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Monday, January 14, 2013

How Are Schools Instilling
the Love of Reading in Students?

by Hilde Garcia

This is a difficult post for me to write.  I have a unique perspective on reading. I’m not only a writer, but also a teacher in the public school system. I’m a product of yester-year’s public school.

What changed?
Money. 

Bottom line: the budget!  It’s been cut, chopped, and diced like those knives advertised on the informational channels for $19.99.

When I was a student of public schools in the 1970’s, schools were the focal point of a child’s day.  You went to school from 8am to 3pm.  Everyone ate in the cafeteria.  Parents picked up children or they simply walked home.  Schools offered art, music, and PE to all students.  

Fundraising was unheard of except for the occasional PTA bake sale that helped buy extra books for the library or some neat school improvement like a sign or a new flag.  Teachers had manageable class sizes- how’s 12-15 for kinder, 15-20 for lower grades and 25 for 4th-6th.

Schools weren’t overcrowded for the most part and administrators weren’t bogged down with so many special meetings and administrative concerns.  They would greet you at the gate in the morning, in the afternoon, at lunch, and visit classrooms. They were rarely off campus and rarely pulled in multiple directions.

Our teachers read to us with the lights off after lunch.  There was no madness about testing.  We painted, we laughed, we sang, we explored bugs, we loved going to school.

As an immigrant child whose parents did not speak English, I relied heavily on my teachers.  My parents revered my teachers like Gods.  Teachers weren't second-guessed; they weren't disrespected.  They were considered a child’s advocate.

I learned the word flamboyant from Mrs. Morris in 6th grade. Mrs. Dobbs taught me how to write a proper thank you note and not to simply say, “Thanks for the lovely gift.” I still write the best thank you notes say the people who have received them. Mrs. Moncur taught me how to read the word shenanigans and also said I was the best speller in the 3rd grade. But my greatest memory is Miss Cavanaugh who taught me how to read English when I was 5. I still correspond with her today. She opened up the world of reading. She read to us aloud every day during nap-time  I remember the sunshine coming in through PS 4’s window in the fall of 1972 in New Jersey. No other noise could be heard but her lyric voice and Dr. Seuss’ genius. 

I couldn’t speak a word of English when I began Kindergarten. By June, I was speaking both and reading both Spanish and English. By 3rdgrade, I could read on a 6th grade level and you couldn’t detect an accent in my speech in either.

While I am not naïve and I know it wasn’t like this everywhere for every student, it was a completely different time period.  The funding available for schools allowed for longer day, more individual time with each student, less interruptions, smaller class sizes and simply more focus on learning than on testing.

How different for the kids of today.  Every day I turn on the news and hear of millions of dollars that are cut from the budget.  No music, no art.  Who cares?  The kids don’t need it; they need to read and write.  I recall the Presidential Awards and how coveted and prestigious they were. I always wanted to get one and did more than my best in PE to do so.  Today, we have a generation of obese kids who don’t read.

So how does all this speak to my title of  “How are schools instilling the love of reading for students?  They are not, not really.  It’s up to us, the children’s book writers of the planet.  Like super heroes, we rescue children from Playstations everywhere and bring them back to wonder and magic in their minds.

Nowadays, kids read for the test. They learn to skim the passage for clues.  They learn to read the questions first to see what they will be quizzed on, before they scan the reading.  The test excerpts are not based on literary works of fiction or non-fiction. They are samples created for the test.  They are boring.

Teachers rarely have time to read to their classes because every minute has to be accounted for.  In most public schools teachers are mandated to teach for the test instead of teaching material that integrates all the subjects kids find interesting in order to motivate and inspire them.

I teach students that were born in the US and are labeled English Learners and never get rid of that label.  They can’t speak proper English nor can they speak Spanish to their parents.  I have 5th and 6th grade students reading on 2nd and 3rd grade levels.  

When I ask them do they read, they say not really.  They have quite a few reasons: no time, no books, don’t care, sibling bothers me, and the list continues.  These students are socially promoted every year.  And these students simply keep falling behind.

There is no love of reading instilled because why should students read when their level is the same as their kid sister’s?  Someone might see them check out a “baby” book.

