Archive for August 26, 2007 - September 01, 2007

A visitor well versed in Southern stereotypes might be disappointed to discover that the indigenous people of Spartanburg, South Carolina, harbor a passion not for a benighted Confederacy, but for literature. In fact, few places in the nation are doing more to advance literacy than this historic textile-mill town, where books are free and reading is rewarded. Read more about the free book program in this article from The Orlando Sentinel, by columnist Kathleen Parker.

Spelling has frustrated generations of learners, says IRA member Masha Bell in an article appearing in the August 28 edition of the Yorkshire Post. In the article, she identifies common types of spelling errors and suggests that simplified rules for spelling might help. For further information, read the full article.

 Each month, the ReadWriteThink.org Calendar offers quick classroom activities, lesson plans, Web links, and texts pertaining to various reading–related and general interest events. Here is a sampling of the links for September:

September 1: National Library Card Month begins.
September 8: International Literacy Day
September 9: National Grandparents Day
September 10: National No-Bully Week
September 15: Hispanic Heritage Month begins.
September 23: Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, was integrated in 1957.
September 30: Elie Wiesel, author, humanitarian, Nobel Peace Prize winner was born in 1928.

There also are links relating to other noted authors and events, and more. For further information, visit the website. The ReadWriteThink.org is a nonprofit website maintained by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English with support from the Verizon Foundation, and in association with the Thinkfinity consortium. The site provides free lesson plans, interactive student materials, Web resources, and standards for K-12 classroom teachers of reading and the English language arts. Visit the main site.

The Dubai School Agency of the Emirate of Dubai has launched the first phase of its “My Language My Identity” project that aims to encourage reading in Arabic among elementary school pupils. DSA and Scholastic, a publisher of Arabic books for children, are providing two-day workshops to train 250 teachers and librarians on using “My Arabic Library” books to support the curriculum. Fatma Al Merri, CEO of the Dubai School Agency, said: “We started the ambitious ‘My Language My Identity’ project to revive the culture of reading in Arabic among students, especially after the Internet and TV have replaced books as a means for information.”

Standards in basic math and reading among 7–year–olds in England showed no improvement this year while fewer reached the expected writing skills for the second year running. Although there are no government targets for 7–year–olds, the results call into question the improvements in primary schools ministers claim to have brought about by introducing policies such the literacy and numeracy hours. Boys lag behind girls in all subjects, including mathematics, although the gap is smaller than in reading and writing. Read the article at Guardian Unlimited.

 As the curtain opens on a new school year, the spotlight is on teachers. Off in the wings, a noisy debate ensues about how to ensure that public school teachers are well qualified—and receive enough support—to do their jobs. Stirring the current debate is the fact that Congress is expected to take up re­authorization of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) this fall. One part of the law requires states, districts, and schools to have 100 percent “highly qualified” teachers for key subjects. But as of last winter (the latest data available), 17 percent of US school districts did not expect to meet the June 2007 deadline for highly qualified teachers, according to a new report by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) in Washington. In addition, 33 states were not on track for all teachers in their state to be “highly qualified.” Read more about the qualifications vs. performance debate in this article from The Christian Science Monitor.

College campuses are discovering the possibilities that open up when students, faculty and staff make a point to read the same book. In the process, such “common readings” serve a range of purposes, especially for incoming students who are navigating a big transition. Discover how a common reading led to a meal of free-range organic chicken and organic cranberries on one campus in this article from USA Today.

The top U.S. envoy on refugees announced August 28 that the United States will increase its support to countries hosting Iraqi refugees with a $30 million grant for education. Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey said the money will help pay for schooling in countries like Jordan. Jordan and Syria host the largest percentage of the more than 2 million Iraqis who have been displaced by the war and the countries have complained of the increasing burden on their health and education systems. Sauerbrey told reporters the United States expected to allow in some 2,000 Iraqi refugees by the end of September but ruled out taking in large numbers. Read the article in The Seattle Times online.

When it comes to reading, race can matter. A young black male has a better chance of getting teased for reading books instead of playing sports. Black children are less likely to have parents who read to them at an early age and expose them to books. By 12th grade, black students are scoring significantly lower in reading than white students, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card. Add to that the fact that 12th grade boys overall score lower than 12th grade girls. That puts the average black male high school senior at the bottom of all reading groups. Read more of this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

  The No Child Left Behind education law is about to undergo the most intense congressional scrutiny since its passage in 2002, as lawmakers will consider whether to renew it. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings discussed the law in this interview with USA Today’s editorial board.

 What does the fall political landscape look like for reading education as Congress reconvenes? What is NCLB’s schedule? How much money will the programs get?

Join Richard Long, IRA Director of Government Relations, in a live audioconference on Wednesday, September 19 (note new date) , at 8:00 p.m. EDT, as he discusses the Congressional legislative agenda for the fall of 2007 and its impact on reading education. Dr. Long will brief callers for about 20 minutes and then answer questions.

This will be a free service, but registration is limited. Participants are asked to register by September 10 with btierney@reading.org to receive the call-in number and a PowerPoint set of slides.

