NEA's Read Across America e-Newsletter

Celebrate a Year of Reading!

Looking to celebrate reading all year long? NEA's Read Across America's 2008 Resource Calendar and toolkit–with art by well known children's illustrators–shines its light on fun books and book events. You'll also find posters, tips on Read Across America Day events, and links to keep reading on the radar throughout the year. Limited print quantities are available, so order yours today. Request copies by filing out this form.

Tools for Adults To Keep Young Teens Safer Online

NEA's Health Information Network is pleased to announce bNetS@vvy, a bimonthly enewsletter to help "tweens" (ages 9 to 14) stay safer online. It's part of the 4NetSafety project developed in collaboration with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Sprint. Written by kids, parents, educators, and technology experts, bNetS@vvy is designed to give adults real world stories, resources, and skills to help keep young people safer on MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites and while using IM, texting, and other wireless technologies. In December and January, bNetS@vvy will focus on the hot topic of cyberbullying and the national launch of the site: http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.6.1470/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.6.1470 and the bNetS@vvy enewsletter. Click on http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.7.1470 to subscribe to bNetS@vvy.

National Endowment for the Arts Announces New Reading Study

The National Endowment for the Arts recently announced the release of To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, a new and comprehensive analysis of reading patterns in the United States. To Read or Not To Read gathers statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers, and adults. The report reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike and links these declines in reading with poorer academic and social outcomes.. For more on To Read or Not To Read, go to http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.8.1470.

Check out RIF's Monthly Family Activity Calendar

Use Reading Is Fundamental's monthly activity calendar with children of all ages. The calendar provides new reading and writing activity suggestions for every day of each month. Go to http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.9.1470/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.9.1470.

Class Acts: Ideas for Teaching Reading and Writing

Looking for research-based, classroom-tested teaching ideas? Find what you need for your K–12 students on the International Reading Association's Web site at http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.10.1470. IRA podcasts are available for free download in MP3 format. Topics include phonics through shared reading; phrasing for fluency; teaching key vocabulary words; understanding big ideas; supporting struggling adolescent readers. The IRA Web site also offers insights from experts in literacy teaching and learning.

Quality Resources from ReadWriteThink.org

Visit ReadWriteThink.org, a collaboration of the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and Verizon, for access to high quality practices and resources in reading and language arts instruction. http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.11.1470.

YALSA Announces Teens' Top Ten Books

More than 6,000 teen readers across the country voted during Teen Read Week, October 14–20. The poll was sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a Read Across America partner. To find out what books the teens chose and learn more about the Teens Top Ten program, go to http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.12.1470.

Provide a Safety Net for At-Risk Readers: Screen. Teach. Intervene. Monitor. Adjust.

These are the basic components of response to intervention (RTI)–a proactive process designed to catch struggling readers before they fall. Research-based instruction, top-notch teachers, and solid home-school collaboration are at the heart of a successful RTI program. Learn more on the Reading Rockets Web site at http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.13.1470.

Cops-n-Kids Program Dreams Big

The first dream, to put books into the hands of the children of Racine, Wisc, has come true–over 250,000 books have been distributed. But Julia Witherspoon, Cops-n-Kids founder, has been working on a bigger dream–she has traveled to communities across the U.S. to help them start Cops-n-Kids reading centers to foster hope, safety, and pride for those who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods. When a safe haven filled with books is around the corner or across the street, the possibilities for the future for these children are endless. To find out more about Cops-n-Kids, go to http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.14.1470.

The Positive Side of Learning Disabilities

People with learning disabilities have much to offer to their families, their communities, their workplaces, and themselves. We need to overcome the tendency to focus so much on their challenges so that we can see their triumphs. We know that these disabilities can be difficult. We know it takes extra time, lots of effort, and intense persistence to achieve. We know that classroom teachers use every ounce of their professional skills to enable their students to succeed. We know that parents face a daunting challenge as they raise children who march to the beat of a different drummer. In the spirit of the season of Thanksgiving, LD OnLine shares inspirational quotes from people with learning disabilities and their allies. To read more, go to http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.15.1470.

Helpful Hints from Get Caught Reading Campaign

There are so many ways that book lovers can participate in the Get Caught Reading campaign. Teachers and librarians around the U.S. share pictures and stories of their Get Caught Reading experiences. To learn what other educators have done and to share your helpful hints, go to http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.16.1470.

Poetry 180 from the Library of Congress

By just spending a few minutes reading a poem each day, new worlds can be revealed. Poetry 180 is designed to make it easy for high school students and other learners to hear or read a poem on each of the 180 days of the school year. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins has selected poems to encourage students and other learners to become members of the circle of readers for whom poetry is a vital source of pleasure. Visit http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.17.1470 today.

Teachers' Guides from Children's Book Press

The folks at Children's Book Press proudly present Reading Communities: CBP Teacher's Guides. CBP staff firmly believe in the importance of classroom instruction based on high-quality, multicultural literature. The guides present lessons developed by teachers who participate in CBP community programs, along with CBP staff's own ideas for activities that foster literacy across the curriculum in second- to fifth-grade classrooms. Check out the Reading Communities: CBP Teacher's Guides for upcoming Children's Book Press titles, as well as for selected books from their backlist. Visit http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.18.1470 often to find new guides.

Using the Arts for Learning

Young Audiences, Inc. helps make the arts an essential part of young people's education. YAI advances the artistic and educational development of public school students by bringing them together with professional artists of all disciplines to learn, create, and participate in the arts. YAI's Arts for Learning Lessons project is designed to significantly increase elementary school students' reading comprehension and writing skills by developing arts-based instructional strategies that will help students, teachers, and schools meet local and state standards. Visit http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.19.1470 for more information.

2008 NEA Regional Leadership Conferences: Get Ready for NEA's Read Across America 11th Anniversary Celebration

Can you believe it? NEA's Read Across America will be celebrating it's 11th anniversary on March 3, 2008! This year, we will offer a Membership Organizing with Read Across America workshop for regional leadership conference participants, so please check your packets to see if it will be offered at your RLC and sign up to attend. And, don't forget to stop by the Read Across America table to pick up the 2008 Read Across America resource kit/calendar, which features a variety of books and is filled with tips on reaching older students as well as key dates to help keep reading in the spotlight all year long. Even though the Read Across America table won't be offering merchandise for sale on-site, we will continue to have wonderful classroom giveaways and contests throughout the conference. The NEA Professional Library will be your source of Read Across America merchandise to make your Read Across America celebrations Seuss-sensational. Find out more by going to http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.20.1470. Here's the list of Regional Leadership Conferences.

Western Regional Leadership ConferenceJanuary 18-20, 2008Austin, Texas
Midwest Regional Leadership ConferenceJanuary 18-20, 2008Minneapolis, Minnesota
Northeast Regional Leadership ConferenceJanuary 18-20, 2008Brooklyn, New York
Mid-Atlantic Regional Leadership ConferenceJanuary 25-27, 2008Louisville, Kentucky
Southeast Regional Leadership ConferenceFebruary 1-3, 2008Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Pacific Regional Leadership ConferenceFebruary 15-17, 2008Boise, Idaho

And remember, regularly check out what is new on http://news.nea.org/UM/T.asp?A2923.37871.21.3.1470.