Monthly Updates

Indiana college and university reading professors continue to take an active role in Indiana reading activities. Indiana State Reading Association leaders include president Nancy Steffel of the University of Indianapolis, president elect Diane Maletta of Purdue University North Central, executive director Diana Quatroche of Indiana State University, and state coordinator Libby Turner of the University of Indianapolis. Officers of the Indiana Reading Professors include president Valerie Hall of Marian College, president elect Deborah Corpus of Butler University, vice president Jill Miels of Ball State University, secretary Judy Roberts of Hanover College, and treasurer Susan Gooden of the University of Southern Indiana.

Picturing America grants will be awarded to eligible schools and public libraries. On or about September 4, 2008, the schools and public libraries selected will receive a set of 20 laminated reproductions (approximately 24” x 36”) with reproductions on each side. They also will receive a Teachers’ Resource Book. No cost sharing is required. Applications for the second round of Picturing America to be shipped in 2009 will be accepted online beginning August 4, 2008, with a deadline of October 31, 2008. See http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/about.php?subPage=about_apply.

For information about the Lincoln Bicentennial, see http://www.in.gov/lincoln/. The theme for the Indiana State Reading Association Annual Conference on March 15-17, 2009 is Live the Lincoln Legacy: Read.

The average price for new fiction books for Grades 5 and up is $17.63 and $27.04 for nonfiction. See http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6536651.html?q=book+prices. Practice is vital for increasing reading proficiency, and good school libraries provide access to current, appealing, high-interest, and useful books and other print materials. To keep middle grades school library book collections current, schools should purchase two books per student per year.

Mary Swope spotted a Got Books? Got Readers billboard in Connersville. She reported that “The billboard is located at the point at 8^th and Western Avenue in Connersville. This is a busy spot because the street splits there and goes off to Cambridge to the north, Rushville to the west, and Liberty to the east. It is at a stoplight and lots of folks see that board.” See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/gotbooks.htm for more information about the need for better support of Indiana’s school library book collections.

Help students get public library cards. Information on how to obtain a library card varies among Indiana public libraries. An example is the Lebanon Public Library. See http://www.bccn.boone.in.us/LPL/services/circulation/card.html. Students in Lebanon must have parent or guardian consent up to age 14, so middle grade students will need that consent. Look up your public library’s Web site to find library card information, and share the results with students.

The West Hartford Public Schools provided all middle school students with a 2008 summer reading booklet that encouraged reading during the summer. See http://www.whps.org/library/summerreading.htm and click on Middle School Summer Reading Booklet. If you would like to design and provide a reading booklet for your middle grades students to use during next summer, contact jh25@evansville.edu.

August book choice for Teachers Under Cover reading groups: The Bestiary by Nicholas Christopher. See http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_B/the_bestiary1.asp for more information and book discussion questions.

Read Naturally materials, audio CDs, teachers’ manuals, placement packet, and information packet, are now available at seven Indiana universities in their middle grades curriculum collections. New materials have also arrived from Academic Resources, Edcon Publishing, Sadlier-Oxford, and other publishers. For locations, times, and contact information for the seven universities, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm.

See http://jff.org/Documents/raisinggradrates.pdf for recommendations on raising graduation rates in an era of high standards. Middle grades reading teachers and school librarians play a critical role in efforts to increase high school graduation rates.

Susie Pretsky, a reading specialist in the Los Angeles area and a graduate of Indiana University, sent a letter to the parents of her school concerning the importance of reading. She has given permission for anyone to copy the letter and distribute it to parents. For a copy, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/letter.htm.

High schools find that many of their students are lacking in reading skills. See http://www.principalspartnership.com/feature302.html concerning recommendations to cope with students needing help in reading. Middle grades schools can use some of the recommendations. Providing instruction from highly skilled reading teachers for all students plus, as the high school recommendations point out, a culture of reading that permeates the entire school will help build strong readers.