Why should they love reading if from the very onset of their scholastic career, they are set up to fail? Our kids today can’t love to read like we did because our generation isn’t making that the forefront of education. It’s up to us, the writer’s of children’s literature to produce incredibly engaging works of fiction and non-fiction, so that in spite of all these obstacles, kids will read and be better for it.

We are the cavalry and our battle is uphill.  I say, “CHARGE!”  Write the book that will stop the war.

In an upcoming post, my daughter will share her views with you on What Kids Read.

50 comments:

  1. I see some of this, too. I'm not an educator, just a mom with friends all over Chicago who have kids going to different schools. And I see some schools sweeping kids under the carpet just so they can keep their numbers looking good. Because if the numbers don't look good, they don't get the budget they need. So. Wrong. And now we're on a slippery slope where the people who really suffer are our kids. Again, SO WRONG. Our kids deserve better than this.

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    1. Tabitha, it is all about the numbers, and kids do get swept under. The kids I teach that are upper grade elementary school students are reading on a 2nd or 3rd grade level. How did they move forward? Why wasn't this addressed sooner. The IEP process (Individualized Education Plan) is so lengthy that many take a couple of years to fully implement and that's after having been identified. It's no wonder kids are so much older before they get help, but by then they are over it, ashamed and not willing to put forth any more effort because they have already learned that it doesn't pay off. The slippery slope is pure ice these days and all the kids deserve the moon, frankly, and I sometimes feel like I can't deliver it to so many in need. Hilde

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  2. Question. Even if say, Lupe, writes the most amazing children’s book ever written in the history of children’s books, how do you get kids who can’t read and/or kids who have no interest in reading to read it?

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    1. Lee and Janet. So I was teaching a group of 4th graders last fall and we were talking about the US Constitution which led us to talking about the "old days." Then that same week, in their literature book was an excerpt from On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder, a personal favorite of mine. I simply didn't read it, I lived it for them. They were so excited. It was odd because well, until that moment, it really didn't matter. I told them I would read Little House in the Big Woods, the first book of the series to them, out loud. I did. It took us 1 month, reading 20 minutes every day. Now, they listened. I acted it out. I never sat. I walked around the room. I did voices. I paused and made every chapter rich and I explained nifty and key words as they came up. But they only had to listen. It was amazing. They got hooked. They went out and checked the other books, got a copy and read a long with me, read it at home. A parent in the drive through lane literally begged me to be picked as the teacher for that class next year and she said, "I have been trying to get my kids to read that book- her twins were in the class- for 3 years. You came along and presto. Teach them more!" The best compliment. But to answer Lee's questions- kids will have the interest if the reader has the interest. YOU HAVE TO LOVE IT and so will they. You have to sell it. And I can't sell anything, but what I love, what I am passionate about, I have no problem exuding so those kids saw the big woods of Wisconsin come alive and that's how I got them interested. See next reply to Janet. Hilde

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    2. “Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theatre.”
      - Gail Godwin


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    3. When I taught first grade, a moment toward the end of one year seared into my memory, the highlight of all my years in the classroom: the children were reading aloud a text book we had worked through all year. We started at the beginning to review all we'd learned. About ten pages into the book, one of the children looked up and exclaimed, "We're reading this!" The other children and I were confused by her outburst. Then she said, "When we started first grade, Ms. B., you had to read to us. Now we're reading!" Awareness swept across the room, lighting each child's face in turn. They realized what they'd accomplished, and it was no small task. We burst into applause and laughter. I'll never forget it.

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  3. You're correct about the problem, but Lee has a good question. How can we get the kids to read even excellent books?

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    1. Not to say anything negative about any teacher, because all of us that are teachers do it with much love, with the rare exception of some who may not. But you can't instil a love of reading for students if you yourself aren't a reader. I don't ask my students to do anything I wouldn't do. I love books. Period. They see it, they believe it, they read. Some teachers, although fine instructors, aren't great readers or have trouble reading out loud to their students. If they can't make it enticing, then it's hard for kids who are struggling to see what the pay off is if they finish the book. In the world of gadgets we live in, it's almost as if we the teachers or readers have to be a live talking video game ourselves. It's tough and I wish there was some magic button that made every teacher amazing in selling a story, but the truth is, we are human and sometimes it is just not that easy. Also, many teachers don't read the books their kids are reading, they stick to the curriculum so their knowledge is limited in the field. I think this is something all teachers can improve on. Know what's out there in the children's book field, read all the books you can. Know your students well and make suggestions and don't simply tell them, "Read this because it is on your level." Tell them, "This is an amazing story of two kids on the adventure of their life trying to out run people who are trying to kill them in order to get the Clues. (The 39 clues). Trust me, with a hook like that, you are sure to get them to read an excellent book... I just got a very reluctant reader to agree to read Book 1.

