September 17 was a special day in the Parks family. It was the day Cristi Parks celebrated her mother Kay Parks’ birthday before she passed. This September, Cristi felt called to do something to honor her mother’s memory, and that is how Read Aloud learned about Kay Parks.
Born and raised in Wetzel County, Kay was a force for literacy and creativity in her community. She loved to read to children at her local elementary school, and, as a gifted musician, she could often be found playing the organ at a local church or teaching a child to play the piano. Kay’s passion for serving her community lives on in her daughter, who had the idea to honor her mother by gathering donations from family members to give to a local organization that continued the work that was closest to Kay’s heart. The family has deep roots in Wetzel County, but many live out of state. Cristi hoped this might become an annual tradition to give back to their hometown around Kay’s September birthday.
Read Aloud West Virginia was selected as the organization to support because we work to instill a love of reading in children, just like Kay did. All donations directed to this project will be used in Wetzel County to continue to motivate local kids to read for fun by offering free, high quality books and magazines to children and families, with the long-term goal of connecting with new volunteers and establishing a Wetzel County Read Aloud chapter.
We are truly honored to have been chosen as the recipient of these memorial donations and are deeply touched by this new model of giving. With so many people forced to leave West Virginia in recent years, it’s heartening to meet a family dedicated to giving back to the place they come from and making it better for those that remain. This openhearted spirit bolsters our belief that by working together, across industries, counties, and communities, we can create a more literate, prosperous West Virginia.
Read Aloud West Virginia is offering a new way for teachers to put books in their students’ hands: a Virtual Book Tasting.
We’re calling it a “book tasting” because like a cake tasting, you get little samples of a bunch of options. Then students can make informed choices of books they get to keep.
Students also get opportunities to have meaningful conversations about what they read. They can recommend books to friends or warn them off. They can practice the habits of lifelong readers and learners – to read by choice and to discuss readings with colleagues.
“The research base on student-selected reading is robust and conclusive,” literacy experts Richard Allington and Rachel Gabriel wrote in the 2012 article “Every Child, Every Day”. “Students read more, understand more, and are more likely to continue reading when they have the opportunity to choose what they read.”
Researchers also agree that giving students time to discuss books with peers is essential. According to the same Allington and Gabriel article, reading outcomes were better “when kids simply talked with a peer about what they read than when they spent the same amount of class time highlighting important information after reading.”
Our book tastings emphasize choice and create opportunities for students to chime in with opinions and questions. They even include a conversation starter “The Worst Book Ever,” in which a volunteer presents a popular book they don’t recommend, and participants are prompted to respond with their own opinions. This activity is intentionally designed to demonstrate to students that readers don’t love every book they crack open, and that it’s OK to quit a book they don’t enjoy and try something else. It is designed to welcome students who have not already discovered pleasure in reading, as well as avid readers.
After the book tasting, students will have an opportunity to choose a book from those discussed. We’ll pack the selected titles, tag them for each student, and arrange to deliver them to the school for distribution.
All schools enrolled with Read Aloud qualify for free book tastings and other book distributions, and because of pandemic pressures on school staff, all schools enrolled in the 2019-20 school year have been automatically re-enrolled with us for 2020-21, unless schools have notified us otherwise.
Click here to fill out an application to request books for your students. We look forward to hearing from you!
When schools sent students home for remote learning this spring, my mind immediately went to a 1951 Isaac Asimov short story The Fun They Had. I won’t ruin it for you. Just know that it is set in a future where kids are taught at home by a “mechanical teacher.”
We turn to stories for comfort in times of stress and challenge. Looking for help, our minds riffle through a lifetime of lessons, including those we “experienced” in books. The week before schools closed, I could not have recalled that story. But there it was, waiting in my head when the situation arose.
That well of experiences is filled over a lifetime. Volume matters.
Asimov was not the only past-read that has offered insight for the times we’re managing now. Here are a few things I have been reading (and rereading):
The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller is the story of how a sixth-grade Texas reading teacher requires students to read 40 books in the school year, and offers all kinds of choice and help for students so they find books they enjoy. Then she watches their confidence, grades and test scores rise.