Are your efforts to connect your students with their public library summer reading program paying off? Visit the public library used by your students to find out from the librarians how well middle grades students are involved with their programs. Talk to students and find out what books and other printed materials they are reading. Ask them for suggestions on how to entice other students to their library. Find out if the 2008-2009 Young Hoosier Book Award books are available and featured. Take a picture of the students and put it on your school’s Web site.

The Indiana Department of Education provides a list of school Web sites at http://www.doe.state.in.us/htmls/k12.html. Check out your Web site and compare it to others from around the state to look for ideas to promote reading on your
Web site.

Many Indiana schools purchase READ posters from the American Library Association to promote independent reading. The posters are perfect for display in school libraries, classrooms, and halls. To learn how READ posters are made, go to http://www.ilovelibraries.org/news/topstories/readposters.cfm.

All educators interested in higher reading achievement for their students know that access to current, appealing, high-interest, and useful books and newspapers is vital if students are to practice their reading skills. When the state provided matching funds for new books, circulation increased. Now that the state funds are no longer available, circulation decreased. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/gotbooks.htm for further information. Learn from your school library media specialist about the impact the loss of state funds and matching funds has had on your school library. The Indiana State PTA is highly interested in this area, so share your findings with your school PTA members.

Most Indiana newspapers will run a serial story this fall. The 10-chapter story, 48 Hours, follows two sixth-graders helping their parents make a seven-minute movie in 48 hours as part of a national competition. Robyn Young, president of the Association for Indiana Media Educators, has written additional activities to accompany the story and has matched them to the Indiana Academic Standards.

New middle grades reading materials have arrived at seven Indiana universities. Some of the new materials are from Brookes Publishing Company, Hameray Publishing Group, Saddleback Educational Publishing, and Townsend Press. For the names of the universities, location of the materials, times to visit and telephone numbers see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm.

The Indiana Department of Education 2008 Summer Reading List at www.doe.in.gov/summerreading features 100 books.

Does your school Web site promote summer reading? Compare your summer reading program to that of the Palo Alto middle schools. See http://staff.pausd.org/~middlelibrary/summerreading.html.

Congratulations to Leslie Preddy of Perry Meridian Middle School on the publication of her book, SSR with Interventions published by Libraries Unlimited www.lu.com . It was named as one of the Best Professional Books of 2007 by Teacher Librarian magazine editors, David Loertscher and Esther Rosenfeld. In describing the book, the editors write that her book is "a wonderful example of an effective action research project that shows that the intervention of a teacher-librarian really does have a positive impact on student achievement."

See http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA153050.html concerning school staffing for all states. Since the time of the survey, more Indiana library media specialist positions have been eliminated. This, coupled with the decline of access to current books in school libraries, has a negative effect on independent reading, a vital part of reading achievement.

Philadelphia has the Reading Olympics that encourages reading throughout the city. See http://libraries.phila.k12.pa.us/readingolympics/index.html.

The Connecticut governor’s Summer Reading Challenge was started in 1996. Since its inception, more than seven million books have been read. See http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/pressroom/summerreadingrecognize19schools.pdf.

Virginia promotes summer reading in libraries. See http://www.vacationreading.org/. Also see New York at http://summerreadingnys.org/.

Public libraries throughout Indiana are promoting summer reading. For examples see http://www.evpl.org/srp/, http://www.imcpl.org/events/detail/?event_id=1331, and http://summer.acpl.lib.in.us/ . Connecting students to their public library summer reading programs will result in higher reading skills and better reading habits for the 2008-2009 school year.

This year, 72,233 participated in the Young Hoosier Book Award Program. The Young Hoosier Book Award middle grades book voted as the best book for 2007-2008 is So B. It by Sarah Weeks. As this book was the favorite book for Indiana middle grades students fortunate enough to be in schools that participate in the Young Hoosier Book Award Program, it should be read by all middle grades reading teachers, school library media specialists, and students who have not read it. Incoming students should be encouraged to read the book this summer.

