New Year's Reading Resolutions

It's the start of a new year and the perfect time for kids to make some reading resolutions for 2017. Spend a few minutes with kids talking about the resolutions below.

My 2017 Reading Resolutions

1.  This year I would like to read __________ books a week.

2.  I plan to read at least _________________ minutes per day.

3.  A new genre that I would like to read is __________________________.

4.  I will share what I am reading with _________________ and __________________.

5. I will make sure to ask questions about things I don't understand when I am reading.

Having kids set reading goals helps create confidence and allows kids to take responsibility for their own reading.  

Happy New Year!

Holiday Reading

The holidays are in full swing. Between all the parties, presents and family get togethers make sure to set aside some time for your kids to read. With myON, kids have access to thousands of great books all through the holiday season. Don't have access to internet? No worries. With free apps for iPad, Android tablets and Chromebooks, students can read wherever they are. Just go to your app store and download the FREE myON app.

Check out these great Holiday reads!

One snowy Christmas, Little Hedgehog wakes from his deep winter sleep to find a very special gift from Father Christmas. It’s a snug, woolly hat that turns out to be the best Christmas present ever. The first book in the popular Little Hedgehog series, this magical story of friendship is the perfect Christmas gift for any fan of the other Little Hedgehog books – ONE WINTER’S DAY, ONE RAINY DAY, ONE SPECIAL DAY and ONE CHRISTMAS NIGHT. The simple Christmas story and warm, cosy pictures are just right for parent and child to snuggle up and share before bedtime.

Do you enjoy holidays throughout the year? Now you can celebrate them even more with Easy Holiday Origami. With a few simple folds you’ll make a pocket heart, a blooming tulip, a holiday stocking, and so much more. Grab some paper and start folding! 

Bright red poinsettias decorate homes and churches. Families gather together and sing songs during posadas. Children set out their shoes, hoping they will be filled with presents. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in Mexico. Come explore the many Mexican traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

In Hanukkah, early readers will learn about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and the ways people celebrate it. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage emergent readers as they explore this unique holiday. A labeled diagram helps readers understand the symbols of Hanukkah, while a picture glossary reinforces new vocabulary. Children can learn more about Hanukkah online using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Hanukkah also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, and an index. Hanukkah is part of Jump!’s Holidays series.

Uh-oh! It’s Christmas Eve and Santa Claus is under the weather! Can Mrs. Claus save Christmas?

Logging In for the First Time

It's the warm up phase and students all over Arizona are logging in and reading on myON.  If it's your first time logging in, you will notice that there are two things that students will do before they get to the library. 

First, students will complete an interest inventory. This lets them tell myON what kinds of books they like to read. Research shows that when students are interested in what they are reading, they will want to read more. The second thing students will do is take an initial Lexile placement exam. This helps target student's' unique ability levels. By using the interest inventory and Lexile exam, myON can personalize a library for each student that will provide the right amount of challenge to promote reading growth. This personalized library will be found under the Recommended tab in the student's library.

It is good to allow about 20-30 minutes for students to complete both the interest inventory and the Lexile placement exam. The Lexile exam has 35 questions and is adaptive.  Once a student has finished both of these things they will go to their dashboard and be able to access books in their library.  

Make a Game Plan

There are only 12 more shopping days until Christmas and 23 more days until the start of the Final Four Literacy Project. Teachers, it's time to make a game plan.  Every great coach knows it's important to start with a game plan. Having a good reading plan will help improve comprehension and develop reading strategies that will lead to student success in and out of the classroom. You can help coach your students to victory by following this simple plan.

GAME PLAN

• Stretch It Out. Allow students to s-t-r-e-t-c-h a bit by exploring myON and their personalized digital library of “just right” books for reading.

• Develop New Plays. Introduce literacy tools to build active reading skills and promote student engagement.

• Practice, Practice, Practice! Students need time to practice reading with books that are at their level and meet their interests in order to develop and improve literacy skills.

Did You Know?

Did you know that myON personalizes a library of books for each student? 

myON creates this unique library by combining the students grade level, their interest inventory and their Lexile Range (100 points below to 50 points above their current Lexile score). Students can find their recommended books by clicking on the library at the top of their home page and then clicking the Recommended tab. In that tab they will find hundreds of books that match not only their reading ability but their interests as well.  And the best part is, as students grow and become better readers the recommended tab automatically adjusts to meet those changes.

So encourage your kids to read out of their recommended tab and together we can help foster a life long love of reading for students!

3 Pointers for Using myON

3 Pointers for Using myON

1. The 24/7 access to myON allows students to read online and offline, wherever they are. This supports blended learning and out-of-school reading activity.
2. myON monitors reading activity, including: number of books opened or browsed, titles of books readers select, how many books students complete and the length of time a student spends reading
3. Multiple reading scaffolds allow all users to access and engage with content regardless of reading ability.

Getting Students Started on myON

Hi Teachers! The start of the Read to the Final Four will be here before you know it, but you don't have to wait until January to get your kids reading on myON.  You can get them started now! It's a perfect chance for them to warm up for the contest and have the opportunity to read some fantastic books during the holiday break!

Getting started is quick and easy!

First, have students to log into myON where they will complete a short interest inventory followed by an initial Lexile placement exam.

Once those are complete, students will be directed to their home page where they can click on the library tab at the top of the page. Encourage your students to click on the Recommended tab to find books that match his or her interests and reading level or browse the complete library for more options.

