TubTalk

When I read this headline America Spends Billions on Remedial Education, two quotes came to mind.

The headline is Louise Ash's summary of an Associated Press article in US News and World Report ... which is actually a collection of excerpts and an interview based on Diploma to Nowhere, a report on the Strong American Schools website.

I've pulled some quotes from the website about reading and education so we can see just how much has changed. The year (in bold) is the date of the quote. The date of the data analyzed is older.

Quote 1: Emphasis on Reading Achievement
1996: "Only 37 percent of high school students score high enough on reading achievement tests to handle adequately college level material—yet almost 70 percent attempt college-level work." ["The Baccalaureate Game: Is it Right for all Teens?" Phi Delta Kappan, April 1996, p. 528-534]

2008: "...a new study calculates, one-third of American college students have to enroll in remedial classes. " ["Colleges Spend Billions to Prep Freshman," US News and World Report, 15 September 2008 (online)]

Quote 2: How Much Remediation?
2004: For the Fall 2000 semester, 28 percent of entering freshman enrolled in remedial coursework: reading (11 percent), writing (14 percent), or mathematics (22 percent) ...Fifty-one percent of students who took any remedial reading enrolled in four or more remedial courses, compared with 31 percent of students who took any remedial mathematics. [The Condition of Education, 2004, National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education, full cite available]

2008: "Conservative analysis of the data on college students in 2004 shows that: 43% of all students at public two-year institutions have enrolled in a remedial course. Twenty-nine percent of all students at public four-year institutions have enrolled in a remedial class … 64 percent of students enrolled in remedial education had to take more than one remedial course." [Diploma to Nowhere, Executive Summary, p.7, 2008]

Before we start blaming NCLB for this debacle, let me add this.

In spite of numerous reform efforts, higher standards, twelve years under Democrats and eighteen under Republicans, there has been no significant change in students' reading scores between 1971 and 2000. [Jay R. Campbell, Catherine M. Hombo, and John Mazzeo, NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress: Three Decades of Student Performance, US Department of Education, 2000.]

Remember: These kids were entering college in the 1990s, 2000 and 2004. So they had been poorly served for at least 12 years before that!

"The average kindergärtner has watched 5,000 hours of TV before s/he gets to school.
That's more time than it takes to earn a Bachelor's degree."

US Department of Education

 

For years I have used that quote as part of my Email signature line, so it seemed only fitting to use it on Day 2 of my entry in Weekly Geeks Challenge #17. Between TubTalk and Scrub-a-Dub-Tub (where all my BBAW posts will be) look for some of my favorite quotes about reading and books.

 
EVENTS AND OTHER BLOG TOURS de FORCE

Today opens Book Blogger Appreciation Week. You'll find events and giveaways all over the book blogosphere. The Reading Tub is going to have it's first-ever book giveaway. So stay tuned.

Vote for Your Favorite Story Share your opinion on what children’s books get published. Head over to the ABC Book Competition website between 21 September and 5 October to vote. The winner receives a publishing contract with a 2010 publication date. Thanks to the Write4Kids Newsletter (September 10, 2008 edition) for this information.

 
Volunteer Opportunities - Helping Communities Raise Readers
Late, But Not Too Late Last week we learned about a training event sponsored by Book’em, a local literacy organization in Nashville (TN). Book’em hosted RIF training for its Reading Guides for the coming year. We missed the training, but you can visit Cool People Care website to get contact information if you want to volunteer.

 It’s Never Too Late … To Commemorate celebrate Literacy Last Monday was International Literacy Day, but the ability to read is something to be celebrated – and shared – every day! The United Nations General Assembly declared that 1 January 2003 is the kickoff of the UN Literacy Decade. You can read more in the International Literacy Day post at The Children’s Study Initiative blog.

How SMART Is This? Start Making a Reader Today (SMART) is a volunteer organization that works in Oregon elementary schools. We learned about SMART in this posting for a Site Coordinator in Portland (OR). Here’s the pitch: “Your support is vital in helping to reverse the statistic that 38% of Oregon fourth graders read below the basic level.”

 Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay On the PR-GR.com website, we found this California Schools Use Volunteers to Help Boost Test Scores. The most valuable nugget for us was the description of Reading Partners, “the fastest growing children’s literacy non-profit” in the Bay Area. Here’s the quote: “Reading Partners provides tutors to students who have fallen behind one to two grade levels in reading. After its 2007/8 assessments, Reading Partners showed that with thirty hours of tutoring, on average a student in its program will advance an entire grade level.” To learn more about Reading Partners or become a volunteer in the Los Angeles or Bay Area, visit the http://www.readingpartners.org website. [NOTE: There is also a www.readingpartners.co.uk.org.]

Let ‘em Ride Ride for Reading is a non-profit organization in Nashville (TN) whose sole purpose is to get books to kids who don’t have them. They have just posted an announcement on Volunteer Match requesting books for kids reading at a Kindergarten through fourth grade level. Click here to get more details.

Highlights and Other News
Reading (groan) My favorite post of the week was Learning About Our Students as Readers over at the Reading Zone. Sarah spent some time one morning priming her kids for some great books they might find at the school library. Everyone came back with a book and when reading time was done, there were groans …about half the class wanted to keep reading. Here’s the best part: “One boy said, ‘This has never happened to me before!’” (emphasis mine).

 In Praise of Work There is an interesting post about how and when we praise our children’s accomplishments over at Open Education. The title (To Raise Smart and Successful Children, Focus on Developing a Work Ethic) says a lot, but doesn’t say it all. Essentially, to help kids succeed – and grow as learners – recognize the effort put into the work, not the intelligence used to get there. It is definitely worth a read. We found this at Jen Robinson's Sunday Afternoon Visits: September 14

Set the DVR Tonight on PBS Judy Woodruff hosts Where We Stand: America’s Schools in the 21^st Century. The show airs at 10:00 PM. You can see a trailer at the WNET New York website. We saw the lead at Reading Today Daily (the International Reading Association blog), in a post by John Micklos.

Book Distribution The US Department of Education, First Book, and Random House launched a 2008 Summer Reading Initiative to donate books to promote literacy and supply books to kids in need. So far, 500,000 books have been distributed to schools, libraries, and literacy organizations. The remaining 300,000 will be distributed later this year. Schools, libraries, and organizations interested in receiving the books must register on the First Books website. We saw this in a post by John Micklos for Reading Today Daily (the IRA blog).

Vroom, Vroom Over at Mamanista blog, Debbie wrote Star Your Reading Engines, a post about trying to close the “literacy gender gap,” particularly for boys. I loved this quote: While I've been reading Dr. Seuss, Mother Goose, Richard Scary, and other children's classics, I've caught my husband reading Car and Driver Magazine and the Wall Street Journal to the baby with far greater enthusiasm than I've ever seen him muster for Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny.” But then she added this: “As exciting as Car and Driver Magazine is, I'm trying to encourage my husband to read more child-friendly books.” It is important to read a variety of materials (not just books). Enthusiasm about what you’re reading is also key. Be sure to check out Mamanista’s list of transportation-themed books.

Here’s a Great Plug Plugged-In to Reading has launched a new website: http://www.pluggedintoreading.com/. Plugged-In to Reading is a reading program for middle and high school students. You can get to Plugged-In to Non-Fiction from the site. We saw this in Brian Scott’s post for Literacy and Reading News.

Books on a Theme If you’re looking for new material and you’d like to have a theme, check out the Read-Write-Think website. They’ve already posted the October calendar of ideas for reading-related and general interest events. You can also link to these items via Louise Ash’s post on Reading Today Daily, the IRA blog.

