Category Archives: General literacy

Nov
21
2010

To E-Read or not to E-Read?

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Is this the question we should really be asking? Perhaps it should be “How can I make e-reading work for my family?”

Research is starting to find that e-readers are motivating some reluctant readers to pick up a device and crack open a book. For some, e-readers makes reading slightly edgier and cool. For others, adjusting the font might be the key. Now with e-readers allowing for color and illustration, devices are more attractive than ever.

The best thing that the adults can do to help children become life long readers, however, is not simply providing them with the newest and greatest gadget. What we can do is model reading behavior, regardless of platform. Let our children see us reading books, magazines, e-readers, newspapers et cetera.

Raising readers is work, it doesn’t simply happen. Follow this link to find more tips for raising your own readers…e or otherwise!

Oct
19
2010

Is the Picture Book Really Dead?

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Some of you may have read the article in the New York Times recently stating that the day of the picture book is over.  As I read the article I thought to myself, “It’s not dead at LREI, that’s for sure!” There are picture books being published for every age; from the very young throughout the teens and into adulthood.  Each year we read and review books that are too sophisticated for our youngest readers and happily find readers in upper elementary and even the middle school grades and high school grades. Picture books brings a whole different kind of literacy to the reader.  From sequencing and visual literacy to rich vocabulary and lush illustrations, older readers can find plenty to dig their teeth into by reading picture books. Please enjoy the following titles that the LREI librarians think your older readers will enjoy!

Tan, Shaun.  The Arrival.

Thayer, Ernest L and Christopher Bing.  Casey at the Bat.

Van Allsburg, Chris.  The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.

Bird, Eugenie.  Fairie-ality: The Fashion Collection from the House of Ellwand.

Van Allsburg, Chris. The Garden of Abdul Gasazi.

Lowry, Lois.  Crow Call.

May
04
2010

Summer Reading

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summer-reading It’s that time of year again.  It’s hard to believe, but it’s time to start thinking about summer reading!  Our Spring Book Fair is taking place Thursday May 20th and Friday May 21st, and you and your child(ren) will be able to pick up some books that are full of appeal to young readers!  Please keep in mind that the lists that the librarians provide are not “must-reads” rather they are “can-reads.”

Lower School parents will find 5 lists to choose from for their children.  Jesse designs the “Early Childhood” reading list for ultimate enjoyment for our youngest students.  Stacy designs the First through Fourth Grade Reading Lists with the wide range of readers at LREI in mind.  There are books on all of the lists for independent reading, for sharing, and for reading aloud.  Our lists are simply suggestions of titles with some or all of the following qualities:  they are reflective of the LREI community, they are ALA award winners, they are classics, they are stand outs in their genres, they are quality read aloud titles, they have been suggested by classroom teachers.

Helpful Hints
Since we do not want summer reading to become arduous, here are some suggestions from your librarians and classroom teachers to help make summer reading fun instead of frustrating.
* Sit down with your child to map out summer reading.  Which titles will your child read independently?  Which will you read together?
* If your child is becoming frustrated with a particular book, try to find out what is going on.  Is it too difficult for independent reading?  If it is, take the opportunity to make that title a read aloud.
* Feel free to drop a title.  If your child is not enjoying a book simply for plot reasons, choose another book!  Not every book is made for every child.
* Don’t leave summer reading until the last week of August.    Reading should happen throughout the days of summer.
* Don’t feel too tied to our lists.  There are many opportunities for summer reading out there.  Check out the public libraries where your family will be during the summer.  New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queen’s Borough Public Library all have summer reading lists and summer reading programs in which your children can participate.
* Create your own summer reading lists.  Have your child come up with 5 or so books that s/he wants to read this summer.  Set some goals, and read together!
* Take reading outside.  There is no reason to be cooped up inside…books are portable!  Have a reading picnic in a local park.
* Have a book swap.  Summer play-dates can be reading themed.  Have your child swap some well-loved books with their friends.
* Start a book club.  Get together with friends and choose some books to read together.  Then meet up to have a book discussion over snacks!
* Always carry some books with you!  If you are stuck in traffic, end up waiting somewhere, or have a moment, hand your child a book.  This helps to solidify the culture of the reading family.

