Kentucky Teacher

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Library media specialist Terri Kirk talks with a group of stidents about their favorite books at Reidland High School (McCracken County).
Photo by Amy Wallot, Dec. 11, 2012

Terri Kirk, library media specialist at Reidland High School (McCracken County), feels that most readers simply don’t honor the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” anymore.

“I know we shouldn’t (judge), but we do,” she said. “The books that are available to students need to be pretty. They need to be up to date.”

Kirk suggests schools repurchase library books – even the classics – to keep more timely versions available for students. Modernized covers will better catch the eyes of students who otherwise might not give a John Keats or Louisa May Alcott read a try, Kirk said.

In fact, there are several ways both library media specialists and teachers can motivate reluctant readers, according to Kirk and Cindy Parker, literacy coordinator for Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of Next Generation Learners.

A love of reading naturally fosters literacy’s role as the key component to academic success, Parker said. Additionally, two different but very important purposes for reading are to gather information and share experiences vicariously.

“Students who don’t read as much as their peers lack background knowledge and an understanding of the world around them,” she said. “This relates to a key reading strategy – making inferences or coming to a logical conclusion by connecting background knowledge with what is seen, heard or read.” Read the full story

The Kentucky Reading Project (KRP) is a yearlong graduate-level course centered on research-based reading instruction. It is taught by literacy faculty at each of the eight state universities. Teachers in grades K-5 may participate in KRP and will receive a stipend and graduate credit upon completion of the course in May 2014. The National Center for Family Literacy provides one day of training at each site. This initiative is directed by the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development; more than 3,050 educators have been trained through the program in the past 14 years.

For more information about KRP and the application for the 2013-14 cadre follow the link.

For questions or more information, contact Cary Pappas at cary.pappas@uky.edu or  (859) 257-6118.

The 2013 Kentucky Literacy Celebration, hosted by the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development (CCLD), is scheduled for March 4-8, 2013.

As a part of the pre-event festivities, CCLD is posting daily tips and/or activities to the KLC Facebook page. Those interested may visit the KLC Facebook page to participate in the tips/activities.

Those wishing to include a tip/activity/resource to be posted on the page should e-mail it to Erin Wobbekind.

The 77th Annual Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts conference will be Feb. 22-23, 2013, at the Cincinnati Marriott at River Center in Covington.

This year’s theme is Exploring Literacy and the Common Core Standards, and proposals to present are being accepted until Nov.1.

Proposals can be submitted at http://conference.kcte.org/call.html.

For more information, contact Kerry Stephenson at conference@kcte.org.

Visit www.kcte.org/ for updates.

The National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA’s) fall area conference on science education will take place in Louisville Oct. 18-20.

During the conference professional development experts will work with science educators interested in new learning, better teaching, fresh content and strategies that build student performance. Participants will be able to take advantage of nearly 400 session choices for teachers in every grade band and discipline.

The Picture-Perfect Science Pre-conference Workshop will be held Oct. 18 and will instruct teachers on how to integrate science and reading through children’s trade books in this popular STEM-focused opportunity.

Visit www.nsta.org/conferences/2012lou for more information and to register.

‪The Kentucky Writing Project’s Fall 2012 Conference on Schoolwide Literacy will be Sept. 8 at the University of Louisville. Registration is $75 through Aug. 25 and $100 after Aug. 25. Six hours of professional development credit is available. Special price for pre-service and new teachers is $25.

Sessions are geared for K-12 teachers in all content areas with special strands on Common Core Standards, technology, English learners and argument.

For more information, contact Jean Wolph at (502) 852-4544.

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Third-grade student Ally Collins reads to her sister, 2nd-grade student Breanna Collins, during the Literacy Cafe at Crossroads Elementary School (Campbell County). Photo by Amy Wallot, May 15, 2012

With one hand behind his back, Crossroads Elementary School (Campbell County) 3rd-grader Jason McDonald served 2nd-grader Henry King a glass of lemonade.

King, who browsed over the menu in front of him, soon made his main selection, placing an order for “Dr. Seuss.”

Playing the part of a waiter, McDonald headed over to a table filled with stacks of books. He sifted through them until he came upon If I Ran a Zoo by Dr. Seuss. He grabbed the book and returned to King’s table.

McDonald opened it and began reading to King, pointing at each word as he told the story.

McDonald and King were two of the many students at the school who recently participated in a literacy café. While younger students nibbled on vanilla wafers and sipped lemonade (or hot chocolate during the fall), students in grades 3-5 read them books ranging from Dr. Seuss selections to Arthur and Berenstain Bears books. Read the full story

The state-led Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is seeking a second round of public comment on the Model Content Frameworks for English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy as part of an on-going development process to ensure the frameworks meet the needs of educators, curriculum directors and school leaders.

In November 2011, PARCC released Model Content Frameworks to inform item development and to support implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). That release was based on multiple rounds of feedback, including a public comment period in August 2011. Now that the frameworks have been in the field for several months, PARCC is again looking for the education community to provide feedback on the frameworks in order to clarify any language or make any necessary corrections. Read the full story

Language arts teacher Erin Yates, center, shows 8th-grade students Deja Rozier and Olivia Lenberger the websites Tween Tribune and Teen Ink for their summer reading pleasure at Fredrick Law Olmstead Academy South (Jefferson County).

Traditionally, students are sent home at the end of the school year with a summer reading list chocked full of fictional literature.

That’s something that needs to change, according to Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) literacy consultants MK Hardaway and Synthia Shelby and teachers like Erin Yates.

Both Hardaway and Shelby agree that students deserve more freedom in book selection and that other avenues for different forms of text should be embraced.

“As adults, we enjoy choosing the books we read on a daily basis,” Hardaway said. “However, when we send home booklists for the summer, it seems much more structured for students. Why? Why don’t we give them a little more freedom by providing them with books that may interest them? We should provide websites that encourage not only reading, but also questioning, analyzing, critiquing, comparing, contrasting and synthesizing ideas.” Read the full story

By Matthew Tungate
matthew.tungate@education.ky.gov

First-grade teacher Stephanie Maynard helps a group of Jefferson County Traditional Middle School students find new reading partners at Cochran Elementary School (Jefferson County). The middle school students wrote and illustrated their own books which they later read aloud to Cochran elementary students. Photo by Justin Willis, March 6, 2012

Students in Willetta Stephens’ 2nd-grade class at Cochran Elementary School (Jefferson County) received a special treat last week when hundreds of children’s book authors visited their school.

Before the authors arrived, Stephens told the students they would be “amazed” at the books the authors were bringing.

The 25-year teaching veteran asked her students to pay special attention to the setting in the books and to ask questions about the writing process. She also told them the authors had rewritten their books several times – a sticking point with 2nd graders who don’t believe in the “good writing is rewriting” adage.

When the authors arrived, most were able to read one-on-one with students in Stephens’ class as well as students in other classrooms.

That’s because the authors were 138 7th graders in Donna Duvall’s English/language arts classes at Jefferson County Traditional Middle School (JCTMS). All of the middle school students had written and illustrated books for 5- to 8-year-olds. Their visit to Cochran was the culmination of their project.

This is the second year Duvall’s 7th graders have written and illustrate children’s books to read at Cochran Elementary. The 17-year teaching veteran said she wanted to give her students an opportunity to write for a “real” audience. Read the full story