http://www.readingrockets.org/ Launching Young Readers en-us Reading Rockets hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34225 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:23:45 GMT Three school districts and one charter school consortium will receive millions of dollars from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to implement plans to reshape key aspects of the teaching profession, including evaluation, compensation, and professional development, the Seattle-based nonprofit organization announced yesterday. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34225 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34224 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:23:16 GMT Children's books translated or imported from other parts of the globe can be, well, a bit odd. Even the beloved Roald Dahl, a widely recognized classic in the world of children's literature, can be, for many American readers, an acquired taste. Books from other places do stretch the sensibilities; if you find it important to expose your children to a wider world, consider also looking up some children's books in translation. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34224 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34223 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:22:48 GMT Author Sara Pennypacker, a New York Times best-selling author of 11 books for children, speaks with Sarah Troetschel, 17, about her career as a writer. Pennypacker's works include the popular series "Clementine" and her continuation of the timeless "Flat Stanley" series, originally by Jeff Brown. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34223 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34222 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:22:06 GMT A dyslexic youngster has won first prize in a national poetry competition. Brigid Davidson, from Chipping Norton, won first place in the Charley Boorman Poetry Competition, organized by Dyslexia Action as part of Dyslexia Awareness Week. Children aged four to 14 were asked to write about what reading meant to them. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34222 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34221 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:21:38 GMT Fort Bend Independent School District's Reading Recovery Program is celebrating 15 years — and Descubriendo la Lectura is celebrating 10 years — of enhancing literary skills among young people. Since its existence in FBISD, the Reading Recovery / Descubriendo la Lectura program has served more than 8,612 first-grade students who have had difficulty in learning to read and write. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34221 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34206 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:47:57 GMT A literacy advocacy project wants to share that love of reading through a new nonprofit bookstore in River North that is stocked with donated books that can be bought for as little as $1. The Open Books bookstore will look and operate like any other except that proceeds will fund literacy programs for children and adults in the same building. Their model is already bringing queries from literacy advocates in other cities who hope to raise awareness — and funds — in their communities. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34206 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34205 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:47:20 GMT The Storywalk event gets preschoolers involved in reading and excited about school before they walk through the doors on the first day of kindergarten. In each kindergarten classroom and outside, high school students read the preschoolers a story about an everyday hero, and an adult who holds that job was there to answer the children's questions. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34205 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34204 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:46:38 GMT Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief's odyssey to become a Hollywood venture, Rachel Abramowitz has a report on the similarities between two magical youngsters, one named Percy and the other named Harry. ]]> As part of coverage of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief's odyssey to become a Hollywood venture, Rachel Abramowitz has a report on the similarities between two magical youngsters, one named Percy and the other named Harry. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34204 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34203 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:46:05 GMT Educators say the "portfolio" tests are valuable teaching tools and fairer and more meaningful than multiple-choice tests. With more time and flexibility, students have seen their passing rates soar. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34203 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34202 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:45:09 GMT Ever wondered how you could help your child become a better reader? Here are few simple strategies from a local pre-service teacher that parents can use to build children's literacy skills. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34202 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34201 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:44:26 GMT I support the good work of Reading is Fundamental, the oldest and largest children's literacy organization in the U.S., combining reading motivation and family and community involvement with the excitement of reading. RIF volunteer readers are far from celebrities, but part of our shared success was learning to love to read. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34201 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34189 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:46:29 GMT Reading in the Brain, French neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene describes his quest to understand an astounding feat that most of us take for granted: translating marks on a page into language. Here he answers questions such as, "What does this research tell us about how reading should be taught?" and, "What is happening in the brain of a dyslexic?" ]]> In his new book, Reading in the Brain, French neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene describes his quest to understand an astounding feat that most of us take for granted: translating marks on a page into language. Here he answers questions such as, "What does this research tell us about how reading should be taught?" and, "What is happening in the brain of a dyslexic?" http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34189 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34188 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:45:11 GMT The phrase "the check is in the mail" took on a whole new meaning for Phoenix high school librarian Georgette Bordine, who recently received a surprise package in the mail containing two books belonging to the Camelback High School library — which were 51 years overdue. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34188 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34187 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:44:18 GMT A special group of teachers have stepped into a new role. One of their main jobs — sifting through data from assessments and pinpointing areas of deficiencies by class and individual student — helps teachers focus their instruction to reach students using proven methods. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34187 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34185 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:42:43 GMT Anthony Horowitz was miserable as a child. But he always knew he wanted to write. Now he's the best-selling author of the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency MI6. "I don't like it; I love it," he says of writing the series. "I love thinking of ideas, jokes, and action sequences." http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34185 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34184 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:40:53 GMT The fourth- and fifth-graders of the Sabater Elementary School book club enjoy sharing their love of reading. But younger students don't always pay attention so well. So they invited residents of a local nursing home to a book reading. So many seniors wanted to visit the nearby elementary school, staffers said they had to limit the number of participants to the bus capacity. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34184 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34175 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:24:36 GMT Goodnight Moon, The Magic School Bus, and the currently popular, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. ]]> A two-acre site on the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan campus mixes paths, shrubs, trees, and environmentally friendly structures with a series of about 10 reading-themed areas based on 74 different children's books. Included are titles such as Goodnight Moon, The Magic School Bus, and the currently popular, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34175 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34174 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:23:57 GMT Governor General's Literary Award in Children's Literature, Illustration introduce young readers to an eclectic cast of characters, including a hungry frog and a big fat momma. ]]> The nominees for the Governor General's Literary Award in Children's Literature, Illustration introduce young readers to an eclectic cast of characters, including a hungry frog and a big fat momma. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34174 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34173 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:23:26 GMT A labor-intensive and high-accountability program, the Montana Reading First grant ended this year but has left behind infrastructure for students to continue benefiting. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34173 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34172 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:22:48 GMT The Fairfax County Schools adopted an ambitious goal in 2006 that language instruction should start early and graduates should be able to speak two languages. Lean budget years have tested that resolve. In tough times, parents and board members are debating whether foreign language instruction, particularly in early years, is fundamental or a frill. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34172 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34171 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:22:10 GMT They know the alphabet, can read and write a bit and fit right in with a challenging first year in school — they are the students in the pilot advanced academics kindergarten program. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34171 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34170 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:21:42 GMT There's a fear that too many T-shirts and bobblehead dolls could foul with the educational purpose of children's programming. That's a noble idea, backed by well-meaning advocacy groups that rail against the avalanche of products aimed at kids. But many parents understand that merchandising is an inexorable part of our culture, far easier to harness than to avoid. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34170 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34164 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:46:39 GMT Thousands of teachers are cashing in on a commodity they used to give away, selling lesson plans online. While some of this extra money is going to buy books and classroom supplies, the new teacher-entrepreneurs are also spending it on personal expenses, leading some school officials to raise questions over who owns material developed for public school classrooms. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34164 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34163 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:46:05 GMT "The 23 Things Project" teaches teachers to use social media in their classrooms, helping students blog, Skype, Flickr and Twitter. "We are using technology to teach reading and math and writing," says Principal Rick Pekar. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34163 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34162 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:45:33 GMT Twilight. By the time the heroine Bella discovers the boy she loves is a vampire, Sarah had discovered something too. She was reading. And enjoying it. ]]> It wasn't simply that twelve-year-old Sarah Shipley-Powell disliked reading. She wasn't very good at it. Then last year she picked up the paperback book Twilight. By the time the heroine Bella discovers the boy she loves is a vampire, Sarah had discovered something too. She was reading. And enjoying it. http://www.readingrockets.org/news/34162