Literacy Now

As teachers, we are always looking for new, motivating ways to get our students to read, not only during the course of the school year, but during the summer when sun is high, the pools are open, and the kids are presented with the extra time in which they have to just lay around, play video games, and do a whole lot of “nothing.” That is how we created an engaging, creative way that goes beyond the teachers', tutors' and parents' summer reading "requirements," and the tireless read-a-thon programs that certainly motivate some with prizes and an award at the end (if the student happens to meet his/her goal without fuss and forcefulness).

Typically these programs only hit those with intrinsic motivation and/or those students whose parents sign them up to take the onus of being the “bad guys” when it comes to getting their kid to keep up their reading over the summer months and not lose everything they gained in the previous school year. Not to say these reading programs are not useful or successful, but participation can be even further rewarding and stimulating if fused with a kid-safe and friendly blog, as we started.

With this mission in mind a year ago we began our schools “Summer Blog” hoping the technology spin on things would draw student’s attention. Our blog is called “Catch the Wave of Summer Reading.” I brought each homeroom from grades 2-4 (16 homerooms) into the computer lab to explain how to log onto the blog and also set a purpose for the Blog with my students. Research was shared from Harvard about how to keep students from sliding backwards during their summer break. Based on this research, each student had a purpose to set a summer reading goal and entered it into the Blog. Students responded to each other and our journey began. Student models from the prior summer were also posted by utilizing the Smart Board and each class discussed what they noticed and what would be the expectation for their entries this summer. Students responded to each other and our journey began. The new blog called “What Are You Reading?” started off the summer and students began communicating with each other about reading.

Kidblog is a great site for this activity because each student has their own password and nothing gets posted unless approved by a teacher or administrator. Our literacy instructors run this program and we are fortunate to have very supportive administrators who also approve and communicate with our bloggers throughout the summer. Sending home a rules and safe blogging sheet helped to avoid any postings that were not appropriate.

There was at least a 25 percent increase in participation from the first summer to the second. Now that we have subscribed to Kidblog, our teachers have access to the blogging site year-round to help acclimate our students to utilizing the blog. One of the largest increases in posts has been from our special Ed population. It’s been great to see these students have the confidence to participate. Another great addition this summer was a parent who started a boy’s book club and used the Blog to report their activities. This summer blog is going to grow each summer and next year we are looking to partner up with the PTA, local library and Local Junior Women’s club to link the blog into their summer reading programs. Parents or guardians will also be invited to participate with the students as well. KidBlog has a parent piece to their site that can be added easily. Thus far a lot of the student entries are book recommendations and positive comments encouraging each other to read. Each year we are looking to build depth onto their entries by discussing characters, plots, genres, summaries and questioning the author. This will take practice throughout the year that we are hoping will be supported by the Language Arts teachers. Our Summer Blog project will be a “work in progress” every year in which our hopes are to watch our students grow in their responses and communication with each other about quality literature, keep them reading over the summer and most of all, excited about books!

Students come back in September to a Principals’ Bloggers’ Wall of Fame, in the front hallway. Here our principals choose their favorite blog posts from the summer and that student is recognized on the front bulletin board with their name in lights! Here are just a couple examples.

From a future third grader:

I started to go to the book club on July 31. We are reading this book called Wonder it is book about a boy whose face is deformed. His name is August (Auggie.) Even though his face is deformed he is very smart funny and brave. He has never been to a real school before he was always been home schooled. When his parents decided that he should go to school he is a little nervous. Auggie’s having a hard time fitting in with everyone. I’m in the middle of the book I’ll give you an update later!

From a future fourth grader:

Thumbs up for The Secret Language of Girls! I really liked this book. It is about the friendship of two girls going into middle school. You can find it in the Flocktown Library or on your Kindle. Happy blogging-Sophia G.

The blog stirred students across multiple grade levels in our school. The skills (interpersonal, verbal, visual-spatial, etc.) associated with blogging about reading and books touch upon several of the multiple intelligences and learning styles. Giving the students an appealing place in which they can 'make their own,' chat, present, pose, question, respond, encourage, discuss, and create has increased motivation to read, especially over summer. We hope with a little bit of continued training and increased expectations through the school year, we intend that our school blog will grow in popularity as the teachers utilize this space as they see fit to extend their lessons and encourage reading in their classrooms, both in conjunction with the curriculum, outside of class reading, and the new core standards.

