As a component of my summer reading plan, I am exploring library literature as a means of improving my practice as a School Library Media Specialist. The first book on my list is Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL, 2009). The second chapter, "Teaching for Learning," stresses means by which the school library media specialist can enhance not only a child's desire to read but his ability to read as well. I think the following graphic is helpful for parents who want to understand what is expected of their children in terms of analytic reading skills.
Using Prior Knowledge:
Most of us come to what we read with some background knowledge. The key to using background knowledge effectively comes with the awareness of what we actually know about a subject prior to and during reading. Parents can help their children by asking them why they chose a particular book and asking them what they know about the subject. Asking questions about their knowledge will help the child make new connections as he is reading.
Asking Questions about the Reading Selection:
Asking questions prior to reading a book will help the child become aware of his expectations. What do I expect to learn from this book? Why did the author write this book? As the child reads he can ask questions about his expectations and about the information he is receiving. What else would I like to know about this? Is this book answering my information needs? After the child finishes reading, his questions can be more more reflective. What are my feelings about what I just read? Where do I go from here? Do I want more information on this subject or should I move on to something else?
Summarizing, Paraphrasing and Predicting Outcomes
Summarizing and paraphrasing make what the child read his own. These may be some of the most important comprehension skills a child can develop. Being able to predict an outcome shows an understanding and internalization of whatever the child is reading. By the way, if outcomes are too easy to predict, perhaps it's time for your child to move up to slightly more sophisticated novels.
Isolates important information
Children are surrounded by a plethora of information, which is only going to increase. It is extremely important for them to be able to separate main ideas and important content from the bulk. Asking questions of the reading selection, as well as summarizing and paraphrasing, are precursors to determining important content. After a child finishes a book, fiction or nonfiction, parents can ask him to list the three most important events in the book (fiction) or the three most important points (nonfiction). Use his responses to gauge how well he is asking questions, summarizing and paraphrasing. Perhaps he may need some practice using each of those skills.
Draws Inferences from the Text
Just as important as what the author said is what the author only eluded. Being able to read between the lines often requires background knowledge a child does not have. Parents can ask children what specific phrases in a book mean; if the child cannot explain the meaning, parents can help fill in the gaps.
Makes Connections with Real-Life Experiences and Prior Reading
Connections are where real learning occurs. In this step students take what they have read and associate it with their prior knowledge, including real life experiences. Parents can help children make these connections by reminding them of what they knew before on the subject and the important information they have learned. Children should be able to see the connections between the two and should be able to say if their prior knowledge was supported or refuted by their reading. Finally,
Combines Information from Various Sources to Create New Knowledge
Children should become critics of the information they receive. They should be able to state their opinions and back them up with information garnered from various sources and prior knowledge. By doing this, they are creating and exhibiting new knowledge. Parents can encourage children to express their opinions in various ways. They can write reviews and post them to the book's record in Destiny Quest or Brookhaven Reads; they can create posters or artwork that can be scanned into Brookhaven Reads or Edmodo. One of my favorite ideas is having them videotape a review using a smartphone.
Caution
I would in no way advocate that parents should monitor every book their children read using the activities listed above. There would be no surer way of burning them out. However a few spot checks and good discussions about the books your child reads will give you both insights into his strategic reading ability.
Empowering Learners, Guidelines For School Library Media Programs. Chicago: American Association of School Librarians, 2009. Print.
I am so excited that so many of our students have indicated an interest in our Summer Reading Program. So far our students have logged onto MyOn and spent a total of 738 minutes reading a total of 48 books There will be no summer slide here!
I wanted to mention two other excellent online book resources for your child to consider. The first is TumbleBooks. TumbleBooks has read-alongs, storybooks, nonfiction, and National Geographic videos. Quizzes and activities accompany most of the books.
The second resource is our FollettShelf. The books in this collection were selected by your library media specialist and almost all titles are Reading Counts. While it is true that students cannot take quizzes until they return to school in August, they can get a head start by reading these books. Students may access Reading Counts by logging in with their nine-digit student number for both their usernames and passwords. (If you don't know your child's number, please email me at lsmartin@access.k12.wv.us.)
If your child would like to write about his reading, we have two online venues for him to pursue. The first is our wiki BrookhavenReads. Once on the site, parents should request access for their child. Once access is approved, your child can login and create a new page or review his book in the comment section of the front page.
The second venue is Destiny Quest, our library catalog. If a book is in our collection, students may write a review of the book they read or recommend what they have read to a friend. Many students already have Destiny Quest accounts. If your child does not, you may use his student number to create an account. The recommended username for your child is his nine digit student number. The recommended password would be his first initial of his first name and the first four digits of his last name. If you need any help or have any questions, please email me at lsmartin@access.k12.wv.us.
I look forward to hearing from your child!
Cross-posted from Random Thoughts
Back in the day, I had vociferously argued that library skills instruction is child abuse, that being part of a "specials" or "planning period" rotation was a waste of my time. Now I am begging my principal to "let" me be in the specials rotation for fourth grade everyday next year.
What's changed?
Lots of things.
Shift from Worksheet-Based Instruction to Project-Based Learning
One of the most exciting changes in education is the continuing emphasis on project-based, active learning where students will work on a project in which they will create real meaning. This is immeasurably preferable to worksheets where students would perfect skills on using the library without actually using it. How boring are guide words and alphabetizing to the third letter! But how easily acquired are these skills when they are being used as a means to a learning goal! Students take their work much more seriously when they know their work will reach a public audience, and a public audience is a key component of project-based learning.
Emphasis on Higher Level Thinking Skills and Critical Meaning
Hand in hand with the shift to project-based learning is the emphasis on higher level thinking skills, collaborative learning and critical thinking skills. Life skills such as planning time, public speaking and targeting an audience are also emphasized. When a child utilizes these skills to achieve a learning goal, he not only conquers content but also becomes better prepared for life beyond school.
Availability of Resources
In the old days of "library skills" taught in isolation, children were asked to use print sources such as the Reader's Guide to direct them to resources that were more than often not available in the library. A student wanting to find information on a topic of personal interest was often disappointed to learn that his favorite athlete did not have an article in the 20 year-old encyclopedia. Hitting dead ends left students (and this teacher) hopelessly discouraged about the value of library skills.
Compare the previous scenario with our present day situation. Musty, misfiled catalog cards that searched an outdated collection have been replaced by automated systems that permits federated searches of all available resources. The availability of so many sources in full text, online resources is much more gratifying for students searching for - and actually finding -information. The increasing availability of laptops and other mobile devices has made information even more accessible. Children are encouraged to seek information outside their school walls. Librarians across the county are willing to share resources with children they do not know.
Need for Resource Evaluation and Ethical Use of Information
With the increased publication, interlibrary loan capabilities, and access to electronic media comes a new problem: too much information. Yes, students can find -readily- information on any topic, but not all information is equal in terms of quality. Children must learn to be critical users of information. They need more and more assistance reading for a purpose and paraphrasing information. They need help synthesizing information from all kinds of different media (transliteracy) into one cohesive package of understanding.
And finally, kids need to be ethical users of information. They need to understand copyright use and limitations to avoid snafus in their personal and professional lives. Students will see their own works published online. They will need to learn how to protect their own work as well as respect the rights of others.
I may regret this decision to push to be included in the skills rotation, but ultimately, I think it is important. I want a balance of fixed vs. flexible scheduling, with the majority of time flexible. But I need to step up my game.
