Reading Cultures: Transcending Time, Shape & Format

Reading isn't just about books ... we recognize what a word looks like in print long after we speak it. Your toddler could shout "no" with aplumb well before he recognized 'n' and 'o.'

With that idea in mind, today we're going to cast the net a little wider and look at the culture of literacy ... Terry will expand a little bit more on recognizing the reader within, and other guests here will talk about some of the other ways we become readers.

Later this morning we'll have a special surprise that also speaks to today's theme: Literacy beyond the printed word. Let us just say keep that iPhone / iPod Touch  / iPad nearby.

Readers Take Heart by Terry Doherty @ Share a Story
Not sure you're a reader? Then you'll want to read this. Terry offers five examples from everyday life that might help you see that not only are you a reader, you are a MODEL reader! She's hoping that you can add a few examples of your own. Think we can get to 25? Continue reading ...

Updated: Terry is hoping we can get to 26 ... one idea for each letter of the alphabet! What's yours?

MyLMNOP - My Process.  My Journey. by Pam Courtney @ My LMNOP Reads to Kids
I’ve always loved words.  My earliest memory of this relationship can be traced back to a specific summer day.  In rural Louisiana, the front porch was the hub of family activity.  We would gather round my mother’s feet while she read from the  Natchitoches Times. “Yall, listen to this word, Antidisestablishmentarianism. Honestly, I think we (including my mom) repeated that word the entire summer.

Kids at the LIbrary: Scavenger Hunts, Gear, Routines & More by Melissa Taylor @ Imagination Soup
Today’s libraries aren’t just filled with books, they’re filled with technology, community events, media, digital books, and study spaces. As an institution, the library is transforming for the needs of our 21st century children. Enjoy the benefits of the library with your children and watch as they become passionate book aficionados. Continue reading ...

Reaching a Reader: How it All Began by Sarah Jamila Stevenson @ Family Bookshelf
On a fundamental level, the appeal of reading—the love of books—is something that transcends format and aims straight for the heart of the human love for story. When I see book lovers doing their utmost to improve young readers' access to the stories that might change their lives (or at least brighten their day), it is really awe-inspiring. Continue reading ...

A Share a Story Classic: Literacy My Way by Susan Stephenson of the Book Chook
When it comes to exploring literacy beyond the printed word, there is no powerhouse more passionate than the Book Chook. In our second year, Susan Stephenson hosted a day  not unlike today. The theme was creative literacy, and Susan and her guests covered all aspects of literacy in a timeless, invaluable way. Continue reading ... 

Jumping off the page with Social Reading by Sarah Mulhern @ The Reading Zone
This is a reprise of a post Sarah did for Share a Story 2010. If you take a look at the list of books my students last year thought shouldn’t be missed, you’ll see many books that might not be familiar at first glance. But they are familiar to my students. More than familiar. Each of those books was introduced to the class either by my booktalk, a personal recommendation to a particular student, or when a student found it in the library.  However, the power of recommendations from fellow students was what made  each book a “must read” for the rest of my classes. Continue reading ...

Avoiding Terrible Books by Amy Broadmoore @ Delightful Children's Books
I cannot commiserate with you about how rough it is to read to kids. As my husband recently noted, “Reading hypnotizes our kids. It turns them from savage beasts to civilized creatures.” That said, I am in total agreement with Magary that book time becomes intolerable when spent reading terrible children’s books, and it is critically important for us as parents to maintain our sanity while reading books to our kids.
Continue reading ...