Meg DeFrance teaches in the Washington Township Elementary Schools in Long Valley, NJ, with 14 years’ experience including with gifted and talented students, teaching all subjects in grades 3-5, and now as a literacy instructor for reading and writing in grades K-5. She holds a Master's degree in Critical Thinking in Reading from Montclair State University and is now enrolled in a second Master's program for a Reading Specialist Certificate and a Supervisory Certificate.

Nicole Jurgensen is a Literacy Instructor of reading and writing for grades 3-5 at Flocktown-Kossmann School in Long Valley, NJ. She has 12 years’ experience, including  second grade, fifth grade language arts and social studies education, and reading and writing support instruction in grades 1-5. She earned her Master’s in Teaching and Learning with a concentration in Literacy.

In the latest print edition of Reading Today, Timothy Shanahan presented a summary of his research address from the IRA 2014 Conference in New Orleans concerning the question of whether or not to teach students at their reading levels.

Shanahan, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago who serves on IRA’s Literacy Research Panel, cited what he referred to as misused research evidence, concluding that sticking only with student-text matching can result in a scenario in which the learner never really catches up. Instead, he suggested more emphasis on scaffolding to help students better grasp frustration text and not veer away from it.

He concluded by stating he has found more than 20 studies that used scaffolding to allow students to read frustration-level text as if it was at their instructional level. Here are those studies:

Bonfiglio, C. M., Daly, E. J., Persampieri, M., & Andersen, M. (2006). An experimental analysis of the effects of reading interventions in a small group reading instruction context. Journal of Behavioral Education, 15, 93-109. 

Burns, M. K. (2007).  Reading at the instructional level with children identified as learning disabled: Potential implications for Response-to-Intervention. School Psychology Quarterly, 22, 297-313.

Burns, M. K., Dean, V. J., & Foley, S. (2004). Preteaching unknown key words with incremental rehearsal to improve reading fluency and comprehension with children identified as reading disabled. Journal of School Psychology, 42, 303–314.

Carney, J.J., Anderson, D., Blackburn, C., & Blessing, D. (1984). Preteaching vocabulary and the comprehension of social studies materials by elementary school children. Social Education, 48(3), 195-196.

Daly, E., & Martens, B. (1994). A comparison of three interventions for increasing oral reading performance: Application of the instructional hierarchy. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27,459-469.

Eckert, T. L., Ardoin, S. P., Daisey, D. M., & Scarola, M. D. (2000). Empirically evaluating the effectiveness of reading interventions: The use of brief experimental analysis and single-case designs. Psychology in the Schools, 37, 463-474.

Faulkner, H. J., & Levy, B. A. (1999). Fluent and nonfluent forms of transfer in reading: Words and their message. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 6, 111-116.

Gickling, E. E., & Armstrong, D. L. (1978). Levels of instructional difficulty as related to on-task behavior, task completion, and comprehension. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 11,559-566.

Hall, K. M., Sabey, B. L., & McClellan, M. (2005). Expository text comprehension: Helping primary-grade teachers use expository texts to full advantage. Reading Psychology, 26,211-234.

Levy, B. A., Nicholls, A., & Kohen, D. (1993). Repeated readings: Process benefits for good and poor readers. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 56, 303-327.

McComas, J. J., Wacker, D. P. & Cooper, L. J. (1996). Experimental analysis of academic performance in an academic setting. Journal of Behavioral Education, 6,191-201.

Neill, K. (1979). Turn kids on with repeated reading. Teaching Exceptional Children, 12, 63-64.

O’Shea, L. J., Sindelar, P. T., & O’Shea, D. J. (1985). The effects of repeated readings and attentional cues on reading fluency and comprehension. Journal of Reading Behavior, 17, 129-142.

Pany, D., & McCoy, K. M. (1988). Effects of corrective feedback on word accuracy and reading comprehension of readers with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 21, 546-550.

