The battle for literacy is fought every day in US classrooms, yet just 35% of students read proficiently by 3rd grade. What more can we do to transform students into readers and learners, in time to preserve their futures? Join renowned children's author Jerry Pallotta ("Who Would Win?" series) and Book Trust CEO Tiffany Kuehner for a campfire on how to win the battle for our children's literacy. Learn how to deploy three key battle plans that will boost their success and change their lives.

1. PRESENTATION BY
In the Battle for Children’s Literacy:
JERRY PALLOTTA
Author, “Who Would Win?” Series
TIFFANY KUEHNER
President and CEO, Book Trust

2. Building Equity: Book Access & Choice
 Studies show that in low
income areas, there is one
book for every 300 kids, but
middle class neighborhoods
average 13 books per child
 In high poverty areas, children
rely on schools as book
resources, and often cannot
bring them home
 Kids need a chance to read
what they WANT to read
 Interest-based choice is a
curriculum-neutral accelerator
for engaged reading
 Interest-based choice is also
a socio-economically neutral
accelerator for engaged reading

3. “If they don’t
read much, how
they ever gonna
get good?”
RICHARD ALLINGTON
Professor of Literacy Studies
at University of Tennessee

4. Practice Makes Perfect
 Need: Discrete skills
instruction AND time to read
 Challenge: Declining
independent reading
time at school
 Solution: Book choice and
access to practice reading inside
AND outside of school
NATIONAL AVERAGE=
12 minutes a day
for independent
reading time
in school

5. Not Access VS Choice:
Try Access + Choice
 Interest-based choice drives
reading excitement
 We all must make choices every
day – it’s a necessary life skill
 Teaching kids how to choose is
critical for academic and
life-long success
“Individual book choice is
huge when it comes to student
ownership of their reading.
They want to read what they are
interested in. If we can get this
process started at an early age
it will be a life long habit.”
ERICA DEITELHOFF
Teacher at Cornell Elementary

6.  Celebrating reading in
the classroom builds agency,
just as choice does
 Celebration provides peer to peer
opportunities for discussion
 Celebration supports a
culture of literacy
Assigned Reading
VS Reading Celebration

7.  Leverage interest-based enthusiasm
for at-home reading time
 Support parents with high-quality
prompts for reading discussion
 Help set grade/reading level
appropriate expectations at home
 Share “big and little wins”
from your classroom
School-Only Reading
VS Family Engagement
“One student tells me that every
month her family can't wait to
receive the new books.They
gather around and read them
together every month. Book
Trust has started a new family
tradition for this family!”
BRENNA LANDER
Teacher at Cherrelyn Elementary

8. Kids Win in this Battle for Literacy!