1)    Our children must become proficient readers (with their skills in decoding and understanding words) and

2)    They must become enthusiastic
readers (voluntarily seeking out new and interesting forms of reading).

If children aren’t proficient, they won’t
become confident readers. It is very easy to get discouraged if the act of reading is too difficult. Proficiency only happens with practice, practice, practice. However, if children aren’t enthusiastic readers, their motivation to read on their own just isn’t there. Without enthusiasm, practice doesn’t happen. Where classroom and reading teachers teach children how to read, school librarians teach children why to read; enthusiasm for reading then supports proficiency, and that’s where the school library comes in.

A school library is truly a wonderful place to foster enthusiasm for reading in children. It is unlike a bookstore and unlike the public library in that regard. Each school library collection is developed especially for that school’s population in mind. School librarians spend many hours collecting professional reviews, reading books, analyzing their student population, and especially listening to their students to find and purchase the books that will foster enthusiastic reading in their students. In that sense, no two school libraries are alike. School library collections are created and changed to fit each student population. We want students to go to their school library and say, “Hey, that’s just what I was looking for!”

Supporting Proficiency in Children

There are many ways that parents can support their child’s reading proficiency.

1)    Read aloud to your children often. Reading aloud should begin in the toddler years, so that children hear more words, see pages turning, and notice that a story accompanies those words. Older children benefit from being read to as well. Children can learn new vocabulary, listen to how parents use inflection to tell a story, and most importantly, witness reading being modeled by their most important adult.

2)    Help your child find books they can read easily without getting frustrated. Following the “Five Finger Rule” is a good practice. If your child reads a page in a book and more than five words on the page are
difficult, then that book is probably
too hard for them to read
comfortably.

Fostering Reading Enthusiasm

Parents also play a big role in giving children the freedom to get excited about books.

1)    Encourage children to read whatever they like. Pleasure reading should be just that: pleasurable. If your child begins a book and doesn’t like it, give him or her the permission to put it down and find one they do.

2)    Withhold judgment about books you may not care for, but that your child is really excited about. Humorous fiction, graphic novels, and nonfiction are three genres that often get reluctant readers excited about reading. They also seem to attract the statement “That’s not real reading.” Anything your child reads enthusiastically will help them read more, and then read for life.

3)    3) Let your child attempt something “too hard” every once in a while. Many times carrying home that Harry Potter novel just feels good, even though it may be violating the “five finger rule.”  Experi-
mentation in reading choices is part of the process, and it helps your child begin to figure out what they like to read, what they can read, and how to work up to that big book that all the other kids are reading.

 Encourage your child to visit their school library and ask about what they checked out this week, because the school library is the link to creating independent readers.       The School Library is the link to creating independent readers!

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Web Sites to Help Parents Raise Independent Readers

 “Helping your Child Become a Reader,” a booklet by the U.S. Department of Education http://1.usa.gov/bw9cwl

Scott Foresman Family Times Reading Booklets,
http://bit.ly/pELuC9

Links to Reading and Literacy Skills,
http://1.usa.gov/b9oZn7

Breaking the Sound-It-Out Barrier,
http://bit.ly/pqiCre

Succeed to Read, http://www.succeedtoread.com/

* * *

Find Great Books and Support
Your Child’s Summer Reading Habit

2011 Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

Barnes and Noble has an online summer reading program where kids can earn a free book after they read and keep a journal on eight other ones! Journals can be turned in at any B&N store. This year’s theme is “Imagination Destination” and  there is a Parent Activity kit available for free download to support your child’s efforts.
Check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/35cncej

Reading Rockets Summer Reading Tips
Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read and how parents and teachers can help. Reading Rockets is an educational initiative of WETA and is funded by a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. This page on ReadingRockets.com includes a summer reading webcast, parent tips, recommended summer reading, and much more!  Visit http://tinyurl.com/2ercoxl

2011 Notable Children's Books

Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books! Check out some award-
winners and other highly recommended
books for kids here:
http://tinyurl.com/yk9u6te

