History 21 The Podcast - 2.03 Reading Corps
Sometimes the most impressive things live right in our backyards and we don’t even know they exist. Join Cindy McKenny, former front desk staff at ACHS, as she talks about her experiences with Reading Corps, a program supported by Americorps. You’ll meet her new boss, Chris Erickson, program and community partnerships manager, and hear some stories about their time tutoring. Feeling curious? We’ve also included ways you can be involved!
Hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Rebecca Ebnet-Desens, ACHS Executive Director.
Reading Corps
is a breakthrough program that is changing academic outcomes for thousands of students. With more than 1,500 tutors serving in twelve states and Washington D.C., Reading Corps is helping more than 36,000 children each year become successful readers. It combines the power of national service with literacy science to deliver proven approaches that help struggling learners transform into confident students - something that translates into all areas of their lives.
Because Reading Corps tutors are in the schools on a full-time (in most cases) or part-time basis, they are providing consistent, daily tutoring, which is the reason why this model has a greater impact on student success. Tutors commit to a year or more of service, and receive rigorous training plus ongoing expert literacy coaching throughout the year. With the use of rich data assessments, they ensure their efforts produce the desired results - helping children achieve grade-level reading proficiency.
www.readingcorps.org/#news
Image Courtesy of Ampact at ReadingAndMath.org
Anoka County Library Minute
Further Reading:
This is a great book for parents to get ideas on how to make reading fun! The authors incorporate play into reading with things like games and jokes. It is full of tips and resources to make sure your own little monster grows up devouring books.
The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease (372.4 TRE)
In addition to a huge list of read aloud book titles, this book explains why reading aloud as a family is important. It goes over the hows, the dos and don’ts, and discussion of the dynamics between reading aloud with print versus digital and audio formats.
Honey for a Child’s Heart: the imaginative use of books in family life by Gladys Hunt (028 HUN)
Using Erich Fromm’s idea from The Art of Loving that children have both “milk” and “honey” needs - milk being physical needs, and honey symbolizing the sweetness of life - this book suggests books provide loads of sweetness. Booklists are offered for various age ranges as well as genres.
Geared toward teachers, this resource is the result of research conducted which details the habits many lifelong readers possess. The book presents strategies for encouraging students to build life-long reading habits and even includes appendices with useful forms and book lists.
Using neuroscience and behavioral research, this book outlines the cognitive and social-emotional benefits of reading aloud, not only for young children, but for all ages. The author suggests that reading aloud may be the antidote to the (ironically enough) disconnection many often feel being so digitally connected.
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (616.994 SCH)
This book details the bond formed between the author and his dying mother through reading together. During her long cancer treatments, Will asks her about what she is reading, which leads the two into creating their own “book club.” At future treatments, they discuss the books, often relating the themes and other ideas in the books to their own lives they lived together.
Fiction about sharing books and stories with loved ones:
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick (FICTION PAT)
A charming yet mysterious tale about a woman who must learn to take control of her own story. Martha gets little appreciation as a library volunteer and perhaps less as an aunt or daughter. The only family member she’s ever felt really close to was her grandmother, Zelda, who encouraged young Martha to read and write fairy tales. Years after Zelda’s death, Martha is sent a manuscript of those very stories. The manuscript bears Zelda’s name as the author, but was published years after her death.
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald (FICTION BIV)
Young Sara from Sweden decides to come visit her bibliophile pen-pal, Amy, in the U.S. When she arrives, though, she discovers Amy has recently passed away. Sara decides to stay a while and share her love of books with the small town by opening a bookstore in her friend’s memory.
For beginner readers or struggling readers:
Guys Read series by Jon Scieszka
This middle grade series of books was specifically made for reluctant boy readers by prolific children’s author and former elementary school teacher, Jon Scieszka. Each book contains short stories related to a theme or genre, like scary stories in his Guys Read: terrifying tales book, for instance.
First Little Readers Series published by Scholastic
For parents of little ones learning to read on their own, the First Little Readers series compiles 25 short books that correspond to a guided reading level (A, B, C, D).
Bob Books Series published by Scholastic
The Bob Books series offers beginner readers a wealth of options when it comes to entry points, from sight word books to books on rhyming words.
Databases:
This literacy resource includes video storybooks for children. The audio and visual cues help readers make connections between the letters on the page and the words and ideas being said. You can find BookFLIX on the library’s website (anokacountylibrary.org). Click the Youth menu option and then click Children’s Homework Help.
Pebble Go offers learning modules in a variety of subjects for K-5 students. Literacy supports including read-along audio and word-by-word highlighting might be especially useful to beginner readers. You can find Pebble Go on the library’s website (anokacountylibrary.org). Click the Youth menu option and then click Children’s Homework Help.
We hope you find these resources useful for cultivating a lifelong love of reading. Until next time, happy learning!