Monthly Updates

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.

Forty Indiana colleges and universities have a total of 130 reading professors. The 2007-2008 Directory of Indiana College and University Reading Professors is available at http://mgrn.evansville.edu/directrymgrn.html.

Teen Read Week is October 14-20, 2007. This year’s theme encourages teens to use the resources of their libraries to find books, magazines, and other resources that are entertaining or humorous. To find out more see www.ala.org/teenread.

The Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award found at http://cal-webs.org/bluespruce/promotion.html has many ideas that can be used with the Young Hoosier Book Award. Click on school classroom or school library.

Hennessey Middle School in Oklahoma provides reading classes for all students. For a copy of the schedule, go to http://www.hps.k12.ok.us/hms/msschedule07.pdf. Notice the schedule for Reilly with six reading classes for 7^th and 8^th graders. This makes it easy for the school to provide appropriate reading materials that be used by students throughout the day.

Alpha Upsilon Alpha, the honor society of the International Reading Association recognizes and encourages scholarship, the development of personal and professional leadership, and service to the field of reading at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. See http://www.reading.org/association/about/aua_membership.html concerning establishing a chapter at a college or university.

Despite the national focus on reforming America’s high schools, most states are setting woefully low goals for improving graduation rates and are not setting goals for ensuring that more low-income, minority, disabled and English language learner students graduate. See http://www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/Press+Room/Graduation+Matters.htm. Students leaving the middle grades with low reading skills tend to not graduate from high school.

A Call to Action: Follow Up to the New York Education Summit calls for eliminating the problem of low academic achievement by the end of the eighth grade. See http://usny.nysed.gov/summit/summit/summitcall05.htm.

Success in the Middle Act is the first proposed federal school improvement bill directed specifically at the middle grades. See http://www.all4ed.org/legislative/SuccessMiddle.html. If approved, funds will go to middle grades schools whose students drop out of high school in large numbers. Middle grades schools not eligible for the federal grants can provide reading classes and licensed reading teachers without federal funds to ensure that their students have the reading skills necessary to be successful in high school and beyond.

Middle Grades Reading Network Update

August, 2007

Funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.

For information about Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis programs leading to a reading license, go to http://education.iupui.edu/soe/programs/dualprog/reading/index.aspx.

Students involved in Newspaper In Education activities are more likely to continue their reading of newspapers as adults. See http://www.naafoundation.org/pdf/Foundation/lifelongreaders.pdf.

There is a big reading gap between boys and girls. See http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBWLEGTE4F.html and http://www.edukey.net/2007/07/22/reading-gap-between-boys-girls-called-a-serious-crisis/. Special attention to boys will help raise reading scores for schools.

Selected teacher candidates from all Indiana colleges and universities are sent 50 books for use in their student teaching. They have provided descriptions of their work that can be found at http://mgrn.evansville.edu/studentteacher2.htm.

Long Beach, California middle schools focus on students’ reading problems. See http://www.middleweb.com/CSLB6read.html.

Less than a third of America’s adolescents meet grade-level expectations for reading. Unless students receive ongoing support, students who enter the fourth grade behind in reading will never catch up to their peers. There are 15 program elements known to make a difference for middle and high school students. See http://www.all4ed.org/publications/FedAdLit.pdf.

The Pathways Within Roads to Reading Initiative donates books to literacy programs in small and rural low-income communities. Maximum Award: 200 books appropriate for readers age 0 to young adult. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations that run school, after-school, summer, community, day-care, and library reading programs; must have an annual operating budget of less than $95,000 (schools and libraries are exempt from this budget requirement), and be located in an underserved community with a population of less than 50,000. The deadline for applications is October 15, 2007. See
http://pwirtr.org/biannual.html.

Indiana is smarter than any of the surrounding states even though it dropped from 17^th in 2004-2005 to 24^th in 2006-2007. See http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0931043.html.

The Master Reading Teacher certificate is being implemented as part of the Texas Reading Initiative to ensure that all Texas students are reading on grade level by the end of the third grade and that their reading knowledge and skills grow throughout their public school careers. A Master

Reading Teacher is an individual who holds a Master Reading Teacher certificate

and whose primary duties are to teach reading and to serve as a reading teacher mentor to

other teachers. See http://www.texes.ets.org/assets/pdf/testprep_manuals/085_mrt.pdf.

