Movie Book Club Update

I’m a bit behind on my Reading Promise Book Club updates so forgive me for that. 

In November, we met to discuss From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler written by E.L. Konigsburg and watch the movie based on the book, The Hideaways. This group does love their books for the details that they provide. “Way more details than a movie,” commented one young reader. “I like picturing it in my mind,” responded another.

Our group was horrified by the idea that running away would make anything better, much to the delight of their parents. They found the movie a bit lacking as it failed to hold their attention at times, but gushed enthusiastically about the book. When my older boys were younger, we were able to watch the movie version with Lauren Bacall with the same title as the book, however my library no longer carries it and I found it on Amazon.com for a mere $180. Ha! 

Our holiday read was A Dog Named Christmas written by Greg Kincaid. Our family did this one backwards: last year we watched the movie and this year we read the book. It is a great family tale and I highly recommend it! The other three families (yes, we had another one join our group!) thoroughly enjoyed the story and the kids loved watching the movie tonight, snuggled under fleece blankets and cuddled up with stuffed animal friends. One thought the cougar scene was too detailed in the book and liked it better in the movie. The rest thought the book was better, of course. 

We’re choosing a favorite for next month, Matilda by Roald Dahl. Many have seen the movie, but not read the book. 

Happy reading in 2013! 
Momma Holmes

My Reading Streak

Hi! I'm Lindsey! Last year when I was in 4th grade, my teacher, Mrs. Hartman, read a couple chapters of The Reading Promise near the end of the school year, to my classmates and I. It was about a girl in 4th grade (just like me!) and her dad that made a promise to read every single night for 100 nights! Once they got that achieved, they made another promise to read for 1,000 nights in a row!

When Mrs. Hartman read just the first and second chapters of that book I got inspired to do that with my mom. So on May 30th, 2012 my mom and I started to read the book: Now You See Me... It was great! It was also part of the Poison Apple series. Since I had the first six books in that series we started reading all of them! Each of the books were between 150-180 pages.

From May 30th to November 21st my mom and I have read the 3rd, 4th, 5th and we are almost done the 6th book of the Poison Apple series! We also have read 172 nights in a row, so far! I remember when my mom and I reached 50 nights in a row! I freaked out!

When my mom and I reached 100 nights I couldn't believe it!  Then came 150 nights! I was so happy I couldn't stay still! My mom and I are now trying to reach 200 nights! I think we can do it! If we complete that we are going to go for how long we can go, and hopefully never stop!

Thank you for reading my short story and hopefully you got inspired too!

The Stay at Home Teacher's Promise: Including the Family

Back in August, I received an email from Mrs. Hartman about Alice Ozma and The Reading Promise.  I found it ironic that I received this note on this particular evening because I had just had an especially wonderful reading time with my then 13 month old son.  One of the stories we read that night was Ten Little Ladybugs. I can remember bringing this book out a few months before and Colin showing little interest.   On this night, however, it was as if the whole book opened up for him. He was mesmerized by the pages, "counting" the ladybugs, and finding them on the page.  As I was putting him down to bed, I actually whispered in his ear how much I cherish all our reading cuddles.  In my moment of joy, my heart ached wishing my husband could take part in this time too. He is active duty Air Force and has been away from home since July and will not return till Christmas. When I received Mrs. Hartman’s email, I had already made several recordings of my husband reading story books to my son.  He also did one of the Hallmark recordable books.  Although I had these recordings I wasn’t consistent with playing them for my son.  

Reading with Daddy at 3 months old

Once I heard about The Reading Promise I knew that mine and my son’s reading promise would be a little different than others.  After several years as a teacher (three of which were at Sinking Springs, go Panthers!) I am now a stay at home mom.  At least for now, reading to my son throughout the day is something we do without even having to think about it.  I don’t think we have missed a day of reading since he was six months old.  My husband, on the other hand, is rarely given this opportunity.  I decided then that our reading promise would be Daddy “reading” at least one story a day to our son.  Starting August 21^st, Colin and I listened to one of Daddy’s stories each day.  We were also fortunate enough to visit Daddy shortly after this where he was able to read in person.  These days are always the best.  Unfortunately, after a few weeks it became apparent that some days Colin didn’t want to listen to Daddy’s story.  Although only a toddler, he is well aware of his Daddy’s absence and it seems the stories are a reminder that he is not here.  

Our reading promise was in need of some adjustments.  Not only is my sweet Colin often separated from his Daddy he’s also hundreds of miles away from his grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  I decided to add all of them to our reading promise.   Now, in order to keep our Streak going, Colin must listen to at least one family member other than Mommy each day.  Just like Alice and her father, Colin listens to the family member just before bed.  I make sure it is the first story we do each night so that I don’t accidentally forget.  He’s not quite old enough to remind me yet.  I have audio and video recordings of family members on my iPhone that we use most often.  On evenings when our schedules align, Daddy reads a story over the phone in real-time, and whenever we are visiting family or they are visiting us Colin will get his story read in person.  

