Access to books can help increase reading achievement.

Three research studies have shown that access to books is as strong a predictor of reading achievement as poverty.

The most recent study (Schubert, F. and Becker, R. 2010. Social inequality of reading literacy, A longitudinal analysis with cross-sectional data of PIRLS 2001and PISA 2000 utilizing the pair wise matching procedure. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility 29:109-133) showed that the home print environment was a strong predictor of reading achievement, even when income, parental education, aspects of schooling, language used at home, and other aspects of the home environment were controlled. The authors concluded that the home print environment was as strong a predictor as socio-economic status (see the references to the other studies below).

What does this mean in the real world? It means that closing or cutting funding to public libraries and slashing school library budgets is counterproductive in the quest to help children grow in reading.

Writing about changes in reading instruction in Milwaukee, Bob Peterson and Stephen Krashen recently wrote:

Research also tells us that the children who do better on tests of reading comprehension are those who have more access to books and who read more. Studies consistently show that better school libraries, those with better collections and with a credentialed librarian are related to higher reading scores. What this means for Milwaukee is that any reading plan has to involve improving school libraries. This is especially important in high-poverty areas, where the school library is often the only source of books for children.

Our school system just eliminated Middle School Librarians, replacing them with non-certified staff. 

~~~

Achterman, D. 2008. Haves, Halves, and Have-Nots: School Libraries and Student Achievement in California. PhD dissertation, University of North Texas. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-9800:1

Krashen, S., Lee, SY, and McQuillan, J. 2010. An analysis of the PIRLS (2006) data: Can the school library reduce the effect of poverty on reading achievement? CSLA Journal, in press. California School Library Association.

Assessment and Accountability or Educational Malpractice and Cruelty?

On Monday I have to stop teaching to give inappropriate tests to kids with learning disabilities. They get accommodations for some of it...I can read the questions on the math, or social studies, or science, for example, but...

But...and here's the crime in all this...they are required to take the "Reading/Language Arts" portion of the test...at (what the state defines as) grade level with no help.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a disability mean that a child has trouble in a particular area...and that area is usually reading (though not always)?

I'm not against assessment and accountability, but this is not assessment, it's torture and educational malpractice. It's not accountability, it's cruelty.

Read this from Mrs. Mimi's blog...

Don't tell anyone, but I used to just call it quits after a while.  I mean, enough is enough, right?

Me: (noticing that one friend, a friend who struggles in reading... I mean STRUGGLES) (kneeling down and whispering) Are you okay?
Friend: (tears streaming down face) (STREAMING!) I just can't do it anymore. (Is your heart breaking yet?)
Me: I know it's hard, sweetie, but you just have to do your best.
Friend: The words are just too hard.  I'm not smart enough.
Me: (trying not to let tears stream down my face because I have to get this kid to try and finish) Just try a few more and then we'll stop.
Friend: And we'll go back to learning?
Me: (choking back sob) Yes, honey, we'll go back to learning.

This story of a child wanting to "go back to learning" is, unfortunately, not isolated. There are many stories of kids falling apart emotionally, vomiting from nervousness, acting out in disturbing and pathetic ways...

The indifference in this country (or is it outright antagonism) towards the needs of our children is telling...and disheartening.

The Truth about Librarians

Children's Author Elsa Marston sent this to her librarian's listserv. Someone needs to forward it to Governor Mitch (Indiana), Arne Duncan, and President Obama...though I'm not sure how much good it would do...

Dear the government,

I don't like that you're firing our school librarians. I am a first-grader at Childs school, and I think that Ms. Williams is a great librarian. She reads wonderful stories, and her voice goes up when it is supposed to and down when it is supposed to.

She helps me find books and makes me interested in reading and makes books exciting for me. Ms. Williams makes us feel special. She knows each kid's name.

Childs school will never be the same without Ms. Williams in the library. Why are you firing our school librarians?

Anna W. 

The letter appeared in a local newspaper's (Bloomington, Indiana) Letters to the Editor. No further comments are needed...

What Happened to Play in Kindergarten?

I read the following passage a few days ago.

"What kind of professional wants to spend every working hour doing what research says is best for children and best practices only to be second guessed and overridden, asked to do things that aren't developmentally appropriate? (Can anyone say play in Kindergarten anymore?)" -- Natalie Holland

We (the American public) are going to get what we pay for. When teaching becomes (continues to become) simply reading the script and instruction on how to fill in bubbles, then we're going to get teachers who are adept at reading scripts and showing kids how to fill in bubbles.

Right now, in Florida, the attack on Public Education has reached a new level. Teachers will be judged by their students' scores on a test - experience doesn't count for anything. The politicians are pushing it through...and when it fails to close the achievement gap between rich and poor, as it surely will, teachers will, again, be the ones to blame.

It doesn't seem to matter what research into best practices says...