Literacy Now

What brings a crowd of children running to our university campus each summer to read and write for a week? Camp Digi-Lit, of course! For four years, eager campers ready to engage in the reading and writing processes have overrun the College of Education on The University of Akron campus. Youngsters take over the Center for Literacy, the computer labs, and the entire campus because it serves as their classroom during this engaging and fun-filled summer reading camp aimed at keeping kids immersed in literacy learning over the summer. By the last day, each Camp Digi-Lit camper has written an e-book, recorded a reading of that e-book, and presented it to family and friends during a ‘meet the authors’ reception at the close of camp.

Summer reading setback, summer reading loss, summer slump, summer reading gap—no matter what you call it, this concept has been well-established for more than 100 years (W. White reported on it in 1906). Studies continue to show that summer vacation can have a negative impact on reading development. Students experience summer learning loss when they aren’t engaged in educational activities, which is especially true for children of families with low socioeconomic status, according to D.T. Burkham and his colleagues in Sociology of Education. Camp Digi-Lit offers a curriculum, staff, schedule, and environment adaptable to campers’ varying personalities and skill levels. Staff who are experienced camp counselors and educators skillfully incorporate quality, effective literacy learning into a learning-oriented, yet relaxed, environment. Campers play team games using an iPad app to scan codes, find clues in a scavenger hunt, send out tweets, and blast seltzer rockets then write the instructions for others to replicate.

Camps can be effective providers of summer learning opportunities especially when designed to maximize authentic reading, writing, and presenting opportunities tied to a theme. Camp Digi-Lit includes an ongoing storyline where campers try to figure out a mystery or create a story for private publishing and production with the Camp Digi-Lit Design Company. The camps are designed for different age groups, and camp activities are closely aligned to Common Core standards for the appropriate grade levels. One-on-one support works with whole group, small group, and individual instruction designed to teach and reinforce skills needed to create the e-book, presentations, or activities adapted to campers’ individual skill levels.

Planning the curriculum, keeping it relaxed

In a 1996 meta-analysis, H. Cooper and his colleagues found high-quality summer programs with the most effectiveness were small, individualized programs including parental involvement. Both in a solo study and in a joint study with T.G. White, J.S. Kim concurred, reporting that it is not simply access to books that matters but reading guidance to insure children understand what they have read. At Camp Digi-Lit, books are matched to children’s reading level, and interest and instruction is scaffolded just as it is in school.

Camp Digi-Lit is packed with authentic reading and writing activities throughout the week to keep the children actively engaged including a weekly mystery story that is presented in daily e-book segments. Campers read the daily installments and figure out the day’s clues through a variety of activities. Campers have been known to enlist parents with help decode clues, provide background information and wait a few more minutes at the end of the day while the camper finishes just one more sentence, paragraph, or page. Parents of campers report that many campers go home and continue to read, create props, and actively talk about ideas for the developing story. Past campers have even asked parents to take them to the library for research!

During Camp Digi-Lit guest speakers regularly engage campers with a range of topics. Past speakers include a high school student who has her own web-based business, illustrators, authors, a radio station manager, web-based news reporters, a comic book creator, and a police detective who always has great information to add to campers’ forensic research.

Transliteracy tools in daily curriculum

The newest generation of campers expects a learning environment that integrates today's digital tools, accommodates a mobile lifestyle, adapts to individual learning styles, and encourages collaboration and teamwork. To meet the changing demands and interests of our learners, this camp focuses on nurturing the skills necessary to become proficient in mobile learning and well-versed in transliteracy skills.

Being transliterate (able to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools, and media) is becoming an essential disposition in modern society. With an increasingly wide range of communication platforms and tools available to anyone, what it means to be “literate” is rapidly evolving. A focused transliteracy initiative can help provide a foundation for a new type of student learning experience that leverages digital tools to create innovative learning communities and creates a new vision for literacy learning with technology.

Daily activities include a plethora of both reading and writing tasks which include decoding QR codes messages in order to crack the case, reading a variety of materials and media, researching and following directions online to complete forensic science experiments, and of course compiling both written and oral reports. Campers write skits, plays, and more as each camper figures out a suspect. All campers use a digital toolset comprised of iPads, iPods, digital cameras, and computers in combination with a traditional literacy tool kit that includes paper, markers, and pencils. Using this blend of new and traditional tools allows campers to create well-polished e-books, posters, videos, directions sheets, and more.

Each camper writes an original story and then incorporates digital storytelling resources to bring their story alive online. Students begin by using PowerPoint and subsequently transfer their knowledge and understanding of this tool to other digital applications. Pre-service teachers and camp counselors work with students as they transfer the pencil-paper story starters, graphic organizers and artwork to PowerPoint slides. Campers learn to edit with guidance, and then are encouraged to ask other campers to review their story. This relaxed approach to peer editing has been very successful and has added to campers’ excitement at the end of the week when each story is presented.

