Notes from The Max

Book and Education News for May

A quick round-up of education and literacy related news and events for May:

• Two more weeks! There are just two more weeks until our 20th Annual Awards Luncheon on Friday May 13th. Tickets are still available for the event and can be purchased by visting the Events page on our website. Don't miss out on seeing this year's Max Warburg Fellows!
• Boston Public Schools has partnered with Swap.com for the Swap4Schools program. The program is a new and innovative way of helping schools receive the items and supplies they need. Schools are invited to create an account with a wishlist of materials for their classrooms. Swap.com then matches the school's needs with items available from community members' inventory. At a time when schools are facing increased budget cuts, this program will help deliver books, CDs, DVDs and other classroom items to the schools.
• A new study from the MA Department of Public Health found that 1 in 4 Massachusett's middle school students have been bullied. According to the Boston Globe, "the report found that students who said they had been involved in bullying, as both a perpetrator and a victim, were five times more likely to report they had been hurt physically by a family member." The study is one of the first of its kind and highlights the strong connection between school and family life. The survey was conducted in 2009 and released one year after MA lawmakers enacted a law that requires schools to adopt clear anti-bullying procedures. 
• As part of National Library Week in April, the American Library Association released the 2011 State of America's Libraries report. Among the reports findings were some sobering statistics regarding school libraries: middle and high school libraries in high-poverty areas suffered the most budget cuts last year and saw decreases in book, video and periodical holdings. The full report (which includes new information about how libraries are approaching digital content) can be viewed on the ALA website. 
• Upcoming Book Events: satirist David Sedaris will be at Harvard University's Sanders Theater in Cambridge on Saturday May 7th; Brookline Booksmith will host Kathryn Stockett, author of the best-selling novel The Help (soon to be a movie) on Wednesday, May 11th; the Diversity in YA tour (with authors Holly Black, Cindy Pon, Malinda Lo, and Francisco Stork) will come to the Cambridge Public Library on Thursday Mary 12th; and middle-grade fairy tale author Gail Carson Levine will read from her newest book at Wellesley Booksmith on Wednesday May 18th. 

You Are What You Read

Think back to your childhood and adolescence, maybe even your early young adult years. Which books stand out the most? Which books made the biggest impact on your life? Scholastic is asking everyone to consider which five books had the biggest effect on their lives, then list them on a new social networking website called You Are What You Read.

According to the website, You Are What You Read "provides a unique opportunity for readers all over the world to connect with each other through their shared bookprints, as Scholastic celebrates the books that bind us together and make us who we are today."

Readers are encouraged to create their own bookprints, lists of five books that "left an indelible mark on our lives, shaping who we are and who we become." Then, they can exchange messages with other readers who have listed the same or similar books on their bookprints. The interaction allows for readers to promote literacy and their favorite books, while engaging with new people online and discovering new books to read.

Users can even view and compare booklists by celebrities, including President Bill Clinton, Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, and Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. You Are What You Read also features special sections for educators, librarians and authors. Readers of all ages can participate, though Scholastic did create versions for both young readers and adults. Lesson plans for teachers wanting to use You Are What You Read in the classroom are forthcoming, as is an area for children to have a deeper social media experience through their reading preferences.

Scholastic is a global education, publishing and media company dedicated to children's literacy. You Are What You Read was created as part of Scholastic's 90th anniversary celebration.

A Month for Learning

Most people think of September are the "back to school" month, but there's a lot more that goes on as well. First and foremost, September is National Literacy Month, with the United Nation's International Literacy Day celebrated on September 8th.

The month-long celebration of literacy gives people the chance to call attention to and embrace the vital importance of literacy in our lives. Schools, libraries and literacy organizations across the country will host a variety of events, all designed to highlight the essential skills (the ability to read, write and speak in English) needed for success. The National Institute for Literacy has created a National Literacy Directory, which lets anyone search for literacy and education programs in their local area. As part of National Literacy Month, the Library of Congress will host the National Book Festival on September 25th on the National Mall.

September is also Library Card Sign-Up Month. Hosted by the American Library Association and celebrated by libraries across the country, Library Card Sign-Up month is the perfect time to teach children about the wonders of a library and all of the information a library card can help unleash. Best of all, library cards - and the books you can obtain with one - are free, which is something everyone can get excited about. For more information about library cards, visit the ALA's website or your local library (Bostonians can visit the BPL here). 

Whatever and however you choose to celebrate in September, it is definitely a month for learning. 

[Looking for "back to school" book suggestions? Check out The Max's post from last year.]

50 Years of Mockingbirds

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."

- Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird, ch. 11

Every year, in schools across the country, new groups of children pick up Harper Lee's classic modern American novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, and follow Scout, Atticus, Boo Radley and the rest of the residents of Maycomb as they face an ever-changing world. This year, Lee's bestselling - and only - novel celebrates its 50th anniversary, an accomplishment made even greater by the fact that To Kill a Mockingbird has never been out of print since its original publication.

Lee based her novel in part on the essays and short stories she wrote about the people in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Though she has always maintained that it is not an autobiographical novel, there are still a number of similarities between Lee and her heroine, Scout Finch. Lee has said her novel is merely an example of how an author "should write about what (s)he knows and write truthfully."

To Kill a Mockingbird was an instant success when it was published in July 1960. Within a year, it had won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and within two years, it had been made into an Academy Award-winning film, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a role that came to define Peck for the rest of his career. Considering the incredible impact Mockingbird had, it is perhaps surprising that Lee never wrote another book. The influence of the novel, however, has lasted far longer than anyone may have guessed.

Mockingbird is held up as one of the greatest 20th century American novels, a fact which many agree with - Random House's Modern Library lists it as #5 on the Reader's Best 100 Novels list. Teachers around the world teach the novel in literature classes and Atticus Finch is portrayed as a model of integrity for lawyers. It doesn't shy away from dealing with tough topics like racism or rape, but instead confronts them head on, challenging assumptions and forcing readers to consider and reconsider. Mockingbird doesn't offer easy answers and deliberately leaves the ending vague and ambiguous. At the same time, it's a classic growing up story, as Scout struggles to figure out her place in the world and make sense of all that's around her.

To Kill a Mockingbird has had its detractors. It frequently faces challenges and attempts to ban it from classrooms and libraries. Still, even in the face of controversy, Lee's masterpiece remains one of most widely read books of our time. Though it is undoubtedly a book of its time, reflecting the Southern life Lee herself knew so well, Mockingbird still resonates today because its themes and lessons are universal.

All summer long, events will take place across the country in celebration of To Kill a Mockingbird's 50th anniversary. In Cambridge, MA, the Harvard Bookstore and Brattle Theater are teaming up to present a viewing of the award-winning movie, accompanied by a discussion panel of both the novel and the film. Tickets are just $10 for the July 14th event. Contact the Brattle Theater or Harvard Bookstore for more information. 

We'd love to hear from you - what's your favorite To Kill a Mockingbird memory? Your favorite part of the book?

Summer Learning Day

Today is Summer Learning Day, a national advocacy day to promote the importance of summer learning. It's hosted by the National Summer Learning Association and the National Summer Learning Center.

Learning is a lifelong pursuit and shouldn't end once the school year does. Summer learning helps students, especially those at risk, maintain and even advance their academic growth. Without access to and opportunities for summer learning, students are in danger of the "summer slide." They can lose the equivalent of two months in math and reading achievement and the risk is much higher for low-income students.

Studies show that students score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer. It's cumulative too - as summer losses accumulate, by the time students are in the fifth grade, they can be almost three years behind other children who do have access the summer learning programs. 

To find scheduled events in your area, check out the summer learning map from NLSA. Among the Boston events taking place are ones at the Vine Street Community Center in Roxbury and the EduSports Summer Enrichment Program. More programs can be found through the Boston Public Schools, Boston Centers for Youth and Families or Northeastern University's Stony Brook Initiative. 

And don't forget - your local library is a great - and free - place to start!

Teacher Appreciation Week

I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks. ~William Shakespeare

Across the country this week, students of all ages are saying "thank you" to their teachers. It's Teacher Appreciation Week, a time, according to the National Education Association, to "honor teachers and recognize the lasting contributions they make to our lives."

Teacher Appreciation Week (TAW) started when Congress declared a National Teacher Appreciation Day in 1980 and then progressed when the Parent Teacher Association established National Teacher Appreciation Week in 1984. Over the past two and a half decades, students, former students, parents, guardians and administrators have come together each May to honor and celebrate the vital role teachers play in our lives.

Here at The Max, we're so proud to work with so many talented and dedicated teachers, both in the Boston Public Schools and in the surrounding communities. Their commitment to their students and to the Courage Curriculum is what helps make our programs work. We could not do what we do if they did not do what they do - so well - in the classroom.

Take some time this week to thank a teacher in your life. The PTA has a number of different celebration ideas and they've set up the "Thank-A-Teacher" Facebook group as well. The NEA has a number of suggestions as well as lists of favorite teachers, as remembered by celebrities and members of Congress.

