School-Wide+Literacy+Initiatives

=**School-Wide Literacy Initiatives** =

===In order to promote a school-wide culture of literacy at the middle level, there are endless possibilities for daily or weekly activities to incorporate into the schedule. Special events beyond the daily and weekly activities can be added when appropriate on the school calendar. Our school is committed to provide these initiatives to help foster a literate community. ===



=School-Wide Reading =

Some call it SSR (Sustained, Silent Reading), DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) or even DIRT (Daily Independent Reading Time). Whatever it is called, it is a scheduled time for everyone in the school to read. . . office staff and janitors included! Times set aside for reading may range from 10 – 30 minutes generally and can rotate in the schedule so the same class is not disrupted every day or week.

To extend this activity, a few minutes before everyone begins reading, teachers could talk about one reading strategy that good readers use. The Principal or Library/Media Specialist could also do this over the school PA system. The students could then write a short written response after the reading session.

Example: “Good readers learn to ask thoughtful questions about the material they are reading. Can you think of an interesting question about what you have read today?” The responses could be drawn for a prize, or one or two could be read on a future broadcast.

Since most school reading is assigned reading, SSR type programs offer students an opportunity to read material of their own choice. It can be one more element in a reading program aimed at demonstrating the joy that reading can bring and developing lifelong readers and learners. Teachers and staff in the building show their enjoyment in recreational reading along with the students.

=Author Visits =

Although there are different ways a school could arrange an author visit (funded by the PTA, perhaps), the Pleasantdale School District 107 from Burr Ridge, Illinois describes how they approach an author visit.

“The Middle School is lucky to have published authors visit our school each year. Author visits are provided by Anderson’s Book Store as a perk for running two Anderson Book Fairs a year at the Middle School. Prior to an author visiting, students are able to purchase an autographed copy of the author’s current book at a 20% discount. The author conducts a 40 minute presentation to an age appropriate audience about the writing process and publishing process, concluded with a question and answer portion. Afterwards, students who have purchased the book get a short one-on-one session with the author where they can speak to them and get their book copies signed.”

=Book Club =

Also from the Pleasantdale School District comes their approach to hosting a PTA-sponsored book club for students throughout the year.

“Our MS (Middle School) Readers program is a program that encourages students to come together with an adult facilitator (faculty or parent volunteer) to discuss books of their choosing. The students themselves form groups. The groups meet three times a year during their scheduled lunch periods. Books are chosen by the students, under guidance of our school librarian, and provide to the students by the district. The selections vary from award winning titles to the most popular recent fiction. On discussion day, students gather in the school library to enjoy a lunch provided by the PTA and talk about their titles. Over the last few years, this program has grown in popularity among our middle school students.”

=Reading Rock-a-thon =

This idea comes from Canadian Teacher magazine (Fall 2006) and was a popular middle school literacy event. The school even extended the event into a second week so that some of the classes could have an extra turn reading and rocking! Here is how they did it.

“Two rocking chairs were placed in front of a cardboard fireplace in the school lobby. We drew up a schedule and each class was allotted enough time to allow each student 10 – 15 minutes of rocking.”

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">“The first pair of children started early on Monday morning. They brought along a favorite book to read or chose one from a bin of books at the site. Ten minutes later a new pair of students showed up. Several older students were scheduled in to help keep the student rotation on track. They accompanied the readers back and forth to their classroom, read with the youngest students an occupied the chairs during recess and lunch breaks. In this way, our school rocked continuously for the entire week.”

=<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poster Contest =

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">A poster contest could be promoted in conjunction with a special event or week on the calendar, for example YALSA’s (Young Adult Library Services Association) Teen Read Week. Participating students could choose a favorite book to illustrate and complete a caption below the picture such as, “Reading is. . . “ Posters could be displayed and contest winners could be awarded a prize such as books or a gift certificate to a local book store.

=<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reading Olympics =

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">This idea highlighted in Canadian Teacher magazine (Fall 2006) was a home reading program that was planned to begin with the 2006 Winter Olympics. It could be adapted to fit some other sporting event such as the Packers going to the Super Bowl. Brenda Boreham, a Literacy Resource teacher describes how they tackled this event.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">“We began by sending a letter of explanation home to the parents along with two Reading Log forms. We had decided that the percentage of returned forms would determine whether our school achieved a Bronze, Silver or Gold reading medal. The students kept track of their daily home reading time (20 minutes per day was the goal) for two weeks. At the end of each week, the logs were signed by a parent and returned to school. The returned Reading Logs were tallied and then graphed on a bulletin board in the school lobby (an opportunity for a math class activity). At the end of the two weeks the level of achievement was determined, the appropriate medal was hung in the foyer, and all the returned forms were placed in a draw for book prizes that were awarded at the month end assembly.”

