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Kroger Community Rewards

by NewsParents and FamiliesSupporters

Did you know you can contribute to Read Aloud while you shop? If you enroll in Kroger Community Rewards, a percentage of your purchases at Kroger will be donated to Read Aloud!

To enroll, visit https://www.kroger.com/account/enrollCommunityRewardsNow.

Then, create an account, search for Read Aloud West Virginia and within 7-10 business days, you will be enrolled in the program.

This enrollment is completely free and Kroger directly donates a percentage of your purchases to Read Aloud West Virginia.

Purchases are eligible at any West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky or Virginia location.

Kroger Fuel Points are not impacted by your enrollment.

Once enrolled, simply swipe your Kroger Plus card or enter your alternate ID (typically a phone number) at check out and Read Aloud benefits from your shopping!

Please be advised that each year you must re-enroll in the program.

This is a great way to be involved with Read Aloud and give back to your community!

 

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WVDE brings good news to Read Aloud’s annual conference

by NewsPartnersSupporters

Another successful Read Aloud Conference is in the books! Chapter representatives gathered July 24 and 25 at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, West Virginia to network, share ideas and plan for the year ahead.

Read Aloud West Virginia welcomed not only chapter representatives, but also State Associate Superintendent of Schools Clayton Burch, along with Charlotte Webb, Coordinator of the Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning. Burch, who was the featured keynote speaker for the conference, affirmed an ongoing, natural partnership between Read Aloud West Virginia and the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE).

Reiterating Read Aloud’s core values, Burch noted the important work the organization is doing in the classroom and in support of parents and families. Burch believes we can only “move the needle” on educational improvement if we change our culture to place a high value on education and engage families as well as educators to expect the best from our children. He cited the success of a Read Aloud summer reading project at Crichton Elementary as an example of engaging families and encouraging reading outside the classroom. At Crichton, students were able to choose six books to add to their home libraries and read during the summer. This project served to prevent the phenomenon known as “summer-slide.”

As he brought his remarks to a close, Burch surprised his audience with the announcement that the WVDE had chosen to award two grants to Read Aloud West Virginia, totaling $75,000. These grants are the first Read Aloud has received from the WVDE and are a significant tribute to the work of our volunteers around the state.

Following a motivating opening, the conference attendees were briefed on the Read Aloud “Year in Review” and chapters were given the opportunity to share their success stories as well as challenges they faced in the previous year. An entirely new Resource Kit was distributed to each representative in attendance and new marketing materials such as brochures and banners were on display for chapters’ use.  Staff members of the state Read Aloud office also shared reports from their departments.

Following the sessions, representatives networked with other attendees to develop connections and share resources from their respective locations. Attendees consisted of both veterans and newcomers to the conference, but the passion they share for Read Aloud West Virginia united them and yielded a productive retreat for all.

Banking on Books

Local banks put books into kids’ hands

by BooksChaptersNewsSupporters

A summer program by Jackson County—reprinted with permission from Jackson Newspapers

In the financial world, it’s common for banks to be in stiff competition with each other, offering better rates and incentives to gain new customers.

In Jackson County, three banks are joining together as a team on a project that will make a positive impact on the lives of children, ages 10 and under.

Starting June 19, United Bank, City National Bank and BB&T offered the second annual “Banking on Books” campaign.

In cooperation with Jackson County Read Aloud, each bank purchased 250 books to give to drive-through customers who have children under the age of 10 in the car with them. One book was given to each vehicle. The books were available at United Bank in Ripley, City National Bank in Ripley, and BB&T in Ripley and Ravenswood.

Both Kerry Casto, Market President for United Bank and Nick Miller, BB&T Vice-President, were enthusiastic about this opportunity to encourage and support reading.

“I serve on the Jackson County Read Aloud Board,” Casto said. “There’s no greater reward than to see a child excited about getting a book. With “Banking on Books,” our window tellers can see the kids’ faces light up when they’re handed a book. It’s a lot better than candy.”

Miller agrees with the importance of this campaign. “Our banks definitely support reading and life-long learning,” he said. “We were concerned last year that doing this might be a burden to our tellers. But it was just the opposite. They loved it.”

Jackson County Read Aloud worked closely with the book selection. There was a variety of books, geared mainly to elementary level, including board books and chapter books.

According to Linda Dickirson, Jackson Read Aloud board member, the inspiration for the book give away came from the Read Aloud West Virginia Conference.

“We learned about Lewisburg’s Literacy Day and their bank giveaway,” she said. “When we brought the idea back with us, our board and these three banks enthusiastically embraced it. And it’s really taken off. We hope it expands to the other banks in the area as well. There’s no doubt they all support reading and education.”

