Creating a Summer Book Program

Image via WikipediaSummer reading programs are a staple in schools. They are also often sponsored by local libraries, book stores and other programs. As I have written before such programs can be adapted to our learners. An article on LD Online suggests the possibility of developing a summer listening program for learners with special needs. I love this idea and all of the suggestions on how to do it. From e-books with text-to-speech, to parents reading to children, to downloaded MP3 audio books and audio books from the library on a CD player. Also there are interactive books like Silly Books, TumbleBooks, and Bookflix. (Our local library just added Bookflix to their website.)

Sites and Articles about Summer Book Programs

• Reading Rockets Getting Ready for Summer
  
• Adolescent Literacy Summer Learning for Teens
• Develop a Summer Listening Program from LD OnLine
• Summer Reading Article from Don Johnston
  

Where to Find Summer Book Programs (There is no reason a student with a disability should not be able to count books listened to instead of read)

• Active Bodies Active Minds Reading Challenge
• Barnes and Nobles
  
• Book It Brain Food Program
• Scholastic Summer Reading Buzz
• Reading Warriors
• Your school
• Your local library
• Your local book store
  

Free Recorded Books for Those with Disabilities

• Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
• Bookshare
  

Download Audiobooks

• Audible Kids $$$
• Audible$$$
• Audiobooks for Free
• Lit2GO MP3 Stories
• Literal Systems Free Audiobooks
• Loud Lit
• Story Nory
  

Electronic Interactive Books

• Tumblebooks ($ubscription, many libraries offer)
• Bookflix ($ubscription, many libraries offer)
• Silly Books
• RAZ Kids ($ubscription)
• Kid Thing (purchase individual books)
  

Websites to Share with Parents

• Reading is Fundamental Reading as a Family

Worksheets

• Free Audio Thought Worksheets from Don Johnston
  

Find Out the Reading Level on Text

Today there has been an interesting discussion on the QIAT Listserv about how to find out the reading level on text. A number of websites were listed that can be used to look up a book and also two technology assisted Do-It-Yourself methods.

Websites to research reading levels on common books:

• Leveled Book Database
• Accelerated Reader List (here) or here
  
• Scholastic Book Wizard
  
• Reading Lady List of Sites to Determine Reading Level (.doc)
• Edit Central's Cut and Paste Online Analyzer
  

• Fountas and Pinnel ($$$)

Do-It-Yourself Method One: Search Amazon .com for the book you want to know about (try searching within the category (children's book). Scroll down to "Inside the Book" and choose "text stats". Ta-da! There is the Flesch-Kincaid reading level, the 100 most common words in the text and more (i.e. word per dollar)!

Do-It-Yourself Method Two: What about online text? Text you have written yourself? Try using Microsoft Word! Highlight a section or all of the text in Word then go to "tools", under "spelling and grammar" choose "option". Now click on "Show Readability Statistics". Wow!

Thanks to the QIAT posters for sharing all of this!

(By the way, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, one of my favorite childhood books (along with Blueberries for Sal, Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) is a 6.4 on the Flesch-Kincaid Index, costing 127 dollars per word.)