LIBE 477: Inquiry Blog 1: Fostering a School Reading Culture

     As an elementary teacher and an aspiring teacher-librarian, one of my goals is to foster life-long reading habits and an enjoyment of reading for all my students. Working as a teacher in various schools and as a substitute teacher over the years, I've stepped foot in many different elementary schools and have witnessed both schools which promote and foster a love and enjoyment of reading, as well as schools with a primary focus on increasing student reading levels and literacy scores by the end of the school year, with little emphasis on a love of reading. 

    Reflecting on my first year of teaching as a Grade One teacher, I recall the great amount of emphasis placed on reading scores and the requirement of teachers at my school to utilize Accelerated Reader to encourage students to further improve their reading levels. While some of my students found the Accelerated Reader program and the Star Reading tests to be motivating, I could tell others found it frustrating and discouraging. On their website, Renaissance suggests that teachers can "motivate, monitor, and manage students' independent reading practice with Accelerated Reader and watch as students develop a true love for reading."  However, in my experience, while some of my students thoroughly enjoyed the choices provided by the program, the corresponding quizzes and the opportunity to move up a level, other students became frustrated with having to complete a quiz after each book they read, when they became "stuck" on a level, or did not progress as quickly as their peers. 

    Since my first year of teaching, I have not used the Accelerated Reader program and have instead looked for other ways to help my students develop their reading skills and a love of reading. Several years ago, on our first class trip to the library, I recall instructing my Grade Three students to select one book at their reading level, and one book of choice. At the time I felt that this was the ideal compromise between ensuring my students were reading at the appropriate level and ensuring they had some choice and opportunity for enjoyment. However since that time I've found myself reflecting on whether this was best practice, and how I could adjust my approach to truly help my students develop a love for reading.

Student Choice:

 "[Students] have to learn their own processes for selecting books, and if we keep narrowing the choices by artificial constraints, we aren't giving them that chance"
- Betty Carter

(Parrot, 2017, para. 25).

Providing students with opportunities to exercise independence in selecting reading materials has been critical to fostering a positive reading culture in my classrooms. As Pernille Ripp, creator of Global Read Aloud suggests, "research says that students should spend most of their time in 'just right' or 'at their level' books, but that research does not say to limit students and what they would like to read" (Parrot, 2017, para. 6). I believe that giving students the opportunity to self-select their reading materials in my class contributes to a positive school reading culture and nurtures lifelong reading habits that students will carry with them throughout their lives. I also believe that teachers and teacher-librarians should be "pragmatic and flexible in their approach when providing reading materials to users, supporting the individual preferences of readers, and acknowledge their individual rights to choose what they want to read" (Schultz-Jones, & Oberg (Eds.), 2015, p. 39).

    Although I've since eliminated the rule of selecting one book at reading level when I take my students to the library, I've also come to realize that in order to truly provide my students with autonomy when selecting books and to foster their love of reading, I must equip them with skills and strategies for self-selecting texts. One strategy I have used with my students in the past is the "I Pick" model:

Figure 1. I PICK (The Wonder Room, 2017).

While this strategy has been useful for my elementary students in our classroom and when we go to the school library, as an aspiring teacher-librarian, I am looking forward to implementing other practices in my library program to foster student choice and a reading culture and community that extends beyond the walls of the school.  

Strategies for Fostering a School Reading Culture and Community:

    As an educator, I believe that all students have the potential to develop lifelong reading habits and that part of our quest is to help them tap into that potential by fostering a school reading culture that centres around the enjoyment of reading. From my research, I found the following strategies for fostering a school reading culture and community.

1. Showcase Books EVERYWHERE!:

    One strategy I really appreciated from the article 25 Ways to Build Your Schools Reading Culture is to leave reminders about books everywhere. Barrett (2019) suggests that "whether it's on your classroom bulletin board, or in the hallway, or even on the wall clock, dropping not-so subtle hints about great books students' attention" (para. 3). Bulletin boards near the entrance of the school with a display of both staff and student book recommendations and a request for additional suggestions not only provides students with a list of potential reading materials but also communicates to parents and other visitors that we are a reading community that includes and welcomes everyone. As teacher-librarians we can also promote books to both staff and students through newsletters, email, social media, the school website and library website.

    

Figure 2. Book Clock. (We Are Teachers, 2017).

2. Host Book Tastings, Book Talks and Book Clubs:

    During my experience as a substitute teacher, I recall witnessing a teacher-librarian host a "book tasting." She explained that throughout the year she collaborates with grade teams and students to determine themes and topics of interest for book tasting events. She then compiles collections of books centred on the themes and interests and displays them on the library tables. Teachers then bring their students to explore the collections to broaden their reading horizons and to get a "taste" of the various books available. 

    Book Talks and Book Clubs are another great strategy for exposing students to a variety of new books and for cultivating a school reading culture. Teacher-librarians may host book talks, introducing students to new texts, but they can also be led by the students themselves. By facilitating student participation in student-led book talks, we can encourage students can share their interests and provide suggestions that may speak to their peers interests in ways that teachers or other adults have not, and perhaps cannot. Through student-led book talks, students can connect with one another and even draw in reluctant readers, further building a reading community that is meaningful to them. As Miller (2013) states in her book Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits, "reading communities benefit avid readers and less motivated readers by providing a reading home that supports all readers no matter where they are on the path to wild reading (p. 97).

