Please change your RSS feed for Getting Kids Reading

We've upgraded Getting Kids Reading!

We're at http://www.gkreading.com/.

However, if you've got an RSS feed for Getting Kids Reading, it will be pointing to this page, under a different URL.

Please go to http://www.gkreading.com/ and grab our RSS feed from there.

I wish I were technically knowledgeable enough to make this process seamless for you, but there you go. Thanks everyone, for reading GKR and we hope to see you at the new site!

Thanks,
-Joyce

Access to printed materials does help

What impact, if any, does access to print materials have on our children's reading?

A lot, according to extensive research by RIF, Reading Is Fundamental, a non-profit children's literacy organization based in Washington, DC.

Owning and borrowing books from the library causes, "positive behavioural, educational and psychological outcomes."

In other words, kids who have access to books do better socially and at school.
(Does this sound familiar to regular GKR readers? But I digress.)

RIF found that having access to printed materials:

...improves children's reading performance. Children, and kindergarten students in particular, read better when they're often surrounded by books.

...is instrumental in helping children learn the basics of reading. Kids who have lots of different books become better at identifying words, being able to sound out words, and read sentences.

...causes children to read more and for longer lengths of time. There is more shared reading between parents and children. Kids read more often and for longer stretches.

...produces improved attitudes toward reading and learning among children. Kids who own, borrow or who are given books say they like reading and schoolwork more than kids who don't have access to books.

So there you have it. It's what this blog has been advocating for more than a year, and I'm thrilled to see another significant study that backs it up: kids who have access to books are much more likely to become great readers, and to love reading.

Scatter books around the house
Please check out these ideas for surrounding your kid with books.
Mom got her son reading!
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (let him find books on his bed)
Get your six-year-old reading
More books = more education

How the RIF study was done
Researchers searched 11,000 reports and analyzed 108 of the most relevant studies. They then chose "the most thorough and carefully conducted 44" of the 108 and did further analysis in order to draw their conclusions. That's a lot of stuff.

Contest: Win free Picture It books

We've only had two contest entries so far.

And while it's great that two people have entered (thank you, M and K!)... I ask myself, "why haven't more people entered?"

I figure it could be for two reasons (both of which have to do with the fact that I'm a neophyte at offering contests):

1) You don't want to have to worry about picking the books up or paying for postage. Fair enough - I get that. Can't change it, though.

2) You don't want to have to put your e-mail address (as asked in my original post) on the Internet. This one I can fix.

So now if you want to enter the contest, just e-mail me your information at joycegrant at sympatico dot ca and I'll enter you!

3) Don't know what contest I'm talking about? Read this. And then enter, please.

Literacy Lava 6 - e-newsletter

Please check out the 6th edition of Literacy Lava e-newsletter.

I have an article in it ("Newspapers Build Literacy Skills") that I hope you enjoy.

Click here to access the free .pdf, Literacy Lava 6. Scroll down on the page and click on the image of LL6.

You'll find lots of other great literacy articles in this edition of LL, including:
* How to create a father/son book club;
* Telling tales with "story stones";
* Using poetry to support literacy; and
* Revving up reluctant readers.

Our thanks to Susan Stephenson, of The Book Chook, who produces Literacy Lava.

Survey for research on "enhanced books"

GKR readers, the U of C needs our help.

The University of Connecticut is doing a study on illustrated children's books. They'd like GKR readers to help by taking a brief (four-minute) online survey.

Before passing along their request to you, I called them and spoke to them about their research. It sounds pretty interesting.

It's an academic study - not funded by any toy company or book publisher. They're interested in investigating a product that would enhance an illustrated book with online information. So for instance, it might be that a child clicks on a picture of a dolphin and gets some facts about dolphins. Or maybe the child is instructed to click on all of the nouns on a page and the device counts the number of nouns the child successfully finds.

The survey is intended for parents of children 8 and under, but if you've got an older child and can simply cast your mind back to the time when they were 8, they'd like your input too.

I've asked them to share with us the results of their survey so we can blog about it. The results should ready in August.

