[LM_NET] Hit: Battle of the Books question

[Sharon Morgan <sharon_morgan@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

Thanks to all who responded.
   
  My principal needed research/documentation to support the Battle in our Campus 
Plan for Action.  He actually found something related to promoting reading.
   
  For those who requested a posting of the hits:
   
      You might want to try the educational media association of NJ website. The 
research won't be there but contact names might be. 
  If you would like some "anecdotal evidence" from me, here it is. I ran Battle of 
the Books for 8 years with 5th graders. It gets all kids, low readers, high 
readers, both sexes, to read out of their favorite genres, thereby expanding their 
reading repertoire.  It required kids to work as a team. My boys loved the 
competition so it very successful with boys. Most of the students loved the program 
and were always sorry that we didn't have time for more battles. It was a nice 
built in kind of program around which we could discuss kinds of books,  favorite 
authors and why, great first lines, memorable characters, etc. Because they were 
battle books and the kids knew the battles were coming in the spring they paid 
attention. It is also good PR with parents. It is a program in which all kids can 
find success.
                                                 *************
      "The only written data or research I can think of that I have had in the past 
with Battle of the Books have been evaluations that I had the students and teachers 
fill out after participating in Battle.  Unfortunately, I think I cleaned all of 
that out when I left.  I left a copy of the original evaluation with Sherell and 
LInda if you need one of those.  Probably the main resource that I have had on the 
effects of Battle has been the 7th grade teachers seeing a major difference in the 
groups of students that got to participate in Battle.  Marilyn and Joan both said 
that they had never had so many students eager to go to the library and read books, 
as the students that had gone through Battle!
  I hope this helps!!  Sorry I don't have more official data for you!"
   
  Here are some websites I found:
   
  http://www.battleofthebooks.org/
   
  http://www.battleofthebooks.com/
   
  They don't look like they have any info. on the results though. 
   
                                               ***********************
    North Carolina has some great information online.  I’m trying to locate the 
link for you, but you may just be able to google it and find everything.  They have 
a handbook and the whole nine yards you can look at.  Alaska also has a boatload of 
information.  I purchased 2 books from Highsmith about Battle of the Books as well. 
 One was for the upper school and one was for elementary.  Our school is doing a 
modified battle for the 4th thru 7th grades and this is our first year for it as 
well.  The two books I mentioned include questions for a myriad of books as well as 
resources for more.  The official “ Battle of the Books” site also makes their 
questions available for purchase, but you could write your own as well.
                                                          **************
   
   
  Sharon Morgan, Librarian
  Crouch Elementary, Arlington, TX
  sharon_morgan@sbcglobal.net

   



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