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    2. That's a great idea. My grade-school teachers read to us and we all loved it. But as a substitute teacher I see many classes where the teachers simply don't have time to do things like that because of all the required curriculum. That's so sad.

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    3. That is extremely sad, because it is all about the test, so there is no time allowed for simply reading. I think that that's why so many kids are turned off to reading. If it is all about the test, why should kids believe that a book will be any better? And as a substitute you have quite a perspective on teaching. I used to do it as well and I could see how neighborhoods could affect a school's performance. Thank you for your comments.

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  4. I certainly don’t have the answers but I think educators, librarians, parents and writers all can help create a love of stories within each child in our care. That love will often grow into a desire to become a reader. When my son was 5 years old, he could hardly wait to start school so he could learn to read the books he loved.

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    1. Jeanette, you said the key word, all of the people you mentioned above have to create that love of books. I read to my kids all the time. If I am busy, I still find time. It's the one gift that I can give them that is priceless. This past year was hard as I was finishing up my credential so my husband read instead, although, we usually fight for the privilege to read to them. And even though the kids read on their own, we still read to them. My kids just currently finished Harry Potter Book 7, and I thought about making them wait, but they couldn't put it down. I was a bit concerned that it would be too dark for 7. However, I am reading them Anne of Green Gable and my husband is going to start the Hobbit. What some people don't know is that the listening vocabulary is at least 3 grade levels above an independent reading level, so always read up to your kids which allows them more ease when reading on their level. Jim Trelease, who was a master teacher of reading, said that you have to hear the word before you can say the word so that you can then READ the word. And the fact that your son couldn't wait to read his favorite book shows that you hit a homerun with him. Bravo! Hilde

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  5. Maybe my daughter's school was different but in grade school and middle grade school, the teachers did encourage reading. She would have homework to read for enjoyment. Last year in 9th grade, she had to read almost 300 pages a week for enjoyment for language arts. This year, it's not so much and sadly, high school kids have too much homework and other things they must do to get into college to read for pleasure.

    I do agree that all the budget cuts aren't good and I'm sure the budgets have been cut to purchase books for school libraries.

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    1. Hey Natalie, not all schools are like the ones I am describing and you are lucky because you are at a school that has the right idea. Our school does a lot of reading emphasis, but in light of all the testing, it really does it a disservice. Today 45 minutes were spent with a specialist teaching the kids how to take a test and how to not read the excerpt but the question instead in order to know what they would need to answer. Now, while I think that's ok to teach a bit, we do it so much that it's overkill and the kids don't test any better. Why not focus on reading groups more, sharing book jackets and making suggestions. Going to the library more often than once a week for 30 minutes to check out a book. And we do want kids reading for enjoyment but when they are behind their grade level, there is no enjoyment in picking a book that is a "baby" book in front of your peers, so most pick no book and refuse to fill out their log. Many kids today in this nation just don't see why they should care to read. It's very sad. I am glad your daughter is on the right track. It take very dedicated parents and pretty neat students to make it work. It is not a one way street. Both parties have to work towards the goal of literacy. Hilde

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  6. Many people have days so packed with their to do list, that reading to a child isn't possible. I bless all those librarians and volunteers who find time to do it.

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    1. Yes, the volunteers make a difference like you can't imagine. At my school, I had a parent that would come in and read to two students who were new arrivals to this country and that hour every week to them was priceless and they are doing amazing in middle school and I have to think that without that extra bump, they would have been lost in the sea of students that they had in their class that year. Hilde

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  7. I agree with everything you've said. Education needs an overhaul and fast, or the U.S. is headed toward being irrelevant in the 21st century.

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  8. Yep, we are headed for extinction. How can one of the strongest countries with the most advanced technologies crank out children who can't read? It's awful. Education needs to be a national concern so there is some consistency. Left up to the states, it's too disjointed so we can't compete or even compare on an international level. While I understand why it's left up to the states and our Founding Fathers knew that it needed to have that flexibility, we should have more national support where funding is at least protected instead of slashed. Truly, every time there is no money, the FIRST place every goes it towards education. WHY? Go someplace else like corporate jets or executive lunches! I don't know. I just know it shouldn't be and CAN'T be education. Or one day, one of our "readers" is going to push the wrong button.

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  9. We try very hard at my school to instill the love of reading, despite the challenges. We had Sustained Silent Reading up until this year and hope to get it back next. What I really miss from my middle school days is home ec. What a great time in the day that was.

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    1. I remember Home Ec. It always smelled delicious. Do you know why Sustained Silent Reading has been taken out of schools? Because the big wigs feel that kids who will read will read anytime, anywhere, so those that don't, won't read at school, they will just look at the page, thus, let's use the time for more testing and test prep. Yuck. How about a teacher reading to them? Or simply letting them be and find their way to a book? But your school sounds awesome especially because you are so committed to the students. Thanks for posting. Hilde

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  10. This is a most thoughtful post. Having been a teacher of fifth graders, I see the crucial need for a good education and the erosion of our education systems today. Reading to and with our children is not only a good way to augment but to instill a life long love of the written word.

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    1. Amen sister. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Our educational system is totally getting eroded, and I don't see it improving. The power has shifted from teachers and their actual schools, to state wide or district-wide mandates dictating what they think works when non of them have been in a classroom in years. The perspective isn't as effective anymore.

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  11. This post is really insightful. I am fortunate that all 5 of my kids are bookworms, but that is because I've read to them aloud almost every day of their lives. I have tons of books at home for them and we make regular trips to the library and the bookstores. But I know too many children don't have the same access to books. In a town near where I live there is an organization called Book Roots that puts books into the hands of underprivileged teens. They're trying to make a difference in these kids' lives.

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    1. That organization sounds magnificent. You know even when we read, we sometimes have a child that doesn't want to listen or read himself. It happens, but the research does show that more often than not, reading to kids by parents make a HUGE difference. So that's great. My house has a ton of books too. It seems we run out of book shelve space constantly. Love that type of problem.

      Thanks for posting. Hilde

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  12. This is a very thought-provoking discussion. As a children's writer and as an editor, I have tried to promote the idea that parents should encourage their children to become enthusiastic independent readers. And there are many ways to do that. This discussion makes it obvious that all of us - parents, grandparents, relatives, friends - have a responsibility to instill a love of reading in children. Because proficiency in reading has a huge impact on everyone's quality of life, we can't expect to leave it entirely to schoolteachers. The value of independent reading is something the whole community needs to understand and actively encourage.

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    1. Yes, indeed. Do you know though that so many times, I hear the following: I am busy, worked late, kids watched tv, not home, hate reading, why bother, they can do it on my iPad, they play educational games, it's not like they are goofing off and the best one from kids themselves, "I don't have time." Says who? Do you hold down a real job? I got that excuse from one of my reluctant readers today who was aghast that I wanted his reading log to continue through the weekend to improve his level which was 3 years below where he should be. We all promote the idea of parents reading to help their kids become enthusiastic readers, but when the parents themselves have the excuses, there is no way to get the kids on board, without a whole lotta of trying. Thanks for posting. Hilde

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  13. This post makes me so sad. As a National Board Certified Teacher, education is important to me. Schools should not face this kind of pressure. Kids should learn to love reading in school.

    I agree the situation is dire, but not everywhere. Yes, there are budget pressures in my town, but our students still get art, music, Physical education, and instrumental lessons (for those who want them) paid through our budget. We also have a full-time librarian in our school who helps our kids learn to love books. I know we may be the exception, but we are proof that it can be done. Don't get me wrong... we have plenty of places to grow, but getting the arts back into our school isn't one of them.

