FOR-PD Literacy Blog

From “The Core–News from the Florida Deapartment of Education“: Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg encourages Florida families to share the gift of reading during the holidays by visiting the 2007 Just Read, Florida! Recommended Holiday Reading List. Research indicates that children who do not continue to read while on holiday breaks and vacations risk losing progress made during the school year.

The Just Read, Florida! Recommended Holiday Reading List can be found at www.justreadfamilies.org/holidays/reading.asp. This recommended reading list provides an excellent source of suggested books, by grade level, for children of all ages and will provide families numerous opportunities to enjoy reading together during the holidays. The Web site also offers parents the tools they need to nurture a reading-friendly environment at home. Resources available online include links to county and municipal public libraries, and tips for parents on reading with children.

Do you have a favorite holiday book you share with your students? We’d love to hear about them so click on the “leave a comment” button to share!

From http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/TRNR.html

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced the release of To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, a new and comprehensive analysis of reading patterns in the United States. To Read or Not To Read gathers statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers, and adults. The compendium reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society.

To Read or Not To Read expands the investigation of the NEA’s landmark 2004 report, Reading at Risk. While that report focused mainly on literary reading trends, To Read or Not To Read looks at all varieties of reading, including fiction and nonfiction genres in various formats such as books, magazines, newspapers, and online reading. Whereas the earlier report assessed reading among adults age 18 and older, To Read or Not To Read analyzes reading trends for youth and adults, and readers of various education levels. To Read or Not To Read is unique for its consideration of reading habits alongside other behaviors and related outcomes including academic achievement, employment, and community involvement.

Each year, thousands of children, young adults, teachers, and librarians around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the “Choices” booklists. These lists are used in classrooms, libraries, and homes to help young readers find books they will enjoy.

Complete, annotated Choices lists for 2007 are now available for download through the International Reading Association website. See below for more details for each booklist.

• Children’s Choices is cosponsored by the Children’s Book Council. The list includes brief reviews of approximately 100 titles, each of which has been recommended by children themselves.
• Teachers’ Choices identifies approximately 30 books rated by teams of teachers, librarians, and reading specialists as outstanding for curriculum use.
• Young Adults’ Choices provides descriptions of approximately 30 books selected by teenage reviewers.

Have you read any of these books? Whare are some of your favorites from 2006/2007? We’d love to hear from you.

AdLit.org, a national service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C. AdLit is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation, has just been launched for the month of November. This new site focuses on ways taht educators and parents can assist students in fourth through 12th grades with their literacy development.

AdLit.org offers research-based information and extensive resources, articles, blogs, glossaries, and links to newsletters.

FOR-PD Spring 2008 Registration - Now Open

Do you know a teacher or administrator who would like to take the FOR-PD course this spring? Registration for the spring 2008 sections are open and will continue through December 31. The spring course will begin on January 22 and end on April 28, 2008.

Please have those interested visit our registration page, http://forpd.ucf.edu/register/register.html, for more information.