Teacher+Librarians+as+Literacy+Leaders

= Teacher Librarians as Literacy Leaders = Members: Amy, Emily, Sue

How are teacher librarians literacy leaders?
Teacher librarians specialize in literacy. Not just reading and writing but the multiple literacies that our students will need as adults. We have the opportunity to not only support but encourage forward movement in the teachers who work in our schools towards the needs of the 21st learner. We are all about literacy, in all forms and for all people.

Catherine Trinkle sums it up nicely: "The same reading strategies taught by classroom teachers...are the strategies used by library media specialists to teach the research process...asking and answering meaningful questions, summarizing and note taking, connecting prior knowledge to new information, visualizing, predicting, rereading, skimming and scanning, using keywords and text features, and determining importance." (21st Century Learning, pg. 107)

What is the role of the school library in the school's reading program?
The school library can provide the tools needed for a successful literacy program. Not only can we and do we provide books at all levels both fiction and nonfiction for our students we can also serve as a reference for classroom teachers and reading specialists to help them do their part of the teaching literacy job. The library is also a place where students can access books for independent reading, an activity that greatly enhances literacy skills. The library can provide books for recreational learning and reading relaxation for all students in our school. The library is also a place where LMSs who are skilled in specific strategies used to teach reading and the research process can teach these skills explicitly so that they become embedded in the student's schema. LMSs can offer partnerships with teachers to help students practice the strategies.

How have concepts about reading changed in light of the multiple literacies necessary for reading success in the 21st century?
Literacy has changed in the form it takes but not in the importance for students. We as a society rely heavily on literacy skills to process the world around us. Those skills have expanded into reading text online, interpreting data more independently, being able to understand and relate to images, and communicating globally. However, the greatest amount of information that needs to be processed today is text. The internet is text heavy and students need the skills to interpret and critique what they are reading so they can synthesize the new information. Being literate is more important than ever. Literacy today involves higher order thinking: thinking about thinking: "metacognition." Teachers are realizing that students need to practice the skills of questioning, summarizing, connecting to prior knowledge, using graphic organizers, and visualizing, to name a few. In the 21st century, a literate person must be able to use technology in an ethical and appropriate way to access information. Students are building their knowledge interactively as they find information using digital resources. The digitally literate students of the 21st century are often reading and writing almost simultaneously and this has changed what it means to be literate in yet another way.

How do we as literacy leaders impact student reading success?
We have the chance to lead by example and to be the promoters of literacy for our students. Classroom teachers have a gazillion things they need to focus on. We can play our part to help students succeed by making literacy our focus. We can provide the resources, knowledge, support and positive attitude needed for students to become successful. We can connect with parents and community organizations, promote social reading, and help students to transfer reading skills into other research and life skills. When we find ways to support literacy instruction with our colleagues - teachers, reading specialists, and others - we can work to promote lifelong learning in our students.

Please look at the following information we used when investigating these questions:

 * ==Class Readings==
 * ==Recommended Additional Readings==
 * ==Recommended Websites==
 * ==Additional Ideas and Resources==

__**School Reform and the LMS**__
Sandra Hughes-Hassell and Violet Harada, Chapters 5 and 6 Chapter 5 focuses on Family Literacy and suggests LMSs could organize such activities as reading nights, computer nights, open houses, family book clubs, family reading bingo, lending libraries, poetry races, storytellers, etc. In addition, the chapter lists several funding sources for family literacy programming. I researched the sources listed and added some foundations that support literacy in Vermont under our websites link.

Chapter 6 focuses on Reading the Web: the merging of literacy and technology. The chapter reminds us that the same foundational skills are applied when reading the web, but that there are also some fundamental differences. Students will use the same reading and thinking skills and will need to be guided through the organizational structure including sidebars, headings, links, etc. The interactive nature of web reading will create a unique text for each reader. LMSs can help students to recognize the choices they make based on prior knowledge by modeling, think-alouds, etc. to create a scaffold for students to master the different skills involved.

