Reading Changes Everything: Ideas & Book Talks Galore

This is from the UCTE/LA conference at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.

Reading Changes Everything: Ideas & Book Talks Galore--Cassie Cox
ccox@weber.k12.ut.us

"Reading saved my life"--Cassie dropped out of high school in 10th grade but later went on to get her GED and on to a Master's.
"The average American reads one book per year after they graduate from college"--Washington Post.
How do we get kids to read?
CHOICE!! Choice makes a difference.
Main goal: Hook kids on books!
We've got to be readers ourselves.
What her classroom looks like:

• Time everyday for self-selected reading.
• Book talks
• Book trailers
• Time for talking and sharing.
• Author visits--find local authors and get them into your classroom! Get authors on board!
  
• Make books readily accessible.
• Spotlight books of all kinds.
• Take it outside the classroom--county library. Keep your ears open for public author talks and presentations.
• Classroom full of books.
• Themed book shelf at front of the room.
• Make books more visible.
  

How do you find time to read?

• Commit to reading with your students.
• Squeeze professional development into your daily planning time (5-10 minutes goes a long way).
• Always carry a book with you.
• Listen to audio books on the way to work or when you're exercising or walking.
• Treat yourself with at least 15 minutes of reading before you go to bed each night.
• Squeeze the time in any way that you can!
• Faculty meeting? Take a book! =)
• On-line book clubs, nings, etc.
  

Ideas:

• Olive Garden event-Cassie had five authors (Sarah Zarr, Sydney Salter, Wendy Toliver, Marion Jenson (Matthew Buckley), and J. Scott Savage) and twenty of her students (those who read the most of the authors' books) at Olive Garden. The restaurant paid for it, and it was an amazing experience. Don't be afraid to get out there and ask!

• Make reading a social activity. Books and friends, FUN! Paired reading, small group reading, reader's theater, chorale reading, etc.
  
• Book Talks: picture books, books of poetry, short stories, novels, children lit., young adult lit.
• Read for your students.
• Talk about books you've read...and about books you haven't read.
• Encourage the entire school community to get on board (other teachers, parents, business members, local professors, lunch ladies...get others to do book talks).
  
• Have students make book trailers (www.animoto.com).
• Send home book wish lists that parents can purchase for the classroom (they don't have to be new!).
  
• Encourage book clubs to donate their books to your class.
• Ideas for assessment/accountability: silent exchange, save the last word for me, paragraph plug in, alpha boxes, etc.
• Article of the week
  

Book List:
Reading Reminders-Jim Burke
Writing Reminders-Jim Burke
Readacide-Kelly Gallagher
Phineas Gage--John Fleishman
The Story Behind Toilets
Troy Thompson's Excellent Poetry Book--Gary Crew, Craig Smith
Stiff-Mary Roach
Guts-Gary Paulsen

Websites:
Professional Development and Networking:
http://englishcompanion.ning.com
http://www.ncte.org
http://www.reading.org
Discounted Books:
http://www.bookdepot.com
http://www.bookcloseouts.com/
Video book talks and book trailers:
http://www.scholastic.com/librarians/ab/booktalks.htm
http://www.book-trailers.net/
http://digitalbooktalk.com