download (2)

Advice for Read Aloud West Virginia volunteers regarding the coronavirus

As the new coronavirus spreads and cases of COVID-19 are diagnosed, Read Aloud West Virginia volunteers should continue to monitor developments and make good choices daily about whether to attend their weekly read aloud appointments.

At this writing, no West Virginia cases have been detected. However, projections by health officials suggest that it is only a matter of time. We don’t want to alarm anyone unnecessarily, but it is better to be safe than sorry. To help keep our volunteers, our schools and our communities as healthy as possible, we recommend:

1. Volunteers in the at-risk group of people — those with compromised immune systems or pre-existing lung conditions — should plan to postpone in-person reading sessions until the danger is past. Please call or text teachers to let them know. For complete details on the virus, incubation periods, and at-risk groups, see the CDC’s web site, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

2. People over age 50 are at greater risk from this virus, health officials say. Volunteers in that category should also consider their own health and conditions in their schools, and choose what is best to minimize the spread of infection. Any volunteer who is uncomfortable visiting schools or being around groups for any reason should simply call/text their teachers and postpone until further notice.

3. Readers who do choose to continue visiting schools should practice good anti-flu hygiene (frequent and thorough handwashing) before and after visits. The CDC has more details about that. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html. The CDC and virologists say soap and water is preferred, but hand sanitizer is a good choice when soap and water is unavailable.

4. Keep distance in classrooms as much as possible. The CDC recommends keeping about six feet between people to minimize the spread of any respiratory illness. Many classes are accustomed to gathering closely on a rug or in a reading corner. If possible, discuss ahead of time with your teacher how to keep healthy by coughing and sneezing into tissues (that get thrown away) and by washing hands often, by not hugging and touching volunteers when they come into class, and by sitting farther apart at reading time.

5. Of course, if local health officials give different advice as conditions develop, or if schools or other gatherings are closed, Read Aloud volunteers will follow their directions.

Thank you for making time each week for the children in your community, and for all the other unofficial and unrecognized contributions you make to their lives. Please stay safe and healthy.

Untitled design (7)

10 to Try: Black History Month

Read Aloud teamed up with the YWCA Charleston Racial Justice Program to bring you ten children’s books to try for Black History Month. Whether you’re a classroom reader, a teacher, or a parent, these books are a great way to celebrate the rich culture of America and the lasting impact of leaders of color! We encourage you to not only use titles like this in honor of Black History Month, but to incorporate texts with diverse characters into your reading all twelve months of the year!

A huge thanks to the YWCA for pulling this compelling list of titles together.


If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold (Grades K -5)

Marcie, a young black girl on her way to school, gets picked up by a strange bus. She later finds out this is the famous “Rosa Parks bus”. This bus ride with Marcie will leave listeners interested and engaged in the rich history behind civil rights leader, Rosa Parks.


Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterfly (Grades PreK – 3)

Hidden Figures shares the story of four African American, female mathematicians working at NASA. While facing racial and gender bias, they prevailed by participating in some of NASA’s greatest achievements. This book features a local legend Katherine Goble Johnson, a native of West Virginia and a West Virginia State University alumna.


Be A King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford (Grades PreK – 3)

This dual narrative shares moments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, while also sharing the strong principles of equality he stood by. Students, performing a Dr. King inspired school project, learn about the adversity Dr. King faced and his hope for an equal society. This book encourages children to enact the principles of Dr. King’s legacy into their own lives.


Firebird by Misty Copeland (Grades PreK – 3)

Firebird showcases the story of a young dancer who is questioning her own ability. Misty Copeland, the first African American woman to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, uplifts this young protagonist by sharing her experiences.


What Color is My World: The Lost History of African American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld (Grades 3-7)

This book uplifts the stories of little-known African American inventors. What Color is My World honors the ingenuity and determination shown by these inventors to make our world a better place.


Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford (Grades 1-3)

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom is a poetic tribute to the strength and devotion of Harriet Tubman. Through prayerful dialogue, Harriet Tubman shows determination and perseverance to free her people.


Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o (Grades 1-3)

Sulwe is a heartwarming story that inspires children to see their own unique beauty. Sulwe has trouble accepting her darker skin, but she’s reminded that her skin is just as beautiful and valuable as lighter skin tones.


I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley (Grades K and Up)

I Love My Hair is a story about a African American girl celebrating her beautiful natural hair. This imaginative book highlights the significance and versatility of African American Hair.


Mixed Me by Taye Diggs (Grades 1-3)

The main character, Mike, learns to embrace and celebrate his mixed racial heritage. This delightful, textured, fun-filled picture book takes on the questions children of mixed races face with humor and offers a strong, positive message of self-love. 


Same Difference by Calida Garcia Rawles (Grades 4-6)

This charming, upbeat books begs to be read aloud! Two cousins find themselves at odds over their physical appearance. This book reminds us that you can find beauty in any shade of brown and that we are much more alike after all.


Message from the YWCA Charleston Racial Justice Program

We hope that you love these books as much as we do! Thank you to Read Aloud West Virginia for this amazing opportunity. We would also like to thank our amazing Racial Justice Committee Members for suggesting such good reads. We hope that these books share important pieces of Black History and highlight the beauty of the black experience.

Untitled design (2)

Ten to try: Readers recommend

Each year, we ask our volunteer readers for books that worked well in their classrooms. Here are some of their favorite titles:

You know you have found a good book when you finish it, and they yell, “Again!” That is what they always do with I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont. (PreK-K)

Jackie Thompson, Kanawha County


There’s a Mouse About the House
by Richard Fowler

I found that asking each child on the first day of Read Aloud what their favorite stories are about helps tremendously with my book selections for the year (as well as their attention span). (PreK-K)
Margaret Tennant, Marion County


When I was Young in the Mountains
by West Virginia’s own Cynthia Rylant

Each week I asked who had read or who had been read to outside of school. It seemed the show of hands and enthusiasm continued to improve during the school term. (Grades PreK-2)

— Jane Cooper, Fayette County


The Day the Crayons Quit
by Olivia Jeffers

Another colorful choice. This time, each crayon in the box writes a letter to Duncan letting him know what is going on. (Grades 1-3)

­ — Catherine Slonaker, Berkeley County


Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig is about a rock gathering donkey. Our wonderful teacher tells me what they are studying, and I bring in books and things on the topic. (Grades K-1)

Lee File, Raleigh County


There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
by Lucille Collandro

Holds listeners with folksy illustrations, rhyming and repetition. (Grades K-1)

— Bob Sylvester, Kanawha County


Lon Po Po
by Ed Young

A Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood. (Grades 3-5)

— Sandra Summers, Jackson County


Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo

This book follows Opal at a particularly difficult time in her life as she finds a dog that she needs as much as the dog needs her. (Grades 3-5)

— Synthia Kolsun, Tucker County


The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales by Ruth Ann Musick is all in the title. A spooky, local classic. (Grades 6-9)

— Linda D. Mitchem, Raleigh County


Awkward
by Svetlana Chmakova

It was my first experience with reading a graphic novel with the use of the overhead camera and “smart board.” It went well enough that I would do it again with the right book, but it takes some getting used to. (Grades 6 to adult)

— Gary Grosso, Preston County


Compiled by Raney Exline

Read Aloud Promo (final version).mov.Still025

More than a ‘nice little thing’

A new school year brings with it such excitement! New relationships for teachers, students and parents. A fresh start, which brings excitement and occasionally some trepidation. Our Read Aloud staff and volunteers begin the year with those same feelings.

It was no surprise to me that we began getting calls from returning readers even before the first day of school. These dedicated individuals are ready to bolt out of the starting gate. They see that we can make a difference with what seems like a simple, “nice little thing” — a regular classroom visit to share a love of reading. And yet that “nice little visit” is so much more!

In this issue, educators such as Maggie Luma (Page 1) and Steve Knighton (below) attest to the difference they know the Read Aloud experience can make for students. It is one piece of the literacy puzzle — the motivation piece — all of us need to work harder, whether it is in sports as WVU Football Coach Neal Brown noted at Read-A-Palooza (Page 6) or in the classroom.

