TTMD Discussion Document

Through the Magic Door™ Discussion Document © Through the Magic Door 1

Situation Symptom General Root Solution Enablers Cause Causes • GARC methodology The culture and • Poor familial • GARC Self- communication Assist families to 10% of the habit of reading • Low valuation of Assessment is too narrowly Grow A Reading • Individual population does reading • Unfamiliarity with Culture (GARC) Coaching 80% of the concentrated • Database (serious readers are a books from the earliest reading • School issues age(s). • Parent oriented minority in every reviews income quintile) • Access to books • Booklists Seeking to elicit voluntary changes in the behavior of parents with young families by 1) establishing a clear linkage between reading capability and desirable life outcomes, 2) coaching on five clear actions for growing a reading culture, and 3) providing the services (personal coaching, individual consultations on book selection, etc.) necessary to support that reading culture and achieve a measurable improvement in reading. © Through the Magic Door 2

School Personal Not expected Not pleasurable Not useful Work, Social, TV, Sports Social issues Unfamiliar with No time to Don’t value variety of books (A) read Infrequent Reading (B) Ineffective Inconsistent Don’t understand training Not valued (B) instruction instruction causative relationship No examples Unfamiliar (A) Eyesight Unqualified Not interested Administration Reading environment Don’t enjoy Unfamiliar with Too little Don’t know how to variety of books (A) instruction support reading Low reading Time Little social constraints Restrictions on enrichment Too few Doctrinal Poor vocabulary ESL reading purity Low home talking children read Unfamiliarity with variety of books (A) Can’t recognize Ideology issues to their Budget No good No greatest books No books in bookstores Don’t know what like Can’t choose classroom advantage Too many No room Don’t know how to Not valued Restrictive school interruptions coach/instruct (B) library policies/hours No books in No expectations home Hours Unfamiliar with Social reading No public isolation Can’t afford library Don’t value Reading (B)) Location No examples Home Access © Through the Magic Door 3

Root Causes All of the above issues might be packaged into the following root causes in order of impact. – Poor familial communication habits – Low valuation of reading – Unfamiliarity with books – Access – Unsupportive school reading environment The first three root causes are all based in the home and with the parents. © Through the Magic Door 4

Indicators of Why Family Action is Critical • Children from poor homes with lots of books perform better in school than children from wealthy homes with few books. • Children from families with high levels of verbal communication enter kindergarten with two and three times the vocabulary of those from incommunicative families. Vocabulary acquisition is a highly correlated to later academic performance. • Head Start participants are temporary beneficiaries: by middle school their results are back to the level of their non-Head Start peers. Argues that external assistance is not sufficient and that assistance at four and five years of age is only palliative not therapeutic. © Through the Magic Door 5

Common Palliatives • Provide Free Books • Head Start-type programs • Messages on importance of reading • Advocacy around specific pedagogical tactics • X-steps to reading suggestions • Efforts at relevancy • Competitions (AR et al) • Entertainment (author visits and events) Most of these palliatives either do not address the five root causes, or, where they do, are not demonstrably effective. © Through the Magic Door 6

Most Palliatives Don’t Address Root Issues (much less issue of effectiveness) Free Books Head Start Messaging Pedagogy X-Steps Relevancy Competitions Entertainment Poor familial communication habits Low valuation of reading x x x Unfamiliar with books Unsupportive school reading environment x x x Access x © Through the Magic Door 7

Reading Risk Points Can read but Distraction of activities, scho Distraction of not in the career and habit of ol work, hobbies, early family reading. life. social life. TTMD Focus 5 10 15 20 25 Age in Years Developing Reader Young Adult Reader Independent Reader © Through the Magic Door 8

Reading Hamburger Reading Decoding and Numeracy* Empathy, Sustained Focus, Curiosity, Imagination, Pattern Recognition, Forecasting, Social and Moral Judgment, Critical Thinking, Self-Control, Estimation, Prioritization Vocabulary and Knowledge* Health, Wealth, Status, Options, Income, Stability, Education Life Outcomes * Skills materially supplemented in school © Through the Magic Door 9

Growing a Reading Culture Indulge Serendipity Quiet Places Don’t Rush Variety is the Spice of Life Reading Routines Make it Personal Meals with Discussions Avoid Toxic Spills • Books as punishment • Don’t let the best be the enemy of the good Read to Them • Competitive reading Talk A Lot • Books as bibliotherapy Be Seen Reading Books Everywhere Give Them the Power of Choice Make Books As Important In Your Life As You Wish Them To Be In Your Child’s Life © Through the Magic Door 10

