A span of nine years has taken me through upward moves in four school corporations and a three-year research project that supported and extended the study completed by the Middle Grades Reading Network. The study focused on building a Community of Readers with regard to middle grades students; and that is what the nine years with "Lilly" is all about.
"Kids who read succeed." "The person who doesn't read is no better off than the person who can't read." How many times have we heard these statements? Newspapers and television are talking about the importance of reading. More children's books are being written than ever before; yet the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that only about 25 percent of fourth graders and 28 percent of eighth graders are able to comprehend what they read. There is no significant improvement in the scores of twelfth graders either. It should also be noted that generally there has been no improvement in students' leisure reading, doing assigned reading as homework, or discussing what they read. Basically, there has not been much change in scores over the last 20 years. Furthermore, as students move into the adolescent years, they tend to read less, and Indiana test scores, which are above average at the fourth grade level, begin to decline as students move through the middle grades.
As the influence of "Lilly" has deepened across this state, I firmly believe that this trend is changing. In 1993, Indiana general fund school budgets allocated, on the average, only about $5.05 per child per year on library books which is only about one-fourth book per child. In 1995, this average expenditure rose to $7.55 per child. We should be purchasing two books per child per year for school libraries. Many school corporations in the state, including all four that I worked in, increased their funding for library books over this nine year period. Our library collections at Maconaquah were only 19.4 percent current, and we had been spending just slightly above the state average. After a thorough investigation, our school board decided to invest $450,000 over a two-year period to bring our classroom and building libraries up to date--definitely an exciting step in the right direction.
Research clearly shows that the more a person reads, the more proficient he or she will become; one-third of vocabulary knowledge on tests comes from voluntary reading; students who read more have higher test scores; students who have difficulty reading have difficulty in the content areas because all subjects require reading in order to understand context; students who have access to a wide variety of books read more and enjoy reading; and, students who read more successfully handle themselves in a competitive world and are more likely to engage in post-secondary education.
Yes, we know about the research, but we here in Indiana have basically been so consumed with rhetoric that we didn't take the time to really dig into the solution. Reading is the most important, fundamental skill to be learned and the most vital to any successful society and its people. The problem is that our students are not reading enough, that they are not interested in reading, and that too many cannot read proficiently. The solution is simple--commitment and action. And nine years ago the Middle Grades Reading Network, funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc., committed itself to take action.
The Network identified critical elements for reading success: (1) a vision for lifelong readership; (2) adequate access to books, whether for classroom assignments or voluntary reading; (3) providing access to excellent practice--the very best reading instruction taught by teachers with confidence and zeal for reading; and (4) Meaningful opportunities to read and to interact with passionate readers out of school as well as in school.
In order to create this continuum of meaningful reading experiences so that the problem will be solved, a genuine commitment must be made and followed by careful, ongoing planning and implementation. The last nine years have been exciting for me as I have been a part of instituting these critical elements in four communities that have cared and responded to children's reading needs. This has been evidenced in part through library endowment programs, books for babies, parents as partners in reading, middle school students reading to and tutoring younger children, students' own bookshops, the REAP program, community members reading to classes of students, read-ins, book-a-thons, opening school libraries to the community, the forming of preschool and parent sections in school libraries, K-12 articulated reading curriculums that stress a commitment to lifelong reading, and reinstating a separate class for reading through grade eight. Over the past several years as I have visited numerous schools throughout the state, I have witnessed many of these activities in other "Lilly" schools. The electrifying atmosphere brought about by the positive attitute toward reading by staff, students, and community is enthralling.
Indeed, the key educational roles in this total process are generally thought of as belonging to teachers, librarians, and principals, but I submit that superintendents, school boards, legislatures, and essentially parents and entire communities must continue this commitment and action started by "Lilly" nine years ago in order to ensure the success of our children.
Our children are the most important and valuable resource we have. They hold the key to our future. Reading is the kaleidoscope that can envision the unforeseen future. Reading shows our children what the world can be, and how they can change their lives and the world to be a better place for everyone.
The power of acquiring the ability to read is so great that it cannot only change thought but the world as well. We have a good start here in Indiana. We've been prodded, pushed and funded by "nine years of Lilly." Can we make it on our own now? Are we committed to seeing that our children observe this power being used in our schools, homes, and communities? Our partner will soon be gone, and we will be alone, but we, in Indiana, can together be "partners in reading" and keep the power going. We can have it all--our children, books, and the power.