3. Highlight and Celebrate Literary Holidays and Host Literacy Events:

   Another great strategy for promoting a school reading culture is to celebrate related holidays and to host a variety of literacy events throughout the year. Some of these events include Read In Week, Global Read Aloud, International Dot Day, March Book Madness and more. Other activities may include public library visits, speech competitions, education week, and more. Book Glow provides a month-to-month list of notable literary holidays that teacher-librarians can celebrate with their students.

Figure 3. The Global Read Aloud. (The Global Read Aloud, 2020).

4. Collaborate! Collaborate! Collaborate!: 

    In order to cultivate a school reading culture, everyone must be involved. We can collaborate with our colleagues, support staff, administrators and members of the community to develop reading community that extends beyond the walls of the school. For example, collaborating with the principal to have them conduct a read aloud with a different class each a week is a fantastic way to promote a positive reading culture to our students. Another initiative could be having staff from the public library come in regularly to host book talks. This would be a great opportunity to expose the students, as well as ourselves, to a variety of new books, while also introducing the students to other professionals who share our passion for literacy. Collaboration with other libraries further extends the reading community for our students, while also providing an opportunity to further improve the school library program. IFLA suggests that teacher-librarians should “liaise with other library groups within the broader community, including public libraries and library associations. In order to improve library services for children and young persons in a given community, school libraries and public libraries should endeavor to cooperate” (Schultz-Jones, & Oberg (Eds.), 2015, p. 29).

5. Author Visits:

    Hosting author visits is another great method for building a reading culture in our school communities. Barrett (2019) argues that that connecting students with authors provides a powerful opportunity "for kids to realize that books are created by real people" (para. 16). While author visits can be expensive, and are currently more difficult to organize due to Covid-19, Kate Messner provides a list of authors who are willing to host virtual visits free of charge in her blog post Authors Who Skype with Classes & Book Clubs (For Free).

6. Promote Diversity: 

    Introducing students to a variety of diverse reading materials is an important aspect of fostering a school reading culture. It is important that our students see themselves reflected the books they read. Not only should we as teacher-librarians ensure the library collection includes a variety of texts which reflect the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of all students, but we should promote these books as well. Through newsletters, displays, literature circles, book talks, reading clubs etc. we can increase student exposure to diverse texts not only so that students may encounter books they identify with, but also because "books featuring characters with different cultural experiences from their own can educate... readers and build empathy" (Ishizuka, 2018, p. 29). By promoting a diverse collection of books we can further develop a school reading culture that is inclusive of all students. 

References:

Accelerated Reader - Explore | Renaissance. Renaissance. (2020). Retrieved 9 October 2020, from 

            https://www.renaissance.com/products/accelerated-reader/explore/.

Barrett, L. (2020). 25 Ways to Build Your School’s Reading Culture [Blog]. Retrieved 9 October 2020,    

            from:  https://www.weareteachers.com/build-reading-culture/.

Book Glow. (2017). Month-By-Month Literary Holiday Calendar. (2017). [Blog]. Retrieved 9 October 

            2020, from: http://www.bookglow.net/month-by-month-literary-holiday-calendar/.

Ishizuka, K. (2018). Can diverse books save us? School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&si

            =1ffc18c5-780a-4460-b823-a172ca4c7b11%40sessionmgr101

Messner, K. (2009). Authors Who Skype with Classes & Book Clubs (for free!) [Blog]. Retrieved 9 October 2020, from: https://katemessner.com/authors-who-skype-with-classes-book-clubs-for-free/.

Miller, D. (2013). Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong
    Reading Habits. Retrieved from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ubc/reader.action?                                                                  docID=1495624&ppg=119&tm=1503865945744

Parrott, K. (2017). Thinking Outside the Bin: Why labeling books by reading level disempowers
young readers. School Library Journal. Retrieved from:
https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=thinking-outside-the-bin-why-labeling-books-by-
Reading-level-disempowers-young-readers

Reynolds, P. (2020). International Dot Day. Thedotclub.org. Retrieved 9 October 2020, from http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/.

Ripp, P. (2020). The Global Read Aloud. The Global Read Aloud. Retrieved 9 October 2020, from https://theglobalreadaloud.com/.

Schultz-Jones, B., & Oberg, D. (Eds.) (2015). School library guidelines (2nd revised edition). 

            International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Retrieved from: https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla-school-library-guidelines.pdf

The Global Read Aloud. (2020). The Global Read Aloud [Image]. Retrieved 9 October 2020, from https://theglobalreadaloud.com/merchandise/.

The Wonder Room. (2017). I PICK [Image]. Retrieved 9 October 2020, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/I-Pick-Strategy-Poster-Just-Right-Book-Good-Fit-Book-IPick-Poster-FREE-3325132.

We Are Teachers. (2017). Book Clock [Image]. Retrieved 9 October 2020, from https://www.weareteachers.com/build-reading-culture/.