Join JUMPSTART This October 6 - My Baby Sister's Birthday!

What are you doing on 10/6/11?

How does breaking a world reading record while raising awareness about America’s achievement gap?


Join me and TLA, Inc. as we participate in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record® presented in partnership with Pearson Foundation. Its a national campaign that mobilizes adults and children to close the early education achievement gap by setting a reading world record.

This annual campaign allows Americans to demand that all children receive the quality early education they deserve. On October 6, 2011, more than 2 million voices will call for an end to America’s early education achievement gap by reading Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney – setting a world record in the process!

Get involved at www.readfortherecord.org to help Jumpstart close the early education achievement gap:

1. Pledge to Read: Submit your official pledge and help us reach more than 2.1 MILLION children.

2. Spread the Word: Use our simple tools to educate your friends and family about America’s early education achievement gap and invite them to read.

You can even become a partner, a facilitator in your community, calling hundreds of folks to read this delicious book on the same day.

For more information visit www.readfortherecord.org


While you're looking at this terrific children's book, perfect for youngsters with lots of rhythm and rhyme and interesting language, check out the author's website or see her read the book on YouTube.

Enjoy!  When you read this book to your little llama or a group of little ones, tell us about the experience.  What is your favorite part?  What is your favorite word?  How many times does the book include the phrase "llama, llama red pajama"?     I've chosen a number between 1 and 32 - if you are that number of post on this blog, you'll get a chance to have the Literacy Ambassador call your little one (or come by if you live in North Alabama) and share her special version of this book delivered in Engaged Interactive Read Aloud technique to your chosen group of children.   Join in the fun!

Preventing the Summer Reading Slump

WHAT IS THE SUMMER READING SLUMP?

Most of you reading this blog have probably heard of the "summer reading slump".  It's simply the idea that when children are away from reading, especially during the years in which their reading skills are developed, they lose ground in their abilities.  They read less and their skills grow weaker.  This is true for children just finishing kindergarten and first grade but it is equally true for older kids, even those who have been reading for years.

Think about bodybuilders or people who exercise.  Once they stop exercising, their muscles quickly deteriorates or weakens because they aren't using them.  It's the same with reading.  Use it or lose it (I'm realizing that on the physical level more and more with each passing year --- I can barely hold up this stack of books)!

The counterargument I hear from parents and caregivers most often, in response to this idea of children reading in the summer, is, "don't the children deserve a break?"

That's why I advocate summer reading be on a different channel.  Reading doesn't have to look or feel like school work.  In the summer more than any other time, it should be fun with lots of free choice and lots of opportunities rather than a structured "you've got to read now" approach.  Don't confuse academic activities -- something your child only does in a classroom -- with the many purposes for reading and writing.   And every book they read during the summer vaccinates them again losing ground they have gained during the year.


READING AND WRITING AREN'T JUST FOR SCHOOL (Think bigger, broader)

Think about how we as adults use reading and writing as tools every day.  We read menus, grocery lists and advertisements, articles and emails on the Internet; we do some reading when we are selecting vacation destinations or planning trips.  Reading and writing is all around us.  And the reality is that often those who are most successful, who deal with the complexities of the modern world more easily, are those who have strong skills in this area.  They can quickly scan through a complex advertisement or document and understand what it's about.  On the other hand, if someone isn't a very good reader or writer, it can keep him or her from a job he or she would like to have.  Minimal skills can prevent anyone from making informed, quick decisions that could impact one's very life or livelihood.

Again, let's go back to other areas in real life:  if a child wants to be a star basketball player like Koby Bryant (or if we have dreams of him doing so), practice is part of the equation.  I can't think of a skill that's more important to practice than reading.

RADIO SHOW



This very topic was the subject of a recent radio interview I did with host Pat Montgomery of the Parents Rule show on July 8th entitled Are We There Yet?  Preventing the Summer Reading Slump.  If you weren't able to join us live, you can listen to a podcast of the show (I'll post a permanent link on iTunes as soon as it is available). In that delightful show, we talked about three secrets to preventing the summer slump without turning our homes into academic hothouses and creating a negative feeling about reading:

1.  Choice (autonomy).  Number one, kids won't want to read something "required".  Your child's school may have a summer reading list and he or she certainly needs to complete the assigned reading but sprinkle in between lots of juicy books, magazines, online articles, ebooks, etc. on subjects that are intriguing to your child -- what really turns him on?  Save the school reading for the last month of the summer and concentrate on fun, entertaining and engaging reading in the meantime. Or get it out of the way first thing so you can concentrate on what your child wants to read.