As always, please see your librarians or your child’s teacher if you have any questions about book titles or reading choices.

Dec
02
2009

A Note on Book Choices

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Sometimes parents wonder at the choices that their children make during library.  Why does a student choose a book that is beyond his/her reading abilities?  Why does a student choose the same title over and over again?  How are students being guided during library choice time?

There are many different types of literacy, and here in the LREI library, we are striving to equip your children with library literacy.  This entails the very basics of how to treat a book, all the way to the understanding that the library is organized by systems (as well as an understanding of how these systems work).  In first grade, children are checking out books “on their own” for the first time.  The areas of the library are being opened up bit bit by bit with fiction (picture books and early readers) being first, and the non-fiction Dewey Decimal sections being opened up one section at a time.  What I am looking for as I help the children during this time is whether or not they can negotiate the space.  Is there an understanding that the fiction and non-fiction are housed separately?  Are children looking for books to read, books to browse, or books to share with a grown-up at a later date?  These are all steps in negotiating the library, and making good book choices in the future.

So why are children choosing books that are beyond their level?  There are many reasons for this, especially regarding non-fiction titles.  Generally speaking, children are drawn to subject matter that they are interested in.  With non-fiction, students can “read” the pictures, work on decoding and understanding captions, while getting a sense of the larger subject at hand.  Topics that first graders have been drawn to this year include volcanoes, the ocean, and spiders!  While children are exploring books like these, they are getting to know the standard format of the non-fiction book (table of contents, index, captions) and are able to share quick facts about the subject matter with their peers.  Generally speaking, 3-5 children will end up gathering around books like these and exclaiming over the content (“What month were you born?  Every month has a birthstone!”, “Can you believe how big this spider is?  Look! I can count its’ eyes!”).

On the other side of things, why do some children choose the same book again and again?  In a word, familiarity.  While our library does not seem that large to us, there are over 10,000 titles here!  Some children are simply overwhelmed by the myriad of choices available to them.  There is comfort in knowing where a favorite book is housed, in being successful in finding it on the shelf, and being able to share it with a friend.  Over time, this will change and the children who tend to check out the same title again and again will find a new favorite, then another, then another until their personal library has grown enough that the task of choosing something new will no longer seem overwhelming.

As for guidance, the librarians get to know your children as readers slowly but surely.  Some reveal themselves to us quickly and others take a little more time.  We take pride in matching children with books and there is nothing more exciting than when a child comes running into the library to share their enthusiasm about a book with us.  There are also times when we do not let children select certain titles because they are well beyond their level, or the content is not developmentally appropriate.  We have many conversations about why certain books are for older students.  When a child wants to check out a book that is for older children, we ask questions to determine why the child wants to read it.  Was the cover enticing?  Is there a movie currently out that is based on the book?  Is the book about a subject that the child is interested in?  We always offer up choices of alternate titles that would serve the student better.  The librarians at LREI are constantly reading and trying to keep up with the dynamic world of children’s literature, so that we can offer our students the best selection of books that we can.

If you have any questions about how library is working for your child, please stop by the library.  You can email me at sdillon@lrei.org to set up a time if a longer conversation is necessary.

Nov
03
2009

Library Field Trips!

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Some of the wonderful things about being at LREI are the field trips!  We do love our own library, but it is fun to get out into the city and make connections with other libraries, authors and programs that connect with our own.  Recently the 3rd and 4th grades have been able to do just that on library field trips.

The 4th grade went up to the New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street.  We first visited the new Children’s Room where the students explored the collection and were able to see first hand the original Winnie the Pooh toys that belonged to A.A. Milne’s son!  They then got to hear a reading by author Jacqueline Kelly from her new book The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.     The students then asked Jacqueline questions about the writing process and about how she conducted research for the book.

On the front steps

The 3rd grade made their way up to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan for a look at the Gods, Myths and Mortals exhibit.  There they got to solve an archeological mystery, and compete against gods and godesses in interactive exhibits designed to enhance their already formidable knowledge of Greek mythology!

arrival at the museum

Both the library and the Children’s Museum had LREI students excited and engaged.  I can’t wait for the next library field trip!

