Access to Books is the Key to Successful Reading DevelopmentKelli Cedo, Virgina Beach Public Schools

Michele Stansbury, Baltimore County Schools

Socrative

• m.socrative.com

• Virtual Room Number

Core Question

If you were asked to write a headline about family engagement and literacy that captured the most important aspect that should be remembered, what would that headline be?

Shifting Culture

• Engagement• Get to know your families• Encourage consistent contact• Give multiple opportunities to participate

• Attachment• Building relationships• Reciprocal communication- two people involved• Give and take

• Resources• Materials• Training

A Focus on Literacy

• School Access

• Home Access

• Questions• How do we get more literature in our schools?

• How do we get more literature in the homes?

• How do we get schools to engage parents in the literature at school?

• How do we get families to engage with the literature at home?

Home Library Design

• Who- Pre-K-5th Grade

• What- Literature

• When- All year long (12 months)

Committees

• Who know kids the best?

• Gaps in text availability (genre, levels, etc.)

• Student interest

• New types of text available

• Books for school, home, or both

“My earliest memories are of her (his mother) settling me in the children's room of the local library while she went upstairs to check out the popular novels she loved and then reading those books, sometimes together on the front porch, sometimes curled up on the couch, sometimes along in bed before sleeping”

Richard Allington 2013

During the School Year

• Social/Emotional Themes

• K- Sharing and feelings

• 5th- Being respectful of yourself and others and accepting and appreciating differences.

K Example

Feelings- frustration, sadness, and anger

Llama Llama Mad at Mama

When Sophie Gets Angry-Really Really Angry

Sharing

Peter’s Chair

It’s Mind

5th Grade Example

Being respectful of yourself and others

Inside out and Back Again

Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade

Accepting and appreciating differences

The Lemonade War

Drita, My Homegirl

Pre-K

• Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

• Kindergarten Registration

• Throughout the summer

• Mix of books• Support for initial skills

• Interest (social/emotional)

Summer Literacy Program

Dr. Allington stated, “Several experimental studies have demonstrated that providing relatively few books for summer reading will lead to most students

engaging in voluntary

reading during the

Summer.”

Summer Reading 2013

Summer Literacy Program

• 8 books

• Writing journal

• Parent communication

• Partnerships

What is included

My Books Summer Reading

My Books Summer Reading materials are designed to provide students with materials to:• apply independent reading and comprehension skills;

• maintain a summer reading journal and;

• track summer reading progress.

Research

Access to books in the home is key to academic success. Having as few as 20 books in the home has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education.

Research in Social Stratification and Mobility

Why Summer Reading Matters

The “summer slide” accounts for as much as 85% of the reading achievement gap between lower-income students and their middle- and upper-income peers.

Participating Students

• 49 Title I Schools

• 22,781 students

• 500 teachers

Book PacksBook Packs

Book Packs:

•Students will self-select 5 books to take home.•Student Journal•Think sheets for every title•Superintendent Letter•Student and Parent access to TrackIt•Drawstring take home bag

Student Materials

All students in PreK – Grade 8 will receive the following:• Five age appropriate reading books

• Title specific Think Sheets

• Summer Reading Journals

• Summer reading knapsacks

• Access to the online “Track It” system

Book Selection

Book Selection forms will arrive at each school the week of April 8.• Current students in PreK, kindergarten, and self-

contained classroomso Five preselected book packs (no Book Selection forms)

• Current Grade 1 and 2 studentso Self-select 5 of 10 possible book packs

• Current Grade 3 and 8 studentso Self-select 5 of 15 possible book packs

Text Depende

nt Question

s

Reinforce CCSS

Comprehension Skills

and Strategies

Higher Order

Thinking Skills

Academic Vocabula

ry

StudentThink Sheets

Age-appropriate and CCSS aligned writing prompts that encourage reflection

Encourages students to cite the text as evidence to the question being asked 

Balanced focus on Informational Text and Literature

Designed to help bridge grade-level transitionexpectations

Student Journal

Questions are structured to encourage deep thinking and discussion about the text and the book.

My Books Facilitators

Responsibilities include the following task before/after school hours:

• Disseminate Book Selection forms

• Enter student selections in online database

• Complete and submit the School

Implementation Plan and Timeline

• Inventory and Distribute all materials to all students

Facilitator Compensation

• Two facilitators: 30 hours each

oUp to 15 hours for student book selections

oUp to 15 hours for student book organization and distribution

Online Engageme

nt

Measures participati

on and text

complexity

Custom landing page

with BCPS messaging

and branding

Reports for

parents, teachers

and districts

Digital subscripti

onavailable with all

book packs

Parent Communication

• Letter from the superintendent

• Parent TrackIt! Information letter

• Kick-off celebrations

• Inventory and Distribute all materials to all students

Incentives

• School based incentives

• Scholastic sponsored incentive• The two schools that have the highest AVERAGE number

of minutes read will be eligible for a drawing.

• The top school will receive three tickets to the Baltimore Ravens game

• The second place school will receive two reserved tickets to the Baltimore Grand Prix

Let Us Be Your Partner!

Make The Classroom Bigger