Tag Archives: Reading

Check it Out:, Guest Blogger, Materials, School Media Specialist

CMLE Mini Grant: Tech Reading Resource: RAZ-Plus kits

Try something new!

This is a guest post from Mike Barton, Media and Digital Learning Specialist at Cokato Elementary Media Center. Read more mini grant reports on our page.

From our EL Teacher, Shannon Otto: I am very appreciative to have been granted money towards the subscription of RAZ-Plus with the ELL edition. I’m utilizing these resources with my caseload of English Language learners.

I’ve printed off ABC books as the students are learning the American alphabet. These books help students develop vocabulary while also practicing the sounds of each letter.

I’ve also used the high-frequency books to help build reading skills. The ELL comic conversations are a great structure for students to see dialogue modeled. In groups, students read the speech bubbled dialogue and then role-play to practice their oral language.

As of now, I’ve only used this resource with my newcomer groups. However, I know that I’ve only scratched the surface with the resources found in this subscription.

My next steps are to explore the library of leveled books to use with my other groups. There are also vocabulary sets that break down harder concepts into visual supports and key vocabulary.

I’m excited to explore this subscription further and to continue implementing this tool within all of my EL groups. Once again, I thank you for the monetary support that provides all these wonderful tools and resources for my students.

Check it Out:

Relaxed Readers Meetup Feb. Events, Including: Meet Us in Princeton!

We’ve had so much fun the past few months with these events!
🎉Mark your calendars because we have more events in February!

Join us for an easygoing book conversation where we share what we have been reading! We make recommendations, share likes/dislikes, ask questions, talk about libraries…it’s a good time. 😊 Really, no matter what you like to read, we hope to see you there!
Here are our dates for February meetups. Follow the links to RSVP on the Meetup Site:

(also, next Tuesday, Feb. 4th, we are meeting to attend the Sally Wen Mao author event at St. Ben’s. You can RSVP here or on the Meetup site)

Wednesday, Feb. 12th from 6 – 8pm
Mexican Village downtown St. Cloud:
Join us for chatting about books – any books that you are enjoying! Bring a book, or just bring yourself. We’ll enjoy dinner, sharing books, and getting to know each other! RSVP here!

Monday, Feb. 17th (President’s Day) from 10am to 11:30am
Coffee Corner Princeton:
Let’s enjoy some hygge time – keep the cold outside, while we enjoy the warmth, light, snacks, and good book conversation inside!
We have an optional book for the group discuss: The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. If you want to read it and share ideas, or read through her blog, or follow her podcast, we can share ideas on building happiness – a great topic for February!
If any of our St Cloud members want to carpool, let us know!
Directions and RSVP here!

Contact us with any questions! I’m ajordan(at)cmle.org

Books, Children's services, Programs

This Kindergarten Class Threw A “Millionaire Bash” To Celebrate Reading 1 Million Words In A Year

 

(From Buzzfeed.com, by Julia Reinstein)

They even rolled up in a limo and signed autographs for their “fans.”

This is Breyden Suragh, 6, a kindergartener in Columbus, Georgia.

On Wednesday, Breyden and his classmates turned up in style at the “Millionaire Bash,” a class party celebrating every student for reading 1 million words that year.

 They even rolled up in a limousine!

Breyden's mom, Denetta Suragh, told BuzzFeed News the school estimated 1 million words was equal to 250 books, which they kept track of with reading logs. This year, the entire class met the goal, Suragh said."Breyden was really on me about it," she said. "He was like, ‘I want a limousine ride so we have to turn in all our reading logs!’ It encourages every child to want to read even more."

Breyden’s mom, Denetta Suragh, told BuzzFeed News the school estimated 1 million words was equal to 250 books, which they kept track of with reading logs.

This year, the entire class met the goal, Suragh said.

“Breyden was really on me about it,” she said. “He was like, ‘I want a limousine ride so we have to turn in all our reading logs!’ It encourages every child to want to read even more.”

When they got to the classroom, each student walked the red carpet as their parents cheered them on.

