Literacy Now

Our school district officially made the jump to the Common Core State Standards this school year. With that jump came an increased focus on vocabulary development and higher expectations for rigorous grade-level texts. In the past, students practiced vocabulary based on words pulled directly from texts that were being studied and all students were expected to learn the same words, at the same pace, in the same way. This method was clearly ineffective. Over the last eight years, the student mastery of vocabulary and reading comprehension has been declining as fewer students learn, retain, and use new vocabulary taught in the classroom.

With the increased focus on vocabulary development in Common Core, I needed a way to support student achievement and mastery of difficult and unknown words. This was not only a necessity in my regular classes but also in my Advanced Placement classes. To that end, I found vocabulary.com.

I spent the summer researching online programs that responded to student learning needs, adapted to progress, and provided a rigorous learning experience. Vocabulary.com offered everything I needed and more. I am able to track student progress, assign lists, custom build learning goals, and create class challenges.

The most effective method for my students with the program is the class challenge aspect. The students enjoy competing against me in our 100 Words a Week Challenge. Part of the success of the challenge is they are competing against me, we have to complete the same requirement. For instance, in the grade book I hold them accountable for 100 words a week. If they finish all 100 words, they get all 100 points out of 100—unless I don't complete 100 words. Then their score is 100 out of whatever number I did complete (if I complete 20 and they completed 100, they earn 100/20). This allowed them the opportunity to potentially earn bonus points and to taunt me about my progress.

My students participated in the Vocabulary.com monthly challenge and won for the month of August. The students won by mastering more words than other schools—almost 11,000 around the world—who are also working hard to build their vocabulary skills. By winning in the month of August, it made us competitors for the Vocabulary.com yearlong Vocabulary Bowl. The competition is ongoing and other schools are still welcome to register!

Competition aside, my students love the flexibility of Vocabulary.com game. They can practice words from any subject they want at any time, complete an English assignment, and prep for a biology test all at once. They like being in control. They like that they can do it anywhere. One student rides the bus to and from school and she said this keeps her busy.

I can already see an increase in their engagement with new words. They are using the words they are learning, making reference to new words, and asking questions. They like feeling successful and this program does just that for them. It makes them successful.

Jennifer Johnston is a 10-year teaching veteran at Rialto High School in Rialto, CA. She holds a bachelors degree in English Literature from Cal State San Bernardino and has a secondary teaching credential. She holds a masters degree in education from the University of LaVerne with a focus on curriculum and development.

This summer I heard about the International Reading Association’s partnership with NASA in which they highlight and promote the International Literacy Day. While reading IRA’s activity kit for the literacy event, cross-curricular projects caught my eye, such challenges can provide a great way for teachers to incorporate reading and writing into their classroom. As a teacher I am always trying to get the most bang out of each minute students spend in the classroom.
The literacy day event is one of those great bang-for-your-buck events. Particularly because it falls in early September, that time of the school year when you are looking to build independent reading and writing stamina. By adding great real-world importance to our daily reading and writing activities, the students put a great emphasis on the learning process and incorporate the lesson that much easily. Any way to highlight reading and writing this early in the year is a win, so I signed my class up for the ILD activity kit.

After accepting the challenge, my first task is to see what resources I can bring to bear for my students. Typically, I reach out my families as well as blog about the upcoming challenge. In order to reach the widest audience, I often tie my blogging into my Facebook and Twitter accounts to spread the word.
For this year’s International Literacy Day this approach worked wonders, a parent in my class responded to inform me that astronaut Paul Lockhart was a personal friend. Of course Mr. Lockhart would be the perfect person to celebrate with if our class could keep up with the challenge for 60 days.

Starting with the finish in mind, I made a semantic map brainstorming possibilities to keep the momentum going during the campaign, including the ILD14 Pinterest page and the IRA activity kit. Then, I examined the resources in my classroom and school that would be good additions. My school makes iPads available, so I decided to gradually release apps promoting authentic reading and writing as well. Free apps like Croak It, Chatter Pix Kids and Pic Collage greatly help.

I searched for authors I could “bring” electronically into the classroom to help foster literacy and found two great authors willing to assist with both writing and reading. Max Kornell and Jennifer Ward provided an ideal environment for my eager learners. Both authors focused on the writing process and highlighted the inspirations for their stories. Max’s session told us the story how he gathers ideas from his family. Jennifer’s session lead us on a virtual tour of her backyard where she told us that she watched animals closely to get ideas for her nonfiction and fiction books. That both authors discussed the difficulties of the writing process and helped all of my students to recognize the writing process is, at times, a difficult process and persevering through the difficulties has merit.

