Reading Rockets: Articles: Today's Reading News

Florida Third-Graders' FCAT Scores Dip as Expected

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:36:47 GMT

Many school districts in Northeast Florida saw a slight drop in the number of third-graders who tested well on the FCAT reading exams, according to state data released Thursday. Superintendents said they expected the dip because the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test was made much tougher this year. Because of that, directly comparing the 2012 results to last year's "would be like comparing apples to oranges," said Gerard Robinson, Florida's education commissioner.

What's on Your Summer Reading List?

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:35:59 GMT

If you're in school, no doubt you have some assigned reading this summer  but we hope you also have some books you want to read (and, of course, we hope you'll participate in at least a few weeks of the New York Times summer reading contest). What do you have to read this summer? What do you want to read this summer? Why? What titles would you recommend that others may never have heard of?

Opinion: Do Comprehension Strategies Make Reading Boring?

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:35:04 GMT

The point of reading is communication. If students can successfully say written words aloud but cannot understand what they've read, that's a problem. Evidence for this point of view include data that kids don't benefit much from reading comprehension instruction after 7th grade, likely because they've all drawn this conclusion, and that increased practice with reading comprehension strategies doesn't bring any improved benefit. It's a one-time increment.

GSU Gets Grant to Study Literacy in Deaf Children

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:34:39 GMT

Georgia State University researchers have received a $10 million grant to create a research center to help improve reading for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Designing Common Core Tests for All Proving a Challenge

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:55:51 GMT

Although more students with disabilities than ever are included in state testing programs, the task of giving these students high-quality assessments in the future that measure how adept they are at mastering the Common Core State Standards seems to have an endless number of hurdles to overcome before students face these new assessments in the 2014-15 school year. And one of them has less to do with the test than with instruction, said Stephen N. Elliott, a professor of education at Arizona State University.

National Geography Bee: Test Your World Knowledge

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:53:24 GMT

The final round of the 2012 National Geographic Bee takes place Thursday, with students between the fourth and eighth grades testing their knowledge of countries, canals, and lava lakes. Of the 54 contestants who came to the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., for the bee, only 10 remain. Asked how long he's been studying geography, finalist Anthony Stoner says, "Since I was like 3 or 4, I guess. I'm kind of in a family of nerds, so there are a bunch of maps and atlases and stuff around the house. I kind of just looked at them in my free time." Thursday's finals will be televised on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Pennsylvania Awards $36.1 Million to Strengthen Literacy

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:51:53 GMT

Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis today announced that more than $36.1 million in federal funding has been awarded to 56 local education agencies to support literacy programs for students from birth through 12th grade. The Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy grant, also referred to as the Keystones to Opportunity grant, is a five-year, competitive federal grant program designed to assist local education agencies in developing and implementing local comprehensive literacy plans. This grant program will support Pennsylvania's comprehensive approach to improving literacy outcomes for all children, including disadvantaged students, limited English proficiency students and students with disabilities.

Oregon Merges Library Associations to Focus on Literacy

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:50:03 GMT

The Oregon Library Association and the Oregon Association of School Libraries have merged, giving the state a more robust organization that will focus on literacy. OLA and OASL members already work closely on library summer reading programs, the Oregon Readers Choice Award, and the Oregon Battle of the Books program, which engages more than 120,000 young readers from across the state. OLA's Association of College and Research Libraries division also collaborates closely with school librarians on Common Core State Standards, information literacy skills, and preparing students for higher education and workforce transition.

Public Money Finds Back Door to Private Schools

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:15:46 GMT

When the Georgia legislature passed a private school scholarship program in 2008, lawmakers promoted it as a way to give poor children the same education choices as the wealthy. The program would be supported by donations to nonprofit scholarship groups, and Georgians who contributed would receive dollar-for-dollar tax credits, up to $2,500 a couple. The intent was that money otherwise due to the Georgia treasury  about $50 million a year  would be used instead to help needy students escape struggling public schools. That was the idea, at least. But parents meeting at Gwinnett Christian Academy got a completely different story last year.

