This is the final part about how my school conducts summer reading for our students. The first two parts discussed the lower and middle schools, and today we'll talk about the upper school.
Upper school summer reading has had many different looks through the years. There have been all school reads, books required for every class, optional only books, and books sponsored by teachers. All have met with varying degrees of success. Each year our upper school librarian tweaks the program, and each year it gets better. It's difficult to strike that balance between reading for curricular purposes and reading to encourage lifelong habits.
Determining the how to access summer reading has always been an issue for our faculty. Many faculty worry that if the students aren't accessed on their summer reading then they won't read. But if boys are to be tested on what they read, then why would anyone read a book in June that they'll be tested on in September? Summer reading becomes late August reading, and it makes me wonder exactly what are we trying to encourage here.
Each student reads a required book for his English class, and some of the AP classes have additional books required. This is fairly standard and commonplace among independent schools. This is accessed in English class in the fall.
Now comes the brilliant part. Each boy is also required to read a faculty sponsored book. All of the faculty members have sponsored a book. The librarian has collated all of the information and posted it on the US Summer Reading LibGuide. The boys sign up for a book using SignUpGenius. Sign ups close out once the predetermined number of students have signed up for the book. In the fall the faculty will meet with the boys who have signed up for their book for a discussion. This allows the boys choice, assures quality literature is being read, and assessment is done informally through discussion. Brilliant!
Musings from a retired school librarian. Thoughts about books, reading, and libraries.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Summer Reading...Had Me a Blast -- Middle School
This is the second part in a three part series about how my school handles summer reading. Today's focus is our middle school.
Middle school readers are first and foremost middle schoolers! They can be a tough crowd still caught between admitting they like to read, and wanting to move into the world of cool.
Our middle school librarians do everything they can to bring the cool to the MS library. The librarian is also a restorer of WWII Jeeps and always has gadgets for the boys to touch and play with. He is also a passionate and engaging book talker, and knows exactly the type of literature that appeals to adolescent boys -- being a former adolescent boy himself.
MS boys are required to read four books over the summer. Two are required by the English department, and vary according to grade level. The other two books are of the boy's choosing and suggestions are made for each grade level. The boys must complete written assignments for the required books and be prepared to discuss them in class upon return to school in the fall. All of the middle school summer reading information is contained in a LibGuide, and available online.
In order to keep the fun in summer reading, provide incentive for reading quality literature as optional selections, and appeal to a MS students love of free pizza; the librarians have devised "Reading Cafe" selections. These selections are sponsored by middle school teachers. If a boy selects a Reading Cafe book, he reads the book over the summer, and comes to a pizza lunch to discuss the book with other middle school readers and the sponsoring teacher. They have proven to be very popular and provide a simple incentive for summer reading.
Middle school readers are first and foremost middle schoolers! They can be a tough crowd still caught between admitting they like to read, and wanting to move into the world of cool.
Our middle school librarians do everything they can to bring the cool to the MS library. The librarian is also a restorer of WWII Jeeps and always has gadgets for the boys to touch and play with. He is also a passionate and engaging book talker, and knows exactly the type of literature that appeals to adolescent boys -- being a former adolescent boy himself.
MS boys are required to read four books over the summer. Two are required by the English department, and vary according to grade level. The other two books are of the boy's choosing and suggestions are made for each grade level. The boys must complete written assignments for the required books and be prepared to discuss them in class upon return to school in the fall. All of the middle school summer reading information is contained in a LibGuide, and available online.
In order to keep the fun in summer reading, provide incentive for reading quality literature as optional selections, and appeal to a MS students love of free pizza; the librarians have devised "Reading Cafe" selections. These selections are sponsored by middle school teachers. If a boy selects a Reading Cafe book, he reads the book over the summer, and comes to a pizza lunch to discuss the book with other middle school readers and the sponsoring teacher. They have proven to be very popular and provide a simple incentive for summer reading.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Summer Writing -- Faculty Edition
This summer the faculty at my school has been tasked with summer writing rather than summer reading. I have decided that I'll be posting my ruminations on this blog for the world (or all 17 of my followers) to read. This is a very brave step for me. Some of my responses will be personal, and I tend to shy away from the personal when the world is watching -- or reading. They will also likely expose my inner Pollyanna and nerdiness. Something I usually keep hidden except to those closest to me.
I need to think a bit more before I start posting my responses to my headmaster's queries. But as a preview, the questions I will be responding to are listed below.
I'll be answering these questions within the next few weeks, but before you read my replies, take some time and consider how you might answer the questions. Substitute your school for mine, and add your replies in the comments section.
I need to think a bit more before I start posting my responses to my headmaster's queries. But as a preview, the questions I will be responding to are listed below.
1. In what ways does Boys' Latin stand for true excellence? Share an anecdote (or two) that captures this for you.
2. What does the following mean to you as a BL faculty member: A genuine joy of teaching. A genuine joy of learning. How have you seen this come alive at BL?
3. Share your favorite story (or two) of how you've seen a BL student arrive or come to your class with a unique set of distinctive talents, combined like no other, and how you've experienced this student's own redefining of his infinite possibilities.
4. Please take some time to reflect on yourself and your ‘faculty profile.’ What do you bring to the class? To your teaching? In addition to your academic credentials, what else adds the special dimensionality to what you do for our boys? As you think about these questions, it might be helpful to consider the short essays of the “This I Believe” series. What’s your belief statement about yourself and the important and noble work that we do?
5. And please list any accolades, recognitions, awards, and the like that you've received (whether it's school-specific, related to your outside community service, or volunteer work), or would like to receive.
