No Library Trip = You Are A Terrible Person, and You Are Killing Your Kids

Chapter Fourteen Kylene Beers' book, When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do is entitled "Finding the Right Book."  The chapter focuses primarily on knowledge and tips to help teachers find book for their students.  However, the more important information in the chapter may be the bits that have application on how students can learn to find book for themselves.

Beginning on page 290, Beers outlines seven strategies for "Selling the Book to Students."  They are all helpful and effective strategies, some of which I have already attempted in my classrooms, but I think one of the most powerful long-term is covered on page 292: "Suggestion #4: Take Students to Your School Library."

Beers references a survey she had conducted of english teachers to determine how frequently they were taking students to school libraries.  As might be expected, she was dismayed to learn that none of the sixty-four had.  The common excuse, with which I'm sure any teacher can sympathize, was, "I'm too busy teaching students how to read to waste precious time watching them wander aimlessly in a library."  This is an understandable dilemma; class-time is such a valuable resource to most teachers, that an activity such as a library visit that may not have immediately observable benefits would seem to be time ill-spent.

Beers counters this line of thought with a few choice lines that have implications beyond the classroom.  She writes,"If we don't take all students, but particularly reluctant and struggling readers, to the library on a regular basis, then chances are that when they leave school, being a regular library patron will not be part of their routine.  Public libraries are a major equalizing factor in this nation, so how can we afford not to take students to the library?"

This is a statement that has huge implications for the power of a visit to a school library.  However, by that same line of thinking, a visit to the public library outside of school can have even greater impact, particularly for teachers working in urban environments.  The New York City Public Library system is an absolutely tremendous resource with which every NYCDOE employee should become acquanited.  The range of services and programs designed to cater to adolescents are enough that a well-organized and well-orquestrte class visit to a library close to a student's neighborhood can make a student much more likely to return to that library.

Urban adolescents are tremendously complex people, with tremendously complex needs.  However, sometimes the things that they need to be happy and healthy are actually relatively simple.  For certain students, the realization that there exists a place in their neighborhood where they go at most hours of the day, that is quiet with comfortable chairs, provides access to the internet, and will even provide them with entertainment that they can even take home for free in the form of books, dvd's and music is a realization that could serve as a game-changer in terms of the range of healthy and safe options for them outside of school hours.

I conducted a public library trip this past year with my eight grade ELA class and couldn't have been happier with the results.  It was a week or so into a research project in order to complete a culminating project on a self-selected historical topic.  Students had been searching through books I had provided through our school library to create an outline of the research paper they would eventually have to write.  I had held off on providing internet access, knowing that when given the opportunity to Google, many students would disdain the laborious process of searching for and selecting an appropriate book, using the index to determine to appropriate page to begin their reading and then searching through several pages of text for helpful information.  However, after a week of working with the provided texts, many students were finding that they were generating more questions than answers.  They needed more information and more resources.  It was time to provide them with exactly what they needed courtesy of the New York City Public Library.

The library trip began with a short explanation of the Dewey Decimal system, a system with most students had no familiarity with, and which continued to prove mysterious for most without a bit of adult assistance.  However, in order to get credit for the trip, students were required to independantly use the decimal system to locate at least one book on their topic.  Whether or not they chose to check that book out was their choice, but I wanted my student to have experience with the process of using a public library to get more information about a topic of interest.

Some students were indeed wandering aimlessly.  Some quickly took to goofing off on the Internet.  Some simply collapsed onto a couch.  But everyone found at least one book on their topic, and the fact that they now knew there was a safe place in their neighborhood where they could find books, wander aimlessly, goof off on the Internet and collapse on couches made the trip, in my opinion, hugely worthwhile.

Every teacher is charged with the task of providing students with resources to improve their thinking.  For many teachers in urban environments, the charge extends into providing students with resources to improve their lives.  A class trip to the public library may provide either of those things to every student, but if it results in even one student returning to that library in the future, for whatever reason, it is time well-spent.