Here's the survey:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22ATY56VF98

Canadian (and other non-US) GKRers - when you come to the question "What state do you live in?" resist the temptation to type "state of bliss" and just leave it blank. Their research includes Canadians and non-Americans, but not to the extent where they'll actually let you select a province. Whatevah.

Reading is a language

My son called me over.

"Mom," he said,"remember when I used to look at a word like 'fox' and I'd sit there, trying to sound it out? And it would take forever?!"

"Yes," I said.

"Well, isn't it funny," he said, "that now I just blast through sentences and pages of words. I don't even have to think about it! Why is that?"

And then we both sat there, silent, thinking about that.

If your child is struggling with reading and sounding-out - here's a great reminder that one day... it will all just click.

And reading will become a new language that your child doesn't even have to think about - that he'll just know - that he'll blast right through.

It will.

Getting active kids reading

Sitting and reading is not the only way.

At age five, girls are able to sit still and listen about 2.5 times longer than boys, according to studies.

But we don’t need research to tell us that most boys would rather get up and move around than sit and read.

Here are some great ways to keep active kids happy while they’re learning. (Statistically, this tends to be a boy issue--so we're using the male pronoun--but if you’ve got an active girl these tips will apply just as well.)

1) LET HIM MOVE. Let your son play with a ball while you read to him. Having a ball to quietly hold and catch helps lots of kids concentrate better.

2) INTERRUPT THE STORY. When you come to a plot point, stop and ask him, “why do you think that happened?” or “what do you think that meant?” Not only does it help with comprehension, but it breaks up the monotony of listening.

3) GO OUTSIDE. It's called "environmental literacy" - finding things to read outside. There are tons of signs and advertisements to read out there, and even word puzzles to figure out. What does that parking sign mean? When can you park here? How much is parking? What is that an ad for? Do you believe the ad? He’ll have to read carefully to figure out the answers.

4) MAKE EVERYTHING A CONTEST. Active kids, and especially kids who like sports, love to be timed, challenged, and rewarded. When you play literacy games, getting out a stopwatch can bring the right measure of fun competition to it.

5) PLAY ACTIVE GAMES. Take a long strip of paper – say four feet long by four inches high (or several strips). In marker, write a sentence on it. Then cut the sentence up into words. Hide the words around your backyard or playground. Have the child run around and collect the words, bringing each one back to you when it’s found, before running out and getting the next one. When he has them all, he can piece them all into a sentence. Time him and see if he can do it faster the second time around.

6) HOST A TREASURE HUNT. Use signs to lead your child up to his bedroom, across to his dresser, over to the bathroom, down to the basement, into a closet, up to the attic, into the fridge… and then over to the dining room table, where he’ll find his treat (chocolate, or a wrapped book, or some other small reward). It’s a great game that combines reading with physical activity.

7) WRITE A STORY WHILE YOU’RE WALKING. Schedule a long walk, just the two of you. While you’re walking, lead him to create a story – with characters, an interesting setting and a couple of plot points.

Extending this activity: When you get back home, he can dictate the story so you can write it down, or he can type it up. Make it into a book and add illustrations. He’ll have something tangible that he has created.

This post is part of the Literacy Blog Tour (March 8-14, 2010) - welcome tourists! We hope you'll be back again and again.

We're now gkreading.com

We have a new - and improved - web address.

Getting Kids Reading is now at www.gkreading.com.

The old address (http://gettingkidsreading.blogspot.com) will still work. And the content hasn't changed. But the address is just a bit easier to, um, read. And isn't that the point? Yes.

I'd like to thank my husband without whom, trust me, this could not have happened. Like, in a million years.

Video-kid ideas needed

As you may know, when I'm not blogging or mothering I'm a freelance journalist.

I'm currently writing a magazine article about how to get kids who love video games, to love reading as well.

One of the ways to do this is to use technology, that has a literacy component, to interest them.

Do you know any particularly interesting websites, games, toys or products that use technology but have a strong literacy component?

If so, I'd love to hear from you. Please comment, below, or send me an e-mail at joycegrant (at) sympatico (dot) ca. Please include your e-mail address so I can follow-up with you if necessary.

Thanks!