Rasinski, T. V. (1990). Effects of repeated reading and listening-while-reading on reading fluency. Journal of Educational Research, 83, 147-150.

Reitsma, P. (1988). Reading practice for beginners: Effects of guided reading, reading-while-listening, and independent reading with computer-based speech feedback. Reading Research Quarterly, 23, 219-235.

Rose, T. L., & Beattie, J. R. (1986). Relative effects of teacher-directed and taped previewing on oral reading. Learning Disability Quarterly, 9, 193-199.

Sanford, A. K., & Horner, R. H. (2013). Effects of matching instruction difficulty to students with escape-maintained problem behavior. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 15,79-89.

Sindelar, P. T., Monda, L. E., & O’Shea, L. J. (1990). Effects of repeated readings on instructional- and mastery-level readers. Journal of Educational Research, 83,220-226.

Smith, D. D. (1979). The improvement of children’s oral reading through the use of teacher modeling. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 12 (3), 39-42.

Stoddard, K., Valcante, G., Sindelar, P., O’Shea, L., & Algozzine, B. (1993). Increasing reading rate and comprehension: The effects of repeated readings, sentence segmentation, and intonation training. Reading Research and Instruction, 32, 53-65.

Taylor, N. E., Wade, M. R., & Yekovich, F. R. (1985). The effects of text manipulation and multiple reading strategies on the reading performance of good and poor readers. Reading Research Quarterly, 20, 566-574.

Turpie, J. J., & Paratore, J. R. (1995). Using repeated reading to promote success in a heterogeneously grouped first grade. In K. A. Hinchman, D.J. Leu, & C.K. Kinzer (Eds.), Perspectives on literacy research and practice: Forty-fourth Yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp. 255-263). Chicago: The National Reading Conference.

VanWagenen, M. A., Williams, R. L., & McLaughlin, T. F. (1994). Use of assisted reading to improve reading rate, word accuracy, and comprehension with ESL Spanish-speaking students. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 79, 227-230.

Weinstein, G., & Cooke, N. L. (1992). The effects of two repeated reading interventions on generalization of fluency. Learning Disability Quarterly, 15, 21–28.

Wixson, K.K. (1986). Vocabulary instruction and children’s comprehension of basal stories. Reading Research Quarterly, 21(3), 317-329.

IRA members can view the digital issue here to read Shanahan’s piece and more. If you aren’t an IRA member, information about how to join can be found here.

The What’s Hot in Literacy Survey has appeared annually in IRA publications for nearly two decades. Within that span of time, the results of the survey have been cited in numerous publications, translated into languages other than English, and replicated in other countries including Denmark, Romania, and the United Kingdom. The results of the survey have also been used to guide professional development within schools and to situate the timeliness of current research. In this brief overview, we share how the 2015 survey was created, in what manner this year’s respondents were selected, and how the results were interpreted.

Constructing the Survey

Each year, 25 literacy leaders complete the survey. The literacy leaders who responded to the 2014 survey played a key role in constructing this year’s survey. This is because they reviewed the items listed on the 2014 survey and made suggestions for revisions. From their suggestions, the 2015 survey was formed. This process resulted in a 30-item survey. The following five topics were new to the survey this year: genre knowledge, STEM literacy, summer reading, writing (argumentative & based on sources), and writing (creative).

Selecting the Literacy Leaders

The key criterion for respondents is that they have a national or international perspective on literacy. Many of those interviewed have served (or are serving) on boards of prominent literacy organizations or as editors of major journals. Together, the 25 leaders create a diverse group representing various ethnicities, ages, and job categories such as classroom teachers, administrators, reading specialists, and college professors, although college professors constitute the majority of those responding.

The number of literacy leaders interviewed from a region is determined by the percentage of IRA members in that given area. The areas as defined by IRA are: East, South, Great Lakes, Plains, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, West, Canada and Outside North America.