Campers are also responsible for creating an e-book edition of their story including all digital content necessary to tell their story. These multimedia e-books often contain photos, videos, audio, and text components and are exported in a file format that allows others to read them on a variety of tablet and smart phone devices. A small suite of apps including Book Creator, My Story, Pic Stitch, Photo Crop, and a variety of other apps are available on iPads and iPods made available for campers to use for digital media creation. Campers present their e-books at the Camp Digi-Lit closing ceremony during which each is projected onto a large screen so peers, siblings, and proud parents can enjoy the end product.

Camp Digi-Lit is fun, engaging, and collaborative, and included a variety of authentic reading and writing experiences that can help alleviate summer reading loss in populations of students who need it the most. Campers experience a relaxed, encouraging, creative learning environment in which individuality and out-of-the-box thinking is embraced.

Lisa A. Lenhart is a professor of education at The University of Akron and the director of the Center for Literacy. She holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction from Kent State University.

Jeremy S. Brueck serves as associate director of the Center for Literacy at The University of Akron where he provides professional development for pre-K-16 teachers. He holds a PhD in elementary education from the University of Akron.

Pamela Oviatt is a literacy coach at The University of Akron's Center for Literacy. She has a Master’s degree in education.

Shelley Houser is a literacy coach at The University of Akron's Center for Literacy. She has a Master’s degree in education.

Muffin is a therapy dog, specializing in reading assistance.

I became interested in using therapy dogs to motivate reluctant readers after I adopted a sweet, timid Golden Retriever named Muffin.  Although everyone knows that kids and dogs are a winning combination I (as a former teacher of English and professor of teacher education specializing in literacy development) initially expressed skepticism that dogs trained to assist children with reading could help them become better readers. But then I learned about research-based international organizations, such as Reading Education Assistance Dogs program for registered therapy dogs.

The goal of programs like R.E.A.D. is to improve children's reading and communication skills by having a child read to a dog. R.E.A.D. dogs are registered therapy animals who, along with their owner/handlers, volunteer at schools, libraries, and many other settings as reading companions for children. As a literacy instructor, I was particularly heartened to learn that for the specialized reading certification, the handler/pet partner must demonstrate knowledge of general literacy tutoring skills and how to support young readers, including English Learners.

Emerging Research on Reading Dogs

I still found myself, like most teachers, looking for results, especially in light of the 2007 NAEP reading scores indicating only a slight rise in fourth and eighth grade scores since 1992, despite all the attention on literacy.

The Delta Society, an internationally recognized therapy animal association, cites the research of Robert H. Poresky and Karen Allen that children’s cognitive development can be enhanced through pet ownership and that just the presence of a dog can lower the blood pressure of children reading aloud. Delta also published the results of a pilot study of 10 children at Bennion Elementary in Salt Lake City in 2002 who participating in the R.E.A.D. program revealing that children increased their reading comprehension and skills as much as two to four grade levels in one year.

Until recently, studies of reading dog programs with significant numbers have been unavailable because such programs are designed to have one child read with one animal. However, several UC Davis researchers, in collaboration with the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Society of Walnut Creek, conducted two studies with the All Ears Reading program of third graders in California and Washington. The study confirmed that children who regularly read to dogs significantly improve their reading scores. Over 10 weeks of reading once a week to a dog, participants improved their reading skills of fluency and accuracy by 12 percent over the control group which showed no improvement, according to a report in The Sacramento Bee. Studies like this support anecdotal claims that through reading with the assistance of animals children raise self-esteem, build confidence and improve reading skills.

Muffin’s Story

Although she is now a certified R.E.A.D. dog, my dog Muffin was a rescue dog. When she arrived in my home she was timid, fearful of most things, and reluctant to trust anyone.  It took time, patience, and a lot of repeated positive experiences to build her confidence. When she became a reading dog, I thought that hearing about Muffin’s new-won confidence might be valuable to share with children who were reluctant readers as many children are reluctant to read for fear of ridicule or lack confidence or motivation.

I decided to put together a book about Muffin for children to read. My idea was that Muffin’s book would feature pictures of her with sentences describing her actions and activities. That way, children could get to know the dog and her story, and then maybe want to share a little bit about themselves. I hoped they would begin to feel comfortable enough to want to read to her. Teachers of reading know that students during the pre-reading stage need to develop purpose, motivation, and background knowledge about the subject matter of the text, as stated by researchers Suzanne F. Peregoy and Owen F. Boyle. For many a child there is no better motivation to read than doing so while reading a book about the dog you are petting.

