Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge

The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge starts today. It's a global reading challenge that encourages kids to read throughout the summer months. If they log their minutes, they can earn rewards and prizes, and contribute to beating last year's record of more than 176 million minutes.

In my opinion, the best part about this program are the downloadable/printable age-appropriate reading lists. This year's theme is Reading Under the Stars, so these lists include "books about space, stars and astronomy, as well as spooky stories to read by a campfire."

There's also a reading timer app for Apple/Android devices.

Summer Reading Lists

The Silver Birch Award
best books for children aged  8-12

A school librarian friend of mine recently mentioned the Silver Birch Awards - the Ontario Library Association's awards for best books for children aged 8-12. There are fiction, non-fiction and "express" categories.

It turns out there's a whole forest of children's book awards! Even French ones. They make a great summer reading list for children. 


What are your kids reading this summer? Post in the comments field below. 

Connection between reading and empathy

In this TVO Parents video, York University researcher Raymond Mar explains that reading to children improves their ability to empathize. Apparently, stories encourage children to put themselves in others' shoes, and to empathize with them. It's also helpful for parents to talk with the children about the story and especially the emotional states of the characters in the story.

The study also looked at children's television and movies, and found that movies were better for encouraging empathy than children's television, possibly because families are more likely to watch them together and to discuss them.

Click to play

2010-11 EQAO Results

The TDSB has published last year's EQAO results. On the TDSB website you will find a summary of Clairlea's results and, if you want more detail, the full report. Below are copies of some of the graphs, which you can compare to the previous year's results.

In the above graphic, Clairlea's 2010-11 results are the left, darker bar - as compared to the TDSB and the province.

The graph above depicts Clairlea's grade 3 students' performance over time. Last year in black. In grade 3, the French Immersion students only write the math portion (and they write it in French).

And Clairlea's grade 6 students' performance over time. Last year in black. In grade 6, all students (French and English) write all three parts of the test (reading, writing, math) and they write the test in English. 

To learn more, start with the EQAO primer I wrote back in 2009. You can also visit the EQAO website, www.eqao.com.  

Literacy Night Thursday Jan 28

Book fair - Jan 26-29

Robert Munsch coming to Clairlea?!

According to the Scarborough Mirror, a Clairlea family has won ABC Canada's "Munsch at Home" contest. Congratulations to Christine, Aidan and Myles! The press release says, "Mr. Munsch will join the Jordans at their home in Scarborough, ON in January 2010 for a private reading of their story Myles the Rockstar and will also read their story to a group of students at Clairlea Public School in Scarborough." What fun!!! 


The press release also says: The Jordans’ story will be published alongside a special illustration created by Michael Martchenko, (illustrator of several Robert Munsch books) in spring 2010 issues of B-Zone and Today’s Parent magazines.


Read the Jordans' winning story here. It's great!


UPDATE: It's true! Robert Musch is coming Jan 15!
UPDATE 2: See the school blog for photos and more; it was also on CBC TV News and online.