Slides from the January 27, 2017 Principal's Coffee on importance of reading, what we are doing at Staples, and how you can help at home.

1. Book Love
the benefits of
helping our children
develop a love of
reading

2. Barbara Robbins
Literacy Coach with focus on Science
and Math
English teacher - 16 years at Staples
brobbins@westport.k12.ct.us,
203-341-2424
Rebecca Marsick
Literacy Coach with focus on English
and Social Studies
Taught 2nd -12th grades - 17 years in
Westport (BMS and Staples)
rmarsick@westport.k12.ct.us,
203-341- 1423

3. Think about your child/children as
an elementary school reader
Did your child read in elementary school?
Did you read with your child in elementary
school?
How did your child feel about reading in
elementary school?

4. Think about your child/children as
a middle school reader
Did your child read in middle school?
Did you read with your child in middle school?
How did your child feel about reading in
middle school?

5. What about high school? Which
image best represents your child?

6. “The single factor most strongly associated with
reading achievement - more than socioeconomic
status or instructional approach- is
independent reading.”
-Stephen Krashen The Power of Reading

7. “Reading books is the only out-of-
school activity for 16-year-olds that is
linked to getting a managerial or
professional job later life.”
University of Oxford, 2011

8. “Regular reading not only boosts the
likelihood of an individual’s academic
and economic success - facts that are
not especially surprising-but it also
seems to awaken a person’s social and
civic sense.”
“To Read or Not to Read” -NEA, 2007

9. Some Facts About Reading
The only way to become a better reader is to read.
“Surveys conducted as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress
suggest the simplest of all solutions [for fostering improved reading]: Encourage
and challenge children to read” (Education Week, 1999).
“The story the data tell is simple, consistent, and alarming. Although there has
been measurable progress in recent years in reading ability at the elementary level,
all progress appears to halt as children enter their teenage years” (NEA, 2007).
Single best predictor of how students will do on a standardized test is reading
ability.
SAT past = ability to learn
SAT present = students who read for pleasure do better
reading rate matters, looking for strong comprehension skills
(M.Ehrenworth, TCRWP, 2016)

10. Reading builds stamina and fluency: College
professors expect students to read 200-600 pages of
text A WEEK (Kittle, 2013).
60% of students drop out of hard majors between
freshman and sophomore year because of complexity
of reading. NOT textbooks, but articles and books.
(M.Ehrenworth, TCRWP, 2016)

11. The Impact of
Daily Reading

12. What are we doing at Staples?
Advocating for more independent reading
Giving students choice through independent reading
and book clubs (in English, Science, and Social
Studies)
Teaching more explicit reading skills
Giving book talks in classes
Using Social Media to recommend books and share
reading lives

13. Please stand if you are in (or have
ever been in) a book club.

14. Turn and talk to a partner:
Why are you in the book club?
What keeps you in it?

15. Book Clubs…
are authentic
foster choice
require accountability
raise reading level
create a habit of lifelong reading

16. For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.
Please note your:
Reaction
Questions
Interpretation

17. What can you do at home?
Share what you are reading (books, magazines,
newspapers, etc.) with your children
Read books with your children
Set aside time for your child to read. Think about:
quiet areas of your house
making sure distractions are put away
Talk to your child about what he/she is reading.
Look at recommendations on social media with your child.
Go to the library/book store and just browse.
Talk about your own life as a reader.

18. Social Media for
Good not Evil
Instagram: @marsickreads, @mrsherzog #shsreads, #staplesreads
Twitter: @rebeccamarsick, @westportsuper, @StaplesMrD, #stapleslearns, #staplesreads,
#shslearns
Websites with great book recommendations:
http://weneeddiversebooks.org/
http://pennykittle.net/index.php?page=reading-lists
http://c-t-l.org/high-school-readers/
https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/
http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2016/
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklistsbook
Goodreads, New York Times