Reading in the Wild, also by Donalyn Miller, is her follow up on efforts to raise “wild” readers, or those who read because they are motivated from the inside, not because a teacher or parent is nagging, grading, rewarding or punishing them.
Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina and Passion in Adolescent Readers by Penny Kittle is the advice of a then-high school (now college) instructor who echoes that volume matters. Children, and then adolescents, and then adults develop those very qualities — depth, stamina and passion. It takes volume, which is possible if students find books they enjoy.
How Humans Learn by Joshua Eyeler informs on that precise subject. The most relevant chapter at the moment is the one that says anxiety turns learning off.
Students, like all of us, are learning things, whether consciously or not. If children are reading or hearing books they enjoy, they are learning words and facts. This certainly helps them to read better on their own, or when they must read something they don’t particularly enjoy.
Children exposed to at least one book every day also learn how language works, how it fits together, which helps them to write better when it is their turn. They learn empathy; and social and emotional maturity are factors in school success. But children, like adults, also store up insights and lessons. If they read regularly and hear books read aloud, they fill a well of wisdom they don’t even know they possess. But it will surface when they need it, like the Room of Requirement.
That well is filled a little every day. As with compound interest or growing a tree, time is an indispensable ingredient. So, if there are children around, and your family doesn’t have a reading habit, now is the time. Every day matters. Little kids, big kids, grandkids, it is not too late to start. Reading will look different for different ages and families. That’s OK.
Take it from Mary Kay Bond and Sara Busse. I love that interview for the permission to not be perfect. Don’t think reading or reading aloud really looks like a carefully posed Pinterest shot. It usually doesn’t.
No one knows exactly how the fall semester will go, but it will go differently in different places. Some days, if all that parents, teachers and volunteers can manage safely and angst-free is reading to the children in their lives, or helping them to find books they enjoy, then everyone will be on task and making progress. Research shows reading for pleasure is the most effective way for students to prevent learning loss when school is out. Just as importantly, those students will be adding to their lifetime volume of experiences to draw on some day.
That moment of need could be coping with a pandemic. Or it could be a school writing assignment. It could be navigating a death in the family, or it could be navigating a job opportunity.
Students are soaking up knowledge about something every day. Sometimes, as with me and Asimov, they won’t even know they are carrying the lesson until they need it. Then it will just be there. But only if their wells have been diligently filled in advance.
Read Aloud West Virginia has received a sizeable number of Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) Tax Credits. NIP credits are administered by the state to encourage donations to local nonprofits.
For example, a donation of $1,000 qualifies for up to $500 in NIP credits off of West Virginia personal income or corporate net income taxes. That means donors can have a $1,000 impact for a bottom-line cost of only $500.
Read Aloud’s mission is to motivate children to read for fun, which research shows makes kids better readers and has a large impact on academic and career success. Every dollar donated to Read Aloud results in more time spent coordinating with families, schools, and volunteers to get kids the tools they need to grow their reading skills. And the sooner donors give, the better, according to Communications & Development Director, Amanda Schwartz.
“Donations in the fall enable us to plan ahead for literacy projects in the spring and summer,” Schwartz says. “The earlier we have funding in hand, the more impact we can make. Also, credits are administered first-come, first-served, until they run out.”
Read Aloud has remained on mission throughout the pandemic, adapting book distributions and volunteer classroom reading efforts to meet the new conditions and needs. “We are busier than ever, and our donors make all this work possible,” says Executive Director Dawn Miller.
If you’re interested in giving early and helping Read Aloud improve the literacy climate in WV, you can:
Mail a check to Read Aloud WV, PO Box 1784, Charleston, WV 25326 (this is preferred, as there are no fees associated with your donation and Read Aloud receives the full amount to put towards programs).
Click the Donate button at readaloudwv.org to make a secure donation through Square.
The minimum donation to qualify for a tax credit is $500 and the maximum is $200,000. Donors have five years to use their credits. The maximum tax credit allowed in any one year is $100,000. Donors cannot reduce their total state tax bill by more than 50%. If you have any questions, contact Read Aloud headquarters at (304)345-5212.