The readers of this blog often have the most amazing ideas, which is why I'm reaching out in this way. Thank you, everyone, in advance for your thoughts. And Happy Valentine's Day!

For the Love of Reading

I'm covering the Reading for the Love of it conference today.

I've never been before, and I'm really excited about it. It's a two-day "language arts" conference in Toronto aimed at educators. I consider myself one of those--after all, if this blog isn't about educating, what is it about? ("Fun!" screams the sassy voice in my head, but I shush it.)

For every workshop time-slot, there are dozens of speakers. Impossible to choose. I can only imagine how many booths there will be. I had 100 business cards printed up yesterday, and I hope I give them all away.

From this literacy cornucopia, I will try to distill the best and most useful information and present it here in upcoming posts. In the meantime, I'm bringing my laptop and my camera and my good shoes.

Here's a link to the conference's home page.

Stephen Lewis is speaking on "Education: the world's greatest force for good." Good lord, how does anyone take the stage after that? It's like trying to follow Al Gore at an ecology conference.

Family Literacy Day - Jan. 27

Today is Family Literacy Day.

This is the day!

It's the day you and your kid:

1) Read together.

2) Talk about your favourite book.

3) Listen to a book on tape.

4) Write each other a letter, which you drop in the mail for each other. Surprise!

5) Vote for your favourite children's books here.

6) Go to the library.

7) Create a storybook about your child. (Here's how.)

8) Cook something together - your child reads the recipe as you go along.

9) Read together.

Happy Family Literacy Day.

I hope you enjoy celebrating it with your family.

We will celebrate by continuing to read The Mysterious Benedict Society (the second book) together, just before my son... falls.... asleep... to dream mysterious dreams.

The picture - no, it's not me and my son but I just love it. They're so into reading together! Ooooh, Family Literacy Day. It's such a cosy celebration.

Profile: Boy, 8, active, likes video games

Parents are always asking each other for book suggestions.
It’s a good idea, because what one child likes will often appeal to other kids of the same age and interests.

I’ve decided to profile some very different kids and ask them to share their top five books. When kids are forced to only list their top five, you get the absolute cream of the crop.

GKR readers will be able to compare their child’s interests to those of the profiled kids and they might find a new book that child would like, based on their top-five list.

I am sending out a request for profiles to my friends and neighbours. I’ve started with my son, getting him (rather than me) to describe himself. I think that his description is pretty accurate.

Interviewing him was really fun for both of us, and revealed some things about him that I didn’t know. For instance, he thinks he’s “a little lazy,” and “likes to show off.” I mean, I knew that but I didn’t realize he did.

I encourage you to interview your child(ren) using the categories below. Send us your results and we’ll post them on GKR. Not only will you find out what your child’s top five books are – a list that may surprise you – but you’ll likely learn some other things about your child in the process.

So here’s the first profile and his top five books.

PROFILE
Boy, 8 – reading level: above average/enjoys reading; Canadian

DESCRIBE YOURSELF
Athletic, energetic, a little lazy, I like to watch TV and play video games, I like to show off, I like to dance, I like eating, gracious, brave (ie, can perform in front of people).

LIKES
Physical activities, music (rock, pop and metal), TV and video games

TOP FIVE FAVOURITE BOOKS
1) Harry Potter
2) Mysterious Benedict Society (there are three)
3) Hamish X
4) My Weird School (series)
5) Archie comics

If you know a child you'd like to profile, please send me an e-mail (joycegrant (at) sympatico (dot) ca) and I will send you the questionnaire. Interviews take about five minutes, and are really fun. I'd love to have kids from all over the world profiled - we'll all get some great book suggestions from each other!

It's not your imagination - I've changed this post slightly. I've added links to the books, above. A couple of the websites have related games and activities, so they're worth a look. -JG

Kids love to talk about themselves. Can you imagine how special a child feels when you sit down and ask him to describe himself - without interrupting or questioning his description of himself. And you'll learn more than you thought about your kid and about yourself.
Photo: iStock photos.

GKR on Rogers Cable TV

Getting Kids Reading's first television interview!