Book review – Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk

by Book Reviews and RecommendationsBooksVolunteer Readers

Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff

Reviewed by Matt Harmon

Grades 2+ • 350 pages

I read this to a group of 2nd-5th graders for the Read Aloud organization. It was a fun adventure tale, but couched within it are great lessons for kids regarding worth, value, and the nature of money.

In the story, the giant King, King Barf, covets gold above all else; he equates his massive gold stock with a rich kingdom. Yet, his people are suffering a famine due to crop failure. When the people complain to King Barf that they are poor and hungry, he dismisses their concerns because the kingdom has so much gold, so it must be rich.

This illuminates a fundamental principle of money—it exists to facilitate exchange, but it is not valuable in and of itself. What good is gold (or paper currency) if it cannot buy food? This is a lesson the world should have learned during the Great Depression, particularly France. Under the gold standard era, France increased its share of world gold reserves by 20 percent, in essence taking money out of the world financial system and leading to a massive deflation spiral. But I digress.

Jack and his sister Annabella save the day, with some help from the pixies, by turning the king’s golden eggs back into seeds that sprout plants. They took gold, which only has value in exchange, and turned it into crops which have value in use. My hat is off to Ms. Shurtliff for so elegantly illuminating key economic principles to children. Bravo!

Matt Harmon is a volunteer reader at Charleston Montessori School in Kanawha County.

 

 

Read Aloud reader survey results

by ReadingVolunteer Readers

By Lesley McCullough McCallister

At the conclusion of each school year, Read Aloud West Virginia distributes a volunteer reader survey soliciting feedback regarding their Read Aloud placement and experience. This year, Read Aloud created an electronic version which allowed volunteers to complete their survey quickly and easily online, in addition to the few paper copies that were still provided to those volunteers who do not have an email address.

While the national average response rate for email surveys is about 25 percent, Read Aloud was delighted to receive feedback from 57 percent of volunteer readers.

“We are extremely grateful to hear directly from our volunteers about the good things they experienced, as well as areas of the program that can be improved,” said Read Aloud Executive Director Mary Kay Bond. “These valuable responses help us gauge strengths and weaknesses of our program either at the state, chapter or school level.”

The collected Read Aloud feedback is shared with chapter leadership in each county, and in turn helps themprepare for the upcoming school year. In some cases, chapter boards will reach out directly to readers who were involved but failed to respond to the survey.

Some of the most important information collected in the volunteer reader survey concerns each individual reader’s plans for the upcoming school year and if they wish to return to their previous placement.

Once a school principal submits their Read Aloud enrollment form and identifies the school coordinator, Read Aloud sends the placement data to the school coordinator so that returning readers can be placed early in the new school year.

Based on this year’s survey results, 63 percent of volunteer readers plan to return to their previous placement and continue to read to the same grade and classroom during the upcoming school year. While 28 percent requested to continue reading but change their current placement, Bond explained this is usually due to the desire to follow a particular child or grandchild to the next grade level.

The electronic survey also provided volunteer readers a quick and easy way to update their contact information, which is then shared with the local chapter leadership. The last open-ended questions on the survey asked for general comments and book suggestions. Read Aloud was delighted to receive numerous book suggestions by grade level and plans to add the compiled list to the suggested titles already listed on the Read Aloud website. This is a valuable resource for both parents and new readers who are looking for  suggestions that have worked for other readers in the past.

Visit readaloudwestvirginia.org/book-lists-and-reviews/ for reader recommended book titles.

Read Aloud is grateful for the dedication of its volunteer readers and chapter leadership and is gearing up for another successful school year as they try to help raise a new generation of readers in West Virginia.

Lesley McCullough McCallister is a Read Aloud supporter, volunteer reader, newsletter contributor and a  freelance journalist.

 

 

Is your school ready for 2017-2018 Read Aloud enrollment?

by ChaptersPartners

While our children are enjoying the lazy days of summer, teachers, principals, coordinators and readers throughout West Virginia (as well as the Read Aloud staff!) are looking ahead to fall and a new school year of reading. Here is a brief rundown of enrollment procedures and what schools can expect in the coming months.

Each August (typically in the first week), RAWV sends enrollment packets to schools in participating counties. The packets consist of a cover letter, enrollment form, School Coordinator’s job description, and a stamped, addressed return envelope. It is very helpful if these are returned ASAP so readers can be recruited and placed in classrooms. There is usually a deadline of the second week of September so that is ample time, but RAWV likes to get them sooner, if possible.

Why do schools need to enroll each year? Principals and staff change from year to year. The program needs the support of the principal to be successful. RAWV wants to make sure the principal and school are committed to participation in the program each year. Also, the principal may wish to name a new school coordinator, and the enrollment form offers him/her the chance to do that.

Read Aloud Executive Director Mary Kay Bond compares the process to an insurance re-enrollment. “You need to do it once a year,” she explains.

