More on Reading--Of Course

When I worked as a school librarian, we had Accelerated Reader for the students to use. This program certainly increased the amount the students were reading, helped them expand the genre of books they tried, and helped access their reading comprehension.

With that said, the program did have its problems. The ones I encountered included incorrect assessment of student's reading level, consistency with the levels assigned to the books, students competing against one another rather than challenging themselves, or students pressured to achieve with little supplemental help from faculty or parents.

As a child's literacy advocate, I am intrigued with a new reading approach from educator, Laura Candler. Ms. Candler has experience with the Accelerated Reader program but has devised her own reading strategy for students which she says works even better. It's called EMPOWERING READERS. You can become part of her ongoing discussion group focusing on these reading strategies. And you can take a preview of the Ms. Candler's work in progress to see if her reading strategies could work in your class or homeschool environment.

The preview is intriguing. And there is nothing I love better than to see children caught up in the reading adventure. You might want to take a look and see what you think. Would a reading workshop work in your class?

Word Fun with Jessica

Today my friend Jessica visited. Jessica is in third grade and likes to read--especially Amelia Bedelia stories. I asked Jessica about what they were learning in school. She told me all about multiplication tables and word problems, which she greatly enjoys. Her teacher is "very creative" and Jessica likes that.

So Jessica and I got creative today as well. I saw in my book, WHAT EVERY THIRD GRADER NEEDS TO KNOW, that third graders learn about homophones, or sound alike words. Turns out, Amelia Bedelia stories usually feature some sound alike word mix-ups.

Jessica and I thought up a few homophones, found clip art pictures to match each one, then Jessica used each word in a sentence. You can see the first page of words we worked with in the photo.

Fun & simple. You bet--and a great learning opportunity for young readers.

Try some sound alike words with your children.

Are you smarter than a third grader?

How many homophones can you think of in a minute???

Thursday Morning Interview

I had a fun start to the morning today with an interview for the local St. Louis Suburban Journal. It's great to be able to share my love for literacy--reading, writing, creating. That's why I write--for the kids. To excite them about the world of literature.

The PET GRAMMAR PARADE SERIES shows them that grammar can be fun. When students learn the basic tools--like the parts of speech, they become empowered. They can create their own stories, write their own research articles, share their ideas and information with the world.

I'll keep you posted on the article. It's slated for next Wednesday's edition.

In the meantime, I know that school has started for many. Help your child succeed by setting aside reading time. I've included some ideas on ways to do this at my website. Here's a few of the links:

PAIRED READING

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT READING ALOUD

READING FUN AND GAMES

Children's Book Classics--What Are Yours?

Parents pass their likes on to their children. Especially, their love of reading. Books they liked as children will be shared with their own children.

My husband and my younger son Dan love J.R.R. Tolkien's LORD OF THE RING series. But children also introduce parents to favorites of theirs, which in turn become favorites of the parents.

Both my sons loved WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak. And even now, I delight in repeating the line from the book when Max says, "I'll eat you up I love you so." 

This article at CNN.com discusses classic children's books.

What children's books are your favorites??? 

Doggie Day Camp -- Going Beyond Reading

I'm very excited that Joy Delgado, author & publisher, chose DOGGIE DAY CAMP as her picture book of the week for her blog--GOING BEYOND READING. 

At her new blog, Ms. Delgado will present "books that show children in fun and subtle ways interesting and new (to them) facts. Books that go beyond being just a story. Books that, well, teach."

Thanks for inviting Bubba and his friends to the BEYOND.

More READING MAGIC

As promised, here are some additional notes from Mem Fox's book, READING MAGIC.

• When reading be expressive—have fun! (As I like to say, feel the words.) Voice variations can be loud/soft; fast/slow; high/low; and pause.

• Playing games with the words/letters in a story is encouraged also sometimes. As is using word magnets on the refrigerator, etc. And scribbling (writing) for the child. This helps him learn to read—associating the symbols with the sounds/words.



• Mem suggests telling the child an unknown word if it is taking much time for the child to sound the word out—encourage the child to recognize words at sight. While she still acknowledges the need for phonics in reading, the author warns that many children will become discouraged when words are difficult to decipher with only these clues. Too many words in the English language do not follow the norm and must be learned as sight words.
  


• Mem also encourages the reading of rhyming books/poems/songs. “Rhymers are readers,” according to Ms. Fox. Studies have shown that students who know 8 nursery rhymes by the time they are four-years-old are usually among the best readers by eight-years-old.
  The use of rhythmic, rhyming, and repetitive readings encourages the child to learn how to SKIM by guessing from clues in the patterns of the reading. This is a great advantage in mastering reading. When Einstein was asked by a mother how to help make her son more intelligent, he told her to read Fairy Tale stories to him.

Following is a list of additional titles on the subject of reading aloud:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Reading with Your Child by Helen Coronato. http://www.amazon.com/Read-Aloud-Handbook-Sixth/dp/0143037390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205873415&sr=1-1

Baby Read-Aloud Basics: Fun and Interactive Ways to Help Your Little One Discover the World of Words by Caroline J. Blakemore and Barbara Weston Ramirez. http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Read-Aloud-Basics-Interactive-Discover/dp/081447358X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205873956&sr=1-1

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. http://www.amazon.com/Read-Aloud-Handbook-Sixth/dp/0143037390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205873415&sr=1-1Handbook-Sixth/dp/0143037390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205873415&sr=1-1

READING MAGIC by Mem Fox

If you don't know by now, I am passionate about instilling a love for reading in children. Apparently Australian author and Literary Studies professor, Mem Fox, and I share the same passion. She is the author of several nonfiction books for adults--as well as many wonderful children's picture books. I'd like to share some of her insights offered in READING MAGIC: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever.

• The secret to fostering reading (and the love for literature) is quite simple: reading aloud to children from birth onward. Experts suggest 1,000 stories read aloud before the child begins to read.
• Only 25% of a child’s brain is developed at birth, but within the first year, a child learns all the sounds in her native language.
• Passive sounds/words (such as those heard from a television) don’t work as well as conversation to help foster language development. To encourage language and reading skills “for life,” children need to “talk back” to someone.
• The day a baby is born is the time to start reading aloud to him. Try to have a routine for reading aloud built into the child’s day—but also make books & reading available whenever the opportunity arises. The more a child has access to books, magazines, newspapers, etc. and sees his parents using them the more likely he will become a good reader.

That's enough reading secrets for today. I'll share some more tomorrow. But I'd encourage you to visit Mem's online site as well. Here's a link to her "Ten Read Aloud Commandments: http://www.memfox.net/ten-read-aloud-commandments.html

Happy Belated Birthday, Dr. Seuss

Sorry to say I missed Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2, but it's not too late to wish THE CAT IN THE HAT a happy 50th birthday. Visit the Seussville site (www.seussville.com/CITH_50th) and design your own birthday card to send. Plus, there are also suggestions for KIDS, PARENTS, & TEACHERS to celebrate the National Education Association's READ ACROSS AMERICA month, this March. So hurry...grab a book and start reading! March is already almost half over.