Here’s a checklist to build — or strengthen — your family’s reading habits
By Dawn Miller
Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, writes that habits have three parts – a cue, a routine and a reward. Something cues us. We perform the routine, and then comes the reward, which may be just a chemical reaction in the brain that feels like pleasure. But the next time we get that cue, we are likely to perform the same routine.
Alex’s bookshelf is in the corner of the family room.
Read Aloud supporter Matt Schwartz reads grandson Alex a bedtime story.
Does your family have reading habits? Experience the pleasure and build yours with this checklist of cues and routines:
Books – some we own, some from the library. Children cannot form a reading habit without books.
A place for books. It can be a low shelf that children can reach. It can be a box, basket or bin, but they must be handy and in sight (not tucked away out of reach).
Light, the right light. Be honest. Is the on switch easy to reach? If it isn’t, you’ll resist turning it on and getting started. Does it glare and hurt your eyes? Is it too dim to see well? If it is a hassle or uncomfortable, it will interfere with building your reading habits.
Comfortable spot, with room for two or three, or even more. Plus other places where children can read on their own, where they can be free of the TV or computer screens long enough to get pulled into a book.
Time — a set time. Set a reminder if necessary until it becomes a habit. Look for reading cues that fit in your day and into children’s rhythms. Before bed works for a lot of people. During a bath? After a bath? After dinner? First thing in the morning?
Screens off. Devices away. Make a quiet space for the imagination to take over during a regular time that works for your family, and the cue-routine-reward pattern will have a chance to take hold.
At the end of every school year, we ask our volunteer readers to tell us about their experience and share some books that worked well in their classrooms. Here are some favorites!
Freedom Soup by Tami Charles
“I have found children enjoy learning about other cultures.”
— Derniere Marshall, Jefferson County
A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
“I highly recommend A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements! I read this to a 5th grade class after asking the classroom teacher if she had any recommendations of stories she thought her students would enjoy. She was spot-on with this recommendation! The students were mesmerized by the story! Their recall of what they had heard the prior week was amazing…recalling many details and responding without prompts! This story held their interest, had many twists in the storyline, and included humor and compassion.”
— Kathleen (Kathy) Bennett, Berkeley County
I Am a Bee: A Book about Bees for Kids by Rebecca and James McDonald
“I used a hand puppet (Bee) and the children (PreK) loved interacting with the puppet. Had I been able to read again I would have used my possum puppet.”
— Paulette J. Buzbee, Raleigh County
Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman
A madcap story with pirates, piranhas, adventure, aliens, time travel and breakfast cereal.
— Margaret (Meg) Squier, Greenbrier County
Painter and Ugly by Robert J. Blake
“I always try to make the kids laugh. I hope my choice of books is interesting so it keeps their attention.” — Cathy Shaffer, Preston County
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
“Every year I pick up second-hand books and arrange a couple of situations where I distribute a book to each member of the class… It’s especially nice when some of the books I have are ones I’ve read to the class and the kids are eager to get those titles. This year I read Flat Stanley and then during their Trunk or Treat event at Halloween, I set up a Flat Stanley display. It turned out really cool and I was able to find numerous Flat Stanley books for the kids to choose from and keep.”
— Judy Hurst, Marion County
The Star People: A Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson
Two children stray from their village and are helped by their deceased grandmother, one of the Star People.
— Sandra Summers, Jackson County
Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds
“I look forward to reading exciting and interesting stories to the children this fall, hopefully, in the traditional classroom setting. It’s such an enjoyable experience.”
— Crystal Morgan, Mason County
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
“I always do an activity with the students after reading the book. For example, after The Cay, I brought in coconuts and we cracked them and tasted the milk and flesh. Very few of the students had ever seen a real coconut before. After a book on Helen Keller, I teach them braille and sign language.”
— Sheila Amato, Preston County
Tanka Tanka Skunk! by Steve Webb
“A hit with both my first grade readers as well as my fourth grade readers. I brought egg shakers for every student and we made the Tanka Tanka beats together. I had to start bringing it every week!”
Do your best to stay on mission, while keeping yourself and your communities safe. That is the advice Read Aloud volunteers, chapter leaders and colleagues have traded back and forth since spring. Keep up the good work.
By Dawn Miller
Read Aloud West Virginia continued to work all spring and summer toward the mission of motivating children to read for fun, to nourish their reading skills for life.
