Supporting Student Success in LiteracyGrades 7-12 – Effective Practices of Ontario School BoardsContents
This publication is also available as an Adobe Acrobat file (375K). AcknowledgementsThe ministry acknowledges the contributions of the following school boards to this publication:
The successful strategies and programs collected in this booklet represent only a small sample of the many excellent initiatives developed by boards and schools across the province. The Ministry of Education extends its thanks to all the educators who contributed to the development of this literacy resource. You are invited to share your own tips, techniques, and strategies by filling out and submitting the form on the last page of this booklet. Literacy is the key to lifelong learning.
IntroductionA commitment to student success lies at the core of our education system. Giving students the best education possible and preparing them for their future are goals shared by parents, teachers, and community members. Working in partnership, these three groups can help students succeed by helping them develop the learning skills that will equip them for success in school and after they graduate. Educators across the province are continually expanding their professional expertise, seeking new ways to work with other educators, parents, and community members to support student learning inside and outside the classroom. This booklet informs teachers and board staff about successful literacy strategies currently in use in Grade 7-12 classrooms and in district school boards across the province. By sharing successful strategies, teachers and board staff can enhance their expertise in reading and writing instruction and offer stronger literacy programs that will better support student learning and student success. By working together, we can accomplish great things! The teacher is the key to a child's success in learning to read.
Expert Panel on Early Reading in Ontario, Early Reading Strategy:
The Report of the Expert Panel on Early Reading in Ontario (Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education, 2003), p. 4 Direct instruction in reading and writing is provided routinely in the primary grades (Grades 1-3) and junior grades (Grades 4-6). However, students in Grades 7-12 are often required to use subject-specific vocabulary without the benefit of direct instruction to demonstrate their understanding of highly detailed textbooks. Textbooks frequently contain a complex text structure, formulas, graphs, and charts. If students are to succeed in content-area subjects such as science, mathematics, geography, health and physical education, the arts, and literature, teachers must provide them with direct instruction about strategies that they can use to construct meaning while reading and writing. The wide range of successful literacy strategies outlined in this booklet can be readily adapted by content-area teachers to provide students with meaningful literacy experiences that will strengthen students' ability to succeed in all subject areas. Literacy instruction must be embedded across the curriculum. All teachers of all subjects, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, are teachers of literacy. Expert Panel on Students at Risk in Ontario, Think Literacy Success,
Grades 7-12: The Report of the Expert Panel on Students at Risk in Ontario (Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Education, 2003), p. 10 This booklet is organized into five sections, each containing strategies that can be implemented at the classroom, school, and/or board level. The section themes are described below. Using Data focuses on the importance of using data such as that published by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), report card data, and teacher observation data on a system- and school-wide basis to identify areas in need of change and to confirm that literacy strategies are succeeding. Cross-Panel Planning shows how elementary and secondary school teachers can work in partnership to create and deliver programs that provide students with a continuum of skill and content development. Cross-Curricular Strategies highlights successful literacy strategies that can be used in all subject areas, and provides examples of school- and board-wide approaches to professional development that focus on incorporating literacy instruction into the teaching of content-area subjects. Information Technology in Action focuses on the ways in which some schools and boards have used technology to enhance literacy learning for staff and students. Literacy Outside the Classroom provides examples of the ways in which some schools and boards are tapping into student interests to enhance literacy learning, and helping parents understand their important role in supporting their child's learning. Using DataLiteracy: A data-driven approachAvon Maitland District School BoardUsing system-wide data to target literacy-focused professional development and instructional strategies For the past four years, the Avon Maitland District School Board has used a comprehensive data-tracking system to monitor student performance, to identify the need for professional development, and to fine-tune instructional strategies at the board, school, and individual-student levels. The board bases its data-tracking program on the belief that capacity building must happen at all levels, from senior staff, principals, and vice-principals to coordinators, department heads, and teachers. Accordingly, data is gathered each year on student performance from Kindergarten to Grade 10, both to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses at the board and school levels and to identify students who require additional support. The data is made available to teachers and school leaders using Fathom Dynamic Statistics software, which allows data to be presented at a variety of levels and in a variety of formats to