The Harry Potter books have a limited effect of reading habits. Creating a habit of reading is a continuous battle with students who are saturated with other options. See http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/books/11potter.html?ex=1184817600&en=8679ae1e83c7265b&ei=5070&emc=eta1. The real effect on reading habits is to have a strong school library filled with current, appealing, high-interest, and useful books and other reading materials.

The Young Hoosier Book Award Program should be available for all middle grades students and promoted to them. Independent silent reading is one of the most important activities for reading comprehension, background knowledge, and accounts for one-third or more of a student’s vocabulary growth. Schools need to provide multiple copies of the 20 books on the middle grades list and recognize those students that read five or more of the books and thus are eligible to vote for their favorite book. See http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBA.htm. Set a goal concerning the percent of your students who will read five or more books. For example, if there are 500 students in the school, do you think that 25 percent or 125 students can be encouraged to read at least five of the books? Be sure to provide reading teachers with the charts available from the Indiana Library Federation at http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBA.htm.

Note how the Richmond, Virginia schools promote reading incentive programs at http://www.richmond.k12.va.us/readamillion/readingincentive.htm.

Three times as many adults and young adults participated in the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library's summer reading program this year. See http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/jul/26/reading-for-riches/.

Teachers with multiple teaching licenses are an important asset to schools. Encourage teachers working on advanced degrees to obtain a reading license. All teachers have completed some courses that may be accepted by an Indiana college or university. For a list of Indiana colleges and universities with approved programs leading to a reading license, see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/approvedprograms.htm.

The Center on Education Policy reports that 79 percent of middle schools have changed their curriculum since the advent of No Child Left Behind legislation. For a copy of the report Choices, Changes, and Challenges: Curriculum and Instruction in the NCLB Era, go to http://www.cep-dc.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=document.showDocumentByID&nodeID=1&DocumentID=212.

Check out The New York Times Learning Network at http://www.nytimes.com/learning/index.html. Note the daily quiz for students.

See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/resources.htm for Web sites of various publishers of reading materials. Catalogs can be ordered from publishers by going to their Web sites. Collections are available at colleges and universities throughout the state. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm for information about the collections. Find out what materials would be of use to your reading program so that requests can be made to purchase the materials. Plan how the materials will be used and note the expected results before making a request for their purchase.

August book choice for Teachers Under Cover reading groups: The Age of Lincoln by Orville Vernon Burton.

Middle Grades Reading Network Update

July, 2007

Funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.

For information about the reading licensing program at Indiana University Southeast, go to http://www.ius.edu/Education/Graduate/readlicense.cfm/

Compare your summer reading Web site to the one for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro middle schools at http://www.chccs.k12.nc.us/culbreth/mediacenter/2007%206-8%20Summer.pdf., the Ephraim Curtis Middle School at http://www.sudbury-k8.org/pdfs/summer-reading-middle-2007.pdf, the Linwood Middle School http://www.sudbury-k8.org/pdfs/summer-reading-middle-2007.pdf, or the Hahira Middle School at http://hms.lowndes.k12.ga.us/summerread.htm. If your school does not have such a program, review the sites and plan for next summer. Students that are encouraged to read over the summer do better in their school work and on ISTEP in the fall. Notice that some list members of a committee that planed the program. Consider using parents and public librarians should you use a committee to develop your summer reading program. If your school is promoting summer reading on its Web site, please send that information to jh25@evansville so that others can benefit from your work.

See the Washington Post article, “Upper Grades, Lower Reading Skills” article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201825.html. Middle grades schools throughout the nation are focusing on reading as a large number of students are arriving in the ninth grade with poor reading skills.

Nebraska is moving to statewide reading tests. See http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/06/05/39nebraska_web.html.

See http://www.clarke.k12.ia.us/middle_school/web-content/student_schedule.html for the Clarke Middle School schedule. Note that the school has reading classes separate from language arts classes for seventh and eighth grade students. Also see similar schedules at http://www.wildrose.k12.wi.us/highschool/msclassschedule.htm and http://www.csd.k12.sd.us/default.asp?lngid=40&lngTopMenuId=25,

The favorite book of Indiana middle grades students as evidenced by the Young Hoosier Book Award voting is Abduction by Peg Kehret. See http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBAVote.htm for vote results in all categories.