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">This could even involve a competition between grades to see who wins the Bronze, Silver or Gold medals.

=<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Forensics =

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Forensics is the art and study of using the spoken word with accompanying gestures and movement to convince, to explain, and/or stir emotions in the listener. Along with sports teams students can join their middle school forensics team. The information that follows comes from the Middle Level Forensics Association of Wisconsin. Check them out at [|www.middlelevelforensics.org].

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Middle Level Forensics Association of Wisconsin is an organization that gives middle school students across the state the opportunity to have fun while developing and improving their speaking abilities.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students can participate in a variety of categories that emphasize the use of the spoken word to convince, explain, or entertain. Students can work alone, with a partner, or as part of a group. Depending on the category, the material can be serious or humorous and can be memorized, read from a script, or delivered using notes. Some of the categories allow the students to prepare original material while others use prose, poetry or a speech written by others.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Any Wisconsin school which includes grades 6, 7 or 8 is eligible to join the association, and participate in MLFA sanctioned festivals and tournaments. Home schooled students, as well as students who attend a school that does not have a forensics team may also participate.

=<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Battle of the Books =

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">From the Wisconsin Education Media and Technology Association comes the following information about their Battle of the Books program.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">The statewide Battle of the books program is designed to promote a love of reading among our students. It encourages students to read a variety of books and remember information about the plots, characters, and settings of the books. Every question asked in a battle is answered by the title and author of the book and takes the form of: Name the book in which a horse and a boy are stranded on an island. It is a fun, academic-based competition that has been very successful in school districts throughout the state in encouraging students to read.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">WEMTA sponsors three divisions. The elementary division is fourth through sixth grade. The sixth through eighth grade division is the middle level, and a senior high division exists for grades 8 and up. The elementary division reads the nominated Golden Archer winners for the primary and intermediate levels plus a variety of other award winning titles. The middle level participants read the nominated titles for the intermediate and junior high level plus ten other titles, which are determined by media specialists throughout the state. The senior division reading list aims to expose students to current award winning literature. The list incorporates awards such as: Golden Archer, Newbery, Printz, Siebert and others.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|www.wemta.org/programs/battle_of_the_books.cfm]

=<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mary Jo Nettesheim Literary Competition =

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">During the 1982 Delta Kappa Gamma International Convention, a survey revealed that members saw a need for students to use their writing skills and artistic talents, hence; in 1985, Wisconsin established the Mary Jo Nettesheim Literary Competition. Over the years, grades 3 – 8 were included, with Illustrator Award being added in 1990. At this time, Wisconsin’s Sigma State is the only state in the Delta Kappa Gamma International Organization to sponsor a Literary Competition.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Local chapters contact schools in their area and provide them with competition rules, suggestions for getting started and the date finished books are due to the local chapter. Each local chapter then judges the original fiction books based on story structure/organization, creativity/originality, accomplished spelling, sentence structure and grammar as well as presentation/illustrations.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">The local chapter winners at each grade level are sent to the state level. The books are judged again, with these books also being judged for illustration. Illustrations are judged for their originality, appropriateness to text, continuity throughout the story, creative use of art media and techniques, cover design and neatness. Winning books are displayed at the spring Sigma State Convention.

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=Spelling Bees=

Four regional spelling bees are facilitated by CESA 7, in conjunction with the Wisconsin State Journal. Regional winners advance to the Badger State Spelling Bee and the winner of that competition advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

For questions regarding the spelling bee, please contact Jackie Budz, CESA 7 Regional Spelling Bee Coordinator at jbudz@cesa7.k12.wi.us.

=Book Fairs=

Holding a book fair can be a great way to connect students with many reasonably priced books appropriate for their age level. In addition to promoting literacy, they can also be a way to earn money for your school. The proceeds from the fair may also be taken in books for classroom libraries, the school library or as gifts or prizes for students throughout the year. Try working with a local bookstore or visit [|www.scholastic.com/bookfairs] for more information on how to host a book fair.