I'll be answering these questions within the next few weeks, but before you read my replies, take some time and consider how you might answer the questions. Substitute your school for mine, and add your replies in the comments section.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Make Way for Ducklings...hopefully in a month!
Summer means yard work and tackling some of the tough parts of the yard. One of the few neglected areas in our yard is the very back by our fence. This is where the compost pile is, where the extra stakes for the tomatoes come to rest, and where poison ivy grows in abundance. Recently while attacking the poison ivy my hubby found a nest of eggs on the ground in the hollow of a tree. There were 5 of them and they were about the size and color of a chicken egg. The wooden spindles you see in the picture are extra tomato stakes -- industrial sized, because the hubby grows amazing tomatoes!
could lay eggs that big, and we have a dog who is in command of the yard and tolerates no other inhabitants! We kept an eye on the nest and within a few days there were many more eggs surrounded by feathers.
The mystery of who created the nest and laid the eggs was soon solved by Cody, our dog ducktective. He came out to the garden with me in search of dill and while I was engaged with the dill, he surprised the duck who had been sitting on the nest and she flew off. By the time I got to him, he had taken a few sniffs of the eggs, but no harm had been done.
Our neighbors spotted the nesting pair strolling across their yard. So now it was time to take to the internet and research mallard ducks. The first thing I learned was that EVERYTHING eats duck eggs and/or baby ducklings. Yikes! I started to imagine hungry foxes, crows, and possums everywhere! We also had to consider our dog. Keeping him on a leash for a month or more seemed daunting, especially since we have large windows that look out into our backyard and Cody positions himself there ready to keep the yard free of any squirrel that dare to trespass. The ever resourceful hubby fenced in the area around the tree that is serving as home for the nest. The duck goes in and out freely, and the dog stays out.
At last peek, the eggs are covered with feathers, and the duck has started sitting on the eggs. Hopefully in 20-25 days we'll have ducklings.
could lay eggs that big, and we have a dog who is in command of the yard and tolerates no other inhabitants! We kept an eye on the nest and within a few days there were many more eggs surrounded by feathers.
The mystery of who created the nest and laid the eggs was soon solved by Cody, our dog ducktective. He came out to the garden with me in search of dill and while I was engaged with the dill, he surprised the duck who had been sitting on the nest and she flew off. By the time I got to him, he had taken a few sniffs of the eggs, but no harm had been done.
Our neighbors spotted the nesting pair strolling across their yard. So now it was time to take to the internet and research mallard ducks. The first thing I learned was that EVERYTHING eats duck eggs and/or baby ducklings. Yikes! I started to imagine hungry foxes, crows, and possums everywhere! We also had to consider our dog. Keeping him on a leash for a month or more seemed daunting, especially since we have large windows that look out into our backyard and Cody positions himself there ready to keep the yard free of any squirrel that dare to trespass. The ever resourceful hubby fenced in the area around the tree that is serving as home for the nest. The duck goes in and out freely, and the dog stays out.
At last peek, the eggs are covered with feathers, and the duck has started sitting on the eggs. Hopefully in 20-25 days we'll have ducklings.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Summer Reading...Had Me a Blast -- Lower School
Here we are at the beginning of July. The summer seems to be already flying by. I've barely begun my summer reading, but many of my students are fully engaged with theirs...Yay!
My school requires summer reading for all boys grades 1-12. Each year we struggle with what we want it to look like. We know what the research tells us about boys and reading, but that can often be at odds with what the core content areas require for summer reading. This is more problematic as the boys get older and our MS and US librarians have devised clever ways to make everyone happy.
I'm going to take the next few posts to talk about what summer reading looks like in each division. I'm starting today with the Lower School.
All lower school summer reading is accessed through the Lower School Summer Reading LibGuide. Students are required to read a certain number of books based on their grade level, but no particular titles are required. The LibGuide contains a variety of suggestions. Students fill out a reader's log and return it to school in the fall.
Rising 4th and 5th grade students' summer reading looks different. They participate in a "Summer Reading Challenge". They read books based on a variety of criteria, and write book reviews about the books. There is competition, choice, and a social component involved with this program which are appealing to boys.
The good part of using online services for summer reading is that things are always changing, but the challenging part of using online services is that things are always changing... Each year it looks slightly different.
This year we are using BiblioNasium as a safe way for the boys to post their reviews. It provides the social piece and allows the boys to read each others' reviews, but in a closed, controlled environment. So far it's worked well, and the boys are off and reading!
My school requires summer reading for all boys grades 1-12. Each year we struggle with what we want it to look like. We know what the research tells us about boys and reading, but that can often be at odds with what the core content areas require for summer reading. This is more problematic as the boys get older and our MS and US librarians have devised clever ways to make everyone happy.
I'm going to take the next few posts to talk about what summer reading looks like in each division. I'm starting today with the Lower School.
All lower school summer reading is accessed through the Lower School Summer Reading LibGuide. Students are required to read a certain number of books based on their grade level, but no particular titles are required. The LibGuide contains a variety of suggestions. Students fill out a reader's log and return it to school in the fall.
Rising 4th and 5th grade students' summer reading looks different. They participate in a "Summer Reading Challenge". They read books based on a variety of criteria, and write book reviews about the books. There is competition, choice, and a social component involved with this program which are appealing to boys.
The good part of using online services for summer reading is that things are always changing, but the challenging part of using online services is that things are always changing... Each year it looks slightly different.
This year we are using BiblioNasium as a safe way for the boys to post their reviews. It provides the social piece and allows the boys to read each others' reviews, but in a closed, controlled environment. So far it's worked well, and the boys are off and reading!
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