New materials have arrived at the middle grades reading instruction materials centers in seven universities. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm for locations and contact persons. Also see http://mgrn.evansville.edu/resources.htm for Web sites of publishers of middle grades reading materials. You can order a catalog from publishers on most of the Web sites.

Are your efforts to connect your students with their public libraries paying off? Students around the state have excellent summer reading opportunities available to them. For examples see Indianapolis Public Library, http://www.imcpl.org/events/summerreading/index.htm; Monroe County Public Library, http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/srpexplain.html; Porter County Public Library System, http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/srpexplain.html; Anderson Public Library; Charlestown-Clark County Public Library, http://www.clarkco.lib.in.us/; and the Evansville-Vanderburgh Public Library, http://www.evpl.org/programs-events/srp07/.

Why do students need school library books when they have the internet? The Baltimore County Public Schools provided over $10 million for new books (an amount more that sought for the entire state in the School Library Printed Materials Grant). See their answer to the question plus other school library facts at http://www.bcpl.net/~dcurtis/libraryfacts/. Also see http://www.fno.org/mar2000/whenbook.html.

July book choice for Teachers Under Cover reading groups: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni. See http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/thousand_splendid_suns.html for book club questions.

Middle Grades Reading Network Update

June, 2007

Funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.

For information about the IUPUI Secondary Reading License, go to http://education.iupui.edu/soe/forms/sheets/pdf/readingsecgrad.pdf.

In states with reading test results, in addition to language arts test results, middle grades reading gets much attention. See the New York Times article at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/education/23schools.html?pagewanted=2 and an editorial at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/opinion/27sun2.html?ex=1180929600&en=abb401b35e4280ff&ei=5070&emc=eta1.

See http://joycevalenza.edublogs.org/2007/05/19/effective-school-library-websites-about-the-study/ for information about effective school library Web sites.

Copies of the Middle Grades Reading Assessment are being mailed daily to schools. Building a community of readers takes time, effort, and resources. Send requests for free copies of the Middle grades Reading Assessment to jh25@evansville.edu.

Make plans to follow up summer reading efforts. Visit the public library most accessible to students and inquire about use of the library by students. Take pictures of students reading at the public library, take to Target or other stores to get poster size pictures made, and display the pictures next fall. Continue to promote summer reading on the school Web site and school sign.

Middle grades teachers may obtain reading licenses and middle grades reading teachers may obtain reading specialist licenses by attending college classes during the summer. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/approvedprograms.htm for Indiana colleges with approved programs.

Why care about school libraries? See the U. S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Service report at http://www.nclis.gov/info/WHYCAREABOUTSCHOOLLIBRARIES.pdf, Independent reading provided by school libraries helps develop strong readers.

See http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/ExecutiveSummary.pdf for How Students, Teachers & Principals Benefit from Strong School Libraries, the Indiana Study. The key findings of this study are clear: schools tend to perform better on the ISTEP+ tests where there are better-staffed, better-stocked, and better-funded school library programs.

The Access Center, funded by the U. S. Department of Education, provides considerations when selecting a reading program at http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/readprograms.asp.

Help parents see the need to encourage their middle grades students to read independently. See http://www.mohonasen.org/03parents/MSParent/EncouragingReading.htm for ideas to use when working with parents.

For information about the middle grades Junior Great Books, see http://www.greatbooks.org/programs-for-all-ages/junior.html.

Start stocking up on books about Abraham Lincoln as the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial approaches. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/lincoln.htm for lists of books about Lincoln. Many of the books may already be in school library collections.

North Elementary School in Noblesville received the National School Library Media Program of the Year Award. See http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6439847.html. School libraries are indispensable partners for reading, so it is great that the Noblesville Schools provide excellent school libraries. They provide licensed personnel in school libraries and funds for current, appealing, high-interest, and useful books and other reading materials.