Middle grades classroom charts for the Young Hoosier Book Award Program are available for $2.00 from the Indiana Library Federation. See http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBApromotional.htm. Titles need to be filled in the charts. For a copy of the middle grades titles that can be pasted on the charts, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/yhba2008.htm. Paper should be 8½ x 14 inches.

Principals, library media specialists, and teachers are reading role models. See http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/whatsnu_morrie.html concerning the importance of being a good reading role model.

Dollar General offers Back-to-School Grants to help schools purchase equipment, materials, and software for the school library. The school must be located within twenty miles of a Dollar General store. See http://www.dollargeneral.com/Community/Pages/GrantPrograms.aspx.

For ideas in starting a book group, see http://www.readinggroupguides.com/roundtable/start.asp.

To find the graduate rate for the Indiana high school where your middle grades students attend, see http://www.doe.state.in.us/htmls/gradrate.html and click on Public High School.

For enrollment in Indiana middle grades schools for 0480 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade reading courses in 2007-2008, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/enrollment.htm.

June book choice for Teachers Under Cover reading groups: Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone. See http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_F/four_queens1.asp for book discussion questions.

New York Stake lawmakers raised aid for school library books from $6 per student to $6.25 last year. The Board of Regents, which sets state education policy, has proposed an increase to $10 per student per year. According to the American Library Association, the average price of books is $20.82 at the elementary level and $23.38 at the secondary level. See http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080307/NEWS01/803070369/1002/NEWS. Even with this amount, New York school library collections are not up to date. Indiana recently had $3 per student per year, but that amount is no longer available to schools. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/gotbooks.htm.

Most Indiana schools provide the opportunity for their students to participate in the Young Hoosier Book Award Program. Any Indiana school may provide this program for their students, and schools interested in building strong readers should promote the program. For information on how to participate, see http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBAParticipate.htm.

Indiana University South Bend provides information on how a reading teacher can obtain a reading specialist license. See http://www.iusb.edu/~graduate/Teaching%20Licensing.shtml and go down the page to Graduate Reading License.

Americans are reading less and less well. See http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/TRNR.html. Children from the primary grades are reading better. Middle grades and high school students, however, are not. Most elementary students are in reading classes with highly skilled reading teachers. Unfortunately, most middle grades students are not. Schools are purchasing fewer new books for their libraries, so circulation is declining. Is something wrong here?

Art work for the Summer Reading Log can be found at http://mgrn.evansville.edu/ReadingLog.pdf. Consider making copies and placing them in a folder for each student. Include a list of 2008-2009 Young Hoosier books and information from the local public library about the summer reading program.

The Slosson Educational Publications 2008 Catalog has many individual reading tests available for reading teachers to use with their students. For a copy of their catalog, go to www.slosson.com.

Noblesville’s two newspapers and the Noblesville schools’ library media specialists work together to promote reading. Book reviews featuring a variety of types of books for young people are written by the library media specialists. The Noblesville Ledger publishes the book reviews on Tuesdays, and the Noblesville Times publishes them on Thursdays.

Materials from Benchmark Educational Publications are now available at seven universities with middle grades reading collections. They have just mailed samples to the seven universities with middle grades reading collections. For locations and times concerning the collections, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm.

All sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students in the Gilchrist County School District in Trenton, Florida are required to take reading classes. See their complete plan, including required remediation, at http://www.gilchristschools.org/pages/msprogplan0708.htm.

Take a look at the walls in your school that students see every day. Is there something displayed that promotes reading? The American Library Association can help. It has many Celebrity Read Posters that will help encourage reading among your students. The posters are 22” x 34” in size. See www.alastore.ala.org.

During the school year, students from lower socioeconomic families have similar academic success compared to other students, but they fall behind during the summer. The Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University works to expand summer programs to help reduce the summer loss. See www.summerlearning.org.

