HIT>HS Reading Promotionals

[Betty Dawn Hamilton <bhamilt@TENET.EDU>]

Group,

I received some excellent suggestions for promoting reading among high
school students.  Several people asked for a summary, so here it is.  If
you want to add to this, I'm sure all of us will enjoy other ideas that
you have.

I am delighted with the results.  I have asked the reading and English
departments to be sure to include me at their next departmental meeting so
I can discuss the ideas with them.  (At Middle School I was *required* to
be at most of the departmental meetings because I was on the SBDM
committee and I talked the others into including me as a requirement.  If
my attending was a requirement, teachers didn't have to wonder what I was
doing there.  I haven't been back at high school long enough to build that
confidence in my colleagues yet.)

Thanks for all replies.  I am looking forward to more inspiration in this
area!

Betty
                            bhamilt@tenet.edu
Betty Hamilton, LRS             .----.
Brownfield High School LMC      |    |                Home:
701 Cub Drive, North        ____|*    ~~~~~~.         911 East Oak St.
Brownfield, Texas  79316    \               |         Brownfield, TX 79316
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Subject: Re: <TARGET> High School Reading Promotionals

From Pamela Gibb:

In my K-12 school I have tried this year promoting reading by:

     We promote themes each month.

     By reading featured books they may earn extra credit in related
        classes (Science class for science Biographies, etc.) AND
        earn a poster for reading 4 featured books.

                I got great posters "dirt-cheap" at an end-of-year
                book fair warehouse sale.

     Reading has picked up a bit, but time will tell.  I just began it
     several months ago.
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From: "Rachel H. Carlson" <rcarlso@eis.calstate.edu>

Betty - I've used two reading "promotionals" successfully in my H. S.
library.  One is the California Young Reader Medal Program, a wonderful
program sponsered by CMLEA, Cal. Reading Asso., Ca. Asso. of Tchrs. of
English, and CLA.  Books are nominated each year by teachers & students
and then students read and vote on their favorite books.  Upwards of half
a million kids in CA participate.

My take on this was to invite teachers to have their classes read the books; the
 n
I sponsored a multimedia contest in the media center.  I went to classes,
booktalked the books, and introduced the contest.  When kids finished reading,
they produced a project depicting a theme, a character, or whatever, in some
medium: painting, sculpture, mobile, video, etc.  Prizes, many donated by local
merchants, were gift certificates to book stores, and other goodies.

Teachers, board members, administrators were judges; a big awards
celebration concluded the event.  Result:  Kids were turned on to good YA
lit. (There are 4 categories: Primary, Intermediate, Jr. Hi., YA.)  The
authors of the winning books are awarded recognition at the annual
convention of the sponsoring organizations. If you don't have a similar
statewide program, why not do a small scale program of your own?

Second project:  I staged a spring book fair, scheduled classes in, etc.
Profits (monetary) weren't huge, but profits (intangible) were great.  In
conjunction w/the book fair, I had at least one author, usually quite
well-known (lucky me--several live in the area and are willing):
Theodore Taylor, etc.  Kids really respond to their presentations. It's a
big turn-on.  One year I was also able to invite a poetry performance
group whose act went over really well and who provided a staff training
session as well.

Now that the district has cut librarians (we each have two schools to
run), it's pretty difficult to do these things anymore, although at one
school the reading teacher does the book fair.

If you want more info.on the Young Reader Medal or whatever, email me a
message.  Happy to respond.

Rachel Carlson - Huntington Beach (CA) U.H.S.D.
rcarlso@eis.calstate.edu
*****************************************************************
From: Leslie Jeanne Cron <cron@tenet.edu>

Betty,
     I am the media specialist at Bartlett High School and I do something
so simple that I 'm really not even sure why it works:  I keep a
ringbinder notebook out that has the grades divided.  In the sections I
keep a chart of everyone that has read a book.  When they are finished
with one they write the name, author, and give it their own personal
rating.  After reading 10 books they are elligible to go on a field trip
that I personally take them on...the field trip involves going to the
mall, going ice skating at the rink, and out to eat pizza. They love it.
I have some kids that say they only read because of this ....whatever works!!

