Building a Culture of Literacy Month-by-Month
Publication Type:
Web ArticleYear of Publication:
2008ISBN:
978-1-59667-067-9Abstract:
Building a Culture of Literacy Month-by- Month delineates a comprehensive approach to a school wide focus on literacy, says reviewer Donna White, a school-based literacy coach. Hilarie Davis takes much of the hard work out of implementing such a plan -- from the selection of the book, the information to display in the hall, ideas for a writing contest, to a plan for Family Night. The book also supports "the initiation of those difficult conversations about how the culture of a school is supporting students as they learn to read and write."
Full Text:
Building a Culture of Literacy Month-by-Month
By Hilarie Davis
2008 (211 pp./paperback)
Eye on Education
ISBN: 978-1-59667-067-9
$34.95
Reviewed by Donna C. White, NBCT
K-6 Literacy Coach
Fayetteville, NC
Several years ago, I made the decision to join with millions of Oprah fans and participate in Oprah’s Book Club. Each month, we eagerly waited for the announcement of her next selection and quickly rushed to purchase the book and begin reading. Occasionally, Oprah’s choice would be a book that I had read previously, but I would enthusiastically read the book again. I was always amazed at how much I had “missed” the first time and enjoyed the new insights gleaned from a second reading. I experienced this feeling once again as I re-read Hilarie Davis’s Building a Culture of Literacy Month-by- Month.
Davis believes that we share the obligation to support each child as he/she learns to read and write. She delineates a comprehensive approach to a school wide focus on literacy. Davis takes much of the hard work out of implementing such an all-inclusive plan to infuse reading throughout a school -- from the selection of the book, the information to display in the hall, ideas for a writing contest, to a plan for Family Night, Part One is a “How to” book at its best!
Each month, these activities accompany a school wide focus on a “Book of the Month.” The selections include such elementary school classics as Stone Soup, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I have read each of these books countless times over the years to my second graders. However, it never occurred to me to use the selections in such a comprehensive manner. For example, Davis describes how we can use Stone Soup as a springboard for discussing the formation of a classroom and school community, in addition to instruction on the richness of figurative language.
Once Davis has “hooked” you with her activities to invite and excite even the most reluctant reader, she “reels you in” with Part Two: The Study Guide. In this section, she discusses the rationale behind the activities in Part One and guides the reader through the research and additional resources that will enable the culture of literacy to bloom in a classroom, on a grade level, and throughout the school. The questions she poses and the reflections at the end of each chapter make this a great choice for a study group or independent study.
Building a Culture of Literacy Month-by- Month is clearly designed for implementation in an elementary school. It supports the initiation of those difficult conversations about how the culture of a school is supporting students as they learn to read and write. It also provides a framework for teachers to build a deeper understanding of the relationship between reading and writing.
This book is an ideal selection for study by a faculty or grade level in a school. It offers a blueprint for meaningful and productive collaboration to enhance student achievement. However, the book also lends itself to study and implementation by an individual teacher who simply wants to make a difference in the way his/her students develop as readers and writers.
