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Literacy Tips
By Robin Matthews, Daniels Run Elementary Librarian | 
As an elementary school librarian, it's no surprise I found a love of books early in life. Parents often ask me how to help with children who don't have a passion for reading. As a parent myself, I know how difficult it can be to encourage a child to do anything he or she would rather not do. In my years working with children, I have developed some strategies to help children develop literacy skills and become lifelong readers.
For young children, it's important to introduce words and stories years before they step into a classroom. Here's a recent example. A colleague of mine who has a newborn excitedly told me that she's been reading to her daughter. She was pleasantly surprised that her child responded to the story! Even tiny infants enjoy books. Our children learn by mimicking. If we read to them they will want to read.
In addition, creating stories, poems, or songs introduces children to storytelling. With young children parents can help build literacy skills with picture books found at the library. Help personalize the story by taking a minute before you read to ask your child what he or she thinks the book will be about. You could look at the pictures without reading the words and ask what kind of characters might be in the story. This will help make reading a shared experience, and one in which the child actively participates.
With older children ask if they can figure out why the author wrote the book. What was the author's purpose in writing this story? Picture books, which we librarians call "everybody" books, are not just for young children. Upper grade teachers routinely read picture books to their classes to teach language
arts lessons. In fact, our 6th graders absolutely love picture books!
All children have an appetite for information about the world around them. Introducing books in both the fiction and nonfiction sections of the library can help not only quench this thirst for knowledge, but improve literacy. Some children gravitate to a new genre of books called graphic novels. These are what some may think of as comic books in book form. We have these books in every section of our library including the nonfiction, fiction, biography, and picture book sections. Try reading one yourself before dismissing these books as lightweight. Reading this genre involves more areas of the brain than just reading the simple written word. They actually require more energy and concentration to read because you are reading word bubbles and interpreting the illustration while reading the selection.
Parents can take advantage of the enormous amount of media available to both children and adults. Never before have we seen such aides to help learners of all ages. From DVDs, to electronic readers, to books on CD at the library, there are many ways for students to discover great authors and stories. Our students are digital natives. They've never known a world without computers and the Internet and they know that there is a wealth of knowledge to be had on the web. It is our job as parents and teachers to help them navigate this online world. Our school system subscribes to two online electronic book databases and has numerous books in electronic format available to students just by accessing the online catalog. See your school librarian for more details.
Students in upper elementary and middle school can benefit from book clubs. Just this summer, the Washington Post ran a series comparing books with the movie counterpart while student journalists debated which was the better story. Also, reading books based in the Washington D.C. metro area can bring stories to life with a family field trip. Our area is rich with history and there are many historical fiction novels based on events which took place here.
In high school your children clearly have developed their own interests and hobbies. They read magazine and newspaper articles and blog posts online routinely both in school and at home. This helps them think critically and look at a variety of global perspectives. Still, reading your older child's favorite book along with them and discussing plot twists, character development, and predicting outcomes can open new communication channels between parents and teens.
For children of all ages, try to incorporate reading in everyday activities. You could hand out a favorite "spooky" poem or story with every treat on Halloween, give a favorite book on Valentine's Day to those you love, or bring one interesting article from the newspaper at dinner every night to discuss how it impacts your family and the world. What if after every family movie night your family continued the characters' stories on the car ride home? Consider taking the Metro to the National Book Festival on the D.C. mall every September to visit favorite authors.
If you have questions please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher, your school librarian, or your school reading specialist. We are here to encourage literacy for students of every age and we are all passionate about reading and books. We would love to help. There are many catchy quotes I could use to conclude this article but I would like to close with my favorite quote from a 1927 Brubaker print, which I have hanging in the Daniels Run library, "After all- there is nothing like A GOOD BOOK!"
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One and One - What's Cool | |
We admit it, we put our principals and board members on the spot. We asked them to pick one cool thing from January and one thing in February they want the Fairfax community to know about. Here is what they said:
Jesse Kraft, Principal, Providence Elementary
My January event actually happened in December, but we have great video on our Facebook page of our Patterns of Thinking event. The students worked very hard on their projects and explained their thinking using the Patterns of Thinking. It was a great day for PES. (There are also pictures on the City of Fairfax Schools Facebook page) In February, PES holds its winter concerts(February 7 and 16) and our PTA holds its annual Bingo Night (February 3). The PTA does an amazing job and the teachers call out the numbers - it's great fun!
Dave Goldfarb, Principal, Fairfax High School Favorite event in January - A Chorus Line. Looking forward to the Fairfax High School Science Fair on February 4th.
Jon Buttram, Vice Chairman, City of Fairfax School Board What's cool in January is the success we continue to enjoy at City Schools; the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) certification earned by the FHS Automotive Tech Program led by Mr. Steger, the Virginia Middle school honors choir recognition for five Lanier Chorus students, the Daniels Run Elementary Singers recognized at the January School Board meeting and the successful 'ThinkShare' event hosted by Providence Elementary. Looking forward to an eventful February in City Schools including the Febuary 3rd 'Bingo' Night at Providence, International Night February 3 at Daniels Run, the Science Fair at FHS on the 4th and the Lanier German Karneval February 29th. Scott Poole, Principal, Lanier Middle School
In January, Lanier was asked to host a meeting for the Going Green Coalition of schools, a group of educators from around Fairfax County Public Schools that are dedicated to implementing best practices related to the environment. Approximately 70 visitors came to Lanier to tour our facility in order to learn more how we became recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as only the third "Green Flag" School in the United States. Visitors learned about our courtyard project, recycling program, and conservation efforts.
