Value of reading, presenting to PTO

[Johanna Halbeisen Rebecca Johnson School]

Netters,
        You were wonderful in helping me think through my circulation
system.  Help me now with this:  I will do a presentation to the PTO on the
value of reading.  I have Stephen Krashen's book, _The Power of Reading_ and
I have the Colorado report (The IMpact of SLMC on Academic Achievement).
Anything else you know of that might be useful?  Any other things you've
found useful in talking to the parents about the value of reading? (Fear
not, I will not read from the above-mentioned books, only talk about their
conclusions.)
        Actually, talking to this PTO (which is very small) is preaching to
the converted, I suspect.  I want to plan for a many-year-long compaign to
get parents (and teachers) to read more to the kids and to get kids to read
more.  Any and all suggestions welcome.  This is in the Long Range Planning
category (I'm in my first year at this brand new school). My school is in
the inner city, 40% of my kids are black, 30% Hispanic (and many of those in
bilingual classes.)  I have ditched teaching anything but the most basic of
library skills and focus now on getting the kids interested in reading.
Book talks and reading to them are my main tools.  But I'm one library
teacher in a school of 1,000, no aides.  Uphill...
--
Johanna Halbeisen, LMS                  We are confronted by
Rebecca M. Johnson School(k-8)          insurmountable opportunites.
Springfield, Massachusetts                              Pogo
jhalbei@k12.ucs.umass.edu