June book choice for Teachers Under Cover reading groups: Saving the World by Julia Alvarez. See http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/saving_the_world1.asp for book club questions.

Middle Grades Reading Network Update

May, 2007

Funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.

The Indiana Reads Initiative report of the Reading Indiana Task Force Let’s Get All Indiana Children and Young Adults Reading is available at http://www.indianahumanities.org/smartdesktop/ReadingIndianaReport.pdf. The report is sponsored by the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Humanities Council with support from the Ball Brothers Foundation.
The John Poole Middle School in Maryland provides a summer 2007 reading list for incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth grades students. This excellent example of summer reading promotion can be found at http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/poolems/BethG/jpms_depts_media_summerreading.html.
See http://www.iue.edu/departments/doe/license.shtml for initial licensing in reading at Indiana University East and http://www.iue.edu/departments/doe/GraduateOpportunities.shtml#rdglicenses for information about how practicing teachers can obtain a reading license.
Independent reading and increased volume of reading go hand in hand. There are many published studies that show the effectiveness of increased amounts of reading for students. See http://www.americanreading.com/whyitworks_researchsupport.php.
For information about the 1,000 Book Reading Challenge Program, see http://www.allynbaconmerrill.com/promotions/promotion.asp?promo=4067&rl=1. All applicants must be registered by August 15, 2007 to participate for the 2007-2008 school year and have a completed log by December 15, 2007.
The April 2007 Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy contains an article by Karen Bromley entitled “Nine things every teacher should know about words and vocabulary instruction” on pages 528-537. It contains a table of the most frequently appearing and most commonly taught prefixes, roots, and suffixes. She calls for direct instruction in vocabulary because it influences comprehension more than any other factor.
Deborah DuFour Bova of Raymond Park Middle School has an article in Middling Around, The Newsletter of the Indiana Middle Level Education Association entitled “Seizing Vocabulary by the ROOTS.” The strategy she describes fits into those critical minutes where routine engages the group and establishes the tenor or class time—the bell work, starter, warm-up time.
The Huntsville City Schools Web site features summer reading. See http://www.hsv.k12.al.us/dept/merts/instruction/summer/middle.pdf. See also the Greenwich Public Schools at http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=4007.
For an article entitled “Are Middle and High School Students Reading to Learn or Learning to Read?” go to http://www.pta.org/archive_article_details_1118072738531.html. Notice the section concerning what parents can do to motivate their children to read. Alpha II is a skills-based system that helps teachers manage reading materials and tests from various publishers. See http://www.alpha2-learning.com/.
Student achievement is higher in big-city school districts, but reading scores still lag behind math gains. See http://www.cgcs.org/newsroom/press_release24.aspx.
The federal study of reading and math software found no significant differences in standardized test scores between students who used technology and those who used other methods. See http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/effectread.pdf.
Students at Lakeland Highland Middle School are scheduled each day in six classes plus a reading class. Class attendance is based on tracks that alternate each day, but all students attend reading classes every day. See http://www.polk-fl.net/LHMS/. Click on the faculty button and notice that the school has seven intensive reading teachers.
Indiana colleges and universities wishing to apply to be a part of the IRA’s Certificate of Distinction for teacher preparation programs in reading should contact Gail Keating at IRA headquarters before May 25 at gkeating@reading.org. Further information about IRA’s Certificate of Distinction program is available at www.reading.org.
A copy of the Summer Reading Log is available at http://mgrn.evansville.edu/ReadingLog.pdf. Provide copies to students, including incoming students, and place a copy on the school’s Web site for parents to copy should students lose their copies. To help students see the importance of reading and recording their work on the Summer Reading Log, announce to them something special that will happen in the fall for those who complete the school’s requirements.
Place orders for middle grades reading materials early so that they will be available in the fall. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/resources.htm for Web sites of publishers of middle grades reading materials.
Visit the collections of middle grades reading materials at sites around the state. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm for locations, hours available, and contact persons.
See http://www.englishjournal.colostate.edu/Extensions/BoldBooksExtEJ954.pdf for Bold Books for Teenagers: The Very Best Books for Middle School Reading.
Indiana colleges and universities still considering programs that lead to reading licenses should read the Purdue University North Central proposal to the Indiana Professional Standards Board at http://www.doe.state.in.us/dps/teacherprep/pdf/ReadingLicenseProposal-PUNC.pdf.
The School of Education at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point has very clear information for teachers that wish to be certified in reading or to receive a reading specialist license. This helps to market the need for reading certification (same as reading licenses in Indiana). See. http://www.uwsp.edu/Education/Graduate/ReadingCert.aspsp.
May book choice for Teachers Under Cover reading groups: The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud: See http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=1853 for book club questions.