What's "the thing" among your child's peers (vampire movies, Hanna Montana, Silly Bandz)?  Connect reading to popular fads.  And remember that choice happens when reading materials are available (so regular trips to the library, bookmobile or bookstore are in order).

Choice alone may not be enough, especially if your child isn't interested at all with reading.  Engage her in reading to see when that summer concert she's been dying to go to will be in town.  Give him the chance to research the destination of a trip and choose a few activities do while there.  Prompt him that online resources, travel books from the library or even writing a letter to a local chamber of commerce for brochures is a way to make sure he doesn't miss the "best things around".   If you are traveling to a national park, where your children will see animals, find books or articles on those critters and read about them together before you go.  Don't think "academic"; think "interest".


2.  Opportunity (and authentic purposes).  If our kids' days are packed full of scheduled activities that, in and of themselves might be terrific (swimming, camp, bike riding, computer games, texting friends, etc.), then there is often no time for reading.  There may be too many choices.

Here's where your example and leadership iare so important.  Set aside a little time each day or two (before bedtime, in the heat of the day with a cool fan or dish of ice cream, on a quilt under a tree, even family reading time where everyone is reading or being read to as the sun sets).

Consistently offer reading as an option and make it enticing.  If you don't know how to do that because perhaps you're not a good reader yourself, talk with friends who are teachers or the neighbor that you always see coming out of the library with a armload of books.  Visit my website and, on the home page, scroll down to "Hear the Literacy Ambassador".  Click on the second item in the red screen and you'll hear a radio show with Ready to Learn Mom Stacey Kannenberg in which I model just how to read Goodnight Moon with a child.

And remember that great reading isn't restricted to novels - how to articles, three-wheeler magazines, any nonfiction is just as much reading as fiction (made up stories).  Reading on the Internet is still reading (that's what you're doing here, right?)

Moms and dads: do a little planning but 

NEVER let it look like something planned to your kids.

3.  Access (and a chance to journey to mastery through regular practice).  If there are no books or reading materials in your home, your child isn't likely to search them out but you don't have to do this on your own:.  
 
     Set up a neighborhood book swap or book drive (if you choose the latter, get the kids involved in previewing all the donated books and writing personal recommendations on post-its taped inside the front cover of each book). 


      Have a contest among the children in your extended family to find the coolest website on ________ (whatever topic is a guaranteed "hook" for the kids).

      Even Walmart has a book section.  Most public libraries have terrific summer reading programs that go beyond books to include many related activities.

      Include some sort of game in which the kids have to read directions or cards at pool parties, picnics and pajama sleepovers.


Ask if the summer programs your child is scheduled for have 

          book stashes that can be loaned, 

          RIF/Reading is Fundamental programs (giving away books to those least likely to own them), or 

          visiting storytellers, authors, or readers.

Each of these three ideas -- choice, opportunity, and access -- are core to motivating our children to read during the summer.  

MORE RESOURCES

Check out these suggested websites for additional information followed by The Literacy Ambassador's list of new HOT SUMMER READS:

A blog from IVillage:  9 Sure Fire Ways to Fight the Summer Reading Slump 
An always trusted voice, Scholastic.com  
An Educationworld.com article for teachers, packed full of ideas for parents
Casey Study on Current Situation with Readers up to 3rd Grade

Preschool through first grade:   

Slow Down for Manatees by Jim Arnosky
Bad Frogs by Thatcher Hurd
A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams

2nd through 5th grade

The Last Polar Bear by Jean Craighead George
Where Should the Turtle Be? by Susan Ring
The Bag of Bones by Vivian French
Spacehead by Jon Scieszka

Middle School

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
Scat by Carl Hiaason

High School

The Enemy by Charles Higson 
Stormchasers by Jenna Blum
Deadline by Chris Crutcher


Teen INK., a magazine with work from teen authors

Adult recommended reading

Summer is the perfect time to dive into Anytime Reading Readiness, a quick pick up and read resource for parents packed full of ideas for helping your 3-6 year old get ready to read.  