I was invited to do a brief segment on Rogers Daytime (Peel Region), yesterday, with hosts Travis Dhanraj and Deja Gordon. It was very exciting - and nerve wracking, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spread the word about Getting Kids Reading.

I want to thank all of the staff members at Rogers Cable in Peel who made the experience easier for me.

For a couple of weeks before the segment, I prepped, got professional make-up tips from my friend (and freelance make-up artist) Kerry O'Hana, loaded up about a dozen literacy games and books and headed to the studio in Mississauga.

There, I waited in the lobby with Fred who was promoting a Cancer awareness event, a professional organizer, a snowboarder promoting a local ski hill, and a woman and her PR rep who were flogging a new Wonder bread.

Deja and Travis kept flitting back and forth between the studio and the offices. Travis shook our hands and asked us who we were and what we'd be talking about. It amused me to see him with one of those tissue collar-protectors to prevent his make-up from smearing his shirt. The last time I saw that, it was on the Mary Tyler Moore show. Remember Ted Baxter?

My eight-minute segment flew by incredibly quickly. We talked about the importance of literacy, and how so many parents are concerned that their kids aren't reading as well as they'd like. We also talked about some games, activities and books that are good for fostering a love of reading. And Deja pointed out that instilling good reading habits is a bit like getting your kids to eat healthy - you've got to have healthy options available, show them by your example, and do healthy activities with them.

Thanks again to everyone at Rogers, including Jake Dheer and Sandra Chabot.

For my first TV appearance, all I can say is I'm glad it's over - it was a bit nerve wracking.. Thank goodness Travis lead the conversation and kept the ball rolling. Anyway, now that I've had one under my belt, I'll know what to expect next time - and I'll leave most of my props at home (there was no time for them!).
Thanks again, Kerry, for giving me an all-important pep talk, and for introducing me to the wonders of concealer.

Toys for the CHUM Christmas Wish

I had some unopened toys that companies had sent me to review.

Some of them weren't literacy-based, so I hadn't opened them.

And others didn't need to be opened in order to review them.

Anyway, I had quite a stash, so I brought them over to the CHUM Christmas Wish. Apparently, they'll be sent on Wednesday to kids in time for Christmas.

Thanks, companies! (You know who you are.)

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!

Image: Wikipedia Commons, www.commons.wikimedia.org.

I like it, because it's pencils (much like what I dropped off for the kids) but it kinda looks like a Christmas star.

GKR strategies at work

Last month, I talked to a mom whose son wasn’t reading.

She was really distraught about it, and was searching for ways to get him interested in picking up a book.

I gave her some suggestions:
*Since her son is active, go for a walk and the read signs and ads outside.
*Let him play with a ball as you read to him.
*Scatter books around the house.
*Make reading its own reward – show him how he can find facts and interesting stuff in books.
*Offer him fact-filled books like the Guinness World Records.

And an e-mail I sent her:
I think the most important thing is to make reading have a pay-off for him – the act of reading will give him information he didn’t have. I used to give my son a book, and I’d say, “Oh, there’s something really cool in here about sharks’ teeth. You’ll see it – it’s on page 19.”
Then he reads it, and then comes down and tells me all about it. Pay-off.

That makes reading really sustainable for him.
It’s what will make him find solace in books, and intrigue, and excitement.
It’s what will make him a great reader.

I also told her that it thought her son was at about the norm for reading, for his age and grade level, and that she didn’t have to worry.

Here’s what she wrote me the other day:
“I wanted to tell you all of your advice has paid off.
Even just setting my mind at ease has really helped to let the tension go, and encourage O. to read at his leisure.
He's really getting it now.”

Now that's exciting.

Read other success stories here.

Until I talked with this mom, I hadn't realized how much pressure we put on ourselves to get our kids reading. And when that pressure is relieved, how easy the whole thing becomes. So like life.

More than you probably want to know

Full disclosure – it’s just the way I roll.

My friend Julie sent me an article about new US legislation forcing bloggers to disclose when they’ve received products or money from companies they're blogging about.

We don’t have that rule in Canada (yet), but transparency in journalism is always a good thing, so I’d like to address the issue.