Participants are asked to e-mail their questions in advance to btierney@reading.org. We cannot guarantee that all questions will be answered during the call. We will try to answer all questions by e-mail. Concise questions are encouraged.

Please be sure to include your name and affiliation when posting your questions.

  More Americans say they are knowledgeable about the No Child Left Behind Act than just last year, but familiarity appears to breed dislike, according to a poll set for release this week by Phi Delta Kappa International and the Gallup Organization. In addition, Americans remain concerned that the federal education law’s focus on testing students for their proficiency in reading and mathematics is leading to a narrowing of the curriculum, at the expense of subjects such as social studies, science, and the arts, the survey found. Read more about the poll in this article from Education Week.

The Burkina Faso government will distribute millions of free books to primary school students and launch a pilot project to give no–fee schooling in a push to curb the number of people in this African country growing up without even basic education. “This is the end of the time when reading and maths textbooks are seen as luxury items for parents,” said Odile Bonkoungou, minister of basic education and literacy, on August 27, launching the free books project. Some 10.5 million books for primary school children in reading and math classes have already been ordered, according to Bonkoungou. Of those, 3.5 million will be distributed this academic year. Read more at IRIN News.

Average reading and math scores on the SAT test declined slightly this year, as the number of high school students taking the standardized exam grew larger and more diverse than ever, according to a report released by the College Board on the high school class of 2007. Read more of this article from The New York Times.

One of New York City’s newest public schools is named for a Lebanese poet who promoted peace and published his most famous work while living in the city, but there has been little peace for the Khalil Gibran International Academy. With a little more than a week remaining until the academic year starts, the school—announced in February as New York City’s first school to offer instruction in Arabic and on Arab culture—already has had to move once and has its second principal, both because of protests. Critics have attacked the school, named for the Lebanese Christian poet Khalil Gibran, as a potential radical Islam training ground. Supporters have been taken aback by the controversy. Read about it at the online news website News24.com.

Russian tycoons are the target readers for a diamond–encrusted book with an estimated value of £3 million. British entrepreneur Roger Shashoua is offering a made–to–order edition of his new book Dancing With The Bear. The cover of each of the special “oligarch” copies, said to be the most expensive book in the world, features more than 600 flawless diamonds. The book is an account of how the author made £100 million through business in post–Soviet Russia. “I am just happy that conspicuous displays of consumption can now be associated with writing, rather than fashion accessories.” Read about it and see a picture of the book at BBC News.

 Earlier this week Representatives George Miller and Howard “Buck” McKeon, chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Committee on Education and Labor, released a staff discussion draft of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This draft was developed through input received at nearly two dozen Congressional hearings and many discussions with education organizations and concerned citizens. The Committee welcomes and encourages comments on this discussion draft. Please send any comments to ESEAComments@mail.house.gov.

•   View the Miller, McKeon, Kildee, and Castle letter concerning this draft.

•   View the text of the draft (435 pages).

•   View the summary of the draft.

•   More on the Committee’s work on No Child Left Behind.

A string of government policies aimed at boosting pre–school children’s educational achievement in England has had no impact, research suggests. Children’s vocabulary, ability to count, and name shapes when they start school are no better than they were six years ago, a study of 35,000 children claims. The Durham University research covered such policies as the expansion of free part–time nursery places. Ministers say indications show the investment is leading to improvements. Read about the controversy at BBC News.

The Iraqi Ministry of Education says it expects at least a 15% drop in school attendance compared to previous years. Parents have blamed the government for the poor protection of their children and many have opted to keep them at home. Sectarian violence, lack of basic utilities as well as teacher shortages are plaguing the educational system. “We have enhanced policing at the school gates of most schools but families are still scared to send their children to school. This might seriously affect their future,” she added. “I don’t blame them for trying to protect their children but we have to start changing the actual situation of violence by teaching pupils how to build a better Iraq,” said Leila Abdallah, a senior official at the Ministry of Education. Read more at IRIN News.

It is 10:30 a.m. on a sunny Thursday morning in Hargeisa, in the self–declared republic of Somaliland’s capital and 15–year–old Mohamed Yusuf is skipping school. He and a half–dozen of his classmates have trekked 5 km through the dusty streets of Hargeisa to attend a session of Biyo Dhacay primary school’s Child–to–Child club. In other words, Mohamed and his friends are skipping school to attend school. Funded by the UN Children’s Fund and implemented by the Somaliland Students Assembly, Somalia’s child-directed learning programs have a simple guiding principle—students identify a problem, then plan and carry out projects to address the problem. Read more at IRIN News.

