The Position Statement on the School Library Media Specialist's Role in Reading, adopted by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Board in February 2009, is a guide to help practitioners build library programs that support every learner's development in reading. As part of the Learning4Life (L4L) plan to implement the Standards for…

During the summer, thousands of soon-to-be college students will read books as part of campus-wide "shared reading" programs (also referred as to common reader programs, one book programs, etc.). Such programs are designed to provide incoming students with a common experience and invite exploration of particular themes (e.g., diversity, etc.),…

Winter 2007 marked an episode of high anxiety in the library science profession, when the latest Newbery winner, "The Higher Power of Lucky," triggered discussion about words and their suitability for young readers. It seems that the entire world now knows that the word "scrotum" appears on the first page of the book. School…

Most people associate read-alouds with bright-eyed preschoolers and elementary school kids--not with struggling at-risk teens. But read-alouds are fun for students of all ages. And studies by education researchers such as Stephen Krashen, Jim Trelease, and Janet Allen have shown that reading to kids boosts their reading comprehension, increases…

Describes an eighth grade reading program that includes a requirement to read a diary. A questionnaire to determine students' favorite diaries and feelings about the genre is described, activities for students to try after reading a diary are suggested, and an annotated bibliography with 10 fiction and 10 nonfiction books is included. (LRW)

This column provides background related to several "hot" reading topics currently taking place in schools across America as educators strive to produce lifelong readers who enjoy reading, read for a variety of purposes, and make meaning from the texts they read. Information for further reading on the topics explored also are shared. Such topics…

Keeping a good balance in the classroom and in the library media center is no easy task. It is an on-going process that will continually involve reflective thinking, research, professional reading, networking among other professionals, and collaboration among teachers and fellow library media specialists. In this article, the author discusses what…

Intended for elementary school teachers and librarians, this book was designed to help in the development of reading programs for young children. Five sections are included: (1) planning ahead, which includes getting organized, making decorations, collecting "junque" (craft materials and other items needed for craft activities); (2) conducting…

Intended to provide children with pleasurable reading experiences by letting them feel successful in their early reading attempts, the program described in this booklet employs reading comprehension techniques that have been found effective and focuses on helping to prevent comprehension problems before they arise. The program was designed to be…

This book provides a theoretical basis for summer library reading programs, and provides hands-on knowledge about what really works in summer library programs, culled from the experience of librarians across the country. The book contains an introduction--"What Are Summer Library Reading Programs"--and five chapters. Chapter 1--"The…

This book promotes a library-based curriculum for teaching reading and suggests a wide variety of books to use with new readers. It provides an outline of basic skills that literacy students must master to become good readers. It also suggests numerous skill-building activities for teachers to develop using the words and ideas derived from…

Intended for teachers, librarians, and reading specialisits, the articles in this collection of essays address the problem of how to determine, capture, and then maintain children's interest in the reading process. Preceded by biographical information on the contributors and a brief introduction, the essays have been placed into one of four major…