suit the specific needs of the data user. Each year, the data is presented at two secondary-level Leader's Council meetings, and successful practices that have emerged from an analysis of the data are shared. At the elementary level (Grades 7 and 8), the data is presented at staff meetings, where there is a particular emphasis on identifying effective instructional strategies. As well, all board-level professional development activities for principals, vice-principals, and teaching staff are selected using this data as a quantitative measure of strengths and weaknesses. For example, as a result of data analysis, the board trained Grade 7-9 teachers in the use of guided reading strategies for fiction and non-fiction texts. Similarly, Grade 9 applied mathematics teachers were trained in the use of reading strategies in mathematics instruction. The tracking and analysis of the literacy program data has resulted in the following:
Contact: Superintendent of Program, (519) 527-0111, ext. 116 Cross-Panel Planning
Cross-panel literacy strategiesLimestone District School BoardSupporting literacy development with both school-level and board-wide programs The Limestone District School Board has implemented a multifaceted approach to literacy that includes both board-wide and school-based tutoring. School-based tutoringThe Limestone board's Queen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational Institute has created a partnership with Grade 8 feeder schools that enables students with weak literacy skills to begin their secondary school careers with additional support. Feeder-school teachers identify students who are experiencing difficulties to Queen Elizabeth staff, who conduct a reading inventory in September that is designed to identify student weaknesses in comprehension and word recognition. For the duration of the school year, participating students have one 75-minute period each day that is focused on reading and writing skills. During this period, they work with both a teacher and senior student tutors who have received prior training in reading strategies. Using high-interest, low-ability-level reading materials, the program allows students to choose the texts they want to read – newspapers, magazines, books, or instructional materials. The program therefore gives students time to practise reading at a comfortable level, while enhancing their motivation to read. Remaining with the same teacher throughout the year creates a safe environment for students, where they can gain confidence in their ability to take risks in reading and writing and develop a clear understanding of academic expectations. Student tutors also benefit from the program, enhancing their own reading skills and fluency through the additional practice they receive in preparing for, and reading to, the Grade 9 and 10 students. System-wide tutoringDuring the last two months of each school year, the board hires literacy tutors to work full-time in each of the board's high schools. Tutors are trained at the end of April, begin work in early May, and remain until the end of the school year. Many are continuing education students or students planning to become teachers. Some remain during the summer and work in the board's summer literacy programs. Tutors may be engaged in a variety of activities such as the following:
Contact: Secondary Curriculum Department, (613) 544-6925 Peer tutoring across panelsKawartha Pine Ridge District School BoardOffering tutoring programs that benefit both students and tutors At Norwood District High School, three literacy tutoring programs have been effective at helping students improve their reading and writing skills, while providing valuable leadership opportunities to student tutors. Grade 11-12 tutors are given the option of selecting the tutoring program as a course during their senior course selection process. Tutors undergo extensive training during the first few weeks of school. During the course, they work closely with a teacher and receive weekly training. Tutors and students are paired on the basis of personality, interests, and academic characteristics. Over the course of the semester, tutors and students have typically become more responsible, dedicated, and passionate about their shared tutoring time. Peer Associates for Literacy Success (PALS)This tutoring program pairs Grade 8 students with Grade 11-12 tutors called PALS. During intensive daily sessions, PALS work one-to-one with their Grade 8 partners to help the Grade 8 students achieve rapid gains in their reading and writing abilities. The students read scripts from popular movies and television shows, explore creative writing, or simply become immersed in a good book. Before qualifying for the program, the Grade 8 students receive extensive diagnostic testing, using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests and individual reading assessments. Following initial implementation in the fall of 2003, retesting revealed that every Grade 8 student in the program scored higher in vocabulary, comprehension, and total grade-level equivalency, with an improvement in some cases of two to three grade levels. Associates in Learning and Literacy (ALL)ALL pairs senior students who have passed the OSSLT with Grade 9 students who are struggling in English and who are working towards a Grade 9 applied English credit. Grade 9 student participants have benefited substantially from the program. They show improved reading rates and accuracy; a reduced number of miscues; improved comprehension, writing, and social skills; and, in some cases, improved spelling, organization, and typing skills. They also show increased confidence and greater willingness to engage in new learning experiences. Similarly, the "associates" (senior students) who have participated have found the program highly rewarding, and have gained valuable experience that will enhance their postsecondary education and careers.