Three Ways to Prevent Summer Slide

This article on Scholastic.com covers how to select books that your kids will be excited about reading and the importance of reading aloud.
Read the article online:
http://tinyurl.com/23hetx3

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Connecting with E-Books

E-books are really booming at outlets such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, which sell dedicated e-readers to read their e-books, such as Kindle (Amazon) and Nook (Barnes and Noble). Each is a flat, light device that allows you to purchase and read e-books easily and quickly. With the onset of iPad (by Apple) e-reading has really taken off. But e-books are also available for download on your computer, and even to your smartphone. Most smartphones, such as iPhone, Blackberry, and Android have apps that support each of these retailers. These tools offer great opportunities for students to carry whole libraries with them wherever they go, a wonderful tool for a lifelong reader.
    Did you know that you can borrow e-books from many public libraries too? This is a great resource for those of us who cannot afford to buy every book they want to read! Many public libraries subscribe to a service called OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), which allows libraries to lend out e-books to patrons. You borrow the e-book online, download it to your compatible device (smartphone, computer or e-reader), and it is available usually for about two weeks (when it self-deletes). The catch with loaned e-books, though, is that you usually cannot borrow the same book twice, so you have to read it when you download it. Still, library-loaned e-books are a great way to put whatever you want to read right in your pocket. Check out your local public library to see if they subscribe to OverDrive or another e-book service!

* * *

The Link to Free Voluntary Reading

Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) is a term used by Stephen Krashen, author of The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research (Libraries Unlimited, 2004). It refers to a type of reading program in which students are encouraged to select and read books of their own choosing. Sounds simple, right? Well, so often students aren’t allowed to choose their own reading, either because of curriculum requirements for a class or because they’ve been told--directly or indirectly--that what they want to read isn’t “real reading.”
    For example, have you ever had the urge to say to your child, “Put that book back, you need a book with more words.” Or, “That book is too easy for you, pick another.” Sometimes the best thing we can do is allow children to read what they want to read for pleasure. So what if it’s “too easy?” As adults, do we really read difficult books on the beach? Supporting the enjoyment of reading is as important as encouraging improving reading skills. If students get the message that what they enjoy to read isn’t considered “real reading,” they may start saying, “I don’t like to read.” But FVR not only supports reading enjoyment, it’s been linked to improving reading scores too. Check out Krashen’s book to learn more!

* * *

Read Together, Read Aloud

Most reading specialists and organizations (such as The Children’s Reading Foundation, www.readingfoundation.org) recommend that parents read aloud to their children 20 minutes a day from infancy on. To learn more about the benefits of reading aloud, not only to young children, but also to older kids--especially in the classroom--check out Jim Trelease’s book, The Read-Aloud Handbook (Penguin, 2006). As Trelease describes on his Web site, “This is not a book about teaching a child how to read; it’s about teaching a child to want to read,” (http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-intro-pg2.html). Read up on reading. If you're excited about it, then your children will be too.

 What’s the Big Deal with Dewey?

The Dewey Decimal System is probably the first information system that students learn how to navigate. Learning how to find books using this system has always been taught in school libraries. Although school librarians have expanded their repertoires into teaching other systems as well, they always start with Dewey. The Dewey Decimal System is used in most school libraries and most public libraries in the U.S. It’s also important to learn because once you learn how to navigate the Dewey system, it makes it easier to learn the next one. Because guess what? Dewey is not the only game in town.

Moving on: Library of Congress Classification

Look out graduating seniors, here’s a tip: When you get to college, you won’t see the Dewey Decimal System anymore. Most universities and colleges in the U.S. use a different system: The Library of Congress Classification (LOC) system. LOC call numbers use a combination of letters and numbers, they are arranged by topic, and they are arranged in a logical order. However, the long call numbers look very different from Dewey ones. But because your student has learned how to navigate Dewey for 12 years, he or she will be primed and ready to naturally migrate over to LOC when they get to college.