Reading with Pappy as part of the Streak

We have been going strong with the Streak so far. I have to admit that there have been a few nights Colin has had a babysitter or he's fallen asleep in the care late in the evening and we missed our reading promise story. I guess it can't be a Streak with missed nights. I've figured out some solutions like playing one of the recorded stories in the car during those unexpected late nights. Since I can't even remember the date of our last missed night, we will officially call today, November 12, 2012, Day 1 of our Reading Promise Streak. 

How can our reading promise relate to yours?  Perhaps you have a relative far away that you’d like your child to be able to connect with or maybe your child’s father travels for work as well and you’d like him to continue being a part of everyday life at home.  Maybe you have to work late or you’re busy taking care of another child but still want to read to your other child.  

I have lots of hopes and dreams for our reading promise.  I know that it will evolve over the coming years.  I imagine my son writing emails to his grandmother about chapter books they are reading together and listening to stories with ear buds on long car rides.  No matter how our reading promise changes, one thing I know for sure, my son will be read to every day.

Jackie Goodwillie

www.thestayathometeacher.blogspot.com

Day 50: Summitting Mt. Everest

Our classroom reached two exciting milestones this week!! First, we reached one of our mini Reading Streak goals-- 50 consecutive school days!! This goal also coincided with a second amazing accomplishment. We successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest! Let me explain...

Last year, my class was introduced to the topic of Mt. Everest courtesy of one of our favorite class Mystery Readers, Nicholas' mom. She read a book called, To the Top! Climbing the World's Highest Mountain to my class. Immediately, my class became engrossed with the topic of Mt. Everest. They just wanted to devour any and all information about the peak that they could find. As we explored some of the other resources that our school library had to check out about Mt. Everest, we came across a great find on Sinking Springs' library shelves: Worst-Case Scenario, Ultimate Adventure: Everest, You Decide How to Survive! , a choose your own style book where readers are faced with real life decisions on their journey to try to reach the top of Everest. With only one path through the book to successfully reach the summit and return, it takes quite a bit of research, decision making, and thoughtful discussion to accomplish this task successfully. It took our class several unsuccessful tries, but eventually, we made it!

Check out the book trailer for a sneak peek of what adventures we encountered in this book:

Since my class could not get enough of this book last year, I decided to try it again with this year's group of students when I needed a new read aloud book. To help prepare them for their ascent, we started by reading some non-fiction books about Everest to give them some background information.

The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins

To the Top! Climbing the World's Highest Mountain by S.A. Kramer

 We also referenced, but didn't fully read, To The Top: The Story of Everest by Steven Venables.

Once my students had learned more about the real life perils on Mount Everest, they were eager to begin their climb. I was pleasantly surprised by the care and thought that they put into their decisions throughout the reading. Sometimes kids think it's fun just to see how many bad decisions they can make to lead themselves to the quickest ending for laughs, but my class didn't! They discussed, debated, used facts and evidence they had gained during our research, had me go back and reread parts of the informational knowledge to hear it again and listen for specific details-- all to make their way to the top. And they did it too! Almost on the first try. (We made it to the top on our first try, but made a tough decision and froze on our way back down the mountain, so we didn't successfully complete the mission, technically.) We nailed it on our second attempt.

 I love sharing choose your own adventure type books with my students because it starts great conversations among students and encourages them to support their opinions with details and evidence from the text. (The teacher in me has to sneak some extra learning in somehow, of course!!)

I typed up this quick worksheet for students to record some of their thinking and practice explaining their thoughts along with supporting evidence in writing. It's free to download if you're interested.

Also, this style of writing help get my students interested in a new type of book that holds their interest. When I went to pick up my students from library last week, the librarian told me suddenly my class just couldn't get enough of choose your own adventure books when it came time to check out books.

If you're not familiar with these types of books, there are a wide variety to check out. Some of the most popular ones can be found at the Choose Your Own Adventure website. It lists all the books in this series (for both younger and older readers alike) sorted by reading level, topic, etc. Another series, You Choose Books, is based on historical events or time periods. There are also even a few more books in The Worst Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure Series: Mars, Amazon, and a new one being released this month (yay!), Deadly Seas. Personally, I love the ones based on real life experiences that can tie fiction and non-fiction together for students and help them make connections in their reading and learning. But, there again, that's the teacher in me talking.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Hartman

PS- Satellite view and travelers' photographs from some of the Everest Base camp trails are available on Google Maps. Another way to connect your readers to their setting and adventure while adding some geography lessons to the mix as well!!


View Larger Map

It's Never Too Early to Start

Hi everyone, Katie here. I’m a friend of Mrs. Hartman’s, and I’m thrilled to contribute some of my thoughts on reading and reading promises.

I figured out the best way to read to my squirmy-wormy baby: get on his level!