    I have some suggestions:
    1. Find out who is on your school board (school committee). If they don't value the same things you do, elect someone new. Or run yourself. The School board controls the budget. The School Board can't miraculously make money appear but they decide how to spend the money they have. (Full disclosure, I serve on my local School Board).
    2. Read "The Book Whisperer" by Donalyn Miller. It will inspire you.
    3. Parents, read to your children. EVERY DAY. My children devour books. They learned that from me and my husband, not the school.
    4. And yes, fellow writers out there... keep writing awesome books that kids will love! We need them.

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    1. Michelle, your reply is excellent. Our school has a part time librarian. The media assistant we are hiring to help in our computer lab with the Accelerated Reading program is being funded by our parents because there is no money in our school for that position. We do offer music but rarely any kids sign up to do it and it is free, which saddens me. They know the teacher expects them to practice so they are already a NO to the experience. So jaded before puberty. Now as for your suggestions, well, we know who is on our committee and trust me when I tell you are active and show up to those meetings, en masse. I totally have to read the book you are suggesting. I am going to get it this week. And we do promote the "Parents, read to your child" message all the time. And we still promote it anyway, even when we think they aren't listening. And yes, my kids devour books because of my husband and I, but it's almost like you have to educate the family these days. SO many of my students enter Kinder with never having picked up a book and it's because their parents haven't picked up a book. In order to help the child, you have to help the parents, and create family literacy nights in order to do so. Many have never even gone to the library. It's a tough battle. Thank you for your suggestions. And I will write that book, kind of already have, that kids will want to read. Hilde

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  14. As in most ideological discussions these days the article does not offer suggestions to solve the problems except for more money. I do agree with the author that many times the love of reading is not instilled in the schools. It is also not instilled in the home. A good education is the result of team work between the teacher, parents, and child. Not just the school. I have a grandson in first grade. His teacher encourages parents constantly about reading to their child and having the child read to the parents at least 20 minutes a night. To help my grandson with this I take him to the library to pick out books every two weeks. That is my role as caregiver and I take it very serious. Also, yesterday I had my grandson with me in town and had time to kill before an appointment. Since it was very cold out we spent the time at the book store. I browsed through the children’s books and my grandson played in the play area. Several smaller boys showed up and my grandson ended up reading a simple book to them. I will definitely use the bookstore in this way again.
    More money will not solve the problem; it runs much deeper than that. If more money is needed get rid of the unions. They have corrupted the whole education process. It is true that education seemed better in the 70’s. The main difference is an ideological shift. No one is responsible for anything anymore and the people promoting this mentality also think government is the answer. It is not.
    This is the information age. There are no good excuses for parents not to be part of the education process. Encouraging parents and others to whine about problems not solve the problems is the current trend. More rules, regulations, and money are just mucking up the process, not improving it. If education was better in the 70’s ask yourself why, then come up with real solutions to solve the problems. Money is just a band aid, a temporary fix.

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    1. Kay, your reply was outstanding and you raise some very interesting points. Yes, I agree with you, the love of reading is not instilled in the home these days they way perhaps it was decades ago before all the electronic gadgets came into play. And also your point about a good education is right on, it takes a team. Many of the parents of my school read to their children daily and encourage and foster great habits for reading. Many more do not. And you can see the results plain as day.

      I agree with you that more money isn't the only solution, but it will help. My article meant to say that the way we see education in this country is not the same way other countries do. We cut our educational budgets consistently and constantly. And what I see as a direct impact is the limited resources. Instead of 25 upper grade kids in a class, you have 36 or 37. They don't even fit in a classroom. The teacher is bogged down teaching to the test. And then instead of 1 or 2 kids struggling, you have at least 10. They slip one year and fall behind, the next year, they can't catch up. The teacher sends them for help, but the process is so long, because the funding has been cut and schools are sharing personnel, that by the time they do get an IEP, the child is several grade levels behind. Many students don't qualify because the only thing they need is a little one on one in reading to get them back up to speed, but without funding, that doesn't happen, so they keep falling behind.

      Money isn't only a "band aid" in instance like this. But I really, really agree with you that the problem runs deeper than that. The system is corrupted and the ideological shift is there. Parents can not keep generating excuses, the ones that do, that is, for not being part of the process. I really think that the rules and regulations you are mentioning are indeed making it more difficult all around.

