FYI | Meeting Readers Where They Are: Mapping the intersection of research and practice Meeting Readers Where They Are: Mapping the intersection of research and practice The reading patterns and habits of young and old are changing as reading migrates from the printed page to the computer screen. Now, new forms of expression such as remixes and mash-ups are emerging from interactive digital environments. Examining current reading practices—and the underlying research-based beliefs that may or may not guide those practices—can not only help us improve our work today, but it can also help us create future practices. 1. Do we provide enough reading opportunities? While passive activities create interest in reading, and possibly motivation, they are more effective when balanced with active reading through sustained silent reading. 2. School librarians can reduce the isolation of reading through reading blogs, reading clubs, literature circles, and student reviews reported in podcasts and Voice Thread. Even summer reading programs are rarely collaborative. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Podcast80: Encouraging Reading by Stephen Krashen Skip to main content We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us! Choice Literacy - Articles & Videos - Full Article My department was trying to fill a position in science education and we were interviewing a candidate who had worked extensively with inner-city youth to support their interest in and confidence about science. The job candidate presented a fascinating Powerpoint presentation showing photographs of the summer workshops she facilitated in which girls and boys from economically disadvantaged homes gathered for six weeks in the summer to explore science. To measure the impact of the summer program on children's perceptions of what it meant to be a scientist, the facilitators asked students to take the Draw a Scientist Test (DAST) at the beginning and the end of their summer experience. The DAST was designed "as an open-ended projective test to detect children's perceptions of scientists" (Nuno, 1998) by asking them to draw a picture of a scientist doing science. Other researchers used Chambers' data to develop a checklist of children's stereotypes about scientists (i.e. Next Steps 1. 2. 3.
Guess My Lexile - The Book Whisperer What do Jeff Kinney's popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Ray Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451 have in common? What about Gossip Girl: A Novel, Cicely von Ziegesar's catty romance and The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson's 1979 Newbery Honor book? While clear distinctions exist between each book's literary merit, age appropriateness, and reader appeal, these titles possess one similarity--they sit within the same Lexile text complexity band Well-meaning educators, concerned about increasing text complexity and reading rigor, engage in this game of "Guess My Lexile" when denouncing the low-reading level of young adult literature, elevating certain titles over others, or dictating book purchases and recommended reading lists. The Lexile Framework for Reading by Metametrix provides quantitative assessment of both students' reading levels and texts' complexity. I have no issue with assessing students' reading levels and identifying text complexity.
Position Statement on the Value of Independent Reading in the School Library Program The following position statement is currently under review to align with the National School Library Standards. In an information age, literacy demands not only the ability to read and write, but also the ability to process information and communicate effectively. Research suggests that reading proficiency increases with the amount of time spent reading voluntarily. Unfortunately, independent reading is often a casualty in our fast paced, media-oriented society. Today's students know how to read but have little or no interest in doing so. They have failed to catch the love of reading; therefore, they choose not to read. The adoption of Goals 2000 has made literacy an issue of national importance; therefore, a primary goal of the school library program must be to create life-long readers. To become life-long readers, students must have . . . The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. (adopted June 1994; revised July 1999, September 2010)
Study: Teachers Value Independent Reading But Lack Class Time for It Nearly all teachers and principals believe students should have time for independent reading at school, yet only about a third of teachers set aside time each day for this, according to a recent survey by Scholastic. The new report, released today, looks at how nearly 3,700 preK-12 teachers (including several dozen school librarians) and more than 1,000 principals answered questions about student reading and access to books. The findings, considered nationally representative, were part of a larger study that the education-publishing company released in November on equity in education. The literacy findings show that 94 percent of teachers and principals agree or strongly agree that "students should have time during the school day to read a book of their choice independently." But just 36 percent of teachers say they're able to make time for such reading every day. When independent reading occurs, students spend an average of 22 minutes on it. In School At Home Libraries Related stories:
I’ve Got Research. Yes, I Do. I’ve Got Research. How About You? | Donalyn Miller In 1847, Hungarian doctor, Ignaz Semmelweis made a remarkable discovery. When doctors washed their hands in a solution of chlorine and water, childbirth fever rates at Vienna General Hospital dropped from 18% to near zero. Offended that Semmelweis implied doctors were killing their own patients, the medical community rejected hand washing as an infection prevention measure, and drove Semmelweis out of medicine and into an insane asylum. A few years later, Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister made scientific advances that reinforced Semmelwies’s claims about germ theory and infection. Hand washing between patient examinations is considered best practice today. In spite of all scientific evidence, we still live in a world where hand washing isn’t universal practice. In 1977, the Journal of Reading (now The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy) published Richard Allington’s landmark paper, “If They Don’t Read Much, How They Ever Gonna Get Good?” The Power of Reading by Stephen Krashen
Position Statement on Labeling Books with Reading Levels The following position statement is currently under review to align with the National School Library Standards. Librarians use spine labels to organize and identify library resources by call number to help patrons locate general subject areas or specific fiction, non-fiction, reference, audiovisual, or other items. Viewpoint-neutral directional labeling in libraries increases students’ access to information and supports their First Amendment right to read. Best practice in school libraries includes books and other resources being shelved using a standard classification system that also enables students to find resources in other libraries, such as a public library, from which they may borrow materials. One of the realities some school librarians face in their jobs is pressure by administrators and classroom teachers to label and arrange library collections according to reading levels. For additional supporting information see also: American Association of School Librarians.
Position Statement on the School Librarian's Role in Reading Rationale: Reading is a foundational skill for 21st-century learners. Guiding learners to become engaged and effective users of ideas and information and to appreciate literature requires that they develop as strategic readers who can comprehend, analyze, and evaluate text in both print and digital formats. Learners must also have opportunities to read for enjoyment as well as for information. School librarians are in a critical and unique position to partner with other educators to elevate the reading development of our nation’s youth. Reading skills involve thinking skills. The extent to which young people use information depends upon their ability to understand what they read, to integrate their understandings with what they already know, and to realize their unanswered questions. In addition, 21st-century learners must become adept at determining authority and accuracy of information, and analyzing and evaluating that information to synthesize new knowledge from multiple resources.
Knowledge Quest | AASL Use the news to teach reading comprehension | District Administration Magazine Allowing students to explore news articles that spark their curiosity can provide a bigger literacy boost than having them read nonfiction texts about random topics far removed from a youngster’s interests. At Lancaster Middle School near Buffalo, New York, students read news articles to help write stories for a classroom magazine and to prepare for debates in social studies. The articles are a highly effective tool to teach students how to summarize and organize information in their writing and their arguments, says Christine Stockslader, a librarian at the school, which is part of the Lancaster Central School District. “When students read and understand current events, they are extremely interested and form strong opinions,” Stockslader says. This engagement also allows Stockslader and classroom teachers to build students’ abilities to make valid inferences, and to compare and contrast content and how it is presented. Upcoming Literacy Conferences Chicago, June 26-28 Orlando, July 15-17