Recently I was talking to a friend about the fact that I love reading books to my 12-week-old son Luke. He seemed a bit surprised, commenting on the fact that Luke is obviously too young to understand the story.

Yes and no, I told him. While Luke may be too young to understand the complex notions of characters and plot development, he can certainly appreciate the brightly-colored pictures, the easy-to-grasp cardboard pages, and the intonation of my voice as I read to him. In fact, these are all vital to his development.

Luke’s mental growth is only part of the reason why I place so much value on reading to him, even as an infant. I also believe that the act of reading books creates a special bond between parent and child. When you’re reading together, you’re also exploring, questioning, and learning together. You’re laughing and crying together. In essence, you’re growing together.

Creating a reading promise is the perfect way to foster such growth. I’m so excited to continue my reading journey with Luke! Tonight we’ll be reading Dear Zoo, a lift-the-flap book by Rod Campbell. It’s one of Luke’s favorites already!

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Guest Post by Katie McLaughlin

Trick-or-READ

When author, Alice Ozma, visited our school a few weeks ago, she mentioned to the students about a tradition that she likes to take part in each Halloween in her hometown neighborhood. It is such a simple, yet powerful idea that gets kids excited about reading and helps to put more books in the hands of children. Even as an adult, I was very tempted to make the drive to New Jersey myself just to check it out. It's called Trick-or-Read.

If you were to visit Alice's father's home on the designated trick or treat evening for Millville, New Jersey, instead of getting a handful of sugary sweets, you would receive a book. Several years ago, Alice proposed the idea of handing out books versus candy to her father and trick-or-read has been happening ever since. This year, with her role as the National Book Fairs' manager of reading programs at Scholastic, her employer heard about her tradition and was eager to help out. Alice was able to place books (and a whole bunch of other fun reading treats) in the hands of hundreds of eager and excited trick-or-readers.

Check out her blog post about the experience on Scholastic's On Our Minds Blog, as well as this New Jersey media site's story of the event.

What an awesome way to get kids to be excited about reading (and less full of sugar)!

Is this something you have done in the past? Anyone planning to try it in the future? What ways do you share your enthusiasm about reading and books? Share your thoughts and ideas!

Sinking Springs Family Book Club

UPDATE: We have chosen to postpone the book club at this time and reschedule it for a later date this winter yet to be determined. Look for updated dates/times and additional information coming soon.

After last week's visit from author, Alice Ozma, we hope that families and students at Sinking Springs are eager and ready to begin their own reading promises with someone.

As the next part of Sinking Springs' Reading Promise Project, we are looking for families who want to join us in the effort to make reading a special part of their everyday lives. Making time to fit reading into your schedule each day can be challenging. Finding ways to help your adolescent develop a love for reading can be daunting. To help you achieve these goals, Sinking Springs will be offering a family book club, based on Alice's book, The Reading Promise. 

Families who register to attend the first book club meeting will have the opportunity to:

• Connect with other Sinking Springs families to meet and discuss Alice Ozma's book, The Reading Promise.

• Discover new ways to encourage their children to develop a love of reading.

• Find out strategies for reading and discussing books with their children at home.

• Develop a support system of other families taking on reading promises and share ideas, successes, and challenges.

• Receive a FREE copy of Alice Ozma's book, The Reading Promise.

• Learn more about a variety of free reading resources available. 

• Win prizes to promote reading with their children. 

• Become guest bloggers on this blog.

The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 12 and additional meetings may be scheduled, depending on the availability and interest of participants. Throughout families' reading promise experiences, this blog will serve to connect readers and their promises, not only just from Sinking Springs, but all readers who wish to share about the reading promises happening in their lives.  

If you are a Sinking Springs member and want to join us for this excellent opportunity, click here to read additional information and register online.

If you are a guest visiting us from outside of Sinking Springs, but still want to join our conversation, connect with other readers, and share your reading promise experiences, please do! Join our ever-growing community of guest bloggers. Comment on our discussions and contact us to discuss ways that you can share your reading experiences through this blog. We'd love to have you!

An Evening with Alice Ozma

This past week, Sinking Springs' much anticipated day finally arrived-- our visit from author, Alice Ozma!!

With much thanks to our school's principal, Mrs. Miller, and the Sinking Springs' PTO, we were able to have Alice visit our school for the day to speak with students and families about the importance of reading.

In the afternoon, Alice began her visit by speaking with a very enthusiastic crowd of all of our 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students in the gym. She spoke with students about the importance of reading and how it will impact their future successes in life.

Immediately following her whole school assembly, Alice met with a group of aspiring authors, all relaxed in comfortable bean bag chairs in the library, to discuss the writing process. She offered some great advice to the students about her unique perspective on being an author, as well as some discussions of her favorite reads. Here's just a taste of some of the conversations she shared with students:

Some of Alice's favorite books? 
The Giver, Charles Dickens, the Harry Potter series, the Wizard of Oz series

Favorite genres?
Funny and creepy (but not scary); But not books with kissing or lots of violence.

