1. Developing Life-long Readers
Developing Life-long Readers! Children who love reading and see themselves as readers are the most successful in school and have the greatest opportunities in life! (Miller, D. (2014)
Our Mission for reading at VCMS is to help foster in our students a love and respect for reading!

2. At VCMS we want to develop “Wild Readers!”
Dedicate time to read. Reading class will have a block of time each day dedicated to students for independent reading.
Self-select reading material. Students will self-select from classroom libraries, media center, home, or public library.
Share books and reading with other readers. Students will have time to share and discuss their reading with their peers.
Have reading plans. Students will work with their teachers to develop reading goals and reflections. Teachers will teach and model for students the skills needed to become fluent, effective readers.
Show preferences for genres, authors, and topics. Students will develop an understanding of genres, authors and topics and formulate their own preferences in choices.
Miller, D., & Kelley, S. (2014) Reading in the Wild- The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits.

3. In our reading classes we will be providing time for independent reading to foster a love for reading and life long reading habits.
During the school year research shows…
Students who spend considerable amounts of time “free choice-independent reading”, develop a love and respect for reading. They are the most successful in school and have the greatest opportunities in life.
Students who spend a minimum of 3hrs/week reading at their own level, for their own purposes, develop reading fluency which leads to improved mastery.
During the school year
Leverage your media center
School culture
Use Lexiles to set goals
Challenge BEST readers
providing practice with a variety of texts

4. Free Voluntary Reading
Lexiles: Making Sense of a New Score Curriculum Director's Conference
September 20, 2006
Free Voluntary Reading
OUR STUDENTS NEED TO BE READING EVERYDAY—LITERATURE OF THEIR CHOICE
Independent choice helps hook them into a love for reading.
We develop literacy when we understand spoken and written messages. Comprehending what we hear and read is much more potent when we are hearing and reading something interesting. When we are interested in what we’re reading, the mechanics of that act dissolves and we become immersed in the story.
OUR STUDENTS NEED TO BE READING EVERYDAY—LITERATURE OF THEIR CHOICE THAT WILL HOOK THEM INTO LOVING READING.
We develop literacy when we understand spoken and written messages. Comprehending what we hear and read is much more potent when we are hearing and reading something interesting. When we are interested in what we’re reading, the mechanics of that act dissolves and we become immersed in the story.
Georgia Department of Education: Testing Division

5. This research still stands......
Quantity matters

6. Parents Can Help Support Literacy Growth
Encourage your child to read often, and for their own interests. We must instill within our children a love and need for reading.
Model the importance of reading, by reading in front of your child and discussing how reading helps you in your daily life.
Know your child’s Lexile level. Don’t focus entirely on the level, but also make sure the text is appropriate (age, content, language, and engaging for your child). If you would like to increase your child’s literacy level, remain within their Lexile stretch band. If the Lexile of the chosen text is higher, please read, discuss, and support your child through the reading of the text.

7. How can we help our children improve? Let them know……
Literacy is across all content areas and our lives!
Literacy is not a subject; it is the way we encounter information.
It is the way we construct knowledge and deepen understanding.
Literacy can transform our lives
HOW?? LOTS of ENGAGING READING!!

8. VCMS would love your help!
In order to progress with our vision to foster a love and respect for reading in our students we are focusing on the growth of our classroom libraries. We need to keep lots of ENGAGING books in the hands of our students.
If you would like to help us with our mission please…
Donate a book(s) to your child’s reading teacher for her library.
Donate appropriate young adult books you may have at home that your child may have already read and no longer wants to keep.
Support our Book Fair(s) during the year because proceeds will be going to classroom libraries.
Make a donation to our school for purchasing books for the reading classrooms.
Thank you!

9. Resources Find A Book (Find books at a variety of Lexile levels)
Destiny—Lexile measures (School Media Center)
Miller, D. (2014) Reading in the Wild
Georgia DOE: Lexile Framework for Reading
Lexile Framework for Reading (One-Pager)
Lexile Informational Video
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects