not they like certain books and topics.
• Trust your instinct. Look over the books yourself. As you look at them, think about the topic and grammar presented to your child. Think about the books that you enjoyed as a child.
• Check out the books that have won awards. Lists of these books can be found on the web and in the library.
• Take your child’s age into account. Typically, the younger the child, the more pictures that should be in the book.

• Choose books that are above the reading level of your child. It is best if books that you read to your child are ones that they need help reading.
• Take your child into account. Pick books on topics that your child likes. Ask your child about his\her interests and what he\she would like to learn.
• Read with your child. To make reading more enjoyable for you and your child, use the time to bond. Take turns reading pages from a book that your child enjoys. Or allow your child to read the story to you. He\she may even retell the story in a unique way.