In the spirit of wanting the book to be really inviting, I selected a purple cover with Muffin’s picture on the front. I picked out her best glossy pictures and each page had a picture and a caption with a sentence or two about Muffin. Some of the pictures were about her liking to hike or learning to swim. Some of the pictures had her dressed up for Halloween or sporting a sun hat in the summer. Some were funny and some were serious, but each of the pictures provided an opportunity for us to share a little bit about Muffin and get to know the children who were snuggling up beside her.

Muffin’s book was finished in just enough time for the local community library-sponsored R.E.A.D. event at the children’s library. On the day of the event, I packed a purple blanket for kids to sit on and her new book with the purple cover. I tied her bright red reading dog scarf around her neck. When we arrived at the library, the room was filled with kids and other reading dogs. Each child received an age-appropriate dog themed book and was assigned a canine reading partner/handler. I really had no idea what to expect.

After our first couple of sessions, a pattern began to emerge. Muffin curled up on a bench and each child curled up right with her. When I asked them if they wanted to read a book about her, they remarked: “Could we read Muffin’s book again?” or “Muffin has a friend named Chloe—that’s my name!”

When a 12-year old reader saw the picture with the caption, “Muffin is learning to swim,” the comical-yet-fearful look on Muffin’s face caused her to share some fears of her own. “Was Muffin scared when she learned to swim?” she asked. She then offered up, unprompted, “I was scared when I was in the hospital. I was there for a year, but now my cancer’s in remission. I wanted to read to a dog today because there was a dog who came to visit a lot when I was in the hospital.” And read she did, an entire book about a service dog—including the acknowledgements.

Dogs Serve to Motivate

It was clear that Muffin’s book had the intended effect. About 10 different children waited in line to read to Muffin over the course of our two-hour visit. All the while she was hugged, petted, stroked, and fussed over.

Although I may have been somewhat of a skeptic at first, I can say now with confidence that a dog can be an incredible motivator for a child who is learning to read. Although I realize not all students have experienced the adversity of illness or feel passionate about animals, reading to a dog can offer a non-judgmental, safe place for children to practice their reading skills in a fun environment. These days Muffin is always in demand at libraries and classrooms, even with the most reluctant readers. To date, there are over 2,000 trained therapy teams in more than 49 states. Find out if there’s such a program near you.

Dr. Deborah G. Summers, Ed.D. is a professor of secondary adolescent literacy, the director of the School of Education at California State University, Chico and the co-author of Socially Responsible Literacy: Teaching Adolescents for Purpose and Power (2014, Teachers College Press). A secondary classroom teacher for 15 years, her research interests focus on the ways literacy practices help adolescents to become full participants in a pluralistic society.

Have you ever thought about where fonts come from? They’re just on your computer, right? But, how do they get there and who created them? Is it possible to make your own?

As a former first grade teacher, I made a lot of charts in my classroom. Teachers, and students, would tell me all the time that I had really nice handwriting. I didn’t really think too much about the compliments until I purchased my first iPad a few years ago and stumbled upon a font creation app in the App Store called “iFontMaker.” This purchase was a major game-changer for me and my students and was an inexpensive investment for the high yield return.

Basically, the app turns your handwriting into a font. The app provides one space per letter, punctuation mark or symbol, which the app calls a “glyph.” Using either your finger or a stylus pen, you “pen” each capital letter and lowercase letter of the alphabet, each number 0-9, and every punctuation mark and symbol that is contained on a keyboard. Once you have finished the 96 glyphs per complete font, you are ready to export and create your font. As fast as you can hit the curvy arrow in the upper right corner of your iPad, your font is created and saved on the app’s server. If you choose to “publish” your font, or make it public, it is stored in the app’s gallery (2ttf.com/gallery). Over the last two years, I have created over 190 fonts to use in my classroom. I know you are thinking, “how is it possible to create over 190 fonts that are that different?” But, you can and I have. Like authors, illustrators, typographers, even greeting card designers are coming to realize, fonts play an important role in text display and text meaning. Some fonts are thick, some are thin, some have a fill, some have curls or even dots—the creative possibilities are endless. Have you checked out the new paper bags at McDonald’s lately? Most of the fonts used on the bag look like hand drawn fonts. The way the font is positioned on paper also lends to the mood and message of the text, which are all considerations and text features we want students to pay attention to while reading.

This year I played around with students creating their own font when publishing their own pieces of writing. When I say this app is a game-changer, it really is, times 10, for students. Talk about buy-in to the writing process and the publishing stage, students are much more eager to write when they know their own personally-created font is waiting for them on the computer. (Once the font goes to the app’s server, you have the option to download the font as a true type file, (.ttf) which is stored on the user’s hard drive in the computer’s Font Folder. Once installed to your computer, your font will appear in the drop-down menu of fonts in all word processing and word publishing programs.)

