Mo’ money, mo’ readers

Confession: I work at an independent school with a well-funded library.

I often approach conversation with other librarians with caution because of this little secret. I have always felt my challenges with student reading are vastly different than those who work in a library with a very small budget. From my experience, it is a correct assumption people make that a generous library collection budget makes a librarian’s job of inspiring a culture of reading much easier. However, some challenges with reluctant readers are universal and there are aspects of our school reading program that are in opposition to Pamela Paul’s (2019) opinion that one should not reward children for reading nor use reading as a punishment.

Let’s start with the successes.

I would say one pivotal aspect of promoting reading culture at our school is how I model my own reading. I have a sign in the library that indicates what I am currently reading, and then I take these titles and move them to a big poster that shows students “Books I’ve Read.” I have been at my school for a number of years and know many of the students well, so I frequently have conversations with students about what they’re currently into. I am usually able to demonstrate expertise with book recommendations because I can identify student personality types and books those personality types tend to enjoy. This helps to build trust in my school community. Finally, I also include all staff members when promoting our school as a reading community. One of my bulletins is inspired by this blog post and the students always enjoy seeing and guessing what other teachers and administrative staff are reading.

We are fortunate to be able to bring in 3-5 authors each year, which always generates student interest in reading. I would also like to take advantage of organizations like Stories from Space to demonstrate how reading can happen anywhere with anyone.

I make a point to read to all students from Grades K-7. For intermediate students, I do a combination of reading excerpts from books that they may not pick up to read on their own and reading from picture books which have rich content, higher level vocabulary or subtle humour that would only be understood by older students or adults. This “sales pitch” is effective most of the time and circulation of titles improves when I read them aloud.

I am also constantly reworking the organization of the library so that books are more easily seen and accessed. This is especially important in fostering a reading culture of non-fiction materials. After reading a School Library Journal article about going Dewey-less, I consulted with students on the subject categories that they are most interested in having clearly marked. I have ordered these shelf markers to support Kaplan, Doloff, Giffard and Still-Schiff’s (2012) belief that non-fiction circulation will improve if the organization system is child-centred, browsable, flexible, and allowed students to be as independent as possible.

If you have seen my intro video that I posted, this year I have a new News Hot Spot section where I clip articles from world events, pin them on a map, and then display non-fiction and fiction reading that pairs well with current events. I frequently change my book display (sometimes weekly) to align with significant events. So far this year, I have highlighted Terry Fox, Orange Shirt Day, Media Literacy Week, and next week I will display books about Canadian government and elections.

Also new this year is the school library Instagram account that I have started. I have already seen increased engagement in sharing our reading culture because students are looking forward to having their book review posted. Grade 6 and 7 students are also designing book trailers, which I will use on the account as well.

View this post on Instagram

Orange Shirt Day was on Monday but every day is a good day for reconciliation and remembering our past so we can create a better future. Happy Friday, everyone! . . . #orangeshirtday #indigenousauthors #residentialschool #childrensbooks #truthandreconciliation

A post shared by Southridge Junior Library (@southridgereads) on Oct 4, 2019 at 4:02pm PDT

Finally, we also have funds to invest in Playaway audiobooks, Sora, and Overdrive to assist students with IEP’s to participate in our reading culture as well. I cannot underscore enough what a difference it makes to be able to build the reading culture that I envision. In spite of this, there are inevitably students who do not enjoy reading or who struggle with reading. I often think of the quote by Emilie Buchwald that “Readers are made on the laps of their parents.” I often communicate to parents to read to and to read with their children for this reason, and also to promote the culture of reading beyond school walls.

Kevin Hennah (2018) suggested that forward-thinking libraries should move entirely to self-checkout stations because they would “free up the librarian to promote the library and allow students to take out books that they might otherwise be embarrassed to borrow.” I have not yet fully committed to this model because I work with so many young students; however, I could perhaps implement this for Grades 5-7 students.

The biggest possible hindrance to our school’s reading culture is the use of the Accelerated Reader program. I approached it cautiously when I first started working at the school teaching Grade 3 – the year of implementation for AR. Over the years, I could see its merits and that it truly made a difference in motivating certain readers. However, there was perhaps too much emphasis on the program and there were serious limitations, such as the fact that many great Canadian, British and Australian books were excluded from the program and therefore, students were not motivated to read these titles. Our school has since been communicating how AR is merely one tool for reading assessment, and that it can help students to set goals and to have reading conversations with parents and teachers, but that our main objective is for students to read a variety and to love reading. This is my first year back from a two-year leave and the first time I have been encouraged to promote this message in relation to AR, so we shall see if it resonates or whether the competitive nature or AR continues to be a challenge.

Aside from AR, our school hosts an annual Read-A-Thon for upper intermediate students. This event is to fundraise for a global charity, while also promoting reading as a fun event. There are prize draws, treats, and dinner, along with measured chunks of reading time. In terms of providing incentives for reading, this event certainly is it and I am mindful of Pamela Paul’s (2019) perspective that “Reading is itself a privilege, an advantage and a pleasure. Let’s treat it that way” (para. 10). She also contends that “By emphasizing how terribly important reading is, well-intentioned parents [and teachers] risk turning it into something obligatory, depleting the activity of its inherent delight and joy” (para. 10). Her best advice, however, is certainly the most fun. She suggests if adults would really like children to engage in reading, then to make them curious about a book by telling them they aren’t ready for it. I have always been protective about censoring and screening mature reads for students because of parent backlash, but perhaps this intrigue and mystery is the best gateway to reading afterall.

Works Cited:

Beaty, A., Roberts, D., & Aunon-Chancellor, S. (2019, September 24). Ada Twist, Scientist. Retrieved October 6, 2019, from https://storytimefromspace.com/ada-twist-scientist/.

Harding, S. (2017, August 15). How To Get Your Child Reading in 15 Minutes a Day. Retrieved October 6, 2019, from https://rediscoveredfamilies.com/get-your-child-reading/.

Hennah, K. (2018, May). Vision 2020. Vision 2020. West Vancouver.

Kaplan, T. B., Dolloff, A. K., Giffard, S., & Still-Schiff, J. (2012). Are Dewey’s Days Numbered?: Libraries Nationwide Are Ditching the Old Classification System. School Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=are-deweys-days-numbered-libraries-across-the-country-are-giving-the-old-classification-system-the-heave-ho-heres-one-schools-story

Paul, Pamela. “No, Your Kid Shouldn’t Get a Gold Star for Reading.” The New York Times, 30 Aug. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/sunday-review/children-reading.html?fbclid=IwAR3jd6suofvSXMqMxyTQrEw7b_eUYXXuWWlMtWZ9sY1Y08mlVcNtUpsuzRA.