Each summer the Groton, Connecticut Public Schools provide a summer reading letter, list of books, and suggestions. See http://www.groton.k12.ct.us/familyLinks/summer.html. Note the letter to parents from the superintendent and tips for parents. Look under 2007 and click on Middle School Students and their Parents.

Elementary schools promote reading by placing American Library Association (ALA) posters in halls and classrooms. Older students also need this support. New posters are constantly being added to the list available from ALA. See www.alastore.ala.org.

A reading conference will be held on June 9 and 10 at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. Speakers include Janet Allen, Jim Burke, and Tim Shanahan. For further information, contact Diana Hall at 317-889-7702.

See the Kokomo Tribune article about the need to restore the School Library Printed Materials Grant at http://www.kokomotribune.com/archivesearch/local_story_059173011.html.

Leslie Preddy, library media specialist at Perry Meridian Middle School, has an article entitled “Keys to Successfully Sustaining an SSR Program” on pages 30-32 in the March issue of Library Media Connection.

See http://www.reading.org/association/meetings/legislative.html for information from the International Reading Association’s Governmental Relations Workshop. Click on Key Legislative Reading Issues 2008 for a copy of a 37 page report and 2008 Key Legislative Reading Issues for a PowerPoint presentation of the report.

The school librarian for Frankford Middle School in Dallas, TX makes summer bookmarks for each grade level with the title and author of various books. To see their excellent school library information on the school Web site, go to http://k-http://k-12.pisd.edu/schools/Frankford/library.htm.

Attendance was high at the Indiana State Reading Association conference on March 2-4. Participants were very pleased with the quality of the presentations and displays of reading materials. Put next year’s conference on your schedule. The theme will be Live the Lincoln Legacy—READ. The conference will be held in Indianapolis on March 14-17, 2009.

Jill Western of Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw is the winner of the bestseller drawing for spotting a Got Book? Got Readers!! billboard on Highway 30 between Columbia City and Warsaw. She chose A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. If you are driving to Evansville, see the new Got Books? Bot Readers!! billboard on Highway 41 near Diamond Avenue. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/gotbooks.htm and http://mgrn.evansville.edu/talkingpoints.htm for more information about the dire need for new books for Indiana’s school libraries.

Copies of the spring issue of NetWords will be sent to all Indiana public schools this month. Articles include the following: “A Classroom Community of Readers” by Elise Knapp, Taylor University; “Indiana State Approved Reading Course Titles and Descriptions, 2008” by Earlene Holland; “Indiana State University Partners with the Indiana State Reading Association” by Bradley V. Balch, Dean, College of Education, Indiana State University; “Reading: It Takes the Support of Everyone” by Karen Ault, Brownstown Central Middle School; “Reading Specialist License: There Is Always More to Learn;” “Young Hoosier Book Award Participation: Make It a Reality;” and “Your Own Students May Be the Key to Preventing Summer Reading Loss.” If access to a copy of NetWords is not provided, articles are available on the Middle Grades Reading Network Web site at http://mgrn.evansville.edu.

HIP Books publishes novels, specially written, designed and leveled for struggling and reluctant readers. They have just mailed samples to the seven universities with middle grades reading collections. For locations and times concerning the collections, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm.

Recognition of students who read enough Young Hoosier Book Award books to participate in the voting provides an opportunity for positive newspaper coverage. Contact your local newspaper concerning the event with the time, date, names of students, and other event information. For more information about the Young Hoosier Book Award, see http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBA.htm.

A copy of the article, So Much More Than a Bookshop, by Brittany Van Hook, page 7 of the winter issue of NetWords, was reprinted on the front page of the Spencer Evening World.

A federal study suggests that giving struggling 9th grade readers an extra literacy class can boost their reading-comprehension skills but not dramatically enough to get them up to grade level by the end of a single school year. See http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20084015.asp. The problem with the findings is that the effort to boost reading-comprehension skills did not involve licensed reading teachers. Helping struggling readers reading well below their grade levels surly requires some expertise in reading provided by highly qualified reading teachers with reading licenses.