After the enrollment form is received by the RAWV office, the school coordinator (named by the principal) receives a cover letter, a list of the previous year’s readers with their intentions about returning in the fall, and a sign-up sheet for teachers.

Coordinators then ask teachers if they want readers and the best days and times for readers to come to their respective classrooms. Coordinators then contact last year’s readers and arrange for their return! Newly trained readers are placed, as well.

“Timing is important. If readers indicate they want to return and aren’t contacted, they feel unwanted,” Bond explained. “Also, if we do not know which schools (and which classrooms in those schools) will be participating, we do not know how many readers we need. We want this to be a full-year program so students get the full benefit, and that a consistent message is sent.”

Finally, there are many advantages of enrollment:

  • A consistent “commercial” for reading in the form of a dedicated volunteer who has attended a Read Aloud orientation and knows classroom expectations.
  • Eligibility to participate in the Book Distribution program.
  • Eligibility to receive parent education materials.
  • Eligibility to borrow book trunks to supplement class libraries.

Watch your mailbox for your packet, and get ready for reading during the 2017-2018 school year!

 

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What’s the point of a Read Aloud conference?

by ChaptersNews

By Melody Simpson

The fourth annual Read Aloud Conference will be held July 24-25 at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, West Virginia. As in prior years, Read Aloud West Virginia will pay for two representatives from each county chapter to attend the conference, but more may attend at personal or county expense. Information on this year’s conference has been sent to county chapter leadership, along with a pre-conference survey for registering attendees and seeking input for the content of the conference.

This event offers the only chance each year for representatives from all participating county chapters to gather together and share successes, failures, ideas, plans, and challenges, and to prepare for the year ahead. With 30 West Virginia counties participating in Read Aloud, it is likely that there are 30 different projects, approaches, or ideas being used. West Virginians have always been creative, and this is as true when promoting a love of reading as it is anywhere else. Many participants in past years have reported leaving the conference energized and freshly motivated, with new ideas and partners (both within and outside their county) identified.

In addition to the networking and collaborative opportunities, Read Aloud West Virginia uses the conference to distribute support materials, such as updates to the Read Aloud Resource Kit and new posters or pamphlets, and to introduce other materials being developed for “testing” during the upcoming year. Finally, the conference provides an opportunity for Read Aloud West Virginia to acquaint county chapters with other organizations or programs working to improve reading readiness and literacy, where opportunities for additional collaboration or partnerships at the local level may exist.

The conference will begin at noon on Monday and end around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday. So, county leadership, be sure to identify and register the two (or more!) representatives from your chapter who will attend this year!

Melody Simpson is an attorney at Bowles Rice LLP, a volunteer reader and a member of the Read Aloud West Virginia board and newsletter committee.

Books recommended web post 5.2017

Books prescribed to prevent summer slide

by Book Reviews and RecommendationsBooks

Pre-Kindergarten

Tree: a Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup

“A book with peek-through holes that let a child view the changes in a tree throughout the four seasons”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bear’s Big Day by Salina Yoon

Bear, feeling very grown-up, says goodbye to his stuffed rabbit, Floppy, and starts his first day of school, but soon he is missing Floppy and worrying that he is not ready to be a big bear, after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo

Author Morpurgo was inspired by several true events to weave this tale of a family escaping the Dresden bombing with…… an elephant!  The tale is recounted to a young boy when he visits a nursing home and befriends one of the residents.  This is an engrossing story of a family’s perseverance during WWII.

Recommended by Mary Kay Bond.

 

 

 

 

The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

A rollicking read aloud sure to delight toddlers with a “join in” refrain. Additionally, the book provides children with exposure to a rich, descriptive vocabulary.

Recommended by Mary Kay Bond.

 

 

 

 

 

Kindergarten to Second Grade

Green Pants by Kenneth Kraegel

Jameson refuses to wear pants that are not green, until he has to choose between wearing his green pants and wearing a tuxedo with black pants so that he can be in his cousin’s wedding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie’s Squash Goes to School by Pat Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf

On her very first day of school, Sophie is reluctant to make friends with the other children, preferring to play with two squash she grew in her garden — but when a particularly persistent boy named Steven gives her a packet of seeds as an apology for accidentally ripping her picture, she realizes that it just takes time to grow a friend.

 

 

 

 

Third to Fourth Grade

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark

This book offers an illustrated telling of the story of Ada Byron Lovelace, from her early creative fascination with mathematics and science and her devastating bout with measles, to the ground-breaking algorithm she wrote for Charles Babbage’s analytical engine.