Favorite authors?
Lewis Carroll, Daniel Pinkwater; I love authors that are weird. I love nonsense. Life is nonsense.

A few of her favorite descriptive words?
Festive and jovial. 

Advice for aspiring authors?
Keep writing. Try all different types of writing. What you think you do well, try something completely different. Try a million things and see what sticks. Share your writing with other people and see what they like, then listen to them.

Suggestions for writers to improve their writing?
I think you become a better writer when you read. You learn new words, new situations. Daydreaming the first step in writing. Stare out the window. Let your mind wonder.

Following a quick driving tour of York's historic district and a delicious dinner at Moonlight Cafe, Alice returned to school in the evening for a presentation with families. Her evening discussion, filled with laughs and quirky stories, focused on her reading streak with her father and the reasons why she believes families should start a reading promise together. Her closing words challenged families and children to create a reading promise to someone, anyone in their lives-- a family member or friend, an elderly neighbor, even a pet. Reading bonds individuals together by the shared words and experiences found within a book's pages.

Even though her time at Sinking Springs was short, we hope that the effects of her reading promise message to students and parents are long-lasting. 

One of our favorite Alice answers that she gave during her visit was in response to a question from a sixth grade student who wondered 'How is your life different as an author now than it was before you wrote the book?' I'm braver. I'm more interested in travel. I'm friendlier. I've made friends in one day with people all across the country. I love knowing that if I'm ever in a certain city, I can call up a librarian that I've met before and go out to dinner. [Being an author] has really improved me as a person. 

Alice, we thank you for the time, enthusiasm, and message that you shared during your visit to Sinking Springs Elementary and are honored to join your list of friends. Call us for dinner anytime. :)

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Hartman

The Reading Promise Continues...

During my search for other families taking on their own reading promises, I came across a post on the blog 52 Weeks, 52 Resolutions, 1 Mom by Momma Holmes. This is her second guest blogger post about how The Reading Promise has inspired her. (Catch up with her first post here.) Check out the unique twist that she has given her reading promise to share the love of reading with her sons.

It was a beautiful Friday evening and as the hour of seven arrived, so did sweet, fresh-faced, pajama-clothed friends. They came with cocoa and popcorn, brimming with excitement. They had finished reading Indian in the Cupboard and were eager to discuss this tale. 

Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

Was this story the same or different as the books we read over the summer?

Same… great imagination! Different… no animals/bugs were main characters! 

Did you like the ending?
Yes, this was causing so much trouble for them! No, I wanted them to bring more people to life! 

The great discussion was followed by silence minus the munching of popcorn as they settled in to watch the movie of the book we’d read. They felt the movie was true to the book; in fact perhaps the most accurate of the ones we’ve read.

As the small people watched, the adults conferred on the next tale. “Really, we’re okay with you choosing the next book,” they insisted. All of the kiddos had given suggestions. I reached into the hat and tossed out two of the suggestions. Another mom drew the title from the remaining two ideas.

Next month, we’ll be reading and watching From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I am very excited as this book was a favorite from my childhood and the copy we own is MY copy.

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Our reading promise of reading to our young readers continues another month.

My dilemma is that the other moms have requested a Christmas tale for December. I am looking for suggestions of Christmas books that have been made into movies that would be appropriate for my crowd of 6-9 year olds.

Thanks!
Momma Holmes

Day 29: We Enter the Catacombs!

Reasons I Love 39 Clues #8,574: All of the real life settings that the adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill allow readers to discover and travel to as they follow the series.

The first cool place that my students had never heard of, but were able to experience through our reading together? The Maze of Bones, aka the underground network of Catacombs in Paris, France.

I gave my students the teaser at the beginning of the book that The Maze of Bones was a real place that Amy and Dan would have the opportunity to explore. Every day since they had been asking when we would get to the Maze of Bones part.

Finally, on Day 28 of our streak, we reached it. The Catacombes de Paris. The Maze of Bones.

But you know what made the experience even cooler for my students? Google Maps. Thanks to the street view images from Google Maps, entering the catacombs of Paris was a much more eerie and exciting experience than it would have been otherwise. Their satellite and street view maps provide a great view of what different locations look like that my students may never otherwise have the opportunity to visit or see.

To set the scene and help my students better visualize where Amy and Dan's clue hunting adventures were leading them, I typed in the address for the Catacombs' entrance. (1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, Place Denfert Rochereau, 75014 Paris in case you wanted to sneak a peek yourself).

Screenshot of the entrance to The Catacombes de Paris on Google Maps

Before Amy and Dan ventured down into the underground tunnels lined with human bones, our class got the chance to check out the entrance to the Catacombs, along with other visitors' photographs of the passageways below.

