Plugged-in Reaches 1000th Unit Sold!

Straight from the Teacher's Mouth

As I said in an earlier post, watching Rosanne's class in Grand Rapids was truly inspiring. Want to hear about her experiences from her own perspective? Check out this clip from her classroom!


Plugged in to Reading: Testimonial from Matthew Cavnar on Vimeo.

Offering Choices in the Classroom

Teacher Magazine published an article on May 28th called "Best Practices: The Miracle of Choices." I was reminded of one of Janet's sayings: "Choice isn't choice if you don't know what the options are."

Here is an excerpt from the article:

How Does Choice Help Students?

Choice returns responsibility for learning to the student. Most of my students choose surprisingly well for themselves, selecting texts and assignments that follow their interests while meeting curricular objectives and pushing skills to the next level. The first year I offered a reading list, I was amazed to see how students gravitated to titles reflecting their cultures or family histories. The scientists, sports addicts, adventurers, and budding social scientists all found acceptable books they were willing to tackle.

Literature Circles in Grand Rapids, MI

Last week, I went to visit Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My colleague from our NY studio, Matt, joined me there to film a class of 6th-grade students working together in literature circles. What I witnessed was amazing! First of all, EVERY student was on task. They worked in four groups. Three of the groups listened to the audio and followed along with the print. The fourth group read the book aloud. Then each group would stop and discuss their book using their role cards. I was so impressed by the discussions going on. I heard students say things like, "This book reminds me of another book ..." or "What happened to that character was like something that happened to me." They debated and they shared. These students were PLUGGED-IN! The teacher, Rosanne Wahl, was phenomenal. She told us that in the beginning, she was nervous about the literature circles because she liked to have control of the class. Once she got going, though, she was pleased to see that the literature circles allowed her time to focus on the needs of each student. She saw the progression of her students. They went from depending on the role sheets to being able to take on a role without even looking at their cards. She clearly taught these students "how to." At the end of the class, Rosanne asked her students what strategies they were using. Hands shot up into the air! The answers were incredible: "I used text-to-text connections ... I used text-to-world connections ... We used compare and contrast ... I used visualization." I have no doubt that these students will go on to be life-long readers. What a great trip!

My Visit to Lombard Middle School

Will and I had the pleasure of visiting Lombard Middle School in Baltimore, Maryland on May 21st. While there, we observed an 8th-grade classroom using Plugged-in to Reading. The teacher, Mrs. Stills, guided them in reading and writing about “The Skin I’m In.” We were happy to see that the students quietly listened and followed along with the text and stayed on task while discussing the character of Maleeka’s mother. Plus, they wrote creative observations about what Maleeka’s mother was like on the “outside” and on the “inside.” The principal, Valerie Hooper, worked hard to get Plugged-in to Reading into Mrs. Stills' classroom. She has had great success in improving the quality of the education at Lombard Middle School. This classroom was a great example of how Plugged-in to Reading can truly make a difference. I hope you enjoy this photo story of my trip.

AEP Award Finalist!

I am proud to announce that Dr. Janet Allen’s Plugged-in to Reading Level 3 has been selected as a finalist for the 2008 Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) Distinguished Achievement Award in the category of Reading Curriculum Packages for grades 9-12. The competing products are judged on the following categories: teacher instructions, editorial/design integration, educational value/objectives, originality/creativity, and audience interest. The winner will be announced on June 6th at the Annual AEP Awards Banquet and Gala.

Spring Ahead with Plugged-in to Reading

Plugged-in to Nonfiction Is Here!

At this year's International Reading Association conference we will be launching Dr. Janet Allen's Plugged-in to Nonfiction, a nonfiction reading program for middle and high schools that uses a collection of authentic, high-interest texts to teach reading and writing strategies. Just like Plugged-in to Reading, you get audio support and teacher resources including a wide selection of graphic organizers. I invite you to stop by booth #1320 to see a sample of Plugged-in to Nonfiction Level 2 for grades 7-9. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or post your question on the blog.

2008 National Literacy Institute

Last year I had a blast at the Plugged-in to Reading Literacy Institute in Orlando, Florida. I met an amazing group of teachers dedicated to creating a positive environment for their students and learning more about literacy strategies that will lead students to success. It was an exciting and dynamic atmosphere.

I'm thrilled to announce that Recorded Books will be offering another Literacy Institute. It will be held in Florida again. It begins June 23rd and continues through June 25th. Dr. Janet Allen will be delivering a keynote every morning and then her team of classroom teachers will facilitate the workshop sessions. To register for the institute, you can click here, then click on the button in the upper right-hand corner.

I hope to see you there!

My New Avatar

Saratoga Springs, Here I Come!

Upstate New York was a beautiful setting for this year's New York State Middle School Association conference. Since I got there a little early the day before, I had some time to stroll through town. What a lovely place! And I loved my accommodations. I stayed at the Carriage House Inn. I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Saratoga Springs.

I really enjoyed meeting and talking with all of the middle school educators and neighboring vendors. And Maple Avenue Middle School was a wonderful host. I hope that those who attended the show had a pleasant experience.

You may remember me ... I was the one with the bright orange "I LOVE JANET" button. Like the many people who noticed my button, you may be wondering "Who is Janet?" Janet is Dr. Janet Allen, adolescent literacy expert and author of Recorded Books' new reading program, Plugged-in to Reading. If you'd like to learn more about it, please feel free to email me at beth@pluggedintoreading.com or call 1-800-638-1304 x1122.

Check back soon for the latest news!

New England Reading Association Conference 2007!

My first visit to Maine! This year's New England Reading Association Conference was hosted in Augusta, Maine. And it was hot! There were record highs in Maine during the week of September 25th thru September 28th. And then it rained and rained. A heavy storm blew through the state surprising the visitors and the natives.

But I had a lovely trip. I set up the Recorded Books/Dr. Janet Allen's Plugged-in to Reading booth at 6AM Thursday morning. During the two-day conference, I met a lot of wonderful teachers, librarians, reading specialists, and administrators. I hope everyone learned as much as I did. I also got a chance to meet NERA president Sue Biggam.

If you have any questions about Plugged-in to Reading, please feel free to give me a call (800-638-1304 x1122) or email me (beth@pluggedintoreading.com). And check out my slideshow below.

I hope you all enjoyed the conference and had a safe trip home.

Take care,
Beth

Learn More About Plugged-in and Hear What Teachers Have to Say

Fun at the Plugged-in to Reading Institute

Plugged-in to Reading Video Clips

Welcome!

Welcome to my Plugged-in to Reading blog! Please feel free to post stories about your experiences using Plugged-in or ask questions about the program. I can't wait to hear what you have to say!