What will the Reading Program accomplish?
First and foremost, the goal of the Bilingual Reading Program is to instill in our students a love of reading and a love of reading in English! We are confident reading in English brings great benefits to the children, raising both their level – and their enjoyment – of English and helping them develop myriad other skills, from comprehension to critical thinking to self-exploration and knowledge. All in all, our aim is to give the children the skills, learning strategies, curiosity and independence that can carry them through a lifetime of exploration, of expanded horizons, even of joy.
What will the children read in Grades 1-3?
In the lower school (Grades 1-4) we have purchased access to a superb reading resources website called Reading A to Z (http://www.readinga-z.com). Teachers have a very wide range of high-quality materials to choose from, including abundant teacher and student resources. Texts on this website are specially written works or are adaptations of classics and are thus leveled to a very fine degree. This means that each teacher will be able to pinpoint the needs of a class or sub-groups within each grade. Thus what the children read will vary according to the teachers’ evaluation of the children’s needs. Please note that these texts may be printed and copied as necessary by the teachers and distributed to the students, though the children will also be able to use these texts with the help of a tablet application both at home and in school.
What will the children read in Grade 4?
In Grade 4 the students continue with the Reading A to Z curriculum they began in Grade 2. However, they will then move on to a full novel in the second semester, and they will receive the actual book, as is the case with our core reading material in Grades 5-12. We believe that our fourth grade children are ready to work with a full-length, original work of English-language literature with the assistance of their teachers.
What will the children read in Grades 5-12?
Starting in Grade 5, students read two original English-language works of literature from across the English-speaking world per year, one in each semester. The books are a mix of classics and contemporary works; most of them are award-winning titles.
How are the books chosen in Grades 4-12?
A range of age- and level-appropriate titles have been selected by various working groups of the teaching staff, and in general we have four or more books available for each grade. Starting in 2022, we’re proud to announce that students will do a “Book Tasting” lesson with their English teachers where they learn about and sample a range of book choices for the year. Through ranked-choice voting, the class will then select the book or books that they will read in each grade. We hope the experience of choosing what to read will be a good one for the students, and that it will help them dig deeper into their reading, learn more, and enjoy more!
Book selection lists may change as new titles come out or strong preferences become apparent among staff and students, but here is a good representative sample of the choices we can offer our students and teachers:
Grade 4
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Sideways Stories of Wayside School by Louis Sachar, The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling, Shredderman by Wendelin Van Draanen
Grade 5
The BFG by Roald Dahl, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, El Deafo by Cece Bell, The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Grade 6
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly, Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Holes by Louis Sachar
Grade 7
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix, New Kid by Jerry Craft, Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, Crash by Jerry Spinelli, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Grade 8
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Grade 9
The Bad Beginning by Daniel Handler, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Grade 10
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Graphic novel), Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Grade 11
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Monster by Walter Dean Myers, Animal Farm by George Orwell, March – Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Road by Cormak McCarthy
Grade 12
The Benefits of Being An Octopus by Ann Braden, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
If you have any concerns about your child’s reading level in English, please rest assured that our selection of books takes into account the age, abilities and potential of each grade. Moreover, our teachers will adapt the material to suit the needs of their particular group.
When and how often will the children read?
It’s important to note that the Reading Program is conducted within the current frame of the Bilingual Program, meaning that there will not be additional stressors or an additional workload placed on the children. Of course there will be challenges – in keeping with the challenges of the Bilingual Program in particular and the world in general – but our main purpose is to inspire our students so that any challenges are met with enthusiasm.
The details are as follows…
In the lower school, reading will be conducted in afternoon Tutorials using the Guided Reading method, with specially selected material geared to each small group’s reading level so that each child gets what he or she needs most (while maintaining time for test review). In the case of use of tablets, material may then be selected not for the group but for the individual student as well, based on both level and interest.
Of course, in Grade 4 (as mentioned above), the students will shift into reading a work of original literature in the second semester. In this case, the Reading Program will be conducted primarily in English classes, though some extension material will form part of the students’ afternoon tutorials. That said, time will be reserved in Tutorials for reinforcement and test review as needed; we will also reserve adequate time in English classes to work out of our course book and on Cambridge Exam preparation material. Reading Program assessments in all grades will count toward English class and their weight will be determined on a case-by-case basis at the teachers’ discretion.
In Grades 5-12, reading will be conducted primarily in English and Civilization classes, though some extension material will form part of the students’ afternoon Tutorials in Grades 5 and 6. That said, time will be reserved in Tutorials for reinforcement and test review as needed; we will also reserve adequate time in English classes to work out of our course book and on Cambridge Exam preparation material. Reading Program assessments in Grades 5 and up may count toward English class or Civilization class depending on school and teacher, and their weight will be determined on a case-by-case basis at the teacher’s discretion.
What are the costs of the Bilingual Reading Program?
The Reading Program is free of charge for the students. Bilingual Nonprofit Kft has assumed the full cost of the books. Because the Reading Program has been in operation for several years, we have been able to build up a base of books in our library – so we will not collect deposits.
If a book is not returned or is not returned in a condition fit for future classroom use, we will issue an invoice for the book in the amount of 5000 HUF.
We hope that our students will dive in and enjoy exploring the new worlds these books can open up for them. We also hope they will be proud to read original English literature, just as young people do in the US, the UK and all over the English-speaking world!
Thank you for your time. Please let us know your thoughts.