 Just the Beginning

Finding books on a shelf is certainly just the beginning. School librarians now teach students how to access all kinds of information online. Students need to learn about using keywords, using controlled vocabularies, how to use Boolean search terms, as well as how to find and use the best tool for the job. Elementary and middle school students will be using search engines and databases for the rest of their lives, but the trouble is they are all a little bit different from one another. But just like learning to use Dewey, the search engines, Web sites, and databases students learn to use in school will help them to learn new and different ones as they move forward in education. Continue on to page two to read more about how the school library is the link to information access. C

* * *

Where Do You Go? Information Systems for Young Students

Databases

Databases are programs that hold large amounts of information, usually in the form of short articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers. Databases for elementary and middle school students often contain visual aides to help students search for information by topic. Two popular databases for kids are Kids InfoBits and FactMonster.

 Online Public Access Catalogs (OPACs)

Also known as an online library catalog, OPACs come in many shapes and formats. Many OPAC systems are now designing visually appealing and easier-to-navigate home pages where students can “point and click” their way to finding the books they want in the library. For example, a popular program used in schools is Destiny (by Follett); its counterpart, DestinyQuest has a visual interface, rather than a textual one, so that even beginning readers can use the program effectively. Many public libraries are now expanding or revising their online catalog systems to include “kid-friendly” options.

 Search Engines

Although most search engines are user-friendly, some companies have created ones specifically for use by students. Some include:

Yahoo! Kids       http://kids.yahoo.com/

Typical Yahoo! searching with popular links for kids by topic

KidsClick!           www.kidsclick.org

A search engine featuring keyword searching, searching by topic, and a unique feature great for connecting online research to books in the school library: searching by Dewey Decimal numbers!

Kidspace             www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/

Homework and research-centered links divided by categories; also has keyword searching

Google Search Tools

Google is a user-friendly search engine in itself, but it also has additional search features that are useful for both children and adults. Google Wonder Wheel adds a visual component to searching (see above). Google Timeline allows you to search for material on a topic by date (see left). To use these tools, start a Google search, and then click on the features on the left-side menu.

Three things that the school library can assist with are copyright, collaboration, and creativity? That’s right! In fact, the school library can incorporate these three elements in many different ways.

Download the February 2011 issue here!Copyright: Old and New
Copyright has always been one of the librarian’s areas of expertise. School librarians’ roles with copyright have traditionally been to teach students to respect copyright (and not break the law), how to write without plagiarizing, and how to cite sources. School librarians have also helped teachers understand where copyright applies in education. For example, is it permissible to show a video during class without getting permission from the copyright holder? Under what circumstances? How much material can you photocopy from a book and then distribute to students?
     School librarians help with these issues by teaching about and discussing fair use. Fair use is a limitation and exception within copyright law, which when applied properly, allows teachers and students to use copyrighted material on a limited basis for educational purposes. For a fun introduction to fair use, visit YouTube and view this video, “A Fair(y) Use Tale:” http://bit.ly/3JhZue.
     Copyright, however, has taken on a new form since 2001. That’s when CreativeCommons.org, in conjunction with the Center for Public Domain, created the Creative Commons license. How is Creative Commons different? It allows creators to preemptively give permission to other users to use their content with or without restrictions. Creative Commons evolved out of our new “participatory culture,” in which mash-ups, parody, and mixed-media have become common ways in which copyrighted materials have been borrowed and reused. Creative Commons gives creators more freedom to share their work with others. For more on Creative Commons, see page 2.

Collaboration and Creativity
Collaboration in this context refers to collaboration between students. We live in a collaborative culture in which information is exchanged within the blink of an eye, and school librarians are familiar with technology tools that allow students to collaborate and create new forms of writing, art, and music. Tools such as GoogleDocs and wikis allow students to work together online. Find out more on these tools, see page 2.
     School librarians can help with students’ creativity as well, by suggesting alternate forms of project outputs for curriculum assignments. For example, for a history report, a school librarian may suggest to teachers that students create an online interactive poster instead of making a cardboard one. For another assignment, students might be assigned to create a digital video instead of a slide show. Using online technologies and Web 2.0 tools can assist and transform how creativity is applied.

