Dear Valerie,
I am posting this to the list because I think it is a great topic.
I have an BA in elementary ed, along with my library degree. And I've been a
school librarian for twenty years, one in a k-5 school, 7 in a 5th-8th grade
school, and the rest in my present position 1st thru 3rd. I hope that
qualifies me to address your question.
My job is not to TEACH reading. My job is to get the kids interested and
excited about all the wonderful stories that are in books. I do this by
showing them a Curious George doll, talking about the word Curious, reading
Curious George, showing a claymation video of the same story, talking about
other Curious George books, showing the kids how to find the book on the
library shelves by looking for the first letter of the author's last name in
the picture book section and encouraging them to borrow the books. I am the
Curious George Cheerleader!!
The next week I am the Arthur cheerleader. What wonderful stories! You can
see them on tv! You can do fun games on the internet. You can hold my Arthur
and DW dolls! We can watch a movie about Marc Brown!
Then I am the alphabetical order cheerleader! Order is the key to the
library and YOU can find anything you want in the picture books if you just
know the alphabet!
And there is Franklin the Turtle! The Three Little Pigs! Officer Buckle and
Gloria! Frog and Toad! Little Critter!
If you are excited about your books and your program the kids will be
excited about reading, excited about coming to see you and borrowing your
wonderful books. They will beg adults to read to them and eventually they
will read.
I will send you my curriculum if you want. Give me you address and I'll mail
it to you snail mail.
Karen DeFrank, LMS
Bullock School
Glassboro, NJ 08028
----- Original Message -----
From: Valerie Bassett <vbassett@YAHOO.COM>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 10:16 PM
Subject: ELEM: teaching reading skills
> Hello...
>
> All of you wonderful experts out there have given me some great advice in
the past and I know you will be able to help me with my latest problem....
>
> I have recently moved to a school that is virtually last in state test
scores from a school that was almost always at the top. So, my lesson plans
have to change and my curriculum also must change. Here's my problem: This
school does not have a recognized library media curriculum. Plus, they have
been without an LMS for 6 years. In that time, student scores have rapidly
declined. I have third graders who can't read on a kindergarten level (yet
they are being advanced to 4th grade??? Go figure!!). I need some advice
from those who have been faced with this situation before.
> I would like to begin some reading assessment on these students to
determine reading skills, and then to begin teaching them. I think I need to
put library skills on hold for a couple of months and address this need
first. These kids can't understand the books they are checking out, so
telling them how to find a book on the shelf and how to research isn't
helping when they can't understand the words on the page.
>
> Where do I begin? I feel really helpless at the moment. Do I start with
the teachers? Do I propose reading conferences? Are there programs I can use
that cost little or no money to assess reading (BTW, we do have AR, but from
what I've heard it's collecting dust since the kids don't understand how to
take tests)?
> We are a Title 1 school, but with a regular budget that has been "frozen"
for three years. Therefore I cannot spend a great deal of money.
> I would love to have advice from other LMS' who've have had to teach
reading skills and hear how they've done it.
>
> Thank you SO much!
> Valerie :)
>
>
> Valerie Bassett
> media specialist
> Ridgeland Elementary School
> P.O. Box 850
> Ridgeland, SC 29936
> vbassett@yahoo.com
> 843-717-1350
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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