WRADvocate Profile: Shelley Monastra

Shelly Monastra is our WRADvocate from Ohio. She is a mother and a blogger. She writes on her personal blog called Clever Pockets, and has an eight year old son in the third grade. We are thrilled she is joining us this year!

1. Can you share some of your earliest memories of reading and how they impacted you? 

Bible stories have always been a major influence in my life. My earliest memories of reading is that of little baby Moses. I might not have read the words but I remember reading those pictures and my Sunday school teacher's face. She was smiling and listening with as though it was the first time she heard the story. I brought pleasure to some one just by reading. I found that so remarkable.

 

 2. What advice would you give to teachers, parents and caregivers who want to reach their struggling readers?

 My advice to anyone who is trying to help a struggling reader is confidence, acceptance and patience. Have the confidence they are lacking. Accept that some learn differently. Have the patience to allow them to blossom. As a mother of a struggling child, get Pam Allyn's book, "Your Child's Writing Life" and practice your own reading skills! It's not just for children.

3. Do you have a memory of someone reading aloud to you that changed you in some way? How did that change you?

Mrs. Nussbaum, she was my third grade teacher. She had long black hair and a smile that made everything better. She read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to us. I remember hoping for a rainy day so we would stay indoors for recess just so she would read. It was like she took me by the hand and walked me through the factory herself. Her expressions made everyone come alive. You could feel the cold blowing in the cracks of the shack and the excitement Charlie felt opening up the chocolate bars. I was mesmerized by the tone of her words. There is reading and there is reading the words to life. that is what I took from Mrs. Nussbaum's third grad class. 

4. What do you think is most essential for teachers, parents and caregivers to do in order to nurture a child to become a lifelong reader? 

Anyone wanting to nurture a child to be a life long reader is make it enjoyable. You provide the doors and let the child open them.

5. What do you think the future holds for readers?
The future holds unlimited possibilities for readers. Reading gives super powers to a child who feels powerless, even if it's just till the end of the story. Reading is laughter, suspense and compassion. I don't think the future holds readers. I really believe readers hold our future.

To learn more about Shelley, visit her on her blog, Clever Pockets.

WRADvocate Profile: John Schumacher

John Schumacher is a teacher-librarian at Brook Forest Elementary School in Oak Brook, Illinois. John graduated from St. Xavier University with a Masters in Teaching and Leadership and from Dominican University with a Masters in Library and Information Science. He has taught English in Seoul, South Korea, and is starting his eighth year at Brook Forest. John serves on ALSC’s Children and Technology committee, AASL’s Best Websites for Teaching and Learning, and two readers’ choice award committees. He was a judge for School Library Journal‘s 2011 Trailee Awards and recently became a FableVision Ambassador. In his spare time (ummm…what’s that?) he reads, travels, and blogs at Watch.Connect.Read.and Two Libraries, One Voice. John is a 2011 Library Journal Mover and Shaker.

John closely works with our WRADVocate in Iowa, Shannon Miller on Two Libraries, One Voice. Together, they have connected with over thirty schools and authors for WRAD! In addition, Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes will be visiting his school in March as part of his WRAD celebrations.

1. Is there a particular book that has changed your life in some way and why?

To answer this question, John submitted a video instead:

2. How has what you've read influenced you professionally?

I read 1,705 books during 2010 and 2,100 books during 2011. Every book influenced me professionally. The more I read, the better  I am able to put the perfect book in a child's hand. Gary Paulsen says it best, “ Read like a wolf eats, read when they tell you not to read, and read what they tell you not to read. Read all the time, and turn the television off.


3. Do you have a memory of someone reading aloud to you that changed you in some way? How did that change you?

I will never forget when Mrs. Villender, my second-grade teacher, read aloud Charlotte’s Web. If I close my eyes and allow my body to relax, I can transport myself back to her classroom. I see her standing at the front of the room, reading aloud one of the most beautifully written books. It is the first chapter book I remember a teacher reading aloud. At a young age, it taught me the importance and value of reading aloud.