Experiencing a “commercial for reading” and bonding with a caring human being over good literature is an experience each child deserves daily. It should be a regular part of the curriculum to build vocabulary as well as interest in books. Our volunteers deliver! They also come back year after year because they see the impact they’re making, as Bob Johnson explains.

I can recite with the best of them the litany of West Virginia’s challenges — diversify the economy, fight opioid addiction, improve our school systems. The fact is they are all interrelated. We can wring our hands and be paralyzed, OR we can do something. All important change comes with multiple small steps.

Motivating our children to work to become good readers improves their chance at school success, opens career opportunities in a variety of fields and, believe it or not, reduces their vulnerability to substance abuse. One small step — a reader in the classroom — can bring about a change in the trajectory of a child’s life and in the future of this state. Won’t you join us? 

There are multiple ways you can help us continue our work. You can volunteer. You can donate. Or, you can do both!

Change does not occur overnight, but many small steps will change the literacy climate of West Virginia. Use the fresh start of the new school year to join Read Aloud in a way that works best for you. You CAN make a difference!

Mary Kay Bond is the executive director of Read Aloud West Virginia.

Read Aloud Promo (final version).mov.Still024

… And the pay is great

As a (mostly) retired public servant, I am eager to resume my reading aloud with primary students this school year.

To say that the process is ‘rewarding’ is an understatement. I am often paid in hugs. While the classroom teachers with whom I have worked value my presence every week, it is the students of grades three, four and five who show their genuine appreciation.

A typical Thursday morning involves driving to the school and schlepping the three-ring binders of my prepared-and-rehearsed readings for the day. In the classroom, I place my binder(s) on a stand-up table or lectern and wait for enough silence to commence. I have never sat for a reading period. Call it the performer (aka ‘ham’) in me, if you will, but I believe it is impossible to read with engagement — and gestures — while seated. Call me ‘old school’ if you like.

Over the last few years, I have become an invited member of my county chapter of Read Aloud West Virginia, a vetted-and-authentic organization of volunteer readers….

Recollecting on my own experience as a primary student, now these many years ago, it was the teachers or community members who read aloud with my class and me that always fondly come to mind. What they did had impact. Learn about the affirming studies that show student improvement in classrooms in which a spoken reader participates in learning. And I can vouch that I am, without fail, warmly welcomed in every classroom.

Although what I read is likely not as important as how I engage students in a quality story, the expression of interest in their collective faces says it all. Afterward, it is not unusual for students to steal a hug on my way out of the classroom, often on the way to the next classroom in my schedule.

Yeah, I also have the gratification of teaching in an after-school program three afternoons a week, but it is ordinarily the weekly reading sessions that make it oh-so-easy for me to get up on a Thursday morning.

Don’t say, “I don’t have time” or “I’m too old” for reading aloud. I am 70 and work with a dozen organizations and community interests. Do the students — and yourself — a favor this school year. Read aloud.

Robert Johnson, a reader, blogger, musician, music promoter/event producer, community activist and educational advocate, is a Read Aloud volunteer and chapter board member in Nicholas County. This is adapted from a blog post published at medium.com.

10 to TRY: Successful books suggested by our volunteers in 2018

“Bring a book to recommend,” participants in Read Aloud’s annual conference were instructed. Then at a good pausing point (or technical glitch, because books don’t glitch, right?) a volunteer would offer a quick show-and-tell. This issue’s book reviews include some of those favorites from around the state:


1. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak. You may know the author better as Ryan from the TV show “The Office.” Don’t be daunted by the hilarious video online of Novak reading it to a school in New York. But be warned. Here’s a sample: “Everything the words say, the person reading the book has to say.

“No matter what.”

Young listeners wisely get the foreshadowing here and anticipate with giggles.


2. The Big Jump and Other Stories by Benjamin Elkin. This one, originally published in 1958, was recommended by Berkeley County volunteer Casey Wilson because it is one of his wife’s favorites. He read the first of the three stories in the book to a first-grade class, and then closed the book.

A student raised his hand and said, “There are more pages in that book.”

Caught holding out on them, Wilson re-opened the book and read all three stories to the class in that one sitting.