Here’s how we’ll keep doing it.
Classroom readers
Brooks Bower tries out one of the new reading hammocks on the first day of Coda Engage, a project of Coda Mountain Academy in Fayette County. Read Aloud West Virginia is a partner, offering books for children to choose and to keep, and for the academy’s growing library.
In our regular end-of-school survey, teachers overwhelmingly said that they would welcome live, virtual read alouds from a dedicated volunteer, if in-person visits were not possible. Most often, these would occur via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, though individual schools or counties may have other preferences.
To assist returning readers, Read Aloud chapters have been working on their own video-conferencing skills, and developing an updated orientation (delivered virtually, of course) to help readers grow confident for reading this fall.
Virtual orientations can also be scheduled for new readers. Anyone interested in attending either type of orientation may call 304-345-5212 or email stateoffice@readaloudwv.org. Registration is required.
Some readers and teachers have favored pre-recorded videos. The Fayette County Chapter is establishing a studio for making read aloud videos, but most readers simply use their smartphones. (See tips, right)
Book distribution
Schools closed just when it was time to start one of our most important efforts, a distribution project called Summer Book Binge. Based on research that shows a bag of freely chosen books given at the end of the school year does more to prevent summer learning loss than summer school, Read Aloud has developed this project over years, starting in Greenbrier County, and then Raleigh and Fayette and this year Wood and Berkeley. The pre-pandemic model relied on multiple visits to schools and much in-person contact, including a school assembly where the books were delivered with great activity and enthusiasm.
With those options closed, Read Aloud quickly reorganized an order process by mail. A $10,000 in-kind matching grant from First Book made it possible for Read Aloud to send more than 7,000 books to the homes of 870 children in the five counties. Children got to choose their books, a key ingredient in motivation, according to research.
Lessons from that project, combined with the prolonged interruption to school and uncertainty about fall, suggested a way to serve children and their families this summer and beyond.
In July, we softly launched Read Aloud Families (with the help of partner Energy Express). Based on the same data and methods as our Book Binge, combined with research on habits and motivation, Read Aloud Families delivers monthly books — that children choose — and materials to motivate families to read together through the pandemic and beyond.
Membership is by invitation only for now, but we plan to expand it as capacity allows. Each chapter identifies groups of families to be invited, through schools or other organizations they work with. At this writing, more than 125 families had joined, with more than 250 children, all over the state.
Marion County chapter president Beverly Richards, loads her car up with magazines to distribute via local feeding sites.
In the future, chapters will organize events for members, virtually, as necessary, but perhaps outdoors if it can be done safely. These events will be opportunities for children and their families to share the books they love, recommend and receive recommendations, and grow their reading communities.
Meanwhile, chapters are distributing books by other means. Jefferson and Marion are among those providing books for families when they collect school meals. Nicholas and Jackson are making plans to restock Little Free Libraries or other community bookshelves.
Partnerships
Even before the pandemic WVU Extension and Read Aloud were exploring ways to work together on Energy Express, the federal program that provides both literacy opportunities, including reading aloud, and nutritional meals to children during summer break.
This summer, Energy Express staffers attended Read Aloud orientations (virtually, of course). Read Aloud offered the first memberships to Read Aloud Families to Energy Express participants. Families have joined from all over the state, even in counties where Read Aloud has no active chapter. Each one affirms their intention to read with children, just for fun, most days of each week. They agree to give children a choice of books to read and to protect children’s reading time.
In Fayette County, thanks to Fayette Chapter President Marion Tanner, Read Aloud has partnered with the Coda Mountain Academy. About 25 children had the opportunity to choose Read Aloud books of their own. Coda started as a music camp, but has grown into many fields, including science and art. This summer the academy completed its outdoor classroom, just in time for the need for physically distanced and outdoor learning spaces.
Ten new reading hammocks invite elementary-age children during Coda Engage, a summer day camp run by Coda Mountain Academy. Elsewhere, masked and physically spaced, children engage in other activities, including robotics and violin lessons.
Coda President Esther Morey said children were happy and relieved to be outside and to be together, even with modifications and safety rules.
As they were walking toward the first circle game, Morey told us one girl said, “That looks funner than being on my iPad and phone all day.”