      Funny, I have come up with a lot of solutions that make sense. It's getting the district to listen to the suggestions that is the uphill battle. And money isn't ever the only answer, but in cases like school overcrowding and limited resources, the "money" would alleviate those concerns which might help teachers and other personnel focus on the stuff that matters. I really appreciated your reply and thoughtfulness in it. It's obvious that this is something that is dear to my heart and perhaps yours too. Thanks. Hilde

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  15. I am an aspiring librarian and am always on the lookout for the great books that are easy to read but don't look babyish. I read to a class of 2nd graders, and I feel like I have the last shot to introduce those 2nd graders who are struggling with reading to the right book that will inspire them.

    The rumor in our school district is that all of the specialists at the elementary schools (including the librarians) will be cut next year. We will see. With tough economic times, it is difficult to know what should be cut instead.

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    1. Yeah, that the tough question, what do you cut instead? But I heard the same rumor, specialists are gone, but in today's age when so many students have IEP's or ILP's or some kind of achronym, Specialists are needed more than ever, so it will really hurt all of us if they are cut. Thanks for posting. Hilde

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  16. Many years ago I read about a scientific study trying to figure out what method of teaching reading worked best. The highest achieving students at the best colleges in the US were interviewed. To the scientists' surprise, the methods made no difference. The one thing those students had in common was that their parents had read to them every day when they were little kids. We need to get more parents to read to little kids.

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    1. YES WE DO. No matter what, that's the key. Reading together as a family and making reading more important that the play station, the movies, the television set. The library should be something a child loves to go to. And parents should covet those evenings reading whenever possible because they go by so very fast. Thank you for posting.

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  17. Hilde, your love of kids, good schooling, and your passion for reading shines through. Where is that Magic Carpet Ride that those of our generation enjoyed? The ride that took us to far away places, fun and adventure. Busy working parents, schools with fewer funds each year, and this overwhelming desire for testing, is wrecking havoc with our education system, and the ability for children to discover the joy of reading.

    I realize that not all schools suffer this way, and not all parents work, nor do all teachers give up trying. But more- and-more, the coming generation (my grand-kids) are losing what we had when we were kids in school. It makes me deeply sad.

    I write for kids, and I try to offer stories that have a WOW factor. Stories that might tempt them to hop on that Magic Carpet and take it for a spin. With all the growing school, parent, and teacher apathy, and the competition from technology, my Magic Carpet has a lot of empty seats.

    FREE "Sneak Peek" inside 8x of my books
    http://tinyurl.com/8qw44al

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    1. I am currently doing interventions and I am cheerleading like crazy to get my students to jump onto my magic carpet and go for a ride. It's so hard when they are so lost and have given up so early, but I am determined to get them there. You can't discover the joy of reading when you think you suck, as my kids tell me when we work together. Thanks for posting. Hilde;D

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  18. What a thoughtful post. My son is not old enough to have gone through the testing phase yet, but I hope his love of reading doesn't suffer for it when he does.

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  19. I read an interesting article (http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/6554) on getting kids hooked on reading withOUT a prize motivation. It is something interesting to think about. I remember Book-It programs fondly from my elementary days, and once I got hooked, I read -- pizza or no pizza. But when I was teaching, this incentive push was really noticible because the reading teachers used it to counterbalance the unpleasant mandates of AR testing. It's a complicated and thorny issue for sure.

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    1. I can not wait to read this article. Thank you for posting the link and for your reply. It was very interesting to see how incentives became part of the culture. And storied cities- your son will fly through the test if he is a reader, trust me. What I think happens is that for kids that bloom somewhat later on the reading front, the adverse effect of so much testing can turn them off easier. Not all students go this route, but to a kid who can barely sound out the questions on a test, reading for pleasure is extremely difficult and often they can't see why they should. That's where all of us can instill why reading is magical and worthy and necessary. And it's a community effort which has to involve parents, teachers, administrators, librarians, community leaders and peers. If we do it, kids will do it, they do so look up to us and want leadership. I never tell me kids to go and "read". I ask them, "What are you reading today?" And they are always interested in what I am reading too. And the dialogue is a two way street. I think that's part of the secret. If it can be shared between both parties, kids will be more willing. After all, a grown up conversation about a good story is very enticing. Thank you both for your most thoughtful replies to my post. Hilde