For a more meaty read, learn more about the surprising truth about what motivates us in Drive by Daniel H. Pink. You can even get a free bookplate for your own copy at Dan's website for a limited period of time.   

The best novel I've read this summer:  Stormchasers by Jenna Blum. 

All of you who are on Facebook, visit The Literacy Ambassador's Summer Challenge.  This puts a call to action in front of all of us, whether we are focusing on our own child (or children) or someone else's.  Find the book that gets them hooked!  

I close this blog with a quote that Pat Montgomery shared during the course of her show today that I believe is a terrific message for families everywhere. 

Children who are not spoken to by…responsive adults will not learn to speak properly.  Children who are not answered will stop asking questions.  They will become incurious.  

And children who are not told stories and who are not read to will have few reasons for wanting to learn to read. . . . Gail Haley

As always, I invite you to share your own "outside the box" ideas about what you are doing with reading this summer and forward this blog to someone who has a child.  Together, we can make a difference.

 

The Reader Who Most Influenced Me

On this week's Share A Story Shape A Future blogging event sponsored by The Reading Tub, they pose the question:


Who is the person who influenced you most as a reader?


Here she is with her first grandson (someone she also influenced as a reader):

My mom

She's gone now from this earth but she sits on my shoulder every day. I see her putting a bowl on her head and prancing around the kitchen, reciting Robert Louis Stevenson's poem, The Land of Counterpane. I expect it was a meaningful poem since my brother and I both had times of extended illness in which we were confined to bed. It made us giggle and we loved the rhythm and rhyme of the poetry.

I see her pouring over a book, occasionally with those silly black framed glasses from the 1950's on her nose - do you know the ones with the wings? Her two most favorite authors were Phyllis Whitney and Eugenia Price (Momma loved historical fiction). As soon as I was in 5th or 6th grade and was a strong enough reader to attack these novels, she began sharing them with me and we'd have play fights over who would get the newest title first.


Although I cannot remember the first time I heard this phrase, I can still see that dreamy look in her eyes when she would tell me "you can go anywhere in a book" I believed her and I still do.

All her children believed her and their children (Nana's grandchildren) do too. What an incredible legacy this little feisty woman from the coal-mining country of Virginia has passed along, simply because she loved reading and books.

Today, she remains an influence not only in my personal reading (I have a good book or three or four on my bedside stand all the time) but also in my work as The Literacy Ambassador. Her passion for reading and stories and talking and sharing inspire me to this day. They are the reason I am an enthusiastic and passionate speaker, writer and advocate for the fact that "there is a book for every child". I know that without the indelible impression she left, I would not be doing what I am today. She, in fact, is the core of the revolution I am starting with my two new books, Anytime Reading Readiness and Before They Read. To learn more about that revolution, visit Reading is For Everyone
You can also stay in touch on Twitter and Facebook where you'll find me as litambassador and on Linkedin

Engaging Older Readers (3rd grade and up) With Personel Connections To What They Read

Personal connections aid in understanding a story, whether your child is the reader or the writer (a composer like these two fellows in the picture to the right).  I encourage families to find great books that connect to your child's a passion so they will show more interest in reading.  I know you've heard that from me before but it is worth repeating.  

When a reader makes personal connections to text, he then becomes part of the story, adding his or her own memories, ideas, experiences to that of the author. He moves from reading on the surface into deeper connection and the understanding (what teachers call "comprehension") goes through the roof.  

So How Do You Get Your Kids to Respond That Way To Reading?

Good authors like Willie Morris (author of My Dog Skip) give us a large hook to connect with.  Nearly everyone has experienced a pet and/or the loss of that friend sometime in our lives like he tells about in his book.  If your young person is more into baseball, skateboarding or jazz, try Under the Baseball Moon by John H. Ritter.  Have a youngster who likes history?  A Wish After Midnight is a combo historical fiction and time travel adventure that will hold them til the very end.   Relationships and self-image important?  Try Nothing But The Truth by Avi.  If you want to share an adult book with your teen, feel free.  The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba is an incredible real life story of inspiration.  Sharing books you are enjoying (as long as you are comfortable with the content) is a terrific way to connect.  The key is that

if we are going to expect our young people to be readers in the midst of all the possible distractions in this modern world, then we must give them an authentic, meaningful-to-them reason to do so.