It is time now to plan for summer reading. For an excellent example of a summer reading program from the Palo Alto Middle Schools in California, see http://staff.pausd.org/~middlelibrary/summerreading.html. Click on JLS to see a printable form to record the books read. Students are expected to read 2 books and report on one of them. Those that read four books participate in a Summer Reading Party in the fall. There are also summer reading facts provided to help parents understand the importance of summer reading practice. Summer reading practice will help students going to another school as well as promote reading for incoming and returning students.

The American Library Association has many Celebrity Read Posters for schools to use to promote reading. See www.alastore.ala.org.

All middle grades schools should have a special way to promote independent reading. See http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/projects.html for the Center for the Book Reading Promotion Projects for ideas. Notice that Indiana has more listed than most states.

February 12, 2009 will be the 200^th year of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Books about Lincoln will be of vital importance leading up to 2009. Retain the books about Lincoln when weeding collections of old books no longer useful for today’s students. Books that have been in collections for over ten years and that have not been checked out by students for some time should be discarded, unless they are of lasting importance. Books about Abraham Lincoln are of lasting importance and will be especially needed during the time leading up to February 12, 2009.

Dr. Suellen Reed provided copies of Abe Lincoln, The Boy Who Loved Books, to members of the Indiana General Assembly seeking their support for restoring the School Library Printed Materials Grant.

The Young Hoosier Book Award Program provides a way for students to vote for their favorite book on the list. See http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBAVote.htm. Students who read five or more of the books are eligible to vote. Share the good news about the number who read five or more books with parents and faculty. Compare this year’s totals with past years to help measure the success of this year’s program. Then provide next year’s list to students for summer reading. For a list of the 2007-2008 Young Hoosier Book Award books, see http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBANextYearsNominees.htm.

The Sacramento City Unified School District in California provides a Reading Support Center with reading coaches. The Center helps to ensure that all students have the reading skills they need to be effective learners and life-long readers. See http://www.scusd.edu/reading_center/Default.htm.

Fifth and sixth grade middle grades students can participate in the BOOK IT! Reading program. The annual enrollment date is March through June. Call 1-800-426-6548 to enroll. The BOOK IT! Program is a free reading incentive program for grades K-6. The program months are October through March each year. As soon as the monthly reading goal has been met, teachers present the child with a pizza award certificate. The child takes the certificate to a Pizza Hut restaurant, where he or she is congratulated by the manager or service team and given a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza. On the first visit, the child also receives a BOOK IT! card with clip and a sticker for the card. There is no purchase necessary and the pizza can be taken to go. On each subsequent visit, the child is again congratulated and given another Personal Pan Pizza and a sticker to recognize reading achievement. If the child meets the reading goals all six months of the program, he or she is rewarded at the restaurant with a BOOK IT! All-Star Reader Award. For more information, see http://www.bookitprogram.com/.

See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/isra.htm for the Indiana State Reading Association resolution concerning the need for supporting school libraries. Students are more likely to read new school library books, so restoring the School Library Printed Materials Grant funds will help boost reading achievement because to be a good reader you need to read.

Attendance was way up at the Indiana State Reading Association Annual Conference. Many middle grades principals and teachers found excellent presentations concerning comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. Publishers provided information about many materials that are appropriate for middle grades readers and their various reading levels. Middle grades reading materials are also displayed at seven Indiana colleges and universities. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/cc.htm.

At Indiana University, the new Rules 2002 license addition went into effect July 1, 2006, and requires twenty-four (24) semester hours which include courses in reading methods, literature, linguistics, and critical issues for the reading professional. The license addition is available in both undergraduate and graduate levels. Graduate students may use appropriate courses from their undergraduate program to apply toward these requirements. See http://www.indiana.edu/~langed/degree/minor.html.

