Try it Tuesday: Battle of the Books

This is my first year at a Battle of the Books coach and I cannot say enough about how well I love this program!  Here are 10 reasons you should have your child check out Battle of the Books and become a participant:

1. Good Books!  The books used in our local Battle of the Book program are all Bluestem Readers Choice Award recipients with a few exceptions this year to make questions easier for our library to write.  They often have great lessons in empathy and are fun and interesting to read!
2. Reading is critical!  Reading is critical to your child's success and this program is a wonderful way to get them reading and keep it fun!
3. Social Activity.  Get your child out of the house and away for screens for a fun activity that involves friends and classmates!  They'll meet new friends that they will soon be attending the same middle school.
4. Fun!  Our Battle of the Books team meets after school for an hour usually once or twice a month for practice.  We play games, have a snack and socialize.  Once a month we have a battle that is often attended by parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and classmates.
5. It gets whole family to read!  This is a wonderful opportunity to take the whole family to the library or a book store and get everyone reading!
6. It creates a better bedtime routine and good nights sleep!  Now, you may be wondering where this came from but studies have shown that reading before bed can lead to better sleep.  Use the BOB to create this pattern for your child because it will create a routine that tells their body to shut down, reduces stress, and gets them off their screens (screen time before bed produces lack of sleep).
7. Prevents a summer slide in your child's reading test scores.  You want a reading plan for your child's summer that will keep them engaged and reading?  Well this is it!
8. Teaches good sportsmanship.  Just like an athletic team, this teaches them good sportsmanship lessons, like supporting your team members, accepting judges calls, acceptable competition behavior, shaking hands after a battle, taking pride without rubbing it in, helping a team mate who has given the wrong answer with confidence and accepting a loss.  If you have a child who is not an athlete, they can still learn these skills here!
9. Creates a love for the public library.  Some of our students are not in the library system and have not had an opportunity to visit the library.  Or maybe, you've just been busy with sports and activities that have kept you from visiting the library, but every child should know what libraries can offer them and understand their importance and value!
10. Creates a desire for future academic competitive teams. Your child will have so much fun they will consider joining future academic competitive teams in middle school and high school. 

So bring your child to watch the North Stars compete in our next Battle on April 22, 2019, at the Sycamore Public Library!  Battles will begin at  5:15 pm.  Or see us on May 4, at 6:00 pm same location for our final battle.  Contact Mrs. Parsons, Mrs. Jordan or Mrs. Dempsey for more information.

Making the Most of Audio Books for Your Grade School and Middle School Children

If you have been following my blog for any length of time you may have noticed that I have been missing for a while.  I started a new job this year as a half time Grade School Librarian half time Para Educator.  I love it but had no idea how busy being a librarian could be! 

I really enjoyed sharing the importance of reading and encouraging parents to raise readers.  So, today I am covering a reading topic that I thought parents might want to know more about:  Audio Books and how to make the most of them as a reading tool for your grade school and middle school children.

1. They are free or affordable. Many local libraries offer Audio books, so check out your audio book choices on both their website and the libraries digital reading site using reading application they suggest.  Many schools use sites like Tumble Books for their students and you can continue to use this site over the summer.  Libraries and school subscriptions offer free options.  You can also look for free trials through sites like Amazon.  Or, you can get a paid subscription that the whole family can use too, making this option affordable for some.
2. They foster more reading.  This is a fabulous way to engage the first time chapter book child, or the tween who has begun to consider video gaming and friends more fun than reading.  For my boys, I would get the first book in a series on audio and the second book from our local library. Once they heard a few chapters,  they were hooked and read the rest of the series themselves.  Audio books can be the perfect way to engage your child in a summer reading program too.
3. Easy Access.  When life gets busy with activities, sports, travel and more, you can download an audio book any place you have wifi or use your data at any time of day.  My local library Sycamore Public library uses the app OverDrive and Online Media of Northern Illinois Libraries.  You can also listen directly from your computer for devise by visiting their website and clicking on the e-audio book link (see photo at the top for example).  So, use this tool when your library is closed to prep for the next days reading!
4. Provide Comfort and Sooth.  These are great for the overnight in a strange place, or to quite a child!  This was one of my go to's with a wound up toddler and vacation bedtime.
5. Size Doesn't Matter:  well to your child anyway.  If you have a child who shies away from large or long books like "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," audio books are a great tool. I can say that some audio book files downloaded from your library are downloaded in sections because they can be big, but in your child's perception this is not a "long" book.
6. Productive:  audio books can help them get books read for school projects or reading groups. Our local school district has a Battle of the Book competition that requires student to read the Blue Stem award books.  This year that list includes 20 books.  So, audio books for road trips can help a child get through a large number of books without feeling overwhelmed by the number! Which brings up my next point...
7. Portable:  Audio books take up less space for vacations.  These are perfect for road trips when your child can't read in a car without getting nauseous.  I love how this results in great discussions about the book we listen to, and books that we have read we all might like!
8. They're Fun!  The actors and authors add a depth that will have your child loving books and wanting more!

So, audio books are like many other tools and can be used for good or bad.  Make choices that foster more reading, and life long reading habits in your child.