Nurturing Literacy

Welcome everyone. This week it’s back to school for many and back to blogging for me. I’ve reinvented Nurturing Literacy and hope you will find it helpful and visit often. The first change is narrowing the focus of the blog. Research shows that there are scads of books, blogs, videos and various forms of information designed to help parents of primary grade students foster literacy development in their child. This, however, does not seem to be the case as kids move into grades four through eight. At this point, most kids know how to read and most parents are at a loss as to how to encourage and enrich both their child’s love of reading and ability to adequately comprehend what they read. For most, it’s easier to leave it all up to the teacher and assume literacy growth will simply take care of itself. And, for some it does. But time and again, in my years of working with students in these grades, I’ve seen the impact it can make when parents become knowledgeable and actively support literacy in the home.

The biggest roadblock to parental involvement is usually lack of know-how. This blog will aim to broaden your knowledge and offer easy, practical ways to help your child grow as a reader. If you are a parent who is sick with worry because your child is a struggling reader, this blog is for you. If you are a parent who recognizes that your child lacks the motivation to read, this blog is for you. If you are a parent of an advanced reader who struggles to find age-appropriate books, this blog is for you. If you are a grandparent or teacher determined to support the literacy development of the youngster in your life, this blog is for you. Think of it as a place to converse, ask questions, and share insights with others committed to empowering children to read.

Until last June, I was a full-time Reading specialist. Now that I’m retired, I can commit to a second change – posting on a regular basis. Every Monday and Friday, you can expect to find a new post. I hope that you will enjoy the content, add your voice to the conversation, become a follower and share this blog with others. Stop back on Friday to learn to help your youngster turn wasted minutes into beneficial reading time.

Today’s Daily News featured an article written by Jenice Armstrong discussing the tragic beating and death of Amy Joyner. No doubt you’ve heard the news of this high school student who was beaten to death in the bathroom of a high school in Wilmington. At the beginning of this article, the author shares the lament of an older woman standing by the school as she passed by. “Lord, what are we going to do…what are we going to do?” In this horrific situation, you can almost hear the anguish and heartache of her cry.

Even after I finished the article, those words echoed in my head. What are we going to do? For indeed, as parents and grandparents, as guardians of our youth, all of us must ask ourselves this question. What are we going to do to quell the violence and instill compassion, respect and a sense of value for themselves and others in our young people? Too often, the news greets us with stories that reek of contempt and disregard for the most precious gift of all…life itself.

As a parent and grandparent, an educator and a person who cares deeply about the future of our children, one small suggestion I offer is to tap into the power of literacy. I use the term literacy in the broadest sense here, referring to our ability to read, write, speak and listen. Words empower. As adults we can choose to use words to teach, to heal, to affirm and to touch the hearts and minds of the children we love. Just for today, use some form of literacy to communicate with your child. Read a beautiful story, listen with your heart, write a love note to your child, speak words of affirmation. Then do it again tomorrow! Little by little, literacy can become a formidable weapon against the hatred and violence in our world.

This post is a bit of a departure from normal. Check back for some concrete suggestions about books and activities that can help us instill compassion, respect, courage and a sense of values in our kids. Rest in peace, Amy Joyner!

One week from today, students across the state of Pennsylvania will begin taking the famed PSSA test. Much like students, parents’ attitude toward this assessment can range from extremely laid back to overly concerned and stressed. Not surprisingly, the best approach is to strike a balance between the two. To that end, here are a few important tips that you can implement now and throughout the weeks of assessment.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR CHILD’S PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

In order to optimize your child’s ability to think clearly, maintain adequate stamina, and remember to use strategies he has learned, pay extra attention to your child’s physical well-being.  Start by offering well-balanced meals that include plenty of protein. If your child typically skimps on breakfast, this is the week to break that habit. Wake up a little earlier so everyone can enjoy a relaxing breakfast consisting of highly nutritious foods that include a healthy amount of protein. The protein will provide a consistent level of energy. Avoid sugary foods that can cause a drop in blood sugar leading to fatigue.

If bedtime at your house is sketchy, this is the week to remedy that. Be certain that your child is in bed early enough to get the required hours of sleep for his age. Establish a set time for lights out and don’t deviate from it. Although an earlier bedtime than usual may take a few nights to establish, by the end of the week, it will become the norm and hopefully, during the weeks of assessment, your child will be used to tucking in at this earlier hour.

It’s been well-documented that exercise relieves stress. Be sure that your child has a chance to go outside and let off steam afterschool. Limit time on the computer and Ipad, opting instead for physical exercise that will reduce your child’s stress level and tire him out so that sleep comes easier. Assessments like PSSA can be very anxiety-producing in some children, additional exercise is a key way to alleviate that stress.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR CHILD’S EMOTIONAL NEEDS

It bears repeating that your child may be feeling additional anxiety due to the upcoming assessment. Here are some suggestions to help your child relax before and during testing:

• Monitor your own stress level. Often, negative feelings are contagious. Trust that your child is well-prepared and relax. Remember the purpose of the PSSA is offer a window into your child’s strengths and weaknesses. If a child does their best, accurate results will help the school design instruction that meets your child’s individual needs.

