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Winners of the ORA Literacy Grants, 2007-2008
Submitted by Ann Marineau, Literacy Grant Chair
The Oregon Reading Association is pleased to announce the 2007 winners of its annual Literacy Project Grants. Each of the 15 grant winners has received $200. Selection criteria included clarity, completeness, project impact, value in promoting literacy, use of effective literacy practices, sustainability and the applicant’s membership in ORA.
Winners are:
Songbooks to Promote Literacy
Diantha Mollahan, Mid-Valley Council
Reader’s Workshop in her second grade classroom will be enriched by purchasing songbooks with soothing and predicable phrasing that are appealing to children. Books will be used for read-aloud, choice time, and weekly ‘buddy’ reading with 4th graders for many years to come.
Reading for Fun and Enjoyment at the Reading Café
Terrie Woodward, Mid-Columbia Council
Terrie will establish a reading lounge, or “Reading Café,” where high school students can come, hang out and read. Furnishings such as coffee tables, lamps, easy chairs and all types of books to appeal to teen readers will be purchased. Terrie hopes teens will see this as place to meet and discuss their favorite reads.
Read Aloud Backpack Book Buddies
Loretta Brenner, Mid-Valley Council
To help establish a positive home-school connection, quality children’s books (in both Spanish and English) will be purchased to accompany a cloth backpack and a plush animal or doll to represent a character from each book. Journals will be included in their “Backpack Buddies”.
Focused Social Studies Read-Aloud
Melia Jasso, Driftwood Reading Council
Because textbooks do not always reach every student at their individual level or inspire students to make connections while reading, Melia will select and purchase quality picture books to correspond with Oregon’s 4th grade benchmarks in social studies, allowing the teacher to teach every student various comprehension strategies regardless of ability.
Teen Parent Literacy Event
Darlene Frazier, Mt. Hood Council
Literacy begins at birth! Teaching and discussing the importance of and how to read to young children will be the focus at this event. Brochures and age-appropriate books will be available, as well as information of free resources available to parents such as library book check-out and children’s programs.
Intermediate Listening Library
Julie Wilson, Umpqua Council
Julie believes listening to and reading along with an audio book allows struggling readers to experience events such as survival on a deserted island or living in the time of the Civil war without the frustration that comes with constant attempts to decode. Concepts such as character analysis, author’s purpose, and figurative language become discussion points rather than points of confusion.
High Level Picture Books
Lillian Erb, Driftwood Council
Book sets with a guided reading level of “O” and above will help fill a gap in the book room of Lillian’s school. These sets will fill the need for the 3-4th grade classrooms by providing a shorter text option than chapter books while matching the instructional reading level of students. These books will provide a common text to practice comprehension skills.
Reading for Everyone
Kathryn Paley, Mid-Valley Council
Reaching out to reluctant, struggling middle school readers will be the focus of purchasing books with high interest topics but lower reading levels for the school library. Books of this type will increase the number of students reading at their level. All students will be able to enjoy the books, whether they are a ‘just right’ or an easy read.
6-Traits Writing Lending Library
Penny Plavala, Portland Council
Multnomah County ESD will provide teachers access to 24 picture books that highlight a specific writing trait. Mini-lessons will accompany these books, helping teachers model the 6-traits of writing … and increase students’ interest and passion for writing as well.
Lunch Time Book Club
Paula Bontrager, Rogue Valley Council
Grant money will be used to purchase high interest books for middle school students to support teachers forming lunch time book clubs and implementing literature circles in various content areas. Current book clubs will be expanded as more great titles for teens are purchased, requiring fewer students/teachers to use their own money. Providing rich reading opportunities for students is the mission at McLoughlin Middle School.
Glide Middle School Book Club
Sarah Reeve, Umpqua Council
Using Nanci Atwell’s description of “the reading zone,” in her book with the same title, Sarah will use grant monies seed a book club for students to participate in an authentic literacy experience, one that mirrors what adults do throughout the world. These books will be used more than once.
Beginning with Books
Cheri Westerkamp, Emerald Empire Council
A variety of materials will be purchased to read, adding to our ‘Beginning with Books” program. Students will come in 45 minutes before school starts and find a cozy place to read. This extra literacy opportunity has become ‘the place to go’ as students tell other students, who tell other students.
Non-Fiction for Beginning Boy Readers
Jean Townes, Mid-Valley Council
Subjects of interest to boys include motor vehicles, sports, dangerous animals, jokes and “gross” topics. A survey showed that there are few current books on these subjects and fewer at a reading level for beginning readers. Jean will add non-fiction library books at a primary level to increase the choices for boys who are just beginning to read independently.
The Sunset Reader Parent-Child Book Club
Diane Juttlestad, Portland Council
Diane will create The Sunset Reader Club to give parents the opportunity to take an active role in their child’s reading development while promoting lifelong reading behaviors and opening doors for parent-child and parent-school communication. Parents and children will be provided with quality literature, thought provoking questions to discuss, and an avenue for making important home-school connections.
Poetry
Victoria Snow, Driftwood Council
Because research shows that poetry challenges us to think about the world around us and about ourselves in new ways, Victoria will purchase poetry books for a “Poetry Box” to be shared with the 4th grade teachers at Kalmiopsis Elementary School. This will give them the opportunity to share a wide variety of poetry forms with students.
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ORA received 27 Literacy Special Project Grant requests. All had merit, and the selection process was not easy. Thanks to all members who applied. The selection committee included Beth Bennison, April Hoy, Michelle Newsum, Gail Mueller and Ann Marineau.
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