My students got to see the entrance sign to the catacombs that Amy and Dan read before entering...

 walk down the street to see the nearby Metro station that their rival clue hunters arrive from...

and the visit the dimly lit, narrow tunnels, lined with skulls and bones lining the walls in intricate patterns that Amy, Dan, and Nellie must walk down in search of their next clue.

Pairing these images with the detail described in the book helped my students to have a much better understanding of the setting and events happening in the text. Coolest. Thing. Ever.

And, since all of the 39 Clues books have Amy and Dan traveling the world to exotic and unique locations, readers' journeys can continue in each book.

With all of the new technology tools available, reading can become a much more interactive journey than ever before. I love taking a virtual field trip to Paris with my class on a Tuesday afternoon.

What new and exciting settings have you traveled to through your reading? Have you checked it out on Google Maps yet? Do share!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Hartman

PS-- And just in case you were wondering...it was a dark and rainy day for our entrance to the Catacombs reading so we were able to read in our own personal classroom "Catacomb" space. Just like we'd hoped for!

Read Along With Us?

Hi everyone!  Val here, checking in.

My boys & I are working through a new book - The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger.

Care to join us?  If you're into multitasking, this book may interest you because you can check off "read aloud" and "learn math" in one fell swoop.  If you want to know a little more about the book before you decide whether or not to dive into it, here's the Wikipedia link to it & here's the link to my blog post about this book.

I think this "mathematical adventure" is a pretty good one.  Would love it if you'd read it too & write in so we can talk books and math together!

Happy weekend & happy reading!

Day 19: Rainy Day Reading

So this week, it happened-- one of my favorite moments to share with my kids. It was a dark, cloudy, rainy day. One of those days where you have nothing else to do besides wanting to curl up and get lost in a good book while listening to the rain. Ok, so maybe I didn't have the whole 'nothing else to do' part going for me. I had a classroom full of 25 eager students to teach. But I also had the opportunity for a great moment to share with my class the excitement that readers can feel over the simple act of reading.

Our Current Class Read Aloud

Our class recently finished our last read aloud book (Jennifer Murdley's Toad by Bruce Coville) and voted on starting 39 Clues: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan as our next read. (Secretly I was just as excited for their choice as they were because anyone who knows me well, knows about my undying love for all things 39 Clues.)

Well, we were just at the part in the book where Amy and Dan discover a narrow, dark passageway to a secret underground library at their grandmother's mansion.  The timing couldn't have been any better. What better way to read this chapter than to turn off all of the lights and sit in our very own narrow, dark library passageway in on our classroom while listening to the rain pour down outside?? 

I told the class that I was so excited about reading in the rain to them and explained how I love to turn off the lights on rainy days to set the scene for parts of the book just like this. Immediately, they were hooked (and also bummed that there was no way for us to make our room completely dark because of the emergency light near our classroom door).

Once Amy and Dan discovered the secret entrance to the library, I asked the students if they wanted to move to our secret library hallway. They all excitedly got up and we crowded together in the back of the room, squished in the space between our lockers and bookshelves to listen to the rest of the reading. Despite being cramped knee-to-knee on the floor, every student was sitting quietly and listening, hanging on Riordan's every word.
It was only a few brief minutes of reading huddled together like this, but it was a hit. The kids loved it and were so disappointed when it was time to stop reading and move on to science. They've even requested doing it again for read aloud every day this week since.

Our recreation of the class listening intently (unfortunately taken on a sunnier day).

Instead of just listening to me tell you about what they thought, here are some of their own words that they came up with together as a class to tell why they enjoyed this experience:

"Hi World! We liked reading this way because we were reading about a tunnel and it was like being in the tunnel because it was a dark and rainy day outside. Since we were all crowded together and it was dark it kinda felt like there was a whole bunch of creepy stuff around us. It felt like I was actually there. When we were back there, in the library area, it helped us to visualize how creepy it was to walk around down there."

I love sharing the excitement that readers can experience with my students by taking advantage of these little moments, like the joy of reading on a rainy day.

Now just keep your fingers crossed that clouds are in the forecast for the part where Amy and Dan venture down into the underground catacombs of Paris...

Happy Reading!

Day 21: Streak Update

I remember learning somewhere along my educational career that it takes sixty repetitions of doing something before it becomes a habit. While my reading streak with my son is nowhere near sixty days yet, I am starting to feel like we are falling into more of a routine with our reading.

Anytime we're sitting together and we have a free moment between playing or eating or rolling or eating or playing or (occasionally) napping, it is becoming more automatic for me to pick up a book, find a cozy spot, and curl up with my little man to read to him.

He's seeming to enjoy our reading experiences together more each day. While books are still a favorite chew toy for him, he likes to look at the pictures, grab at the fun extras (flaps, tags, finger puppets, etc.) that baby books are so lovingly known for, and cuddle up listening on my lap.

In My Patch by Sara Gillinghan, a current favorite because of the adorable mouse finger puppet.

