The Science of Reading

One of the newest buzz-phrases in education is the concept known as the "science of reading," which has garnered significant attention and become a politically charged topic within US education. While educational trends often come and go, the science of reading appears to be an enduring approach supported by research. It revolves around evidence-based practices that aim to instruct students in reading by using a spectrum of essential reading skills, thereby bolstering a comprehensive reading model.

The closure of schools during the pandemic resulted in a significant impact on education, particularly in reading proficiency. Despite efforts to continue virtual education, reading scores suffered. During the 2022-2023 school year, fewer than half of New York’s third graders were proficient on state reading tests (New York State Education Department).  Responding to this issue, Governor Kathy Hochul recently called for NYSED to “require school districts to certify that their curriculums have embraced ‘scientifically proven’ approaches to literacy by September 2025” (Ashford, 2024).

The fundamental role of the school librarian centers on supporting classroom teachers and students with their reading and information goals.  How, then, can school librarians contribute to promoting the science of reading? A crucial aspect involves providing a diverse array of reading materials that cater to the needs of teachers and students. By curating the library collection in alignment with the curriculum and the broader school community, students gain access to high-quality resources. “Reading for understanding, reading for pleasure, and the depth and breadth of the reading experience remain at the heart of library instruction” (Rowe and Soulen, November/December 2023).  Supporting the science of reading entails addressing the diverse needs of students, removing obstacles that hinder access, and facilitating opportunities for students to actively engage in the reading process. This multifaceted approach empowers school librarians to play a pivotal role in promoting literacy within their schools.

This article is helpful for more in-depth information regarding the science of reading and school libraries.  There is an extensive works cited page with more resources to continue your learning.

Works Cited:

Ashford, Grace. “As Literacy Lags, Hochul Proposes Changing How Schools Teach Reading.” New York Times, 03 January 2024. www.nytimes.com/2024/01/03/nyregion/new-york-schools-reading-hochul.html?mwgrp=a-dbar&unlocked_article_code=1.K00.vdPg.b2dl3_0nvBqq&smid=url-share

New York State Education Department. “New York State Report Card [2022-2023].” NY State Data. https://data.nysed.gov/essa.php?instid=800000081568&year=2023&createreport=1&38ELA=1&38MATH=1.  Accessed 03 January 2024.

Rowe, Marjorie W., and Rita Reinsel Soulen. "The Science of Reading and School Libraries." Knowledge Quest, vol. 52, no. 2, Nov.-Dec. 2023, pp. 38+.

My Year in Books

 

I read 27 books for 2023; 9,548 page. I finished up another degree this year, so a lot of what I read this year was professional literature. However, I did also listen to many audiobooks on my work commute and many work trips. This list does not include picture books and novels I read to students from January to April. I also don’t count books I read to Sam. The numbers would be much greater!

My 2024 goal is 50 books. That’s close to a book a week. I’ve already started and always have multiple books going at once!

CS&DF in the Library - 2023 NYSCATE Presentation

 

    This past Sunday, I had the privilege of presenting at NYSCATE's annual conference.  If you have not attended the NYSCATE conference, it is one that I would highly recommend.  My presentation, titled "CS&DF Standards in the Library," has been a project I've been working on since the standards were in the development stage. I was excited to share my insights and experiences to a room of around 20 people.  You can access the resources from this presentation, and others on my dedicated presentation page.

    The vision for Computer Science and Digital Fluency (CS&DF) standards in New York is that every student would know how to live productively and safely in a technology-dominated world. This includes the understanding the essential features of digital technologies, why and how they work, and how to communicate and create using these technologies.

    A school's vision statement encapsulates broader educational goals, and the CS&DF vision echoes the overarching goal of numerous school districts. To align with this vision, the CS&DF standards were designed not as the sole responsibility of a specific group of educators but as a shared obligation among all. Collaboration among librarians, teachers, and educators from various areas is imperative to meet these standards effectively. While no single group bears the entire burden, librarians must refrain from adopting a "not my job" mindset.

  

    To help librarians meet the CS&DF Standards, I have examined what they are currently doing in their curriculum that already meets these standards. I have worked with 3 districts where we have explored and dissected the standards to gain a greater understanding. Once the librarians know what the standards are and have heard some examples, they make note of lessons they teach students that meet these standards. Examining what you're already doing is helpful to help guide where you need to go.

    It is not the sole responsibility of a librarian in a school building to meet all theses standards. After all, they are only one person who sees students. Seeing what standards are being met by the librarians can show areas where standards are not being met and identify other curriculum areas that can fill in the gaps.

    To assist librarians in supporting the standards, I created a list of trade books that I matched with the CS&DF concept areas. Trade books, intended for a general audience and distinct from textbooks, serve as powerful instructional tools. They aid in vocabulary development and foster interest in diverse topics. Having books that support standards in your library collection can provide "unplugged" computer science instruction and provide teachers with resources. My goal is to update the trade book list as more books are published. You can find the list here and in the resources from my presentation. Note that I have not read every book and I made my standard alignment based on summaries and reviews provided on Amazon and Follett's Titlewave.

    Even after I gave this presentation, I am continuing my work with school districts on the CS&DF Standards.  From my experience working with librarians, I am able to offer more support as these standards go into full implementation next year.  My tips for implementing these standards in your library is to let students know that you are learning with them, take opportunities to learn from students, and have fun!  Libraries are spaces where students can take risks and learn what interests them.  The same should go for the librarians in the library!