Kathy Mullinex, Principal, Daniels Run Elementary
January- I was so proud of Daniels Run Elementary school staff and students who were recognized by the City of Fairfax School Board members at the January school board meeting. We also presented our annual "State of the School" to the board and highlighted some of our many wonderful achievements. Thank you to all my staff presenters who shared updates about the many events, projects and programs we are implementing.
February - I always look forward to the PTA International Night, this year on February 3rd. The day will start off with assemblies for the entire school featuring student performances of music or dance from their native cultures. Later in the evening parents will set up booths displaying musical instruments, rugs, maps, toys, folk art, or games. Please see our website for more information.
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Letter from the Chairman of the School Board | 
Dear City Residents and School Parents,
As many of you know, Ann Monday, our superintendent announced her retirement in January. Mrs. Monday has been a tireless and loyal City of Fairfax employee for the past five years. The Board and staff as well as our community members will miss her dedication and work on behalf of our students.
Mrs. Monday was instrumental in overseeing the completion of the Lanier Middle School and Fairfax High School renovations. Under her leadership and working with the four city principals students were provided after school programs and summer school remediation and enrichment. Professional development opportunities were made available for teachers and staff members. Mrs. Monday will remain on the job through the end of June. She will also work with the new superintendent to make the transition as seamless as possible. The Superintendent position is an important one for our city and students. With our unique partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools, the Superintendent is our liaison and advocate with both FCPS and the City Council staff. The School Board is currently in the selection process for a new superintendent. We welcome input from city residents and parents and look forward to your suggestions. Thank you for your continuing support of the City of Fairfax students. Best Regards, Janice Miller Chairman of the City of Fairfax School Board |
City of Fairfax Schools are part of a world-class school system that inspires, enables, and empowers students to meet high academic standards, lead ethical lives and demonstrate responsible citizenship.
Our next school board meeting will be February 6th at City Hall. The next work session will be February 27th at Fairfax High School. All meetings and work sessions are open to the public.
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| CloseUp Now in Spanish! | |
CloseUp is now offered in Spanish. If you would like to receive CloseUp in Spanish, please send an email to schoolboard@fairfaxva.gov.
CloseUp se ofrece ahora en español. Si usted desea recibir CloseUp en español, por favor envíe un correo electrónico a schoolboard@fairfaxva.gov. |
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My Favorite Book | |
We asked some City of Fairfax readers for their favorite book. Many could not pick just one, so we divided the selections by the age of the reader. Some included "recent reads" since they couldn't narrow it down. See if you can spot some repeat authors and one book chosen twice!
Preschool/Early Elementary
Kathy Mullenix,
Principal, Daniels Run
Annie Oakley and the Rustlers Golden Book
Ann McGovern
Robin Matthews,
DRE Librarian
Big Chickens
Leslie Helakoski
Daniel Drummond, Fairfax City Council (and family)
Knuffle Bunny Mo Willems
Lynn Murphy, PES Librarian
We Are in a Book
Mo Willems
Steven Stombres, Fairfax City Council (and son Jimmy, 4)
Click, Clack, Moo
Doreen Cronin
Carolyn Pitches
School Board Member
The Kissing Hand
Audrey Penn
Melanie Burell
City Clerk, City of Fairfax City Council
The Monster at the End of this Book Grover (and Jon Stone)
Jesse Kraft, principal Providence Elementary
Curious George H.A. Rey
Older Elementary
Robin Matthews
The Giver Lois Lowry
Lynn Murphy
11 Birthdays
Wendy Mass
Steven Stombres (and daughter Ellie, 10)
A Year Without Autumn
Liz Kessler
Mitch Sutterfield
School Board Member
Crazy Legs McBain
Joe Archibald
Fire Hunter Jim Kjelgaard
Jon Buttram
Vice Chairman, City of Fairfax School Board
The White Mountains
John Christopher
Middle School
Steven Stombres (and daughter Katie, age 13)
Walk Two Moons
Sharon Creech
Robin Matthews
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
Lynn Murphy
Okay for Now
Gary Schmidt
Ann Monday
Superintendent of Schools
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Sean Cammaerts
Lanier Head Librarian
The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck
Sarah Mengers
Lanier Middle School Librarian
To Kill a Mockingbird
When You Reach Me
Rebecca Stead
High School and Adult
Chap Petersen
Virginia State Senator,
FHS Graduate
War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
Scott Poole
Principal Lanier Middle School
Team of Rivals
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Toby Sorensen
School Board Member
The Quiet American
Graham Greene
The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier and Clay
Michael Chabon
The Devil in the White City Erik Larson
Scott Silverthorne
Fairfax City Council
Truman David McCullough
Dave Goldfarb
Principal, Fairfax HS
Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand
Ishmael Daniel Quinn
Steven Stombres
John Adams
David McCullough
Blink Malcolm Gladwell
Jon Buttram
The Iliad Homer
1776 David McCullough
Recent Reads
Janice Miller
Chairman, City of Fairfax School Board
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot
Jesse Kraft
At Home Bill Bryson
Jon Buttram
Unbroken
Laura Hillendbrand
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Our Facebook page is filled with pictures from school events, interesting articles on education and community events.
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