End of Year Letter to Parents

Many studies have shown that children who don't keep up their reading skills over the summer can return to school in the fall having lost as much as three months of the progress they had achieved the previous school year. We have found that children who read over the summer stay at the level they had reached in June or even improve. Here is a very thorough blog about summer reading loss: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/15218/

All of our CRES students were given a reading log to take home. If a student brings that reading log back in August filled with titles of books they've read (age appropriate or "Just Right" books are best) over the summer, and show it to Mrs. Meservey, they will be allowed to choose a free book to keep. If students complete a reading log from another program, they can bring that reading log in instead.

The best way for children to improve their reading skills is by reading a lot of "just right" books. That means books that are not too hard and not too easy - books with no more than a couple of challenging words on each page. Pushing a child to read things that are too challenging may only discourage a student. It's also fine if a child reads the same book many times. This will increase their fluency and confidence.

Children are much more motivated to read when they choose the reading material themselves, and when they are interested in what they are reading. If a child is interested in reading information books on a favorite topic, story books, comic books, web pages (don't forget our library's online collection of electronic books and Tumble Books), email, magazines, recipes, repair manuals, cereal boxes, street signs - that's what you should celebrate and encourage (keeping age-appropriateness in mind, of course).

I've created a web page with links to recommended reading lists if you would like suggestions for books to borrow or purchase over the summer. Here is the link:  http://www.fivetowns.net/cres/library/Books%26Authorslinks.html

Also, remember to take advantage of the fantastic, free summer reading programs put on by our public libraries. Students were each given flyers about the programs offered at Camden Public and Rockport Public libraries. Both libraries encourage summer reading and have a great collection of children's books for all interests and all ages.

April is award time.

April is always so exciting for our CRES students. April is when we announce the winners of the Maine Student Book Award and the Chickadee Award. Congratulations to the book Smile by Raina Telgemeier, winner of the 2012 Maine Student Book Award, and to Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein, winner of the 2012 Chickadee Book Award. Ask your students which books were their favorites.

Next year's titles are already posted on the Maine Student Book Award website and the Chickadee Book Award website.

Wood Creations

The second graders are making fascinating wood creations with visiting artist Blake Hendrickson. They are on display in the library. The students get so excited when they come into the library and see their work on display.

Research supports full-time school librarians

Just read this summary of the latest research on the value of a full-time professional school librarian and how that correlates to student test scores. Click here to read the article for yourself.

It's almost time to vote!

The end of March means voting time for the Chickadee Book Award nominees and the Maine Student Book Award nominees. I've created two tools for students to enjoy that will help them remember all the nominated books as they decide on their favorites.

Here is a slide show of the MSBA books


And here is a Glogster (an interactive poster) for the Chickadee Award nominated books. The pencil will take you to a page about the author, the quilled pen will take you to a page about the illustrator. As you move your mouse around on the Glogster page you will notice links for other interesting web resources related to the books.

"Leap Day" fun

Since today was "Leap Day," I decided it was a good excuse to invite the fourth grade to the library at the end of the day to watch a 15-minute animated film. Created by William Joyce, the children's book author/illustrator, it just won an Oscar/Academy Award for best short animation at the 2012 Oscar ceremony held this past week.

The title of the video is The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It's a very touching story, and I see more and more meaning in it each time I watch it. I find it especially appropriate during this time when we don't know what the future holds for actual paper books.

http://www.williamjoyce.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNjtZ5V4P-c

Mission Statement

I've been tinkering with a mission statement for the CRES library. This is what I have so far:

Our library is a dynamic, exciting, inviting, safe and orderly space where students and staff have access to shared resources to learn from and to enjoy. Our goal is to promote a love of reading, and to create life-long learners who are effective users of ideas and information, who use information in creative and responsible ways.

What do you think of this mission statement?

Mainely Girls Book Club

Our Mainely Girls Book Club has started! Ten fourth grade girls will be meeting about seven times on Mondays after school to discuss interesting books that feature strong female characters. Our first book was Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Since Roxie was stranded on an island and used the survival skills she had learned from her famous uncle to survive, we thought we would explore a few survival skills ourselves. Using sections from the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook, the girls acted out what to do if you are stuck in an avalanche or attacked by a bear, among other potential life-threatening circumstances.

Our next book is going to be Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day by Meg Cabot. Here is a great book trailer for that book. Hmmm..... I think our snacks for that day should all be red. Want to know why? You'll have to read the book!

The Power of Reading Aloud

Just read a great letter written by a college student who herself had just read The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. Here is the link: http://www.antonnews.com/levittowntribune/opinion/20153-letter-the-power-of-reading-aloud.html

Here are two excerpts from her letter:

I need to spread the word about the power of reading, especially reading aloud. Before I read The Read Aloud Handbook, I had no idea about the impact that reading aloud could have on a child. Not only does reading aloud broaden a child’s vocabulary, increase their attention span, and improve their test scores, but it also creates a stronger family bond.

What is important to remember, is that children should associate reading with pleasure. A lot of times children associate reading with the displeasure of schoolwork, tedious or boring worksheets, activities, and tests. Trelease explains that every time we read to a child we are sending a pleasure message to their brains. In this sense, we are conditioning the child to associate reading with pleasure.

Thank you for your powerful letter, Katie Cushman!

If you want to read a great blog about reading aloud, I would recommend this one:
Read Aloud Dad - http://www.readalouddad.com/