Comprehensive Reading Encouragement Project Shari Wickline EDT-763

The assignment was to develop a Comprehensive Reading Encouragement Plan. In order to complete the plan, I worked with a team of teachers at Tipp City Middle School. One of the teachers is a language arts teacher and the other is an intervention specialist. The grade level I will be focusing on for the plan is sixth grade. After meeting with the teachers, I was able to gather achievement data and academic goals that are focused on throughout the year. The students reading levels range between 4th grade and 10th grade. As part of the curriculum, the students are required to read 20 or more minutes each evening, which is an area of concern for the district. The students are not motivated to read outside of the required classroom assignments. One of the major goals of the teachers for the 2012-2013 school year is that the students gain an interest in recreational reading. I spoke with the teachers and they said they are having a difficult time making the idea of reading outside of school fun. They are concerned because the district has adopted the Common Core standards and they will be fully integrated next year. The standards focus a lot more on literacy throughout all content areas. Students are lacking self-motivation to read fiction, let alone non-fiction, which is a major area of focus with the standards. The interest levels of the students vary and many of them are reading the Hunger Game Books. The teachers said there is not one particular genre or high interest level. It was decided that I will present book talks on a few different genres that students may find interesting and want to pursue further.

The plan will outline a variety of strategies that will promote leisure reading. A list of suggested titles that are available through the local public library will be provided for the students, so they can obtain copies over the summer months. The actual book talks will not be done with the students until Tuesday May 29, 2012. The teachers have requested that the book talks be done at this time due to testing and a final unit they need to complete. The following outline is what I will use with the students once I am able to implement the plan.

Steps of Reading Encouragement Plan: Reading Interest Survey The students will complete a Reading Interest Inventory either in print format or electronically. The format used will depend on what the students have available. A sample of the print survey will be attached to the document. The survey was found at American Library Associations site. An electronic survey was created using Survey Monkey. The link to access the survey is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/52QBZX6. The preferred method for collecting the data would be the electronic format.

Strategies to Promote Leisure Reading: 1st Quarter Book Club During the first two weeks of school as the students are getting affiliated with the school library, I will begin to promote the Book Club. I will have signs posted throughout the school that provide the days and times for the book club meetings. I will also have information on the library website, fun promotional talks in the classrooms, and brief blurbs

during the schools daily announcements. The book club will be held bi-weekly on Fridays. The students will be able to attend during their study hall. I will also provide a book club bi-weekly before and after school for those students that do not have a study hall. The students will be encouraged to read and share books that are on their interest level. The discussions will be geared towards their feelings about the book they have read, and why they think other students would enjoy reading the book. This approach will give the students a sense of ownership over what they read, and by having students suggest other titles they may be more likely to read from an unfamiliar genre. The environment will be inviting for the students. Comfortable seating areas will be utilized so the students feel relaxed and willing to open up and share.

2nd Quarter Young Adult Librarian visits from the local public library During the 2nd quarter I will begin to have the local Young Adult Librarian visit the school for a school/public library collaboration project. The local library is in walking distance from the school and from home for a large number of students. The YA librarian will promote the resources available at the public library and how these resources can be accessed. The students will be given the opportunity to apply for library cards if they do not already have one. The event will be publicized over the library website, signs, and daily announcements. The students will attend the meet-and-greet during their study halls. During the meeting it will be emphasized that the local library is a wonderful place to find books of interest when the school library is not accessible.

3rd Quarter Right to Read Weeks During the 3rd quarter a two week long right to read campaign will be implemented. This will occur around the Banned Book day to really catch the students attention. Each day of the week a different genre will be promoted. I will have signs that I will change each day after school that promote the genre of the day, morning announcements with fun facts about the genre, book suggestions for the classroom teachers to mention at the beginning of class, and displays promoting different authors and books from each genre throughout the school. I will make arrangements with the principle to allow SSR time at the end of each day. During this time everyone in the building should be reading, so that modeling of recreational reading is taking place for the students. At the end of the two weeks I will host a genre party in the library after school. This will be a time for the students to share with one another some of the genres they are interested in and why. Light refreshments will be provided and a fun genre trivia game will be designed and played using the smart board.

