Patrick Jones connectingya

1. Patrick Jones www.connectingya.com

2. Getting started • School Library Journal November 2001 • “Why We Are Kids Best Assets” • One in your face: “I hate to read” – what does it mean, why did he say it, and what you can do about it • One fact:“Reading ability is positively correlated with the extent to which students read recreationally.” -National Center for Education Statistics. • One story from JDC • One book from your life

3. WHO? Audience Customers / students Presenter WHAT: Objectives WHEN? WHERE? HOW? Lecture Handouts Active Learning Peer Learning Question and answer Power Point: Connecting Young Adults and LibrariesPatrick Joneshttp://www.connectingya.comGetting started

4. WHAT: OBJECTIVES • Learn why some readers are reluctant readers • Learn the best materials to reach reluctant readers • Share practices for reaching reluctant readers • Any others? www.connectingya.com

5. Small group: answer his 2 questions • Why should I read for pleasure rather than watch TV, go to the mall, listen to music, IM, talk on my cell phone, play Nintendo, work, study, be on myspace, or do something that’s not so boring? • Okay, fine. I’m in 8th grade; what should I read? (based on your experience, not a readers advisory interview with teen)

6. ~Who are Reluctant Readers~

7. Who Are Reluctant Readers?How often do you read? (Survey says)

8. Who Are Reluctant Readers?Why don’t you read (survey says)

9. Who Are Reluctant Readers?Survey says… • "I think that reading is EXTREMELY boring and that it gives me stress!! The only thing I will willingly read is a magazine!!!" --girl, 17 • "The reason I don’t read is because I basically don’t have enough time. I go to work right after school and go to school right away at 5:30 in the morning. But when I do read, I love it and wish I could do it more often. --boy, 17

10. Who Are Reluctant Readers?Survey says… • I have a pretty busy schedule, and I like getting school reading done before pleasure reading. So I don't get confused, I don't normally read any other books besides assigned ones during the school year." --girl, 17 • "Because most books can't keep me interested, so I guess I have a short attention span" boy, 17,

11. Who Are Reluctant Readers?Survey says… • "I don't really read for pleasure. If I do, then it is from a beauty magazine like Teen or Seventeen. No books really interest me anymore. I used to read Babysitters Club when I was little. I also read other little kids books all the time, but not anymore. At my age, no books really interest me." --girl, 17 • I think that reading takes up a lot of time that I don't have, and I enjoy reading when it's a good book that I'm interested in, but I don't have the time for books like that since the reading that I have to do is for school, and I don't like the books they choose for me." --girl, 17  

12. Who Are Reluctant Readers?Survey says… • “I don’t read because I am a visual learner so I find it hard to learn with pages and pages of words. I like to see what I’m being taught.” –­boy, age 17 • “I don't mind reading for myself but when school starts I don't like reading anymore. School seems to have boring books to read. Most of the books that I'm assigned to read have nothing to do with my profession. And I feel that it's a waste of time. If I have to read something I feel that it should at least offer me some type of helpful knowledge.” –­girl, age 16

13. Who Are Reluctant Readers?Survey says… • "I don't read because it is boring" --boy, 15 • “I usually don't read because it gives me headaches trying to focus my eyes on the words.” ­–boy, age 14 • “I don't really have time to read during school days and I don't really know which books are worth reading.” ­–girl, age 15

14. Who Are Reluctant Readers?Survey says… • “I like to read, but it’s having the patience to make time for it that gets in the way!  Plus, a lot of the books seem to be sci-fi these days, which I hate, so its also availability.”—girl, age 14 • “I think the reason I don’t read is because I never run into a book good enough to keep my attention.” ­–boy, age 14

15. Who Are Reluctant Readers? • Literate non-readers • Illiterate literates • Nonreaders • Aliterates

16. From Beers, Kylene. “Choosing Not to Read: Understanding Why Some Middle Schoolers Just Say No.” Into Focus: Understanding and Creating Middle School Readers ed. Kylene Beers and Barbara G. Samuels. • Avid: “I like reading and I always will.” Enjoy reading and like being identified as readers. Plan to read in the future. • Dormant: “I’m too busy right now.” Like to read but don’t make time for it. Have positive attitudes toward reading. Will read for pleasure when they have the opportunity. • Uncommitted: “I might be a reader, someday.” Believe reading is boring because they only see it as a skill. Don’t care for it much but could grow to like it. • Unmotivated: “I’m never going to like reading.” Actively dislike reading and express negative attitudes about people who read. • Unskilled: “I can’t read.” Does not identify as a reader and defines reading as “figuring out words.”

