Arizona Law Holds Back Students Who Can’t Read by 3rd Grade

In less than two years, a group of young Arizona students must show they can read or risk being held back a grade. That group is this year’s first-graders. State lawmakers passed legislation — dubbed “move on when reading” — in 2010 that requires them to demonstrate proficiency on the reading portion of Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards in spring 2013. ...

No Summer Reading Can Put Kids Back Two Years

Children who don’t read over the summer can lose up to two reading levels by the time the school year begins. Experts say it doesn’t take a lot of reading to make sure that doesn’t happen. “If a student reads just four books over the summer, they will maintain their grade level if they left the school year reading at grade level,” said Sherri Thomas, school librarian at North Frederick...

Free online children’s books

I recently came across a very long (600+!) list of free children’s books online, compiled by Gizmo’s Freeware. I’m frequently asked about resources like this, so I decided to take a closer look at a few of the offerings. Aaron Shephard’s World of Stories caught my attention first; I’ve used his Reader’s Theater (RT) resources for years, and recommend the site frequently to...

Being told what to read

We’re experiencing a strange phenomenon in our house this summer. Molly, who turns 11 in August, has two books she’s required to read before she starts 5th grade this fall. The two books are Little Women and The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book 1: The Mysterious Howling. This required reading list marks the first time Molly has ever been told what to read outside of school. The result? No...

Moo Baa La La La

See larger image Moo Baa La La La (Board book) By (author) Sandra Boynton Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawn versions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuring nontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have...

Cosmic

See larger image Cosmic (Hardcover) By (author) Frank Cottrell Boyce Liam is a big lad. So big that strangers mistake the 12-year-old for an adult. Even his teachers seem to conflate tall with old. So heaven forbid he should ever make a mistake. Then it’s all, “You should know better, big lad like you.” Life sure is hard for poor,...