"They make them feel like a celebrity," said Suragh. "They call their name out, and they have us there as their fans. So while they step out on their little red carpet, we’re screaming and congratulating them."

“They make them feel like a celebrity,” said Suragh. “They call their name out, and they have us there as their fans. So while they step out on their little red carpet, we’re screaming and congratulating them.”

Of course, they donned their most dapper duds and signed autographs for their adoring fans.

Suragh said her son was "all smiles" at the party, and especially loved riding in the limo."It was the most exciting thing to him," she said.

Suragh said her son was “all smiles” at the party, and especially loved riding in the limo.

“It was the most exciting thing to him,” she said.”

“Suragh said she’s so proud of how far her son has come as a reader this year.

"When he first started kindergarten, he wasn’t a great reader," she said. "But because of the program that they did to encourage him to read more, he’s almost on a second-grade level of reading."And because of Breyden's newfound love of reading, his 4-year-old brother wants to learn to read too."His little brother is looking up to him, so that’s something he wants to do," she said. "He wants to get in a limousine, and he wants to read something."

“When he first started kindergarten, he wasn’t a great reader,” she said. “But because of the program that they did to encourage him to read more, he’s almost on a second-grade level of reading.”

And because of Breyden’s newfound love of reading, his 4-year-old brother wants to learn to read too.

“His little brother is looking up to him, so that’s something he wants to do,” she said. “He wants to get in a limousine, and he wants to read something.”

“You push your children, and you want the best for them,” said Suragh.

"For him to actually accomplish that just makes me proud as his mom, to see him so happy about reading," she said.

“For him to actually accomplish that just makes me proud as his mom, to see him so happy about reading,” she said.

(Read this entire article here, and admire even more adorable photos!)

Advocacy, Books, Children's services

Barbershop Books for Boys!

Barbershop Books

As library people, we support literacy and reading programs no matter where they are found. Building good readers, and more opportunities for kids to read is great – and this program sounds both fun and so good for building literacy!

If you would like to get involved, and to help support a barbershop, or to suggest a location, check in here!

WHAT IS BARBERSHOP BOOKS?

Barbershop Books is the debut program of Reading Holiday Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literacy organization in New York City. Developed in Harlem, Barbershop Books is a community-based program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops across America. We leverage the cultural significance of barbershops in black communities to increase boys’ access to culturally relevant, age appropriate, and gender responsive children’s books and to increase out-of-school time reading among young black boys.

OUR MISSION

Help black boys ages 4-8 to identify as readers by connecting books and reading to a male-centered space and by involving men in boys’ early reading experiences.

THE LITERACY CHALLENGE

According to the United States Department of Education, more than 85% of America’s black male 4th grade students are not proficient in reading.

In an increasingly global and knowledge-based economy, poor reading skills among young black boys today will produce black men who are unprepared to compete in the workforce of tomorrow. Four key factors contribute to low reading proficiency among black boys: (1) limited access to engaging and age appropriate reading material; (2) lack of black men in black boys’ early reading experiences; (3) few culturally competent educators; and (4) schools that are unresponsive to black boys’ individual learning styles.

Books

The Joys and Downsides of Hate-Reading

Image result for reading

(From the Chronicle of Higher Education, By Rachel Toor)

“A few years ago, a friend told me about a dinner party where he’d bonded with another guest over their mutual loathing of David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest. The woman — an English professor — described the time she spent reading the novel as “three months of my life I’ll never get back.”

I was supposed to be amused by that. Instead, I was irritated — and not just with her lazy use of one of those prepackaged lines you see too often on social media.

My reaction had nothing to do with the merits of Infinite Jest, either, since I haven’t read it. As much as I love Wallace’s nonfiction, I’ve read enough about the book — including via D.T. Max’s excellent biography: Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace — to believe the novel wouldn’t be my cup of tea.

No, my annoyance mostly stemmed from shock that someone whose job includes assigning reading to students would say something so stupid.

Continue reading The Joys and Downsides of Hate-Reading →