Advice from Read Aloud pros Mary Kay Bond and Sara Busse
By Kristen Lefevers
With schools closed or uncertain, this is a wonderful opportunity for parents to read aloud to their kids. However, if your kids seem more interested in their toys than story time, or if you’re not used to read aloud, then it can feel uncomfortable. But don’t worry—we have some tips from two read aloud veterans.
“Parents and grandparents need to remember they are really important to the children in their care, and what they say matters,” says Mary Kay Bond, a Read Aloud West Virginia founder and former Executive Director. “The sheer act of picking a book and reading it says ‘I love you’ to the child. When children hear a word, especially in a loving setting, they build their vocabulary toolbox, which is the foundation on which their education is built. Just hearing the words is important.”
Sara Busse, another founding member of Read Aloud and longtime volunteer, said something similar. “Children might not understand the whole story, but they’re hearing well-prepared sentences and vocabulary.” She also talked about how important it is for parents to show themselves some grace. When it comes to read aloud, she said, “Don’t press it. Don’t push it. If it’s not working, close the book, and come back to it later. Or if it’s the book itself that isn’t working, pick another book, and don’t feel guilty about it.”
Mary Kay Bond reads aloud to children at a Snuggle & Read event.
If you’re wondering about the ideal time or place to read to your kids, “bedtime is a good time,” Mary Kay said. “They’re winding down then.”
“Read to them in weird places,” Sara said. “Read to them in the bathtub. It’s a good place, because they’re stuck there.” She used to play a game with her children. Everyone would sit around the kitchen table with a die and a book. If the die landed on an odd number, whoever had the book passed it to the person on the left, who would then read a page before rolling again; and if it landed on an even number, they passed it to the person on the right.
What should you do if your kids still don’t seem interested in read aloud right now?
“We’re all trying to maintain a sense of normalcy, but there’s really no normal right now,” Sara said. “If the kids are getting too much screen time, it’s okay.” She said that parents might have to let the extreme be the normal for right now.
Mary Kay suggested finding something that your child is interested in and then reading about it with them. If your child is interested in baking, for example, you could read a cookbook and bake a cake together. This works especially well for older kids, she said, and teaches them that they can get information from reading.
“But don’t think that every book has to have activities,” she added. Sometimes kids, and adults, too, just need to get lost in a story.
“Trust your instincts when you’re reading one-on-one with a child who knows and loves you,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to be a little silly. Make voices, make animals sounds. You want to make it fun.”
It’s easy for both kids and adults to feel anxious right now, but Sara says read aloud can help. It helped her family after 9/11.
“My kids were younger then. We turned off the TV and read more. There’s something to be said about laughing through a silly book, or even crying through a serious one like Old Yeller,” she said.
The final piece of advice? Let the kids choose, and don’t be surprised if they pick one that seems below their reading level.
“I would encourage people to let children choose the books they want to hear. Choice is empowering,” Mary Kay said.
She also shared a story that a mother shared with her a few years back.
“Her daughter was 15 or 16,” Mary Kay said. “She’d had a bad day at school, and when she came home, she asked her mother to read to her for the first time in a long time. And even though she was in high school, she picked a Strawberry Shortcake book.”
She said it’s important that parents don’t discourage their kids if they choose a book that seems below their reading level. Like the woman’s daughter in the story above, your child may simply associate that book with good memories. And those memories can be very comforting in this uncertain time.
Kristen Lefevers, of Gilbert, Mingo County, is a graduate of the University of Charleston.
West Virginia Day celebrates the anniversary of West Virginia joining the Union and becoming its own state, separate from Virginia, in 1863. In celebration of our state’s founding, we collected a list of children’s books featuring the mountain state and its many stellar authors. We enjoyed putting these together so much that this 10 to Try actually features twelve great books because we just couldn’t narrow it down to ten. Enjoy!
A Raleigh County native, Sandra Belton paints a picture familiar to West Virginians, the very best time of day, evenings on the porch. In her warm, conversational way, she lets readers sit alongside the kids in the story to hear their old-timers talk about life before the Civil Rights movement, and after.