Wakelet Community Leader

 

Wakelet is the ultimate ed tech tool for librarians.  I use it all the time to share resources during professional development and meetings and to keep my bookmarks easily accessible on any device!  It is more than just pintrest for educators because you can upload your own documents and hyperlink websites, tweets, videos, or any other online content.

I've been using Wakelet since its early days.  However, I just became a Community Leader.  This gives me even more access to resources to help me use Wakelet.  Some of the great things I have found are the resources on Wakelet for Librarians.

Check out my Wakelets here.

Banned Books Week

As a librarian, my mission is to promote knowledge, foster critical thinking, and provide access to a wide range of ideas and perspectives. It is this commitment to the principles of intellectual freedom that librarians celebrate Banned Books Week this week.  I want to shed light on the dark practice of banning books and why it is not only counterproductive but also so harmful to our society.

Banning books goes against everything at the heart of what our nation was founded on.  It stifles this freedom by restricting access to ideas, information, and different viewpoints.  Limiting access to different ideas undermines a persons ability to think for themselves and form their own opinions.

Libraries are places of learning and enlightenment. When we ban books, we limit the educational opportunities available to our communities and our students. Books are valuable resources for students and allows them to see themselves and view the experiences of others. By banning books, we deny individuals the chance to explore diverse perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of the world.

Books are essential in preserving our cultural and history.  Banning books erases the voices and experiences of different groups, usually groups that have already historically been marginalized.  Banning books is saying that someone's history does matter.  We risk losing the ability to learn from that past.

As a librarian, I stand firmly against the practice of banning books. Banning books undermines the principles of intellectual freedom, limits education, erases our cultural and history Instead, let us celebrate books as vehicles for exploration, enlightenment, and personal growth, and trust in the power of informed individuals to make responsible choices about what they read and believe. If you don't agree with a book, don't read it.

Read Alouds for the Beginning of the School Year

Using stories to teach is the best part of being a librarian!  Every year, I would start the school year with stories that taught students the norms of the library.  While I am no longer in the classroom, I still have my favorites to share.

This summer I also did some training with Project Look Sharp (PLS) on media literacy.  I always knew that media literacy was an important skill to be teaching, but always thought of it as a standalone topic.  PLS gives ideas and resources on how to incorporate media literacy into every lesson, including when you're doing read alouds.  The PLS lesson titled How Do I Choose? Picking the Right Book for Me is a lesson plan that has the teacher lead a media decoding where students analyze book covers and pages from children's books to determine personal preferences in reading for a variety of purposes.  Doing media decoding with any book you are going to read with students is an excellent way to incorporate media literacy into another topic.  PLS also has a video example of a librarian leading the media decoding.

The following are my favorite books to use at the beginning of the school year to help teach book care and library manners.  These are just what I used, there are definitely more out there.

Read It, Don't Eat It! by Ian Schoenherr

Very simple pictures and text to explain the rules for lower elementary students.  The animals in the various pictures are doing silly things with books that make it obvious to students how they should care for their library and all books.  It is a very quick read, but you can supplement the simple text with explanations.

The Shelf Elf by Jackie Mims Hopkins

This is one of my all time favorites that I started using in 2011 when I first started in a library.  I used to have a stuffed Skoob (The Shelf Elf) that I would have do silly things around the library similar to the Elf on the Shelf.  Unfortunately he was lost during the COVID closure, but I still tell the students who ask that he's somewhere in the library watching for good library manners!  Just like Read It, Don't Eat It!, The Shelf Elf tells the story of how an elf named Skoob has become a library elf.  His guidebook explains the rules of the library and how students can earn the "Golden Shelf Elf Award" for having good library manners.  There is also a sequel to the The Shelf Elf and some teaching resources on different reference sources.

Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library by Julie Gassmann

For fans of Dragons Love Tacos a similar funny story of what can go wrong when you bring a dragon to the library.  To me, it seems like this book is set in a public library, but students won't notice.  This book is a fun way to share with students manners and appropriate behavior in the library.

My Mouth is a Volcano! by Julia Cook

This book is not library specific but more for appropriate classroom behavior.  Julia Cook has several books out there to teach appropriate behaviors for students.  I never expect young students to be perfect, but interruptions are a challenge when trying to read a story sometime.  This story helps students understand why interruptions can be impolite and give students a strategy for how to save all their important words.

These were some of my favorites to read in the library.  They didn't always have my rules exactly as I taught them to students, but they worked.  I always wanted to write my own library manners and procedure books for students but I'm horrible at drawing!

2023 CSForNY State Summit

 

I’m writing to invite you to the free, virtual CSForNY State Summit on Thursday, 9/28 from 4pm - 7pm and Friday, 9/29 from 9am - 3pm to help New York K-12 educators and leaders increase access to computer science education for all students.

The CSForNY State Summit is an opportunity to build and amplify momentum to reach all students with quality, equitable, and sustainable K-12 computer science education programs. 

Participants will hear from experienced computer science teachers, schools and districts who have fully implemented our state standards, New York’s new CS teacher certification programs, resource providers, and leaders from across the state, including our State Department of Education.

Join me for my presentation on Books, Library Media Specialists, and the Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards on Friday 9/29 from 10am-11am.

Register for the 2023 CSForNY State Summit here on the summit website.

Every New York student deserves access to computer science regardless of zip code, race, gender, or economic background. I hope that you’ll inform others about this great opportunity.