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  20. Your post was nostalgic for me, who had the same kind of school experience that you did. And as a parent, I have had the experience of offering books at an open house, to my son's social studies teacher - who just about interrupted my offer by telling me that they didn't use books in social studies - that I should talk to the English teacher.
    But I take issue with one of the things you said "It’s up to us, the children’s book writers of the planet."
    As a library consultant for children's services I have a good overview of children's library services in my state. And MOTIVATION is what they do.
    If they could only get schools, teachers, to endorse them, to encourage their students to USE the library, to connect with their children's librarian, to go to the programs the library offers, that would be half the battle. But so many have the idea that only they know the right things to encourage reading. It's hard for school faculty to think outside the... school.
    Yes, we need children's book writers to write the books. But the motivation is not "up to [you]." It's up to ALL of us who support reading, writing and talking.

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    1. When I was in 6th grade, I wrote a play, "MR. Dewey's Library." It was to teach the Kinders in my school about the Dewey Decimal system. I was inspired by my librarian who told me it was up to us the older kids to help the little ones love reading. I agree with you, MOTIVATION has to be more than the writers. Yes, all of us, librarians, teachers, parents, community members. We have to show young people WHY it is important if we ever hope to have them pass the torch. I am saddened that most schools don't have librarians full time, that they are not even utilized in the way that they should. I LOVED every librarian that captured the world of reading from me. I was a library aide in 10th grade. I was angry when the budget deemed it ok to close down and limit the hours. I think libraries should be open 24/7, for everyone. No one of us has the magic key, you are correct about that. I never meant to imply that is was simply up to us only, but since I was speaking to a bunch of writers, I limited the scope of the comment. On the larger scale of things, all of the components you mention are key. I appreciate your reply and wholeheartedly agree that we all need to libraries and their passion for books and reading. After all, they are the keepers of the keys, so to speak. And seriously, did that teacher really say you don't need books in Social Studies? What were they thinking? Thank you for posting. Hilde

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  21. Really great post. I think you raise a number of important issues. The one I keep coming back to though is the question, what are we really offering our students in school? I was a teacher until a year and a half ago when I resigned to write my dissertation. I'm saddened by what school has become--it's boring. If I were a student today, I'm not sure I'd have much motivation in the classroom either--the focus on testing, canned curriculum, lack of music or art. There's little investigation, uncovering of knowledge, or creativity at work in the majority of our classrooms. I think this especially applies to reading. Each year I was teaching 3rd grade, I would get students who had never read an entire chapter book. All they knew of reading was a textbook that meant a new short story each week. They tried to learn 5 new vocabulary words and understand enough of the story to pass a test on Friday. That's not reading. I just recently read Anna Quindlen's "How Reading Changed My Life." It's a series of essays on her experiences with reading. There was one (longer) quote that stuck out to me. So, I'll share it below. I think she raises two important points for the discussion here: 1. We don't instill in students the kind of love of reading she describes and 2. In reality society doesn't really encourage that kind of reading because those who have it, are often misunderstood or mocked. "Reading has always been my home, my sustenance, my great invincible companion. 'Book love,' Trollope called it. 'It will make your hours pleasant to you as long as you live.' Yet of all the many things in which we recognized some universal comfort--God, sex, food, family, friends--reading seems to be the one in which the comfort is the most undersung, at least publicly. . .I did not read from a sense of superiority, or advancement, or even learning. I read because I loved it more than any other activity on earth."

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    1. Katrina, do you want to co-wrote with me? LOL. Fabulous reply. I agree 100%. And let me tell you, I bring excitement to my teaching. When I teach volcanoes, we blow them up. When I teach history, we dress up and act out the play. When I teach literature or poetry, we write the stories and illustrate them, we invent the poetry. We dance, we sing. I read a loud and really live the story. My kids can't even take their eyes off of me because they don't know what I will do next. I hate canned curriculum, testing prep, and all things boring. And that's what it's become. I will read the articles you mentioned as they sound fascinating. I appreciate your post immensely. I know that there are many of us fighting the battle, but sometimes it feels like I am not making a difference, so when like-minded folks post that they too get it, I feel a renewed sense of energy. And yes, I have upper grade elementary school kids who have never finished a book of any length and can't tell me what they are reading. They struggle all day in every class. It saddens me to no end. Thank you for your thoughts! Hilde

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  22. So glad to have found your blog through the "Comment Challenge"--it amazes me how many great resources are out there that I've never heard of! I agree, it's easy to get discouraged, especially when it seems like you're always the one moving 'against the flow.' That's why I think it's so important that those of us who do have a different vision for what education and learning can be stick together and support each other. Learning should be fun and exciting--just like your classroom you describe above. I look forward to reading more of your writing!