Peer TutorsThrough the Peer Tutors program, Grade 11 and 12 students tutor elementary students in local feeder schools. The tutors receive training through the Encouraging Young Readers Program, developed by the Faculty of Education at Trent University for upper-year teacher candidates in the Queens-Trent Education program. The faculty has made this program available to all Grade 11 and 12 secondary school students who would like the opportunity to mentor developing readers in Grades 1-4 at local public schools. Peer Tutor candidates attend a one-day, intensive in-service course at Trent, where they receive training in the following:
The program has been beneficial for the Grade 1-4 students and for the tutors, who report a sense of satisfaction at seeing the progress of their students in both reading ability and confidence. Contact: Norwood District High School, (705) 639-5332 Bridging the gap: Supporting Grade 7-9 teachersRainy River District School BoardFacilitating board-wide successful literacy teaching practices from Grade 7 to Grade 9 and building cross-panel partnerships The Rainy River District School Board has developed a resource manual, Bridging the Gap, to provide support for intermediate teachers as part of its literacy training initiatives. Prepared by teachers and administrators to facilitate a continuum of successful teaching practices from Grade 7 to Grade 9, the manual provides resources that can help teachers prepare students for secondary school and the OSSLT. The user-friendly document outlines key knowledge and skills in the following three subject areas:
Samples of completed work, with exemplars of OSSLT writing tasks, are provided for teachers to use in classroom instruction. In addition, an essay manual that blends the Modern Language Association and American Psychological Association formats provides Grade 7 and 8 students with a framework for their research projects and papers. The process of creating the manual itself provided benefits: intermediate teachers from both panels came together to discuss critical topics such as assessment, the student who needs additional support, and successful teaching practices. Equally important, the project fostered cross-panel partnerships and provided highly effective professional development. Contact: Program Support Department, (807) 274-5366 Cross-Curricular Strategies
Content-area literacy strategiesThames Valley District School BoardImplementing dynamic approaches to cross-curricular literacy in two schools Clarke Road Secondary SchoolAt Clarke Road Secondary School, all teachers in all classes are accountable for teaching reading and writing skills to all students. That underlying philosophy has led to the creation of a Code of Literacy, as well as cross-panel professional dialogue on literacy and a strong program of professional development.
Professional developmentDuring 2003, professional development was provided to all teaching staff in the school, with a focus on reading in the content areas. The training was designed to enable teachers to analyse the texts they use and identify features that influence student comprehension, and to explore ways in which writing and reading are interconnected. The goal of the program has been to empower all classroom teachers to help students improve their reading and comprehension skills. As an example of the program's success in content areas, teachers of music and science now use pre- and post-reading strategies regularly. In conjunction with in-service programs, a new document called Balanced Literacy Program at Clarke Road Secondary School was introduced to set the stage for further professional development. In 2004, professional development is focused on shared reading, with training being provided to seven teachers representing seven department clusters, along with one teacher from each of the feeder schools. The intent of this phase of training is to enable teachers to:
Teachers who received this training are now acting as teacher resources and providing training to their secondary department cluster or elementary intermediate division colleagues.
