Dear Parents,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you may know, this term your 6th grade student in the Bilingual Program will be reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory<\/em> by Roald Dahl. This will not be an adapted or abridged text, but rather the original work of British young adult literature. We\u2019d like to give you some background about the novel, mention the benefits and challenges from the students\u2019 point of view, and also make suggestions for how you could help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading in any language expands the mind and helps us explore vital topics and real-life situations, all the while allowing students to develop their comprehension skills, critical thinking capabilities and complexity of thought both in general and also in that specific language. Indeed, research indicates that reading skills directly relate to future academic and professional success. It can help students gain a deeper understanding of context and why characters \u2013 and people \u2013 make the choices they do. Reading also helps build independence and self-confidence and has a positive effect on the development of empathy as well as concentration. Finally, reading is a major resource for using and understanding language \u2013 including grammatical structure, lexical knowledge and writing skills. Not only can students pick up new words, but reading them in an authentic context can also help students understand the subtle nuances of the lexis that was chosen by the author. The same is true when we process the plot and character development through the linguistic structures employed by the author \u2013 helping students understand a variety of uses \u201cin the linguistic wild\u201d, as it were. All in all, reading in any language develops skills that are essential for each student\u2019s continuing studies and life in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your child has probably already been entertained by this well-loved author. In fact, Dahl has been such an essential English-language children\u2019s author, and for so long, that the Reading Program features another of his novels,\u00a0The BFG<\/em>, in Grade 5 (though that is a very different novel than this one). Dahl has a very unique and whimsical style that allows old and young alike to immerse themselves in fantastical worlds. This novel is one of his most popular works and has been recognized with numerous awards including the New England Round Table of Children’s Librarians Award in 1972, the Surrey School Award in 1973, the Read Aloud BILBY Award in 1999, the Millennium Children’s Book Award in 2000, and the Blue Peter Book Award in 2000. It was also ranked 35th by the BBC on their list of the “Nation’s Best-loved\u201d novels and as one of “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children” based on a poll in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our main character Charlie comes from a family that does not have much except for one another. He and four other children win an opportunity of a lifetime. As the children enter a magical chocolate factory with the eccentric Willy Wonka at the helm, many vivid and exciting obstacles come their way. This novel is full of incredible descriptions of Willy Wonka\u2019s factory, allowing students to use their imaginations. The main character himself can be seen from a variety of perspectives. It has been argued that he is an eccentric, candy-loving genius, but he may also have a darker, hidden agenda. Discussing these questions will help students think more critically about the characters and make use of evidence from the novels so that they can come to their own conclusions and defend their personal views on a range of situations \u2013 something that translates very well into real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because Roald Dahl uses creative and fantastical places and situations to engage readers, it can become confusing at times to \u201csee\u201d his world. This requires slowing down or sometimes re-reading in order to understand what the author wants you to notice. This novel in particular focuses a lot on character traits. Each of the character\u2019s flaws lends itself to the individual\u2019s downfall. Some of these can be subtle, so you can help or encourage your child to read carefully and keep each character straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please let us know if you have further questions. We would like to thank you for your support in helping your child keep up with his or her chapter-by-chapter reading assignments at home. Finally, we hope your son or daughter learns from this novel and, most importantly, enjoys reading it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best regards: Anthony Laudadio, Head of Education \u2013 Primary & High Schools<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear Parents, As you may know, this term your 6th grade student in the Bilingual Program will be reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This will not be an adapted or abridged text, but rather the original work of British young adult literature. We\u2019d like to give you some background about the novel, mention […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7364","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy is it important for my child to read in English?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why was this novel chosen?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What are the benefits of this novel?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What are some of the challenges? \/ How can I as a parent help?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n