Summer reading is an important component of an overall reading program. Research shows that summer vacation often has a significant negative effect on student learning. Providing opportunities for students to read regularly during the summer can prevent documented reading achievement losses. The bottom line is that students who read during the summer do better in the fall.
A June literacy fair for students and their families is the perfect way to end the school year and get students off on the right track for the summer. In addition to standard carnival fare (face painting, games of chance, etc.), offer a variety of fun literacy-based activities.
- The cost of entrance? Ask students to bring a lightly used book as an entrance pass, to be collected on a table or display. As students leave, each person can select a book to keep from the donations.
- Hold a literary trivia contest, with new, donated books for prizes.
- Invite an author to your school for a book reading/signing event.
- Don't forget to invite families to your event and to include informational material.
This collection of NCTE blog posts is the perfect place to begin looking for summer reading resources. They are full of text suggestions!
Reading Rockets provides ideas to keep kids reading during vacation. There are activities and tips on encouraging children to love reading.
Whether for summer reading or during the school year, these selections will reinvigorate the curriculum and inspire students to forge rich connections to literature and media.
Sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, Digital Learning Day has since 2012 encouraged teachers to share and celebrate effective teaching and learning that showcases innovation in the use of digital instructional technology. Though Digital Learning Day does promote the effective use of contemporary tools and technologies, it is truly a day to reflect on the enhanced or transformed learning those tools support.
Ask students to reflect on something they recently learned how to do. After a few minutes to write or talk with a partner, have students share what they learned as you record their topics for everyone to see. Then lead a discussion around the role digital tools played in the different learning students shared.
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How many of the examples were about learning to use a new digital tool?
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How many examples featured students using a digital technology to facilitate or support their learning?
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Which examples can students imagine doing differently with the support of a digital tool?
Then have students reflect on the varied ways digital learning plays a part in their everyday lives.
This page houses a collection of resources from past Digital Learning Days.
Find inspiration from a lesson plan from the Alliance for Excellent Education, arranged into themes such as language arts, STEM, and digital citizenship.
This collection of ReadWriteThink resources offer additional inspiration for considering the role digital technology can play in student learning.
Need help defining 21st Century literacies or the implications for classroom practice? This collection of NCTE documents can help.
Dr. James Naismith, athletic director of the YMCA in Springfield, MA, had a problem- the cold winters kept everyone indoors. So in 1891, he invented the game of basketball. Players had to throw a soccer ball into a peach basket resting on top of a ten-foot pole. The sport quickly grew in popularity, though amazingly, it took more than ten years for someone to come up with the brilliant idea of cutting a hole in the bottom of the peach baskets!
Looking at the rules of a game allows for a perfect opportunity for students to practice their expository reading and writing skills.
Print out copies of Naismith's original 13 rules for basketball. Put students into groups (since some students know a lot about basketball and some very little) and ask them to read the original rules and to identify-with different colored highlighters-the rules that are still in effect today and the rules that have been changed or eliminated. Then, ask students to write one rule that has been added to the original list and another rule that has been changed dramatically from the original source. Have students present these new and modified rules to the class.
Working individually, students should brainstorm a list of sports and games that they know well. Have students select one from their list and write ten rules for playing that sport or game. Remind students that their audience is people who have never played or heard of that sport or game before. In addition to the ten rules, students should also identify the equipment and time needed to play. Afterward, students should read each other's lists to be sure that all necessary rules are included.
This website includes a biography of Naismith and a section on how the game of basketball has developed over time.
The official name of the Basketball Hall of Fame honors Naismith for his invention of the sport. This website has everything you ever wanted to know about the history and current game of basketball.
This blog post, from the Library of Congress, provides an account about the first college basketball game ever played, as well as Naismith's invention of the game.
This excerpt from a January 31, 1939, broadcast of the radio program "We the People" hosted in New York by Gabriel Heatter is believed to be the only known audio recording of Naismith. In the roughly three-minute clip, Naismith discusses setting up the first basketball game with two peach baskets in a gymnasium at the International YMCA Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts in December 1891.