Downloads at Your Library According to Sarah  More’s article in the Christian Science Monitory, more than 7,500 public libraries are becoming digital lending sites. They offer a digital process for accessing books, music, and movies via download, using special software … and their library card! You can read John Micklos’ summary at Reading Today Daily, or More’s complete article, “The Next Phase of Libraries Rolls Into Town.”

Readers Are Happy People A survey by the National Literacy Trust (UK) found that half of the men with low literacy skills were satisfied with their life. In contrast, 78 percent of the men with good reading skills were satisfied with their life. The original article in Press Association offers more stats. In the summary  post by Louise Ash (Reading Today Daily, the IRA blog) you will find links to the Press Association article, as well as the Literacy Changes Lives report.

Worth Repeating Sometimes it is nice just to have a short list of blurbs to remind you about the value of reading. In his post Reading Tips for Parents of Preschoolers, Brian Scott keeps it short and sweet with just seven ways to promote reading. We read about this at the Literacy and Reading News blog. In her International Literacy Day post, Jen Robinson has some links to resources with great literacy activities and ideas.

Speaking of Ideas … Stop by Sycamore Stirrings to learn about Muffin Tin Mondays. Essentially, you pick a theme and then fill a muffin tin with a collection of items that go with the theme. What caught our eye (as it did Jill’s at The Well-Read-Child) was Children’s Literature Monday. Moms filled the tins with items that somehow connected with a children’s book. Check these out. Thanks to Jill for her Children’s Literature and Muffin Tins? post.

From Picasso to Rowling Those scribbles you see (yes, even the crayon on the wall) are your child’s way of building their writing skills. What looks to you like a wobbly circle could be a bird’s nest or a black hole; and those squiggles may be “I love Mommy,” or your order the waitress wrote down at the Toddler Restaurant. In his most recent post, When Do Children Start Writing? Trevor Cairns explains that young children attribute meaning to their original works very early. Visit Literacy, Families and Learning to read the full article.

Great Question Last week, Dewey wrote a post called Character Questions over at The Hidden Side of a Leaf. She found the questions in an old journal, and thought they’d be helpful for writing book reviews. They would also be great conversation starters when you’re talking with kids about books. Just pick one and let the conversation take off from there.

I Before E, Except … At the Times Online site, there is an article about how the emphasis on spelling (and all those spelling tests) are affecting kids’ overall literacy. Here’s the quote: “The teaching of literacy in schools is a major worry. It seems highly likely that one of the reasons Britain and other English-speaking countries have problems with literacy is because of our spelling and the burden it places on children.” You can read the original article (which will let you test your spelling); or you can read the summary, Abandon spelling rules, says academic (John Micklos, Reading Today Daily, the IRA blog). If spelling tests are a must, then stop by to read Sarah’s post Preparing for a New Week at the Reading Zone. This is an update on her previous post about differentiated spelling lists.

[untitled] Last week, the Yemeni Minister of Education announced that the ministry is going to be “hiring” 30,000 university graduates as part of the Eradicating Illiteracy project. The goal is to reduce Yemen’s illiteracy rate from 43% to 20% by 2013. You can read the full article in the Yemen Times or Louise Ash’s summary post in the Reading Today Daily, the IRA blog.
 

The Challenge for Weekly Geeks 10 this week is magazines. Funny, I don't think about magazines. I've spent a lot of time writing about how important it is to have a variety of reading material, and yet I generally spend my time with books.

Most of my subscriptions have expired. My interests changed (how many Southern Living recipes do I need for grilled chicken?) and catalogs are turning into mini-magazines (thank you Williams-Sonoma for the blue-cheese fondue). But there is one subscription that remains.

1. Name of magazine. The Washington Post Magazine

2. Do you subscribe or just buy it now and then? I subscribe to the Washington Post ... the Magazine is a Sunday benefit!

3. What’s your favorite regular feature in the magazine? There are actually two. Significant Others and Dining Out. I loved reading Jeanne Marie Laskas She wrote her last Significant Others column this past Sunday. We lived in the DC area for more than 20 years, and eating out was our favorite thing!

