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Dear teachers and parents,
Thank you for visiting my website and for your interest in literacy! I have been delighted that so many students are eager to read with just a minimum amount of motivation and guidance. Adult enthusiasm for books and participation in book discussions are great preparation for school and life. This belief and my experiences from 35 years in public schools form the foundation of the Read on Wisconsin book club, now in its fifth year.
I strongly encourage all adults to read to young people everyday. They will benefit as you read aloud and I hope you will encourage them to read back to you.
The Governor and I read aloud to both of our sons from infancy through high school. We always made time to discuss books and created common bonds through adventures, characters, and themes. This link even survived middle school madness!
As a teacher, I always made time for reading, often at the start of a class. This established the daily habit and was a way to ease further learning. I recommend reading practice to all the Wisconsin students we visit. I suggest reading 15-30 minutes per day at school and 15-30 minutes at home. I encourage you to join me in helping students reach this goal.
I hope this website can be an exchange of ideas! I want to know your experiences and suggestions as well. Please use the Teacher Resources often.
Thank you and Read On Wisconsin!
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Each month I offer a new discussion topic for Parents, Teachers and Librarians to discuss and share ideas. These topics range from classroom activities, to great ways to get your students involved in reading!
This month's discussion board talks about the challenges of 'Reluctant Readers' and strategies to develop a love of reading in your students!
Discussion Boards.
Visit these websites for more tips and information on inspiring your kids to read!
ALA's 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
'But Mom, I Hate to Read!' - Tips for Reluctant Readers |
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"It's time to stop passing the buck on education... It starts in our homes. It starts in our families. No government program can turn off the TV set or put away the video games, or read to your children. But we can help parents do a better job." - Barack Obama
Family Literacy Facts
According to the Family Literacy Foundation, the most important thing adults can do in preparing young children for success in school is to read aloud with them.
Benefits to a child from a family literacy program:
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Child’s achievement in school improves
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Child attends school more regularly
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Child’s general knowledge that which is measured improves
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Child becomes more ready to attend school
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Child’s overall reading achievement improves
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Child’s vocabulary improves
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Child’s comprehension improves
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Child’s writing improves
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Child’s math and science achievement improves
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Child’s social skills, self-esteem, and attitudes toward school improve
SOURCE: http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Pubs/WhoBenefits2003.pdf
Of the children who were read to fewer than 3 times in the past week by a family member:
- 24% had 3-4 of the following skills: recognizes all letters, counts to 20 or higher, writes name, and reads or pretends to read storybooks, compared to 42% who were read to more than 3 times in the past week,
- 57% could read or pretend to read storybooks, compared to 77% of 3-5 year olds who were read to more than 3 times in the past week, and
- 14% recognize all the letters, compared to 26% who were read to more than 3 times in the past week.
SOURCE: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/facts/parental.html#outcome
Benefits to an adult from a family literacy programs:
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Parents’ attitudes about education improve
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Parents’ reading achievement increases
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Parents’ writing ability improves
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Parents’ math and science knowledge increases
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Parents’ knowledge about parenting options and child development increases
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Parents’ social awareness and self-advocacy increases
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Parents enhance their employment status or job satisfaction
SOURCE: http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Pubs/WhoBenefits2003.pdf
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The number of Wisconsin adults that were unable to read went down between 1992 and 2003. In 1992, 10% of Wisconsin adults couldn't read newspapers and books, but thanks to Wisconsin's great adult literacy programs, that number had dropped to 7% by 2003.
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20% of American adults read at or below the 5th grade level and most health care materials are written above the 10th grade level.
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36% of the U.S. population have poor health literacy skills These individuals cannot:
-use a graph to determine a healthy weight range
-use a chart to find the age range for a child's vaccination, or
-read a label to identify substances that interact with over-the-counter medication.
SOURCE:
http://www.wpr.org/news/newsheadlines
Benefits to the family as a whole as a result of family literacy programs:
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Families learn to value education
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Families become more involved in schools
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Families become emotionally closer
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Families build foundations for lifelong learning
SOURCE: http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/Pubs/WhoBenefits2003.pdf
Detailed instructions for downloading and installing the Acrobat Reader are located on the Adobe website here: Free PDF Reader
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TeachingBooks.net is a great tool for teachers and parents to encourage their students to not only read but also enjoy reading. The online, multimedia collection of resources provides grades PK to 12, with booklists, information on authors and illustrators, and guides for large reading appetites.
Preschool
Primary
Intermediate
Middle School
High School
Enjoy these multimedia, online resources about the books and authors associated with the Read On Wisconsin Book Club, courtesy of TeachingBooks.net. Questions? (800) 596-0710
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