July 2020 Newsletter

Summer Reading, Writing, and Exploring | For Parents: Helping Your Child with Reading | Books & Authors | Resources for Teachers | Literacy and Equity | Events, Reports, and News

Summer Reading, Writing, and Exploring

A Guide to Family Activities for Summer

Jump into our new collection of ideas and resources to keep children engaged with reading, writing, exploring, and learning throughout the summer, whether they're interested in science, art, nature, history, current events, or almost anything else. (This project was developed in partnership with the National Education Association and Colorín Colorado.)

Civics and Our Government

Civics teaches kids about the rights each of us has as a citizen, as well as our responsibilities, such as voting or serving on a jury — and getting involved in our communities to make them better for all. Kids can also learn about voting rights in the U.S., how a bill becomes a law, how we elect our President, and stories about life (and pets!) in the White House. We've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, podcasts and websites for learning all about civic engagement and our U.S. government. Visit our Civics section on Start with a Book >

Related:

We Are Storytellers: Exploring Multicultural Folktales, Fairy Tales and Myths

Reading and writing go hand in hand. Explore multicultural folktales, fairy tales, and myths through shared read alouds and independent reading. Then try some of the writing, oral storytelling, poetry, mapmaking, and other creative activities featured in our activity guides. The guides include recommended books and alternative sources if your public libraries are closed.

Related:

• See all 24 kid-friendly topics at Start with a Book

Write. Right. Rite.  

Welcome to the Write. Right. Rite. — a GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story video series! This series gives kids an entertaining and inventive way to engage with the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds. Jumpstart creativity with prompts like Find Treasure at the Pool, Take an Imaginary Road Trip, Invent Synonyms, and Create Your Own Roller Coaster.

For Parents: Helping Your Child with Reading

Reading SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading  

In this special Reading Rockets video series, experts answer real questions from families about reading and how to support their children at home. COVID-19 has disrupted regular reading instruction for our K-3 kids. Families want to step in and help fill some of the gaps, but that can be challenging. That's where Reading SOS comes in — the help you need, right now! In the first series of videos, reading expert Linda Farrell shares her strategies and tips for which letter sounds to teach first, how to explain the “ea” vowel pair, reading sight words, and more.

We're asking families to submit questions about how to help their striving readers. If you'd like to ask a question, please write to us at: info@readingrockets.org

Lost Reading Instruction Blues: What's a Worried Parent to Do? Advice from Tim Shanahan

Question: As a parent, I’m worried about my children being out of school during the pandemic. Our district still hasn’t decided whether or how to open again this fall, so it isn’t even clear if they will be going back to school. They did their distance learning most of the time this spring, but those online meetings with the teachers and the assignments they had to do don’t seem to be enough. What should I be doing at home?

Answer: For younger kids (3-7 years), practice phonics skills together. For older kids (6-12), listen to your kids read aloud, ask them to retell a story or talk about what they’ve been reading. Shanahan says: “It is better to do a small amount of something every day, than to save it all up for one big school day. Set aside 30 minutes a day for your child to read. Set aside time to listening to their reading. Create a writing time, too. These don’t have to be all day affairs.” Read the full blog post >

Growing Readers

Our one-pagers offer easy activities to help your kids strengthen their reading and writing muscles at home, now and throughout the summer. The emphasis is on simple and fun — we know you have so much going on at home right now. For more tips like these, visit our Growing Readers library. All tip sheets are available in English and Spanish.

• Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading
   
• Getting the Most Out of Nonfiction Reading Time
   
• Building Reading Stamina
   
• 7 Great Ways to Encourage Your Child's Writing

Literacy Activities at Home  

Continue your child’s learning this summer with this new video series from the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR). In these videos, parents demonstrate a range of fun, easy literacy activities with their own kids at home. To find more activities, see the FCRR’s Student Center Activities library.

Learn about Lindamood Bell’s online PD >

Books and Authors

Jason Reynolds: The Beauty of Words Is Magic

Former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Yang (American Born Chinese) sits down with award-winning YA author and current Ambassador Jason Reynolds, author of Ghost, A Long Way Down, and most recently, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. They talk about the unusual story structure in All American Boys, the inspiration for the book, and how writing it emerged from a deep friendship (full of “uncomfortable, healthy conversations”) with his co-author, Brendan Kiely.