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  23. I'm a sixth grade teacher and and author and I could not agree more. I read the statistics on how few kids are reading by the time they leave high school and it hurts my heart. It doesn't have to be like this, though. There are amazing writers out there who are writing amazing books. Let's get teacher's guides for them and then point teachers in the direction of teaching them! Excellent post. Keep writing, please.

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    1. I agree 100%. We need teachers to know what's out there and they can't read everything. The guides can help them make really good suggestions for their students to help them get hooked. Thank you for you reply. Hilde

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  24. I do remember public schools in California when I grew up were good until 1970s when our average class size for elementary school was 31 and 32 kids.

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    1. WOW. So at least now it's a bit less for the younger grades. They are trying to keep it to 24 in K-3, but this year there was and possibly still is talk of 35 to 1 in some K's. And really, wow, they were even considering 30 to 1 as well in different scenarios. Bottom line is, I think we can all agree, in any age or any school era, we shouldn't have large class sizes. Nationally speaking, lower class sizes would resolve kids falling through the cracks, more individualized class attention by the teacher and less need for so many resource specialists, not that they aren't needed, but so many of the kids that they have to see would do better if they hadn't been crammed into a class like a can of sardines. One class I know of has 37 5th graders in it. They can't even fit the desks in the room so the kids can slide their chairs back to get out of their desk, let alone get to everyone in any given lesson. Make that two classes and watch the difference the scores and grades would show. And that does come down to economy, because you need two teachers. We have them, we just don't have the funds to pay them, it seems. I really want to thank you for your reply. Hilde;D

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  26. I am the ES teacher/librarian at an international school in Tokyo that admits non-English speaking students at the K level and will accept students with some skill in English in the lower grades. I guess after reading all of these posts, I feel very fortunate. Our school has many scaffolds in place to help the ELLs with language learning and we find many ways to make reading compelling and fun! Kids cheer when it's library time and we have to keep them out of the library during recess.
    Here are a few things that seem to make a difference:

    1. Puppets; Puppets are used to help with read-alouds, ask comprehension and pronunciation questions, taking the pressure off of the language learners who need to have things explained, but are often too shy or self-conscious about language skills to ask. The students love these puppet characters and even the shy ones want to interact. After the students check out their books, they are allowed to pick a puppet of their own and sit and read to their puppet. Some create characters and voices and read aloud that way. They read to each other and retell stories.

    2. Sakura Medal Program; http://www.sakuramedal.com
    This could be any book incentive program, but the schools in our area of the world select a group of Sakura Medal nominees and have the students read the books for most of the year. In the spring, there is a big celebration and voting party in the library. The children vote for their favorite book and their votes directly select the winning book each year. The fact that their opinion matters really makes a difference to the students. They know that this is one of the few book awards where children, not grown-ups, select the winning book.

    3. One-on-One; Students are encouraged to ask the librarians for help in finding books. They will ask for a spooky mystery, or a funny realistic fiction, or an adventure book with horses, and the librarian know the collection well enough to guide them to a book that will thrill them and lead to other good reads. Students are encouraged to stretch their interests and try new genres, enhancing their love of reading.

    Of course, if a school or district is short-sighted enough to cut literacy programs or library time, then they will have a struggle in the upper grades trying to coax a positive attitude out of their apathetic and haggard test-taking scholastic mercenaries. It is sad that school districts can be so short-sighted. Ironically, they may all need "reading glasses" to achieve a more farsighted plan for their education.

    Ruth Gilmore Ingulsrud
    Author/Librarian
    http://ruth.ingulsrud.net/blog/
    http://belovedofbeasts.com

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