Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Libraries
Migrant Students: Resources for Migrant Children Similar to Other Students but Achievement Still Lags
Author: Florida State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights
Summary: In response to large number of migrant families in Florida, the Florida Advisory Committee performed a study examining the equity of resources available to migrant students compared to non-migrants. The educational resources discussed are: (1) teacher-student ratios, (2) staff-student ratios, (3) computer technology, and (4) library resources. They also compared the achievement of migrant versus non-migrant students as indicated by average 4th grade reading scores. They reiterate multiple times that it is a study of equity of resources, not adequacy of funding for migrant education programs.
Tags: Intervention; Libraries; Rights, Students;
Target Population: All
Research Questions the Report Poses: Are provided resources to migrant children equal to those provided to non-migrant children?
Findings:
- Migrant children consistently achieve at lower levels than their counterparts.
- Professional staffing levels are generally higher at schools with large numbers of migrant children, and there are lower student-teacher ratios.
- Schools with large numbers of migrant children engaged in a number of special schooling initiatives.
- Regarding library books and computer technology, there was no consistent pattern that favored either group of children.
- There were no reports from the principals of schools that children at schools with no migrant children were being afforded disproportionate resources by the district at the expense of migrant children.
Policy Recommendations:
It is time to consider other and different institutional and structural changes apart from what has been offered in the past in order to truly provide migrant children true equal education opportunity in our public schools.
Migrant Students: Resources for Migrant Children Similar to Other Students but Achievement Still Lags. (2007). Florida State Advisory Committee.
Summer Reading Loss
Author: Mraz, M. and Rasinski, T.V.
Summary: Children who do not practice their reading skills during the summer often return to school in the fall reading at a lower level than when they left for summer vacation. In Summer Reading Loss, Maryann Mraz and Timothy Rasinski point out that children from low-income families are particularly at risk for summer reading loss, which serves to widen the achievement gap between these children and children from middle-class families. In this article, the authors provide a brief review of existing research on summer reading loss, and they discuss what schools and families can do to combat this problem.
Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Libraries; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Reading; Struggling Readers;
Target Population: Elementary
Research Questions the Report Poses:
- How does summer loss affect students' reading achievement?
- Why does summer reading loss occur?
- What can be done to curb summer reading loss?
- What elements contribute to family literacy participation?
Findings:
- While reading and academic gains during the school year are comparable among student groups, studies and tests show that reading loss is much more significant in low-income students, which ultimately contributes to a widening achievement gap as they progress into higher grades.
- Summer reading loss seems to have its greatest impact on low-achieving students and at-risk students-those who can least afford to fall further behind.
- Access to reading materials is a vital element in enhancing the reading development of children, but low-income students experience several barriers to reading at home.
- It is not enough to simply tell parents that it is important to read to children. Parents, particularly lower socioeconomic-status parents, need concrete, specific programs, suggestions on how to participate in family literacy, and support.
Policy Recommendations:
- Parent workshops just before summer break.
- Schools should coordinate with the local public library for their summer reading program.
- Required summer reading list of 3-5 proven favorites for children, with adequate access to them for all students.
- Reading Millionaires Program
- TV programs and movies based on books can encourage reading; Parents can turn down the volume and turn on the captions so kids have to read.
- Use daily routines as reading activities such as cooking, web surfing, reading directions in a manual, etc.
Mraz, M. and Rasinski, T.V. (2007). Summer reading loss. The Reading Teacher, 60(8). International Reading Association. 784-789.
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