7+Promotion+of+Reading

=Promotion of Reading=

Excellent Teacher Librarians…
All schools should aim to promote and foster reading in order to create and support a strong reading culture and to improve student learning outcomes. Effective literacy programs and the subsequent development of strong literacy skills are necessary for students to become active life-long learners and contribute positively to, and communicate effectively within, our society. These aims can be achieved by encouraging further student participation in free voluntary reading (FVR) and working collaboratively with classroom teachers to improve the student literacy skills.
 * 1.1 || // understand the principles of lifelong learning // ||
 * 1.1.3 || // have a sound understanding of how children and young adults become independent readers // ||
 * 1.3 || // have a rich understanding of the school community and curriculum // ||
 * 1.3.1 || // have a comprehensive understanding of literacy, literature for children and young adults, curriculum and specific programs in their schools // ||
 * 1.3.2 || // have a detailed knowledge of how to promote and foster reading // ||
 * 2.1 || //engage and challenge learners within a supportive, information rich learning environment// ||
 * 2.1.3 || // foster an environment where learners are encouraged and empowered to read, view, listen and respond for understanding and enjoyment // ||
 * 2.2 || // collaboratively plan and resource curriculum programs which incorporate transferable information literacy and literature outcomes // ||
 * 2.2.1 || // collaborate with teachers to plan and implement information literacy and literature programs that result in positive student learning outcomes // ||
 * 2.2.2 || // ensure that their programs are responsive to the needs of learners in the school community // ||
 * 3.2 || // commit to the principles of education and librarianship // ||
 * 3.2.4 || // foster a reading culture through the active promotion of literature // ||

Krashen (2004) suggests a correlation between those who read more and literacy development, although he stresses that this does not necessarily indicate causality. Students who come from highly literate family environments are most likely to posses high literacy skills, have successful school literacy experiences and, as a consequence, possess an intrinsic motivation for reading. Auerbach (1989) concludes that “children whose home literacy practices most closely resemble those of school are more successful in school.” Those who are literate take for granted that which “remains a seemingly unattainable goal for many” (UNESCO, 2008). Even in Australia, one in five adults do not have the literacy skills to effectively participate in everyday life (ACAL, 2001 ) and consequently their children are also likely to struggle with the literacy demands that will enable them to function in society. Literacy has never been so important in communicating, learning and accessing knowledge as it is in today’s society and it is the role of the TL to ensure that the library resources and programs address the literacy needs of all students.

At site 1, the Smart Goals (2010) document lists one of the key aims of this library is to “embrace the reading culture of the school and provide many and varied literature opportunities.” It is no challenge for this TL to promote reading at a school where the strong reading culture stems from the majority of students coming from backgrounds that are conducive to active participation in reading. The student population at site 1 is a mostly homogenous one: girls coming from affluent families where English is the first language. It is easy to ignore the needs of the minority groups at this school, those students who display a lack of interest in reading traditional forms of text, or who have low literacy levels due to learning difficulties or English as a second language (ESL). For those students who are already avid readers, it is necessary to extend their capabilities and encourage them to critically analyse narratives. For those who do not have the capacity or the motivation to participate in reading, it is necessary to target their learning needs and provide opportunities to motivate and engage them with the resources, in order to improve their literacy standards and encourage them to read.

The range of strategies and resources used to promote reading at site 1 are limited to those that support the majority of the students who are already avid readers. These include numerous reading competitions, book displays, an annual literature festival and a wide reading program. The wide reading program encourages students to read from a variety of genres, thereby exposing them to ideas from different contexts. The associated wide reading booklet involves some creative activities related to, as well as keeping a log of, the books read. However, despite acknowledgment that collaboration is necessary "to build an effective literature/wide reading program" (Strategic Plan, 2010), there was no evidence of collaboration between the TL and class teacher to ensure that the class literacy and the wide reading programs complement each other. The library program does not cater for students who are struggling with the acquisition of literacy skills or who are disinterested in reading and does not extend those students who are already avid readers. One innovative strategy implemented by the TL involves the supply of “discussion cards” that encourages parent involvement in the reading activities of their children when at home. However, for ESL students, this is of little use if the parent has low English literacy levels that render them incapable of assisting their child. The library has the potential to play an important role in supporting parents by transmitting the culture of school literacy and strengthening the ties between the home and the school (Auerbach, 1989 ). Parents who are inspired to seek literacy training, namely ESL parents, could be invited to share in reading activities at the library and then borrow books that target their own interests (Talan in Schamber, 2003 ), or participate in adult literacy classes that are hosted at the library.

Unsworth, (2007) identifies that the interests and needs of students in a digital society require reading resources that include computer-based literary narratives. The generous (but undisclosed) budget at site 1, has enabled the collection to grow to over 40 000 items. The TL uses journals such as //Magpies// and blogs and internet sites such as //Inside a Dog// in conjunction with suggestions from students and teachers to acquire reading materials that aim to support the needs and interests of the students. Despite this, there are very few examples of audio, digital or e-narratives. A book review blog and some links to authors' or illustrators' web sites that are accessible via the library intranet are the only evidence of ICT applications for engaging students in reading. Listening post, where students listen to audio narratives, was the only example of alternative formats to the traditional paper-based text narratives. There was no evidence of computer based narratives being employed.

In a library that aims to promote reading to learners of the 21st century, a range of fictional formats should be incorporated within the resource collection. With expansive access to ICTs, links to providers of computer based literary narratives such as the Gutenberg Project and Intentional Children’s Digital Library would enable the students to participate in linear e-narratives, interactive story contexts, hypermedia narratives, and electronic game narratives (Unsworth 2007). There is a wealth of free, online material to support stories, including sites that are hosted by school age web masters. These may include: composition and story genesis information; enticements such as teaser samples, online reviews and games about the story; interactive online discussions; the creation of additional chapters, parallel stories, images, games and puzzles about the story; and the co-creation of multi-modal story episodes in virtual worlds known as 'palaces' (Unsworth, 2007).

The exceptional foundations of the library at site 1, including a generous budget, more than sufficient staffing and a strong reading culture, should be used to create a “stellar” reading program that exploits these strengths rather than model complacency. Furthermore, prior student capacity does not indicate exemplary professional practice. To meet these standards, it is necessary to develop strategies and provide resources that engage and support the needs of all students. For those students who already participate heavily in FVR, reading circles that extent their critical literacy capabilities through the opportunity to discuss a book that has been read by a small group, promote independent and cooperative learning and journal writing are powerful strategies for improving reading outcomes (Reynolds 2006 ). Strategies that can assist poor readers to increase their motivation and participation, such as providing opportunities for short, daily bursts of sustained, silent reading (Krashen, 2004 ) and selecting resources and activities that are appropriate to their interests, cultural and learning needs, must be employed. The resource collection should include a variety of reading genre and formats. In addition to the traditional printed text novels, newspapers, magazines and graphic novels, there is a need to provide e-narratives and the associated support material. This will engage a wider audience and improve the learning outcomes for all students.