* * *

The Link to Creative Commons

CreativeCommons.org was created in 2001 as a way to provide creators with the power to control the ways in which they share their work with others.
     For example, say you are a photographer. You take photographs and post them on Flickr (www.flickr.com). You want others to be able to use your photographs, but not alter them, as long as they give you the credit for the photographs. Creative Commons has a license you can attach to your photos to specify that.
     Say, however, that you are a musician who writes and records your own music. You want to allow others to not only use your music, but also alter it if they choose, as long as you receive credit for the original version. CC has a license for that too.
     There are approximately 6 levels of license, and each license comes with HTML code you can insert onto a Web site to attach credit. Check out The School Library Link’s Creative Commons license at the bottom of our Web site, www.theschoollibrarylink.com. Our license allows users to copy, transmit, and reproduce this newsletter, as long as they give attribution and use it for noncommerical purposes. In education, students can use the freedoms of Creative Commons to create their own licenses to share their work with others, as well as use others’ works to create something new!

* * *

 Technology and Media Tools that Utilize the Three C's

GoogleDocs
Google has a collection of online word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet tools that you can use for free. GoogleDocs allows collaboration, because you can share documents with anyone with an email address. Users can even work on the same document at the same time from different computers. (www.google.com/docs)

Animoto
Animoto is a tool that allows users to create videos combining still images and music. A great perk to Animoto is that in addition to uploading your own photos and images, you can use copyright-free music (as well as images and video) directly from the site for use in your video. The music is available for use with permission by the artists looking to promote themselves.
(www.animoto.com)

VoiceThread
VoiceThread is a tool with which you can create interactgive presentations combining still images and your voice. Because it is online, you can work collaboratively with others to create a VoiceThread, or you can use the interactive features whereby others can contribute their comments to your VoiceThread conversations. (www.voicethread.com)

Wikis
Wikis are collaborative Web sites. Users can each contribute their own content and edit each other’s content. Some wikis allow anyone to contribute, while others only allow members to contribute. One of the most well-known wikis is Wikipedia.com.

According to professional sources, digital literacy is:Download the December PDF now!

“A person’s ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment... Literacy includes the ability to read and interpret media, to reproduce data and images through digital manipulation, and to evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from digital environments,” (Jones-Kavalier & Flannigan, 2006).

“The ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers,” (Gilster, 1997).

     Developing digital literacy is essential when so much information is being distributed via digital outlets. This includes print, audio, and video, all of which can be distributed online, as well as via digital devices such as e-readers, smart phones, and MP3 players. First we’ll look at some terms that help describe the digital culture and why becoming literate in that culture is essential. Increasingly, school librarians are educating students about their use of online information and how to learn from and use that information responsibly and creatively.

Digital Natives
“Digital natives” is the term for people who have grown up in a technological environment and who accept that environment as the norm. Digital natives feel comfortable using digital devices such as MP3 players and cell phones, and use them regularly.

Participatory Culture
A “participatory culture” is a culture in which collaboration and the exchange of ideas is frequent. The availability of digital content tools makes participatory culture possible by removing barriers to communication and creating vehicles to develop support networks.

Cloud Computing
Cloud computing refers to the servers offered by online businesses that store information outside your personal computer. For example, photo sharing sites such as Flickr and PhotoBucket offer users free digital storage for their photos. These photos are stored “in the cloud.”

Want to know more? See page 2 for helpful resources on digital literacy!

Resources
Gilster, Paul. Digital Literacy. New York: Wiley and Computer Publishing, 1997.