All schools were sent a form requesting school library book acquisition and circulation information. Along with the form was an addressed, stamped envelope. It is important for all schools to return this information so that the status of school library collections and usage can be provided to schools and the Indiana General Assembly. Letters are being received each day and the information recorded so that a publication can be written and distributed from the Indiana University Center for Evaluation and Education Policy. For a copy of the form, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/2008librarysurvey.htm.

For a copy of the Key Legislative Reading Issues 2008 presented at the International Reading Association’s Governmental Relations Workshop in Washington, D. C. on February 21 and 22, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/key.htm.

Chicago State University’s REEL Department: Reading, Elementary Education, Library Information and Media Studies, involved graduate students seeking a reading specialist license to provide Illinois information for Key Legislative Reading Issues 2008. For more information about their program, see http://www.csu.edu/collegeofeducation/REEL/REELindex.htm.

The 2008 Newspaper In Education tabloid Rainbow of Reading: A Spectrum of Style and Content is now available. See your local newspaper for a copy. Providing newspapers in classrooms helps student develop the habit of reading, especially during weekends, holidays, and summer vacation. The Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois reports that independent silent reading is one of the most important activities for the reading development of students of all ages and that it accounts for one-third or more of vocabulary growth.

New billboards featuring Got Books? Got Readers!! are still being found on Indiana’s highways. The billboard companies place the signs when space is available, so new boards are constantly being set up. That leads to another contest. If you spot one of the billboards, send your name and location of the billboard to jh25@evansville.edu. Winners will receive a bestseller of their choice.

The winter issue of NetWords has been mailed and should arrive during the week of February 4-8. A copy is also online at http://mgrn.evansville.edu.

The Indiana University East Web site provides clear information on how undergraduates can obtain an Early Adolescent Reading License. There is also information on the Web site concerning reading licenses for graduates or practicing teachers. See http://www.iue.edu/academic/education/programs.shtml.

Drawing from a variety of available data resources, the America’s Most Literate Cities Study ranks the 69 largest cities (population 250,000 and above) in the United States. See http://www.ccsu.edu/Amlc/.

The Indiana State Reading Association Annual Conference will be held in Indianapolis on March 2-4 in Indianapolis. See http://www.indianareads.org/conference.htm. In addition to sessions for middle grades educators, there will be displays featuring materials to be used in middle grades reading classes.

Perma-Bound has redesigned its Young Hoosier poster for 2008-2009. New posters will be available at the Perma-Bound booth at the Indiana State Reading Association Convention March 2-March 4. Teachers and librarians unable to attend are welcome to request copies by contacting Donna Gentry at 765-552-6912 or donnagentry@perma-bound.com.

The Texas Education Agency has made available to all middle grades reading teachers Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: The Reading Teacher’s Sourcebook. You can download a copy at http://www.texasreading.org/utcrla/materials/middle_school_instruction.asp.

The Indianapolis Colts sent three posters to all Indiana school libraries featuring Marvin Harrison, Jeff Saturday, and the team mascot with messages encouraging Hoosiers to read. For more information, contact Colts Community Relations at 317-297-2658 or go to www.colts.com.

The Indiana State Reading Association Annual Conference will be held in Indianapolis on March 2-4 in Indianapolis. See http://www.indianareads.org/conference.htm. In addition to sessions for middle grades educators, the displays will feature materials that can be used in middle grades reading classes.

In November 2006 there were 18,313 hits on the Middle Grades Reading Network Web site. This jumped to 31,363 in 2007. The November total was higher than any other month during 2007. The only thing different about November 2007 was the newspaper ad published in November in about 80 newspapers throughout the state. The GOT BOOKS? GOT READERS!! ad included the Web address for further information, so it is obvious that newspaper readers accessed the article at http://mgrn.evansville.edu/gotbooks.htm.