Oct
14
2008

The Reluctant Reader

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tunnel_reading_011.jpgAs librarians, we tend to bandy about terms related to reading and readers. Chances are you have heard the term “reluctant reader” before, and chances are you have some idea as to what that means. A few years ago, I worked on a committee for the American Library Association called “Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers”, and this work really opened my eyes up to the different types of reluctant readers that exist.

The readers that most readily come to mind when we hear the term “reluctant” are the children for whom reading is truly a difficult task. Working on fluency, and getting outside help may be successful in bringing these readers out of the reluctant realm.

But there is another type of reluctant reader. These are the children who may be high- level readers, who simply cannot find anything that they want to read. They are the readers that need to be hooked in the first chapter, and in some cases the first few paragraphs, or they will simply give up on the book. This is a tricky situation, because as parents you want to encourage reading, but it is also very easy to get frustrated when every suggestion given is met with a sneer.

So what do you do?

Something that I have found successful is what I call the “book tease”. During library, third and fourth graders are treated to several book teases a year. I take a title that students have not been talking about or checking out and dramatically read the first few chapters aloud. I make sure that the book has the type of chapters that leave of with cliff- hangers, and snap the book shut at the key moment. 100% of the time that book will get checked out of the library after it may have been sitting on the shelf for a couple of months. Remember, your children are never too old for a read aloud!

Another angle is to look to non-fiction. Sometimes adults forget that non-fiction is perfectly acceptable reading. The title certainly doesn’t need to be enriching a current social studies curriculum point. In fact, chances are, the more far-out the facts found in the pages, the more likely a child is to stick with it. Winners in the past have been the Guinness Book of World Records, as well as anything in the 133 (Dewey Decimal number for the “unexplained”), and the 932 (Ancient Egypt) section of the non-fiction shelves.

Remember, reading is a life-time activity. Your child’s taste in reading material need not match your own. In fact, when you and your children have markedly different tastes in books, the conversations around reading may indeed be more rich and varied. And know that reading tastes change as your children change. It won’t be Captain Underpants forever…I promise!

Sep
22
2008

Lower School Library

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Hi everyone! Jesse has already introduced himself, so I thought I would follow his lead.

I am Stacy Dillon and I am the librarian for First through Fourth grade. Library is a special where students enjoy read alouds, learn library etiquette, dip their toes into research methods, and meet our old friend Melvil Dewey. The hopes of the librarians at LREI is that our students develop a love of reading and become life long learners.

We take pride in getting to know the reading tastes of our students, and we also look to them to let us know about exciting titles to add to our collection. So, if your child is in need of a book recommendation, please stop on by the library. Jesse and I, along with Middle School librarian Jennifer Hubert Swan, are bibliophiles ourselves, and chances are we can put an exciting book in the hands of your child!

Happy Reading!

Jun
11
2008

Summer Reading Tips

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Summer reading shouldn’t be a chore. There are so many ways to make summer reading exciting and out of the ordinary. Use some of these tips to get your children revved up about reading!

1) Take it outside. There is no reason for reading to be an indoor activity. Pair up titles with locations! If you are reading Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly, by Alan Madison, why not give it a read in the park or the Botanic Garden, and go on a butterfly hunt? If you are reading From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konisburg, head on over to the Met, find a quiet spot and read!

2) How about a book club? Let your child invite one or two friends over. Have a choice of 3 or 4 books for them, and allow the children to make the selection. They can then meet over lemonade and cookies, and discuss (with or without some guiding questions) their books!

3) Summer reading at the public library. New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Borough Public Library all participate in New York State’s summer reading initiative. No matter what borough you are in, there are activities and book giveaways for you! Not in NYC for the summer? Check out your local library. Chances are they have a program.

4) A book swap! Gather the kids in your building, or friends from the neighborhood to share books over the summer. Do you have some Magic Treehouse, Warriors, or Babymouse sitting on the shelves? Chances are there are other kids close by just dying to read them!

Just remember, keep it fun! There are so many great books for children being published these days, you are sure to make a book – reader match!