• Carve out one-on-one time with your child. Perhaps you can read together, play a game, or go out for ice cream. If you sense your child is feeling anxious, creating a relaxed environment where he can share his feelings may give you the opportunity to listen, offer support and help dissipate the anxiety.

• If necessary, teach your child some relaxation techniques that he or she can implement if they feel stressed during testing. These may include things like deep breathing or visualization.

• Don’t insist on extra study or academic work. If needed, teachers will assign beneficial work. Often, students have no homework during the testing window so that they have time to relax and unwind. Trust that they are well-prepared and leave it at that.

The consistent attention to effective instruction and a focus on meeting each student’s individual needs, will result in test scores that are reflective of your child’s academic strengths and challenges. Maintaining a calm, consistent home environment throughout the testing window is the best thing you can do to support your child. Please join the conversation and share any insights or questions you may have.

Remember that schools across the state have provided consistent attention to effective instruction and a focus on meeting each student’s individual needs. Your child’s scores will reflect his academic strengths and challenges, providing both parents and teachers with information that will help drive future instruction.  Maintaining a calm, consistent home environment throughout the testing window is the best thing you can do to support your child. Please join the conversation and share any insights or questions you may have.

When you think “stamina” do you think about running a marathon or cleaning the house from top to bottom because you’re having a big party today?  Are you wondering what stamina has to do with your child’s reading? If so, you’re not alone. Back in the day when I was an at-home Mom trying to get five youngsters to crack a book, stamina was not a word I associated with reading. It wasn’t until I was working on my Reading courses that I began to make the connection. As it turns out, stamina has much to do with your child’s ability to become a successful reader throughout the intermediate grades or beyond.

Reading stamina simply means the amount of time a person is able to read with sustained interest and comprehension. Reading stamina is linked to reading volume, both of which are crucial to success in school and life. Let me explain. When students are able to read for an extended period of time, without becoming distracting, they are able to take in enough textual information to understand more deeply and increase their interest and enjoyment of the text.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where information is offered in small bits and communication takes the form of short messages and videos. Distractions abound and fewer young people are able to stay focused. Consequently, many students are unprepared to tackle the volume of reading that is required as they move through the grades. This is a red flag for parents and teachers alike. We must work together to help kids build their reading stamina. In my opinion, that’s easier to do than you might think. Here are five simple steps you can take to foster reading stamina in your children:

1. Find High-Interest Independent Reading Books

As we all know, it is far easier to stay with a book that engages us, than one that bores us to death. It is well worth your efforts to guide your child towards those books that fall within his independent reading level and pique his interest. Check back for a post in the near future for valuable tips on finding a “just-right” book.

2. Track Progress

Kids love a challenge. Make a game out of helping them increase reading stamina by tracking their progress. For a few weeks, set a timer each time your child sits down to read. Increase it by a few minutes (maybe two or three) each time. Challenge your child to stay focused on the text for the entire time. Chart his progress is some way and maybe even offer a reward if he can attain a certain level.

3. Read Aloud

Read aloud to get your child started and stop at an exciting portion of the text. Listening level is always higher than reading level, so at that point your child should have a good sense of what is occurring in the text and is more likely to be able to read on for a sustained period of time.

4. Eliminate Distractions

Many youngsters are very easily distracted. Consider helping your child find a quiet reading spot in the house that removes him from the rest of family, the TV, cell phones and noise. Peek in periodically to see how he’s doing. Set him up for success and you may be surprised by the improvement in his reading stamina.

5. Talk With Your Child’s Teacher

If you are especially concerned with your child’s ability to stay focused on text, have a conversation with your child’s teacher.  The teacher may be able to give you some other more individualized suggestions and discussing reading stamina may help her consider how she is fostering reading stamina in her classroom.

Perhaps some of you have some other tricks up your sleeve you would be willing to share. Stamina is an essential element of reading. Students that are unable to focus and read a high volume of text will be left behind in this era of rigorous curriculum and high standards. Please add your suggestions to this discussion.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation on independent reading given by Penny Kittle, an author, literacy coach and high school English teacher. Penny shared the story of  running into one of her former middle school students and discovering he had dropped out of college because he couldn’t keep up with the reading demands.   Apparently, this boy was a bright, capable student in middle school, but since he never read much after he left Mrs. Kittles’ class, he was unprepared for college and wound up dropping out. After this chance meeting, Penny Kittle pooled numerous college professors across the country to determine just what colleges require in terms of weekly reading. The answers were varied but most said that students were expected to read between 200 to 600 pages per week throughout their college years. Even Penny Kittle, a woman who has dedicated her life to turning her students into readers, admitted that her high school seniors were unprepared to do this volume of reading.

So what does this story have to do with the youngster in your life? Well, forewarned is forearmed. I believe if parents and teachers recognize the importance of developing reading stamina and require a high volume of reading from our youngsters from the early grades right through high school, we truly can send our kids off to college knowing they are prepared for success. Is your child able to read for a sustained period of time? Is your child reading an appropriate volume of books for his age?  Please take the time to consider these questions and share your answers or concerns. In my next few posts, I’ll discuss both volume and stamina and offer suggestions for improving both.