This excellent response illustrates the power of Indiana newspapers and the interest of the public in the message.

Billboards have been spotted throughout the state, and sightings were reported to the Middle Grades Reading Network. Names of people who sent in the billboard and newspaper ad sightings were placed in a box. The winner of the drawing held today was Dr. Diane Maletta of Purdue University North Central. She reported seeing the billboard on I-94 in northwest Indiana. She will receive a set of 2008 Young Hoosier Book Award books.

Ohio has reading endorsements rather than reading licenses. All students seeking the Reading Endorsement at Ohio University are required to take Phonics and the Structure of Language, Teaching of Reading in the Content Areas, Diagnosis and Treatment of Reading Disabilities, Reading Laboratory Practicum, and other required options. See http://www.coe.ohiou.edu/gfx/media/pdf/reading-endorsement.pdf.

The winter issue of NetWords will be mailed to all Indiana public schools, superintendents, legislators, college reading professors, newspapers, and other individuals and organizations in late January. Articles include Books for Advanced Middle Grades Readers by Leslie Preddy; A Reading Laboratory by Josh Deisler; Soaring as a Community Bookshop by Darla Staley; So Much More Than a Bookshop by Brittany Van Hook; Good Books? Got Readers!!!; Rainbow of Reading: A Spectrum of Style and Content by Karen Braeckel; Not So Reluctant After All by Maryann Mori; Take a Look! It Is in This Conference, A Rainbow of Reading by Nancy Steffel,; Support Reading: Start a Reading Council in Your Area by Ann Millikan; Teachers Under Cover by Carol Oliker; and “Whatever You Are…Be a Good One.”

If you see a billboard featuring Got Books? Got Readers!!, send an email to jh25@evansville.edu indicating where you saw the billboard and you will be eligible to win a set of 2008-2009 middle grades Young Hoosier Book Award books. The drawing will take place on January 2 and the winner’s name will be included on the January 2008 Update. Some have called their local billboard companies to find out where the billboards are located. You can call Clear Channel Outdoor (Indianapolis), Burkhart Advertising Inc. (Alexandria, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, South Bend), Lamar Advertising Company (Evansville, Gary, Terre Haute), or Porter Advertising Company (Richmond) to find this information.

Independent silent reading is one of the most important activities for the reading development of students of all ages. Students who do a lot of reading on their own become better readers because independent reading enhances reading comprehension, provides a wide range of background knowledge, accounts for one-third or more of vocabulary growth, and promotes reading as a life long activity. Celebrity READ posters help promote independent reading. See http://www.alastore.ala.org/.

See how the Department of Reading faculty is featured at the School of Education, New York University at Albany at http://www.albany.edu/reading/faculty.htm.

State tests provide little information to help guide remedial instruction when students obtain low scores on such tests. For an article by Joseph Torgesen of Florida State University and Lynda Haynes of the University of Florida entitled Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties Following Inadequate Performance on State Level Reading Outcome Measures, go to http://www.fcrr.org/assessment/pdf/articles/Diagnosis%20OutcomeMeasures.pdf.

Reading Is Fundamental is concerned about older students. For questions and answers about reading for older students, see http://www.rif.org/educators/rifexchange/programdescriptions/QA_show305.mspx.

New Jersey ranked fourth in the 2007 NAEP eighth grade reading results, and they are working to improve that high rank. See a report concerning Improving the Quality of Literacy Education in New Jersey’s Middle Grades at http://www.state.nj.us/education/genfo/midliteracy.pdf.

All Florida schools are involved in the 2007-2008 K-12 Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan. See what they are expected to do at http://www.justreadflorida.com/Reading_Plans/Examples/rbrpg_memo.pdf.

The University of Utah Reading Clinic offers assessment and intervention to struggling readers. See http://www.uurc.utah.edu/. Ohio State University also has a reading clinic. See http://ehe.osu.edu/edtl/outreach/rclinic.htm.

