Why Can't Johnny Read? Because it's English!

Here is a fascinating article about how difficult the English language really is to read compared to other languages. A few highlights:

 “…the Spelling Society speculates that English may just be the world’s most irregularly spelled language.”

 and,

 “Mastering such a language takes a long time and requires abilities that most children don’t develop until the middle or latter part of elementary school.”

The article goes on to explain some of the reasons that spelling the English language became so unpredictable. One reason: it was cast in stone by non-native-language-users.

 “The first English printing press, in the 15th century, was operated by Belgians who didn’t know the language and made numerous spelling errors (such as ‘busy’ in place of ‘bisy’).”

And of course there was the influence of money…

 “…because they were paid by the line, they sometimes padded words with extra letters; ‘frend,’ for example, became ‘friend.'”

 My takeaway is this: When we compare the literacy levels of our children to children in other countries around the world, the difficulty of the language needs to be considered. Somehow, this had not occurred to me before.

Ten Reasons Author Visits are Valuable to Schools

Across the United States, many schools invite an author or illustrator to visit their school on a regular basis--many do so once each year. So what are the benefits of an author visit?

1) Author visits excite kids about reading. After all, when the whole school is abuzz with the news of an impending visit, and a lot of kids are chatting about certain books, and when there's even a chance to get a signed book when the author arrives, well...the excitement spreads!

2) Author visits create an opportunity to get a "special" book into the hands of students through book sales to the kids. Not all schools include a book sale, but most do. Schools find that parents are often willing to purchase a visiting author's book, and so it's a great way to get children's print material in the home. Schools generally purchase some books for their school library as well, which is another way to get those "special" books into kids' hands.

3) Authors have the chance to pass on writing tips to students. Kids often ask how author get their ideas, and idea generation can be a toughie when students find themselves with a writing assignment. Many authors have other writing tips to offer that kids take to heart. After all, an author is an expert writer, right?

4) Authors can help kids to understand that what students do in the classroom is really very much like what authors do in the working world--especially if authors discuss their writing, and rewriting process.

5) Author visits often encourage kids to try books they normally wouldn't try. For example, if a student has no interest in nonfiction, but a nonfiction author visits, that student will more likely than not have exposure to that author's nonfiction work. And, given the connection the student has with the author, it's possible that the nonfiction book will be embraced by the student, changing their attitude that genre.

6) Author visits give kids the chance to hear their teachers' lessons affirmed by an "expert" or "authority," the author. This goes a long way in supporting the work of the teacher.

7) Authors can sometimes shed light on the teaching of writing which can benefit the teachers in the school. Authors have the opportunity to be in a great number of schools and can see first hand what techniques are working and what are not. 

8) Author visits can recharge teachers' excitement over books, reading, and writing. With so many things to tug at a teachers' attention, this refocusing can be a good thing.

9) Likewise, author visits can inspire teachers to be writers. Many teachers have a secret desire to write children's books, and visiting with an author, especially one who encourages them to pursue that dream can be a shot in the arm. This is not only good for morale, but excitement is catching, so a teacher who is serious about and excited about her own writing, models that, thus encouraging it in her students.

10) Finally, author visits give kids the very exciting opportunity to meet someone famous. (At least in their minds!) 

The Visiting Author's Guide to State Standards and the Common Core.

Authors who spend time in schools these days hear about the Common Core. We want our visits to be worthwhile to schools, and that means it needs to fit into the school's mandated standards.

Just what is the Common Core?

The Common Core, sometimes referred to as CCSS (Common Core State Standards), is a compilation of learning benchmarks that students should master at certain grade levels. It is called the Common Core because, while educational standards are determined on a state level, this was created in the hopes that all states would adopt it, bringing continuity to school systems throughout the country--something that would benefit students who move from place to place as they grow up. In a society as transient as ours, such a thing makes a lot of sense.

Who has adopted the Common Core?

So far, forty-four states, the District of Columbia, and four territories have adopted these standards.

What does the Core contain?

The Common Core contains English and Mathematical standards for kindergarten through 12th grade.

Wait! That's all?

Some people are surprised to learn that not all subjects are covered in the Common Core. Science, Social Studies and The Arts are not covered by it. They do exist, but for these standards, a person must look state-by-state to find them.

What's a visiting author to do?

First of all, know the Common Core. Find your book's and your presentation's place in it. After all, if your don't in some way support these standards, what's the school's incentive to have you visit? The best way to do this is to go to http://www.corestandards.org/. Click on the English Language Arts Standards. It will take you to a page that looks like this:

To the left, you can see a list of click-able choices. The top is the Introduction. Beneath that is "Anchor Standards." Anchor standards will give you an overview of what the educational system is looking for in the long run, but it is the list below that, Reading: Literature; Reading:Informational Text; Reading: Foundational Skills; Writing; Speaking and Listening; and Language that will be broken down by grade level.

I urge you to click on the grade-level standards, read them, and think about how your book, and more importantly, your Author Visit, fits into these standards.

Most Authors do at least one large group presentation. But if you also do smaller, grade-level groups, look at what the standards require of these groups and tweak your workshops or break-out groups to meet the kids' needs.

Going back to the Standards Page, if you click on the Mathematics Standards instead, you will find the choices broken down by grade-level there. Presenters can often make math connections. Does your book deal with speed?  That's math. Does it deal with something growing? That's math. Look again for how your book connects to these subjects and think about how you might utilize this in your presentation to support the school teaching.

You may have noticed that below the grade-level English Language Arts  there is a section called "Grades 6-12 Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects."

 If you present  to this age group, click on it--there are some interesting things there that you can make connections with.

But what if your book has a strong science, social studies, or arts theme? For these I suggest going to the state education site where you most often visit and find correlations between your book and the state standards, and your presentation and the state standards. Google, "___(your state here)___ academic standards," or "___(your state here) Department of Education Standards" to find the site.

On your website, you may want to list the standards that you support through your school visit presentations. This makes it easy for administrators to justify both the expense and the time spent with you at their school.

Reading promotes literacy. Author visits promote reading. But to letting schools know that you understand and take their standards seriously may just promote you.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog, Authors and Illustrators in Schools, where I'll talk about how teachers can help their students make real connections with authors and illustrators to promote literacy. I'll highlight individual authors and illustrators and will feature ideas and freebies to extend student engagement and learning. I'll also have tips for those teacher who would like to enter the publishing world, will post about what's happening in the industry, and how it will affect your classroom. For authors and illustrators, I'll be a resource to help you make your school visits meaningful and educational for the students you see. I hope you'll join me so we can make literacy connections, one classroom at a time!