Chicago Public Schools Touts Expansion of Charter Program

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:15:22 GMT

Charter schools in Chicago appear to be a success, so Chicago Public Schools has plans to create an additional 60 charter schools over the next five years. On completion of the program privately run charter schools will account for almost a quarter of all schools in the district. While this figure may seem large, it is only testament to the flourishing of the program and has already been far surpassed in some other urban areas; for example, in New Orleans almost 70% of children attend charters schools.

Editorial: iRead, You Read, We All Win

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:14:55 GMT

I'm thrilled today to be able to announce the Oklahoma State Department of Education's "iRead" initiative. With iRead, our goal is to ensure literacy for all Oklahomans from birth to 12th grade. Literacy is more than just reading. Being literate encompasses listening, speaking, reading, and writing  really all of communication.

Making Schools Work

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:58:20 GMT

Amid the ceaseless and cacophonous debates about how to close the achievement gap, we've turned away from one tool that has been shown to work: school desegregation. To the current reformers, integration is at best an irrelevance and at worst an excuse to shift attention away from shoddy teaching. But a spate of research says otherwise. The experience of an integrated education made all the difference in the lives of black children — and in the lives of their children as well. These economists' studies consistently conclude that African-American students who attended integrated schools fared better academically than those left behind in segregated schools.

What's Next For Third Graders Who Didn't Pass Indiana's Reading Test

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:49:25 GMT

Ethan Brown needed a score of 446 to pass Indiana's new third grade reading test. But last month, he found out he'd scored a 443. 84 percent of Indiana third graders passed the IREAD-3 exam last March. More than 11,700 Indiana third graders who did not, however, must retake the test in June or July. Ethan, a third grader at Webb Elementary School in Franklin, has trouble focusing sometimes and takes medicine for ADHD. But because he's not an English language learner or a special education student, Ethan must pass his retake this summer. If he doesn't, state policy requires he take all statewide tests as a third grader next year. In other words, in all likelihood, he won't advance to fourth grade if he doesn't pass the IREAD-3 this summer.

Challenge a Way to Keep Youths Reading During Summer Break

Tue, 22 May 2012 13:43:34 GMT

The Alabama Department of Education is launching an organized statewide effort to keep students reading throughout the summer months to prevent summer learning loss. State education officials recently announced the Summer Reading Challenge, which encourages students to pledge to read and learn during the summer months. The state agency has even created a website where students and their families can get more information and even generate reading lists based on interest and reading level.

Let's Go Reading in the Car

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:55:07 GMT

Our family does its campfire storytelling by way of audiobooks in the car. The MP3 files or CDs we plug into the car stereo are children's books, of course, but that's no hardship for us, because they're books from our childhoods or they're the Great Books themselves or they're books we've always meant to read but needed children as an excuse to do so. Our son scowls and demands a download from whatever violent young adult fantasy series he's reading. We smile sweetly and turn on "The Chronicles of Narnia," or the "Odyssey," or "The Railway Children," or "Peter Pan," or even "Ramona Quimby, Age 8." We don't tell him what we're playing. We just wait and see what happens.

Baltimore Schools Offer Programs to Prevent Learning Loss During Summer

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:52:43 GMT

When kids ditch the classroom for summer break, for many parents, the stress begins. "Yeah it can be, because kids tend to drive you crazy," Shanedra Williams, a parent, said. To avoid a summer slump, school leaders say it's important to keep kids' bodies busy and their minds sharp. The Enoch Pratt Free Library is just one of the organizations teaming up with Baltimore City to prevent learning loss through the Super Summer initiative that kicked off at Brehms Lane Elementary.

Girl with Dyslexia Starts Foundation to Help Others

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:49:55 GMT

A 10-year-old girl who struggled for years in school is starting a non-profit to help other children like her. Marin Mangiaracinia was diagnosed with dyslexia, just before the beginning of 4th grade. Mom Julie knew something was wrong when Marin was struggling to keep up in school. Julie says it was a struggle just to get her diagnosed. Through her journey, Marin decided she wanted to do more to help kids just like her. So her mom has launched Marin's Mission 4 Dyslexia, a non-profit to raise money so children can be tested for dyslexia and so they can receive the special assistance they need.