In addition, when students create a font, they become close observers and readers of font details in texts they read. Students will have a deeper understanding and appreciation for different attributes of fonts, and a font’s role in a text. Frank Serafini wrote, “traditional fonts used in many written texts were naturalized to the point that readers were not expected to pay attention to their design, rather they were expected to look past the typeface used to retrieve the content represented.”
Therefore, if these font features are elements we want students to pay attention, what better way to bring this to their forefront then letting them be the creators of their own fonts? When students become creators of their own fonts, they pay attention to font attributes including size, color, style, thickness, shadows, and mood of the font. Students are now in the driver’s seat to create fonts to help create the mood and meaning of their own writing. Students can create fun, playful fonts when they want to send a fun, playful message. Students can create thick, bold fonts when they want to send messages of a character’s power and greatness.

Like anything, creating a font takes some practice—students can either sketch out their font on paper first, or “have a go” at creating it right in the app because the undo button is an option on every glyph. Students today are not afraid to “do it wrong” thanks to the undo button. So give it a go yourself, and then hand the font creation process over to your students, and watch their own writing and reading become more empowered.  Personalized fonts are also compatible with Wordle and photo apps like Phonto. These two applications allow users to upload their own fonts for more personalization.

Jen Jones is a K-5 literacy and intervention specialist in Raleigh, N.C. You can follow her on Twitter at @hellojenjones. Her blog is Hello Literacy.

The International Reading Association is always eager to give our members tips and tricks for the classroom and for their own development. Our monthly e-newsletter, Inspire, is one of the tools we use to share best practices. In our efforts to keep the voice and advice found in Inspire fresh, we have invited three new voices to contribute to the newsletter and are excited to share their expertise in the coming year.

Cathy Collier is a certified reading specialist at Great Bridge Primary School in Chesapeake, Va. with an additional 15 years as a kindergarten teacher. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Special Education and is the immediate past president of the Virginia State Reading Association. Read more at her blog, The W.I.S.E. Owl “Where Instruction Supports Excellence.” On the site she shares best practices with fellow educators, with a focus on emergent readers. Follow her on Twitter at @Wiseowlcathy.

 

Brandi Leggett is a National Board Certified Teacher as a Middle Childhood Generalist. She received her master’s in Elementary Education from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa. She currently teaches third grade at Prairie Ridge Elementary in Shawnee, Kan. Follow her class during the school year at Team Leggett.

 

 

Laren Hammonds teaches eighth grade language arts at Rock Quarry Middle School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Her interests include media literacy, cross-curricular collaboration, and the design of learning spaces. Connect with her on Twitter where she goes by @_clayr_, or read more at her blog, Game to Learn.

 

 

Inspire is just one of the many benefits member access through the members-only section of Reading.org. If you don’t have access to the current or pasts issues of the newsletter, become an IRA member at /join.

"Teaching is a work of the heart" is the motto of Angelique Kwabenah, our July International Reading Association (IRA) Member of the Month, and she demonstrates it daily. Angelique is a reading specialist for the Washington, DC Public School’s (DCPS) Incarcerated Youth Program. The Program promotes academic rigor, provides opportunities for academic success through experiential learning, and fosters a climate that both develops and supports students and welcomes the involvement of parents and community partnerships. Angelique is one of the dedicated teachers that use literacy to enable students to acquire the academic knowledge, interpersonal skills, and values necessary to become productive community members. In this interview, she shares her path to this challenging role and what keeps her going.

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

I began my career in 1994, as a fourth grade teacher in Prince Georges County Maryland. I taught in the county for five years and then worked as a reading specialist for five years. I transitioned to my current position as a Reading Specialist at the District of Columbia Public Schools Incarcerated Youth Program, ten years later.

What is the biggest challenge in your current role?

The biggest challenge in my current role as a reading specialist in a correctional setting is motivating my students to read and I use a variety of resources and strategies to get them excited about reading, such as music, poetry and popular culture.

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

I am currently reading Slam by Walter Dean Myers in preparation for my summer workshop course.

What do you consider to be your proudest career moment?

My proudest career moment took place this year, when I was selected by Scholastic as the Read 180 Stage C Educator of Excellence for 2013-2014. I was awarded $1500.00 and got the opportunity to attend the Model Schools/Read 180 Conference in Orlando this year.

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

photo credit: Angelique Kwabenah U.S. Secretary of Education and Angelique Kwabenah.

/>I have been a member of IRA for 15 years and the resources and professional development have been an invaluable part of my personal growth as a literacy instructor.

 

What do you like to do when you're not wearing your educator hat?

When I am not wearing my educator hat, I love to travel domestically and internationally. Favorite locations include: New York, Las Vegas, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. I also love to read!

What's the best advice you could offer someone new to the profession?

The best advice I would give to new teachers is to be fair, flexible and to have fun!

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