Read Across America
September 2007 E-Newsletter
Head Back to School with Exciting New Resources from Thinkfinity!
Bring rich, exciting, and relevant ideas to your classroom this fall with new resources from Thinkfinity. These "endless possibilities for learning" include an interactive graphic organizer for outlining comparative essays; a lesson on Pearl S. Buck's views on immigration in the 1930s; a lesson about the benefits of recycling; a lesson on the symmetry and transformation behind Archimedes' Puzzle; and much, much more. Thinkfinity's comprehensive collection of resources, along with free professional development, enables learning to happen across the country every day. Visit www.thinkfinity.org/.
Tennis Champion and Book Lover Nicole Vaidisova Teams Up with Get Caught Reading
Get Caught Reading is a nationwide public service campaign launched by the Association of American Publishers to promote the joy of reading. The cornerstone of the campaign enlists public figures "getting caught reading" their favorite titles, with posters available at no charge to booksellers, librarians, and educators across the country. U.S. tennis star Nicole Vaidisova is the latest celebrity to sign on to promote the joy of books and reading to children of all ages. To learn more about Get Caught Reading, go to www.getcaughtreading.org/.
Adopt A Classroom in the Gulf Coast!
Working with NEA's Books Across America initiative, The Heart of America Foundation® Adopt A School project has provided over 300,000 books to Gulf Coast schools and students in need with the support of NEA members. Students from more than 350 NEA member schools in 49 states have participated in this effort to aid those affected by the 2005 hurricanes.
However, there are still many classrooms waiting to receive new books. Your help is crucial to the continued success of this program. You can Adopt A Classroom in the Gulf Coast by collecting as few as 20 brand new or like new books. To register your book drive online please go to www.heartofamerica.org/adoptaschool_donor.asp. The Heart of America will match you with a classroom in need. We invite you to learn more about the great things NEA members have done to help students in need and what you can do to contribute at www.heartofamerica.org/hurricane_relief.htm.
Jumpstart Launches National Reading Campaign to Raise Money for Early Education in Low-Income Communities
Through its "Read for the Record" campaign, Jumpstart, a national nonprofit organization focused on intervening early in the lives of at-risk children through intensive early education programs, is asking Americans to support early education opportunities for all children by reading the official campaign book, The Story of Ferdinand, together on September 20, 2007, to break the record for the largest shared reading experience ever, which was set by 150,000 people on August 24, 2006, during the inaugural year of Jumpstart's "Read for the Record" campaign. In addition to creating an exciting reason for children and adults to celebrate reading together, Jumpstart's "Read for the Record" is an innovative fundraising campaign aimed at supporting Jumpstart's work with children in low-income communities. For more information, go to www.readfortherecord.com/.
Books of Hope
The Memory Project, a Read Across America partner, is proud to be affiliated with Books of Hope, a unique service-learning opportunity in which students of all ages are invited to create books for children from around the world who face extreme physical and emotional hardships. The books are delivered to children living in countries where English is the primary language of education and commerce. Thus, learning to read English is an essential part of their education, and education is their best hope for a better future. To learn more about Books of Hope and the Memory Project, please visit www.thememoryproject.org/booksofhope.html.
Be One for the Books!
Reading is Fundamental Inc. and Macy's have teamed up to create "Be One for the Books," to help the many children who lack adequate access to books and who are at the greatest risk for reading difficulties. To find out how Macy's customers can donate $3 to RIF to help more children and families discover the joy of reading, go to www.beoneforthebooks.com.
Choose Your Own Adventure® from Reading Is Fundamental
School is back in session and it's more important than ever to make time for reading and writing. RIF has plenty of ways to get children in the back-to-school groove, both at home and at school. Teachers, start by participating in RIF 's Choose Your Own Adventure® Class Writing Contest. This fall, haveyour students write a Choose Your Own Adventure story as a class. Their story could be judged by R.A. Montgomery, cocreator and author of the series, and you could win autographed books for your entire class and other great prizes! For further information, visit www.rif.org/educators/activities/cyoa_contest.mspx.
Also, check out RIF' s back-to-school guide at www.rif.org/school.mspx, which includes lesson ideas for educators, tips for parents and fun booklists for kids.
A Chance to Read and a Chance to Shop from Reading Rockets
For generations, many people have assumed that children with disabilities will never learn to read—so they never give them a chance. "A Chance to Read," the newest program in the PBS Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers series, is hosted by Molly Ringwald and highlights new strategies driven by emerging research that shows what schools are doing across the country to help children with disabilities find reading success. To watch and learn from amazing kids, parents, researchers, and teachers in New Mexico, Minnesota, Georgia, and Texas who are working to give every child a chance to read, check your local PBS listings this fall or visit www.readingrockets.org.
