Mystery Reader

Mystery Reader!!!

 

 

Get your magnifying glasses out and get ready to investigate!!  It's time to solve the mystery of our guest reader! 

 

This is by far one of my favorite year long projects to do with my kiddos!  I am a true believer of including parents in the classroom.  By doing this, I feel that we create a positive relationship that will help contribute to a smooth year.  For my Mystery Reader project I do allow grandparents and brother and sisters to participate as well.  Below I will post pictures from my pack and explain how I use each.  many teachers in my school have begun to do Mystery Reader because of word of mouth from mine.  It truly can become something wonderful!

 

To start this project off at the beginning of the year I send out things to parents in a sealed envelope. 

 

 

The picture on the left is the page I send home for the mystery reader to fill out about themselves.  They are to write down 3-4 clues for myself to read to the students on the day of the mystery reading.  Their clues are to start off very difficult and then get a bit easier toward #4. 

The picture on the right is a small card I send home where the reader chooses 2 dates that they know will definitely work for them.  I give them a choice in the beginning because once I start collecting all of these the dates can overlap.  This way I can move people around how I need to in order to make everyone happy. 

 

REMINDER/SAVE THE DATE!!!

 

Once I receive the clues and dates back from the reader I then check my calendar, making sure a date of theirs is available.  Once everything matches up, I send out a reminder card, again in a sealed envelope. 

 

 

 

I NEED to be ORGANIZED with all things teaching!!! Because of this I obviously added some helpful planning sheets for this pack. 

 

 

On the left is a page that you will need to print numerous times.  It is there for you to keep detailed information about each mystery reader.  You can record the name of the reader and their relationship to a student, the date they will be coming in as well as the time, and finally any special notes you may need to know about.  The Important notes section on this page brings up a topic I wanted to mention.  For my mystery reader I allow them to bring a book to read along with an activity or craft that coincides with that book or time of year.  I also allow the reader to bring in a small snack (which must be ok with the district policies).  That information is what I write under important notes.

 

The page on the right is a regular calendar.  I include a calendar for each month from October - June.  I just use these to have a quick way to look at how the week or month looks for mystery readers and plan instruction and projects around that. 

 

 

 

I am a stickler for manners!!! Please and Thank you is heard constantly in my room. Therefore, I most definitely added pages to write thank you notes to our readers. 

 

 

I include a thank you note with a girl detective at the bottom as well!

 

 

 

The last thing I add in this packet is a class book.  After each Mystery Reader, I give the student whose relative it was a page do fill out.  They talk about the day and how they felt and what took place.  At the end of the year we put all the pages into a class book!  They love doing this and looking back at all the great memories! 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this pack.  My kiddos LOVE it and so do I!  If you end up purchasing it at my tpt store "The Magic of teaching."  Take some pictures and post them and tag me in it!  I would LOVE to see how much your kiddos enjoy it!