4. What do you think is most essential for teachers, parents and caregivers to do in order to nurture a child to become a lifelong reader?

“Reading is not optional.” –Walter Dean Myers

I think teachers, parents, and caregivers need  to  respect a child's reading choices.  Let kids read what they want to read. Encourage children to try new genres and formats, but please respect their reading choices.

I think children need to see authors as real people. Take young readers to author and literacy events at local bookshops and public libraries. Sometimes this gives them the confidence they need to become active readers.

5. What book do you think young people should not miss?

Wow, this is a tough question. Only one book?  It would make me extremely sad if  my students transitioned to middle school without having read at least one Babymouse book. Sister-and-brother team Jennifer and Matthew Holm know how to keep kids turning pages and laughing.  If you have not read Babymouse, run to your local public library.

To learn more about John, follow him on Twitter on @MrSchuReads

And on his websites:

Watch.Connect.Read

Two Libraries, One Voice

WRADvocate Profile: Alyson Beecher

 Alyson Beecher is our WRADvocate from Pasadena, CA. She is an educator, writing mentor, book geek, and blogger. During the day, she works with elementary students. Her passion is getting her students excited about books, reading, and writing.  She believes that it is critical to partner with teachers, librarians, authors, illustrators, booksellers, and publishers to support efforts to connect children and teens to books.  With that in mind, she has also co-founded the grassroots organization Bridge to Books.

1. Can you share some of your earliest memories of reading and how they impacted you?
It was in 3rd grade that I began to see myself as a reader.  I started reading The Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder and I never stopped reading books after that.  I was so excited that I could read a book by myself and I loved that every book I read allowed me to meet new “friends” and visit new places.
   
2. What advice would you give to teachers, parents and caregivers who want to reach their struggling readers?
I have noticed that some children catch on to the pattern of sounds and reading faster than other children.  As they have success with reading, they read more which reinforces their ability to read providing for more success and often times positive reinforcement from the adults in their lives.  Children who are slower with unlocking that pattern find reading to be hard and often not very enjoyable. Even one or two adults who spend time reading daily with the child, building a connection between reading and enjoyment will help a child push through, find success, and experience of benefits of being a reader.
 
3. What book do you think young people should not miss?
Gosh this is a hard one.  I don’t think I believe there is any single book that every child should read. There are dozens of wonderful books out there, but what might be the perfect book for one child may not be the book for another child.  I do think that there is a special book out there that will touch each child in a unique way.  When I read a book, I often find myself thinking about a particular student who would love it.  Recently, I read Hound Dog True by Linda Urban and thought of several girls that needed to meet Mattie Breen (the main character).  When I read Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm, I immediately gave a copy to another student who would fully appreciate May Amelia.  Upon finishing A Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, I handed it to one of my teachers for her son.  I hope that every book I read ends up with the child who will need it.

4. What do you think is most essential for teachers, parents and caregivers to do in order to nurture a child to become a lifelong reader?
Keep searching for that one special book that will transform the children in your life into life-long readers.  So many children claim they don't like to read or that reading is boring; however, for many it is that they haven't found reading material that they love.  Once they find it either in the format of a novel, or non-fiction, or a trivia book, they search out another and another until they are hooked.  And along with this, do not criticize their choice of books.  Just because as an adult, I might be partial to one type of story doesn't mean every child I know is interested in the same thing. If children believe that the adults in their lives are critical of the books that they love, they may resist reading to avoid those criticisms.      

5. Will you share with us some final meditations on the power of the read aloud and of reading in general to the emotional lives of children and for all people?
I had taken for granted the power of the read aloud with students until the past few years when I began to realize that more than just the benefit of hearing a book read aloud there was also the power of making a relational connection.  Sharing a book together gives students and teachers common points of reference from which they can talk and build on.  By reading aloud to children, I can also share my excitement about books that I have discovered. When I talk with children about books, it gives me a level of trust and permission to ask them about what they are reading and to make suggestions.  As I watch their reactions, to books I have read aloud, I can also select just the right books for each of them.  And when you hand a book to a child that you have specially selected with him or her in mind,  watch out, a positive transformation happens every time.

