READING LADDERS
Creating Better and
More Independent ReadersWith
Teri S. LesesneSHSU DOLS
REACHING READERS
Reading Ladders, Podcasts,
YouTube book trailers, Twitter
and much more
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BULWER-LYTTONWORST FIRST LINEANNUAL CONTEST
2009 WINNERS
Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the "Ellie May," a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests.
The wind dry-shaved the cracked earth like a dull razor--the double edge kind from the plastic bag that you shouldn't use more than twice, but you do; but Trevor Earp had to face it as he started the second morning of his hopeless search for Drover, the Irish Wolfhound he had found as a pup near death from a fight with a prairie dog and nursed back to health, stolen by a traveling circus so that the monkey would have something to ride.
How best to pluck the exquisite Toothpick of Ramses from between a pair of acrimonious vipers before the demonic Guards of Nicobar returned should have held Indy's full attention, but in the back of his mind he still wondered why all the others who had agreed to take part in his wife's holiday scavenger hunt had been assigned to find stuff like a Phillips screwdriver or blue masking tape.
She walked into my office on legs as long as one of those long-legged birds that you see in Florida - the pink ones, not the white ones - except that she was standing on both of them, not just one of them, like those birds, the pink ones, and she wasn't wearing pink, but I knew right away that she was trouble, which those birds usually aren't.
Melinda woke up suddenly to the sound of her trailer being pounded with wind and hail, and she couldn't help thinking that if she had only put her prized hog up for adoption last May, none of this would be happening, no one would have gotten hurt, and she wouldn't be left with only nine toes, or be living in a mobile home park in Nebraska with a second-rate trapeze artist named Fred.
Towards the dragon's lair the fellowship marched -- a noble human prince, a fair elf, a surly dwarf, and a disheveled copyright attorney who was frantically trying to find a way to differentiate this story from "Lord of the Rings."
On a fine summer morning during the days of the Puritans, the prison door in the small New England town of B----n opened to release a convicted adulteress, the Scarlet Letter A embroidered on her dress, along with the Scarlet Letters B through J, a veritable McGuffey's Reader of Scarlet Letters, one for each little tyke waiting for her at the gate.
WHERE TO BEGIN? New books
2009 award winners
PRINTZ
PRINTZ HONOR BOOKS
PRINTZ HONOR BOOKS
NEWBERY
NEWBERY HONOR BOOKS
NEWBERY HONOR BOOKS
ODYSSEY (BEST AUDIO)
ODYSSEY HONOR TITLES
TOP BBYA BOOKS
BBYA TOP TEN
QUICK PICKS
QUICK PICKS
TEENS TOP TEN
TEENS TOP TEN
TEENS TOP TEN
NEW BOOKS ARE WONDERFUL, BUT…
How do we begin to find the ones we need to share with our students?
GOODREADS.COM Social networking
Book reviews
Discussions
Groups
PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS
COMPARING BOOKS AND REVIEWS
OTHER SITES SIMILAR TO THIS Shelfari
www.shelfari.com
Library Thing
http://www.librarything.com/
LISTSERVS
Yalsa-bk
Adbooks
Middle-lit
BOOKLIST
Booklist-ALA
Adult and children and teen books
Pubs bi-weekly
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Only recs for school
Starred reviews on last page
Articles of interest
HORN BOOK
Oldest of them all
Emphasis on chilren’s
Spanish books
VOYAOnly YA
P and Q ratings
STARRED BOOKS 2009 five stars--
WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson CHARLES AND EMMA by Deborah Heiligman CLAUDETTE COLVIN by Phillip Hoose WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead
MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco Stork TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA by Shaun Tan
MORE STARS four stars--
CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne CollinsIF I STAY by Gayle Forman THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly A SEASON OF GIFTS by Richard PeckHEROES OF THE VALLEY by Jonathan Stroud THE FROG SCIENTIST by Pamela Turner
A FEW MORE three stars--
THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS by Chris BartonTHE VAST FIELDS OF ORDINARY by Nick BurdALL THE BROKEN PIECES by Ann BurgASHLEY BRYAN: WORDS TO MY LIFE'S SONG by Ashely BryanFIRE by Kristin CashoreMISSION CONTROL, THIS IS APOLLO by Andrew Chaikin THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT by Kate DiCamilloTHE LOST CONSPIRACY by Frances HardingeNORTH OF BEAUTIFUL by Justina Chen Headley THE COLOR OF EARTH by Kim Dong Hwa
NOT DONE YET 1968 by Michael Kaufman
WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace LinCARBON DIARIES 2015 by Saci LloydYEARS OF DUST by Albert MarrinA SAVAGE THUNDER by Jim MurphyRIOT by Walter Dean MyersBURN MY HEART by Beverly Naidoo THE DEMON'S LEXICON by Sarah Rees BrennanALMOST ASTRONAUTS by Tanya Lee Stone CREATURE OF THE NIGHT by Kate Thompson WRITTEN IN BONE by Sally Walker THE ETERNAL SMILE by Gene Yang and Derek Kirk Kim
NEW BOOKS
With a twist
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READING LADDERS Can be bridges between books
Can be small or large
Can head in different directions from bottom rung
PRINTZ
BRIDGE
PRINTZ HONOR BOOKS
HISTORICAL FICTION
NEWBERY
GHOSTLY BOOKS
NEWBERY HONOR BOOKS
WORD PLAY
ODYSSEY (BEST AUDIO)
NEW AUDIO
FRAMING THE DISCUSSION
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MeaningPlay
EmpathySymphony
StoryDesign
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The punctuation test is today
The punctuation test is today
The punctuation test is today
Woman without her man in nothing
Woman without her man is nothing
MEANING Can be conveyed in many forms and
formats
Nonfiction is a good place to begin.
