After attending CAR-PD Facilitator Training, Reading Coaches Danielle Langone Campbell (Largo Middle School) and Joey Miazga (Meadowlawn Middle School) did not want to neglect the invaluable resources available for literacy and learning in the content area. Initially, the extensive list of picture books categorized by content area sparked the fluency initiative of bringing picture books into the middle school classroom. Each coach presented their idea for a Picture Book Day to their Reading Leadership Teams to secure approval.

Step 1: Working together, they started by assigning each other lists of picture books to find at their public libraries. Fortunately, the St. Petersburg Public Library allows a cardholder to round up all interested books at one location for sign out. Since there is a limit to the amount of books one can sign out, they had to split the load. Once all books available from the list were signed out, Meadowlawn Middle School had their Picture Book Day in October. After the books were all returned, they were handed off to Largo Middle School for their Picture Book Day in November.

Step 2: Danielle and Joey made arrangements to meet with each department during regularly scheduled department meetings the week before the event and presented their plan. Each teacher signed out his/her own picture book, specific to the content area. After a brief overview of the day’s connection to fluency, teachers were asked to practice reading their books aloud to each other, so they would be sure to model good fluent reading. At this point, the depth of discussion varied from teacher to teacher, but all culminated with a post reading discussion of the anticipation guide to be given on the day of the event. Some teachers elected to participate during the designated period on Picture Book Day, while others opted to do it with each of their classes.

Step 3: Picture Book Day was kicked off on the morning announcements during the designated class period. Meadowlawn Middle used a ventriloquist, while Largo Middle had students perform a skit. Picture Book Day started with a simple Anticipation Guide for students about picture books. There were seven statements spawned from myths about picture books, such as “Picture books are too easy for middle school students” and “I can learn new words from picture books.”

Options: One variations of the day’s event that validated this activity for many stakeholders was having a list of VIP readers that teachers could “win” via a drawing. VIP readers included the principal, all three assistant principals, guidance counselors, and other support staff that were excited about being a part of the day. There are numerous other activities that different schools could add to this activity to give it their school’s personal touch.

Feedback: Meadowlawn reported about 98% buy in. The neat part was the teachers that did not see the benefit in the beginning now cannot wait for the next one-which will be a poetry day. Meadowlawn will also be hosting a Dr. Seuss Day later this spring.

Some responses from teachers include:

Thank You. My class loved it and learned a lot too!

As a social studies heads up; My book worked GREAT!! We are just getting into Africa, and my book was an African folktale, the tie-in was beautiful, and the book was just the right length. If we do something like this again it would be cool to check with social studies teachers and try to combine reading with content. Please check with us to see what culture we are studying before poetry day, and let us use poetry from that background!!

It was a pretty good activity even my talkers and my low students who could care less watched and participated. Wonderful!! Thank you

The students really enjoyed the activity. They did not think they would learn from the experience, but they actually did.

All of my classes enjoyed the picture book idea. I had the Principal’s New Clothes and to my surprise none of my students had heard of the Emperor’s New Clothes. I thought this book was an up-to-date version and I was correct. I think many of our students have missed out on many of the children’s stories we were raised on and this type of lesson helps bridge that gap.

Yesterday’s Picture Book day was a great success in my classes. The students in each of my geography classes heard the story and asked many questions about the child from South Africa. I then continued with my curriculum lesson, a short textbook reading. The students and I then spent the rest of the period doing DEAR (Drop Everything and Read). The atmosphere in the classroom was positive and very relaxed. Those students who did not have a book, chose from the classroom library. Thanks for the time to enjoy children and books together.

I took your idea from Picture Book Day and turned it in to a whole unit on fairy tales. Instead of complaining about it, I just made it into something that worked in my classroom.

I asked my students how many of them remembered being read to as a child. I was in awe that only six of my twenty-three students raised their hands. I couldn’t believe it.