Greetings!
I posted this entry on my school podcast/blog as well. As you know, I often write (well, it has been awhile….) about literacy. It is drastically important o keep our students reading over he summer. What are you doing to keep your students reading over the summer. I would love to hear your ideas!
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It has been a long time since my last post and the summer is upon us. We have one more week until school lets out for he summer. While this is an exciting time for the students, it is important for learning to stay on the agenda during the summer. In fact, research clearly indicates that many student lose ground academically during the summer. This is from John Hopkins University:
Source: The Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Summer Learning The Problem
- All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer vacation (Cooper, 1996).
- On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Studies reveal that the greatest areas of summer loss for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, are in factual or procedural knowledge (Cooper, 1996).
- Low-income children and youth experience greater summer learning losses than their higher income peers. On average, middle-income students experience slight gains in reading performance over the summer months. Low-income students experience an average summer learning loss in reading achievement of over two months (Cooper, 1996).
- Summer learning loss contributes to the achievement gap in reading performance between lower and higher income children and youth. Research demonstrates that while student achievement for both middle- and lower-income students improves at similar rates during the school year, low-income students experience cumulative summer learning losses over the elementary school grades (Alexander & Entwisle, 1996).
- Large numbers of students who qualify for federally subsidized meals do not have the same level of access to nutritious meals during the summer as they do during the school year. Only one in five (21.1 per 100) of the 15.3 million children who receive free or reduced-price school lunches on a typical day during the regular school year participate in federal nutrition programs during the summer (Food Research and Action Center, 2002).
- Studies show that out-of-school time is a dangerous time for unsupervised children and teens. They are more likely to use alcohol, drugs, and tobacco; engage in criminal and other high-risk behaviors; receive poor grades; and drop out of school than those who have the opportunity to benefit from constructive activities supervised by responsible adults (Carnegie Council, 1994).
What can be done to prevent summer loss? Check out the following website for more information: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/15218#curb
The most important thing you can do is make reading a priority at your house. We will mail the summer reading list home with your child’s last report card. There are many ways you can encourage reading at home. You can designate a family reading time that will allow your child to see you and others read. You can read books, magazines etc… Please take some time and visit the above linked website for a variety of easy to implement activities. The best part is they are free of charge!
This part of the literacy series is going to focus on different literacy “programs”. I put the word in quotes because I am not against programs per se, but I really believe the most important aspect of a literacy program is simply letting the kids read. I am not suggesting we simply tell the kids to pick a book and read. There is so much more: getting to know what kids like to read, promoting books, making reading exciting, dedicating the time to reading, setting up reading workshops, making reading “cool”, and on and on.
The best aspect of the things above is they are free. The only expense, and it can be large, is creating your classroom library (see earlier post). There are also a great deal of reading strategies that can be accessed for free on the web. I would suggest starting with this list linked above. However, today I want to talk about the programs already out there for purchase.
Our school started using Plugged In To Reading this year. We have been very pleased with the program. Our teachers seem to love it and are using it widely. The best part of Plugged In is that it offers the teacher a wide variety of strategies from which to choose. The teacher is still the central figure in the deployment. It is not a scripted step by step program and takes a lot of teacher insight. The best part is it gets kids reading.
This fits in with my philosophy above–we first need to get the kids to read and work to develop a love of reading in them. Another great aspect of Plugged In is that it gives you a huge assortment of both fiction and non fiction books that are mostly high interest. Some of our classes have made huge strides so far and I am excited to see how that plays out at the end of the year.
We also have Compass. Compass is a computer based program that focuses on the specific needs of each student. The program automatically uses the students MAP data and tailors an instructional experience for them. This is a pretty powerful program that can be used for both math and reading. It truly makes it a data driven approach. Compass is more “self-sufficient” than Plugged In, but if you have a good teacher running it, you will get even better results.
Finally, related to the above information we are giving our kids a heavy dose of SSR. We are wroking to build their reading stamina which requires us to allow them to read in school!
What programs are you using in your school? Read 180? SSRA? Are they commercial programs or ones you have created on your own at at your school level? Please feel free to share.
Great link to a book trailer site
Have you checked out the Principal Difference blog by NASSP principal Mel Riddle? It contains a wealth of information on literacy from the principals perspective. His last post contained a link to an intriguing article.