 

 

 

 

 

Sojo: Memoirs of a Reluctant Sled Dog by Pam Flowers

A sled dog on an Alaskan dog team relates her exciting adventures, including a trek across the Arctic with explorer Pam Flowers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nancy Clancy Late-Breaking News! by Jane O’Connor

When she decides that the articles in the latest issue of the Third Grade Gazette are not interesting enough, Nancy sets out to find some news worth reporting on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fifth to Sixth Grade

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

“Please let my teacher be okay.” In a harrowing split second, the lives of Anna (the shy one), her Snow Hill School classmates, and their inventive, perceptive, and enigmatic new teacher are forever altered. Yet, even in his absence, Mr. Terupt continues to teach his class the importance of looking beyond stereotypes, and the value of forgiveness. Rob Buyea’s debut novel won an E.B. White Read Aloud Award and has spawned two popular sequels.

Recommended by Bob Fleenor, Berkeley County board member and RAWV volunteer reader.

 

 

 

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There’s no more money for rent, and not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, he’s outspoken, and he’s imaginary. He’s been gone for four years, but has come back into Jackson’s life to help him. Can an imaginary friend be enough to save this family from losing everything?

 

 

 

 

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what’s right for people everywhere. This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG tells the justice’s story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements.

 

 

 

 

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

While learning about September 11th, fifth grader Dèja (born after the attacks) realizes how much the events still color her world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unless otherwise noted, recommendations are by Terry McDougal, Kanawha County Public Library’s Head of Children’s Services. See more about these books and others on our website.

 

Importance of Summer Reading

by Reading

By Sara Busse

Ahhh… summer. Time for kids to kick back, take a break, put away the books. Well, no.

Google “the importance of summer reading” and you’ll see that while it’s good to relax and enjoy the less-structured school vacation days, it’s never a good idea to stop reading.

Jim Trelease, reading guru and godfather to Read Aloud West Virginia, touts the importance of summer reading by citing a study of 1,600 sixth-graders in 18 schools showing that reading four to six books (chapter books) during the summer was enough to alleviate summer loss.

In his pamphlet, “Summer Reading,” Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, discusses reading programs at local libraries as an important tool for parents during the summer. He also explains that, at first, ten to fifteen minutes of sustained silent reading (SSR) is appropriate for children who are not used to reading for more than brief periods of time. Later, when they are used to reading in this manner, the time can be increased.

Scholastic, provider of books and educational materials in tens of thousands of schools and tens of millions of homes worldwide, explains that learning or reading skill losses during the summer months are cumulative, creating a wider gap each year between more proficient and less proficient students. By the time a struggling reader reaches middle school, summer reading loss has accumulated to a two-year lag in reading achievement, according to an April 2007 study by Richard Allington.

Teachers typically spend between four to six weeks re-teaching material students have forgotten over the summer, according to the article “Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap,” by Karl Alexander, Doris Entwistle and Linda Steffel Olson. And in The Power of Reading, Stephen Krashen points out that “reading as a leisure activity is the best predictor of comprehension, vocabulary and reading speed.”

Finally, in the ”Kids and Family Reading Report” conducted by Harrison Group and Scholastic:

  • Having reading role-model parents or a large book collection at home has a greater impact on kids’ reading frequency than does household income.
  • An overwhelming 92 percent of kids say they are more likely to finish a book they picked out themselves.
  • Ninety-nine percent of parents think children their child’s age should read over the summer.
  • Parents think their children should read an average of 11 books over the summer, ranging from 17 books for children ages 6-8, to six books for 15- to 17-year olds.

So let the kids sleep in, swim, run in the yard and enjoy a little downtime. But make reading a part of the fun and the rewards will be seen in the fall — and throughout their lives.

Sara Busse is a long-time Charleston resident and community volunteer.

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Author Pam Miller visits local schools

by NewsSupporters

Children’s book author, Pam Miller, from Shepherdstown, West Virginia, visited Madison Elementary in Boone County and Cedar Grove Elementary in Kanawha County on May 9 and 10, 2017. She made multiple presentations in each school, told stories to students and discussed her own writing process.  Explaining her stories usually begin with a question she asks herself,  Mrs. Miller noted her stories undergo many revisions before they appear in print. Students were encouraged to take the questions they ask themselves and begin writing stories of their own.

Pam, a retired teacher, presents the weekly story time for three to five-year-olds at the Shepherdstown Public Library and at the Shepherdstown Day Care Center and was excited to share her stories with the students at Madison and Cedar Grove. In addition to the visit, Pam and her husband, Lex, also made a donation of $500 per school to Read Aloud for the purchase of books for the schools she visited.

Pam has published works for children ranging in age from four to 11 years old. Farmer McFee was published by MacMillan. Sand and Wrinkles are books for young children published by Scholastic. A portion of Pam’s latest book, Down Chestnut Street won the 2009 West Virginia Writing Contest, children’s category.  Her stories have appeared in Ladybug, Turtle and Highlights magazines. Pam is also a two-time winner in the Highlights Fiction Contest and recently joined the Jefferson County Read Aloud board.