The Reading Tub
The Reading Tub (http://thereadingtub.com/learning_to_read.php collects and distributes books
to at-risk readers, whether it is a child with no books at home or a teacher
who is building a classroom library for struggling readers. The Reading Tub was
once a site that was dedicated to giving book reviews until recently, it became
a non-profit organization dedicated to getting books out to at-risk readers.
This organization is built on the belief that individuals become successful
readers when they have access to reading materials at home. The goal of the
Reading Tub is to provide a one stop place for helping kids fulfill their full
literacy potential. Donations are what fund the works of The Reading Tub and
100% of the funds received goes to providing literacy information and shipping
books. Individuals interested are encouraged to become a literacy volunteer for
this non-profit organization or to simply be a registered reader.
The
Reading Tub provides literacy resources for families and educators. Prior to
exploring the tabs of the website, parents are encouraged to read an article
about Guided Reading at Home (http://thereadingtub.com/pdfs/our_guided_reading_set.pdf ) which offers various ways that
parents can help their children at home using techniques that teachers are
using in the classroom. In addition, a list of reading activities is provided
that can be used to get children excited about reading. It is highly encouraged
that parents read with their child especially at a young age. It is also
emphasized that Parents show by example the importance of reading by letting
their children see them read on a daily basis. Make reading a daily experience,
incorporate reading into an activity your kid loves, create a family reading
night, planning a family adventure to the library are a just a few of the
activities along with descriptions that are listed on the Reading Tub.
When
it comes to literacy, specifically reading, the reality is that some kids love
to read, while other kids hate and dread it. What is helpful and nice about the
Reading Tub website is that they explain why some children don’t like to read
with possible factors whether it is an environmental or medical factor. For
example, an environmental factor would be the idea of modeling behaviors of
what they see at home when it comes to literacy. If the adults at home do not
read, the children will not prefer to read as well. A medical factor would
include dyslexia, a learning disability. Other factors include being a late
bloomer or having anxiety. Links are provided for further reading on these
contributing factors.
After exploring the website, I found some of
the literacy facts to be very interesting. The Reading Tub listed a few
Literacy facts that prove the importance of reading as a skill and the impact
that reading has in influencing success later in life. A literacy fact I thought
was interesting is that “The average kindergarten student has seen more than
5,000 hours of television, having spent more time in front of the T.V. than it
takes to earn a bachelor’s degree” or that “80% of college faculty members
report that entering freshman cannot read well enough to do college work.” Although
some of the facts are unfortunately true, it goes to show that reading is the
key and without this skill, success is difficult at the post-secondary level and
as an adult. Like every other literacy website, links with descriptions of
articles and more resources are provided for further reading along with a
periodic newsletter “The Wash Rag”, tailored towards your reader’s age.
In
addition to the provided resources, book reviews are still included in the
Reading Tub. Book reviews are categorized by age group and then in alphabetical
order. After clicking on a book title, a comprehensive review is given to
include the link to purchase the book, a summary, reading level, pros, cons,
related books, recommended age, reading and interest level, to name a few.
In
conclusion, The Reading Tub provides insightful perspectives and interesting resources
that explain the importance of reading altogether. The Reading Tub advocates
for early literacy and getting parents involved by encouraging them to read in
the home environment by reading together or by modeling reading. I would recommend this website for both
educators and parents with young readers. The Reading Tub was created for a
good cause and their belief in bringing literacy home for families and their
philosophical view that kids need to read to succeed in life is something I
could agree and advocate with.
*Contribution by L. Orlando
