The Library for Struggling Readers/ Pt. 1

This way to the Bedford Public Library.

Although my classroom was considered a total loss, our library rode out the storm with all of our collection in tact.   If I had ever to choose between the survival of the two, the library would win every time.  

If you have not yet created an alliance with your librarian, now is the time to rethink your relationship.   If you are a language arts teacher, your librarian can make your job a whole lot easier for you.   I know that sounds tantalizing.

The middle school has a big case of middle child syndrome.   And being in the middle means that some kids are really more "high school" or more "elementary school" when it comes to literacy, so the library has to be all-inclusive and downright spectacular.   There needs to be something in your library for every one of your students to read independently and successfully.

There's something called the ZPD in the educational world...the Zone of Proximal Development.   Stay with me; it's simple to grasp.   There's a range in which each reader can function independently and grow.   Additionally, there's a higher range in which each reader can function with support and grow.   In math terms, you would not hand a child who had conquered pre-algebra a math analysis text and expect mastery without providing support.  

It's also good to remember that your struggling readers are hungry for success, even if they don't show it.   How would you feel about getting on the school bus every day to go to a place that pushed you past your frustration level hour by hour, a place where you never felt like you knew anything, a place where it looked like no one was having the difficulties you were having and a place that gave yearly standardized tests that you consistently failed in spite of your best efforts?   That sure could eat away at my soul.

I'm not saying that schools should lower our standards, but as teachers, we need to meet struggling kids where they are when it comes to independent reading.   Leave whole-class instruction for stretching them...at least until they get their sea-legs.   Give them some pre-reading strategies to help them tackle the stories in the literature book.   Model the skills that a good reader possesses.   Eighth grade is year that we need to zoom below-level readers as close to being on-level readers a.s.a.p.   The high school literature book waits for no one.   You know that for sure!

By eighth grade, most teens have entered the developmental stage during which they want to start focusing on who they are and what they think about their world.   This is why the teen problem novels fly off of the shelves.   It doesn't matter that the problem is not the reader's current problem; they want to see realistic portrayals of teens negotiating the world independently.   You'll notice that young adult novels are often devoid of adult main characters.   This would be too easy.   In reality, most children do have some adult role models to turn to for help, but in literature, readers want to see characters solve problems on their own.

If you have limited library funds, I would start with the teen problem novel to beef up your collection for 8th graders.   You would also need to investigate high-interest/ low-level books.   Now, teen problem novels aren't always great literature, but sometimes they are.   So, don't turn your nose up at them too soon...at least, not in front of the students.   The Hi/Lo Bluford Series of books is well-loved by many students who are not quite ready for reading a longer novel on their own.   Girls love Sarah Dessen, Lurlene McDaniel, Beatrice Sparks and Jacqueline Woodson.   Boys love Gordon Korman, R.L. Stein, Neal Shusterman, Dav Pilkey and Todd Strasser.   And vampires...anything short with vampires, since Twilight is probably too big for them right now.   Besides, they already saw the movie.

If you are really low on library funds, then focus on Gordon Korman.   His writing covers a lot of ground, and girls will read his books.   If you are choosing a title for a novel study, No More Dead Dogs will appeal to a variety of readers.    Here's his official website: http://www.gordonkorman.com/

In closing, everyone loves to be able to decide how they would like to spend their days.   For the most part, school is not designed that way, nor would it be able to function successfully that way.   Creating a time for free-choice self-selected reading (within reason, of course) helps teens on their journey to self-discovery.   It gives them practice in decision-making and a voice in their course of study.   By meeting them where they are, we honor who they are today.  

Note: If your school is looking for an assessment to identify students' reading levels, I recommend the Gates-MacGinitie.   It gives you a vocabulary and comprehension level separately.   Ignore the composite score because it can muddy the issue.   It's a great tool to measure growth from year to year.  
Find more information here:  http://www.riversidepublishing.com/products/gmrt/index.html

Lights, Camera...Flip-O-Rama!

If I had to choose my all-time favorite teaching technology, it would be the AVerVision document camera that I used daily.   It was school property, so I'm sure that it will be replaced once the insurance dust settles.  Let me put it this way for my mathlete friends: 

Making my life easier + enriching instruction for my students = True Love

In order to operate this tool successfully, you will need some type of projection device and screen.   You will need all of the right cables.   And, if you're like me, you will need someone who's smarter and more patient than you are about disconnecting and reconnecting that dusty tangle of cords behind your teacher computer and figuring out where the new cords go.

What does a document camera do?  

The basic document camera can reproduce and image in real time.   When connected to a presenter, the image can be projected onto a screen, or a white board.  

For example, if I open a book under the camera, the image on the screen will show my hands opening the book as it happens.  

If I am modeling a writing exercise with paper and pencil, students can see my hand move across the notebook as words appear.  

Say six of your classes like to play the Jumble, and you only have one copy of the newspaper, project the Jumble onto a white board.   Allow students to use dry erase markers to solve the puzzle as a class.  

If you don't want to spend your time, money and energy making transparencies, simply place what would have been your master under the document camera.   Voila!   Instant transparency.

Play Boggle as a class for fun.  

Additionally, you may project whatever is on the attached computer's monitor.  

Say you want to show your class that great YouTube video, Julian Smith's "I'm Reading a Book."   You can do that easily!    

Do your students ever have to practice timed readings?   You can show them a free online stopwatch while they work, so they can record their own time. ( http://www.online-stopwatch.com/)

Project art and photographs for visual writing prompts.

Perhaps you already have a DVD/ VCR combo attached to your presenter.   The document camera can also be set up without having to plug/unplug any of the devices to use them.   You switch back and forth with the touch of a button.

Please note:

When you are using this technology, close out anything personal on your computer, especially e-mail.   Sometimes if a child bumps the cart and jiggles the connection, or if you start it up thinking that it is on the camera setting, but it's really on the computer setting...   Well, you get my drift.  

Also, if you are doing a read-aloud from a children's book with shiny pages, there will be glare.   It's perfect for reading Captain Underpants because the camera will also magnify the comics.   There's nothing cooler than seeing Dav Pilkey's Flip-O-Rama on the big screen.   Tra La Laaaaa!  

If you write reminders on the top of your hand because you tend to lose/launder any reminder notes you scrawl, and you firmly believe that if something separates your hand from the rest of your body, you probably won't get around to that list anytime soon-- you are one of my kind, and those reminders will also be magnified for all to see.

And, yes, if left unattended, children will put their faces under the camera so you can see up their noses.   But..I didn't need to tell you that.

There are fancier versions than the one I had, and like all technology, the prices change as models age.   You may find out that your school already has one just waiting for someone brave to use it.

Here's a link to the company's website, so you can see the cameras for yourself:
http://www.averusa.com/presentation/document_camera_F50.asp