For all the work teachers have done for us and for future generations, a simple "thank you" doesn't seem like enough, but it's a good place to start.

The Case for Literature

In a recent article for Education Week, Nancie Atwell, a teacher in Maine, presented her arguments for the need to continue to keep literature a part of our students' curricula.

In her commentary piece, Atwell pointed out two important figures: in 2007, nearly 70% of 8th grade students read below proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam and according to a report from the National Endowment for the Arts, only 30% of middle school students read every day. 

Establishing a regular reading habit can help improve a student's test scores. Additionally, like many other things, practice makes perfect. The more students read, the stronger their reading, writing, vocabulary and literacy skills will be. By allotting a specific portion of the day to reading (in the classroom, at home or both) and by stocking classrooms with a wide range of books, teachers and educators are demonstrating to their students the importance of reading and giving them the tools they need to develop a lifelong love of reading.

Atwell also advocates for letting students choose books that appeal to their interests and encourages students to read popular, contemporary books along with the classics. She cites examples of how popular novels can spark a student's interest in a certain subject and lead them to seek out books by other authors writing on similar topics.

Atwell ends her article with a call to parents, teachers, educators and professional organizations, urging them to make reading, literature and young-adult literacy a central part of teaching. She admits that the idea of a student sitting quietly with a book isn't very high-tech in this 21st century, but, as she points out, "it just happens to be the only way anyone ever became a reader."

Reading Aloud

Reading aloud to young children has long been a useful and important part of learning to read and developing literacy skills. Now, some researchers are encouraging middle school and high school teachers to read aloud to adolescents as well.

A recent article in Education Week explores the benefits of reading aloud to older students. Long thought to be the purview of early childhood education, reading aloud is now gaining popularity among teachers of middle grade and high school students. With increased attention and focus on adolescent literacy, proponents of the practice are hoping to convince more teachers to read aloud in their classrooms.

The benefits of reading aloud, even to teenagers, are well documented. It can help equalize a literature lesson in a classroom where there is a wide range of reading levels among the students. It can help introduce new ideas or ease students into subject matter that may be complicated. And some teachers find that reading aloud from picture books, for instance, can supplement textbook material and communication a great deal of information with a condensed way.

The practice does have its skeptics. A few educators are cautious, advising advocates to make sure the practice isn't overdone. They want to ensure that it doesn't replace a student's regular reading, but rather that it acts as a tool to encourage students to continue to read on their own.

Still, as adolescent literacy gains more attention, it's likely that more teacher will explore the idea of reading aloud to older students. In addition to its various benefits, reading aloud provides students with an important and positive example: seeing others visibly demonstrate a lifelong love of reading and literature. 

American Education Week

Today marks the end of American Education Week, a celebration of educators and teachers sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA) and the U.S. Department of Education. Every year, during the week before Thanksgiving, people come together to show their support for education in America and the teachers, educators, support professionals, parents and students who comprise our educational system.

The annual tagline is "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility." The purpose of AEW is to shine a spotlight on "the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great." Throughout the week, different aspects of school life are highlighted, including parental involvement, the need for qualified substitute teachers and the vital help that support professionals provide. 

Many teachers, librarians and students who marked AEW 2009 wrote or spoke about the people who had made an impression on their education. Others hosted parties for the school staff, while parents got a chance to see first-hand what a day in their child's life was like.

The first observance of AEW occurred in December 1921. The event was created as a way to seek and gain public support for education, especially for members of the armed services during World War I. The NEA's original plan outlined an annual celebration:"An educational week ... observed in all communities annually for the purpose of informing the public of the accomplishments and needs of the public schools and to secure the cooperation and support of the public in meeting those needs."

Written Promptly

Reading Rockets and AdLit.org are teaming up for a writing challenge that gives K-12 students the chance to exercise their writing skills and have fun at the same time.

Each month, Reading Rockets will publish two writing prompts each month. The prompts will be inspired by the Exquisite Corpse Adventure (see our post about it here), a year-long serial adventure story written in tandem by a group of authors. Reading Rockets will include author biographies, bibliographies and interviews with each writing prompt. Students don't have to read the ECA story to participate in the writing challenge, though doing so may help them formulate their own ideas.

Students are asked to submit original writing of 350 words or less that responds to the writing prompts. They may only submit one entry per prompt, but are encouraged to submit something for all of the prompts. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the challenge.

The contest begins October 1, 2009 and ends in June 2010. Students in all grades K-12 are encouraged to enter each month. Entries will be divided by grade level: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Please visit the Reading Rockets Exquisite Prompt website for more details and for information on submitting a student’s writing.