Graphic novels and GN format is also good for developing meaning in readers.
Hand me downs
Crossing swords
4.6 RL
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"Brevity gets right to the point doesn't dawdle, dicker, or delay always short and sweet whenever there is something to do or say brevity comes in handy when you are subject to a chewing out a bout of the flu a pain in the neck or waiting in line for the loo in fact, this poem has gone on so long that its recital would no longer qualify as an example of its title"
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Flying SoloTime to go. . . solo.
Teacher hops out,open seat huge in its emptiness.
Only comfort, an airplane.Butterflies swarmin her stomach.
Breathe, girl.Courage beats fear.
Taxi down the runway,pick up speed,
pull throttle back,wheels lift off . . .
Flying solo.Breathe, girl.
The air up there is fine.
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SCHOLASTIC
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LITTLE BROWN
LITTLE BROWN
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PLAY
Humor depends on play
Word play is another variation
And do not forget PLAYS in and of themselves
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Civil War
Gettysburg
Maybelline
Road trip
Hollywood
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LEMONY SNICKET IS BACK
WORD PLAY IN POETRY
OBSESSION WITH BUTTS…
SWAN LAKE
THE PLAY’S THE THING
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WHAT IS EMPATHY?
Stronger than sympathy
How many of you…Wished to be something/someone different
at some point in your life?
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WHO HAS…
Mourned the loss of a family member?
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Car accident
Grandma
Mother
Letters
LITTLE BROWN
HAS ANYONE…
Ever been swindled?
There are many ways to describe Ms. Underdorf. She was brilliant and joyous, and she believed-probably
correctly-that libraries contain the answers to everything, and that if you can’t find the information you seek in the library, then such information probably does not exist in this or any other parallel universe now or ever to be known.
She was thoughtful and kind and always believed the
best of everybody. She was, above all else, a master librarian and knew where to find any book on any subject in the shortest possible time.
And she was wonderfully unhinged… And so the Amazing Armadillo.
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WHAT ABOUT…
Feeling outcast or different or separate from others?
FSG
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
After school book club
Destiny
Road trip
A fair day
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SYMPHONY CALLS TO MIND
Many voices or instruments blending into one
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Lil J
Kelly
HARPERCOLLINS
SYMPHONY CAN ALSO BE…
A brilliant work of art that begs to be savored
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HARPERCOLLINS
FIRST SECOND
LITTLE BROWN
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WHY IS STORY IMPORTANT?
Oldest form of communication (oral tradition in literature)
Structure provides consistency
Sharing stories brings us closer
STORY LADDER
Moving students slowly and carefully
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Nick
Marta
Mrs. Starch
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Peter
Fortune teller
Magician
Opera house
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Miranda
Zachary
Dracul
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Jack
Tris
Aunt Cheryl
Obsession with reality TV
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Remy
Lisa
West Virginia
Mining
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Emily
Fiona
Summer art school
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Liam
Aunt Pete
Makeover TO a nerd
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Sisterhood
Guardians
Unconsecrated
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DESIGN
Can be visual
Can be within the writing
Can be almost imperceptible
Must be shown to students…..
READICIDE
Overteaching
Underteaching
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Leticia
Dominique
Trina
SCHOLASTIC
HARPERCOLLINS
Terra
Compass rose
Paper towns
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Lia
Cassie’s death
anorexia
Girl (Bug)meets boy at a car wash."Dog," she says."Dude," he says.And probably this would have been a sweet teen romance. . . .If Beals hadn't been sitting next to her in the car.If Beals hadn't been a supernatural repo man looking to repossess her car.And to possess her.