Literary 'Levels': Legit as Lexiles (Laughable or Laudable?)

The thirteenth chapter of Kylene Beers' book, When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do, is entitled "Creating the Confidence to Respond." In truth, though, that title does not do justice to a chapter that covers a vast expanse of knowledge and tools to help build students' confidence to not only respond, but also to read successfully and develop a lifelong relationship with reading.

One section that I believe was invaluable for educators trying to make decision about appropriate texts, for both whole-class study as well as independent reading.  Beers explains the stages of literary development as outlined by Margaret Early and Robert Carlsen, who came to the conclusion that each reader must pass through five distinct phases before reaching the higher levels of literary understanding and appreciation.  Understanding the focus of readers at each stage, as well as what is important to them, can be a huge step toward helping struggling and reluctant readers.  The stages and implications are outlined on pages 274 and 275 of Beers' book.

The first stage is what is referred to as the "subconscious stage."  This stage is typically of students from grades three through seven, and during this stage, children are "absorbed in the plot."  However, students cannot often articulate why they did or did not enjoy a text, as "their attachment to the text and to the enjoyment of reading is at the subconscious level."  During this stage, students most value engaging plots.

During the second stage, which typically takes place from grades seven through nine, children read in order to "experience the plot or conflict or setting vicariously."  Because students are attempting to experience second-hand the events of the book, relatable and likable characters are of value to students during this phase.

The third stage typically takes place early in the high school years.  Readers in this stage seek out "books with characters that mirror or reflect their own concerns," due in part to the adolescent tendency towards an "intense preoccupation with themselves."  Character continues to be of value to these readers, but there is now a renewed emphasis on conflict.

The fourth stage is typical for later him school students, and is marked by an interest in books that address "life's bigger issues," such as "right and wrong, retribution, forgiveness, love, hate, envy [and] selfishness."  It would therefore follow that discussions of theme in literature plays a bigger role in during this stage.

The final stage is one that is typically only attained at the college level, and often is never reached.  This is the level in which "the focus is not on the character or plot or even theme but on the author's choice and arrangement of words."  The examination of literary devices becomes important to readers who have reached this stage.

I believe that an analysis of the literary 'stages' at which students are relating to literature is a tool just as valuable as a lexile score or interest survey.  It is just one more facet of the complex task of finding literature that is appropriate for students at multiple developmental levels.

Journals of the Double-Entry Variety

Beers discusses the value of using double-entry journal as a way of constructing meaning for struggling readers. She states that they are a "powerful way to take notes and respond at the same time" (p. 127).  She doesn't discuss them in much detail but describes it as a strategy "in helping dependent readers understand how to construct meaning during reading" (p. 127). Having used this strategy as a student, I agree with Beer's inclusion of this strategy in her chapter on constructing meaning. In my experience, double-entry journals have functioned as a non-threatening way to respond to the text, functioning similarly to a directed free-write, but less daunting, in that the length is still somewhat short.

This strategy can manifest itself in different forms, particularly lending itself to a very student-centered way of response. To begin with, this strategy could be used in the English classroom through scaffolding throughout the year. It could begin with students selecting quotes from the text that they found confusing, and explaining what they may not have understood about the text. This would allow the teacher to see what sort of struggles the students are facing with their reading. The teacher could then build upon this skill and ask students to focus on specific areas of the text, whether it be areas of description, dialogue, symbolism, etc. and build upon the students understanding of these aspects of the text.

Another variation that could be used once students are familiar with the structure could be incorporating double-entry journals into read-alouds. The teacher could read aloud and have pre-selected passages that she wants the students to respond to. While reading aloud, the teacher could stop after reading the passage and ask students to respond. This could be done on a worksheet prepared by the teacher containing the quotes on one side of the page.