Kristin Fontichiaro, Editor, Chapter 5
 * __21st Century Learning in School Libraries__**

A collection of relevant articles from School Library Media Activities Monthly that are introduced with thought-provoking questions that can help the reader look for the core of what it means to be a literacy leader. Beginning with Social Reading: Promoting Reading in the Millennial Learner, by Leslie Preddy, it is emphasized how reading must be actively encouraged and how this can be done with the awareness that it has become a social experience. Hughes-Hassell and Cox present interesting information about what has been successful in urban middle schools and how these findings can apply to all young readers. The focus in Liz Knowles’ article includes how teacher librarians can help all students develop their ability to read to learn and ways to encourage students to be lifelong learners. The two Reading for Meaning articles by Trinkle, Questioning and Synthesizing, gives practical ideas for developing these skills in students. Nancy Zimmerman provides clear evidence that teacher librarians can contribute to building strong reading comprehension skills in the advice we give to students, the environment and resources we provide, and the reading behaviors we show our students. Finally, Small, et al., present research that shows that reading incentive programs do not result in improved literacy skills and how this can be accomplished through other incentive strategies that focus on intrinsic motivation for reading.

//**The Role of a School Library in a School’s Reading Program**// Elizabeth “Betty” Marcoux and David V. Loertscher, Teacher Librarian, October 2009, 8-14. This extremely user friendly article consists mostly of bulleted points to consider about your library program and how it fits into being a reading program. These points are succinct and cover a wide range of things that could be happening in your library. The primary point of the article is to encourage the idea that for literate students to develop into literate adults it takes a community effort. Everyone must be committed. This article gives some ideas of how libraries can be part of that community effort.

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**//Position Statement on The School Librarian's Role in Reading//**
ALA, 2010. [] This position statement clearly points out how librarians can help build students' literacy skills in schools.

**//Dawn of the New Literacies//**
Rick Allen, ASCD Education Update, ASCD SmartBrief, August 2010, Vol. 52. No. 8.[|ASCD SmartBrief: Dawn of the New Literacies] What are researchers defining as the new literacies and how will being able to work with them steer students' minds from a path to shallow thinking? An article in the August Education Update explores education in the age of Internet reading and offers teachers a fresh perspective on how to help students capitalize on the advantages of the Internet while avoiding its pitfalls.

//**The Five Pillars of Reading**//
Cynthia Anderson, Library Media Connection, October 2009 p. 22. This article describes the concerted group effort necessary in a school "to help students become proficient readers and to help them become truly literate." It describes gives some suggestions for how that can happen. It reminds the librarian that "matching kids with appropriate books and promoting the love of reading" is one of the areas we can help contribute to this goal.

**//In Praise of the Internet: Shifting Focus and Engaging Critical Thinking Skills//**
Ellie Collier, January, 2009 [] Posted on the VSLA listserv last spring by Kathy Lawrence. Well worth a read: Ellie Collier argues that we have made too much of the negative possiblities of Internet searching. She says, “Condemning the Internet as a wasteland or a dangerous minefield when this is not the students’ personal experience only hurts our credibility.”

And further, “When deciding how to split your time, give precedence to critical thinking skills. Rather than extol the evils and dangers of the Internet, focus on the gems. In teaching how to find the gems we teach how to sift out the soil, sand and fool’s gold, but the emphasis should remain on the gems. Personal experience shows us that we can typically easily find anything we want online. Emphasizing the chaff discredits us. So as you go into your instruction sessions this next semester I encourage you to spend less time on Boolean and more time using realistic examples to help engage students in a critical discussion about how to best use the Internet for research.”

**//Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do//**
AFT, June 1999. [|www.aft.org/pdfs/teachers/rocketscience0304.pdf] If you are wondering what teaching reading really involves, this argument for better teacher preparation by the American Federation of Teachers is just the ticket. I learned a lot!

**__Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing about Reading__**
Fountas and Pinnell, 2006. Book & DVD. This book details the process of Guided Reading, which is used in my elementary school. It has been helpful for me to read and observe the process to understand better what reading instruction looks like in the classroom. It gives me insights I need if I am to take a literacy leadership role.

__**Tales Out of the School Library: Developing Professional Dispositions**__
Gail Bush and Jami Biles Jones, Chapter 5: Literacy and Reading Focuses on specific ways that teacher librarians can impact student literacy using the strategies of reading instruction developed by the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). This chapter offers research-based suggestions for reading instruction support and connections to the AASL Dispositions in Action for 21st century learning.

**//Aren’t We All Teachers of Literacy?//**
Carianne Bernadowski, PhD, Library Media Connection, October 2008, 28-29. This quick article reminds us that teaching literacy is everyone’s job in a school. It provides information on how the LMS can specifically target literacy development in the library. It reminded me of the value of some of the things I do and gave me some ideas for some new areas to explore.

//**Are Librarians Reading Teachers, Too?**//
Tina Hudak, Library Media Connection, February 2008, 10-14. This article describes how teacher librarians are and are not reading teachers and, more specifically, how we can be reading advocates. It provides information on the contributions we can make in the library and through our programs to the literacy development of our students.

