A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Blue Ribbon Schools:
How Principals Promote Reading

Innovative principals across the nation are striving to raise reading achievement for all students in their schools. Some take a school-wide approach by engaging non-teaching staff and teachers from other disciplines. Others are pairing children from different grades to read together.

Many are reaching out to parents and the community to support young readers through extended learning time after school and in the home. Creative events and book challenges inspire students and motivate them to read more often.

Here are some examples from the National Association of Elementary School Principals:

School-wide Focus:

• At an elementary school in Cape Coral, Florida, teachers, staff, parents, and peers all serve as reading "teachers." As a supplement to classroom instruction, school-wide activities build reading and writing skills in social studies, science, health, and mathematics.
• A principal in Washington, Pennsylvania, rescheduled a dozen Title I teachers to reduce class sizes for longer language arts sessions.
• Many schools are instituting school-wide computer programs and other technology to aid, motivate, and monitor young readers.

Parents:

• At an elementary school in Boca Raton, Florida, parents support students in friendly competitions between teams to read the most books. Parents are coached to ask comprehension questions about each book before validating its completion, and the local newspaper publishes the pictures of top readers. School murals monitor team progress for all to see.
• Some schools hold Family Reading Nights each year, with vocabulary word bingo, musical chairs with phonics, computer reading games, and treasure maps for reading comprehension.

Peers:

• Many schools, such as one in Shreveport, Louisiana, use a "book buddy" system, which pairs an older student with a younger child for extended reading time. This approach can build skills of both learners as it boosts their motivation to read.
• Another school in Talladega, Alabama, encourages older students to be "roving readers" by reading aloud before lower grade-level classes to earn certificates of accomplishment. These students build fluency and confidence as they model successful reading for younger pupils.

Community:

• Schools such as one in Springfield, Illinois, bring tutors into the school for supplemental reading and writing activities. Tutors may be trained through AmeriCorps, senior citizens groups, or colleges in the America Reads work-study program, among others. This approach connects the community at large with young learners who benefit from one-on-one attention to their reading progress. It also provides positive role models for pupils.
• Some schools, like one in Irmo, South Carolina, partner with the local library to engage elementary students in summer reading with the U.S. Department of Education's free Read*Write*Now! kits.

Fun with Books:

• A school in Grove City, Pennsylvania, holds an annual event at Halloween, which motivates students to dress up as characters from favorite books and tour senior centers and nursing homes. Teachers also don costumes for this Literacy Parade, which is preceded by oral book reports that develop skills in comprehension and analysis.
• A Houston, Texas, school uses Scrabble games to build vocabulary.
• A Coventry, Rhode Island, school sponsors "Reading Month," with a PTA book fair, picnic, presentations of children's original books, and a challenge to choose books over TV.
• Other principals promise fun rewards for the whole school for exceeding book goals, such as a hot air balloon demonstration, ice cream parties, or seeing the principal eat lunch on the roof.

Source: National Association of Elementary School Principals

Best Ideas for Reading from America’s Blue Ribbon Schools, 1998.
Contact:
Corwin Press
Thousand Oaks, CA
(805) 499-9774
Fax: (800) 4-1-SCHOOL
www.corwinpress.com

Graphics version of this page

Topics:

• About Us
• America Reads Directory
• Resources/Research
• Events

Information for:

• Kids
• Families
• Educators
• Communities
• Colleges/Universities

Site Map
Search
Education Home Page