Family Literacy Day 2012 – How to raise a Reader

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I stumbled upon this tongue-in-cheek list of ways to raise a Non-Reader in Anita Silvey’s book 100 Best books for Children:

You can find a printable version here on the Horn Book website.

Thirteen Ways to Raise a Nonreader
1. Never read where your children can see you.
2. Put a TV or computer in every room. Don’t neglect the bedrooms and kitchen.
3. Correct your child every time she mispronounces a word.
4. Schedule activities every day after school so your child will never be bored.
5. Once your child can read independently, throw out the picture books. They’re for babies.
6. Don’t play board games together. Too dull.
7. Give little rewards for reading. Stickers and plastic toys are nice. Money is even better.
8. Don’t expect your children to enjoy reading. Kids’ books are for teaching vocabulary, proper study habits, and good morals.
9. Buy only 40-watt bulbs for your lamps.
10. Under no circumstances read your child the same book over and over. She heard it once, she should remember it.
11. Never allow your child to listen to books on tape; that’s cheating.
12. Make sure your kids only read books that are “challenging.” Easy books are a complete waste of time. That goes double for comic books and Mad magazine.
13. Absolutely, positively no reading in bed.

The Book Whisperer – Awakening the Inner Reader in every child {Donalyn Miller}

First off, sorry for the extreme lack of posting in the last 6 weeks. September has been a whirlwind for me, and even thought I am only working three days a week, I am busier than I ever have been. But also so happy, so inspired and so excited every day to have the oppurtunity to have the best job in the world!

I am absolutely devouring this book and loving every chapter. If you are ready to re-examine the reading activites in your classroom in order to create a community of lifelong readers, then this is the book for you.

Miller’s obvious passion for reading and for helping her students discover it for themselves is at the heart of every practical application outlined in the book. With lots of print and digital resource suggestions, I would say it could be the one book you need to launch an effective reading program in any classroom.

A quick quote that I loved (as a lifelong reader myself):

“I want my students to learn what life readers know: reading is its own reward. Reading is a university course in life; it makes us smarter by increasing our vocabulary and background knowledge of countless topics. Reading allows us to travel to destinations that we will never experience outside the pages of a book. Reading is a way to find friends who have the same problems we do and who can give advice on solving those problems. Through reading, we can witness all that is noble, beautiful or horrifying about other human beings. From a book’s characters, we can learn how to conduct ourselves. And most of all, reading is a communal act that connects you to other readers, comrades to have travelled to the same remarkable places you have and been changed by them too” – Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer, p. 151

If you have always dreamed of every one of your students devouring 40-50 books a year, and discovering pleasure in reading, then you must pick up this book. It’s a powerful read that has led me to evaluate and change many of the practices I once thought would develop readers in my classroom. I can’t wait to put many of her suggestions into action in the library.

You can read Donalyn Miller’s blog here: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/
Follow her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/#!/donalynbooks
Any Principals reading? Here is a great article by Donalyn Miller on creating a schoolwide reading culture: http://ghost.bfintranet.com/email/principal_enews/2011/aug.htm

Hello, Bonjour!

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I don’t think I have been this excited for September to come in a long time. I am starting a new position as Teacher Librarian in the PYP school I have been working at for the last 4 years. I am excited to use social media to connect with other PYP Teachers, Librarians and tech-savvy educators all over the world.

Currently on my mind:

- the welcome back display in the library. I have an idea for representing the PYP learner profile in an interactive and artistic way. Pictures to come!

- first library period read aloud books. Any recommendations?

- working with teachers to integrate child-friendly technology into their planners. I think I am going to learn A LOT from my new blog and twitter friends in this respect.

Looking forward to “meeting” many new friends here soon! If you have landed here via twitter (I’m @biblioteacher), I would love for you to introduce yourself!

- Morgan

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