To learn more about Alyson, follow her on Twitter @alybee930

And check out her websites below:

www.kidlitfrenzy.com
www.bridgetobooks.org

WRADvocate Profile: Chris Singer

1. Can you share some of your earliest memories of reading and how they impacted you?

- Books have been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. My family has told me that I asked for books to be read to me all the time, over and over again. I had some books read to me so often that I would memorize them. When my parents had company over to the house, they'd tell them I could read already (I was only 2-3 at the time). Of course, our guests were blown away by my ability to "read." 

2. Is there a particular book that has changed your life in some way and why?

- In college, I read a book by Tim O'Brien called, "The Things They Carried." It's one of the best books I've ever read. It's a book about the power of story and taught me that stories can help teach us so many things about the world.

3. What do you think is most essential for teachers, parents and caregivers to do in order to nurture a child to become a lifelong reader?

- Let kids choose what they want to read and make reading fun. Join with them in reading books together and out loud. Take them to bookstores and to the library. Have them see you reading as well.

4. What do you think the future holds for readers?

- I have no doubt that helping children develop a lifelong love of reading opens up a world of possibilities for them. 

5. Will you share with us some final meditations on the power of the read aloud and of reading in general to the emotional lives of children and for all people?

- I’m not sure there’s anything more powerful in the human experience than the power of story. Stories teach so much to us. A story can teach us to have empathy for others, can show us perspectives in the world we may never encounter personally and can teach us ways to get through tough times. These reasons are partly why I’m such an advocate for reading to and sharing the power of story with children.

 

WRADvocate Profile: Shannon Devereaux Sanford

Shannon Devereaux Sanford is a media personality and our New York WRADvocate. She is the host of a radio segment called "Shannon's Corner" on WTBQ Radio at 1110 AM & 93.5 FM, and will be promoting WRAD through the airwaves. 

Read along to learn more about Shannon:

1. Is there a particular book that has changed your life in some way and why?

Absolutely! My favorite book is Somerset Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge. I read this first as a teenager and have re-read many times since, especially in my 20’s. I loved the main character, Larry Darrell and his quiet, sophisticated rebellion that led him to travel the world in search of honesty and wisdom. I admire the independence in his character and his ego-less, genuine caring of others. I still re-read this book when I want to be reminded that following your own inner compass is essential and the greatest gift in life is found in self-less giving, requiring only sincerity in return.

2. How has what you've read influenced you professionally?

I think everything we read influences us in some way and what we are professionally is a large part of who we are. I tend to read books that remind me of how our differences are what make us unique individuals, though ultimately we are all the same. I love the freedom books can give us, the freedom to see the world through a larger lens. I use that sweeping perspective in interviewing authors and other radio guests who are looking to share their insight, knowledge and ideas with listeners so they too can open up their world.

3. What advice would you give to teachers, parents and caregivers who want to reach their struggling readers?

Make it special! Make if entertaining and privileged. Make reading an activity where the reader has the ability to interpret those words on the page into their personal world. That is the difference in reading, it is an activity that can be done alone and its interpretation is unique, just like the reader.

4. What book do you think young people should not miss?

My daughter in now in high school but the books she read in middle school changed her view of the world. It reminded me how important classic books such as To Kill A Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men are to read when you are young. They bring a human perspective to young people at an age when they are sure the world is just about them. In reading these books they suddenly are aware of injustice, prejudice and pain in
the world consequently making them so appreciate of all they have.

5. Will you share with us some final meditations on the power of the read aloud and of reading in general to the emotional lives of children and for all people?

Reading aloud combines two of the most powerful experiences that communication can bring: the power of the written word and the power of speech. Even in a group the book talks to ‘just you’ when read aloud. The words communicate to each individual directly as they leap off the page and become real – they have magic in them! Reading aloud brings the story alive for younger children who can’t read, opening up the world that has been written in those pages in a way that they can’t do on their own. It is pathway to the richly rewarding world of books that they will be experiencing for many years to come.

Learn more about Shannon's work through her website here.