Jones-Kavalier, Barbara R. and Flannigan, Suzanne L. (2006). “Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century,” EDUCAUSE Quarterly Magazine, http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/ConnectingtheDigitalDotsL/39969. Accessed on December 5, 2010.

* * *

Read, Listen and Watch: Resources for Parents

Here are some useful resources in print and digital formats to learn about digital literacy and its impact on our students’ learning.

VIDEOS
“A Vision of K-12 Students Today,”
http://bit.ly/7vunzN
An interesting presentation about digital collaboration and inquiry-based learning with students.

“Did You Know 4.0?”
http://bit.ly/15I4CR
An fascinating look into how much digital information we are bombarded with, and how it has affected modern culture and events.

BOOKS
Managing Your Digital Footprint by Robert Grayson (Rosen Central, 2011)
A young-adult book about managing your digital footprint; useful for parents to read up on how your future teenager might need to manage their online information and postings.

Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation by Don Tapscott (McGraw-Hill, 1999)
Based on interviews with 300 “Net-Geners” (people ages 11-30, the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital media), Tapscott predicted how this generation would be a catalyst for change in education, recreation, family, and government.

Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World by Don Tapscott (McGraw-Hill, 2008)
A follow-up to Growing Up Digital, this book is based on surveys of 11,000 young people and explores ways in which parents, educators, and employers can tap into the Net-Generation’s potential and special skills.

AUDIO
Net @ Night #79 Interview with Don Tapscott on Grown Up Digital. Available at http://twit.tv/natn79

E-BOOK
From the Creative Minds of 21st Century Librarians, an e-book by Marilyn P. Arnone (Center for Digital Literacy, 2010). Available at http://bit.ly/covNxB
This 275-page e-book is available free from the CDL and contains dozens of lesson plans that implement the American Association of School Librarian’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner, many of which incorporate digital literacy skills.

ONLINE ARTICLE
“Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century,” EDUCAUSE Quarterly Magazine, Vol 29, No. 2, 2006 by  Barbara R. Jones-Kavalier and Suzanne L. Flannigan. Available at http://bit.ly/EEiN7
A look into the new literacies and education.

* * *

The Link to...Your Digital Footprint

The term “digital footprint” refers to the trail or traces of information that people leave behind online through e-mails and attachments, blog posts, forum registrations, and uploads of digital videos or photos, to name a few. (It can also refer to other kinds of digital information that is collected from places such as car computers, television and cable systems, and more.) Keeping an eye on your digital footprint is important for privacy, security, and even for life issues such as employment eligibility. Learn more in this video: “Digital Footprints - Your New First Impression” at http://bit.ly/1t2lxv.

Spanish edition is created with Google Translator: please notify me of any errors or omissions!

* * *

So, you’ve probably heard about the Newbery and the Caldecott Medals, right? Well, the American Library Association (ALA) actually gives out many awards for outstanding literature and media for children and young adults every year. In this issue, you can find out about a few more of them!

John Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal has been awarded annually since 1922 by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the ALA, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Randolph Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal is named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for
children.

Coretta Scott King Book Awards
Designed to commemorate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to honor Mrs. Coretta Scott King for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards annually recognize outstanding books for young adults and children by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished contribution to the body of American children’s literature known as beginning reader books published in the United States during the preceding year.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
The Sibert Award honors the most distinguished informational book published in English in the preceding year for its significant contribution to children’s literature.

Pura Belpré Award
The Pura Belpré Award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults  
An award for the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. Awarded by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of ALA).

There are many other awards and medals awarded by the ALA. Check them out at:

http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/index.cfm.

Find out more about award-winning books in your school library!

* * *

 Check Out Some 2010 Award Winners!

2010 Newbery Medal
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books, 2009)
Twelve-year-old Miranda encounters shifting friendships, a strange homeless man and mysterious notes that hint at knowledge of the future, all of which converge in a brilliantly constructed plot.


2010 Caldecott Medal
The Lion & the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown and Company, 2010)
Aesop's classic fable is retold wordlessly in the glowing colors of Pinkney's textured watercolor illustrations.


