July 5, 2016
Kate Messner writes both nonfiction and fiction for a range of young readers. She’s explored the natural world as well as various themes in novels and picture books. I caught up with Kate while on a tour for her latest book, The Seventh Wish (Bloomsbury; 1619633760).
In it, readers meet 12-year old Charlie who catches a magical fish that grants her wishes. Serious...
June 27, 2016
June 8, 2016
Bookshare's summer reading collection for young readers is chosen to entice, engage and keep readers coming back when traditional books in print cause frustration.
Read IndependentlyFor students with free Bookshare accounts, even the youngest readers can hop on a road to reading independently using an audio format that helps them best achieve literacy. Many charming books in...
May 24, 2016
May 4, 2016
Bravo to native Virginian Cece Bell, a Newbery Honor Book winner and 2015 Children's Choice Debut Author finalist who created and illustrated El Deafo. She has crafted the 2016 official and ready-to-download bookmark for the 97th annual Children's Book Week 2016 that runs from May 2-8.
Equally exciting, there...
May 3, 2016
Years ago I took ballroom dance. I used to write about those experiences in this space. It was a great opportunity for me as teacher, since with dance I struggled greatly (something there is about having your legs bound for the first year of life that makes graceful movement a challenge).
October 13, 2016
"Graphic novels are the books with the tattered covers crowding the “hold” shelf and the books that generate the longest wait lists," according to Kyle Redford, a fifth grade teacher in Northern California and the education editor for the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.
Books of this kind are growing in popularity and there are many options for readers of all ages,...
April 19, 2016
Last week, I wrote about the value of the information parents receive when their kids take common — or standardized — assessments.
But I know that leaves some parents wondering whether they are permitting their children to experience harm by taking those assessments. There’s certainly...
April 7, 2016
It was my mom who introduced me to Beezus and Ramona. But the introduction was a bit unusual. We’re not talking about a cozy bedtime story or even a read aloud on one of our family’s long car trips. I had Ramona live in my living room.
Mom was, at the time, English Resource Coordinator for the Piedmont Schools Project. I didn’t know what that meant other than she...
March 15, 2016
In the last few weeks I've visited five schools in four states. Each of them educates large numbers of students from low-income homes and students of color, and each is either high-performing or on an impressive improvement trajectory.
The schools are different in lots of ways, but one thing characterizes them all: Teachers, principals, and other administrators work hard at building...
March 11, 2016
Super author Jeff Kinney, best known for his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Wimpy Kid movies, does not have dyslexia, nor do his children, but he champions reading audiobooks! In fact, he personally only reads audiobooks as an alternative to traditional print.
Listening to audiobooks is reading, says Kinney. This view refutes claims by some to the contrary. In...
March 2, 2016
"I don't think there's a child out there who doesn't want to learn and be the best they can be."
Those are the words of Barbara Preuss, a veteran educator with more than 30 years of experience.
That is to say, she is no bright-eyed novice about to be confronted by reality. She is confronted by plenty of reality, every day. And yet she retains her belief that even the kids who...
February 26, 2016
WOWIE KAZOO! Surf's Up, a joyful picture book with two froggie friends at the beach debuted officially for all on February 1. The story unfolds on colorful pages with a unique literacy message that possibly could inspire readers who struggle.
This book combines two big talents — author...
February 9, 2016
Teacher question: I am a Reading Coach at a Title I middle school serving a student population of 95% African American. Less than 40% of our students read at/or above grade level. My goal is to increase the amount of individual time that our students spend reading novels. My suggestion has been to add more classroom novels that are about African Americans, and African American...
January 13, 2016
Access to instruction means everything if struggling readers are to keep pace with their grade-level peers. AIM-VA blog readers love our stories about chosen apps and websites that help to by-pass textbooks, trade books or other traditional learning materials in print when they prove to be barriers to learning.
Favorite AppsThe following are lists of favorite apps that are shared by...
January 14, 2016
On January 7, the 5th Ambassador for Young People’s Literature was officially installed at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Gene Yang's induction was attended by former ambassadors, Kate DiCamillo and Jon Scieszka in a role also held by Walter Dean Myers and Katherine Paterson.
Yang, a former teacher and self-proclaimed nerd, challenged the children and adults to...
December 21, 2015
Reading for pleasure during school breaks can maintain a struggling student's academic progress and may stave off regressions.
Is Print A Troublemaker?Titles on the list that follows can turn reading into a happy family affair during the upcoming winter break. These books—chosen by experts—come in accessible book formats that make a difference especially for learners who struggle to...
November 10, 2015
Apps and websites for special needs and other struggling learners are best when sources are trusted, juried, or chosen by people we respect. Here is a round up of chosen apps. Some are targeted to special needs learners, while others are intended to help all students love to learn whether or not they have identified disabilities.
October 30, 2015
National Family Literacy Day® falls on Nov. 1 2015. This national observance often kicks off a month of family literacy activities in libraries, schools, and community settings. It is a time for educators, librarians and others to celebrate learning differences and many ways to read. Put a spotlight on accessible digital text and alternatives to print. Build a nation of readers.
Digital...August 24, 2015
Meet a memorable, comical, and intelligent book character named Hank. He is a second grader whose learning problems in school are not yet diagnosed.
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