Books About Books... For Teachers and Parents!

I love a good book about books... or about reading! I love gleaning new insights and wisdom, and discovering new picture books that I have yet to read (there are many of them believe or not)!

Anita Silvey, that authored this book, worked for years as a reviewer and editor for The Horn Book Magazine. She also worked as a children's book publisher. So this is a fantastic list, very thorough in the information it provides. Contains both picture book recommendations, as well as chapter book recommendations. I love reading people's lists like this, and comparing my own list with it! You can bank on this author's expertise and the recommendations she provides in this book!

I love this book! It's one of my go-to's. It's full of inspiration, information, tips, reviews, recommendations, lists, ideas. It's awesome. I love to read through it from time to time and then also keep it handy for referencing! In fact, that's why it's not in the photo at the top of this post; I didn't have it on my shelf, I had it handy for referencing!

This is THE book for teachers and parents that care about helping kids become lovers of books and readings. The research and data in it is extensive and sobering, and put out there in a way that is easy to understand and apply in meaningful ways. It also has ideas, suggestions, tips, inspiration. My copy is full of notes and highlights. It also has a treasury at the back of read-aloud book suggestions. If you only get one book about books, get this one! Everybody should read it!

This book was written by a 6th grade teacher that is passionate about helping her students learn to enjoy reading, now and for the rest of their lives. She details her methods for working toward this goal in her classroom with her students, and it's very brilliant and inspiring! I wish all teachers and schools were like this! The book might seem like one that would be geared more toward teachers, but I think it would be very helpful and motivating for parents. The ideas and techniques could be used in the classroom, or adapted to be used at home too! This one's a quick read too!

This one is written more as a teacher resource book. But again, as parents, we are also teachers of our children, and so that's why I feel these books are so relevant for parents as well. Reading especially is something that is essential to encourage at home, and to cultivate as a lifestyle in our children. This book has a lot of ideas for setting up the classroom, and coming up with literacy-rich lessons. But all that can so easily be modified from a classroom environment into your home environment. There are lots of photos, and the layout is easy to read and navigate through. Lots of great info and resources are provided in this one!

Written by an awesome children's book author, this one is a quick, easy read that's great for parents that don't have a lot of time to sit down for some of these bigger reads. It focuses on parents, but is great for teachers too, and could really help teachers with ways to encourage parents and families to be reading together at home. Small, but potent, this might be a great one to start with! No book lists of recommendations in this one, but it does include a list of Mem Fox's books which are great ones to go read!

This is a great resource book, and I think especially helpful for parents. Keep it on hand and browse through it and jot a few titles down before heading out the library or bookstore. Or bring it along with you to the library! Focuses on lists of various book recommendations from varying genres, but also includes splashes of info about reading and author info, and some interesting little trivia facts. A great book to keep your kids reading books they'll like!

Why Don't Teachers Like Reading?

Photo by woodleywonderworks

I am convinced that there is a large number of elementary school teachers out there that do not like reading. Or maybe just don't love it. Or is it that they simply don't know how to pass on the passion? What other explanation is there for why more children don't enjoy this pastime?

I'm especially bent out of shape about this today because I've been reading Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer while battling through trite reading logs with one of my children, and wading through mounds of ditto sheets that come home with them everyday. I hate, hate, hate the reading homework my child has to do. It benefits them in no way. All they're learning is that reading is boring and frustrating, and that homework stinks!

Why would someone that loves reading assign such homework? Especially when there is heaps of research indicating that time simply spent reading books of their own choosing (a student's choosing) is way more beneficial? Maybe there are a lot of teachers that aren't familiar with this research? But why aren't they familiar with it when books like The Book Whisperer are full of this info? Why aren't teachers who love to read, reading books like The Book Whisperer? And The Read Aloud Handbook?

Formal reading instruction is not my forte. My thing is motivating readers! So it's tough to see my child schlup through their reading homework week after week, obviously not enjoying any of it.

I didn't think I was going to have to worry about this kind of stuff. I thought I would be homeschooling my children. But that's not in the cards for my family right now, and so my task is now to do all that's in my power to show my children that reading is the bomb! And that they will be readers soon! I am all about supporting my children's teachers, but I also have a responsibility as a parent. I'm not saying we won't do the assigned homework (though with the crazy home life we have right now, that often happens), but I will tell my children the truth: that I don't like some of their homework assignment (while also explaining the good intentions the teacher had in assigning it), and that this is not what reading really is. Then I will spend as much time as I can taking them to the library, finding books that will interest them, and setting aside plenty of time at home to read with them. Oh, and being a reading role model too, of course!

How do you encourage a passion for reading as a parent? As a teacher? As a librarian? What books do you think should be required reading for teachers?

Early Literacy Teacher Traning

I was asked to do my first ever teacher training recently! And although I was nervous, I was also thrilled that I was going to be getting out of the house to go contribute to society in a way that had nothing to do with my family (though I did end up referencing my children several times in my talk). I got to dust off some of my wonderful books, pack up my handy-dandy gigantic tote, and spend the morning in a building free of children!

For my first time leading a training like this, I think it went well. There are definitely some things I would like to change up for next time. But I think I motivated and maybe even inspired them a little bit... maybe.

One of the things I had them do was spilt into groups (according to the ages they teach) and brainstorm a literacy activity for one picture book (per group). A lot of their responses were ideas for using their chosen book to teach math or other such concepts. Ugh! This is exactly the kind of mindset I was trying to break them free from.

Why do early childhood teachers think a book always has to be turned into a theme that can be taught in each of their classroom centers? Or that books should be chosen based on the theme of the class' current unit? Is that now a part of getting your teaching degree? I think many of the "literacy" resource books geared toward these teachers are often to blame. It just seems to me that the idea of doing actual emergent literacy teaching with a book is a totally foreign concept. As if simply reading a book during circle time fills the early literacy teaching quota for the day.

Anybody else care to weigh in on this? Do you agree? Disagree?

Early Childhood Teacher Literacy Training

Julie Lindsay

One of the reasons I created Literacy Launchpad was because I was seeing a lack of quality literature and literacy instruction in some preschools. These were schools filled with wonderful, loving staff. In my opinion it wasn't a problem with the school or the staff. Many of these teachers had ECE schooling and training. The failing lies with the institutions that are training and schooling teachers, in my opinion. There's a lack of emphasis on literacy instruction and its importance.

So I'm so excited and honored that I have the opportunity to do teacher training at a local child care center next month. Woohoo! This is a wonderful school that cares a lot about books, reading, and literacy, and is taking steps to make that a priority in their classrooms and curriculum. How amazing is that!?! I want to wrap my arms around all those teachers... around the whole BUILDING and give them a big HUG!

So... Here's your chance! I would love a quick opinion from you all on what you think every teacher SHOULD know about literacy; what you WISH they knew about literacy, what every teacher MUST know about literacy. If YOU could be there telling them something, emphasizing something about books/reading/literacy, what would it be? If they were YOUR CHILD'S teacher, what would you want them to be doing/saying/reading/knowing?

Can't wait to hear from you all! I'm hoping this will be the first of many teacher trainings like this! Let's hope!