2010 Coretta Scott King Book Award
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshall by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Carolrhoda Books, 2009).
Born into slavery in 1838, Bass had a hard life and a strong sense of right and wrong. As was one of the most feared and respected lawman in Indian Territory, Bass made more than 3,000 arrests but killed only fourteen men.

Pura Belpré Award
Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (Random House Children’s Books, 2010)
Julia Alvarez explores the thin line that separates American citizens and undocumented persons in her brilliantly told novel. After Tyler's father is unable to maintain the family farm, he hires undocumented workers, resulting in an interdependent relationship that mirrors current social and political conditions in the United States. Alvarez humanizes a situation by giving a
voice to millions of immigrants experiencing similar hardships.

2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! wriitten and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes (Candlewick Press, 2009)
In this graphic novel designed for young readers, siblings Benny and Penny encounter trouble when curiosity about a mysterious neighbor leads them into unexpected adventures.

2010 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick Press, 2009)
Women in space took more than 20 years at NASA to become a reality! This is the story of the women aviators and aspiring astronauts known as the “Mercury 13” who, in the early 1960's repeatedly proved themselves capable but could not overcome prevailing prejudices. This meticulously researched and handsomely illustrated book contains an insightful, passionately written history complemented with archival materials.

2010 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults 

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 2009)
After creating a list of the pros and cons of marriage, science-minded Charles Darwin chooses to marry his strictly religious first cousin. Little does he know that he is about to embark upon the most loving, creative, and intellectually important relationship of his life.c

Information Literacy is the ability to articulate your information need; identify, locate and access appropriate sources of information to meet the need; effectively use information sources; critically and ethically apply the information; and finally, determine if the information inquiry was answered.

* * *

The Link to...Research Web Sites for Kids

Looking for a few good Web sites? The American Library Association (ALA) and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) hosts a Web page listing recommended Web pages for kids and teens. The sites are listed by Animals, The Arts, History & Biography, Literature & Languages, Mathematics & Computers, Sciences, and Social Sciences. They even have a “Reference Desk.” In addition, the Web sites are coded for recomended age levels! Visit http://bit.ly/cfKaLX (a shortened Web address to get you to the ALA site).

* * *

Isn’t Everything Online True? Discussing What’s Real and What’s Not on the Web

One of the biggest challenges about using the Internet for research, both for children and adults, is being able to tell what’s factual and what’s not. Let’s face it, some Web sites contain more opinion that fact, and more misinformation than verified. Children and young adults often think that whatever looks professional online must be true. Here are some tips to help you and your children evaluate Web sites to make sure they are good sources of information.

1. When you look at a Web site, look past the design and domain name. Your first stop should be the author of the Web site. Who wrote this information? What are his or her credentials?
2. Double-check your facts. Never use only one Web site to do research! Always use several sources of information to verify facts.
3. Use different search engines, rather than just Google. Try these search engines, which have been designed using reliable, kid-friendly Web site results: www.kidsclick.org, kids.yahoo.com, and www.askkids.com.
4. Ask your school librarian for help! Many school librarians keep Web bookmarks of trustworthy and factual Web sites that are useful for common research questions.

* * *

 Quiz Your Kids: Parts of a Nonfiction Book

Match the terms!

A. Table of contents

B. Heading

C. Subhead

D. Index

E. Caption

F. Bold type

G. Italic type

H. Table

1. A list of alphabetical terms at the back
    of a book that helps you find information.
2. Some words appear darker than other
    words because they are important.
3. A box with columns and rows that
    contains information.
4. A list in the beginning of the book that
    names the chapters in the book.
5. Smaller titles above paragraphs that call
     attention to the material in that section.
F. Bold type    6. Words in this type appear more
    “squiggly” than the rest to identify
    important or unusual words.
G. Italic type    7. A chapter or section title that is usually
    at the top of the page.
8. A small area of text beneath a picture
    that describes that picture is.

