I recently reviewed the The Joy and Power of Reading: A
Summary of Research and Expert Opinion I mentioned in the subject line.
I can’t help but step up onto my soap box for a minute or
two to encourage your schools to promote more middle school pleasure reading –
meaning NO GRADING.
Below is a link to a 177 pg. report on reading for pleasure
research. I would encourage you to pass along the link to the report to
all of your 5th -8th grade teachers.
I know for some kids at this age, it is a battle to get them
to read, but just looking at the snapshot of research facts I included below, you can see the value and lasting effects it can
have.
·
Reading builds a cognitive processing infrastructure
that then “massively influences” every aspect of our thinking – particularly
our crystallized intelligence
—a person's depth and breadth of general knowledge,
vocabulary, and the ability to reason using words and numbers. (Stanovich,
2003).
·
Children between the ages of 10 and 16 who read
for pleasure make more progress not only in vocabulary and spelling but also in
math than those who rarely read (Sullivan & Brown, 2013).
·
“Omnivorous reading in childhood and adolescence
correlates positively with ultimate adult success” (Simonton, 1988).
·
Multiple studies have shown that avid readers
demonstrate both superior literacy development and wide-ranging knowledge
across subjects (Allington, 2012; Hiebert & Reutzel, 2010; Sullivan &
Brown, 2013).
·
Avid teen readers engage in deep intellectual
work and psychological exploration through the books they choose to read
themselves (Wilhelm & Smith, 2013).
So, how can you as a school leader encourage more pleasure
reading in your upper grades? Let me share some things that have worked
for me over the years as well as other colleagues.
v
Dedicate SSR or DEAR time EVERY week!
This includes teachers reading too. This could be in their Lit or Reading
class each week, but kids need in-class time to read books they choose. 20 minutes per day would be ideal if that
could be worked into a schedule.
v Have
a reading incentive program.
o Think
Summer Reading program like the public library has. Every age-appropriate
book that is read earns a raffle chance and drawings could be held once a
month.
o Local
businesses are often willing to donate $5 gift cards or movie passes to help
with prizes. Maybe your PTO would be willing to help with prizes.
v Create
attractive bulletin boards that focus on middle school reading.
v Encourage
reading YA books among your faculty, perhaps even having a book club.
o I
know one school that concentrated on YA books that were turned into
movies. They’d read the book and then attend the movie for a night out
together.
v Participate
in the KBA program. Ky. Bluegrass Awards.
v Stock
you school library with lots of upper elem and appropriate YA titles.
o Be
sure to weed your library as well. Out dated covers will NOT be selected
by middle school kids. They do judge books by the cover. See Blind
Date Book idea mentioned above
http://dclibrary.org/node/37976
.
o Make
sure the library is accessible to the students. Weekly class visits are
great, but are there other times they can stop by and pick out a new book?
v Be
sure there are plenty of titles within classroom libraries as well.
v Provide
an opportunity for students to discuss books.
v Allow
students to post book reviews online or within a class or school website.
o www.edmodo.com – if you are already using in
your school, if it very easy to set up groups for an online book club.
v Have
some type of tracking system for the kids to use to list books read and books
they want to read, along with some type of rating system.
o Or
just use good old fashioned paper.
o Every
year with 4
th graders, I would complete an activity where each
student would have to recommend 2-3 age-appropriate books for other 4
th
graders. I always chimed in with titles as well. Students then kept
a copy of the master list in their library folder to help with book
selection. I also posted online so parents could see and be able to use
for public library visits. Here’s an example a list that was created
several years ago.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmCvjbZTzulkdEwyTktXMWNxdDJYWE1Pd3BqSVR3MEE#gid=0
v Celebrate
reading and books whenever you can.
o Dr.
Seuss’s birthday March 2nd . Read Across America Day
If you or your teachers are interested in learning more
about creating a reading culture in their school or classroom, I would
recommend two titles by Donalyn Miller.
Feel free to email with any questions. If you
would like me to visit your school and talk to your teachers about this topic,
please send me an invite. I love to talk books and reading!!!
