FEATURED POST by Charlie Ivey

Now, that I’m retired, I’m often asked what did I do during my career.  I sometimes whimsically say that I “worked my way down to the TOP!”  

That is a cute way of explaining that I started my career a long, long time ago teaching and working with high school students.  After a few years, I was assigned as the principal of a junior high school, which transitioned to a middle school.  Even later, the new elementary school was built, and I was named its first principal.  During the twelve years I was there, we added a pre-K classroom to serve four-year olds. Finally retiring from the public school system after thirty five years, I accepted the position of Executive Director of the Partnership for Children which served and advocated for children from the time they were born until they started school.  So essentially, I DID work my way DOWN to the little ones.

As I worked my way “down” I discovered something very important.  Each level was intrinsically grounded upon the one before it, with each becoming more and more important.  So it went to reason, that the pre-school years – the first years of a child’s life – are the most important educationally.  I learned to appreciate this fact as I worked with parents and professionals who worked with the younger children of this age.  They instill not only the “basics,” but a love of learning (and especially, reading!) in the children.  From this foundation, all other learning and development takes place. The simple act of reading to a child everyday not only models the “how-to” but the necessity and affinity of doing so. It is a skill that NEVER leaves a student and one that benefits children throughout their lives.

Never let it be said that it’s too late to learn – or to read.  This vital skill serves the sixty-year-old, just as it does the preschooler or the elementary and high school student.  That is why Literacy Connections is just as important as the Partnership for Children.  They both develop the skills that impact individual learners as well as society at large.  One of the most moving videos I’ve ever seen was the sharing of a book by two beginning readers – one, a toddler, the other a grandparent, enjoying reading the first time of his life.

I loved my career.  Working with all age levels gave me a perspective few rarely share.  But what I learned from all those forty-plus years was this..... the earlier we work with learners, the most beneficial, the most effective, and the cheapest it is!  It truly is the TOP!

FEATURED POST: TEN WAYS TO GET RELUCTANT ADOLESCENT READERS READING by Sherri K. Wilcox

This week our featured post comes from part time literacy professor for aspiring teachers at Texas Woman's University, Sherri K. Wilcox. Mrs. Wilcox teaches English to adolescents in an urban school district in North Texas.

ORIGINAL POST DATE: AUGUST 17, 2019

SOURCE: HTTPS://NERDYBOOKCLUB.WORDPRESS.COM/2019/08/17/TEN-WAYS-TO-GET-RELUCTANT-ADOLESCENT-READERS-READING-BY-SHERRI-K-WILCOX/

I teach high school English, grades 9-12, on a Disciplinary 

Alternative Education Placement (DAEP) campus.  Talk about a tough audience!  Many of my kids arrive at our campus with huge gaps in their education from skipping school, beingsuspended numerous times, or being placed in In-School Suspension repeatedly. They are in my classroom for approximately 6 weeks before returning home.

However, the average number of books read by each student while in my care is 3.4. And I’m talking mostly YA novels.Not every student reads, but most kids find that they enjoy reading, and I help them get there quicklybecause with only 6 weeks to spend with my students, I don’t have time to waste! 

So how do I do it?

Say they won’t ever be asked to 

prove they read a book, and mean it.

I emphasize to each student who enters my classroom for the first time that they will never be asked to do anything that proves they read a book all the way through. And I mean it!  When the pressure is off, almost everyone is able to zero in on something they like with my help and read all the way through.

Have a good classroom library and 

an engaging environment. 

I am constantly carrying a list of YA titles I get from literacy experts and groups such as ALA/YALSA, ILA, We Need Diverse Books, NCTE, Teri Lesesne, Donalyn Miller, etc., and I search out those titles whenever I’m out shopping.  I have quotes about and from books hanging from the ceiling of my classroom. I use quotes and passages from books for quick writes and brainstorming for writing topics.  I feature a quote a week from YA novels I’ve read to spark informal conversations.  I display books in pleasing and easy-to-find ways in the classroom library section and refer to them often.

Give them class time to read. 

We read for 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of every 50-minute period, with extended time on Thursdays, when we also visit the school library.  They come to rely on that time every day to take a breath and pause their busy brains, dive into a good book, and enjoy some quiet time with their characters.  Most are surprised to find they are disappointed when reading time is over, and they frequently beg for “just five more minutes!”

Read a lot myself, and 

get to know my kids. 

This is the best way to match kids with great books.  I try to read at least one YA book per week so that as I get to know my kids, I can make good recommendations.  They trust my judgment because they know I’ve put in the time to actually read the books I’m suggesting, and they appreciate that I am dedicated enough to do that for them.

Make it social. 

I listen for times when students mention something about their books, then encourage that conversation. Many of my reading response options involve students talking to each other.  They love it, and it’s the best way for me to hear which books are exciting kids.  I add these to book talks, if they aren’t already included in one or two.

Provide multiple ways for students

 to respond to their reading. 

I use Response Cards and Exit Tickets that ask broad questions that can be answered while in the middle of books such as “Why did you choose this book?” “What does this book talk about that you think is important?” and “What is something you really like about your main character?” They create and answer their own questions.  They complete “Rate Your Book” cards by giving their books one to four stars.  They keep “What to Read Next” lists and fill in titles on genre wheels to keep track of what they’ve read.  Students can choose to complete One-Pagers, illustrated responses, or other creative responses as one of their summative (test) grades for the grading period.