I started working here 3 years ago and before I came there was no
librarian and the books were mostly in the 60's.  I have added a lot of
paperbacks that the kids love to read.  I get all the Steven King books
and Dean Koontz.  I know these are controversial, but the kids are reading
for the first time.  I believe they will graduate themselves to more
sophisticated books.  Let me know the other good ideas that you get.
******************************************************
From: bbvschlib@shrsys.hslc.org

I have Electronic Bookshelf and a neighboring school has
Accelerated Reader.  She hasn't been able to get hers running on
her computers.  I have Electronic Bookshelf working on a Lantasti
network system and a IBM computer in a reading classroom.

     I am a 7-12 high school (550 students) media specialist. I
have what I consider a unique program.  Every period I have 5
students (35 total) in my independent reading program.  The
students are from grades 9-12.  The course is pass/fail and the
students recieve a humanities credit.  In order to pass, the
student has to read 9 points worth of books every nine weeks.

I allow the student to write questions for one book a nine weeks.
I approve the book (it has to be from our library, it has to be
one that other students will read, and I assign the point value
based on length and readibility.), the student writes the
questions and answers.  I edit and return the questions.  The
student rewrites the questions and makes new ones if needed.  The
student then gets the assigned point value of the book plus two
points for writing the questions.  The student types the
questions into the computer (30 questions) and gets the points.

This encourages higher thinking skill levels than answering the
questions.  It is not difficult to administer and is great for
learning disability students.  When their IEP'S are written,
their pass scores are changed.  I have three students with severe
reading problems who have read whole books for the first time in
their life.

The 7th and 8th grade reading teacher also uses the program.  I don't
particularly care for how he uses the program but the students do read.  Right
now I'm very worried because our school has two challenges.  The books are on th
 e
reading list for independent reading class and the 7th and 8th grade reading
lists.  See LM_NET Help Janet messages.

I've gotten students who fail (2 nine week F's but no one has failed for
the year) as well as great successes (NOTHING beats the face of a student
who always fails reading when he passes his first test!).  It helps the
atmosphere of the library to have 5 students who are reading every period.
The student evaluations of the class are very encouraging.  If the students
have homework they need to do or research they want to do I let them with
the explanation that independent means you decide when just so you do it.
The older  students love that freedom of choice and read.  It's my second
year of running this class and I can only say positive things
about the whole project.

     Since I can't post to LM_NET due to technical problems
please feel free to edit this message and post it.  It really has
worked well.  I plan on sending this letter to several people so
if you decide to post it check LM_NET first.

Janet Johns
Berlin Brothersvalley High School
1025 E. Main Street
Berlin, Pa. 15530
email  bbvschlib@hslc.org
Phone/fax  814-445-2967
***********************************************
From: Elizabeth Anne Polk <epolk@tenet.edu>

Betty, one of our high schools, Anderson High School, gives letter jackets
for academic achievement but not just for reading.  Sorry, I don't know
any details though.
********************************************************
[This isn't *exactly* reading "promotionals," but it *does* promote
reading!  (BH)]

From: JGRASELA@UMASSD.EDU

I am looking for information concerning summer reading programs at the high
school level.  Our school is attempting to re-institute a summer reading
requirement, and I am wondering if many schools still have such a
requirement.

My next question concerns correcting of tests/book reports from the summer
reading program.  If you have such a program, who is responsible for
correcting?  Our English Department is offering some resistence to the
assumption that they alone would be responsible.  They feel it is a school-
wide responsibility - and I agree.  How does your school handle this?

Also, how long is your reading list(s)? Number of items?

Does your library allow students to check out books for the summer?

Thanks
--
Jim Grasela                          Apponequet Regional High School
School Library Media Specialist      Lakeville, MA 02347
JGRASELA@UMASSD.EDU
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