A number of days into the ILD challenge, I am able to recognize the importance of learning which happens outside of my classroom. One example of this organic learning comes from our third grade class (a class buddied with my primer class). During our first buddying experiences we discussed how animals interact in their environment. The students took to the lesson given by their peers and promptly headed to the library to check out books on their animals of interest. Not only did the students come back with a book on their animal they insisted on reading the book in that day’s reading workshop.

I want to encourage any educator to sign up for this challenge. You will simply be amazed at the enthusiasm and engagement that comes with fostering reading and writing skills.

Allison Hogan is a primer teacher at The Episcopal School of Dallas in Texas where she teaches kindergarten and first grade. She holds a bachelors in communications from the University of North Florida and a graduate degree in education from Southern Methodist University where she specialized in reading and English as a Second Language. She has been recognized as a Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development Emerging Leader and a National Association of Independent Schools Teacher of the Future. She can be found on Twitter at @AllisonHoganESD or @PrimerESD.

Nakeiha Primus felt drawn to education, but studied to be an editor. After realizing shortly after college that she belonged in the classroom, she also dove deep into curriculum and now research. She presented some of her ideas at the IRA 59th Annual Conference in May when she talked about what she learned surrounding boys and literature learning. Today, she continues to work on her doctorate of education and is an assistant professor of education at a Pennsylvania college. Her research merges interests in curriculum theory, literary theory, and socio-cultural approaches to learning. Visit her blog, mid/scribble, and follow her on Twitter (@docpr1me).

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

Ahh...I guess I started my career like many educators. I was the go-to person for babysitting, tutoring, and that sort since early adolescence. I was a camp counselor/director, so I often found myself in "classrooms" of sorts. The truth is, however, I never wanted to be a teacher. I set out as an English major to be an editor one day, but even in college the lure of interacting with students never left. After college and while working with kindergarteners in a New York City afterschool program, I stopped fighting the pull and decided to begin my formal career as a teacher.

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

I have been a member for almost five years, I think and my membership has been a tremendous asset to my career. Early on, and as a graduate student, the IRA's Teacher-As-Researcher grant allowed me to refine a dimension of my practice that hadn't always been seen as an asset. Sure, I could teach and I was effective with students, but the grant project allowed me to reflect intensely on my work in a very formal way. I learned curriculum was a type of story worth studying.  With major characters, plot twists, antagonists, and themes all interwoven into the time/space of "our class," I was able to shed light on why I made certain choices and how my students (as co-authors) influenced our learning each day. In addition, IRA has offered great resources, forums for idea exchange, and real support. The IRA membership is definitely a relational one; it allows you to connect and interact often.

What was your experience at IRA’s 2014 conference as a presenter? Had you presented in a setting like that before?

Presenting at IRA 2014 was a great experience. Though I've presented at other conferences, I was able to encourage other teachers to see their work as their expertise. Too often teachers get caught in the mire of the day-to-day and do not see what they do as worthy of serious conversation, acknowledgment, and rigorous research. I had an opportunity to "steal" (as all good teachers do) from phenomenal educators across the United States, and spend time doing nerdy things like read for pleasure. 

How have you balanced a PhD program and a career?

Balancing a career and PhD candidacy has its challenges, but because I've been blessed with administrators/colleagues who value my work and see its direct impact in my classroom, the benefits far outweigh sleep deprivation and juggling workloads. I have great family and friends who read drafts of papers or help me grade. My students eagerly volunteer "to be studied," and often ask, "When are you going to be Dr. Primus?" Each member of my support team prompt me to keep working. Because of them, I know I'll be better able to empower teachers, advocate for students, and improve teacher education.

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

 I’m currently reading Half a Yellow Sun (Chimamanda Adichie) and Izzy the Indigo Fairy (Daisy Meadows) with my daughter.

What do you consider to be your proudest career moment?

Hmm. That's tough. I think my proudest moment, so far, occurred when I received an email from a former student who told me she'd just started teaching. She was in one of my first classes ever and I was so proud of her. Outside of that, any moment with the boys and Primus Hoops is a pretty good time, as well.

What advice would you give a new teacher that either you received or wish you had?

Don't ever stop looking for the moments your students teach you. Anticipate them, relish them, and thank your students for them.