4th Quarter e-Books and e-Readers During the 4th quarter I will make arrangements to go into the classrooms to promote e-Books and e-Readers. Prior to the presentation date, I will request that anyone that owns a device that is enabled to view e-Books, bring it to school, as well as their public library card. I will also have extra devices for those that may not have a device available. I will show them some of the new books that are available and ask them to share what books they have been personally reading on their device. I will walk them through the process of borrowing e-Books from the schools collection and the collection at the public library.

Book Talks Throughout the year I will conduct books talks in the library and in the classrooms. I will have the YA librarian conduct book talks as well. The following is an example of how I would implement a book talk geared towards sixth grade students:

Spy Stories To hook the students I would display the books. I would hold each book up for the students to see and I would tell them what makes the books so interesting. I would first say, I have some really good books about spies, mystery and experiments going wrong. The first book I would like to share is a nonfiction book titled The Dark Game: True Spy Stories. If you have ever wondered about the secret world of spies, then this is a book you have to read. It uncovers two centuries worth of stories involving American spies. Next, I would like to share with you a series titled Gallagher Girls. The main character is Cammie Morgan and she is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. At Cammies school, she learns the latest in chemical warfare, how to break CIA codes, and advanced martials arts. This is not what your typical school day would consist of, but for a school for spies, it is just another ordinary day. The last book I have to share that is titled Bunker 10. It is the evening of December 24th, when suddenly there is an unexplained fatal explosion that destroys the Pinewood Military Installation. Follow the Pinewood personnel and seven teenagers as they relive the final days prior to the devastating explosion.

(Nonfiction) Janeczko, P. (2010). The dark game: True spy stories. Candlewick Publishers: MA. Age range: 12+ - 2011 YALSA Nonfiction Finalist.

(Fiction) Carter, A. (2007). Gallagher girls: Id tell you I love you but then Id have to kill you. Hyperion Books for Children: NY Age Range: 12-18 *Other titles in the series (#2 Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, # 3 Dont Judge a Girl By Her Cover, #4 Only Good Spy Young, and # 5 Out of Sight, Out of Time) Henderson J.A. (2007). Bunker 10. Harcourt Childrens Books: NY Age Range 12+ - 2009 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Shipwreck Adventures To hook the students I would display a copy of each book. I would then read a passage from Ship Breaker and Hurricane Dancers. In Ship Breaker, I would read a passage from the bottom of page 12 and continue on to page 13. The passage begins with Nailer had and I would read with expression, letting the students hear the anguish Nailer felt as he sat hungry wondering when he will enjoy his next meal. In Hurricane Dancers, I would read the synopsis on the inside cover or back of the book. To tie the two nonfiction books to the fiction books, I would show the students some of the illustrations and explain that the authors of the books are authorities on the subject of ships, shipwrecks, and scavenging.

(Nonfiction) Ballard, R. (1998), Ghost liners: Exploring the worlds greatest lost ships. Little Brown and Company: NY Age Range: 10-14 1999 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Miller, W.H. (2006). Doomed ships: Great ocean liner disasters. Dover Publications Age Range 10+ (Fiction) Bacigalupi, P. (2011). Ship breaker. Little Brown Books for Young Readers: NY Age Range 12-17 2011 Michael L. Printz Award and a National Book Award Finailist. Engle, M. (2011). Hurricane dancers. Henry Holt and Company: NY Age Range 12-17 2012 Pura Belpre Author Honor Book.

Books for the Hunger Game Fans To hook the students I would have copies of the books to display. I would show a book trailer for each book. The book trailers are not long but they really draw in the reader.

(Fiction) Condie, A. (2011). Matched. Penguin Group: NY Age Range 14-17 2011 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and 2011 Teen Choice Award Nominee. * Other titles in the trilogy (#2 Crossed, and #3 Reached) http://youtu.be/91riEH99sZA

Lu Marie. (2011). Legend. Putman Juvenile: NY Age Range 12+ 2013 Readers Choice Nomination and 2012 Teens Top Ten List http://youtu.be/jHhIKSUUJlc