In fact, the other day, out of his entire bag of toys, he reached in and grabbed a book. And while I'm almost positive (I'd be completely positive if it weren't for that tiny bit of wishful thinking) that this just happened to be pure coincidence because the book was near the top of the pile, it didn't make me love it any less.

Hope your reading promises are bringing you a smile each day. Please share! We'd love to hear.

Happy Reading!

Strategies to Keep the Streak Alive

Hi everyone!  This is Val from NYC again.  Today was day 80... wow, let me say that again... e_i_g_h_t_y... EIGHTY....80 of our family's reading streak!!  We started out on the first day of summer vacation with a goal to read every day of the break.  A week and a half ago, we met our summer's goal, celebrated over tea and scones, then reset the end date for our reading challenge.  Our new commitment is for me to read aloud to my boys for at least 10 minutes everyday for an entire year.

Definitely a daunting endeavor when I think of the 285 days of reading ahead of us.  Coupled with the busy school year, after school activities, chores, etc., just the idea of one more thing to do everyday can feel overwhelming.  So how are we fitting this one more thing into our everyday?

Here are our strategies for keeping our reading streak alive.

1. Make the commitment to read aloud everyday... or 5 days out of the week... or one book per month.  Whatever the decision, make a verbal and/or written commitment to do this.  If I had to decide each day whether or not to read, chances are I'd put off our reading time to the next day... when I have more energy... when they finish their homework... when there's not karate, piano, basketball, chess...  For us, no formal commitment would mean reading aloud only sporadically or not at all. 
2. Link reading time to something else that happens everyday.  During summer break, we read after breakfast.  Now that we're back in school, we try to read after dinner.  This works well because the kids eat much slower than I do.  Since I sit at the table with them until they finish their meals, reading aloud keeps me from digging into seconds and thirds and provides them with some food for thought.  What about bedtime reading?  If it works for you, go for it!  But I'm grumpy and tired by tuck in time.  The earlier in the day we can read, the cheerier and more patient I can be about it.
3. Designate a comfortable spot for read aloud times.  If we're only reading 10-15 minutes, we stay at the kitchen table.  If we're settling in for a long 45-60 minute reading session, we relocate to the living room couches.  I've noticed we are all able to focus best when we're in our designated reading spots.
4. Keep a selection of books on hand... because we're never sure what we'll be in the mood to read next.
5. Remember it might take a while to warm up to a story.  We've found it difficult to transition from one book to the next.  Sometimes it takes a few chapters before we settle into a new story. 
6. Leave yourselves the option to put a book down.  Our challenge is to read aloud everyday.  It's not to finish every book we start.  We have the option to choose not to complete a book if it's not working for us.
7. Weed out the competition.  By this, I mean that I limit the days and time that my kids can be plugged into electronics (TV, computer, 3DS, etc).  TV on weekends only means my reading to them is the only game in town most days of the week.
8. Be ready to improvise.  Some days are crazier than others.  If we're out and about all day then we just bring our book along & read wherever and whenever .  We've done our mandatory 10 minutes on the subway, sitting in the corner of Central Park (amidst pigeons and tourists), in airports, in the car and in restaurants.  Whatever works, right?

And that's it.  A few strategies and lots and lots of reading.  If you're thinking about starting your own reading streak, I hope our list is helpful to you.  If you have any suggestions or book recommendations for us, I'd love to hear from you!

6th Grade Reading Streak: Melville, Saskatchewan, Canada!

Our reading streak was inspired by the book "The Reading Promise."  Our whole class loves to read, it does not matter what book.
(Josh, Matthew & Jenna)

Our class loves to read, and since we love reading so much we set a goal.  Our goal is to read everyday for 100 days.  We are doing this because we want to build our stamina and become better readers.
(Zach, Jennaya & Kris)

Our class reading streak is to read every school day for 100 days.   If our teacher is away, a student volunteer will read.
(Taylor, Shelby & Andrew)

We are doing a reading streak, because we want to get inspired by the book.  We are reading "The One and Only Ivan."  It is about a silverback gorilla and his life in captivity.  It's based on a true story.
(Austin, Santana & Tapanga)

Happy Reading!
6th Grade Students from Mrs. Frederickson's Class at St. Henry's Senior High School
http://mrsfclass.blogspot.ca/ 

Resolution 25: Stop Preaching & Start Leading

On one of my most recent searches for other families taking on their own reading promises, I came across a post on the blog 52 Weeks, 52 Resolutions, 1 Mom by Momma Holmes. After contacting her about her reading promise journey, she agreed to submit a guest blogger post about how The Reading Promise has inspired her. Check out the unique twist that she has given her reading promise to share the love of reading with her sons.

Last winter, in a monthly newsletter from my son’s first grade teacher, she mentioned the book The Reading Promise and how it really brought home for her how important reading with your child can be. I immediately went online and reserved it at the library. 

After I read The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma, I felt that I needed to do something. The obvious choice would have been to make a reading promise with my boy. Nope. I was too chicken. I mean some days it just doesn't fit into our life. Excuses, I know. But I just wasn't there. 