Author (35%) Book (5%) Reader (50%) Motivation • Condition Muse • Legibility Commerce • Presentation Audience • Access/Availability Reading Motivation Prestige/Influence Artifact Functional Voluntary or Involuntary Functional vs. Aesthetic Role Receptive or Skeptical Ambassador Accuracy Didact Reading Capability Entertainer Technical competency Conjuror Context Experience Maturity Creativity and Imagination Personal Inclinations and Sympathy circumstances Integrity Technical Proficiency Facts, Opinions, Imagination Vocabulary Book Genre Experience Personal Context Writing Style Ethnicity Story Structure Political/Ideological Subject Economic Status Country Culture Personal Context Caste/Class Ethnicity Reputation Religion Political/Ideological Life Experience Economic Status Country Culture Religion Clarity Problem Solving Life Experience Destructionist Normative Empirical Caste/Class Isolationist Accomodationist Problem Solving Critics (10%) Integrationist Destructionist Ideologues, Domain Specialists, Parents, Educators, Isolationist Authors, Literary Critics, General Readers Accomodationist © Through the Magic Door 11 Integrationist

What Actions Can be Taken? Government NGOs Schools Advocates Publishers Authors Sellers Poor familial communication habits Low valuation of reading Unfamiliarity with books Unsupportive school reading environment Access © Through the Magic Door 12

How Can TTMD Contribute? Free Commercial Community Poor familial • GARC Self Assessment communication habits • GARC Methodology Low valuation of • GARC Self Assessment reading • GARC Methodology • Why Read doc Unfamiliarity with • Personal Consultations on GARC • Reviews and books • Personal Consultations on Book Selection Tagging • Parent Oriented Reviews • Book List • Book Lists suggestions • Database • Forum discussions • Meta-Ranking of Top 10,000 Children’s Books of all Time Unsupportive school • Classroom Library reading environment Enhancement Program Access • Personal Consultations on GARC • Classroom Library • Wish Lists Enhancement Program • Custom Subscriptions • Gift Certificates © Through the Magic Door 13

TTMD GARC Personal Personal Personal Consultations on Consultations on Consultations on Parent Importance of Verbal Importance of Techniques for Book Custom Oriented Gift Communication Reading Selection Database Subscriptions Booklists Reviews Certificates Poor familial communication habits x x x x x Low valuation of reading x x x x x x Unfamiliar with books x x x x x x x x Unsupportive school reading environment Access x x x x x © Through the Magic Door 14

Logical TTMD Initiatives • Classroom Library Enhancement Program • Give-away clearing house (individual families?, subscription approach?) • Neo-natal GARC Initiative – Nursery Starter Library – Baby Shower gifts effort – Via OB/GYN-Pediatrician nexus • Affiliate program – ROAR etc. collaboration • Mothering, AARP, etc. re GARC – Articles and advocacy • Virtual bookfairs at schools as entrée for GARC – School affiliate program • PTA GARC – School affiliate program © Through the Magic Door 15

Enthusiastic Readers are a Minority at all Income Levels • There is no hard data People Average Number Percent Income of Readers Readers /Quintile but using correlated Top 60m $231,300 10.5m 3.5% variables, this is our Quintile 17.5% guestimate of the Second 60m $85,200 7.5m 2.5% Quintile 12.5% number of readers by income quintile Third Quintile 60m $58,500 5.25m 1.75% 8.75% Fourth 60m $37,400 3.75m 1.25% Quintile 6.3% Bottom 60m $15,900 3m 1.0% Quintile 5.0% © Through the Magic Door 17

Parental Navigation In trying to build a reading culture, parents are helping steer their children through numerous external obstacles that threaten a reading culture. Cultural Family Community Friends School Environment Creation Freedom Hierarchy Testable Commercial Focus/Issues: Security Autonomy Power Results Success Desired Life Outcomes Varient Distracting Values Gangs Media Focus on Compliance Time Fragmented Normal Corrosive Parents Constraints Inconsistency Assortative Examples Children Behavior Media, Politics, etc. Bullying Parents w/o Similar Values Money and Peer Celebrity Pressure Facts not Knowledge/ Wisdom Reading as a staff, tool, and refuge © Through the Magic Door 18

The Complexity of a Teacher’s Obligations is Daunting • 35,000 new children’s Student Behaviors books each year Changing Expectations What I Hoped Teaching Would Be • Conflicting reviews • Vested interests New Programs Home Circumstances Curriculum Changes Student Parent School & Tests IEPs Resource Needs Expectations District Constraints Requirements © Through the Magic Door 19

Contact Information Should you have any questions about this presentation, please contact us. Charles Bayless Through the Magic Door® 1579 Monroe Drive Suite F150 Atlanta, Georgia 30324 E-mail: charles.bayless@ttmd.com Office: (404) 898-9096 © Through the Magic Door 20

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