17. Why They Aren’t Reading 1. Associate with failure

18. Why They Aren’t Reading 2. Time and energy

19. Why They Aren’t Reading 3. Negative peer pressure

20. Why They Aren’t Reading 4. Not stimulated by ideas / not practical

21. Why They Aren’t Reading 5. No encouragement

22. Why They Aren’t Reading 6. Not a priority / rather do that read

23. Why They Aren’t Reading 7. Some adolescents may consider reading solitary and anti-social.

24. Why They Aren’t Reading 8. Can’t find the good books

25. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers • Cover - catchy, action-oriented, attractive, appealing, good "blurb"

26. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers Print style - sufficiently large for enjoyable reading

27. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers • Format - appropriate and appealing balance of text and white space

28. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers • Artwork/illustrations - enticing, realistic, demonstrated diversity

29. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers • Clear writing without long convoluted sentences of sophisticated vocabulary

30. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers • Acceptable literary quality and effectiveness of presentation

31. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction • High interest "hook" in first 10 pages

32. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction • Well-defined characters and not too many of them

33. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction • Sufficient plot to sustain interest

34. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction • Plot lines developed through dialog and action rather than descriptive text

35. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction • Familiar themes with emotional appeal for teenagers

36. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction • Believable treatment (that does not preclude speculative fiction however)

37. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction • Single point of view / not too many characters

38. Qualities of Books for Reluctant Readers: Fiction • Touches of humor when appropriate

39. Turnaround titles

40. The Turn Around Books • “I don’t think there is one turn-around book. That reduces a love to reading to a silver bullet—or in this case a magic book. Reluctant readers come to reading reluctantly. For a while they’ll be book-at-a-time readers---readers who will read the book we put into their hand but they won’t seek out the next good book on their own. Gradually, with support and encouragement, they’ll move toward a stance that says, “This reading thing is good—good enough that I’ll seek a book out on my own.” Maybe that’s the turn-around-book—the book that the kid on his own finds that he enjoys” - Dr. K. Beers (via email)

41. Turnaround titles • Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak • Ashanti. Foolish/Unfoolish • Banks, Russell. Rule of the Bone (M) • Brunvand, Jan Harold. Big Book of Urban Legends

42. Turnaround titles • Burgess, Melvin. Doing It (M) • Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game • Chbosky, Stephen. Perks Of Being A Wallflower (M) • Cisneros, Sandra. House On Mango Street

43. Turnaround titles • Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963 • Drooker, Eric. Blood Song • Flake, Sharon. Skin I’m In • Flake, Sharon. Who Am I Without Him

44. Turnaround titles • Flinn, Alex. Breathing Underwater • Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day (M) • Gantos, Jack. Hole In My Life • Giles, Gail. Playing in Traffic

45. Turnaround titles • Giles, Gail. Shattering Glass • Glenn, Mel. Class Dismissed • Going, K. L. Fat Kid Rules The World • Korman, Gordon. Son Of The Mob

46. Turnaround titles • Groening, Matt. Simpsons Comics (any) • Hinton, S.E. Outsiders • Holmes, Shannon. Be More Careful (M) • Johnson, Angela. First Part Last

47. Turnaround titles • Keys, Alice. Tears For Water • Lubar, David. Hidden Talents • McCall, Nathan. Makes Me Wanna Holler • McDonald, Janet. Spellbound

48. Turnaround titles • Mowry, Jess. Way Past Cool • Myers , Walter Dean. Monster • Nixon, Joan Lowry. Whispers From The Dead • Paolini, Christopher. Eragon

49. Turnaround titles • Paulsen, Gary. Harris and Me • Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet • Pelzer, David. Child Called It • Porter, Connie Rose. Imani All Mine

50. Turnaround titles • Rodriquez, Louis. Always Running (M) • Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter (any) • Sachar, Louis. Holes • Shakur, Sanyika. Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member ( M)