Students could also be challenged to respond to quotes in only one word. Once the word was selected students could share their words and see if any words were common among the group. This could provide an opportunity to group students based on the words chosen and have them work together in a group to further explain their responses and hear other students' perspectives.

The Many Types of Bookmarks

I had never thought of using a bookmark as a learning tool, until I read chapter 7 in Kylene Beers’ book “When Kids Can’t Read.” In this chapter Beers explains how she and a few middle school teachers turned the everyday bookmark into a learning tool for struggling readers. As Beers points out “everyone knows what a bookmark is—even dependent readers.” (130). So why not use something so familiar as a reading comprehension tool?

Beers created quite a few different types of bookmarks. The first is called a “Mark My Words” bookmark, and it focuses on building vocabulary (131).  This bookmark offers a place for students to write unfamiliar words, directly on the bookmark as they read (131). I think this is a great way to make a note of unfamiliar words because it doesn’t require the student to exert a lot of effort or break from reading the text. You don’t have to go and turn to a dictionary, or ask for help; just jot down the word. A lot of times, even proficient readers will skip over an unfamiliar word without looking it up or even making a note of it because that takes too much effort. But, if a student has a bookmark right there in their hand, it doesn’t take much effort to quickly make note of the unfamiliar word.

The second bookmark Beers created is the “Marking Time” bookmark (132). Students “use these bookmarks to mark how the setting changes as the book or short story progresses.” The template she has designed for this bookmark asks for a page number and gives a small box for students to write a short sentence (311). I think that having just a small space to write how the setting changes would be great for struggling readers. It’s not a daunting task, the teacher is just asking them to jot down a sentence when they notice something. 

Similar skills are reinforced through Beers’ “Question Mark” bookmark, in which students write down any questions that come up as they read, and the “Mark who?” bookmark, in which students make quick notes about characters (132). 

Using these bookmarks seems like an excellent way to begin to teach students how to annotate and notice their thinking, without overwhelming or boring them. Writing on a bookmark is a little more fun and creative than writing in a notebook. And because students have such a small space to write notes, they are less likely to be overwhelmed, and can practice making quick comments.

Ding-a-Lings and Vigilance to Reduce Put Downs

In chapter 13 of Kylene Beers’ book “When Kids Can’t Read,” Beers discuses the problem of unconfident students avoiding participation in class discussions. This can be a particular problem for struggling readers, whose inability has most likely created a lack of confidence. Beers explains, “If reading problems continue to grow throughout the elementary school years, students reach a point where the effort they must exert to find even minimal success with reading is not worth the embarrassment they face in process.” (259-260). In short, for struggling readers participating in class discussion is a lot of risk for little gain. It is the teacher’s job to create an environment that lowers that risk.

Beers believes that one way to lower that risk is to ban negative or judgmental comments between peers. And while that seems like an ideal solution, how are teachers supposed to actually accomplish that?

Beers offers one strategy to minimize peer to peer put downs that I found particularly interesting. She tells an anecdote of a teacher who rang a bell every time someone acted like a “ding-a-ling” by insulting another student’s work (266-267). Students earned rewards if the could go a full class period, week, or month without hearing that bell ring (267). I was skeptical when I first read this strategy. It seems a bit gimmicky, and perhaps more appropriate for an elementary school classroom.

However, in Beers’ example, the ding-a-ling strategy worked (277). It didn’t work because students wanted the prizes or gave into to the gimmick, but rather, it worked because “the bell was … annoying.” (277). The teacher was vigilant and never missed an opportunity to ring that bell. “Every time, every single time, there was a hint of ding-a-ling behavior, she rang the bell.” (277). So it wasn’t the gimmick that got kids to stop being negative, it was the fact that the gimmick was unwavering. The students learned they were not going to get away with put downs of any sort because the teacher was always watching and always reacting.

