The Role of a School's Library in a School's Reading Program

I've read this article many times now and am beginning to feel less overwhelmed by the amount and scope of vital recommendations.  Here are some of my observations on reading it yet again:
  1. p. 3 - How could it have escaped my attention, the need for a physical collection of professional development literature in the learning commons?  I've always imagined, and have now begun to stock the VLC with professional resources, but am woefully low on books and journals that can help a faculty member who's stuck and wants a few minutes with a book in a comfy corner.
  2. p. 3 - "Every classroom is a print-rich environment."  Got a long way to go here.  Every classroom in our school still has a temporary feel to it since teachers migrate from one classroom to another, and all of our buildings are at least in the long run physically impermanent until our permanent building goes into place.  Books in every classroom would give the rooms a much homier feeling; the challenge is squeezing in a cart since classrooms are small and all are arranged either with a large Harkness table taking up most of the space or smaller tables approximating the same thing.  It's got to be a priority, though.  This is a big visual in the drive to opening barriers between the learning commons and classrooms (and home, and the rest of the world...).
  3. p. 3 - "Reading is one of the major issues of the professional learning community...."  Ok, I'm actually beginning to make some headway on this on.  I'm working with a history teacher, an English teacher, and the Learning Specialist to hammer out some benchmarks and practical plans for improving literacy among our average to advanced readers. 
  4. p. 5 - Best sites for Teaching and Learning...must make a-site-a-day from this list part of my daily tasks.  Will help, I think, managing the juggernaut that is the world of online professional assistance and resources.
  5. p. 4 - If I could get each teacher to spend a couple of minutes a day reading to the students--7th through 12th graders!--it would be so fantastic.  It's a moment that all of us love, and it could be funny, touching, adventurous, anything.
  6. p. 5 - Reading leadership team teaches parents about how reading is reading--magazines, graphic novels, non fiction, blogs and, yes, even websites.  Reading is reading and is to be encouraged, as long as it doesn't actively frighten or hurt either the reader or the subject of the writing I would add regarding online reading in particular.

No comments:

Post a Comment