Noteworthy
Leisure-time reading outside school is a key to superior classroom
performance, according to a study which examined the reading habits of 155 ten-year-olds.
The most surprising finding was not the link between outside reading and classroom
proficiency, but rather the low amount of outside reading that is actually needed to
better school performance.
Astonishingly, ten minutes a day of outside book reading makes a
vast difference, according to the study published in Reading Research Quarterly.
Improvement tends to level off as outside reading time increases beyond 20 minutes a day.
Unfortunately most students read very little on their own.
Therefore, the study suggests, parents and schools should make sure children have access
to interesting books at a suitable vocabulary and comprehension level, and that adults
read aloud to them and provide time for reading during each day.
In Memory
Our sincerest condolences go to the town of Littleton, Colorado as they grieve the loss
of students and teacher in the tragic episode that took place last month. We may never
have all the answers for why or how this could have occurred, but clearly we all need to
ponder our responsibility that such an act can happen. |
Last weekend I had the opportunity to
attend a conference on Technology and Learning. What a wonderful glimpse of the things we
can expect in our future......virtual schools, performance assessments, simulations,
virtual staff development, interactivity, and more. While a lot of these are now available
at the college level, there is still much work to be done in the K-12 arena. The attendees
were mostly university researchers. There is so much we can learn from one another. Their
work is applicable in all areas of learning....including adult learning. We need to let
these researchers know what is needed, what will work and how we can help them. The
greatest achievements will come when we work together to develop and create new tools for
learning that extend our thinking and imagination. 
Over
the long run, students can examine these saved files and see how their interests develop.
A science fair project from the fifth grade could spark a lifelong interest in chemistry,
reflected in more and more complicated projects throughout junior high and high school.
History papers about the Civil War can spark an outside interest in re-enactments. 
A
survey of eighth graders’ parents by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission found
the parents seriously lacking in college planning information. Although 64 percent of the
surveyed parents planned to use their savings to finance their children’s college
education, 56 percent said they had no idea how much it was going to cost. 