How many fourteen-year-old boys would turn down an offer of time travel to any baseball game in history? Certainly not die-hard New York Yankees fan, Matt Collier. Accompanied by the Time Keeper, guardian of Time throughout the universe, Matt becomes the batboy for his beloved team and tries to change the outcome of the 1960 World Series, the first ever to end with a homerun. Out of Time, written by Middle Grades Reading Network consultant Carol Lynn Thomas, is now available from Blackstone Audio at http://www.blackstoneaudio.com/audiobook.cfm?id=4227. Doris Kearns Goodwin says that Out of Time is "warm, compelling, and well written."

The Robert A. Taft Middle School in Crown Point features the Young Hoosier Book Award Nominees. See http://www.cps.k12.in.us/taft/media/index.htm#hoosier. Note that YHBA book covers are displayed along with information about each book and that the voting days are listed. Every Indiana middle grades student should have access to the books and be encouraged to participate in the program. Restoring the School Library Printed Materials Grant will help schools purchase needed copies.

See http://www.readingonline.org/articles/ash/index.html for Teaching Readers Who Struggle; A Pragmatic Middle School Framework. Five practices—daily oral or shared reading, guided reading in flexible groups, word study, self-selected extended reading and writing, and explicit comprehension strategy instruction—form the basis of the framework.

An old saying in education goes, "Students learn to read in elementary school, and read to learn in secondary school." But what if students arrive in middle school without having mastered simple vocabulary, decoding skills, and comprehension? What if the lifelong love of reading that teachers hope to instill never takes root? See http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=927.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that the reading skills of 12^th graders tested in 2005 were significantly worse than those of students in 1992. The share of students lacking basic high school reading skills rose to 27 percent from 20 percent in 1992. The share of those proficient in reading dropped to 35 percent from 40 percent in 1992. At the same time, the gap between boys and girls grew, with girls’ reading skills more than a year ahead of boys. See http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_grade12_2005/.

Up to 40 percent of eventual high school dropouts can be identified in the sixth grade and up to 60 percent in the eighth grade. See NCLB Recommendations from the National Middle School Association at http://www.cep-dc.org/nclb/hqt/nov2006/National%20Middle%20School%20Association%20(Nov).pdf.

See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/youngreading.htm for Talking Points concerning young adolescent reading.

SSR with Intervention by Leslie Preddy, library media specialist at Perry Meridian Middle School, is now available at http://lu.com/showbook.cfm?isbn=9781591584605. An article about this program, including how it increased ISTEP scores, will appear in the spring issue of NetWords.

A new federal grant program called Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program was announced on February 16, 2007. The purpose of this program is to improve student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and well-trained, professionally certified school library media specialists. Applications are now available. The deadline for Transmittal of Applications is April 2, 2007. Local educational agencies (LEAs) in which at least 20 percent of the students served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line based on the most recent satisfactory data available from the U.S. Census Bureau at the time this notice is published. These data are Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates for school districts for income year 2004. Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000-$300,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $190,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 100. Applicable regulations, priorities, and other information are available in the Federal Register notice. Additional information is available online at:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2007-1/021607g.html Since school libraries are so essential, and since most schools will not receive one of the 100 grants, Indiana school corporations should renew efforts to build strong school libraries. If reading is important, then school libraries are important.

Teachers are important reading role models. One Teachers Under Cover group has read 202 books since 1993. See http://mgrn.evansville.edu/9winter.htm.

In order to be good readers, students need to practice their reading. New reading content is available every day in local newspapers, so students who read newspapers practice their reading all year long, including summer. Students who have participated in Newspaper In Education programs read more as adults compared to students who have not had access to newspapers in school. Check with you local newspaper to obtain a copy of The Newspaper: Powerlifting for Your Mind for Newspaper In Education Week activities. This 24-page tabloid has many excellent ideas for middle grades students. It also includes a letter from Dr. Suellen Reed promoting the program.

March book choice for Teachers Under Cover reading groups: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. See http://bestsellers.about.com/od/bookclubquestions/a/thunderbolt_q.htm for book club questions.

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.