4. What do you think your interest in this magazine says about you? I like food and love thoughtful, humorous looks at life.

5. How long have you been reading this magazine? More than 20 years!

6. Is there any unique or quirky aspect to the magazine that keeps you reading?
1. Date Lab - Will ANYONE ever get together for more than 2 dates?
2. First Person Singular
3. Then and Now - some terrific pictures around the DC metro area.

The Magazine also has a featured called Second Glance where you try to spot the changes between an original and an altered photograph. They are fun to do ...but I must admit that my nearly seven-year-old is faster than me!

The Weekly Geek Challenge #4 has pushed all of my other to-do's to the back of the inbox.  The idea is to choose books with a political or social issue that matters to you.

I love this idea because it is rather timely ... when was the last day you can remember not hearing the names Hillary, Barrack, or McCain? Even when I don't read the articles, my six-year-old Kindergartner points out their pictures. Which leads me to my next point ...Books that get kids reading about an issue get kids THINKING. They'll remember it (whatever "it" may be). My daughter knows who the presidential candidates are because she read Time for Kids in school.

The same is true for stories. Great books -- and their characters -- stay with you well after you have finished reading. They might get hooked on reading more about an issue. They might want to do something related to an issue, or they may just want to read more books by an author. Whatever it is, they've found the secret of reading: it can change your life.

Here are some books that introduce kids to social and political ideas that can transform their world. Some are historical others are set in more modern times. We included a summary here. If you're not sure how it fits the topic, click our full review. That will tell you more.

Child out of Place: A Story of New England by Patricia Q. Wall. Matty and her family are slaves who serve Mr. Joshua Warren of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In 1802, when Matty was five, Mr. Warren agreed to grant his slaves their personal freedom. Though receiving their freedom papers technically freed them, American society was not ready to treat former slaves as equals. In fact, everyday life for black people, free or slave, was very dangerous. Matty is sharing her life’s story with her children and grandchildren to help them understand and appreciate their heritage. This historical fiction novel takes place in 19th Century New Hampshire, and follows the life of a newly freed African slave. Read our full review.


The Computer's Nerd by W. Royce Adams. Arthur is bright, quiet, and studious by nature. Three classmates have been making his life miserable, and Arthur is scared and frustrated. Help comes to young Arthur, the class nerd, via a computer fantasy when he discovers "The Game," which allows him to get revenge on the bullies. At first, Arthur, felt justified in inflicting pain on the bullies. As the game continued, it ratcheted up the level of painful consequences for the bullies, Arthur becomes uncomfortable about what he’s doing. Has the computer taken over his life? Is his goal to seriously injure the bullies? Has he gone too far to redeem himself? This is a fantasy adventure book for teens. Read our full review.


Just Call Me Joe Joe by Jean Alicia Ester. Joe Joe Rawlings is ten years old. He has a dilemma: his best friend is starting to hang out more with kids who get in trouble. When he goes to the neighborhood store, the shopkeeper accuses Joe Joe of being part of the gang who trashed his store just minutes before he arrived. He is devastated and very angry. He takes his book about the Negro Baseball League and Cool Papa Bell and decides to read to calm down. The story helps Joe Joe understand his situation and find the courage to stand up for himself. This is the first book in a series about urban life and the choices kids are faced with these days. Read our full review.

Red Thunder: Secrets, Spies, and Scoundrels at Yorktown by John P. Hunter. Nate Chandler, a fourteen-year-old boy, lived on the family farm near the York River. In May 1781 the British launched a major campaign at Yorktown to end the six-year War for Independence. Bands of British Cavalry roamed the area ruthlessly attacking and killing innocent citizens. Nate and his parents were left for dead, their cattle taken, and the farm burned to the ground. He was determined to avenge the attack but felt helpless. A young militia officer recognized Nate’s ability to “think-on-his-feet” and paired him with James, a former Negro slave with a photographic memory. They became an espionage team that provided valuable intelligence that General Washington and General Lafayette used to defeat the British and end the Revolutionary War. This is a historical novel that tells the story of two boys at the Battle of Yorktown. Read our full review.

