Why Access to Books Matters

If you follow this blog, you've already shown that you believe books matter. Here's why.

Books in the home are strongly related to academic achievement. They:

• Improve a child’s reading performance.
• Cause children to read more and for longer lengths of time, critical for success in school
• Produce improved attitudes toward reading and learning among children. (1)
• Children who live in print-rich environments and who are read to during the first years of life are much more likely to learn to read on schedule. (2)

Even a child who hails from a home with 25 books will, on average, complete two more years of school than would a child from a home without any books at all. Evans, Kelley, Sikorac, and Treimand (2010) 

“A home with books as an integral part of the way of life encourages children to read for pleasure and encourages discussion among family members about what they have read," Evans and her colleagues write, "thereby providing children with information, vocabulary, imaginative richness, wide horizons, and skills for discovery and play.”

In an unprecedented search uncovering 11,000 reports and analyzing 108 of the most relevant studies, children’s book distribution and ownership programs were shown to have positive behavioral, educational, and psychological outcomes. The researchers also suggest that a reciprocal relationship may exist between access and outcomes; in other words, providing interesting written materials to children increases their reading behavior and achievement, which then, in turn, further increases their desire to read and acquire more books.  McGill-Franzen, et al., 1999

How do you build home libraries?

1. Buy books. They don't have to be new. Look for books at yard/garage sales, public library sales. Make sure the books are in good condition, and are current titles. Books that are shopworn, moldy damaged do not send a positive message about the value of books and reading.
2. Accept the fact that your child may or may not like the same books you liked when you were a kid. However, movies  (Jumanji, again!) and re-boots as graphic novels (Babysitters Club, Hardy Boys, etc.) are reaching a new generation. Let them choose. Research shows that kids will read if you connect them with an author, genre or series.
3. Ask your school librarian what they do with weeded books.
4. Swap with neighbors.
5. Look for, or build, a "little free library" in your neighborhood; it's a great youth group/Eagle Scout project! It doesn't have to be outside. Consider placing one in your place of worship, daycare/preschool.
6. Advocate. Ask your pediatrician if they know about "Reach Out and Read", a program where books and reading are "prescribed" as part of the child's neurological and linguistic development.

1. (Source: Reading Is Fundamental, Access to Print Materials Improves Children’s Reading: A Meta-Analysis of 108 Most Relevant Studies Shows Positive Impacts, 2010)
2. (Source: Reach Out and Read, Reading Aloud to Children: The Evidence, Archives for Disease Control, 2008)

Do you know Common Sense Media? You Should.

I tried to find a verified quote on the importance of an informed citizenry. There are lots of attributions to Thomas Jefferson. So, I'll write my own, sort of.

It seems obvious that the more information you have on a topic, the better your decision (and how you'll feel about it afterwards) will be. That is why the website Common Sense Media is a necessity if you want to make solid decisions (and YOU, not your child should be making those decisions!!) to help them navigate through their digital life. They offer ratings and recommendations and cautions by age for movies, TV, websites, video games and apps.

Common Sense Media was started in 2003. They operate strictly independently from any company, industry or political organization. They seek grants from organizations and foundations that are not affiliated with the media. They also accept sponsorships from companies that pose no conflict of interest regarding the media, and that support their goal of helping families make better media choices.

Here are their core beliefs, from their website:

Our Ten Beliefs

1. We believe in media sanity, not censorship.
2. We believe that media has truly become "the other parent" in our kids' lives, powerfully affecting their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.
3. We believe in teaching our kids to be savvy, respectful and responsible media users. We can’t cover their eyes but we can teach them to see.
4. We believe parents should have a choice and a voice about the media our kids consume and create. Every family is different but we all need to make informed choices.
5. We believe that the price for free and open media is a bit of work for families. Parents need to know about the media their kids use and need to teach responsible behavior as well as manage overall media use.
6. We believe that through informed decision making, we can improve the media landscape one decision at a time.
7. We believe appropriate regulations about right time, right place, and right manner exist. They need to be upheld by our elected and appointed leaders.
8. We believe in age-appropriate media and that the media industry needs to act responsibly as it creates and markets content for each audience.
9. We believe ratings systems should be independent and transparent for all media.
10. We believe in diversity of programming and media ownership.

I've used their website as a parent and as an Educator (it's the basis for WCPSS curriculum on Digital Citizenship). You can search and sort by age or media type. You can also read some great articles about parent concerns, like "What is the right age for my kid to use social media?" or "What can I do about all the ads my kids see online and in games?".

Please check out their website today!

13 Ways to Raise a Non-Reader

This week's post comes from an article originally published in The Horn Book magazine in 2001, and  was re-posted this past March, without changes. This list pre-dates iPads and iPhones, so that renders item #2 obsolete. Increased, or unlimited screen time is definitely a no-no, even if the app is considered educational.

The biggest two battles I face as a school librarian are when students tell me:

1. their parents insist they read only chapter books
2. they can "read" a book, when in it's because they've seen the movie (remembering ≠ reading).

I'll tackle #1 in next week's blog post by giving you a whole bunch of reasons that will keep picture books in your family's library for a long time.

Are you an unwitting co-conspirator in keeping your child from becoming a reader?

At Root, we've pretty much eliminated nightly homework. What we won't eliminate is the requirement to read every day. The benefits of reading every day has a positive impact on all areas of a student’s academic and life success.

BY JUST READING JUST 10–20 MINUTES PER DAY OUTSIDE OF CLASS:

• An extra 10 minutes, 4 times per week equals 1,440 minutes of extra reading throughout the school year.
• 20 minutes of reading per day exposes readers to 1.8 million words per year.
• Students, ages 6-11, who labeled themselves as “frequent readers” read 43.3 books per year.
• High school students who completed an 18-week silent reading program showed an improvement of 1.9 grade levels.

What’s great about daily reading is that it doesn’t take a huge time commitment to make a big impact. Just 10–20 minutes per day can really add up over the course of a school year and a school career!Here's another way of looking at what happens when they read 20 minutes per day, from www.drazil.com

So how do you help your child squeeze this in, with their (and your) busy schedule?

• Keep a few books in the car for “waiting around times” or for ease of grabbing as you’re dashing off.
• Instead of reading before bedtime when kids (and parents) are tired, try reading together at a different time of day (and get a little extra “mommy time” in too!)
• Have different types of books around that fit different lengths of time you/your child may have: story/chapter book, book with CD (younger kids), a kid’s magazine, fact books/world record books. READ ANYTHING!

Why a tuffet??

I am an elementary school librarian. The title of this blog comes from the rather large square upholstered piece of furniture in my Media Center. It was purchased in lieu of the more traditional rocking chair. Some might call it a hassock, or ottoman. I prefer to think of it as a tuffet. If was good enough for Miss Muffet, it's good enough for me. It seems to be doing a terrific job of keeping spiders at bay as well.