Conducting the Survey

The literacy leaders were interviewed by phone or in person during the spring and summer months. Each respondent was read a standard 178-word paragraph explaining that a rating of “hot” and “not hot” was not a measure of their personal interest in a topic, but instead would refer to the amount of attention the item was currently receiving. Next, each of the 30 items from the survey were read aloud to the respondent and they were asked to give a rating of “hot” or “not hot.” Then each respondent was asked if each item “should be hot” or “should not be hot.” The direct oral contact is used for a number of reasons. Many times, respondents will make informal comments which can be helpful in the written narrative. Also, we want respondents to give a relatively spontaneous answer.

Tallying and Interpreting the Results

The final step was analyzing the results. This involved tallying the collected ratings. Items receiving 100 percent consensus among the literacy leaders were reported as “extremely hot” or “extremely cold.” Items receiving 75 percent consensus were reported as “very hot” or “very cold,” while those receiving 50 percent consensus were reported as “hot” or “cold.”

The full 2015 What’s Hot in Literacy Survey results were published in the September/October 2014 issue of Reading Today. Members: Click here to login and access the issue. Nonmembers: Join IRA now!

Judith Hayn is a teacher’s teacher. Having spent 15 years in the classroom, she is now stationed at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where she prepares graduate students to go into schools and spread the love of literature. As a member (and past chair) of the International Reading Association Special Interest Group-Network on Adolescent Literature, she focuses on teen lit and prepares practical applications of YA books with her students. In turn, those applications and ideas are run as “Putting Books to Work” features on Reading Today Online.

How did you begin your career, and what led you to your current position?

I began my teaching career in Omaha, NE, in an urban junior high where I taught what was called Unified Studies, both English and Social Studies in a block time period. Then I taught that subject in Topeka, KS, finally moving on to high school English to finish my 15-year public school career.  I came to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006 to help the English Education program maintain its NCTE accreditation since I am a long-time program reviewer, lead reviewer, and auditor.  

What’s the mission of the Special Interest Group-Network on Adolescent Literature (SIGNAL)?

Our current mission is increasing membership, however our organization is committed to helping middle and high school teachers incorporate young adult literature into their classrooms.  We focus on practical implications of including YAL in curriculum and offer strategies for doing so. We also encourage classroom-based research teachers can adapt for their own use. Our website offers information about membership and our SIGNAL Journal.  Please visit the site to join and examine the calls for manuscripts. We celebrate, research, and promote YAL!

What are you reading (personal, professional, or even children's/YA)?

Right now I am reading two books for the continuing research I am doing with my colleague, Dr. Karina Clemmons (who is also the secretary of SIGNAL), and our graduate students.  We give pre-service teachers a survey on a social justice issue and they read a young adult book centered on that theme.  A post-survey lets us look at changes in attitudes that may have occurred through this encounter with text.  This fall, the book is In the Name of God by Paula Jolin, the spring selection is Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis.

How has YA literature changed since you started teaching?

When I took my first young adult literature class in the ‘80s at the University of Kansas, I was awe-struck by the genre's power.  Now I am more than astounded at the burgeoning proliferation of YAL.  Since Harry Potter first wielded his wand and Bella emerged out of the twilight, the race has been on.  Who can write the highest quality book and get it made into a well-crafted movie seems to be the goal.  YA bookshelves are filled in big box and neighborhood bookstores.  E-readers entice teens to enter texts with a swipe of the finger.  This growth is phenomenal and creates a whole new niche for literacy.

How long have you been a member of IRA? How has membership influenced your career?

I have been an IRA member for many years, but I let my membership lapse, primarily because the emphasis on YAL was somewhat limited. I returned to the fold when I came to Little Rock and was asked to chair SIGNAL.  I also began submitting as many program proposals as I could handle that featured some aspect of YAL. These have been accepted, and interest at the conference is high; our sessions are well-attended, and I even have those who tell me they come every year to see what I am doing now with YAL.

What do you consider to be your proudest career moment?

 My proudest career moments occur when I hear from graduates who tell me what they are doing and where. When they can tell me they are implementing YAL despite the barriers, which are myriad, I just smile inside. The joy of a long teaching career is knowing what I say and do does indeed have an impact that only I can truly know.

What lessons do you share with teachers you train that seem to resonate year after year?

