Coming Together as Readers

Book excerpt: "Perfect for teachers and school administrators looking to bridge the reading gap between the school and community. Provides many useful and relevant suggestions." —Ken Schofield, Principal Chaparral Elementary School, Phoenix, AZ "I absolutely enjoyed the text. The amount of studies and research-based decision-making strategies make this resource invaluable for schools working on school improvement plans. This book could be used as a textbook for reading improvement!" —Lyndon Oswald, Principal Sandcreek Middle School, Idaho Falls, ID Create a community-supported culture of reading that fosters students′ lifelong cognitive development! Based on the premise that student growth in literacy is strengthened when all stakeholders are involved, Coming Together as Readers, Second Edition, helps educators forge community collaborations to build successful reading at all grade levels. Drawing on her experience as a teacher, professor, and former president of the International Reading Association, literacy expert Donna Ogle offers creative strategies for using university partnerships, teacher collaboration, and family involvement to help shape, inform, and support reading habits beyond the primary grades. The author also provides an easy-to-administer survey for diagnosing a school′s reading culture, and demonstrates how to identify priorities and create a vision, encourage shared discussion and study, and move toward positive change that promotes ideal conditions for developing literacy. Aligned with national reading initiatives and standards, this updated, research-based edition includes: A new chapter about gaining support from libraries Protocols for teacher groups reviewing student work Examples of teachers sharing their own personal reading with students Web sites and tips for working with government and professional organizations This reader-friendly guidebook is ideal for helping young students expand their reading strategies to establish the cognitive foundation for advanced learning.