Carve Out A Little Reading Time

Once you have a good selection for your child to choose from (and have involved him/or her in the selection process, pick one time a week (protected from interruptions and outside distractions) in which the whole family will spend time reading. I've got news for you; it may not be easy at first, especially if this isn't already a habit with your family.  However, it can start with as little as this once a week, 15 minute time slot, but think of ways to expand it into travel time in the car on the way to soccer, or home from school, time just before "lights out".  It may be easier for you to start on the weekends.

Set a goal 

Your goal over the course of the next 6 months is to move from one such time a week to two and then to three.  Don't try to jump in all at once, especially if your family isn't used to this dose of reading.  Find the balance for you but know that consistence is very important.  Also, pay attention to your family schedule, your children's extra-curricular activities and school homework level, etc. when considering that is reasonable for your family.

W\hat you will often find is that your children will actually enjoy themselves, the adults will feel the benefit of a little down "doing something all together" time, and you'll be fostering a habit for reading.  In the meantime, you'll also be giving your child a dose of practice (something we all need to do if we are to improve our skills whether it is in reading, exercising, riding a bike or playing a video game).

Of course, the earlier you begin this in terms of the ages of your children, the more they will value reading as a habit and valuable use of time so my advice to those of you with younger children is to start early.  Don't believe the myth that some children just won't be readers.  Every child needs to read and read strongly for information, pleasure and, yes, even escape.

If your family can only manage 15 minutes to start with, begin at that level.  The goal is for everyone to be reading something during that time.

Give Them Control

As you allow your children to make choices - sometimes assigned materials from school, but other times magazines, ebooks, Wii manuals on the latest interactive games, a novel or a "fact" (nonfiction) book -- anything as long as it is reading, you will all be gaining benefits.  If you and your family have invested in an IPOD Touch, a Kindle or a even laptop, the novelty of reading "online" might appeal to your children more than holding a traditional book.  

Especially if you haven't done this a lot in your household before and regular reading together wasn't a part of your earlier lives together, this can be a challenge to get started.  However, I assure you, with the proper approach, even those who are at first reluctant will come "on board".

Need a little jumpstart?  Maybe some of the reading is tandem (you and your young child read a book together while Dad and Junior are pouring over an article in the lates Sports Illustrated. Your example of being interested and excited is essential here:  any child will see through you if you are just biding time and not invested in the experience.  Yet, on the other hand, if you are involved and getting something out of the reading, your child will feed off that too. 

A few more ideas for this "everyone is reading" time:

1. Give your children cool, colorful post its or sticky arrows (or even colorful strips from junk mail or old funny paper panels with a dab of rubber cement on the edge - did you know that its temporary if you only put it on one paper surface?).  When they run across a word they don't know, can flag it, then skip over it, if they can get the meaning from the rest of the sentence.  Later, you can spend a few minutes exploring the definition and pronunciation of the word together. 

2.  Everyone has one "pass" to interrupt and share about something they are reading (a particularly juicy description that makes pictures in your head, reminds you of something that happened last week, or was just fall out funny.  Print a paper ticket or coupon to hand out at the beginning of the reading time if you like (click here for a template "Polar Express" train ticket).  As an extra incentive for your kids to do this, they can also earn points toward freedom from a chore for a day, a small monetary reward (a quarter or dollar), or a special trip to the ballpark with a parent.  Again, choose those rewards based on what is meaningful and desirable for YOUR kids.

3.  At the end, with five minutes to go, you can also do something teachers call, "turn and talk".  Pairing again two family members together, you "turn and talk", telling each other about the best part of what you read.  If you run over (and you just might), don't announce "time's up".  Let the conversations go on as long as they will.

Don't turn your family reading time into a quiz, drill and skill, where you are pummeling your child with questions, just to see if he or she understands what she read.  What a turn-off and they get enough of those at school.  Instead, pose questions like these in conversation so your children see that talking about books is a natural activity.  Let your child's answers and reactions lead you to the next question:

What is your phrase or word you related to most in the book you read?

Have you ever experienced the feeling those words described?

When and how?

Can you imagine what it would be like to .....

Why do you think he/she reacted that way?  How could he have reacted differently to the situation?  What would have to be different in the relationship between Willie and his dog (or family member or whomever the interaction or emotion is shared with) to change his reaction.'