This is the story of Booker T. Washington who would write “Up From Slavery” as an adult. In this story he is a child laboring at the salt works and struggling to teach himself what he wants to know “more than anything else.” Beautifully illustrated by Chris Soentpiet.
Champion West Virginia storyteller Bil Lepp can make almost anyone sound good with his rhythmic rhymes, telling the story of a modest little king and the unsung odds and ends that stick up for him. It is wonderfully silly and subtle.
I would highly recommend Panther Mountain: Lydia’s Story by Christy Perry Tuohey. The book deals with the area that would become the state of West Virginia and includes several local references such as Gauley Bridge and Summersville. I purchased the book last fall with the hope of reading it to the Fifth Graders at Fayetteville Prek-8.
There may be no Vandalia Gathering this year, but you can enjoy a lyrical story, inspired by the tradition of passing the music down to each generation. Any age can find something to appreciate here.
Travel across the mountain state touring popular locations and learning to identify the unique WV shape hidden on each page in this rhyming, fast-paced adventure.
I read this to preschoolers and they enjoyed that West Virginia was highlighted in the book, and they also enjoyed their golden delicious apples from Clay County.
There are several books about John Henry, the legendary West Virginia man who challenged a new steam-powered tool to stop it from taking the men’s jobs. This one draws details from several versions passed down over the years, highlighting the aspirations of the men.
Each of seven chapters stands alone as a readable, discussion-prompting story for middle school students or older. Each takes on a problem or topic in West Virginia history. Visit Point Pleasant, Harpers Ferry, Droop Mountain, Tug Fork, Paint Creek, Hawks Nest or Buffalo Creek.
The majority of the links above will route you to the online store of Charleston’s Taylor Books. You can still have your books sent to you, as with most online retailers, and your purchase will benefit a West Virginia small business and help to keep local bookstores open!
Juneteenth is the anniversary of June 19, 1865 when the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the enslaved people of Texas, the last state to get the news. We decided to celebrate this Juneteenth by collecting a list of book recommendations from our volunteer classroom readers and supporters.
Our readers know the importance of exposing children to diverse texts. It helps every child find books with characters that look like them and their communities, but it also ensures that children are exposed to new cultures, ideas, and experiences that will help them become more accepting, empathetic adults. That’s why it’s important for books like these to be staples in your library all year long, not just today.
Every year I read this book about “Brave Bessie” Coleman to my school group to let them know that with persistence, dreams are possible. Bessie Coleman became the first licensed African-American aviator in the world.
I read the Jackie Robinson book to 6th graders at PawPaw Elementary (they loved it so much that I read it again to the following year’s class) and I’m planning to read the Katherine Johnson autobiography in the fall. Both are particularly relevant to our current Black Lives Matter national issue.
The illustrations were beautifully done. We enjoyed how the importance of Juneteenth was translated into a way children could understand it. It was done in such a way that I was able to open up with my children about how the history of Mazie’s family was different than our own. It allowed them to sympathize with a social issue by sympathizing with another child. It helped them to grasp the benefits they have that others did/do not.
What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant? With 96 lavishly designed pages of original art and prose, fifty diverse creators lend voice to young activists.
Both “Zoey and Sassafras” and “Desmond Cole” feature people of color as main characters without the narrative being based around race. Zoey and her cute cat Sassafras use the scientific method to care for mythical creatures. Desmond and his best pal, Andres, investigate paranormal happenings.
This book poignantly tells the story of how 9-year old Cassie Logan and her close-knit family face violence and racism during the depression era. I read this book to my high school seniors and they loved it. A great book to read aloud!
I suggest you search the Corretta Scott King Book Awards Web Site for many wonderful books with their descriptions for all ages. This is a valuable resource any time of the year. Why wait for Juneteenth for diversity?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, champions a lineup of little-known African-American inventors in this lively, kid-friendly book. Offering profiles with fast facts and framed by a funny contemporary story featuring two feisty twins, here is a tribute to black inventors whose ingenuity and perseverance against great odds made our world safer, better, and brighter.
— Peshka Calloway and her 9-year-old son
The links above will route you to the online store of Charleston’s Taylor Books. You can still have your books sent to you, as with most online retailers, and your purchase will benefit a West Virginia small business and help to keep local bookstores open!