For years, the question “Why can't Johnny read?” has plagued teachers, students and parents. Another troubling question, especially as students move into their teen years, is: “Why won’t he or she read?” The questions point to two critical problems affecting millions of teenagers: students who can’t read at grade level and those who don’t want to read, known as “reluctant readers.” Read more of this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

No one wants to see a child struggle at reading. Parents can help a child avoid reading difficulties, or at least have fewer problems, by starting the reading and conversing in the home early. “I certainly would be always looking for opportunities to expose my youngster to new language and new ideas,” said Timothy Shanahan, immediate past president of the International Reading Association and a professor of urban education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “At age 1, it might be my child and I cooked together and we talked about the cooking words. At another age, we take them to a museum and we talk about the language of that science museum of whatever. It’s not enough to just put the youngster in those experiences. You’ve got to talk about it, use the language and help the youngster learn to use the words. The bigger their vocabulary, the easier to understand new text.” Read more of this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Writing Improvement Network (WIN) will host its Fall Writing Conference November 7–9, 2007 at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, SC. The theme for this year’s conference is “Finding Your Voice.” Speakers will include Dr. Ruth Culham and Erin Gruwell, with Bruce Littlefield, Kate Salley Palmer, Ron Morris, and Craig Melvin participating in the Writers Block Panel. For more information, visit WIN’s conference website.

In the past seven years, a new view of reading instruction has taken hold in school districts nationwide. The issue these days isn't whether “phonics” or “whole language” is the better approach for beginning readers, but how to blend those philosophies and other elements in a reading program tailored to the individual child. Cathy H. Roller, director of research and policy for the International Reading Association, said students must have “the right things in the right amounts at the right time. Some kids need direct instruction in phonics. Other kids come to kindergarten reading fluently in a second- and third-grade text.” Read more of this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

It may look like kindergarten students spend a lot of time playing, but rest assured, they are learning. And yes, you are allowed to volunteer in your child’s classroom. These and other scenarios are among the topics that may puzzle parents new to Canadian schools, so advocacy group People for Education has created a “starting school” tip sheet for them. The sheet—available in 12 languages—is one of a growing number of initiatives helping families be better prepared for school in a new country. Read more about the initiative at TheStar.com.

  State-by-state data on the federal Reading First program were released with fanfare this past spring by the U.S. Department of Education as evidence that the initiative was fueling “tremendous progress” among students and teachers. The Reading First Advisory Committee, a federal panel that met for the first time this week, found that information on student achievement in participating schools far less definitive and has asked for more time and technical assistance in evaluating the data from the $1 billion-a-year program. Read more of this article from Education Week.

A combination of poverty and an education system that has little concern for those who struggle leads many young people in Senegal to Dakar, the nation’s capital, to search for work. According to Unicef, 37% of children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in some form of work in this country in West Africa. Although primary and secondary education is compulsory and free, many parents are still reluctant to send their children to school, and dropout rates are high. “It’s about poverty. Families need their children to go to work,” says Falelou Seck, program manager at Plan International in Thiès, that aims to help young Senegalese stay in school. Read more at Guardian Unlimited.

Bennett Shakoske of Turtle Creek was only in first grade, but he was already beginning to give up on school. He was having trouble reading. It was only when he moved to another district, repeated first grade and found a special-education teacher who used his love of Legos to motivate him that he was able to progress. Years ago, some advised waiting until third grade to get extra reading help to see whether the child would grow out of it. Now experts advise stepping in as soon as a reading problem occurs. “The research over the last 30 years really lays out very clearly you can’t start too early. I wouldn’t hesitate, if I were running a preschool, to try to address these kids’ needs,” said Dr. Timothy Shanahan, immediate past president of the International Reading Association and a professor of urban education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Read more of this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

 With reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act high on the agenda as Congress returns from its recess, lawmakers must confront the fact that the law is causing many concerned parents to abandon public schools that are not failing. Susan Goodkin, the executive director of the California Learning Strategies Center, an education think tank, and David G. Gold, a lecturer and consultant on strategic issues in negotiation, write in today’s Washington Post that NCLB has created “a fundamental educational approach so inappropriate for high-ability students that it destroys their interest in learning.” Read more of their column.

The Israeli ban on deliveries of paper to Gaza is not only threatening to create a shortage of textbooks in the Strip but also shining a spotlight on what constitutes legitimate humanitarian aid. Israel is allowing in food, medicines and fuel, but not paper, even though many would see education as a vital sector. “Some 200,000 children will go into our classrooms on 1 September, and won’t have the books they need,”John Ging, the Gaza director of United Nation Relief and Works Agency, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, told IRIN. Officials in Israel, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the state is concerned the paper might be used to print books with Hamas ideology imbedded within them. Read more at IRIN News.

Long criticized for showing gangsta rap videos and those with scantily clad female dancers, Black Entertainment Television is now taking those images—spiced with profanity and frequent use of the N-word—and remixing them into an audacious animated video promoting literacy and black pride that is drawing both praise and condemnation. Read more about the video in this article from the Los Angeles Times.

It’s being called an unprecedented initiative in solving Buffalo’s dire reading problem. The vision of Read to Succeed Buffalo is 100 percent literacy for the city’s children and adults. The campaign, to be launched early next month, is viewed as the city’s first strategic literacy plan. Behind it is a literacy coalition made up of more than 40 local organizations. Read more about the coalition’s goals in this article from The Buffalo News.