Use book talks to introduce a wide 

variety of reading options. 

I choose a genre, discuss the characteristics of the genre, and give at least a dozen titles associated with that genre.  I also include authors known for the genre.

Conduct reading conferences with 

the goal of helping both teacher 

and students grow as readers. 

I use low-pressure, open-ended questions I’ve gleaned from the work of Donalyn Miller, Kelly Gallagher, Penny Kittle, Kylene Beers and Bob Probst as I visit with my students once a week.  While they appreciate my comments to them, I think they appreciate more that I keep track of what they say to me.  I create shopping and reading lists based on their reading experiences and invite them to keep me informed on books I should read next.

Create interactive displays that 

students can use at their convenience. 

I keep a place where students can post favorite books, authors, or quotes from their reading.  They tape up their starred ratings.

Make reading its own reward. 

“If you can get to this part of the assignment, you may stop and read for the rest of the period. If you prefer to keep working, then you’ll be able to get a little further.”  The way I word things makes reading the reward for their classroom efforts.  While not all students go to their books as soon as they finish an assignment or find a spare minute, more than 50% of them at any given time do.  And many go back to their home campuses after being released from our campus telling their English teachers what they were reading and what they want to get from the library next time they have a chance to visit it.

Reading is a culture in my classroom that I 

continuously cultivate with my students.  

Their excitement over calling themselves 

“readers,” often for the first time, is 

reward enough for all of us.

GET TO KNOW A CONTRIBUTOR: Susie Potter

Susie Potter is a graduate of Meredith College and earned two master’s degrees at North Carolina State University. She is an English professor at a community college in Raleigh, North Carolina and a theatre reviewer for Triangle Arts and Entertainment and the editor-in-chief of Triangle Arts Review. Potter has also published several award-winning short stories. Publication credits include The Colton Review, Broken Plate Magazine, Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley, The Chaffey Review, Existere, Raleigh Quarterly, NOD, and Grasslimb. When’s she not busy writing and teaching, Susie enjoys participating in pageantry, competitive figure skating, and spending time with her partner, Justin, and her beloved pets, including a female dog named Mr. Humphries.

FEATURED POST by Lee Hulse

I love to read! Reading is an escape, it’s an adventure, it’s exciting!  I am overwhelmed by all the books I want to read.  I love bookstores, but can never pick just one book.  I want them all!  There are too many books and never enough time.

I also love to travel.  Like reading, traveling is an escape, an adventure and oh so exciting.  I am overcome by all the possible destinations and things to do once I have arrived.  I want to try all the great restaurants, visit all the museums- Met, anyone? – discover new indie bookstores, and all the great shoe stores, too! 

Sometimes my two passions are compatible.  

Sometimes my two passions are mutually exclusive.

I love traveling, but hate to travel.  I am the world’s worst, most horrible and annoying car rider ever in the world, as any member of my family will tell you.  Anxious is an understatement.  I am on high alert the moment the car starts, just in case the perfectly competent driver doesn’t notice the car approaching the intersection two blocks ahead or the car two lanes over and five cars ahead tapping 

it’s brakes, and remember, the exit is two and a half miles ahead, so start moving over.  There is way too much work to do too, so I can’t possibly just relax and read a book. Not to mention, it’s hard to hold a book, clutch the seat, slam on imaginary brakes and make hand signals because the driver gets distracted if I scream or talk.  Oh yeah, and I might throw up.

Now, air travel is an option, well sort of.  I still have to get in the car to go the airport, and that, as I’ve mentioned, is stressful.  Then we have to park the car, rush through the parking garage and check bags.  Next is security, which causes more STRESS!  I am always afraid I will forget to remove the innocuous metal nail file from my purse, or I have the wrong size conditioner in my bag and I will hold up the whole line while my fellow travelers are glaring at me and checking their watches.

But, once I have cleared security and arrive at the boarding gate, I will unclench my teeth and relax my fist and reach in my bag and find a book, the book, and I am already transported to a new place, a new adventure that doesn’t involve moving cars.  Flying is terribly scary, but I have my husband’s hand to squeeze very tightly and I have my book. 

All is right with the world… until we land.

READING TO YOUR CHILD by Penny Ritt

My first experience being tasked with reading to a child was in graduate school with supervisors observing my actions and the child’s response and interaction to my reading selection.  I used my best theatrical expressions and voice patterns and read slowly so the child could understand what I was reading.  But, to my chagrin, the child did not respond to my reading selection, did not seem to enjoy the story, didn’t maintain his attention, and didn’t interact with me or my reading choice after the story was over. I feared that my session had been a futile attempt on my part and not an inspiring learning experience for the child.

Over time as an educator, parent, and grandparent (Gigi), I have learned many things that helped me instill interest in reading to children. 

 -  Read slowly but show enthusiasm as you read -

 - Provide books that are developmentally 
appropriate for your child -

- Let your child choose the books and pages to read -

- Let your child help hold the book and turn the pages -

 - Use picture books without words sometimes -

- Let your child describe the pictures 

and tell the story to you -

- When necessary, simplify stories so they are shorter, easier to follow and more fun - 

  - Keep books and magazines easily accessible 
and visible at home -

-  Go to story hour at your local library -

- Read to yourself in your child’s presence; share what you are reading and how much you enjoy reading -

   

   

   Remember, reading is fun and your  enthusiasm will make a difference to your child!