Literacy Matters! - Home

Navigating the information landscape through collaboration - SCIS Elizabeth Hutchinson, Head of Schools' Library Service in Guernsey, writes that information literacy is at the centre of student learning, making the role of library staff as important as ever. School libraries and school library professionals have a huge role to play in supporting teaching and learning within a school. I often hear visiting authors comment on being able to identify a good school by how well the library is used. School librarian Caroline Roche penned the phrase ‘heart of the school’, which is used to describe schools whose library is at the centre of learning. But just having a school library does not make students suddenly want to start reading or researching. School libraries need to be looked after and maintained to ensure that good quality resources are available, and the school librarian has to be involved in curriculum discussions and included as part of the teaching and learning team to make an impact.

Sunday Reflections: YA Literature Too Dark! Why Don’t We Ask the Teens? It’s another day ending in the letter Y, which means yet another article is being written by an adult regarding the darkness of YA literature. Years ago, when there was a large number of these articles, I wrote a post here called “Dear Media, Why Don’t You Let Me Help You Write That Article on YA Literature.” I stand by a lot of that post, but I would add in one very important caveat: Why don’t we ask teens themselves? I’ve written here a lot about how I feel that adults are increasingly taking over a part of the YA market, and I stand by that assertion as well. Don’t get me wrong, I think there is a big difference between YA publishing, the online YA community, and YA librarians. YA publishing is, of course, going to follow the money; they are a profit driven business, so it is no surprise that some of the actors are catering to adults because the research shows that adults are buying YA.

A Map of Banned Books Access to learning materials or the autonomy to learn through reading authors who have expressed themselves candidly are not always widely accepted. An interesting post coming from Isabel Cabrera and Global English Editing this week. This post will shine a light on many books that have been banned to the “dark”. In today’s post there will be a map of banned books in an infographic format.

Back-to-School Checklist for a Learner-Ready School Library What’s on your school library back-to-school checklist? Do you have a learner-ready school library? I’m kind of like a second-grader when it comes to a new school year. I love new school supplies and the excitement of seeing all the people I’ve missed over the summer. My feelings about a new school year may resonate with you, but sadly they do not resonate with all of our learners. As I thought about posting a blog at this time of year, I contemplated what I share with new teachers, principals, and administrators about school libraries in my district. Do we need library lessons? - SCIS Barbara Band looks at the many benefits of regular library lessons, and speculates what would be lost without them. A school library is (or should be) a whole-school facility, enabling the learning needs of all students, supporting staff to deliver the curriculum, and providing resources for reading and information within a unique space. That’s the theory.

Helping students choose books for reading pleasure It's only in a library that all children of all backgrounds can freely explore the huge range of books and where they have the freedom to find their own tastes and discover literature at their own pace. — Ursula Dubosarsky, SCIS Connections, May 2014 The school library can do a lot to scaffold students as they look for their just right books. Along with an inclusive, appealing, current and wide ranging collection, you also need: a reader-friendly environment using clear, helpful signage and attractive displays with plenty of face-out display of book covers junior fiction books arranged by series to encourage reading mileage and confidence clear, helpful signage and labels displays on themes, topical issues, new books, read-alikes photos of readers and their reading recommendations.

Reading fiction 'boosts pupils’ learning by 10 months' The benefits of reading for pupils' overall attainment are well known, but does it matter what children are reading? According to an analysis published today, some books are more effective than others – and reading fiction yields far more benefits for pupils than other forms of reading material. Research: London students do less well in Pisa rankings than GCSE Opinion: Non-fiction boosts progress in reading… That’s a fact Quick read: Literacy: the real story on non-fiction

A Back To School Challenge Yesterday, I stopped at Starbucks on my way home and had a conversation with a barista named Ryan. I’ve replayed it about a hundred times since walking out of the coffee shop with my latte. I doubt I’ll ever forget it. What is information literacy? - CILIP: the library and information association What is information literacy? CILIP's Information Literacy Group has released CILIP Definition of Information Literacy 2018 at the LILAC Conference and reinforces the relevance of information literacy in the current age: “Information literacy is the ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to develop informed views and to engage fully with society.”