Web of Lies by Beverly Naidoo. Having fled Nigeria and resettled in London, Femi and Sade thought they would finally be safe. While Sade is dealing with her mother's death and the possible intrusion of a "new woman" in their lives, Femi is getting more and more involved with a street gang. It isn't long before their resilience as individuals and as a family are once again put to the test. This is a novel that allows you to journey with the characters (and their father) as they deal with the presence of a gang in their lives. Read our full review.


Regrettably, we couldn't find any  non-fiction "grabbers" in our book bag. If you've got one, please leave a comment and add it through Mr. Linky. Be sure to put your name and post in the link.

As many times as I have had to answer that question, you think I would have the answer memorized. Yet every time I am asked, I react as though this is a trick question ... or part of some Myers-Briggs-type analysis of what my books say about me.

What makes a favorite book, anyway? The characters?the pictures? For me, it's all and none of those answers. It's what I'm reading and how an author grabs me at a particular moment in time. I have always loved to read and I read lots of books, but (horror of horrors) I can't remember every book I read as a child, even favorites. I remember lots of trips to the library even as a young girl, but I don't remember many of those "early books."

Trisha Yearwood has a song called "The Song Remembers When." It's about how hearing a song can trigger a memory about where you were, what you were doing, even if you think you've forgotten it. That's how I remember my favorite books. They were part of a place or a time, each unique and treasured when remembered, but just one stop on a continuum that is still (thankfully) moving forward.

So yes, it is the pictures -- of curling up in bed with every Nancy Drew book I could get my hand on. Or perusing the shelves to find another Encyclopedia Brown book to read.

... And the characters - Like Sir Percy and Lady Marguerite Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel. They came before Heathcliff and Cathy (and many others I met thanks to the Bronte Sisters).

... And the memories. I loved From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. But if it hadn't been for playing in Goodreads today, I likely wouldn't have thought of it.

... And the journey. I just finished reading The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper. It's the story-within-a-story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Book geek that I am, I was not overly fond of William Shakespeare in Ninth Grade. Sister Eileen did her best, but we all had a fairly typical response on meeting the Bard for the firs time. But I remember the giggles, and everyone "reading" a part. I read Romeo and Juliet again in college a time or two for English lit classes. It was a lot more fun sitting in the pub eating French fries and figuring out what Dr. Wilson wanted from us.

That's the most wonderful thing about books. They let you explore places you've never been before and carry you back to some of the most familiar, comfortable spots you know.
 
My thanks to Samantha for suggesting this as Weekly Geek Challenge #3: fond memories of childhood books.

In yesterday's Monday Round-Up, I added a short piece about Weekly Geeks event at The Hidden Side of a Leaf. Here's the blurb (in my own words): bloggers (but especially book bloggers) can read, write, and learn from their virtual peers. Every week, Weekly Geeks will select a blogging theme related to books, and bloggers can join in by linking a related post to the event.

This week's challenge is to take a more inclusive approach to book reviews. Darla at Books and Other Thoughts has a policy that is about as collegial as it gets: if you write a review about a book that she's written about, send her an email and she'll add a link to your review.

We think that's a great idea. On the Reading Tub website, we have always had a field for "other reviews." It's standard for every profile we write.  We don't have linnks, but we do let  you know if there are Critics' Reviews or reader feedback at two of the major online booksellers. But now that we've gotten more involved with the Kidlitosphere, we think it's time to give their thoughts voice, too.

They read a lot ... we read a lot ... we all have lots of great ideas. So from now on we're going to have an invitation in all of our reviews, both on the blogs and on the Website. When someone takes the time to send us their review, you'll have instant access to online reviews about the books we're reading with our kids. This is what the link looks like:




Now I'm off to add the links to our Random Reviews!