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Many thanks to all of you who replied with enthusiasm and good ideas about
reaching middle schoolers with the joy of books and reading.  A number of
you expressed concern over the effects a shifting emphasis to technology is
having on these students and their reading habits.

Betty Hamilton (bhamilt@tenet.edu) said that, in a recent magazine article
(_Education Digest_?), the author says that writing and reading a computer
screen is not *real* reading -- it's a new kind of communication.  There
are seldom long, ongoing plots and descriptive passages on the computer, so
in a sense, we are probably shortening the attention span even more with
our "quick dips" into conversation.  It is an excellent medium for
developing thinking skills "on your feet", but not for absorbing lots of
information vicariously through sustained reading of a book.

Linda Ellis (laellis@tenet.edu)
**We are the fiddler on the roof, trying to pluck out a tune, while keeping
our balance among our many duties.**
It all boils down to the personality of the librarian.  If we are
enthusiastic, gladly share comments on books, proudly lead browsers to new
arrivals, and ask them to "read this book and tell me if its a good
choice", it is easier for them to see that reading is a pleasurably
activity.

Some suggested "fiddles" for plucking out the reading tune:

Joy Branham (tnl_jbranham@pstcc.cc.tn.us)
*Read to them!  If you can possibly manage it, it is something to try for.
I know they may look like rough tough kids at that age, but they're still
kids, and they respond to a good story if you have built up a rapport with
them.

Priscilla Bennett (pbennett@sun.cc.westga.edu)
*Book talks are always sure fire.
*Book Fairs

Linda Ramsey (lramsey@bigcat.missouri.edu)
*Electronic Bookshelf has stimulated our reading program.  Our Language
Arts teachers all incorporate its use in the curriculum
*There is no substitute for animated discussion about "good books".

Ginny McKee (ginnyme@dsl.rhilinet.gov)
*Invite the children's librarian from your public library to come in and
book-talk some good titles.  This introduces her to your students and gives
another view of reading.
*Solicit ideas from older students who were good readers...what would they
recommend...have the students at the end of this year put together a list
for next year's class...

(JackM28077@aol.com)
*I use author of the month.  I am always doing informal book talks.  All
kinds of displays are helpful, based on all themes.  I also order a lot of
books from Bound to Stay Bound -- they send the extra covers for bul.
boards and displays.  When a teacher assigns a book report on a certain
topic, I booktalk and pull boks on that subject for the students.

Linda Ramsey
*We also have some awesome upbeat posters from ALA, and I actually think
they make an impact.  When the students see some of their hero/heroines
under the word READ, we can hope that the message gets through.

Connie Williams (cowilli@eis.calstate.edu)
*Middle School is definitely the last chance we often have to "grab"
lifelong readers.  Luckily at our school, we have a class, one semester,
for ALL seventh grade students called Young Adult Literature: reading,
developing projects for the books they read, giving book talks. We have
found that including free choice reading without having to write reports
can help.
*We have silent reading also.
*Author visits help a lot; and book talks in English & History classes.
*Reading circles or book clubs generate some interest.

Catie Somers (somersc@aol.com)
*We have tried Caught Reading awards every month.  We have silent sustained
reading for 20 minutes a day.  Calvin and Hobbes awards were created.  We
gave six ticket to every teacher of the reading period to give out during
the month.  These are turned into the library for prizes.  We draw out
about 20 kids a month this way.  The students like it.

(kwilliam@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu)
*I recently finished a "Book-A-Month Club" incentive.  Each month the
student must read at least one book and then fill out a provided form.  I
post their names and a check for each book read under the corresponding
month.  At the end of the semester all the kids who read at least one book
per month are invited to a pizza party.  It's been very successful and has
allowed me to see what the students are reading and help make book
selections to "upgrade" their reading.

Russell Smith (rssmith@tenet.edu)
I service 143 campuses and one of the most successful reading incentives I
see in use is the Accelerated Reader program.

Kathleen Ellis (kellis@llwnet.ll.pbs.org)
*I have instituted a program called Bookland.  It has been in progress for
the last 5 years (we have grades 5-12).  Students in grades 5 read a book a
month from various genres.  Since students are free to pick, it gives them
some latitude.  I work closely with the classroom teachers so that there is
accountability.  We keep track in a "passport" the teachers create,
complete with picture of the bearer.  Each month's reading is acknowledged
with a special stamp depending on the kind of book read.  The teachers now
do most of the preparation.  My assistant and I meet with the students in
small groups weekly to simply share their books.  Often, we begin our
sessions with a ten minute quiet reading or journal writing.  The kids love
this.

Lawanda Dale (dalelj@dover.afsc.k12.ar.us)
*Maybe we need to focus on ways we can help those interested parents, to
reinforce them, in finding ways they can encourage reading at home.
With my two sons, when they were in middle school, we came up with a unique
plan: for every "worthy" book they read they were allowed to watch a video.
We did something similar with piano practicing vs Nintendo.  Today my sons
are 19 and 22 and love to read.  It took time on my part to document books
read, etc., but God never promised us life would be a bed of roses when we
chose to become parents.

Pat Turner (pturner@mail.public.lib.ga.us)
*I also get discouraged about kids only wanting to read R.L.Stein.  Then, I
tell myself at least they are reading.

*A final good suggestion is to highlight and be involved in selection of
the book to win your state's child-selected book or author award.  We read
book from the consideration list aloud to classes and encourage other
teachers to do likewise, students read them, and a final program features
student book reviewers (sometimes in costume) telling all classes about
each of the books.  We vote our choice, and wait with interest for results
of the state-wide tally.   Katharine Bruner
(brunerk@ten-nash.ten.k12.tn.us)


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