Family of schoolsA critical element of the school's strategy has been to develop and sustain professional dialogue within its own family of schools. The secondary school and the elementary schools work together to provide a continuum of literacy instruction from one panel to the next. For this reason, their school growth plans share common goals and the instructors share in-service sessions that focus on ideas, strategies, and concepts that can be applied in both elementary and secondary classrooms. College Avenue Secondary SchoolCollege Avenue Secondary School has developed a six-member literacy team, which is responsible both for supporting students as they prepare to write the OSSLT and for sharing resources and ideas with teaching staff to support ongoing literacy development.
A cross-curricular focus in the classroomAs a part of this initiative, professional development at staff meetings has focused on helping teachers implement strategies to support reading in the content areas. Topics that have been shared, and for which resources have been provided, include the following:
Departments within the school are strongly encouraged to incorporate the explicit teaching and practice of literacy skills in their content areas. In one example of departmental response, the physical education department has developed a "literacy portfolio" as part of students' Grade 9 physical and health education program.
Contacts: Clarke Road Secondary School, (519) 452-2640 Learning to navigate textSimcoe County District School BoardDirect reading strategies for Grade 7-10 subject-area texts Simcoe County District School Board has developed a package of mini-lessons that focus on strategies for teachers to use with students in deconstructing texts. The mini-lessons concentrate on Grade 7 and 8 subjects, Grade 9 science, Grade 10 history, and Grade 10 careers courses. The mini-lessons are based on the principle that each subject area requires the use of reading strategies. The lessons invite students and teachers into the process of learning how texts work. Time spent learning to navigate a text, talking about the multiplicity of ways texts can be accessed and used, and talking about the roles of teachers and learners is time well-spent. It will reap dividends throughout the year, especially if teachers avoid telling students to "read and do", and suggest instead that students "read because ...", "read in these ways ...", or "show your thinking by ...".
Development and implementationUnder the leadership of a board consultant, the following steps were taken:
Contact: Student Services, (705) 734-6363 Professional reading and supportNear North District School BoardReading about and sharing instructional techniques in a system-wide focus on reading in the content areas At the Near North District School Board, all literacy lead teachers and teachers of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course received copies of I Read It, But I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers by Cris Tovani (Markham, ON: Pembroke, 2000). After reading this book, the teachers shared the instructional strategies and techniques it contains with the subject teachers in their schools. As an example of the success of this process, a technical education teacher then led a session with his colleagues on instructional strategies for teaching students to read graphical text. This process has given teachers new strategies to use, strengthening their ability to motivate weak readers. The strategies include having students create double-entry diaries, modeling think-alouds, direct vocabulary instruction, and helping students connect their prior experience with events or information in the text being read. Through their professional readings, teachers continue to learn strategies for helping all students, not just those who are struggling. An example of a straightforward strategy that can work for all students in all subject areas is "retell, relate, reflect". Teachers can use these three prompts routinely as a post-reading strategy. Each prompt has specific questions associated with it that require students to use critical-thinking skills. Repeated use of these prompts trains all students, including highly capable readers, to ask questions of themselves that require them to use critical-thinking skills. As this example demonstrates, the sharing of information learned from professional reading material, followed by guided practice and discussion, is enabling teachers in the Near North board to expand their ability to support all readers.
