Teachers read over summer break, too, you know--
and I've gobbled up a few goodies in the last few weeks, from the sublime to the ridiculous:
- O me of little faith, by Jason Boyett: a fascinating tale of faith despite doubt
- Christian Atheist, by Craig Groeschel: challenging call to act on your beliefs
- The Heretic's Wife, by Brenda Rickman Vantrese: historical fiction about the imagined wife of an outlaw book publisher in Tudor England
- Light Beneath Ferns, by Anne Spollen: young adult coming-of-age story, with a ghostly twist
- Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson: new young adult story by one of my favorite authors ever
- The Geometry of Sisters, by Luanne Rice: "chick lit", made a little deeper by a strong duel plot
- Mental Floss Presents: Forbidden Knowledge: a raucous book of 'useless' (but oh-so-fun) history bits
What have you read this summer? Have you varied your reading choices? How do you choose a good pleasure (non-assigned) book?
I read with sadness today of the closing of all the public libraries in Camden (NJ)-- a city consistently in the top 10 of America's most impoverished cities; a city where few schools have library media centers available to students.
In recent years, study after study has shown that students who attend schools with well-staffed, well-stocked libraries have higher achievement, improved literacy and higher success at the secondary level. The correlation between access to (and use of) technology and learning materials is well documented: people --particularly children-- who are provided the time and the tools to make use of media are more likely to find and make use of opportunities.
The gap between those who have such access, and those who do not, is growing steadily, with few means of bridging the gap. We are raising entire generations of children who can't master basic skills, let alone be prepared to enter the 21st century workforce.
Has a school or public library helped you in a significant way? What strategies would you suggest to call attention to the importance of libraries? What suggestions do you have for school or public libraries, to maintain their services in these difficult financial times?
Reading and writing develop together in young children, and are interrelated. And yet, from nearly the start of a child's school 'career', the two are separated in the way they are taught...
It's leading to huge problems, as evidenced by the number of students requiring remedial skills classes at the college level (see previous post!)
Reading and writing are complementary-- they go hand-in-hand. Once we understand how we as readers find meaning in what we've read, we can apply that knowledge in our writing. Just as we should read to understand, we should write to be understood.
Reading and writing skills are essential not just to success in school, but success in life: they are the foundation of written communication! In what ways can you connect reading and writing skills, outside of the classroom? What might you do, to improve your skills in both, together?
I've heard some startling statistics recently...
While President Obama's $12 billion initiative to produce some 5 million community college graduates by the year 2012 may be encouraging to some, statistics tell of an uphill battle:
- 30% of college students drop out following their first year
- half who enter college never graduate
- drop-out rates are significantly higher in community colleges, where nearly 1 million students are enrolled in remedial classes-- mainly, math and English (reading & writing)
A department chair to whom I've recently spoken told me that while our college is hiring more adjuncts in the Basic Skills Department (due to a leap in enrollment), the current freshman drop-out rate is nearly 70%! We're only retaining some 30% of incoming students, yet the number of new students enrolling in remedial classes more than makes up the difference. That's mind boggling!
"Schools can increases graduation rates if they have strong leadership, if they're devoted to making student success a priority-- and if they work at it," says Mark Schneider, a vice president of the American Institute for Research.
What might be happening in our society that is behind these statistics? What changes would you suggest PCCC make, to retain students and keep them on track for graduation?
I hit a wall this summer.Between caring for my sons, teaching part-time, bookkeeping, and taking a class, I reached a breakdown point the day I tried to “do it all.” The boys were late for a nap and ‘off the wall,’ racing around the house and climbing on everything; lunch burned on the stove; the laptop’s power cable ‘went’ (in the middle of a blog, ironically enough); the laundry sat in piles in the living room while I tried desperately to keep up with the online discussion my classmates were having (discussing the 140+ pages I’d stayed up late to read).In a 2005 Time magazine article , the role time-management plays in our increasingly tech-driven world is examined in depth. Bottom line: in actuality, what we consider “multi-tasking” is the brain toggling rapidly between tasks, each assigned a priority level based on the amount of “deep thinking” power required. Less difficult tasks, ones that can be performed on autopilot, are relegated to the bottom while “higher order” thinking takes precedence.Herein lies the problem: in today’s high-tech, multimedia world, students in particular are called to perform more duties simultaneously… And yet, despite the push, students’ depth of knowledge is diminishing, along with their ability to express themselves well in writing. Finally, there is hard science stating that all tasks suffer when the brain is overburdened. I, for one, have learned that I need to focus on just a few things (or ideally, one thing) at a time to completion before moving on.I think my sanity and my kids will thank me for it.Does your performance suffer when you multitask? How can you compensate? Does recognizing and embracing how you, individually, work best help? How so?
I am an avid reader-- and have been for as far back as I can remember. I am convinced that this is at least in part due to being read to from a very young age.
During this time when my primary students are my sons, ages 3-1/2 years & 20 months old, I'm gaining new insight into how students learn to read. I'm also working to cultivate a lifelong love of books in them; rediscovering old favorites and finding some 'new & notable' picture books.
On our shelf right now is Caps for Sale (my personal favorite from kindergarten! --a tale of a peddler, some caps, and some monkey business); The Very Hungry Caterpillar (a kids' staple, made better by the fact that we recently saw a real caterpillar); School Bus (few words, but bright, simple graphics); My Truck is Stuck (a rhythmic, rhyming story of mischievous prairie dogs and their plan to steal a truckload of bones).
Michael Sullivan, author of Connecting Boys to Books, said, "The time to stop reading aloud to kids is... never!" While silent, independent reading has its place, hearing a story raises comprehension by reinforcing the connection between the spoken and the written word. Hearing a story also develops better listening skills.
It's time to rediscover the benefits of reading aloud!
Do you have any fond memories of being read to? What stories made an impression on you in your childhood (and/or growing up years)? What can you do to recapture the joy of hearing a story read?