Throughout the school year, my English Language Arts students practice and apply research skills while studying a variety of topics.  Along with brainstorming, evaluating sources, and drafting, a skill I work extensively on with students is note taking.  Note taking is an important skill, and is included in the Common Core Anchor Standards for Writing under “Research to Build and Present Knowledge.”  The teacher’s guide for our writing series calls for students to record their findings and details on notecards, which can then be sorted into topics and arranged in an outline.  While this may be the traditional way to develop a research paper, my
classroom is 1:1 Chromebooks, and I wanted a way for students to be able to work on their research outside the classroom, collaborate with peers, and not worry about losing any (or all!) of their work.

After searching for a web tool that fit my goal of collaboration and online access, I decided to use Padlet.  Padlet (formerly known as Wallwisher) is a free, app/online space or corkboard that can be used for collaboration, brainstorming, and note taking.  Signing up and creating walls are easy and teachers can embed Padlet walls into a class Symbaloo, blog, website, or make it a QR code.  Within a Padlet post users can insert text, images, documents, and website addresses.  These features matched my purpose for students to assemble their research digitally in the cloud, and I created a wall for each country being researched.

As they begin their research, my students have Padlet open in their Internet browser and as they comb through digital and print resources can add notes, images, videos, and citations on individual posts.  There is no limit to the number of posts that can be placed on a board, so students are free to gather information without concern of running out of space or having too much paper to keep track of.  Once notes have been compiled, my students move their posts into categories by dragging the boxes into related groups.  These categories then form the sections of the research paper.  Students may also use the posts to create mind maps and outlines before drafting their writing.
Using Padlet helped my students organize their notes throughout the research process. Students were not intimidated by digital note taking on Padlet, and even students who would have been resistant to reading and transferring information from a text to paper, did not seem to mind doing so in a digital manner. Finally, the biggest improvement I saw was students taking time to evaluate the amount and quality of information they were finding, and ultimately take pride and ownership of their work.
If you are looking for ways to incorporate technology into the research process, and would like a web tool that allows collaboration and cloud access, I encourage you to check out Padlet.  Your students will enjoy having an easy to use format to gather their notes.

Stephanie Laird is an Instructional Coach in the Southeast Polk School District where she works alongside teachers to impact student learning through the areas of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  She holds a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instructional Technology from Iowa State University, and is the International Reading Association’s 2014 Technology and Reading Award Winner.

With so many wonderful selections of children's and young adult literature published this fall, members of the Children's Literature and Special Interest Group wanted to share titles that really stand out for their unique content, presentation, or timeliness. Some of the books are by renowned authors breaking out of the typical style or genre. Some feature little known stories or diverse perspectives on well-known figures.

As you read aloud, plan reading workshop, literature circles and book talks for independent reading, you will want to consider the variety of themes and formats that are bound to intrigue the readers in your class.

Grades K-2

Dubuc, Marianne. (2014). Lion and the Bird. New York, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

This international offering uses multiple wordless pages to capture the friendship between and a lion and a bird. The textured illustrations use greens, blues, grays, and a lot of white space to convey the tone of the story as it fluctuates from camaraderie to loneliness. The pacing of the plot is carefully executed through variation in page layout, especially during the winter the lion and the bird spend together. Young readers will delight in figuring out the unspoken parts of this narrative and in noticing small details in the illustrations. This title will pair nicely with other books about seasonal changes and unusual animal friendships, but stands out for its subtle imagery, unique characters, and quiet charm.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Appelt, Kathi (2014) Mogi: The Heart of the House. Illus by Marc Rosenthal. New York,  NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

Featuring playful illustrations and repetitive text, this picture book will appeal to adults and children alike. Adults, like the author herself, will be charmed by the real story of Mogi, the dog who cheers up patients at the Ronald McDonald House. Children may not exactly understand the nature of the hospital or its role in the children’s lives, but they will delight in the cartoon style art which contains plenty of silly details, the catchy phrasing, and the overall hopeful tone. Readers get to know two specific children, Gage and Antonia, but the book offers parents and teachers a great opportunity to talk in much more depth about children like these two.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Alexander, Rilla. (2014). The Best Book in the World. London, UK: Flying Eye Books.