//**Love Reading with Libraries: Reading for Pleasure in Schools is Suffering as Curriculum and Assessment Demands Increase**//
Felicity Wood, The Bookseller, June 2009, accessed through Vermont Online Library. The title of this 2-page article covers the main idea. The article is aimed at things public libraries can do to increase students’ reading for pleasure opportunities but it certainly applies to school libraries as well.

//**We Can Open the Window to the World**//
Carl A. Harvey, Knowledge Quest, May/June 2009, 27-29. This article reminds school librarians of the importance of continually revamping our ideas on how to promote reading to keep with the changing times. The author describes things he has done in his school and what the impact was. The article gave me a lot to think about.

//**Anything but Reading**//
Stephen Krashen, Knowledge Quest, May/June 2009, 18-25. Many ideas for how schools can improve the reading levels of their students (including roller skating) are discussed in this article. It supports that the best way to improve reading is to let students read. “

//**Teacher-Librarians as Reading Guides**//
Keith McPherson, Teacher Librarian, December 2007, 70-73. While a large part of this article focuses on how teacher librarians can teach basic reading skills in the library setting, it also provides a brief but nice overview of guided reading which is an approach used in many classrooms. It also gives ideas how you can incorporate some of the elements of guided reading into read alouds and online activities.

//**Reading for Learning: Literacy Supports for 21st-Century Work**//
Louis M. Gomez and Kimberley Gomez, Phi Delta Kappan, November 2001, 224-228. The authors of this article share some ideas for how teachers can help their students develop their ability to read to learn. While it is aimed more at classroom teachers the information can be used by teacher librarians both to support students in the library as well as teachers in their work.

//**Reading Lifelong Literacy Linked into the School Library**//
Keith McPherson, Teacher Librarian, December 2005. The value of reading aloud (or being read to) is discussed in this article. The author’s point is that being read to increases literacy. He describes how this happens and supports his points with research studies.

//**Reading4Life @ your library®**//
Judi Moreillon, School Library Monthly, October 2009, 17-20. This article discusses how the role of the school librarian has extended in recent years. It gives an overview of effective ways to work with teachers in school. It also provides an excellent explanation of multiple literacies.

//**Reading for Pleasure: A Research Overview**//
[] Christina Clark and Kate Rumbold, National Literacy Trust, November 2006. The National Literacy Trust is an organization based in the UK whose goal is to improve the standard of literacy. This 35 page research overview contains lots of data backed pieces of information about the value of reading for pleasure and how it can help increase the literacy of individuals. There are many literacy studies reported through this website.

__**The Fontas and Pinnell Leveled Book List K-8**__
Irene C. Fontas and Gay Su Pinnell, Heinemann, 2009. This book provides an alphabetical of thousands of recommended books for children. The list gives information about the word count and level of each book making it an excellent resource to help teachers find books for their reading programs. Note: every program and every publisher seems to have their own leveling system for books. Be aware that a "level 1" from on source may not be the same level as a "level 1" from another source.

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Websites
In this section we have checked and annotated websites listed in the readings and added a few of our own.

This link will take you to the AASL's School Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit. The site is full of information that can help you in your role as a literacy leader. It includes PowerPoints reading research, handouts and "elevator speeches" which you can use to support your literacy programs in the time it takes to ride an elevator.
 * American Association of School Librarians.**
 * []**


 * Understanding How Literacy is Changing : from The Many Faces of School Library Leadership, ch. 6.**

[|http://www.newliteracies.uconn.edu] “The New Literacies Research Lab at the University of Connecticut is the most widely recognized center in the world for conducting research on the new reading comprehension and learning skills required by the Internet and other emerging information and communication technologies. Our work develops research-based evidence to prepare students for their literacy and learning future. ” A rich resource site for librarians, includes information on research based teaching strategies for the new skills a rubric for assessment at [].
 * New Literacies Research Team, University of Conn.**

[|http://www.21stcenturyskills.org] The partnership, formed in 2002, “serve[s] as a catalyst to position 21st century readiness at the center of US K12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community and government leaders.” The AASL is a founding member of the Partnership. The website explains the mission and initiatives and includes free downloads of curriculum documents and much more. Get an overview at the website and download a pdf: [].
 * Partnership for 21st Century Skills**


 * Book Talk Websites : from __The Many Faces of School Library Leadership__, ch. 5, checked and annotated**.