However, instead, I took Resolution 25 (stop preaching and start leading) to heart and started a Summer Book Club. I invited friends from all areas of my life, old friends, school friends, church friends, neighbors, swim friends. They all have early independent readers... I decided this was the age when many parents stop reading to their children because the children are now reading to themselves. 

I invited A LOT because I was afraid to invite just a few and have no one show up. Or commit. And I was asking for a commitment: read to your child even though we are encouraging them to read by themselves. It was a good thing I invited many because I only got one family from each of those groups. Read aloud a book I've chosen, and then come to my house for discussion, movie watching and comparison, and snacks. 

If you ask them, they will come. They gathered for discussion and snacks and movie. It was fun! The friends of my son would gather in a circle and take turns answering questions as simple as, "Who are the main characters?" or "What is the setting?" as well as more complex questions such as, "How are the characters in both books similar or different? Why?" They didn't say, "Aren't we going to watch the movie?" rather they seemed to enjoy the discussion. Then, during the movie, I would stop/start it to discuss comparisons between the book and the movie, without a complaint! It was A.W.E.S.O.M.E. 

This summer our books were Winn Dixie and Tale of Despereaux, both by Kate DiCamillo, and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. After watching James, the kids all asked what was next? I pointed out that we were already back in school and we might be too busy. It was unanimous... we are continuing through the school year. 

This month our choice is Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks and everyone in the group has ideas for what to read next, so now I will have to decide how to handle that because I LIKE CHOOSING THE BOOKS. 

So my promise to my son may not have been to read every day to him, but rather to continue to read to him. My promise was to encourage his friend's parents to continue reading to their now independent readers. My promise to read and lead has turned out to be so much fun! If you are interested in how to start your own group or are interested in discussing great reading options for your reader, please feel free to contact me through my blog. 

I am the author of the blog 52weeks52resolutions1mom.blogspot.com and mom to three young men, ages 7, 17 and 19. I am committed to raising the last son as “all in” as I was with the first two. Although I am no longer reading aloud to the oldest boys, I did convince them both to read for pleasure, and not only for school, during the summer. I consider that an accomplishment. I love reading and discussing books. In January, I pledged to do 52 realistic resolutions and not just one for the year. My blog details this journey and also the books I read along the way. 

Momma Holmes

What I Know to be True About Reading

At the beginning of every school year, I spend a lot of time with my students getting to know them as readers. It's important for me to understand their reading preferences, strengths, and goals, but it is important for them to do some reflection about themselves as readers.

One of the activities I have students complete is a list called 'What I Know To Be True About Reading.' This idea comes from Aimee Bucker's book, Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader's Notebook.

I start by sharing my list of truths about myself as a reader. Here are a few examples:

• I need to have a special place to curl up and read.
• I LOVE to read during thunderstorms.
• When I've finished a great book, I feel like I've lost a good friend.
• I believe that favorite books are meant to be read over and over again.
• Even though I know I shouldn't, I get really anxious during exciting parts in my book and skip over words to read more quickly and see what happens.

Then, I give students time to brainstorm their own personal truths. The ideas they come up with are always insightful and revealing. Here are some highlights from this year's reading truths:

• I love when my dad reads to me.
• I like to always have more books to read.
• I like books that challenge me. 
• I hate when I'm at the end and there's so much more to know.

Some kids share about the environment they like to have for reading:

• I like to read in privacy.
• I like to sit somewhere special when I read. 
• I need peace and quiet when I'm reading.

Others, about how it makes them feel:

• Reading calms me down. 
• I like reading when I'm sad. 
• When I read I feel calm but happy.

A few mention what they do after they've finished reading books:

• When I watch a movie related to my book it's never as good.
• I like telling my mom about good books.
• I like to share books that I have read to my mom and dad and my sister and brothers.
• When I finish a great book, I read it one more time.
• I like to write surveys about the book I've read.

Strengths and goals for improvement even come up!

• I read slow when I'm saying it out loud. I read fast when I say it in my brain.
• I like to have connections with the book.

Some make you chuckle:   

• I would read out loud but not when I'm reading a weird book. 

...and some are brutally honest:

• I think reading is boring on a nice day.
• Sorry, but I hate non-fiction books.

These reading truths can be a great way to begin your family's or classroom's reading promise. Learning about the children you are reading with is a great way to build a better connection with them and help to make your reading promise a fun and meaningful challenge. Try it out with your reader(s) today. Who knows what they might say. It just may surprise you...

Please share with us any of your reading truths or truths from your fellow reading promise readers. We'd love to hear!

Exciting News!

"It takes time to make magic happen." These wise words were given to me by author, Alice Ozma, during our emails back and forth after I finished reading her book. Immediately after I turned the last page, I knew I had to find a way for her to visit our school and spread her enthusiasm with Sinking Springs families.

