Smart Librarians

Happy New Year!

 

Every Other Thursday, you’ll get this short, fun, relevant newsletter.  It will contain a quote or smile about the library and those who love it, an idea you can use to promote your library or reading in general, a Common Core implementation idea and a shameless plug for the programs I offer.  Enjoy! 

 

If you are new to EOT or have missed any previous issues, you can read them all at www.smartlibrarians.com. And please tell your friends about it!

 

In this issue:

Good advice for the new year

Promote Reading – Rewarding summer readers

Common Core – collaborate and be a superhero!

Shameless Plug

 

Library Quote/Smile

Here’s some good advice for the new year!

Promote Reading – from 45 Ideas in 45 Minutes

16. Develop a tradition of rewarding your summer readers! – We all know that kids who read over the summer start school better prepared than non-readers. One way to encourage summer reading is to develop a tradition of rewarding summer readers. Once your students understand that they will be recognized and rewarded for reading over the summer, more of them will get involved as students report back to their non-reading friends how much fun they had! As your reputation for awesomeness grows, more students will read and the entire school benefits!

 

Ideas that I have seen that worked:

• Have a party in the media center including snacks and decorations
• Reward the readers with some “Cool School Tools” that you and your friends have purchased over the year at Dollar Tree and office supply stores that have the penny promotions. Most office stores will allow teachers to purchase larger quantities of these low priced items than the ad states. Just ask!
• Ask your PE teacher to help you with a kickball game or fun outdoor activity just for summer readers.
• Give them a book from your collection of giveaway books. (Don’t have a collection of giveaway books? Stay tuned! Soon EOT will give you several tips for building this REAL treasure box!)
• Allow summer readers to be the first to check out books, so they get the best selection!
• Call me and schedule a reading show that features magic and puppets and a strong message about reading!
• DON’T just give them a certificate and hope that it will make the non-readers green with envy.

 

Common Core Tip

If you are not already attending collaboration meetings with your teachers, you are missing an opportunity to become even MORE valuable to your colleagues and the success of your school. So much of Common Core is literature based and chances are many of the teachers in your building are unaware of the vast, rich resources that exist in your/their media center.

Ask your principal and academic coach about being in those meetings, and ASK the teachers what resources they need. Better yet, TELL your principal and academic coach about how important the media center can be to the other teachers in the building and INSIST that they give you a chance to help! You’ll see positive results in the first meeting and then word will spread! Pretty soon everyone will know what a rock star they have in the media center!

 

Shameless Plug

There are a lot of open dates in September to reward your summer readers or to kick of your 2014-15 reading emphasis! Chance are, I have a show that fits your theme! And if I don’t, I have SO much material that promotes reading, I can probably customize a show just for you! Give me a call and let’s see what we can do to get your students excited about reading!

 

Here’s what your colleagues have to say about the programs I offer:

 

“WOW!  Tommy Johns is fantastic!  Through magic, puppets, games, music and lots of volunteers from the audience, his enthusiastic personality encourages students to be READERS.” 

Janie B. Vaden, Ed.S, Media Specialist, Varnell Elementary, Dalton, GA

 

Let me know how I can help! See you in two weeks!

 

Encouraging kids to read, I am
Tommy Johns
Educational Entertainment Specialist

PS – Don’t forget to share this newsletter and blog with your colleagues!

 

www.TommyJohnsPresents.com   tommy@tommyjohnspresents.com 
Call (770) 640-6509 or Toll Free at (866) 490-READ
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Your peers appreciate your advice about quality programs. Please tell them about your experience working with us. Our best sales people are our many loyal clients.

 

You are receiving “Every Other Thursday” because you have attended one of my workshops, invited me to your school, or registered for a free half day of assemblies at a conference. If you’d like to unsubscribe, simply click reply and let me know.  Have a WONDER-Filled Day!