So what?  What is the significance, the importance, of his reaction, interaction, response?

I am taking this from knowledge (what I call regurgitation of fact) up through Bloom's to analysis, synthesis, etc.

You and your family will be practicing higher level thinking skills without turning your home into a academic "hothouse".

Share, Share, Share

Come back to this blog after you try this experiment and post your results.  Share what you are already doing with your children in this regard and how you squeeze reading into busy lifestyles and schedules.  We'll all benefit when we learn from one another.

 

A last tidbit:  You don't have to do this "encouraging your child to be a reader" alone.  All this week,  my friends at the Reading Tub and many of their friends are blogging about reading and children in their Share A Story: Shape A Future Event.   You will also find fun giveaways. I'm going over there right now to jump in; won't you join me?

Happy Reading!

Webinar - Just Right Books - Sponsored by Mygiftedgirl.com

This blog serves as a follow-up and a place to share extra resources after the webinar held the evening of October 29, 2009.  It was hosted by Mygiftedgirl.com's founder Audrey Borden, and presented by literacy expert, Cathy Puett Miller. Although the focus of this webinar was gifted children, many of the resources here will also be terrific for all families, with children of all ages so read on and see what you can find that works for your child.

Selecting books for any child, but especially those who may read several months or years above children the same age, is a challenge. Remember to:

Let your child be part of the process and help them find time to read.

Look for books that tap into your child's passion and interests (don't forget nonfiction like books listed on the I.N.K. database (a free resource). Visit I.N.K.'s blog for a special (and very timely) article on What Does Age Appropriate Mean Anyway?

Rely on experts like media specialists, librarians and family-friendly resources like The Reading Tub to help you find great books for your child.

Send the message to your child, "You can read ANYTHING". Of course, if you have materials inappropriate for the social and emotional age of your child, my advice is to keep it in a place your child has no access to. Save leveled reading for "required reading from school" and classroom instruction.

Help your child learn to cope with the limitations and restrictions he or she may feel from school by encouraging a passion for learning and a love of reading at home. Give your child positive reading experiences in a wide variety of circumstances, but never overwhelm your child with more "academic" work.  The best learning, at home or school, happens when the activity is integrated and interwoven into a child's nature experiences.  Remember that you are the commercial for reading and that motivation is an important indirect component.

Remember your child is a whole person.  He or she very well may be socially and emotionally closer to their chronological age, even if academically or in special areas, they are much advanced.  Celebrate your child's age where they are and help him or her find the balance between stimulation and

age-appropriate development.  Talk with early childhood and childhood experts to learn what is "normal" for your child.

LET'S FIND THE JUST RIGHT BOOK TOGETHER


I believe there is a book for every child.  If you have a child that isn't excited about reading, maybe it's just that he or she hasn't found the book to "turn him on".  Commit yourself to helping her find that book (the journey and the search will be almost as much fun as finding it when you do it together).

Here are great books for your child to read on his/her own or with you (based on average grade level reading). If your child reads above or below grade level, adjust accordingly. I purposefully listed books under the 9-12 year area that are "safe" content for younger children.


Ages 4-8
On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman
Oops by Arthur Geisert - a wordless book with a great story YOU can tell
The Let's Get Ready Series
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson (and the rest of the "Bear" series
Morris and Boris by Bernard Wiseman
Dewey: There's A Cat in the Library by Vicki Myrion
Dandelions by Eve Bunting
Special Goin’ Someplace by Patricia McKissack
Help, I’m A Prisoner in the Library! By Eth Clifford
Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sieszka
The Van Gogh Café by Cynthia Rylant
Time Warp Trio Series by Jon Sieszka
When Jesse Came Across the Sea by Ann Hest
Baa-Choo by Sarah Weeks
Saving Lilly by Peg Kehret
Our Library by Eve Bunting
White Star: A Dog on the Titanic by Marty Crisp