On September 23, 1957, police officers had to be stationed around the Central High School campus to ensure the safety of the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine African American students who were to attend the school and, thus, break the color barrier. The right to an equal education was granted to all African American students by the United States Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
Begin by viewing some of the footage from the actual event (you can access some of the footage at the PBS website). Ask students to jot down the thoughts and feelings they think might have been going on in the minds and hearts of the Little Rock Nine. Have students use these notes as the basis for a bio-poem that might have been written by one of the African American students on that historic day.
An alternative activity might be to show students portions of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that reunited the Little Rock Nine with some of the classmates who threatened and taunted them upon their arrival at Central High School. After viewing each segment, ask students to summarize their reactions to what they have seen and heard on the program. Were they surprised by anything they observed? If so, what surprised them and why?
This site celebrates the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High School. Links to the historic event are provided, including links to information about the nine African American students who attended the school.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that paved the way for the integration of Central High School, NPR compiled an extensive collection of resources, including interviews with Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
This Teaching Tolerance page includes resources that focus on primary documents from Brown v. the Board of Education, poetry, arts, and critical thinking. Additional links at the end connect to photographs and more classroom resources.
PBS offers a section on Southern School Desegregation as part of its Eyes on the Prize: American Civil Rights Movement feature.
Nine contestants participated in the first National Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Louisville, Kentucky, Courier-Journal in 1925. Now, over 250 student champions, ranging from 9- to 15-years-old, travel to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Spelling Bee. The competition takes place during May each year. The National Champion receives $28,000 in cash and savings bonds as well as reference resources for his or her home library.
The National Spelling Bee competition has been broadcast nationally on ESPN and during primetime on ABC. In his article "All I Need to Know about Teaching I Learned from TV and Movies," Kenneth Lindbloom compares the competition to shows like Jeopardy. Lindbloom explains, "One might speculate that these events garner interest because they are contests with one winner and many losers. But more difficult contests-Westinghouse science winners, for example, or creative-writing contest winners-don't get the kind of publicity memorizers of trivia get." Ask your students to consider this with the following questions:
- Why do some contests get more publicity than others? What makes the National Spelling Bee interesting to the general public?
- Is the National Spelling Bee a sports event? Why has it been broadcast on ESPN?
- What counts as knowledge on television? What knowledge is seen, and what kinds of knowledge are not seen?
The official homepage for the competition includes details on the student spellers, their sponsors, the rules for the competition, and statistics. During the competition, photos of the events will be added to the site.
By Margaret Y. Phinney, this page from the Natural Child website explains invented spelling and emergent writing and includes suggestions designed to encourage children's writing and use of invented spellings.
This Scholastic website features essays that contain strategies aimed at integrating spelling into the reading and writing curriculum and helping students to improve their spelling skills.
ReadWriteThink's Word Wizard interactive allows students to spell words based on four favorite children's books. Students can read and listen to clues and click the hint button if they're stuck.
Each year, the American Library Association recognizes a multitude of books and authors for their quality and impact. Ranging from awards for young children's books such as the Caldecott and Newbery Medals, to the Belpré award for books celebrating Latino culture, to the Sibert Medal for distinguished informational books, the ALA recognizes a wide range of outstanding material for children, young adults, and adults.
The American Library Association Book, Print, and Media Awards for Children and Young Adults include:
- John Newbery Medal
- Randolph Caldecott Medal
- Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Awards
- Michael L. Printz Award
- Margaret A. Edwards Award
- Andrew Carnegie Medal
- Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
- Pura Belpré Award
- Mildred L. Batchelder Award
- Schneider Family Book Award
Visit the ALA pages for each award. Select from the list above the award most relevant to your students' ages and interests. Have your students select a winning author or illustrator from the award set you have selected, and instruct them to complete one of these activities:
- Write or illustrate a story in your chosen author/illustrator's style.
- Conduct Internet research on your author/illustrator and then stage a mock interview based on your research.
- Present a book review of one of your chosen author/illustrator's "must-read" titles.
This Scholastic webpage includes links to past winners of ALA awards. Many titles offer links to additional resources, including author biographies, discussion guides, and more.
This booklist includes 100 top recommendations from the National Public Radio for children and young adults.
New Hampshire Public Television provides videos and teacher guides for 27 books, which have won either the Caldecott or the Newbery Medal.
Children's Authors and Illustrators Week (the first week in February) features a variety of activities that are intended to promote literacy in an engaging and interactive way. Encourage a lifelong love of reading with your students by participating in events such as author and illustrator visits to your school, storytelling, literary presentations, writing workshops, and more.