If middle and high schools do not react decisively with diagnostic assessments and intensive, explicit instruction when they discover a student who is still reading well below grade level, then there is little hope for that student. See http://www.balancedreading.com/olderreaders.html.

The graduation rate for Indiana high school students is 70.9 percent. The total lifetime additional income for the estimated 24,742 dropouts for the class of 2007 should they have graduated from high school would be $6,432,991,500. See http://www.all4ed.org/files/HighCost.pdf for dropout rates for all states. The dropout rate for Illinois is 75.7 percent and for Ohio is 74.7 percent. The national average is 69.9 percent. Most students that drop out of school are struggling readers. Most were not enrolled in reading classes with licensed reading teachers after the fifth grade.

It is easier for Indiana sixth graders in K-6 schools to have a licensed reading teacher than for sixth graders in 6-8 schools. Sixth grade reading teachers in K-6 schools can obtain a Middle Childhood Reading License while sixth grade reading teachers in 6-8 schools must obtain an Early Adolescence Reading License.

A book club for sixth grade boys was started by their mothers. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/04/AR2007110401431.html. This would be a good article to share with mothers interested in increasing the voluntary reading of their boys.

No matter what happens to No Child Left Behind legislation, the emphasis will continue on improving reading and math achievement. See http://email.evansville.edu/exchange/jh25/Inbox/Attachment:%20Wall%20Street%20Journal%20article%20on%20NCLB.EML/1_multipart_xF8FF_2_Wall%20Street%20on%20NCLB.pdf/C58EA28C-18C0-4a97-9AF2-036E93DDAFB3/Wall%20Street%20on%20NCLB.pdf?attach=1.

Most of the 11 big-city school districts that voluntarily took part in the National Assessment of Educational Progress have made continued progress in mathematics but not in reading. See http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/. All middle grades students are enrolled in mathematics classes with licensed mathematics teachers. Most middle grades students are not enrolled in reading classes with licensed reading teachers. Time in the schedule for reading classes with skilled reading teachers was the normal pattern in K-8 schools prior to the formation of middle schools. As shown by mathematics results, providing reading classes similar to mathematics classes would make a difference.

Reading test scores are declining because of time spent in reading. See http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/arts/19nea.html?ex=1196139600&en=301216aa614eac01&ei=5070&emc=eta1. The loss of the funds from the School Library Printed Materials grant has resulted in over 7 million fewer books being circulated in Indiana school libraries. We wish that all middle grades students used their public libraries and that homes were filled with new materials such as newspapers, books, and magazines so that students could spend an appropriate amount of time reading. We can promote this need, but the one place we should be able to count on to make books and other print materials accessible to students is their schools, since most young adolescents are in schools. Reading practice is important for those schools that want to increase reading scores.

December book choice for Teachers Under Cover reading groups: Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo. See http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_B/bridge_of_sighs1.asp for book club questions.

Many Indiana middle grades students are excellent readers and have their own special needs for appropriate books. For a list of books for advanced middle grades readers prepared by Indiana school library media specialists, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/vocabulary.htm.

The LaPorte Herald Argus provided an article to readers concerning the importance of reading for middle school students. See http://heraldargus.com/archives/ha/display.php?id=386672&query=jolene%20fisher.

Results are in for the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Darvin Winick, chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the tests, said it was discouraging that there wasn’t more progress in eighth-grade reading. The results come on the heels of flat reading scores for high-school seniors. “We need to look into reading deficiencies in middle and high schools in depth. That should be the next national imperative,” Winick said. See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20973598/.

Kentucky reading scores are up. See the following article from the Evansville Courier and Press at http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/oct/02/reading-scores-up-state-wide/. This kind of story is usually not printed in Indiana newspapers because Indiana reading scores are not released as a part of ISTEP.

The University of Texas provides a free copy of Effective Instruction for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: The Reading Teacher’s Sourcebook. See http://www.texasreading.org/utcrla/materials/middle_school_instruction.asp. The book can be downloaded or viewed at this address. Note Chapter 6 concerning comprehension and Chapter 7 concerning vocabulary.