Listen in to more episodes from Gene’s video blog, Reading Without Walls. See all the episodes here >

Graphic Novels for Young Kids

Graphic novels are a great way to help struggling readers strengthen vocabulary, build reading confidence and stamina, and develop a deeper appreciation of storytelling. (In English and Spanish)

Related:

• Booklist: Graphic Novels: Read the Pictures
   
• More Graphic Novels (Book Finder)

More Booklists for Summer Reading

Browse our themed booklists to find fiction and nonfiction books your kids will want to dive into. Here’s a sampling:

• The Stuff of Summer
   
• Young Detectives
   
• Heroes
   
• Music Makers
   
• Things to Do When There's Nothing to Do

Resources for Teachers

The Reading Rockets–NEA Guide to Learning at Home

Where can educators find the best ideas, materials, and tips for distance learning? We’ve compiled information and resource lists from trusted sources, and we’ll continue to update the resources weekly as we’re all navigating the unchartered waters of COVID-19. This project was developed in partnership with the National Education Association and Colorín Colorado.

Here are examples of topics we’ve addressed in the guide:

• Going Back to School During COVID-19: News and Updates
   
• Social-Emotional Learning During COVID-19
   
• Supporting English Language Learners Through COVID-19: Resources for Educators
   

Science of Reading — What I Should Have Learned in College

This Facebook Group was launched to help connect research to your teaching practice.

Dr. Louisa Moats:

“The body of work referred to as the ‘science of reading’ is not an ideology, a philosophy, a political agenda, a one-size-fits-all approach, a program of instruction, nor a specific component of instruction. It is the emerging consensus from many related disciplines, based on literally thousands of studies, supported by hundreds of millions of research dollars, conducted across the world in many languages. These studies have revealed a great deal about how we learn to read, what goes wrong when students don’t learn, and what kind of instruction is most likely to work the best for the most students.”

The group, which has 40,000 members, hosts lively daily conversations where educators share best practices, PD opportunities, book recommendations, and much more.

Literacy and Equity

Literacy and Equity in Education

“Achievement in school is an important gateway to achievement and success in life. I believe that learning to read and write is the cornerstone of all school learning and the key to that achievement. I have devoted my 45 years of literacy professional work to helping students, especially those who struggle with reading and writing. Through my work with Keys to Literacy, this means making sure that teachers have a solid foundation in evidence-based instructional practices. I realize now more than ever that this mission is critical because literacy must be part of the equity solution.” – Joan Sedita, Keys to Literacy

Read the rest of this statement on literacy and equity from Keys to Literacy.

Providing Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction in Our Schools: A Letter from the Arlington County (Virginia) NAACP

Leaders at the Arlington County (Virginia) NAACP call on the Superintendent of APS Public Schools to adopt evidence-based reading instruction in every district K-3 classroom. Our children's literacy is a critical civil rights and equity issue. Every child has the right to consistent, high-quality instruction.

News & Events

Spotlight on Dyslexia: A Virtual Conference from Learning Ally
View 16 high-quality sessions from experts in the fields of dyslexia, literacy and neuroscience and earn CE Certificates completed sessions through September 30, 2020.

Addressing Unfinished Learning After COVID-19 School Closures
Council of the Great City Schools

This guide focuses more on the instructional challenges posed by school closures. District curriculum leaders and staff are provided an instructional framework for addressing unfinished learning and learning losses, as well as a review of essential skills and content in English language arts and mathematics to support access to grade-level content in key grade transitions for all students.

“Read, my Child, Read!” | Remembering John Lewis
School Library Journal

Joanna Cole, Who Imagined Fantastical Bus Rides, Dies at 75
The New York Times

8 Podcasts To Inspire Summertime Writing
School Library Journal

There Are No Writing Prodigies: What That Means For Writing Instruction
Forbes

Disability Pride: The High Expectations of a New Generation
The New York Times

New Report Says Schools Should Try To Reopen In Person For Elementary Students
National Public Radio

Is School Safe? Will Districts Test For COVID-19? Answering Back-To-School Questions
KQED Mindshift

Social Emotional Learning and School Reopenings: A Guide for Schools
Education Week

Schools face unprecedented pressure as they grapple with reopening
PBS NewsHour

These 8 Basic Steps Will Let Us Reopen Schools
The Atlantic

Summer learning: Does my kid need an extra boost in this year of Covid?
CNN

In Virtual Summer Programming, Librarians Prioritize Human Connection
School Library Journal

Dyslexic Learners Inform Instruction
Language Magazine