[] Includes student and teacher booktalks, tips, a blog, and awesome podcasts too!
 * Nancy Keane's Booktalks-Quick and Simple**

[] Check this out! Fantastic YA multimedia book trailers, text reviews, and even a how-to for us at [].
 * Naomi Bates' YA Books and More**

[|http://www.bookwink.com] If you have not yet seen Sonja Cole's video booktalks, you are in for a treat! Professionally produced by Paul Kim, they are models that kids might want to duplicate, and they will inspire young readers. Other reviews organized by subject, author, title, or grade level, with a word about grade level choices.
 * Sonja Cole and Paul Kim's Book Wink**

[] Geared toward high school and a bit harder to navigate, but with some booktalks produced by h.s. students. Also check out the photostory about how to use the library!
 * Joyce Valenza's School Website**

[] Includes lesson plans, podcasts, chats with readers and authors, and resources for teachers, parents, and kids. Includes “Chatting About Books,” an audio podcast for elementary kids, supported by Verizon Thinkfinity. The interactive graphic tools for kids did not work well.
 * ReadWriteThink**

[|http://goodreads.com] A site for keeping track of your book reviews, much like Amazon ratings.
 * GoodReads**

[] LibraryThing is a cataloging and social networking site for book lovers. It helps you create a library-quality catalog of books: books you own, books you've read, books you'd like to read, books you've lent out ... whatever grouping you'd like.” Stores visual catalogs of your books and wishlists. Also lists statistics about most reviewed books, local events, and more.
 * LibraryThing**

[|http://www.shelfari.com] Similar to LibraryThing, but more attractive visually. Some teachers use this site for classroom book reviews. A note of caution: I joined it, and the program sent emails- from me!- to anyone in my email and friends' email groups, inviting them to join and then a second "friendly reminder" as well. I got email replies from people whose names I did not recognize! An attractive site with a very nasty trick embedded. I'm looking to find out if there is a way to avoid this nasty bit when signing up.
 * Shelfari**

[|http://www.delicious-monster.com] Another social networking site that can also be used to rate music, games, movies, and more. A bit overwhelming visually, better for older students.
 * Delicious Monster**


 * National Funding Sources for Family Literacy Programs: from page 87 of __School Reform and the School Library Media Specialist__, checked and annotated.**

[|www.barbarabushfoundation.com] Promotes and supports the development of family literacy programs throughout the nation. Founded in 1989, includes “Celebrations in Reading” and a national grant award program. Believes that the home is the first school, parent is the first teacher, reading is the first subject.
 * Barbara Bush Foundation**

[] This program offers grants to support local family literacy projects that integrate early childhood education, adult literacy, parenting education, and interactive parent and child literacy activities for low-income families with parents, including teen parents, who are eligible for services under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and their children from birth through age 7. Teen parents and their children from birth through age 7 also are eligible.
 * Even Start**

[|www.firstbook.org] First Book provides books for low-income children, and works through existing community programs and literacy efforts to improve access to books.
 * First Book**

[|www.booksforkidsfoundation.org] The mission of the Books for Kids Foundation is to promote literacy among all children with a special emphasis on low-income and at-risk preschool-aged children. Books for Kids creates libraries, donates books, and partners with literacy programs to develop the critical early foundation and skills which young children need to be successful in life.
 * Books for Kids**

[] This program helps local education agencies improve reading achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and professionally certified school library media specialists.
 * Improving Literacy through School Libraries**

[|www.verizonreads.com/core/education.shtml] The Verizon Foundation has a long history of supporting quality educational resources and literacy programs. We focus on preparing children to be successful; enabling teachers, parents and caregivers to help children learn; and educating adults so they are prepared to achieve their goals and contribute to their communities. Today, Verizon is promoting technology-based approaches to literacy and education.
 * Verizon Reads**

[|http://clifonline.org] The Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing a love of reading and writing among children throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. In particular, CLiF targets children in rural communities and children who are at high risk of growing up with low literacy skills. CLiF's 12 programs have served tens of thousands of children in more than 260 communities across the two states. CLiF provides new books, writing workshops, author visits, storytelling and other forms of support to many groups including children in rural towns, migrant children, refugee children, children in shelters and low-income housing, and children of prison inmates.
 * Vermont Literacy Programs Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF)**

[|http://everybodywinsvermont.org] Everybody Wins! Vermont (EW!) is a children’s literacy and mentoring organization dedicated to encouraging positive attitudes about reading in elementary school children. Reading Mentor volunteers are paired with students at local elementary schools to promote reading for pleasure, build self-confidence and enhance self-esteem in the children, and to serve as caring adult role models. EW! VT provides books, training materials, orientations, parent workshops and student activities. EW! VT also organizes periodic continuing education workshops for parents/guardians and mentors in order to support their efforts helping children learn to love to read.
 * Everybody Wins! Vermont (EW!)**