The federal investment in developing high-level reading and writing skills in younger students has diminishing returns unless instruction is continued throughout the K-12 educational continuum. See http://www.all4ed.org/files/archive/publications/FedAdLit.pdf.

Massachusetts outscores every other state on NAEP Exams. See http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.asp?id=3692.

The Massachusetts Secondary School Reading Grant Program supports middle schools, high schools, and vocational schools in Massachusetts interested in developing a school-wide approach to improving reading achievement. See http://www.doe.mass.edu/read/ssr.html.

For an Indianapolis Star editorial “Fix Middle Schools for High School Success,” see http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/OPINION/710150308.

Entry forms for the 2008 Letters About Literature contest, a national reading-writing contest sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target Stores, are now available on the Indiana Center for the Book's website http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/isl/incb/icb.html . The competition calls for entrants to write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre (fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic, etc.) explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. The contest, which focuses on reader response and reflective writing, has three competition levels: Level 1 for students in grades 4-6; Level 2 for students in grades 7 and 8; and Level 3 for students in grades 9-12. Postmark deadline for entries is December 14, 2007. For additional information or to obtain official contest guidelines, entry coupons, or teaching guides, contact the Indiana Center for the Book by phone at (317) 232-3699 or by email icb@library.IN.gov.

New materials keep arriving at the middle grades reading collections at Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana University Southeast, Purdue University North Central, University of Evansville, and University of Indianapolis. These include materials from Zaner-Bloser (http://www.zaner-bloser.com/fresh/reading.html) and Options Publishing’s new program Comprehension Matters with materials suitable for reading levels from grades 3-8 (http://www.optionspublishing.com/reading.htm). Scorbre Press has provided a Teacher’s Resource Guide and copies of high interest books with each title available at two different reading levels. For more information about visiting the collections, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm. Middle grades reading teachers need a variety of materials suitable for students reading at various grade levels.

Circulation of K-8 Indiana school library books in 2002 was an average of 43.1 books per student. In 2006, after the loss of funds from the School Library Printed Materials Grant and matching local funds, the circulation dropped to an average of 32.7 books per student. The difference was 10.4 books per student. Last year there were 724,738 K-8 students. Multiplying 10.4 times 724,738 equals 7,537,275 fewer books circulated in 2006 compared to 2002.

A total of 100 billboards featuring Got Book? Got Readers!! will be displayed by the following outdoor advertising companies: Clear Channel in Indianapolis, Burkhart in Alexandria, Burkhart in Ft. Wayne, Burkhart in South Bend, Burkhart in Lafayette, Lamar in Evansville, Lamar in Gary, Lamar in Terre Haute, Porter Advertisers in Richmond, and Whiteco in Merrillville. Ads with the same information will appear in 81 Indiana newspapers. The newspaper ads will also contain the following address for further information and a picture of the ad: http://mgrn.evansville.edu/gotbooks.htm. If you see a billboard or ad, send an email to jh25@evansville.edu indicating where you saw the billboard or ad, and you will be eligible to win a set of 2008-2009 middle grades Young Hoosier Book Award books. The drawing will take place on January 2 and the winner’s name will be included on the January 2008 Update.

The LaPorte Herald Argus provided an article to readers concerning the importance of reading for middle school students. See http://heraldargus.com/archives/ha/display.php?id=386672&query=jolene%20fisher.

Massachusetts outscores every other state on NAEP Exams. See http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.asp?id=3692.

The Massachusetts Secondary School Reading Grant Program supports middle schools, high schools, and vocational schools in Massachusetts interested in developing a school-wide approach to improving reading achievement. See http://www.doe.mass.edu/read/ssr.html.

For an Indianapolis Star editorial “Fix Middle Schools for High School Success,” see http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/OPINION/710150308.