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Thomas Jefferson claimed, "I cannot live without books." Nothing nourishes imagination like reading. Check out the magic at your nearest school or public library.
Sample some of the following activities to learn more about reading.
Places To Go 
People
To See Things To Do Teacher
Resources Bibliography
Places To GoThe following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about reading.
Between the Lions
Get wild about reading and visit the New York Public Library which was the inspiration for a program called Between the Lions. This program was designed to promote reading and foster literacy skills. It got its name from the two massive lions that sit at the foot of the steps that lead to the library’s main entrance.
Get wild about reading and visit the New York Public Library which was the inspiration for a program called Between the Lions. This program was designed to promote reading and foster literacy skills. It got its name from the two massive lions that sit at the foot of the steps that lead to the library’s main entrance.
Intermountain Therapy Animals
Visit the world of the therapy pet. Therapy dogs often visit nursing homes to provide companionship, and they also visit hospitals to provide comfort to patients. Therapy dogs are also now playing a role in helping children learn to read. These dogs are trained to sit quietly and patiently and allow children to read to them. Their calming presence is a confidence-booster to children because the dogs offer a safe, nonthreatening audience for children to practice reading skills.
Visit the world of the therapy pet. Therapy dogs often visit nursing homes to provide companionship, and they also visit hospitals to provide comfort to patients. Therapy dogs are also now playing a role in helping children learn to read. These dogs are trained to sit quietly and patiently and allow children to read to them. Their calming presence is a confidence-booster to children because the dogs offer a safe, nonthreatening audience for children to practice reading skills.
International Reading
Association
This site has many ideas for classroom teachers as well as current research about effectively teaching reading. Reading Online is their online journal. UCIRA is the Utah Council of the International Reading Assocation.
This site has many ideas for classroom teachers as well as current research about effectively teaching reading. Reading Online is their online journal. UCIRA is the Utah Council of the International Reading Assocation.
Magic Treehouse
Climb up to the hidden nooks of the Magic Treehouse. It is a series of books about a brother and sister, Annie and Jack, who discover a tree house filled with books. The books are magic and take Annie and Jack on exciting adventures.
Climb up to the hidden nooks of the Magic Treehouse. It is a series of books about a brother and sister, Annie and Jack, who discover a tree house filled with books. The books are magic and take Annie and Jack on exciting adventures.
The Mysterious Fate of the Great Library of Alexandria
Visit the legendary library of Alexandria. Beginning about 260 BC, Ptolemy I, the ruler of Egypt, designed and built the famous library. Alexandria was a powerful and prosperous sea trading city in northern Africa. With every ship that left port, Ptolemy sent a message to the leaders in the faraway countries asking them to send him any written work their country had to offer. The library was a huge building with special meeting halls, beautiful gardens, and even its own zoo. The library eventually contained over 500,000 scrolls from around the world. The library offered its knowledge to visitors for hundreds of years. Find out what happened to this most famous of libraries.
Visit the legendary library of Alexandria. Beginning about 260 BC, Ptolemy I, the ruler of Egypt, designed and built the famous library. Alexandria was a powerful and prosperous sea trading city in northern Africa. With every ship that left port, Ptolemy sent a message to the leaders in the faraway countries asking them to send him any written work their country had to offer. The library was a huge building with special meeting halls, beautiful gardens, and even its own zoo. The library eventually contained over 500,000 scrolls from around the world. The library offered its knowledge to visitors for hundreds of years. Find out what happened to this most famous of libraries.
Utah State Public Library Directory
Visit your nearest public library and check out an armful of books.
Visit your nearest public library and check out an armful of books.
People To SeeFour
Blocks Literacy
Spend some time with Pat Cunningham. She is an expert on Four Blocks Literacy. Read tips from other teachers on how they implement this model in their classrooms.
Spend some time with Pat Cunningham. She is an expert on Four Blocks Literacy. Read tips from other teachers on how they implement this model in their classrooms.
The Identity of Mother Goose & her Nursery Rhymes
Chat with Mother Goose. She is a great advocate for families reading together.
Chat with Mother Goose. She is a great advocate for families reading together.
Mother
Goose
Students can read Mother Goose tales themselves or use the audio version and have it read to them. This is part of the Story Hour portion of the Internet Public Library.
Students can read Mother Goose tales themselves or use the audio version and have it read to them. This is part of the Story Hour portion of the Internet Public Library.
Paul Jennings
Get to know Paul Jennings. He writes some of the funniest and most unusual short stories you will ever read. His books include Unreal!, Unbelievable!, Uncanny!, Unseen!, and Undone!
Get to know Paul Jennings. He writes some of the funniest and most unusual short stories you will ever read. His books include Unreal!, Unbelievable!, Uncanny!, Unseen!, and Undone!