Beers explains that whatever strategy you take to avoid put downs, “the most important thing you can do is be vigilant.” So, I would conclude that the ding-a-ling strategy alone does not reduce put downs. There must also be determination on the part of the teacher. The ding-a-ling strategy combined with vigilance will reduce put downs.

The Many Uses of Read Alouds

        One of the constant modelling strategies that shows up throughout When Kids Can't Read by Kylene Beers is the teacher read aloud.  The wide possibilities that exist when a teacher reads aloud to his or her students makes it an easy and fun way to model almost any new strategy.
        In the realm of comprehension, it can be valuable for a teacher to model their thinking as they read aloud.  What questions pop up as you read?  What connections are you making, to either yourself, the outside world, or to something else you've read or seen?  How are you making inferences based on the text. These are all things than many students need to see modeled.  Engaging read alouds are also great ways for students to gain background knowledge, which helps in their overall comprehension and knowledge about the world.  At the elementary level, we have started prompting students to take notes during read alouds, and this ensures that students engage in what they are learning about.
       In fluency instruction, it is valuable for students to see models of fluent reading.  The beauty of a read aloud with fluency as a goal is that you can work in echo reading or choral reading.  You can focus on things like intonation, or the way one reads dialogue, or uses punctuation.  One key instructional strategy which I saw regarding fluency instruction is to remind your students to "transfer what they've been doing with oral reading to their silent reading" (219).
        I like to use echo reading when I teach vocabulary in a read aloud.  Often, the most interesting words are also the most fun or the most difficult to pronounce for students.  If you ask them to say a new word, they'll almost always comply.  You can also work on vocabulary instruction during read alouds by simply talking about new words that come up, or by defining them before doing the read aloud.
        Because there are so many great things you can do with a read aloud, it can become a bit tempting to do too much at once.  When Beers says that reading teachers must have a good read aloud program, she's simply stating the importance of pre-reading your read alouds, and pick them for specific purposes.  Just focus on one strategy at a time, and let kids practice the things you've modeled soon after seeing you model it.

Selling Books

I jumped ahead a bit looking for a good topic but the notion of “selling books to students” struck me as something I wish I had known more about during my recent student-teaching placement.  Kylene Beers discusses methods of selling books to reluctant readers on page 290 and, while it may seem almost crass, like we’re fooling our students into reading, I experienced similar situations with students who either had 1. just finished a book, loved it and didn’t want to read another, 2. were constantly disappointed by the “lack of action” in books, 3. claimed there was nothing good around to read.  And on and on and on; there were many excuses and many times when I found myself thrusting The Giver into a students mistrusting hands, insisting “you’ll really like it.”

Beers writes about seven “book-selling” strategies.  Some are rather obvious, like read-alouds for students who won’t read on their own, the “read and tease” mentioned before by Tovani and creating class field trips to the school’s presumably seldom-used library.  I really liked Beers’ suggestions regarding the “Good Books Box” and her reading conferences.  The Good Books Box serves to limit the choices that sometimes overwhelm students; it is a box filled with “just-right” books that work for students who actually prefer to be pointed in a direction.  “Until you are comfortable with authors, genres and interests, it’s hard to find a good book.  We need to narrow that choice for students,” writes Beers on page 295.

Another useful strategy and one that I always thought about during my placement was “Suggestion #7: Talk About the Authors.”  I love to hear the background stories behind pieces of art, from The Beatles’ tumultuous White Album sessions to Sylvia Plath’s struggles with depression to the Francis Ford Coppola’s problematic Apocalypse Now shoot.  Hooking students in with similar stories is, for some reason, often an ignored strategy but, if reading is a conversation with an author, wouldn’t our students like to know who’s on the other end of the phone and what kind of person he or she might be?  Authors are often nameless, faceless entities to students and that’s a shame.  Beers’ reading conferences about which authors are students’ favorites might help those of them who need the inside story to be excited by literature.

Works Cited
Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can't Read, What Teachers Can Do:  A Guide for Teachers, 6-12. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2003. Print.