I think students remember me as the one who taught them that the important things they teach do not come out of textbooks or assignments, but rather, out of commitment, care, and dedication for students.  If teachers keep that at the center of teaching, students will accomplish all of those standards others impose on them in the most relevant way possible.

Do you want to suggest an IRA member for the Member of the Month feature interview? E-mail readingtoday@/.

April Hall is the editor of Reading Today Online. She can be reached at ahall@/.

photo credit: GlobalPartnership for Education via photopin cc

I once noticed a fellow teacher’s Facebook post about how students are excited to have a certain teacher for whatever reason. The post ended with “What a compliment.”

My reply to the thread was, “Is this the compliment that matters most?”

We shape the future—that is about as tried and true as clichés can be, but it’s very true. As we all prepare to start school again, from Mass Customized Learning to Units of Study to Teacher Evaluation Frameworks, there is one thing that never changes above all else. Are the students ready to come back and are they excited to have YOU as their teacher?

Research on reading motivation is abundant and currently there is a push for the engaged classroom, experiential learning, and technology. We can spend hours discussing motivation strategies, allocating district funds towards specially designed programs, reading research, or training teachers to fix specific instructional needs. But, come tomorrow, what makes someone motivated about learning?

Teaching may now be about evidence-based strategies or programs, but one thing never changed—the art of teacher, what you bring to the table.

You see there is a Venus/Mercury, Yin/Yang relationship. We seem to have drifted into a patriarchal or structural system to (bring on the next cliché), “Do what is best for all students.” But if you desire to have students eager to come to school, doing what is best for students requires compassion, the art of the teacher, the matriarchal approach. Let me posit this, how many students do you see know how to read but don’t choose to read? It’s likely those students had the structure (Reading Recovery, Reading Workshop, Reading Street, etc.) and have met reading standards. But have they been nurtured? For instance, does a student spend time with a book or with writing, like it was a doll or a toy car?

Think back and ask, “Who motivated me?” “What motivated me?” “Why was I motivated?” In my formative years, aside from family, I can think of three teachers. Did you ever have that teacher you wanted to have or that teacher who you wanted to recognize you? Do you remember the power of that harmony—the balance between trust, respect, guidance, and encouragement to embrace challenges? Do you remember the love?

Over the summer, I heard a story about a young man who participated in an experiential learning program for some “at-risk” identification. In short, the young man was motivated to learn math. This was evident in that he chose not to go swimming in favor of math tutoring.

What kid chooses math over swimming in the middle of summer?

There is no doubt the young man was motivated to learn math and there is no question that he wanted to be a better mathematician. But why, as the student was heading into grade 7, did things click? Maybe it was the program, but my wager is on the teacher. Somewhere in this experience, trust and respect anchored this relationship. In this was love.

As we start this new school year, some of us are very excited to teach and reveal the world, but some others of us are scared, perhaps as a first-year teacher or a wounded teacher. On that first day, what is the goal? How will students be motivated to learn? The answer is in and with you. How excited is that one student or classroom of students to be in your learning community?

As an esteemed colleague would say, “You are the silver bullet,” not the research, staff development or new programs. If you want students to be motivated and excited to learn, start with you. If you want them to read, teach them how, but journey with them through the “why.” Teach them the mechanics and conventions of writing, but explore with them the majesty of emotions and message. Invite your students to take interest in you. Lead them to believe and trust in you and encourage them to do the inevitable.

At the onset of summer, a teacher whom I consider to be an inspiration said these simple words, “Remember, I chose to be a teacher.” You are the most influential guardian between having to go to school and wanting to go to school. It’s your turn. Remember the art of teaching, remember the love, remember how to inspire students to read or write. Invite them into a love of learning, be it literacy, math, and/or science. Leave the structure, the research, and strategies for you and your colleagues. Work tirelessly for the love of every student. Recant the adage, “The students know who the best teachers are.” In turn, they will give you the greatest compliment in the world—their affection.

Best of luck to all of you. Light fires in the eyes of all students.

Justin Stygles is a sixth grade language arts teacher and IRA Advisory Committee of Teachers (ACT) committee member based in Norway, Maine. He also serves as the state’s Maine Reading Association coordinator. Visit his blog at www.mrstygleclass.blogspot.com.