After-school literacy supportIn addition to providing support for its teachers, the board provides selected Grade 7 and 8 students with an eight-week literacy program, consisting of a one-hour session per week. The program is designed for students who have been identified by teachers as needing additional literacy support. It helps these students develop confidence in their literacy skills and learn to recognize and use their learning strengths. The program focuses on guided reading and writing strategies, reading comprehension, working with words, and learning skills. Students learn reading and writing strategies and skills such as the following:
Contact: Program and Curriculum Department, 1-800-278-4922 Literature circles for staff and studentsDurham District School BoardHelping both staff and students develop a deeper understanding of literacy strategies The Durham District School Board is providing both staff and students with ways to construct meaning in what they read and develop a deeper understanding of content in books. At twenty-four schools, teachers meet regularly in small groups, called "literature circles", to discuss their reflections about a preselected book on literacy instruction. (The book is preselected by the group.) Each group is led by a facilitator who is familiar with the literature circle approach. Following this meeting, teachers either conduct a student literature circle in their classrooms (using a literary text) or explicitly teach their students a strategy that was used in their own literature circle (e.g., the use of graphic organizers). They then meet with their peers again to share and discuss their observations of the classroom activity. The process is then repeated, with teachers focusing on the next chapter or strategy discussed in their preselected book or moving on to another book. The professional dialogue that occurs in the literature circles has exposed the teachers to new research on learning and equipped them with the confidence to apply some of the new strategies they have learned in their classrooms.
Contact: Program Services, 1-800-339-6913, ext. 6971 System strategies and school initiativesOttawa-Carleton Catholic District School BoardFacilitating school-based initiatives through board-wide workshops and literacy learning communities The Ottawa-Carleton Catholic District School Board developed a series of cross-curricular and cross-panel workshops designed to explore board-wide literacy issues and to assist school staff in developing effective school-based strategies. The ongoing program, which began in 2002, involved the following five steps:
The following school-based strategies were developed as a result of the initiative:
Programs are continually monitored and adapted for success. Heightened enthusiasm and concern for literacy is visible throughout the board's school communities.
Contact: Educational Programs Department, (613) 224-2222, ext. 2238 Making meaning in math and scienceYork Region District School BoardHelping students make sense of what they read in math and science The York Region District School Board has developed a series of workshops to help science and math teachers implement strategies to assist students in approaching information critically as they work with math and science textbooks and other informational resources, including videos and the Internet. The workshops help teachers explicitly teach students to know what the reading strategies are, how and when to use them, and how to verbalize the strategies they are going to use to solve the reading passage facing them. Teachers of Grade 9-12 science and math have received a package of templates to use before, during, and after reading to assist students in understanding informational text. The templates are related to strategies such as the following:
Subject teachers are encouraged to view reading as a problem-solving task, and to understand that students need direct instruction in reading to do it well. The workshops provide teachers with strategies to help students:
Subject teachers are taught how to help students select and use specific reading strategies and how to help students verbalize the skills they are going to use to solve the reading passage facing them.
Contact: Curriculum and Instructional Services, (905) 727-0022 Literacy in the science classroomKeewatin-Patricia District School BoardStrategies for science text reading, writing, and vocabulary A teacher at Red Lake District High School has embedded literacy strategies into her day-to-day science instruction. Reading, writing, and vocabulary resources and strategies are prominently on display in this science classroom. Key words, graphic organizers, formulae, examples of informational paragraphs, examples of lab report structures, and general connectives for effective writing adorn the walls. These reference materials are intended to help students create clearly organized and effective written materials. In mini-lessons on the writing of informational paragraphs and lab reports, the writing process is modeled for students. Rubrics and checklists are distributed to ensure that students have a clear understanding of what is expected. The science teacher teaches additional strategies for effective text reading and reading procedures for experiments, including skimming, scanning, reading of graphical text, using illustrations and captions to obtain information, finding main ideas, and adjusting reading speed and style. The teacher uses the following techniques to ensure that students grasp and retain new vocabulary:
Because applications for reading in the science classroom usually involve students making connections between what they already know and "new" information, accessing prior knowledge is a strategy students must use frequently.