David Macinnis Gill delivers the whole enchilada. With a side of soul.
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BUT… How do we get students to pick them up
and read them?
BUT… What can we do about the students who
struggle?
AND… How can we assess the reading?
GETTING STUDENTS TO
PICK UP BOOKSWhat five factors play a role
in motivating reluctant readers?
RELUCTANT READERS
There is no one template
R U N RR?(ARE YOU A
RELUCTANT READER?)
Take this quiz and see…Select A for book on left and B
for book on right of slide…
A B
A B
A B
A B
A B
A B
A B
A B
A B
A B
RELUCTANT READERS ARE: Male and female
Young and old
Able and struggling
Overscheduled and overwhelmed
BUT THESE FIVE FACTORS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE: Titles that grab
Catchy covers
Authors they come to trust
Opening paragraphs that hook
Plus a book they cannot put down
TITLES THAT GRAB
TITLES
COVERS THAT DEMAND ATTENTION
COVERS
TRUSTED AUTHORS
OPENING PARAGRAPHS THAT LURE
GRAND OPENINGS
BOOKS THAT DELIVER THE GOODS
KEEP THEM READING BOOKS
WHAT ELSE CAN HELP US
MOTIVATE READERS?
ResearchResearchResearch
Factors that influence choices in books:
School variablesClassroom variablesTeacher and librarian variablesKid variablesBook variables
SCHOOL VARIABLES
Administration that supports reading financially and philosophically (they read) Author visits Professional development (conferences)
Certified librarian with adequate collection
Time set aside each day at school to read
Access to the library
CLASSROOM VARIABLES
Books in the classroomTeacher who readsTeacher who reads aloudTeacher who booktalksPlaces to curl up with booksTime set aside for reading regularly
TEACHER AND LIBRARIAN VARIABLES
Teachers and librarians are readersTeachers work with librarians to schedule
visits to the libraryLibrarians work with teachers to develop
reading lists and other resources for instruction
Librarians know the curriculum of the classrooms
KID VARIABLES
AgeGenderReader status
Avid Dormant Reluctant Struggling
WHAT ELSE?
Book variables that are NOT a factor:Reading level
Lexiles, etc.Length
Book variables that ARE a factor:GenreStyleForm and format
BOOK VARIABLES THAT MATTER Genre
Style
Format
GENRES THEY LOVE Funny books
Mysteries
Nonfiction
NOW THAT THEY ARE READING…
How can we assess them?
Books to tickle the funny bone
HUMOR
HA HA HA: HUMOR IS DEVELOPMENTAL
BASICALLY FUNNY BOOKS
MOVING UP THE HUMOR LADDER
REACHING THE TOP OF THE LADDER
MYSTERIES
who dun it?
NEW SERIES
THAT OTHER STUFFNonfiction
CIVIL RIGHTS
CONNECTIONS
KEEP GOING
Every minute: A cow can produce 4.2 oz of saliva People spend more than $26,000 on
ringtones 24, 000 tons of carbon dioxide are added
to our atmosphere 5,208 Krispy Kreme donuts are produced
(and eaten?) A-Rod earns $864.20
ASSESSMENT= ACCOUNTABILITY-
ANNOYANCE
What annoys students?Write a new endingWrite a letter to a friendWrite a traditional book reportWrite a news storyWrite anything
SO WHAT DO THEY LIKE TO
DO?Some new ideas
“Watching from the outside, Twitter is like the dumbest thing you’ve heard of: “Why would anyone want to tell others what they are doing in 140 characters?”
And yet to dismiss Twitter is a mistake because it’s an incredibly powerful tool for your personal learning and connecting with others.” (Sue Waters, http://suewaters.wikispaces.com/twitter, @suewaters Original quote: Alan Levine)
FOUR KEY QUESTIONS What are the top 3-5 reasons you tweet? How has Twitter helped you
professionally? What sage advice do you have for
educators wanting to tweet? Who would be the top 5 people you’d
recommend others to follow?