Brains can be “molded”
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09344/1019898-115.stm
This article speaks of a study conducted by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University. I highly encourage you to read the article. It basically states that when students are given intensive reading instruction, their brain actually changes. Those who are proponents of critical literacy programs, always “kind of” knew this, but it is nice to see the science that backs it up.
I sent this article to my staff late today. I plan on discussing it at our leadership meeting Monday morning. I think it has major implications and gives incredible support to a literacy program. It gives the proof that all students can learn.
All students
I actually use the term all students will learn. I think when we say they can learn, we leave it up in the air. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. I think it is vital that we express this as all students WILL learn. It is the least we owe them. We are currently modifying our second semester remediation plan.
One of the keys to our success, is supplying the time for reading at our school. We are constantly working on reading strategies (pre, during and post) and following the research on all things literacy. We use Kelley Gallager’s approach of not under teaching yet not over teaching reading as well. The first step in this process has been getting books in the hands of kids. We know how important the strategies are, especially for non-readers, but we feel the first step is developing or re-developing, the love of reading.
What are you doing at your school to increase reading achievement?
What have been your road blocks?
We often spend so much time teaching reading , tracking progress and the like and we sometimes forget a major responsibility of ours: teaching children the love of reading. The skills that go along with reading are crucial, we need to teach that, but we also need to foster a love of reading. It is a fine line-over teaching and under teaching reading. We want to avoid both. Here are some ideas on developing a love of reading in your students (which, in my opinion, will lead to academic gains in all subject areas).
3 key components
Provide Choice
Provide Time
Provide Access to Books
Choice
Reluctant readers are often confused by free reign choice. For many students we will need to provide some guidance. One idea would be to make an acceptable list of books you select. This will give them choice, but within your set parameters. You can also build a classroom library with books that you approve. You can conduct book passes, create student book reviews, and on and on.
Students often do not know their reading level? Do you know your reading level? I have no idea what my reading level is! There are numerous ways to gauge reading level and then offer appropriate books. You can use lexile scores ( http://www.lexile.com/) or use websites such as http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/search.
How can I tell if they are reading if they have a choice in book rather than a whole class novel? How can I manage?
I think this is not an either or preposition. I would certainly recommend keeping large group reading assignments, but I think choice should be offered as well. Have students do book talks, book chats, character summaries, book store sales pitches, etc… Remember, choice reading is to harness the love of reading.
Provide Time
This is tough–we are already have to cover so much! Many schools have reading time built into their schedule. This is sometimes done in home room or a similar period. Some schools block off a reading period each day. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this school wide. However, how can you do this in your class? I would say start small–maybe a period here and there. Maybe the first ten minutes of class. Who knows you may really like it and it can grow from there. Check out this helpful resource. If we all incorporate reading into our class routine, our kids will get the reccomended odse of 90 minutes of reading a day.
http://www.angelastockman.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/beginningrws.pdf
Access to Books
Books can get expensive but there are a number of ways to build your classroom library. Every room should have a classroom library. The Friends of York county hold a sale or two each year where you can get books dirt cheap. The scholastic warehouse book sale is right around the corner. You can really stock up there. You can ask students to donate used books. Here is another idea:
“Host a read-a-thon after school, and invite kids to bring books, blankets, pillows, and snacks. Play some music, play some games, and invite fellow teachers to read or perform excerpts from their favorite books. Give away some great door prizes and throw in a pizza or two. Kids will come, and when they do, ask them to donate a book from a wish-list of titles generated by teachers and students in lieu of an entrance fee.”
Ask students to donate books. Use some of your school issued money or state money to purchase books. Also, remember we have a great library full of books.
You can use sites like
http://www.angelamaiers.com/2008/09/books-for-free.html
Once you have these in place you are ready to really start developing the love of reading in our students. But, of course, it does not stop there. This is your chance to start talking about books, asking students about books, make connections between authors, genres, etc…Students should be discussing books, sharing insights and more.
I noticed a student walking home the other day reading a book. He was walking on the sidewalk by the track, but fully engrossed in his book. I am not sure this is very safe, but he is obviously a reader. I think we would all LOVE to see all of the kids doing this. It would be great to see students in the hallways with their books, walking home with their books, catching a few minutes to read in the lunch room, etc…Every day when kids pass me on the way home I remind them to get theri reading in tonight. Please do the same. The more they hear it, the more likely the will listen!
We need to build a community of readers where literacy is built into everything we do.
