The evaluation, conducted by external evaluator Juarez & Associates, also found in Nepal and Sri Lanka that Room to Read libraries increased the number of children who thought reading was an interesting activity. In India (Chhattisgarh), Sri Lanka, and Zambia, children from schools with a Room to Read library could read relatively more fluently or with better comprehension two years after libraries were opened than children from comparison schools.
Good school libraries also contribute to the development of a reading for pleasure culture. When effectively run by knowledgeable staff, with a range of high quality books and resources, good school libraries can transform whole school reading provision.
improving literacy through school libraries evaluation
We provide evidence-based online training for subscribed member schools which includes resources to help schools audit and develop their reading for pleasure provision, putting school libraries at the heart of their reading communities. Please read the login instructions before you begin.
Connect with your administrator on the priorities that you share. This two-page spread highlights district-wide applications of the National School Library Standards, including school librarian and school library evaluations and checklists of particular interest to administrators.
FINDS, Florida's Library Media Research Model, incorporates research skills that are imbedded in the Florida B.E.S.T. Standards and provides a framework for the application of these standards through a sequential research process. By making use of a wide range of learning resources and the collaborative efforts of the classroom teacher and school librarian, students learn inquiry-based skills that are applicable across disciplines. Consequently, students acquire the dispositions and competencies needed to function successfully in this demanding, information-intense, technology-driven world.
One of the goals of the school library media program is to provide intellectual and physical access to a broad range of literature and informational reading materials for personal pleasure and curriculum support. Library media programs aggressively support reading through a variety of promotional and instructional strategies that are carefully crafted to meet the unique needs of learners at each developmental stage. Additionally, the library instructional and promotional activities are collaboratively planned with classroom teachers so that the concepts and skills taught in the classroom are reinforced, enriching the learning experience.
NCEE conducts unbiased, large-scale evaluations of education programs supported by federal funds; provides technical assistance; and supports the development and use of research and evaluation throughout the United States. Learn more about our work
In Arkansas, REL Southwest studied the effectiveness of using emails and text messages to increase the number of parents or guardians of elementary school children visiting a state literacy website. More info
Learning to read begins at home through everyday parent-child interactions, long before children attend school. This new website helps families support literacy development for students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. It includes family activities to build literacy skills at home, along with videos that show parents what to focus on in each activity.
For these reasons, we support student access to classroom libraries that 1) offer a wide range of materials to appeal to and support the needs of students with different interests and abilities; 2) provide access to multiple resources that reflect diverse perspectives and social identities; and 3) open up opportunities for students, teachers, and school librarians to collaborate on the selections available for student choice and reading.
Identification of delays or disorders in literacy development typically occurs in the upper elementary grades, but research also indicates that this may be too late for remediation (NICHD, 2000). Language acquisition and literacy experiences begin at birth. Students lacking previous experiences with skills such as print awareness, alphabetic principle, and phonemic awareness need supplementary instruction to ensure they do not lag behind their peers. Therefore, elementary school teachers must provide an environment that allows students with disabilities to have access to experiences they may have missed in their preschool years.
This information brief describes the various elements of a literacy rich environment in an elementary school classroom that provide students in special education access to the general education curriculum. It provides elementary school teachers with information on why a literacy-rich environment is important and how to establish one. Lists of additional resources are also included to enhance the readers' ability to implement literacy-rich environments. Please note that while this information brief specifically discusses the needs of students with disabilities, particularly those affecting literacy acquisition, the strategies discussed are effective for all children in elementary settings.
Imagine walking into an early elementary school classroom and seeing all students immersed in literacy experiences. Children are engaged in a variety of reading and writing activities while some students are working in groups and others working individually. Students explore books of various genres not just in the library or during reading times, but also in science, math, and social studies. During math the teacher reads aloud a book on math such as The Math Curse (Scieszka & Lane, 1995) and discusses the content in order to expose students to literacy across all content areas. During science, students explore the science literature such as eyewitness books to gain greater knowledge about concepts. Students interact with books on CD-Rom and listen to books on tape. Materials in the classroom are adapted not only to help students with challenges interact with text, but also to serve as a motivator for reading. Students write books and reports in all of the content areas, as well as writing in student journals and notebooks. When needing a resource for more information, students use books, computers, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and word walls, as well as teachers and peers for assistance.
Teachers engage in language and literacy activities in all elements of instruction. Conversations abound in which teachers elicit language from students and ask them to transcribe that language. For example, a teacher conducting a science lesson may request hypotheses, observations, and conclusions from students in an oral and written form. Teachers also facilitate language and literacy exploration with games and activities that students can use one-to-one, independently, or with peers. Finally, teachers demonstrate their own participation in language and literacy through modeling its use continually throughout the day. Teachers can demonstrate writing on the board by recording what children share in class discussions.
Taking dictation for students not yet fluent in writing allows students to see how oral language is translated into written language. Written words let students see what they say. Therefore, writing makes thoughts visible. As students make attempts to write, allowing for diverse materials (pens, pencils, markers, and crayons of varying shapes and sizes, typewriters, computers, keyboards, magnetic writing boards, etc.) increases students choice and motivation. Adapted materials such as tactile books, manipulatives, slant boards, and pencil grips for diverse learners offers accessibility and motivation. Home-school connections are made through lending materials that ensure that students with diverse ability have literacy opportunities at home as well as at school. Parents are made aware of the materials and shown how students can use them at home.
The role of the teacher is to encourage all attempts at reading, writing, and speaking, allowing students of varying ability to experience the different function and use of literacy activities. Teacher interactions with students with disabilities build on students' knowledge as they develop literacy skills. Teachers use a variety of methods of communicating with students by asking questions, labeling objects and experiences with new vocabulary, and offering practice to help students remember and generalize new concepts and skills (Whitehurst, 2003). Teaching staff plan activities so that students "have opportunities to integrate and extend their literacy knowledge by reading aloud, listening to other students read aloud, and listening to tape recordings and videotapes in reading corners" (Gunn, Simmons, & Kameenui, 1995, 5). Also, staff teaches students how to use the materials in their environment to promote interest and use of literacy materials throughout the classroom (Gunn, Simmons, & Kameenui, 1995). Another strategy involves staff members intentionally making mistakes to demonstrate editing and revising (Goodman, Bird, & Goodman, 1991), modeling for children the importance of making mistakes while demonstrating the writing process.
There are numerous classroom materials that help build a literacy-rich environment. By integrating phone books, menus, and other written materials into student play, children are able to see the connections between written word and spoken language, as well as to understand how written language is used in real world situations. By creating a literacy-rich environment for students with disabilities, teachers are giving students the opportunities and skills necessary for growth in literacy development. "Through exposure to written language (e.g., storybook reading and daily living routines) many children develop an awareness of print, letter naming, and phonemic awareness. Additionally, through exposure to oral language, preschool children develop listening comprehension, vocabulary, and language facility" (Gunn, Simmons, & Kameenui, 1995, 3). Also, Lomax and McGee suggest that awareness of print is the precursor to phonemic awareness, grapheme-phoneme correspondence knowledge, and word reading (Ibid.). 2ff7e9595c
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