Dear Parents,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you may know, this term your 8th grade student in the Bilingual Program will be reading The Westing Game<\/em> by Ellen Raskin. This will not be an adapted or abridged text, but rather the original work of American 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 Ellen Raskin is a well-known American author and illustrator. Her work mostly focused on mysteries. Although her career was short-lived, her final novel,\u00a0The Westing Game<\/em>, was the most well received, earning both the Newbery Medal and the American Library Association award in 1979; it is also ranked number nine among all-time children’s novels in a survey published by the School Library Journal in 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Westing Game<\/em> is a murder mystery that takes place in the near-empty Sunset Towers. The players have been lured by a two-hundred-million-dollar prize by the landlord, Sam Westing himself. The story follows these would-be heirs as they partner up, deceive, and betray their way to the final jackpot. Students are asked to not only decipher clues along with the characters, but also to make their own judgements about what is fair and what is going too far. As with any good murder mystery, there are plenty of plot twists and red herrings throughout, all of which keep students on the edge of their seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although this novel introduces us to this incredible world of intrigue and suspicion, there are many characters to keep track of. Moreover, their relationships to one another can be complicated. It would be of great help to make sure students are tracking the characters, in an effort to keep them from getting confused as they progress through the story. The narrator can also at times be deceptive and try to lead readers into making incorrect assumptions about some of the characters. This goes along with the mystery aspect of the novel, but details may need to be more closely pointed out to those who are used to taking the narrator at his or her word. Obviously, the teachers will guide students, point out clues, provide reading assignments and help make sure students stay on track. The benefit of the novel\u2019s \u201cdeceptive\u201d style is that it can teach students about maintaining perspective as a reader and knowing how to judge what one is reading rather than taking it in unthinkingly.<\/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 8th grade student in the Bilingual Program will be reading The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. This will not be an adapted or abridged text, but rather the original work of American young adult literature. We\u2019d like to give you some background about the novel, mention the benefits […]<\/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-7378","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