Mysteries for Young Readers

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:48:50 GMT

A good mystery can make a boring afternoon disappear in an instant. The right one might even turn a reluctant reader into one who can't wait until the next book in a series comes out! There's a bit of everything — from historical to hysterical — in this list of titles.

Student Surveys to be used to Rate Teachers in Pilot Program — Even in Kindergarten Classes

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:30:52 GMT

Kindergartners in Georgia  many of whom don't yet read  could soon play an important role in deciding which teachers get raises or get fired. Under a new pilot program, 5-year-olds will be guided through a survey that includes such statements as "My teacher knows a lot about what he or she teaches" and "My teacher gives me help when I need it." As the youngsters circle a smiley face, a neutral face or a frowning face, they will be playing their part in new high-stakes teacher evaluations.

Reading and Writing Are a Snap When You've Got the Blues

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:30:15 GMT

The first graders in Jon Schwartz's class at Garrison Elementary in Oceanside are working on developing the same language skills as their peers in any other class. On this Tuesday they're rotating between stations where they're working on spelling, reading and writing exercises. What makes their class different is the theme that runs through all of the work.

Arne Duncan Questions Why FL Legislature Passed Law Requiring Ineffective Tutoring Services

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:29:47 GMT

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan questioned Thursday why the Florida Legislature passed a law requiring districts to continue tutoring services that have not proven effective. Florida was one of nearly a dozen states that received a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law earlier this year. That waiver included lifting a requirement for the state to set aside 20 percent of Title I funds for special tutoring services.

10 Book Apps that Might Change Julia Donaldson's Mind about Gruffalo Apps

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:29:10 GMT

The Gruffalo deserves its status as one of the most popular children's books in the world: beautiful illustrations, but beautiful words too. The rhythm and rhyme of the story demands to be read with monstery relish, and there's a delightful touch of gruesomeness. Owl ice cream, anyone? It's a marvelous piece of work. How about a Gruffalo app, then? I've lost count of the number of times fellow parents, after finding out my job is to write about apps, have asked if the Gruffalo's turned-out toes have wandered onto iOS or Android. Yet the answer is no, and that's not likely to change soon.

'Chronically Absent' Students Skew School Data, Study Finds, Citing Parents' Role

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:28:52 GMT

Up to 15 percent of American children are chronically absent from school, missing at least one day in 10 and doing long-term harm to their academic progress, according to a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. While truancy — unexcused absences — and illness play a part, the researchers said the primary problem is absences that are optional but excused with a parent's permission. "There are so many efforts at school reform, but what people overlook is that none of them work if the kids don't show up," said Marie Groark, executive director of the Get Schooled Foundation, a nonprofit group that commissioned the Johns Hopkins study.

Newbery Winner Jean Craighead George Dies at 92

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:27:25 GMT

Newbery-winning author and naturalist, Jean Craighead George, who inspired many children to pursue careers in the natural sciences, died May 15 at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. George wrote more than 100 books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves. Since writing her first book, Vulpes, the Red Fox in 1949, which she co-wrote with then-husband John L. George, she strived to bring a love of nature to her readers. George went on to connect readers with wildlife in her Newbery Honor book, My Side of the Mountain, which tells a story of a 12-year-old boy named Sam Gribley who runs away from his cramped New York City apartment to find his grandfather's abandoned farm in the Catskill Mountains. There he befriends a peregrine falcon and a weasel.

Reading Rocks: Carpenters Middle Celebrates Reading with Concert

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:06:53 GMT

Carpenters Middle School students have shattered their record for the number of books read in a school year. Middle-schoolers read 19,031 books, which is an average of 27.8 books per student. Last year, they read 17,489 books. For the second year, school officials organized a rock concert to reward students for exceeding their reading goals. "Everybody was onboard this year," said teacher Kim Sullivan. "The students were self-motivated, and they took ownership of the program." "My students motivated each other, which is huge for seventh-graders," said teacher Dawn Reagan. "They helped other kids find more books and made recommendations about what to read next. They also challenged each other to read more difficult books."