Reading In Trouble

More bad news on the reading front. Any ideas on causes and cures?

Reading Scores Lagging Compared With Math
By SAM DILLON
New York Times Published: March 24, 2010

The nation’s school children made little or no progress in reading proficiency in recent years, according to results released Wednesday from the largest nationwide reading test. The trend of sluggish achievement contrasts with dramatic gains made in mathematics during the same period.
. . .

In seeking to explain the lagging reading scores, some experts point to declines in the amount of reading children do for pleasure as they devote more free time to surfing the Internet, texting on cellphones or watching television. Others say undemanding curriculums in reading may be to blame.

For example, Susan Pimentel, an expert on English and reading standards who is a member of the governing board that oversees the test, said that American schools were fairly efficient at teaching basic reading skills in the early grades, but that as students matured they need to be consistently challenged to broaden those skills by reading not only complex literature but also sophisticated nonfiction in subjects like history and science.

“We’re not asking them to read nearly enough, and we’re especially not asking them to read enough complex materials,” Ms. Pimentel said. . . .

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Willa Cather Foundation web site

If you enjoyed My Antonia and find the life of Willa Cather interesting, you will want to visit the Willa Cather Foundation web site. It’s well worth a few mouse clicks. GO HERE

Rediscovering Serena’s Album
In 1888, a teenager signing herself “Wm. Cather M.D.” made a memorable entry in a friendship album owned by her schoolmate Serena White. And Willa Cather’s radiantly confident entry in Mental Portraits is only one of the jewels in its pages. Thanks to the generosity of Serena’s family, you can discover for yourself the treasures in it pages, in this first-ever presentation of Serena’s album in its entirety.

This “Mental Portrait” autograph book asks those making entries to respond to questions ranging from, “My idea of perfect happiness” to “My idea of real misery” and much more in between those two emotional poles.
Not only can you read Willa Cather’s responses (often humorous and outrageous), there’s Addie Carson stating, “. . . the single place or locality I would prefer to visit above all others” was a lunatic asylum and Julietta Augusta Merriam declaring the bycycle to be “The greatest folly of the 19th century.”

But Cather, always the overachiever, lists under “Amusements” the response “vivesection.” And “amputating limbs” was listed as her “Idea of perfect happiness.” Before you give her responses a hard Freudian twist, remember Cather’s dark humor and the fact she was responding at a point in her life when she thought she was on track to becoming a doctor.

Post your ideas on something interesting, surprising or even shocking from the album.

‘The Aristocracy of the Plains’

‘The Aristocracy of the Plains’ on tap at library

Special to the Tribune-Star, March 13, 2010

TERRE HAUTE — Come to the Vigo County Public Library from 12:10 to 1 p.m. Thursday [March 18] for the Brown Bag Program “The Aristocracy of the Plains: An Immigrant Experience.” The program is a part of the Big Read events centered upon the book “My Antonia” by Willa Cather. A PowerPoint presentation will be made by Susan Jakaitis, manager of the VCPL LifeLong Learning Center and director of the VCPL ESL Program. The event is open to the public.

“There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.” (Willa Cather’s “O Pioneers!,” 1913)

GO HERE

Willa Cather in Terre Haute

Willa Cather (or someone very much like her) came to town on March 11. Her talk at the Vigo County Public Library was funny and fascinating. Besides talking about her writing, Cather had a few things to say about Red Cloud, Nebraska, the setting for My Antonia. She was at once hard on, respectful of and thankful for the town and the people of Red Cloud–much like most of us are when we think about our hometowns.

Cather invited all to visit Red Cloud some day. If you’ve read her three Nebraska novels, O Pioneers, My Antonia and The Song of the Lark, you’re probably more than ready to go. Here’s a little promo from the Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism that might send you out to the plains. No rates for sod house accommodations are listed. GO HERE

Thanks and raves go out to Betty J. Steinshouer who portrayed Cather. If you had the opportunity to attend this Big Read event, please post any thoughts or questions Ms. Steinshouer’s historical representation may have prompted.

March 6, 2010
Willa Cather comes to life at library brown bag

Special to the Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Betty J. Steinshouer will bring Willa Cather, this year’s Big Read author, to life at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday [March 11] during the Vigo County Public Library Brown Bag Program. The program will take place at the main library at Seventh and Poplar streets. “Willa Cather Speaks” has toured since 1988 with more than 3,500 performances in 40 states and Canada. Steinshouer has done more than 25 years of Cather research to bring audiences as close as they will ever get to meeting and conversing with the author.

Go here

Big Party for the Big Read--Were You There?

[click on picture--it may (or may not) enlarge)

BIG PARTY for the BIG READ

A Big Success!

If you attended the Big Party for the Big Read, and if you had your picture taken, look for it on display at the Vigo County Public Library.

And more photos from the party--