Luckily, I am SO thrilled to say that the "magic" I was waiting for will finally be happening. Alice Ozma, author of The Reading Promise, will be visiting Central York School District on October 23rd!

Alice will be speaking with both students and families. During the day, she will be presenting to our fourth through sixth graders about reading. She will also have the opportunity to meet with a smaller group of students throughout the school who have a special interest in writing and aspire to be authors to chat with them about the writing process. In the evening, Alice will continue to spread her zest for reading by speaking with families. I cannot wait!

Central York families and local readers, to participate in this exciting opportunity to hear Alice speak and meet her during her book signing and photo time after her event, please visit the event registration page to register and find more information. Invite your families, friends, neighbors, and fellow readers. All are welcome to this event!

In the meantime, get excited and watch a preview of some of Alice's previous speaking engagements at San Diego public library and hear what others have to say about her work:

Day 13: Already? Really?

So I had considered the possibility of this happening, I just hadn't considered it happening so soon.

I debated writing a post about this for a few days now. I was so embarrassed! But then I realized that I have to. It is all a part of the process.

If I want the other families of the Reading Promise Project to feel comfortable sharing their successes and failures, I have an obligation to share mine.

So with that being said, I have to let you know that my first official reading streak with my son has already been broken. After 13 days. (Kinda makes you better appreciate Alice and her father's 3,218 night record.) Sigh. 13 days. Really?? Really.

Source: http://www.go4prophotos.com

I couldn't quite believe it myself. I thought we could at least make it two weeks. Two weeks. Come on! Then, it happened. It was a normal weekend day, just like any other. We didn't do anything exceptionally special or out of the ordinary. I have no good excuse to give you. Yet somehow, our daily reading slipped by us. Until about an hour after I put my son to bed and a sudden nagging realization hit me. Uh oh.....And since I am a strict believer in letting sleeping (and teething) babies lie, I decided waking him up to continue the streak would not be an option. So I accepted defeat... this time.

But no worries. Missing a day isn't the end of our reading together. A setback? Yes. A deal breaker? Definitely not. Life happens. One day was missed, and I'm sure there will be more will be in the future. But the shared joy of reading is something that still will continue with our family. In fact, we're already three days into our next streak. Let the reading begin (again)!

Joining you from NYC

Greetings to everyone at Sinking Springs Elementary School from NYC!

My name is Val.  I am a stay-at-home mom of two boys:  Simon and Ethan.  Today marks the 64th day of our reading streak.  I was so excited when Mrs. Hartman found me (via my blog) and invited us to share in your Reading Promise Project.

I came across Alice Ozma's book at our school book fair last spring.  I knew right away it was something I wanted to read.  Once I read it, I couldn't stop thinking about it, talking about it and being inspired by it.  After discussing the idea with my boys, we decided we'd try a little reading streak of our own.

Our summer reading streak began the first day of summer vacation (June 29) and was scheduled to end the last day of our break (September 5).  So technically, we're almost finished...

...Except, none of us want to stop.  We intend to keep reading and are currently figuring out how we will keep our streak going during the busy school year.

And now that we are part of your project, we feel all the more motivated.  I'll definitely be checking in with y'all throughout the school year.

If you'd like to hear about the books we've read so far, here's the list and links:

• The Boxcar Children
• From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
• Holes
• Sarah, Plain and Tall
• Charlotte's Web
• Schooled
• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

I could wax for a while about how great I think reading aloud with our kids is.  But I think I'll refrain (this time).  Instead,  let me share what my boys have to say.

Ethan is almost 7 years old.  His favorite books in kindergarten were the Piggy and Gerald series by Mo Willems.  He continued working his way through all sorts of picture books in first grade, determined to catch up to his big brother (his hero and arch nemesis).  Next week, he will begin second grade.  His current reading project is the Boxcar children series.

Ethan likes me to read aloud to him because I read the books that are above his reading level... he figures that will help him catch up to Simon a little faster (strange competitive little kid... I swear I had nothing to do with that!).

Simon is 9 years old.  He'll be a 4th grader in just 6 days.  He's wild about basketball, creating detailed Lego structures and reading Manga.  He tells me he wants to be the 2nd best Anime-guy (?) in the world when he grows up.

Si was not a strong reader for the longest time.  He recognized only a few words going into 1st grade.  Per Simon, he entered 2nd grade at the lowest reading levels in the class.  But he loved to listen.  When I started reading chapter books to him (@ kindergarten), he would stay riveted for as long as I would read.  When he began reading chapter books (mid-year second grade) for himself, he started with the books we'd read aloud together.

Today Simon reads non-stop.  Of course, all the graphic novels he can get his hands on.  But just about anything else I bring home as well.  Nonetheless, Si loves it when I read to him.  He says it's great because I can always explain vocabulary and concepts to him as we go along.  He calls me the ultimate dictionary.

But he also says reading aloud is special because we get to spend time together... I'll take that any day.