Invite your students to "step into the shoes" of their favorite author or illustrator. Have students first read several of the author's books and then conduct research on his or her background and career. Next, have students become their favorite authors and prepare presentations for the class. Presentations can include displays representing the authors' work, question and answer sessions, interviews, press releases on the authors' latest books, and so on. Students' presentations can also include creative costumes or props representing their authors' and illustrators' backgrounds and works (e.g., a Winn-Dixie shopping bag for Kate DiCamillo, or a teddy bear for Don Freeman).
Hold an "Authors Open House" and invite other classes in to meet the authors!
This website includes a description of this literacy event, in addition to contact information for the Children's Authors Network! Also featured are tips for parents, caregivers, teachers, and librarians.
This indispensible guide from the Children's Authors Network! can help you plan for Children's Authors and Illustrators Week. The reproducible resource includes planning and follow-up checklists, helpful hints, suggested questions, and funding ideas.
This site offers an alphabetical list of links to sites of children's authors and illustrators.
ReadWriteThink podcast host Emily Manning chats with kids, parents, and teachers about the best in children's literature for ages 4 through 11. Discussions include reading tips and fun activities to do with children before, during, and after reading.
Since 1984, the National PTA has designated time each May for communities nationwide to honor teachers for their work with children. Parents, students, and schools across America celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week to show appreciation for the work and dedication of teachers and reaffirm the commitment to parent-teacher partnerships.
In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, read a book about a teacher such as Thank You, Mr. Falker, Miss Nelson is Missing, or a Magic School Bus story with Ms. Frizzle. Why are the teachers in these stories special? Have a class discussion about some of your students' favorite teachers. Then have students try these follow-up activities:
- Compare a favorite teacher to a teacher from a book with the Interactive Venn Diagram.
- Write a letter to a favorite teacher using the Letter Generator.
- Create a character map of either Miss Nelson or another storybook teacher with the Story Mapping tool.
- Use the Essay Map to plan and write an essay on why they would or would not like to be a student in one of the storybook teachers' classrooms.
- Read and present another book about a special teacher. Older students may choose books like The Miracle Worker by William Gibson, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, or A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines.
This National PTA resource offers ideas to help parents, students, and schools honor teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week.
The National Education Association offers these activities, appropriate for a Teacher Appreciation Week celebration.
This page from Reading Rockets celebrates teachers through notes of appreciation from parents, videos of authors and illustrators talking about their favorite teachers, and a link for users to send their own e-cards to teachers they appreciate.
National Library Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.
National Library Week will be observed April 7-13, 2024 with the theme, "Ready, Set, Library!"
Most students think of the library as a place to check out books or use technology, but do you know what else your library has to offer? To find out:
Check out your library:
- Head to your school and public library during National Library Week to see what's new and participate in all they have to offer.
Visit your library online:
- If you can’t make it to your libraries, visit their website or social media pages to learn about programs and services offered.
Invite in your librarian:
- Librarians are a wealth of knowledge, about the library itself and all they have to offer. Talk with your librarians to learn more!
Ilovelibraries.org is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA), designed to keep America informed about what’s happening in today’s libraries.
Learn more about the National Library Week 2023 celebration.
Learn more about the many decades of National Library Week.
Observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the United States military. In addition to having celebrations with family and friends, many people visit cemeteries and memorials and place flags on the grave sites of fallen servicemen and women.
Have students visit the Stories from the Veterans History Project site. Once there, ask students to choose one of the featured interviews to listen to, peruse the previous releases, or look at a list of collections to find more interviews that may be of interest to them. Students select an interview that interests them and take notes while listening to remember important facts and details about the veteran’s life. After listening to the interview, students complete one of the projects below to honor the veteran they researched:
- Create a timeline of the veteran’s life or time in the military.
- Using the story of the veteran’s life, create a picture book for younger children that tells the story of the veteran’s life or of the war in which he/she fought.
- Record the important facts and information from the veteran’s life using the Hero’s Journey interactive.
- Record a podcast that tells the veteran’s story.
This site includes a collection of personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.
Information on the history and traditions of observing Memorial Day in the United States is provided here.
This site includes a history of Memorial Day and tributes to soldiers; includes audio, video, and photos.