Reading...
it's in the BAG!!!!
Overview
BOOKSinBAGS© is a program with three parts. This overview describes each.
1. BOOKSinBAGS© read-aloud (for mentors and children ages 2-4 1/2). The program begins with easy levels, then moves through different books, mixing the levels according to the young child's interest and attention span. Perfect for traveling! NOT for reading instruction or use with the mentor instructions, although the individual label for each book is helpful as mentors read these delightful stories aloud to eager listeners!
2. BOOKSinBAGS© for beginning readers are single-bag sets of leveled reading books with mentor instructions for each level and specific instruction label(s) for each book. These books, from a variety of publishers, are designed for individual learners: Grades K-3.
3. The BOOKSinBAGS© Public Library or School Collection is an expanded group of BOOKSinBAGS© sets suitable for public libraries or schools. This very large collection includes over 800 books (multiple bags at each level) and is often grant-funded. All bags have mentor instructions and label(s) for each book.
One: BOOKSinBAGS© Overview
Reading Aloud
This program for children ages 2-4 ½ begins with lower levels and then moves through different books as mentors mix the levels according to the child's interest and attention span. Perfect for traveling! NOT for reading instruction or use with the mentor instructions, although the individual label for each book is helpful as these delightful stories are read aloud to eager listeners! This video features an interview with Sherry Quinn, a retired educator, and grandmother of four-year-old twins. She has been reading aloud from the BOOKSinBAGS© mixed-level books since they were 18 months old!
After watching the interview, enjoy observing one of the author's grandsons as he enjoys the BOOKSinBAGS© stories being read aloud. The first shows him at 18 months in a hotel, listening with his dad while several other kids are playing knee-hockey at the foot of the bed. He is then seen at age 2, home in Connecticut when grandma is visiting, bringing a bookbag from Michigan. The last scene shows him, at age 3, choosing a book at the family cottage. Grandma's bookbags travel everywhere!
Beginning in kindergarten, he started reading the BOOKSinBAGS© stories with his parents. He is now six years old and reading from BOOKSinBAGS© collections, just like his three older brothers when they graduated from just listening.
Two: BOOKSinBAGS© Reading-Aloud
Single Purchase Collections
BOOKSinBAGS© for beginning readers (Grades K-3) are single-bag sets of leveled reading books with mentor instructions for each level and specific instruction label(s) for each book. These books, from various publishers, are designed for individual learners.
The Levels 1 and 2 package is an exception to the single-set purchase. This package includes a 9-page Welcome Binder with guidelines for reading aloud to infants and babies, followed by instructions for either reading aloud or reading instruction. There is a three-part Sound Awareness section and a detailed Beginning Sight Words list. Also included are the Level 1 and 2 books with labels and mentor instructions.
Three: BOOKSinBAGS© Single-Purchase Collections
Collections for Learners with Special Needs
Michele explains why mentors should not expect all learners to have reading success with a single-level BOOKSinBAGS© purchase. Some students, like her son Max, have specific learning needs and should have access to the larger number of books offered in a public library or school collection. BOOKSinBAGS© collections can also be read at home, along with other extra support services provided by the school. Max currently receives special education support in the classroom, occupational therapy, vision therapy at home, and private reading support using the BOOKSinBAGS© collections.
Four: BOOKSinBAGS© Collections for Learners with Special Needs
Public Library Collection
This collection is an expanded group of BOOKSinBAGS© sets suitable for public libraries. This extensive collection includes over 800 books (multiple bags at each level) and is often grant-funded. All bags have mentor instructions and label(s) for each book.
In this chapter, author Diane Karlis explains how the BOOKSinBAGS© collections have been used in several Michigan public libraries. She reviews the changes made since books were first placed in a library in 2007, compares single-bag collections with library bag collections, describes different users, and discusses how well the books have held up over time. Following the video are pictures of how several Michigan libraries display their collections.
Five: BOOKSinBAGS© Public Library Collection
School Collection
The BOOKSinBAGS© School Collection is an expanded group of BOOKSinBAGS© sets suitable for schools. This large collection includes over 800 books (multiple bags at each level) and is often grant-funded. All bags have mentor instructions and label(s) for each book.
In this chapter, Christi Gaines, an elementary reading consultant, describes the popular BOOKSinBAGS© school collection that has been in place at Amberly Elementary School in Portage, Michigan, since 2009.
