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Camps Turn Kids into Readers, Parents into Teachers
Contributed by Dr. Timothy R. Blair, professor of Reading and Literacy Education, the University of Central Florida, Orlando
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 It started on a Saturday morning 12 years and about 2,000 students ago. This idea of moving reading education beyond the university walls to the community would not only result in success and a unique development experience for future teachers but also for at-risk children who were being left behind.
We would launch our Reading Camps on Saturday mornings at two community centers in the historic Parramore area of Orlando, where residents are succeeding against a myriad of social and economic challenges. For the fall and spring semesters, and then daily throughout June, University of Central Florida (UCF) elementary education majors and graduate students provide 1 1/2 hours of level-appropriate, culturally responsive reading instruction in small-group settings.
The small-group approach - using a 2:1 or 3:1 student-teacher ratio - reaps benefits that often can't be replicated in a crowded classroom.
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Principal Eustace of the Bronx: A Reading Evangelist
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 When it comes to Book Fairs, Principal Christopher Eustace thinks outside the box - or at least outside the walls of his Bronx elementary school. Through the three Fairs he has held every year since becoming principal in 2006, Christopher intends not only to foster a reading culture but also a culture of community service.
With all its nearly 1,600 children involved to some extent, Sen. Abraham Bernstein Elementary School - aka PS 105 - has put its own spin on Book Fairs to help students connect with their community. Calling their events Town Squares, Christopher and Book Fair Chairperson Faye Waters wage Penny Harvest and Pennies for Patients campaigns to benefit charitable causes. According to Faye, the Title 1 school's efforts recently earned PS 105 the New York City Department of Education Service in Schools Award.
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Seven Steps to Pumped-Up Reading Achievement
By Rachel Ray, principal, Clinton Elementary School, Lancaster, S.C., for Principal magazine
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 For all children, and especially those living in poverty, reading practice is essential. At school, I tell our students that reading is just like playing basketball. If you want to improve how you play, you have to practice. It is the same with reading. The more you practice, the better you get.
In our school, like many others, reading is a critical area of concern. The 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading showed no significant improvement since 2009, when only one-third of fourth-graders nationwide performed at or above the proficient level. Further, students from lower-income families who were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch typically scored lower on average than students from higher-income families. That finding is worrisome in schools like ours, where the poverty rate is increasing.
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Booktalk: Doggone Good Late-Summer Reads
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The dog days of summer have arrived! Dream Big, Little Pig! by gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi makes a perfect read-aloud for young readers.
Ghost Dog Secrets - the tale of an abused dog and the secrets that surround the place where he is chained - is a great introduction to solid mystery writing and a highly recommended book for literature circles.
And mistaken identities, cunning, and greed make The False Prince an unforgettable page-turner for readers in grades 5 and up.
Dream Big, Little Pig!
By Kristi Yamaguchi
Ghost Dog Secrets
By Peg Kehret
The False Prince
By Jennifer A. Nielsen
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