[LM_NET] HIT: Summer reading

[Deb Walters <dwalters@BWSD.K12.WI.US>]

Hi Everyone:

 

Last week I asked for summer reading ideas/assignments.  Here are the
responses that I received.

 

Thank you.

 

Debby Walters 

Viking Middle School

 

My idea is to have a summer reading bingo card-one for kids and one for
adults (I'll let parents participate, too, if they wish!)  I saw this
idea in the Wake County Public Library system last year.  Each space on
card will have a general category of book.  I'm going completely on the
honor system and I plan to offer small prizes when we return to school
in August.

 

Diane Averett/Librarian

 

I work in a public library, but I work with 7-12 grade students.  Mostly
7-10th grade.  by then, they get jobs and such.  We read a book a week.
It is totally volunteer, but we get together once a week to discuss the
book, and do a project, game or craft related to a theme in the book.
This year I will be choosing 6 books and the 7th book is a book of their
choice.  Our last meeting, we play softball, right here in the library.
I write questions from each book we read, and then I give them a value-
single, double, etc.  I pull a question out of the box, and if the
person can answer it, they take their base.  If not, then they get a
strike.  We have so much fun with that!  

I do offer prizes at different levels.  If they read 1 book, and attend
1 meeting, they get a little snack pack- juice, chips, candy bar.  If
they read 4 books, and come to 4 meetings, they choose from my treasure
chest of prizes.  If they read all 7 books, and come to 6 out of 8
meetings, they get to choose a CD or DVD for me to purchase for them.

Oh, one last thing, I feed them breakfast every Tuesday morning to
encourage them to come.  They are too busy in the afternoons and
evenings, so I am forced to have them come in the morning.  I learned if
I feed them breakfast (muffins or donuts and juice), and tell them it's
OK to come in the pajamas, I get slightly better attendance.  

R Schulte [netterscraps@gmail.com]

 

We went to all-choice summer reading a couple of years ago and it has
been very successful. I think the trick was to add plenty of high
interest titles, like Hunger Games, and offer some graphic novel choices
or novels in verse, as well.

The kids keep a journal, so they aren't just skimming for facts or
character references.

One teacher paired up book buddies and the students exchanged phone
no.#s. 


Vicki Reutter, LMS
Cazenovia (NY) Jr. Sr. High School
vreutt@aol.com
vreutter@caz.cnyric.org

 

Hi,

We try to do optional reading "challenges" that allows for the reading
of all sorts of genres and formats, and having it available online has
made the excuse that "I lost it" no longer valid.  I am the elementary
librarian but I am attaching an MS challenge my colleague used last year
(she has since passed away); it includes my bookshelf idea/design on the
second page that I used with upper elementary students.  I'm not sure
she got a very good response but it may give you some ideas. Seems to me
you need parent or admin support to get a really good response.

Barbara Jones

Elementary School Librarian

International School of Kenya

 

 

We have a summer learning program called BrainFuse.  It's a workbook
designed around our state standards, one for each grade level.  It
doesn't require any more reading than kids would do during the year (20
min/day) but that's a lot for some of them.  They record their books and
respond in writing to them.  In the fall, they get a medal for
participation.

 

-Maggi Idzikowski

Media Specialist

Allen Elementary School, Ann Arbor MI

 

 

Debby Walters

Viking Middle School Library

715-698-2456 ext. 106

 


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