This post is all about links. I have shared these resources with many teachers this year. It is listed on our staff wiki as well. There are a variety of resources–some are strategies, some philosophical and others somehow related to literacy.
Reading in the content area.pdf
A large PDF with numerous reading strategies. This document provides explicit instruction on how to teach reading as well as ready to print materials to support this instruction.
Book reviews I have completed for my staff. I need to update this one!
Our media specialists book blog.
Culture of Literacy-A school’s story
One schools story on their journey towards literacy excellence.
time_to_act.pdf
A Time To Act
Carnegie Institute’s watershed report on literacy
time_to_act_content_area_companion.pdf
A Time To Act–Content Area Literacy
N.Y. Times Learning
A great resource for articles from the NY times WITH lesson plans included.
Lexile.com
Information about selecting the right books/articles based on current student need.
Effective vocabulary strategies for reading in the content area
All kinds of graphic organizers and an explanation on how to use them effectively.
Read alouds for middle school: By teachers for teachers.
This link will take you to conversations from practicing teachers on read alouds that worked for them.
Website with ready to go literacy based lesson plans for all subject areas
by the International Reading Association an the NCTE.
Free Reading–A great article with proven results
What other links should I be sharing with my teachers?
In my quest to highlight the importance of literacy at my middle school, I have been trying to practice what I preach. I have been talking to just about everyone about the value of reading. I am letting my teachers know it is O.K. to allow students to read in class (see last post). I am also encouraging the teachers to read and talk to the kids about what they are reading.
I gave each teacher a book list to post in their classroom, visible to the students. I have challenged them to read at least 25 books. I want the student’s to see that we all value the power of reading. I also have the same book list posted outside my office door in the main office. I have currently read 21 books since the start of the year. Here is what appears on my list to date ( I may miss a few since the list is back at school and we are on break!):
The major focus at my school this year has been literacy. I fully believe this is the key to unlocking learning potential for all students. This can be a tough sell at the middle school level, but it is worth the journey. We all agree that students need to be able to comprehend what they read, but the disagreement starts when discussing on how to get there.
I know that literacy does not solely include reading. However, that is going to be the focus of this article. Reading is explicitly taught in the elementary grades. However, literacy instruction seems to take a quick drop once students leave the fifth grade. Data has continuously pointed out that student reading achievement declines steeply after the fourth grade.
Once students reach middle school, they are confronted with all types of new vocabulary words. Content specific words fill their texts and often leave kids struggling to comprehend. I think it is safe to say the vast majority of middle school students can decode words, but comprehension is a whole different story. We are trying to re-energize our approach to middle school literacy.
The first step in focusing on literacy this year has been to bring it to the forefront of our conversations. We are constantly talking about books with both teachers and students. This includes book talks about professional books, personal favorites and books that appeal to our students. I talk to students about books everyday. This might include a, “Hey, what are you reading” as a pass a student in the hall or appearing on our news show talking about a specific book. One of my favorite principal activities is dismissal duty. I cover a duty post and assist our students in safely crossing the busiest street in our city. Each day I remind the kids to read that night. You can often overhear me and the other staff members asking the kids to give us at least 30 minutes of reading once they get home.
The constant conversation has to be on literacy. I have created a staff wiki this year and there is an entire section devoted to literacy. It contains links to articles and lessons that incorporate literacy. Keeping the conversation is just a start.
We are using Plugged Into Reading this year. We are just getting started, but it has increased the amount of time spent reading in our school. Many times we feel pressured to “cover” the curriculum and it is easy to push reading aside. However, I feel it is essential to allow kids to read in school. We have to find the time to incorporate reading during the school day. In a perfect world, students would be reading at home, but we know this is not always the case. I have given my teachers permission to allow reading in their class. This reading should consist of content area reading, including articles, blogs, and anything else content related as well as novels. Students should have choice regarding which novels they suggest.
It is important that teachers take the not to light, not to hard approach to teaching literacy. As Kelly Gallager points out, we need to find the sweet spot of literacy instruction. We can not allow our students to wander around aimlessly, but we can not over teach as well. It is a fine line and it is hard to decipher too much from too little. We want to teach our kids reading strategies, but we do not want to kill the joy of reading.
Two books that have inspired me in my quest to learn about literacy are The Book Whisper and Readicide. I encourage you to take a look at these books. They are top notch!
This is the first post in a series of literacy articles. I would love to hear from you about what your school is doing to address the literacy needs of your students
