Post by Okwes on Apr 1, 2007 22:26:35 GMT -5
Reading program is helping Indian students
By JODI RAVE
Lee News Service
Loriene Roy remembers a group of kids from Jemez Pueblo who attempted to
greet the librarian in her Anishinaabe language.
The New Mexico students said, "Boozhoo! Boozhoo!"
"Do you know me? Do we know each other?" said the faculty member from
the University of Texas at Austin.
The first-graders, who belong to a national reading program for Indian
students, replied, "You read us a book last year."
Roy, project director for "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything," started
the reading club to encourage kids to read for fun. At the same time,
her organization promotes library use at Indian schools and helps
improve school library collections with books that can empower
indigenous youth.
"It's a wonderful program," said Karen Brown Letarte, president of the
American Indian Library Association. "Loriene chooses the books and
provides fun things and works with teachers and finds books that
positively portray Native people. There is a real dearth of quality
books."
Roy is always looking for a good book. She will be in Seattle today
through Thursday during the American Library Association's midwinter
conference when the organization announces the top books and videos for
children and young adults - including the Caldecott, King, Newbery and
Printz awards. The ALA, which has close to 65,000 members, will provide
a live webcast of the awards at 9:45 a.m. Monday
Roy, an Anishinaabe from White Earth, Minn., will be inaugurated in June
as the first American Indian elected as president of the ALA.
She's currently organizing an event she's calling the Gathering of
Readers, a take on one of the country's largest powwows, the Gathering
of Nations. The Gathering of Readers is scheduled to take place in April
2008, which will culminate as an international online gathering of
indigenous children's reading and culture.
It will coincide with the 50th anniversary of National Library Week.
Reading, said Roy, should be "a lifelong enjoyment and hobby and
necessary task."
So far, 29 Indian-based schools in nine states participate in the "If I
Can Read, I Can Do Anything," program. Schools can become a member if
they have a library, a librarian "and some way to keep in touch with
us," said Roy.
Schools are rewarded in several ways, depending on their needs. The club
collects books, which are sent to schools. It only accepts new books
from donors, with few exceptions. Used copies of "Scary Stories to Tell
in the Dark," and its sequel, are always in demand.
Brenda DeHaan is a librarian at Andes Central School on South Dakota's
Yankton Reservation where students have been involved with the reading
club for about three years. The "If I Can Read" program supplied
"Charlotte's Web" books so the school's students could participate in a
national reading contest.
South Dakota youth also are preparing to be a part of Read Across
America on March 2. DeHaan has a few ideas to share with book club
members, whom she refers to as "a network support group."
Besides providing books and "fun doodads" like flashlights, pens and
bookmarkers, the national Indian reading program also is a friend to
librarians, said Laura Sierra-Parks of the Taos Day School in New
Mexico.
Roy recently provided two college graduate students to work for a sick
librarian for an entire semester.
"Reading is baseline," said Sierra-Parks, who also is a second-grade
reading teacher. "Kids are in school so much of their childhood, if they
don't succeed on some level in school, their whole self-esteem, sense of
future and what kind of person they are is really weak. If they are a
successful reader, they are a much happier person.
"Plus they love to sit down and go into the world of whatever book they
have in front of them. It's a lovely gift. And it has a pretty powerful
influence."
(Reporter Jodi Rave can be reached at 800-366-7186 or at
jodi.rave@;lee.net.)
Comments
Mandaree Reader wrote on January 19, 2007 10:38 AM:"Mandaree School
participates in a national program called Reading First and has just
last week been recognized as an Exemplarily School by the program
officials. Thanks to Dawn Stroh and all her hard work! Good job to ALL
programs and teachers that work to make our indian students better."
By JODI RAVE
Lee News Service
Loriene Roy remembers a group of kids from Jemez Pueblo who attempted to
greet the librarian in her Anishinaabe language.
The New Mexico students said, "Boozhoo! Boozhoo!"
"Do you know me? Do we know each other?" said the faculty member from
the University of Texas at Austin.
The first-graders, who belong to a national reading program for Indian
students, replied, "You read us a book last year."
Roy, project director for "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything," started
the reading club to encourage kids to read for fun. At the same time,
her organization promotes library use at Indian schools and helps
improve school library collections with books that can empower
indigenous youth.
"It's a wonderful program," said Karen Brown Letarte, president of the
American Indian Library Association. "Loriene chooses the books and
provides fun things and works with teachers and finds books that
positively portray Native people. There is a real dearth of quality
books."
Roy is always looking for a good book. She will be in Seattle today
through Thursday during the American Library Association's midwinter
conference when the organization announces the top books and videos for
children and young adults - including the Caldecott, King, Newbery and
Printz awards. The ALA, which has close to 65,000 members, will provide
a live webcast of the awards at 9:45 a.m. Monday
Roy, an Anishinaabe from White Earth, Minn., will be inaugurated in June
as the first American Indian elected as president of the ALA.
She's currently organizing an event she's calling the Gathering of
Readers, a take on one of the country's largest powwows, the Gathering
of Nations. The Gathering of Readers is scheduled to take place in April
2008, which will culminate as an international online gathering of
indigenous children's reading and culture.
It will coincide with the 50th anniversary of National Library Week.
Reading, said Roy, should be "a lifelong enjoyment and hobby and
necessary task."
So far, 29 Indian-based schools in nine states participate in the "If I
Can Read, I Can Do Anything," program. Schools can become a member if
they have a library, a librarian "and some way to keep in touch with
us," said Roy.
Schools are rewarded in several ways, depending on their needs. The club
collects books, which are sent to schools. It only accepts new books
from donors, with few exceptions. Used copies of "Scary Stories to Tell
in the Dark," and its sequel, are always in demand.
Brenda DeHaan is a librarian at Andes Central School on South Dakota's
Yankton Reservation where students have been involved with the reading
club for about three years. The "If I Can Read" program supplied
"Charlotte's Web" books so the school's students could participate in a
national reading contest.
South Dakota youth also are preparing to be a part of Read Across
America on March 2. DeHaan has a few ideas to share with book club
members, whom she refers to as "a network support group."
Besides providing books and "fun doodads" like flashlights, pens and
bookmarkers, the national Indian reading program also is a friend to
librarians, said Laura Sierra-Parks of the Taos Day School in New
Mexico.
Roy recently provided two college graduate students to work for a sick
librarian for an entire semester.
"Reading is baseline," said Sierra-Parks, who also is a second-grade
reading teacher. "Kids are in school so much of their childhood, if they
don't succeed on some level in school, their whole self-esteem, sense of
future and what kind of person they are is really weak. If they are a
successful reader, they are a much happier person.
"Plus they love to sit down and go into the world of whatever book they
have in front of them. It's a lovely gift. And it has a pretty powerful
influence."
(Reporter Jodi Rave can be reached at 800-366-7186 or at
jodi.rave@;lee.net.)
Comments
Mandaree Reader wrote on January 19, 2007 10:38 AM:"Mandaree School
participates in a national program called Reading First and has just
last week been recognized as an Exemplarily School by the program
officials. Thanks to Dawn Stroh and all her hard work! Good job to ALL
programs and teachers that work to make our indian students better."