Ages 9-12
Marie Curie by Vicki Cobb
Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
The Number Devil by Hans Mangus Enzensberge
In English, of Course by Josephine Nobisso
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster
Over the Wall (and the Desperado Who Saved Baseball) by John H. Ritter
Poppy by Avi
Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
Be A Perfect Person in Three Days by Stephen Manes
What Darwin Saw: The Journey That Changed The World by Rosalyn Schanzer
Adventures & Challenges: Real Life Stories by Girls & Young Women by Suzanne Beam
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Fever 1793
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick
The Tale of Despereaux: Being A Story of A Mouse, A Princess, Some Soup and A Spool of Thread by Kate DeCamillo
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White (author of Charlotte's Web)
Hachet by Gary Paulson
The Eye, The Ear and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli,
Millicent Min, Girl Geniuis by Lisa Yee
January's Sparrow (a picture book but high level content) - by Patricia Polacco

Ages 13-15
Adventures and Challenges: Real Life Stories by Girls and Young Women by Frances A. Karnes and Suzanne M. Bean
Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diane Wynne Jones
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Conner
The Island of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Straton Porter

Ages 16-18
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The Gifted Kids's Survival Guide: A Teen Handbook by Judy Galbraith
Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christy
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
More Than A Test Score by Dr. Robert Schultz
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Links to help families of gifted children

Parents' Books

Some of My Best Friends Are Books: A guide for parents of preschool through high school gifted children.

When Gifted Kids Don't have All the Answers



Online Resources for Parents


An extensive booklist for families from Duke University's TIP program website.

Dr. Katherine Bolman's Art and Architecture website with photographs and information to explore.

National Association for Gifted Children

Dr. Linda Silverman's resources on Gifted Development.

Article on the balance between structure of school and freedom of home – reading for points, leveled readers, etc. – by the way, be an advocate for your child.

Info on the Javits Grant and a way to contact your representative or senator about this important issue



Want to get gifted kids involved in an incredible, creative project involving people from all over the world? Check out The Dream Rocket.

A special offer just for you . . .
purchase any of Cathy Puett Miller's books (see below for availability), send a copy of your receipt/confirmation for that order to tla@readingisforeveryone.org , and you'll receive a free customized 10-title book list for your gifted child.  Requests must be received by December 31, 2009 to qualify.  Book purchases which qualify are:


Powerful Picture Books: 180 Ideas for Promoting Content Learning (an annotated list of over 180 picture books all that connect to content area (subject matter) learning.  In eBook format, this title is an excellent resource for parents, librarians and teachers.  Available through  Inspiring Teachers. 


Anytime Reading Readiness:  Fun and Easy Family Activities That Prepare Your Child to Read 
for parents of 2-5 year old children.


Before They Read:  Teaching Language and Literacy Development through Conversations, Interactive Read Alouds and Listening Games - a must-have pick up resource for preschool and kindergarten teachers.

SPECIAL REQUEST:

What questions do you have about reading (and writing) and gifted children?  Post them here or on MyGiftedGirl's forum and we'll be happy to respond to as many as we are able.


"What we teach children to love and desire will ALWAYS outweigh what we teach them to do."  Jim Trelease, author of The Read Aloud Handbook

NEWS FLASH!

This has been a big week so I'm doing two postings. This one relates to new resources for families and for educators and librarians.

1) Visit my new website: www.readingisforeveryone.org for the latest links to The Literacy Ambassador®'s many appearances on internet websites devoted to reading and writing and to parent involvement. You'll also find the latest in special event presentations as well as trainings for educators and for families, useful tips for anyone reading or writing with children and much, much more! Come visit us at the Home of the Literacy Ambassador®

2) My new e Book is out! You can learn about and purchase it at http://www.inspiringteachers.com/catalog/ebooks/index.html.

Powerful Picture Books: 180 Ideas for Promoting Content Learning gives teachers, librarians and/or families a fat list of picture books (one for each day of the school year or three for every day of the summer). With each book listing, you also get plenty of ideas on how to use the picture books to build background knowledge in an area new to students/children and to spark conversations about such important issues as the civil rights movement, music, art, biographies, etc. It has embedded links to Amazon so, if you don't have a book in your collection, you can easily order it. But the best part is that the e Book includes an interactive (bookmark) index. Click on subject area or age level and you immediately get a list of all the books that fit that criteria. Click on the book title in that index and it takes you right to the page that contains that book.

I worked hard to make this an easy-to-use tool. At least 34 of the 180 books relate to music and many more to the arts because I see that sometimes these subjects get "squeezed out" in busy school days. Feel free to share the link to this resource!