Contact: Red Lake Office, (807) 727-3405 Information Technology In Action
Literacy online: Monday morning e-mail tipsWaterloo Catholic District School BoardSending weekly literacy tips helps build a consistent approach to literacy across the system Weekly e-mail literacy tips sent from the program services department to teachers each Monday morning help ensure that teachers in all subject disciplines share a common methodology and language and have access to a wealth of teaching strategies and techniques. By keeping track of the literacy tips, and by organizing them into "blocks" such as Word Study Tips and Writing Tips, teachers become familiar, in a convenient way, with some easy-to-implement strategies appropriate to their subject areas. This program has allowed teachers to see the usefulness of some of the content-based literacy strategies. The weekly e-mail tips, distributed to six hundred Grade 7-12 teachers, provide teachers with an ongoing source of effective teaching strategies, and also serve to keep the issue of cross-curricular literacy "top-of-mind" throughout the board. Now in its third year, the weekly e-mail program has enjoyed substantial success, with some 70 per cent of recipients opening their weekly literacy tips every Monday morning.
Contact: Program Services, (519) 578-3660, ext. 334 Technology as a support for literacy learningUpper Grand District School BoardUsing technology to support students and teachers in improving cross-curricular literacy skills The Upper Grand District School Board has approached the improvement of cross-panel and cross-curricular literacy skills by initiating three innovative programs that make effective use of technology for program delivery and electronic information sharing. Technology programs promote student successThe board's secondary schools are using technology programs to help struggling students improve their decoding skills through phonemic awareness. A member of the board's literacy team initially provided instructional training to teachers, who in turn have partnered with special education staff to fit the technology programs into student classroom programs. The use of technology programs has resulted in increases in students' grade-level reading performance of as much as 2.5 years. Electronic conferencing promotes professional dialogueFor the past two and a half years, elementary and secondary teachers of Grades 4-10 have met regularly for a series of workshops focusing on literacy strategies for classroom instruction. Each school sends a team of representatives to participate in the program, known as Regular Education Special Programs Education Combined Team (RESPECT). Elementary teams include a junior teacher, intermediate teacher, and special education teacher, while secondary teams include subject teachers and a special education teacher. During 2003, each of the workshops focused on an individual strategy, based on the Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock book Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001). The ideas and strategies shared at the sessions are then implemented by teachers in their home schools. A board website facilitates ongoing dialogue between sessions, and allows teachers to set up electronic conferences. The use of technology for professional sharing and reflection between sessions has furthered the development of teacher knowledge and the implementation of content-area literacy programs.
Up and Over program provides literacy skills practiceThe Up and Over program, written in the Lite version of the ministry's software package The Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner, provides struggling students in Grades 7 and 8 with the opportunity to practise key literacy skills, with the assistance of a trained teacher, in a thirty-hour after-school program. The program is delivered in twenty sessions of one and a half hours each, and it integrates reading and writing activities with Grade 7 and 8 expectations across a variety of subjects.Teachers receive a binder containing a hard copy of the twenty lessons during a half-day training session with the board's curriculum leader. Up and Over can easily be adapted to include additional materials the teacher may wish to incorporate.
Contact: Program Department, (519) 941-6491 "Webquests" as a literacy strategy
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Parent newsletter with literacy tipsThe board produces a newsletter, Successful Student Pathways, which is sent home with students and posted on the board's website. "Literacy Tips for Parents" is a regular feature of the newsletter. Recent issues contained the following literacy tips:
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Contact: Board office, (519) 364-5820, ext. 271
Parents and students on the Web
Waterloo Region District School Board
Using the Web to provide students and parents with access to information, learning games, and online courses
Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute has developed a number of tools that help both students and parents learn to use the richness of the Web for information and literacy learning.
Literacy support links
The first tool is a Web page developed to meet the demands of parents, staff, and students for information on preparation for the OSSLT. The page has been widely used. In particular, it has given students valuable hands-on experience with the kinds of material they will encounter in the test.
Parent links
This innovative Web resource brings together information on all aspects of parenting, from literacy to youth and the law and health resources, both physical and mental. It also includes valuable information for parents on specialized topics, such as preparing for a parent-teacher interview.
Online training
Part of the school library's mandate is to promote the use of online courses and support teachers in the development of course material. One example of a successful application of this approach is the Workplace Preparation course. As this course demonstrates, the Internet can enhance learning, as well as develop literacy skills.
