June 2008 Word Up! Newsletter
Endless Summer Learning
Last month, AdLit.org featured a beach bag full of summer learning resources for parents and teachers. This month, we encourage you to keep using the beach bag, and we offer additional ideas to help get teens reading. We also feature exclusive interviews with Ron Fairchild, Executive Director of the Center for Summer Learning, and Gene Yang, the award-winning author of the graphic novel American Born Chinese.
Summer Reading Ideas
Reading and enjoying books doesn't have to be a solitary pursuit. Sharing your ideas and listening to others talk about books adds a social component to reading.
- Teen Reads has great information about starting and running a book club, as well as choosing books to read.
- Simon and Schuster runs the Check Your Pulse book club for teens. This program includes a monthly e-newsletter, giveaways, author questions, and more.
- Rap star Common, through his Common Ground Foundation, has launched a teen book club called The Corner, which features an online chat and interviews with other rappers about their favorite books.
- If your teen loves movies, check out this list from YALSA of read-alikes for 2008 blockbusters like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Read the books and see the movies, then compare them with your club.
The AdLit.org Expert Interview: Ron Fairchild, The Center for Summer Learning
The Center for Summer Learning's mission is to create opportunities for high-quality summer learning for all young people. Based at Johns Hopkins University, the Center is committed to expanding summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children and youth as a strategy for closing the achievement gap. In this interview, Ron Fairchild discusses the components and benefits of quality summer programs.
Too Many Dropouts, Not Enough Graduates
We associate June with high school graduation, but too many students won't be graduating this month. According to Cities in Crisis, a recent report by the Editorial Project in Education Research Center, the nationwide graduation rate is a disappointing 70%, and 60% in urban school districts.
The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network at Clemson University and Communities in Schools conducted a study on the dropout crisis in the U.S. Several of the risk factors-low achievement, learning disabilities, low motivation-are prevalent among teens who struggle with reading.
Dropout Risk Factors
What Do We Know About Who Drops Out and Why?
Dropout Prevention
What Are Key Components of Dropout Programs?
The Economic and Social Costs of Dropouts
The High Cost of High School DropoutsSummer Learning Isn't Just for Students
In June, AdLit.org featured summer learning resources for teens; in July and August, we plan to offer resources to help educators improve their practices. In addition to articles and research, we're developing booklists in several categories: teachers, administrators, and other professionals.
Have you read a book that really informed your classroom practice? Got you motivated? Helped you work more effectively with colleagues or parents? If so, we want to hear about it.
Please email us your book recommendation(s) and include the follow information for each:
- Title
- Author
- Who should read this book (i.e., elementary school teachers, high school librarians)
- Please include 2 or 3 sentences explaining why you recommended this book
Check back with AdLit.org in July, to see our booklists and other information.
Featured Reading Comprehension Strategy: Think-Pair-Share
Here's a great strategy for kids to use in their book clubs or for parents to use when reading with their children.
Think-Pair-Share (TPS) is a collaborative learning strategy in which students -work together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned reading. This technique requires students to (1) think individually about a topic or answer to a question; and (2) share their ideas. Discussing an answer with a partner(s) serves to maximize participation, focus attention and engage students in comprehending the reading material.
Browse Classroom Strategies for more reading comprehension strategies.
Community
NOW Classroom
NOW Classroom offers activities and lessons to complement NOW on PBS programming. Teachers may use search and browse tools to find select broadcast and web-exclusive reports. Related classroom activities are divided into seven modules: SAT Essay Prep; SAT Critical Reading Prep; Current Events Awareness; Persuasive Writing; News Writing and Reporting; General Reading Comprehension; and Developing Informed Opinions.
PBS Vote 2008
PBS Vote offers lesson plans, interactives, and links to election-related public television podcasts and other social media tools educators can use to engage students in the election process.
Book Obsessed
Barnes and Noble is travelling the country interviewing book fanatics. Each week, viewers meet a new fanatic and some of the books important to that reader. Check out the Danbury Teen Council episode and consider submitting a video of your own.
The AdLit.org Author Interview: Gene Yang
Gene Yang is a high school teacher and award-winning graphic novelist. His book American Born Chinese received the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award for young-adult literature, and was a finalist for the National Book Award. In this interview Yang talks comic-book traditions around the world, how he creates his graphic novels, and ways comics can be used in the classroom.
Book Recommendations: Audiobooks
We know audiobooks are great for kids who are slow or struggling readers, but everyone loves to listen to a good story. Our exclusive list, prepared by AdLit.org's book advisor Jamie Watson, includes ancient history, cool jazz, family drama, romance, and …flying mice. Go to the booklist.
Recent Research
Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity in Education
This report from the American Association of University Women explores the perceived gender gap in academic achievement and offers three key findings:
- Girls' successes don't come at boys' expense.
- On average, both girls' and boys' educational performance has improved in recent decades.
- Race/ethnicity and family income level impact gender differences in achievement.
Diplomas Count 2008 — School to College: Can State P-16 Councils Ease the Transition?
According to a new report by Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, only 71% of U.S. 9th graders graduate from high school four years later; the rates for Native Americans, Hispanics, and African-Americans are even lower. Diplomas Count 2008's graduation rate analysis includes an examination of the work of P-16 councils, convened to better align educational institutions from preschool through post-secondary, and offers data on graduation rates at the school-district and congressional-district levels.
AdLit.org Featured Partner: The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
The Young Adult Library Services Association's mission is to advocate, promote, and strengthen library services to young adults. For over 50 years YALSA has been the world leader in selecting recommended reading, listening and viewing for teens.
AdLit.org is pleased to be a partner for Teen Read Week (Oct. 12-18) — more than 4,800 school and public libraries participated last year. Check back over the coming months for ideas to celebrate in your school or community.
YALSA will host a Young Adult Literature Symposium on November 7-9, 2008, in Nashville.
Meomorable Quote
"It was a dark and stormy night."
— A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
About AdLit.org
AdLit.org is a national educational service of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capital. The goal of the project is to provide literacy resources to parents and educators of students in grades 4-12. Learn about easy ways you can link to us to let others know about the many free resources available from AdLit.org. AdLit.org is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and by the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author(s).
All the best from AdLit.org
- Noel Gunther, Executive Director
- Katie Chase, Associate Editor
- Kelly Deckert, Web Producer
- Susannah Harris, Manager, AdLit.org
- Sun Kim, Web Coordinator
- Alan Lundy-Ponce, Director, Learning Media Websites
- Joanne Meier, Ph.D., Research Consultant
- Laura Schreiber, Project Associate
- Rachael Walker, Outreach Consultant
Newsletter editors: Susannah Harris and Joanne Meier