Jo Fothergill
WHY TWEET? Connection Collaboration Collegiality Information Fun
Jo Fothergill
TO CONNECT
Link with people around world with similar interests/global connection
Participate in conversations with other educators
World-wide group of people to bounce ideas off
Connection for isolated people (location/job)
Personal Learning Network
Jo Fothergill
COLLABORATION & COLLEGIALITY
Discussions, controversies, new thinking
Putting concerns into a global/better context
Sharing victories and disasters/low points
Establish connections with other teachers
24/7 access to collaborators
Building connections
Jo Fothergill
INFORMATION
Asking and answering questions
Sharing tips and resources
Online PD
Finding/making recommendations
Problem solving
Sharing own & others blogs
Creating wider audience for class blogs
Jo Fothergill
1/2
SOCIAL/FUN REASONS
Quizzes
Planning fun stuff like Flash Mob @ conference
Games
Comedy acts - Stephen Fry! John Green!
Personal - friends & family
Sharing memorable and humorous events
Interest, curiosity, new things
Jo Fothergill
HOW DOES IT HELP ME PROFESSIONALLY?
Keeps me in touch with the outstanding role models in our (global) education system
Participate in ‘unofficial’ PD
Able to tear down the walls of classroom & give students a chance to connect with people around the world
Jo Fothergill
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Find information & resources to use with students & colleagues
Connected to a wide range of people who are at the cutting edge of education
True networking with teachers around the world
Allowed us to restructure our classes to take advantage of Web 2.0
Jo Fothergill
2/4
I Dream in Twitter
(listen to the podcast http://www.box.net/shared/static/gqkaej08ww.mp3)
I dream in Twitter in 140 characters that cut off my thoughts before they are complete and then I wonder, why 140? Ten more letters would serve me right as I write about what I am doing at that moment in time, connecting across the world with so many others shackled by 140 characters, too, and I remain amazed at how deep the brevity can be.
I find it unsettling to eavesdrop on conversations between two when you can only read one and it startles me to think that someone else out there has put their ear to my words and wondered the same about me. Whose eyes are watching?
Twitter is both an expanding universe of tentacles and hyperlinks that draw you in with knowledge and experience and a shrinking neighborhood of similar voices, echoing out your name in comfortable silence.
I dream in Twitter in 140 characters, and that is what I am doing right at this moment
by Kevin - @dogtrax
140-PEDIAEvening News (local programming)
Nightly show where the hosts tell you “Good Evening” and then proceed to tell you why
it isn’t.
140-PEDIATwilight (Book Series)
1.A book by Stephenie Meyer
2.The death of modern literature.
140-PEDIAWWI (History)
The “War to end all wars” that nobody remembers or makes
films about, because the sequel had Nazis and
Nuclear bombs.
TWEET! TWEET!
Using Twitter as a format for telling about the book
140 charactersCan use txtspk
Summarize chapters Describe a character Indicate the climax Use other strategies such as SAY SOMETHING or
SWBST
BLOG ALL ABOUT IT
MAKE A VIDEO
Animoto
Post to YouTube
Tweet it
Blog it
PODCASTS
Audacity
Headphone and microphone combo
Post to Switchpod or iTunes or elsewhere
As readers, we have rights
AS WE FINISH UP, KEEP IN MIND…
•You have the right never to apologize for your reading tastes.
RIGHTS OF THE READER
You have the right to read anywhere you want—in the bathtub, in the car (preferably
at stop lights if you're driving), in the grocery store, under the porch, or while
walking the dog.
READERS’ RIGHTS
You have the right to read in exotic settings. You have the right to move
your lips when you read. You have the right to laugh or gasp out loud and choose whether or not to explain.
READERS’ RIGHTS
You have the right to throw any book on the floor and jump up and
down on it (the Dorothy Parker Rule).
RIGHTS OF READERS
•You have the right to read anything you want.
READERS’ RIGHTS
You have the right to read the book spine of the person sitting next to
you, even on a plane. And if you can't make it out, you have the
right to ASK.
RIGHTS OF THE READER
READ TO THEMBYSTEVEN LAYNE
Read to them.
Before the time is gone and stillness fills the room again. Read to them.
What if it were meant to be that you were the one, the only one, who could unlock the doors and share the magic with them? What if others have been daunted by such scheduling demands, district objectives, or one hundred other obstacles?
Read to them.
Be confident Charlotte has been able to teach them about friendship and Horton about self worth. Be sure the Skin Horse has been able to deliver his message.
Read to them.
Let them meet Tigger, Homer Price, Aslan, and Corduroy; take them to Oz, Prydain and Camazotz. Show them a Truffalo Tree.
Read to them.
Laugh with them at Soup and Rob, and cry with them when the Queen of Terabithia is forever lost. Allow the Meeker family to turn loyalty, injustice, and war into something much more than a vocabulary lesson.
What if you were the one, the only one, with the chance to do it?
What if this is the critical year for even one child?
Read to them.
Before the time, before the chance, is gone.
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