“It’s as different from what’s coming out that’s new and contemporary as it can be, but the kids love it. Don’t be hesitant to pull out the old-timers,” he said.


3. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. Speaking of old-timers, this folktale was first published as the beloved picture book by an avant-garde artist in 1940. It has sold millions and makes a great board book because of the repetitive language suited to small children. If you read it, though, make sure you know what monkey noise you’re going to make when the time comes.


4. What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mae Besom. A national bestseller this all-ages story and light, inviting drawings explore something anyone can recognize — what do you do with that idea? Sequels include What Do You Do with a Problem? and What Do You Do with a Chance?


5. Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Dow Phumiruk. This beautiful new picture book traces West Virginia’s recently discovered hero Katherine Johnson, of Greenbrier County, educated at West Virginia State University and WVU, who then worked quietly behind the scenes at NASA doing the math that made space travel possible. It’s aimed at younger students, but it has something to inform and inspire all ages.


6. Henry Builds a Cabin by D.B. Johnson. This is the first in a short series of picture books drawing on specific stories and imagery of Henry David Thoreau. This Henry is a bear who sets about building a cabin in the woods. The sentences are simple enough for little ones to follow, but the book is even better in fourth and fifth grades, where students kick off discussion with  “Why is he doing that?” Or someone insists that no one can build a house for 28 dollars, 12 and a half cents, and we discover the word inflation.


7. Cendrillon by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. This is another picture book that grows with the students. It’s the Cinderella story, so easily recognizable, but set in the French West Indies, with all the color, imagery and a peppering of French Creole language. Also, it is told from the point of view of the Fairy Godmother, or nannin’.


8. Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. A chapter book, this features second-grader Alvin Ho, aka his superhero alter-ego Firecracker Man, who does everything you would expect, except that as soon as he steps off the bus at school he can’t talk. The characters inspire laughs and compassion in listeners. It’s not too young for third grade, where students begged for the next one in the series.


9. Monsters in West Virginia by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. There is something even more suspenseful about allegations of monsters and fantastic beasts just out of sight, if the places they were supposedly spotted are places you know — Grafton, Point Pleasant, Braxton County, for example. A good lure for older listeners.


10. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. “I love the connections we can make between how the author explored different kinds of love, friendship, family love, betrayal, all of these rich ideas and plot twists and things that we can look at together when we read those books,” said Christy Schwartz, literacy specialist with the West Virginia Department of Education’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading.

“There’s a really powerful moment at the end. Every time my students saw me tear up at the end, they thought, ‘Wow.’ They fell in love with the characters, with the author, and they tended to read more books by that author.” This is another one for upper elementary students.


Looking for your next Read Aloud hit? Need to freshen your repertoire?

Scroll through and click around our helpful booklists.

Readers, we want to hear from you!

The end of the school year is a bittersweet time for Read Aloud volunteers. Your dedication and commitment to read to a classroom of children every week has likely yielded dividends, from conversations with students who are excited about reading to big smiles and hugs in the classroom. You might even have received handmade cards from students saying how important you were to the class, recalling favorite stories, and asking you to continue reading next year.

Readers might be sad to say goodbye or ready for a well-deserved hiatus (or perhaps some combination of these). Meanwhile, Read Aloud West Virginia staff is already looking to and preparing for August. That’s why Read Aloud asks volunteer readers to accomplish one more task by completing an end-of-year reader survey.

These quick surveys ask about your experience as a Read Aloud volunteer and your plans for the following school year. When Read Aloud school coordinators return to school in the fall, the state Read Aloud office provides a report that helps coordinators place returning readers into classrooms as soon as possible, as well as identify how many new readers each school needs.

If Read Aloud West Virginia has a valid email address for you, the survey should have arrived in your inbox around the beginning of June. Paper copies will be mailed to those with no email address on record. If you were an active volunteer reader during the 2017-2018 school year and you do not receive a survey by email or mail, please contact Marsha Hoyer at (304) 345-5212 or email mhoyer@readaloudwestvirginia.org.

Thank you, readers, for the gift you have given to more than 33,000 children in West Virginia this school year!