Word games that promote literacy
In an effort to devise literacy exercises that appeal to students who are intimidated by reading, the school librarian has created a word-game website. This website provides opportunities for students to use words naturally in a variety of contexts, to connect new words to words they already know, and to practise interpreting the context (e.g., pictures) as a support to word interpretation. Playing word games develops student awareness of rhyme and word patterns and stimulates inquisitiveness about the meaning of new words. Teachers use this website for vocabulary enhancement with intermediate and senior students. Students who had previously shunned reading assignments work quietly and enthusiastically for extended periods of time, having fun with the word games found on the website as they expand their vocabulary skills. Games that involve anagrams, crossword puzzles, word searches, decoding, semantic maps, and using the dictionary stimulate the development of a richer vocabulary and give students the confidence to try new words in their writing.
Contact: Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, (519) 578-8330
Catch the Fever!
Toronto District School Board
Capturing students' imaginations with innovative reading programs, while improving their literacy skills
At Parkdale Collegiate Institute in Toronto, reading has taken on a whole new dimension, with programs that have become a mainstay for students.
Teaching staff have found that freeing up time for personal reading results in improved reading comprehension, writing style, vocabulary development, spelling ability, and grammatical ability.
Fever Time
On a daily basis, during the first period after lunch, it's Fever Time! During this time, everyone in every class reads for twenty minutes, regardless of subject. Students read books, newspapers, or magazines in this innovative program, which keeps literacy alive on a daily basis. The Fever Time program has been adopted by other schools as well.
Readathon
The school library has organized an annual all-day Readathon, a special school event supported by announcements and posters, which is now in its third year. During the Readathon, students read in a designated room, which is quiet and has comfortable chairs, for a full day.
The event is supervised by the librarian and volunteer teachers, and has become a very popular event among students, who obtain pledges to indicate their commitment to the reading program. Pledged money is used to purchase additional reading materials for the school library. On completion of the annual event, students receive a certificate. The Readathon, combined with the certificate presentation, has helped raise student interest in reading and books.
Readathon catches on in OttawaHaving heard about Parkdale's Readathon program at a conference, the teacher-librarian at St. Joseph High School in Ottawa decided to try the idea. Here are some excerpts from the St. Joseph teacher-librarian's description of the highly successful event: We had it in mind to cap the number of students at 100, but when they showed up with pledge sheets in hand, it was hard to turn them away. We ended up with 178 Grade 7 and 8 students who read silently for the whole day! They brought pillows and sleeping bags, and lots of books, magazines, and comics. They camped out all over the place, crawling under tables and study carrels. They made themselves right at home, and read for pleasure for an entire day. We sent around a "wish list" for book titles that students wanted to purchase with the funds raised. We were initially a bit sceptical that we would be able to keep the lid on this event for a full day in the library with over 170 students. But we were very surprised and pleased that it was such a success. |
A Forest of Reading
This Ontario Library Association program, introduced at Parkdale, is structured as a student book club. Students are given a list of ten library books to read between November and May. They may select an additional five titles to read during the same period.
Rewards such as buttons, pencils, and bookmarks are given to students each time they finish a book.
The program is organized around specific reading levels, each associated with a particular tree and grade:
| Reading Level | Grade |
|---|---|
| Silver Birch | 4�6 |
| Red Maple | 7�9 |
| White Pine | 9�12 |
| Golden Oak | adult reading level |
Because the program is divided into a number of levels, students with weak reading skills and those with strong reading skills can all participate. Students select books at their reading level. When a student has finished reading a book, his or her name is put on a "leaf" and placed on the appropriate "tree" in the classroom. According to Parkdale staff, students respond very enthusiastically to this form of recognition as readers.
Contact: Parkdale Collegiate Institute, (416) 393-9000
Form: Do you have a successful program to share with Ontario educators?