Through my research of “Fostering Reading Cultures in Schools” I came across the following definition that, in my opinion, perfectly sums up what a culture of reading should look like.
“Simply put, it is an environment where reading is valued, promoted and actively encouraged.” (Wilson, 2020)
Let me start by explaining the current library learning commons situation in the school where I am presently working. In my current school, because of COVID restrictions like social distancing, we are using our library space to house our grade 7-8 class of 26 students. Unfortunately, because of this, we were forced to pack up about half of the books in the library and cover the remaining bookshelves with fabric to prevent the students from touching (contaminating) the books. Unfortunately, we had to stop circulating books, and our once busy library learning common and thriving reading culture in the school has now been put on hold. The library technician and I have come up with a plan for safe book circulation, but it has yet to be approved. Although the current situation has put a damper on the library program, I believe that it is still possible to continue to foster a culture of reading in the school. We will just have to get creative and use the resources that are available to us to engage the students. We have an environment where reading is valued, promoted, and actively encouraged (Wilson, 2020) despite the lack of space.
Free Image by Pixabay
Upon reflection of the topic “Fostering Reading Cultured in Schools”, in my opinion, these are the three most important things to consider when trying to foster a culture of reading are:
-helping the students to develop a love of reading
-finding ways to engage the students
-making reading part of the everyday activities
The following video reminds us of the importance of reading and the impact it has on students.
So far, we have set up a schedule to read to the classes remotely using Microsoft Teams conference call. Each class has a set time and has been instructed to answer the Teams call in class and to project us onto the whiteboard where we can do the read-aloud. This works, if the teacher remembers when their library period is. When book circulation begins, we will present a set of books to each classroom in the form of a book review video. The teacher presents the video to the students and takes note of the books the student wants to sign out and we will deliver the book to the classroom when the students are outside for recess. The student keeps the book for two weeks. When we pick up the books, they will be placed in the quarantine area for 72 hours. The rules are that the student must leave the books at school and they cannot be shared with another student.
The teachers are encouraged to set aside designated time for silent reading every day since the books cannot be brought home. Reading it should be part of the daily routine.
Examples of activities I am currently trying to maintain and foster our school culture of reading:
To develop a culture of reading, it is important to know what the student likes to read. I am limited in the number of classrooms I can visit therefore, I have placed a whiteboard easel outside my office with a dry erase pen and a bottle of hand sanitizer so that students can write down book recommendations. I also ask a question at the top of the easel such as What are you reading? Who’s your favorite author? or Which new book are you looking forward to? This is working very well and the board has been mostly filled with great titles and, of course, the odd silly drawing.
Free photo by Pixabay
I will be presenting the new books as they arrive by placing them on display near the library. In-person book presentations are limited therefore I also take pictures of the titles, print them in color, place them in various strategic locations around the school, make a WHAT’S NEW bulletin board, and send a copy to the teachers so they can present them to the students.
Offering Book Club is a great way to foster reading culture in the school. Our book club revolves around the MYRCA books. We explore many of the MYRCA books and then the students will vote on their favorite. In previous years my school division has hosted a Moscars Award Celebration. So much fun!
image by MYRCA.ca
To engage the students and to remind them that books are everywhere, I try to create fun displays or a matching game on a bulletin board where the students match up the book title with the teacher who chose it. Here is an example of one of my displays.
Setting reading goals foster a culture of reading. I challenged the classes to a “read-off” to see which class can read the most pages or books within a given time frame during I Love to Read Month. I would also like to establish a specific time every day dedicated to reading. This can be school-wide or by class using the DEAR system. During this time teachers would also be expected to read silently to demonstrate modeling.
Wilson, Catherine, et al. “Ten Ways to Create a Reading Culture in Your School.” Resources for English Language Learners and Teachers | Pearson English, 11 Mar. 2020, blog.pearsoninternationalschools.com/ten-ways-to-create-a-reading-culture-in-your-school/.
2021 Sundogs Nominees, www.myrca.ca/sundogs-2021-nominees/.
“Library Book Recommendation Bulletin Board. The Children Created Book Recommendation Book Marks …: Library Book Displays, School Library Displays, Library Displays.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.dk/pin/69594756720488172/?nic_v2=1a1s0fdOo.
“Microsoft Teams: Group Chat Software: Free Chat App.” Group Chat Software | Free Chat App, www.microsoft.com/en-ca/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software.
“Creating a Thriving Culture of Reading”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F13GPtReZuY
“I Love to Read.” Reading Council of Greater Winnipeg, rcgw.weebly.com/i-love-to-read.html.
“A Daily DEAR Program: Drop Everything, and Read! – ReadWriteThink.” Readwritethink.org, www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/daily-dear-program-drop-55.html.