[|http://mothergooseprograms.org] Mother Goose Programs are learning opportunities from the Vermont Center for the Book. Mother Goose Programs enhance the development, self-esteem, school readiness and success of young children by building the skills and confidence of parents, librarians, and early childhood educators. Mother Goose Programs provide adults with picture books, activity guides, materials, training, and online resources to transform reading with preschool children into multi-dimensional and powerful learning experiences.
 * Mother Goose Programs**

[|http://vermonthumanities.org] The Vermont Humanities Council offers free, lively, interactve workshops that promote a lifelong love of reading, Never Too Early professional development for early care and educations providers, and Read With Me programs for parents of young children. Other humanities-based literacy programs reach middle school students, incarcerated adults and adult literacy students. An annual statewide one-book community reading program (Vermont Reads) involves readers of many ages and backgrounds. VHC programs also include book discussions, speaker events, conferences and a grants program that supports humanities projects of other nonprofit organizations.
 * Vermont Humanities Council**

[|http://vpt.org] In order to enhance the learning readiness of preschool and early elementary school children, Vermont Public Television (VPT) provides non-violent, commercial-free, educational children's programming to Vermont households. In conjunction with this programming, VPT's Ready to Learn program offers workshops for parents and early educators to help prepare children for school. Their goal is to support literacy development and children's readiness to learn.
 * Vermont Public Television**

[|http://vsavt.org] VSA Arts of Vermont presents a statewide preschool artist residency program, Start With The Arts, promoting literacy and artistic expression for preschool children as well as training for child care providers. SWTA is unique among literacy programs in combining 12 weeks of activities for children emphasizing inclusion of students with disabilities, with experimental on-site training for home child care providers. Start With The Arts instructors also offer 6 hours of training outside child care hours for providers with skill building for Vermont Core Competencies.
 * VSA Arts of Vermont**

[] The Vermont Humanities Council is excited to present Reading Vermont, a statewide reading and literacy initiative. Verizon Reads has chosen the Vermont Humanities Council (VHC) as its Vermont partner for this national program. Reading Vermont is a partner program of Verizon Reads. Reading Vermont supports literacy programs and collaborates with Vermont’s literacy program providers and resources. The program brings the power of books to Vermonters.
 * Reading Vermont**

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Ideas
Some ideas you might want to try


 * Sustained Silent Reading** – SSR is one tool that has been shown to improve students literacy skills at all levels. Preddy says “Establishing time to read for pleasure during the school day ensures students get to practice and develop the reading habit." Small, et.al., give the example of one middle school library using every other library class time for a “mini-DEAR” (Drop Everything And Read). Teacher librarians can use this idea to have students choose a book, magazine, etc., to read at an appointed time, and then read with the students for 20 minutes.


 * Reading Comprehension Instruction** - Students will be better readers as they build their background knowledge. Teacher librarians provide a wide variety of genres and formats for students to choose from, increasing their chances to make connections with other texts. Zimmerman discusses the making connections with students and asking them to make their own connections is an important comprehension strategy that can be explicitly taught. This model was also promoted in the Reading to Learn initiative from The Vermont Strategic Reading Initiative (2004). This “classroom guide to reading strategy Instruction” has been used throughout the state. The Text Connections that are presented, text-to-text, text-to-self and text-to-world, give students the vocabulary to attach to connections they make when they read. Trinkle brings in the strategy as it is listed in the AASL 21st Century Standards, stating “Good readers connect what they are learning to what they already know and to their prior experiences”. (AASL Learning Standard 4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.) During a library read aloud, the Teacher Librarian lead a discussion about Text connections with students before and after reading aloud.


 * Professional Development in Reading Instruction -** Professional development in the area of how to teach reading can help you understand more about the current methods students are using to learn to read. This professional development can take the form of a college course or a workshop. Frequently one day workshops are available that focus on reading programs that are used in schools or on general teaching practices relating to teaching reading. Whatever the format for teaching reading is in your school it is very helpful for the librarian to understand the language that is being used in the classroom so it can be mirrored in the library.

**PowerPoint Presentation Starter**
Here is a bare bones PowerPoint that you might like to use as a base for a presentation. It is made up of quotes we gleaned from our readings that would help support your role as a Literacy Leader.

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