Things To DoAce on the Case
Teach students to solve crimes through reading clues at this curriculum-based adventure story. To move through the story, explorers must complete certain education-based tasks that are related to oceanography.
Teach students to solve crimes through reading clues at this curriculum-based adventure story. To move through the story, explorers must complete certain education-based tasks that are related to oceanography.
America
Reads
The America Reads Challenge calls on all Americans to help ensure that every American child can read well and independently by the end of 3rd grade. You can play an important role in the America Reads Challenge.
The America Reads Challenge calls on all Americans to help ensure that every American child can read well and independently by the end of 3rd grade. You can play an important role in the America Reads Challenge.
Bab Books: Online Stories for Kids
BAB Books is the home of exciting and interactive stories for kids. Visit this site for stories the whole family will enjoy. Authors and Illustrators are invited to submit their work for on-line publishing in the BAB Books site.
BAB Books is the home of exciting and interactive stories for kids. Visit this site for stories the whole family will enjoy. Authors and Illustrators are invited to submit their work for on-line publishing in the BAB Books site.
Book
Adventure
The goal of this site is to encourage children to read. By registering at this site, students can win prizes by reading books and answering questions. Teachers or parents would need to monitor the online account of the student. There are over 3000 books on this site to choose from.
The goal of this site is to encourage children to read. By registering at this site, students can win prizes by reading books and answering questions. Teachers or parents would need to monitor the online account of the student. There are over 3000 books on this site to choose from.
Children's
Storybooks Online
Many wonderful free childrens books are available to read at Children's Storybooks Online. Stories span age ranges from preschool, young children, teens, through young adult.
Many wonderful free childrens books are available to read at Children's Storybooks Online. Stories span age ranges from preschool, young children, teens, through young adult.
Dime
Novels
Stanford's Dime Novel and Story Paper Collection consists of over 8,000 individual items, and includes long runs of the major dime novel series (Frank Leslie's Boys of America, Happy Days, Beadle's New York Dime Library, etc.) and equally strong holdings of story papers like the New York Ledger and Saturday Night.
Stanford's Dime Novel and Story Paper Collection consists of over 8,000 individual items, and includes long runs of the major dime novel series (Frank Leslie's Boys of America, Happy Days, Beadle's New York Dime Library, etc.) and equally strong holdings of story papers like the New York Ledger and Saturday Night.
ESL
Quiz Center
The purpose of this site is to provide language help for ESL students. However, have students take the many online multiple-choice quizzes for reading comprehension practice.
The purpose of this site is to provide language help for ESL students. However, have students take the many online multiple-choice quizzes for reading comprehension practice.
Invisible Ink
This site is about (mostly) nonfiction books on ghosts and haunted houses. Ghost-story fans are unique individuals. They don't care where their ghosts come from, they simply want more stories.
This site is about (mostly) nonfiction books on ghosts and haunted houses. Ghost-story fans are unique individuals. They don't care where their ghosts come from, they simply want more stories.
Katie
Did and the Neon Peach
Introduce this collection of original stories, artwork, rhyming stories, and puzzles to students. There are many pages that you can download to color, even one featuring the American Sign Language alphabet.
Introduce this collection of original stories, artwork, rhyming stories, and puzzles to students. There are many pages that you can download to color, even one featuring the American Sign Language alphabet.
Merpy
Read online adventures at Merpy, a site that features animated and musical interactive adventures that change on a monthly basis. Children can read past adventures as well, and there is even a Spanish language version.
Read online adventures at Merpy, a site that features animated and musical interactive adventures that change on a monthly basis. Children can read past adventures as well, and there is even a Spanish language version.
SwissEduc
Reading List for Class Use
Secondary teachers: find lists of commonly read books. The books include include lesson plans, discussion groups, and curricular ideas.
Secondary teachers: find lists of commonly read books. The books include include lesson plans, discussion groups, and curricular ideas.
Teacher Resources Online Activities/Hotlists are a listing of internet
sites with fun, interesting, and educational tasks attached to each one.
(You can learn how to use this WWW
Activities tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
- Comprehension
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators A-B
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators C-E
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators F-I
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators J-L
- Children's Literature - Authors/ Illustrators M-O
- Children's
Literature - Authors/
Illustrators P-R
More Online Activities/Hotlists
Virtual Field Trips are teacher and student-created
tours of curricular topics. (You can learn how to use this UEN Virtual
Field Trip tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
Bibliography- Leonhardt, Mary. 99 Ways To Get Kids To Love Reading and One Hundred Books They'll Love. New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1997.
- Trelease, Jim. The Read Aloud Handbook. New York: Penguin Books.
- Trelease, Jim. Hey Listen to This! Stories to Read Aloud. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1992.
- Trelease, Jim. Read All About It!: Great Read-aloud Stories, Poems, and Newspaper Pieces for Preteens and Teens. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.