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.