First of all, I want to make it clear that I don’t get paid to write this blog. In fact, the darned thing costs me money. (I’m paying a girl to put up some flyers around town – flyers which I paid to have printed. I also buy research materials about literacy to ensure I stay on top of the subject.)

I do hope to turn this blog into a book at some point, but that may be awhile off. But my motivation is, and will always be, just what the title says: to Get Kids Reading.

In my money-making job, I’m a freelance editor and journalist. When I worked for newspapers and magazines in the past and wanted to review a product, the large corporation which owned the publication bought any products I reviewed.

However, my blog obviously doesn’t have a corporation backing it (yet… hint, hint to any of you CEOs who want to back this blog…) So I don’t have a budget to buy products or books I want to review.

So when I review a product like Tag reading products or Crayola writing products, I contact the company and ask them to send me one. Sometimes companies also send me products or books (Scholastic, for instance), unsolicited, to review.

Here’s how I work. I usually find out about a product or book online or through word-of-mouth. If I can’t borrow it, I’ll contact the company and have them send me one. After checking it out, I’ll decide if I think it’s good or not. If it’s good I’ll write a review. In that review, I’ll also list any negative aspects of the product or book. If I think a product or book is not good, I won’t write a review about it.

I try to be unbiased. I truly do love LeapPad products, for instance, and think they’re excellent for literacy. That wouldn’t change if they never gave me their products to try out. (But if they didn’t, I wouldn’t review something I’d never tried.)

I believe in disclosure – I think it’s professional and I think readers appreciate it when you let them know what your biases may be. So going forward, I’m going to add disclosures to posts I write, in which I’ve been given the book or product. Going backwards, I’m going to add disclosures to past blogs in which I’ve been given the product or book. This might take awhile, but I think it’s a good idea.

Oh, one more thing. I don't believe in copyright. I know it's blasphemous for a writer/editor who makes her living from writing to diss copyright, but there you are. I think copyright has become more about lawyers and less about authors, which is why I don't believe in it. Having said that, I do respect other people's copyright. So I search long and hard to find copyright-free images, or I take pictures myself (which typically suck - I'm no photographer, but there you go). From time-to-time I find the perfect photograph and can't figure out if it's copyright-free or not. In that case, I will contact the originator of the image to obtain their permission to use it. Sometimes they don't get back to me, in which case I cite them and post a link to their website. I figure if they ever object, I'll take the image off my blog, and in the meantime it's good publicity for them. Plus, isn't "sharing" what today's web is all about? (Yes, it is.)

So that’s it. I’m glad the US has decided to force bloggers to tell people when they’ve received products or been paid by the company. I’m hoping that my fellow Canadian bloggers (and those in other countries) won’t wait for our government to do that, and will self-disclose before we get legislated to do so.

If this were the Academy Awards, this whole post would be that part where the president of the Academy gets up and bores everyone. If it were a car ad, it would be in mice-type. If it was a drug commercial it would be that weird fast-talk where they list all the creepy side effects. As it is, being a literacy blog, the main side effect is that your kids will be better readers. Suh-nap!

Happy First Birthday, Getting Kids Reading!

This month marks our one-year anniversary.

We had another milestone this month too – our 100th post.
(Woo-hoo! Streamers! Horn sounds in the background!)

We also finished 21st out of 178 blogs in our category in the BlogLuxe Awards. Thank you to everyone who voted.

More importantly, we have helped a number of children who weren’t great readers before, start reading. Their parents applied our suggestions and now the kids are reading. You can click on “Successes” to read a couple of the stories, but I know there are many more out there.

We recently started a postering campaign in Toronto and, strangely enough, in Yellowknife, NWT. If you’d like me to send you some Getting Kids Reading posters to post at schools, libraries, churches, grocery stores – just send me your address and I’ll be happy to send them out to you. And I’ll appreciate your help spreading the word.

But in the meantime – I’m gonna celebrate! Woo-hoo!

Thank you to Val, who designed our poster (it looks better in real-life than my crummy photo of it here) and Grace, who is doing most of the postering. And Laura and Patti, in our Yellowknife branch. Thank you so much! (And Michele, in our Scarborough branch.)