In addition to "A Chance to Read," Reading Rockets has another back-to-school offering just for subscribers to NEA's Read Across America e-newsletter—a chance to shop at the Learning Storewith a special discount. You might spruce up your school wardrobe with the silver finish Braille bracelet (printed letters of the alphabet inscribed on one side and the corresponding Braille symbols on the other side) or take advantage of some of the best professional development products available. To save 10 percent on your order, just type raa0807 in the coupon code field at checkout.
Teen Read WeekTM is October 14–20, 2007
Teen Read Week™, a national literacy initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association, is aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, and educators. This year's theme is "LOL@ your library®." Registration and participation are free, so sign up today. Products are available for purchase to help you promote Teen Read Week and your activities, but you are not required to purchase anything to participate. Sign up early and be eligible to receive free audiotapes and galleys of new books, check out www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2007/trw07.htm for more information.
Read All About Adolescent Literacy on AdLit.org
AdLit.org, an educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C., is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and by the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation. Beginning in October, AdLit.org will offer research-based articles, instructional material for classroom teachers, tips for parents, book recommendations, exclusive interviews with top authors, and much more, making it the premier source of adolescent literacy material for parents, practitioners, and anyone else with a commitment to helping students in grades 4 through 12 become better readers. For more information, visit www.adlit.org/.
When You Read with a Child, Everybody Wins!
In the U.S. today, a stark disparity exists between the reading abilities of low-income and higher-income children. EVERYBODY WINS! is a national literacy and mentoring nonprofit proven to build the skills and love of reading among low-income elementary students. By bringing volunteer mentors into schools for weekly one-on-one reading experiences, everybody wins!— children, schools, volunteers, their companies and ultimately, society. The EVERYBODY WINS! equation is simple—one mentor, one child, one book at a time—but has a profound impact. Get ready for the new school year, organize an EVERYBODY WINS! program at your work place, start by visiting www.everybodywins.org/.
First Book Celebrates 15 years of Giving Children in Need the Opportunity to Read and Own their First New Books
Books stir the senses, inspire the imagination, and spark a love of reading that can last a lifetime. This summer, First Book, a Read Across America partner, celebrated 15 years of giving 50 million new books to children from low-income families who have no books at home or in the child care centers they attend. First Book asked visitors to its Web site what books got them hooked on reading. To find out more, go to www.firstbook.org/site/c.lwKYJ8NVJvF/b.674095/k.CC09/Home.htm.
The National Center for Family Literacy Offers Tools for Literacy Programs
The National Center for Family Literacy supports dedicated teachers, administrators, and volunteers across the nation who work every day to strengthen families by putting them at the forefront of educational reform through literacy instruction. Visit www.famlit.org/site/c.gtJWJdMQIsE/b.1204561/k.BD7C/Home.htm.
Low-Income Children Need Summer Learning, Study Finds
New research underscores the importance of the summer learning programs that many afterschool programs organize and run. In Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap, released in the spring of 2007, Johns Hopkins University sociologists Karl Alexander, Doris Entwisle, and Linda Steffel Olson find that the difference in children's academic success can be explained, in large part, by their summer activities. For more on this study, go to www.afterschoolalliance.org/news_events.cfm?volume_number=8&issue_number=7#4000648.
Mark Your Calendars:
October 26 – Youth Leaders for Literacy Deadline
Youth Leaders for Literacy is an initiative of the National Education Association and Youth Service America to help youth direct their enthusiasm and creativity into reading-related service projects. The NEA will be awarding 20 grants of $500 each to youth-led literacy projects that begin March 3, Read Across America Day and end April 25-27, Global Youth Service Day. Go to www.nea.org/readacross/ volunteer/index.html for an application.
November 12 – NEA's Books Across America Library Books Awards deadline
The NEA Foundation, in collaboration with NEA, will make $1,000 awards to public schools serving economically disadvantaged students to purchase books for school libraries. The 2008 NEA's Books Across America Library Books Awards are made possible with support from individuals who donated to NEA's Books Across America fund to bring the gift of reading to students. Deadline for applications is Monday, November 12, 2007. For more information and eligibility criteria, go to http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/
BAA_2007.htm.
March 3, 2008 – Read Across America Day
It's never too early to plan for next year's Read Across America Day celebration. Here are some tips to remember:
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