Answer Key: A4; B7; C5; D1; E8; F2; G6; H3

Download PDF now!

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The Link to... Reading Aloud, Reading Together

Here are some great books about how to find good stories to read aloud, how to read them, and where to find even more resources!
What to Read When: The Books and Stories to Read to Your Child--and All the Best Times to Read Them by Pam Allyn (Penguin Books, 2009).
In this book, Pam Allyn, the director of the literacy organization, LitLife, celebrates the value of reading aloud and offers strategies on how to make it part of your regular routine. This book includes a section on “How to Read Aloud,” which teaches parents how to read to children so they are engaged and responsive. It also includes a “reader’s ladder” of titles for children from birth to age 10, as well as lists of recommended books in 50 selected themes.
Hey! Listen to This: Stories to Read Aloud by Jim Trelease (Penguin Books, 1992).
Jim Trelease, author of the bestselling The
Read-Aloud Handbook (Penguin Books, 2006),
has compiled an anthology of 50 selections perfect for reading aloud. Aimed at grades K-4, some selections are complete stories while others are chapters from novels. Each piece is introduced by Trelease with some background, and is completed with suggestions for follow-up reading.

* * *

Online Resources for Family Reading

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) has a great Web site on all things reading. It has a useful section for parents who are looking for tips on motivating kids to read, choosing good books, reading aloud, and much more.
Visit www.rif.org/parents/

On the Reading Rockets Web site, parents can learn about finding just the right books, fun activities to couple with reading, and how to build literacy skills at home.
Visit www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents

The U.S. Department of Education has a collection of articles to help parents with helping your child be ready to read, strategies for creating strong readers, and the five essential components of reading.

Visit www2.ed.gov/parents/read/resources/readingtips/index.html

Anderson, R. C., Hiebert E. H., Scott  J. A., & Wilkinson I. A. G. (1985). Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading [; ERIC]. Washington D.C.: US Department of Education, National Institute on Education.

     This report written for the US Department of Education examines independent reading.  Researchers found that the amount of reading done outside of school was consistently related to gains in reading achievement. Kids to engage in more reading on their own when they have greater access to books, which is another crucial reason to visit your public library this summer!  
Read the article online:
http://tinyurl.com/3xscpu2

Ed.gov, Pressroom (2009, June). Retrieved June 1, 2010, from Ed.gov web site
View the video online:
http://tinyurl.com/2ws3vzz

This video is an interview with the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, posted by the United States Education Department, in which Duncan addresses the need for more time to properly educate students.  Duncan stresses that summer learning loss is a giant step backward for disadvantaged children.

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The Link to...Web Sites that Support Summer Reading!

Three Ways to Prevent Summer Slide

This article on Scholastic.com covers how to select books that your kids will be excited about reading and the importance of reading aloud.
Read the article online:
http://tinyurl.com/23hetx3

2010 Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

Barnes and Noble has an online summer reading program where kids can register and keep track of the books they read with BN’s Passport software. After reading 8 books, you earn a free book!  The site also has a Parent Activity kit available for free download to encourage reading.
Check it out here:
http://tinyurl.com/35cncej

NEH Summertime Favorites

The National Endowment for the Humanities posts “Summertime Favorites,” a list of recommended reading, highlighting classic literature for young people from kindergarten through high school.

Check out some kids’ classics here: http://tinyurl.com/kwi4

2010 Notable Children's Books

Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
identifies the best of the best in children's books! Check out some award-winners
and other highly recommended books
for kids here:
http://tinyurl.com/yk9u6te

Reading Rockets Summer Reading Tips

Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read and how parents and teachers can help. Reading Rockets is an educational initiative of WETA and is funded by a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. This page on ReadingRockets.com includes a summer reading webcast, parent tips, recommended summer reading, and much more!  Visit http://tinyurl.com/2ercoxl

Stay Tuned for the next season of
The School Library Link in September 2010!