Book of the Month: Journey of the Sea Glass Illustrated by Nicole Fazio

 I've been holding on to this gem for about a year now and with summer in full swing, the time seems right to share it with you! Last summer while on a weekend getaway to beautiful St. Michaels, Maryland, I wandered into a little shop called Ophiuroidea. I was only momentarily distracted by the many interesting baubles, trinkets, and sea-themed items; I soon found myself tucked away in the back of the store mesmerized by this book that didn't have words. I've posted about my love of wordless books before but this one took my breath away; Nicole Fazio's illustrations are simply captivating. The story begins as a bottle falls into the ocean. Page after page follows the journey of the bottle and the images get more colorful and vivid as the story progresses. Nature, the ocean, and sea creatures all do their part to create a beautiful, polished, and shiny piece of sea glass. I left the store that day with the book, two pieces of sea glass, and the excitement of knowing that I'd share this book with you all one day soon. Today is that day! I hope you fall in love with this book the way I did.

Book Giveaway: Mack and Missy

Missy and her brother Mack go crabbing with their Grandpa. The rhythmic text and collage illustrations are likely to warm your heart. Many of us who grew up on the East Coast have many fond memories of the sights, smells, and sounds of crab season. Tweet me @LiteracyCounts to win a copy. 

Literacy Challenges of At-Risk Boys: Does SES matter?

According to a 2010 study, boys lag behind on standardized reading tests by as much as 10 percentage points. Because we know that reading skills are strongly linked to overall school success, we must not ignore this alarming trend. Some experts suggest that girls and boys are just wired differently with boys being more visually oriented and more responsive to physical activity. But there are many things that parents and teachers can do to encourage literacy development in boys.

Now consider this: In some states, as many of 20-30% of children are living in poverty. Poverty is one factor that potentially places children at risk for academic difficulty and/or failure. Children living in poverty may:

• have limited time with adults (because they are working or because there is only one adult in the household);
• live in dangerous neighborhoods;
• have parents with limited education;
• not have role models who read or value education;
• have little awareness of or access to community resources (like libraries);
• attend low-achieving schools with few resources;
• not have access to books in the home because of the family's financial limitations; and/or
• be more likely to experience difficulties such as abuse, neglect, homelessness, unstable households, or violence.

One of the keys to getting out of poverty is a good education and boys living in low-income situations have two hurdles to overcome if there is any hope to break the cycle. So what are the answers? I don't have a magic wand or a crystal ball. I also don't have the money to fund the programs that I think our boys need. But I do have a voice and I hope to spread the word. Here are some ideas that I think will help:

• Libraries in low-income neighborhoods should continue to reach out to the community and provide some programs geared directly to boys. This may mean having more magazines and comic books in the children's areas. Keep in mind that there are differing opinions when it comes to the topics that interest boys.
• Mentoring and after-school programs that cater to youth should provide reading and literacy opportunites that are specific to the interest of boys.
• Schools and libraries in low-income areas can partner to help families understand the resources that are available.
• Schools in low-income neighborhoods should try (when funds are available) to ensure that school libraries have books that boys will enjoy (comics, magazines, non-fiction books, graphic novels, audio books, etc).
• I know in these times of school accountability and standardized testing, it's hard for teachers to tailor lesson plans and activities to the needs of their students. But when possible, teachers should provide boys with books that will interest them. They should consider that boys learn differently and allow more active learning and movement during reading activities.
• Schools and Child Care Programs in low-income areas should connect with the families and provide parent education programs and parent tutoring programs. Parents may not understand the value of reading to children. They may also have limited reading skills themselves so they may need literacy training.
• Encourage boys to read  books that have been made into movies. One expert suggests that reading books AFTER seeing the movie may gain boys' interests and may aid in their comprehension of the story.
• States should provide additional training for child care teachers on the importance of literacy. The early learning years are crucial and sometimes by the time children reach kindergarten, they are already lagging in necessary language and literacy skills.
• Schools and  teachers in at-risk areas can look for mentors and mentoring programs that may provide male volunteers to read to the class on a regular basis.
• Alter (but NOT lower) expectations for boys when it comes to reading. Boys may need to read in shorter intervals. They may need to be more active while reading. They may not want to sit at a desk and read. Be flexible whenever possible.
• Search for valuable computer language/literacy programs and games. Boys are usually more active learners and technology can be used to encourage literacy skills.
• Find local organizations (in our area we have Baltimore Reads) that support literacy. Baltimore Reads also has a book bank that provides free books to schools and to families. They also have literacy training for adults.
• Schools and Early Childhood Programs working with at-risk populations should seek out organizations that focus on boys and reading such as:
• Guys Read
• Boys Read
• Getting Boys To Read
• Michael and Mechelle Epps Foundation
• Boys Life Reading Contest (deadline 12/31/11)
• Reading Rockets
• Recognize that many of the children living in poverty are minorities so seek out resources that will be helpful to children and families:
• Brown Baby Reads
• National African American Read In Day
• Love to Read: Essays in Developing and Enhancing Early Literacy Skills of African American Children
• Preventing Reading Difficulties in At-Risk Children

What are your communities doing to address the specific needs of at-risk learners?

What reading programs or other resources do you know of that cater to the interest of boys?

Let's create a list of organizations and resources that will be helpful to other parents, teachers, educators, and leaders.

Girls Booked on Beauty Shops

Children who gain achievement in reading and language skills are more likely to be successful in all other subject areas. Reading is a key that unlocks a magical door filled with potential. Unfortunately, research shows that many minority children are not read to as much as their White counterparts. Research also shows that too often, by fourth grade African American students still have not mastered the skills necessary to become successful readers. Two community based programs aimed at increasing literary interest are Boys Booked on Barbershops and Girls Booked on Beauty Shops. These programs aim to provide children (from ages 1-18) opportunities to read in barbershops and beauty shops.

One Maryland group is bringing Girls Booked on Beautyshops to the area this weekend. The Harford County chapter of Mocha Moms is hosting Girls Booked on Beautyshops Saturday, November 20 from 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Imaginations Salon and Spa. Mocha Moms is a support group for mothers of color who have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote more time to their families and communities. This event is supported, in part, by Scholastic and the National Institute for Literacy. For more information, email harfordmochamoms@gmail.com.

Memory Lane: Hodge Podge Lodge

This morning when I woke up, I had the memory of dream. I struggled to turn the fuzzy edges of the dream into a clear picture. I slowly began to remember the details of the dream: there was a little cabin in the woods where children came to learn about nature. The more I thought of this dream, the more it felt like deja vu. Was I ever in a cabin in the woods? I think not. I grew up in the city so I was trying to decide if this was a dream or a true memory. As I got out of bed and began my morning tasks, I had a sudden memory spark: HODGE PODGE LODGE. I kept repeating it in my head and the memories came spilling back of one of my FAVORITE shows from my early childhood. The show aired on Maryland Public Television in the 70s.

"We're off to the forest to see Ms. Jean. She lives in a house that is mostly green..." Oh my goodness...I LOVED that show. I found a great clip on You Tube but according to IMBD, most of the masters have been destroyed.

Growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I ended up a preschool teacher. And maybe, somewhere in my young impressionable mind, Ms. Jean had something to do with my love of children and animals! (Imagine my surprise to find that Ms. Jean is on Facebook!)