What makes a book the best in the world? Well, designer/illustrator, Rilla Alexander’s visually stunning picture book provides the universal answer: each book leads the reader to imagine endless possibilities. Each page is an invitation to encourage reading. Within the pages of this inventive book, there are images of a little girl immersed in reading (at the kitchen table, on the bus, at the airport, at the amusement park, etc.). The title page offers a shadow image of a house, where the little girl steps outside, book in hand, ready to start her adventure. Each page alternates hues of colors, with the focus on the little girl (and her book) pictured in red. No matter what book you decide to read or where you decide to read it, a story will take you to a magical and unexpected journey. The sparse text will ignite further conversation about the illustrations. Each page offers a glimpse into the imaginary world, its characters, settings, and possibilities offered by reading a book. The dramatic shift in size, perspective, and colors tell their own story. Readers will want to carefully observe how the little girl is slowly, slowly ending her busy day by drifting off to sleep. The two page spread of the little girl dreaming inside the book’s pages simply capture the beauty of its message: A good story will stay with you, help you dream about possibilities, and offer new understandings about the world.
 
—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Browne, Anthony. (2014). What if ...? Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Anthony Browne presents another visual feast to capture a readers’ imagination. Teachers might wish to share the video clip featuring Browne reading the first several pages of his new book to pique curiosity. The story begins with an image of Joe clutching a birthday present for his friend Tom. Unfortunately, Joe lost the invitation to Tom’s birthday party and didn’t know the address. Joe’s mom reassures him that they will find Tom’s house together. Joe worries about whether he would know anyone at the party or if he would like the food. Throughout the story, his mom reassures him. As they walk through their neighborhood, they stop at several homes to look inside. Each window shaped frame features interesting and unusual characters which heighten Joe’s anxiety about the party. When, they finally reach Tom’s house, his mother hopes that her son will have a good time despite his fears. When it was time to go home, Joe’s mom is thrilled to know that he did in fact have a splendid time. Anthony Browne effectively employs word-and-image interactions by playing with hues and metafictive elements. He captures the emotional complexity of a child’s world by presenting a captivating story. He also alternates small and large frames throughout and includes speech bubbles to capture the conversation between mother and son. Teachers will want to encourage readers to look closely at the images and to share their observations.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Grades 3-5

Rosenstock, Barb (2014). Ben Franklin’s Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention. Illus by S.D. Schindler. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek (Boyds Mills Press).

In this clever book, readers are introduced to a young Ben Franklin. While there are many biographies of this American icon, this one offers new information in an inviting style. The story starts on the title page which shows “Ben” landing a cannonball jump, splashing amongst fish and frogs. The joy on his face is reinforced throughout the text and pictures as reader learn of Franklin’s passion for swimming from a young age. The story of Franklin’s attempt to swim more like a fish creates a portrait of Franklin that models perseverance without any heavy-handedness. The narrative text features poetic language, the typography changes to show emphasis, and the page layout varies to help delineate the plot. The book ends with examples of Franklin “solving BIG problems” later in life, such as inventing bifocals and designing US coins. An authors’ note, timeline, and source notes are included.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Rubin, Susan Goldman. (2014). Stand There! She Shouted: The Invincible Photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Illus.by Bagram Ibatoulline. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

This extraordinary biography includes information about the Victorian photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron. A mixture of gorgeous illustrations with reproductions of photographs captures the essence of beauty that distinguished Cameron’s work. Told in an accessible style, readers will learn about Cameron’s early life, interest in photography, and her professional success. Each page contains a “period trim” coupled by sketches and realistic images portraying Cameron’s life. Goldman’s impeccable research includes quotes from Cameron’s models, including those of her relatives. Though Cameron’s models often feared her and the lengthy hours of sitting or standing still, the results of the images captured the beauty of the world, the innocence of simple emotions, and a unique perspective. Cameron’s work was not immediately appreciated by her critics, but her perseverance led to her success. Goldman includes information about the earliest experimentations with photography. Also included are extensive bibliographic notes as well as a list of museums where readers can find Cameron’s photographs.  

— Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Martin, Ann. (2014). Rain Reign. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan).

This book takes reader into the heart and mind of Rose Howard, who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism. Rose’s voice is the strongest element in the novel. She describes her interactions and reactions to people and events in such a way that readers feel intimately aware of her challenges, which include not only her diagnosis but also her potentially abusive and alcoholic father. Rose’s father is balanced by several supportive, nurturing, and wise adults - and by her dog Rain. Throughout the story, readers will become immersed in Rose’s obsession with homonyms and prime numbers, find out more about Rose’s mom, and experience a hurricane and lost dog alongside this appealing main character.

— Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Dairman, Tara. (2014). All Four Stars. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Absolutely delicious storytelling! Dairman’s debut novel contains all of the ingredients to tantalize readers. Gladys Gatsby has a deep appreciation for delectable cuisine. She’s only eleven, but her interest in food, recipes, and cooking reflects her dream of becoming a well-known food critic for a New York City newspaper. She maintains a food review journal and visits the local gourmet grocer for new flavors to use in her recipes. Unfortunately, after a kitchen mishap, she was no longer allowed to cook. Without cooking to occupy her free time, Gladys befriends her neighbor Sandy. His mother, Mrs. Anderson, loves to bake and when she lets Gladys hold the impressive original French cookbook, The Larousee Gastronomique, she is immediately overwhelmed with excitement. When her new teacher challenges the class to submit an essay about their hopes for the future, Gladys’ creativity soars. With her teacher’s encouragement, she finds her voice and trusts her passion to submit the winning essay for her class. Through a series of events, her essay for the New York standard $500 prize money was accidentally mistaken for an employment letter of interest. An email from the chief editor of the New York Standard’s Dining Section initiates an entirely creative and delectable plan. Gladys must find a way to get to “Classy Cakes” in Manhattan to complete her freelance review assignment. This is a delightful novel full of lively characters, beautiful language, humor, and creativity.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Grades 6-8

Woodson, Jacqueline. (2014) Brown Girl Dreaming. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.

Woodson’s memoir is a testament to the power of family connections, hope in the face of tragedy, and the liberating force of writing. The book is divided into five parts and told through a series of poems. The poems capture moments in time as well as reflections on important stories. Some are quite short, some contain dialogue, and many will stand on their own. Woodsons does a beautiful job of rendering dynamic characters through brief descriptions. Readers may be left wondering about certain actions or endings, but the narrator’s affection for and understanding of her family (and friends) results in a satisfying level of intimacy. In addition, this collection provides a thoughtful balance of the personal and the political as African-American history is invoked across several states and within a range of years.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Wiles, Deborah. (2014). Revolution. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Book two in Wiles’ ‘60s trilogy opens with a Langston Hughes poem, printed in white type against a black background. This sets the tone for the unique genre-blurring book. Revolution uses multiple voices as several characters experience Freedom Summer from different perspectives, including a white girl named Sunny and a black boy named Ray who both sneak into a pool at night for different reasons. These varied narrators powerfully show how one’s experience of history is shaped by race in both obvious and subtle ways. This historical fiction exploration of how the summer “invaders” came to Greenwood, MI, is balanced by pages of documentary elements such as archival photographs, newspaper clippings, and quotes from pamphlets, fliers, speeches, and songs. Wiles provides more than 30 pages of back matter to complement the extensive research that shines through in this books.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Grades 9-12

DeWoskin, Rachel. (2014). Blind. New York, NY: Viking.

When Emma and her family were watching the fireworks display, one of the rockets backfired and hit the crowd. Emma felt a burning sensation that left her blind. Throughout this descriptive and emotional novel, Emma learns how to read braille and to walk with a cane. The year spent at the Briarly School for the Blind is described in great detail and Emma’s inner resolve and resiliency prove to serve her well as she returns to her regular high school. The subplot of Claire Montgomery’s apparent suicide is interwoven throughout the novel, with Emma and her friends creating a support group to talk about life, death, and their fears. Like her friends, Emma is coping with the death of her classmate in her own way. She discovers an inner strength that helps her to overcome her own limitations and challenges. Her friendships are tested, but also evolve as she cycles through new understandings about others and about herself. This novel moves beyond how one copes with a disability; it provides a powerful examination into the world of teens and their relationships.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg
 
Sidman, Joyce. (2013). What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, & Blessings. Illus by   Pamela Zagarenski. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

This collection of poems is divided into four sections with distinct purposes. Chants and charms aim to “bolster courage” and feature poems to invite sleep or happiness. Spells and invocations are designed to make things, like sandcastles and invisibility, happen. Laments and remembrances include reflections on regret and grief, both specific (a teddy bear) and general (“my old life”). Finally, the praise songs and blessings offer inspiration for showing love and gratitude. The accompanying illustrations have a dream-like quality that matches the overall tone of the collection. Students who may be inspired to write their own poems in spirit of these will find the definitions of the forms provided in the beginning of each section. This is a book for poetry lovers, writers, and dreamers of all sorts.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online.