After students begin reading they can activate reading supports by selecting the appropriate buttons at the bottom of the screen. Options include audio, text highlighting, dictionary and a zoom feature that increases font and image size on the screen.

The students are going to love reading on myON!  Check this blog often for more tips on how to use myON in your classroom.  HAPPY READING!

It's Not Too Late!

The Read to the Final Four is fast approaching, but it's not too late to get your 3rd graders signed up! Go to readtothefinalfour.com and get registered today!

Be Thankful!

It's almost Thanksgiving and time to to make some special memories with our family and friends. In between rounds of turkey and pie, be sure and check out these great Thanksgiving books on myON.

DEADLINE EXTENDED

We have BIG NEWS! The deadline to register for Read to the Final Four has been extended! You now have until November 15th to get your third graders signed up! You don't want to miss this! 

Check out some pictures from last year's Read to the Final Four in Houston.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!  Check out this great Halloween book by one of my favorite myON characters, Zeke Meeks. It's sure to give you a thrill!

Wednesday Webinar

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday October 26, for our 2nd getting started with myON webinar. I will be online from 4:00pm-5:00pm to walk you through the basics of using myON with your students. There will also be time for you to ask any questions that you might have. Email me at sgoebel@myon.com for the link to this webinar. If you can't join us tomorrow, check out our Wednesday webinar schedule or feel free to request another date and time.

Wednesday Webinar Schedule:
-November 2nd- No webinar this week
-November 9- 4:00-5:00pm
-November 16- 4:00-5:00pm
-November 30- 4:00-5:00 pm

Teacher Locker Room

Did you know there are a ton of resources in the Teacher Locker Room to help you get started on myON?  You won't want to miss the intro videos for students and teachers. Click here to check out our starting lineup of strategies, tips and resources to get the ball rolling during the warm up period! 

Getting Started Webinars

This Wednesday, October 19, is our first Getting Started on myON webinar. Join me at 4:00pm as I walk you through all the ins and outs of getting your kids reading on myON. We will look at what kids do the first time they login and how they access their libraries. There will be plenty of time for questions too. 

You can view the webinar on your own computer or project it for a group of teachers. To register, email sgoebel@myon.com and I will send you a link to the webex meeting. 

Fan Favorite

College hoops is back! The Road to the Final Four starts  Friday, November 11. Alright Arizona! It's time to tell us which team you are cheering for. Use the box on the sidebar to vote for your favorite college team.

Final Four Book

Are you ready to get your kids pumped up about Reading to the Final Four? Well, myON has a book that's sure to be a hit.

Here's a quick preview of the book. Each year in March, college basketball teams hope to be part of one of the biggest sports events in the country. The NCAA tournament starts with 68 teams and is gradually reduced to the Final Four. But just one of them will become the national NCAA champion! Discover the Final Four’s most historic teams, players, and games.

New users: In your myON library, click on the search tab. Next, type the words Final Four into the search box and click on the the magnifying glass. Once you find the book, click on the book's cover and then choose the read tab to begin reading.

*For those who have been using myON for awhile, and are familiar with projects, use the cloud to search for The Final Four Project. Then you can easily assign this book to all of your students.

Third Graders Celebrate Read To The Final Four With The Help Of Local Colleges

The Road to the Final Four is kicking off with special assemblies for 3rd grade students across the state of ArizonaDan Majerle, Men's Basketball Coach at Grand Canyon University, came to read to some lucky third graders in Phoenix this week. He brought along some special friends to help him out, including the cheerleaders and Thunder, the GCU mascot.Third graders and their teachers are getting pumped up to read! We are still in the warm up phase and registration is in full swing. It's not too late to get your students signed up.

Click Here to Register

Get In The Game!

Teachers, it's not too late to get in the game! We are now in the warm up period and it's the perfect time to get your 3rd grade students reading on myON. Just click the link below and join thousands of other students and teachers across Arizona as we Read to the Final Four!

Register Your School Here!

What is myON?

I'm sure you know about the Final Four, but what is myON and how does it work?

What is myON? 

• myON provides anytime, anywhere access to an expanding online collection of enhanced digital books with multimedia supports, including an embedded dictionary, text highlighting, and audio.
• myON personalizes the reading experience and develops an individual profile for each student based on interests and reading ability as measured by the Lexile® Framework for Reading.
• myON generates a recommended booklist tailored to encourage students to read more and further improve their reading skills and offer educators a solution that integrates with existing teaching tools. 

myON gives students the opportunity to choose what they want to read, in a digital environment where they are comfortable, motivates them to become better and more confident readers and take accountability for their reading growth.  Children in classrooms all across America are reading on myON and loving it. Where else can you get access to a library of books 24/7. 

To find out more about myon go to http://about.myon.com/overview.

Read to the Final Four Literacy Program

The Legacy Initiative of the Phoenix Final Four Local Organizing Committee

Our overarching goal 

To inspire third grade students in all Arizona schools to accelerate their reading and increase achievement, using the excitement around the Final Four®​ to spike their interest. Our goal is 100% participation across the state!  

How it works  

This literacy challenge is open to all third grade classes across the state. The competition will be at the school level, based upon average time spent reading among third grade students.  

The three-month competition, which mimics the March Madness® bracket, allows schools to advance in the competition by number of minutes read. Schools will compete against each other and one school will be crowned champion at Final Four® Friday on March 31, 2017.  The warm-up phase of the competition, which allows students full access to the myON platform, begins now and continues until the launch of the contest in January. 

In addition, individual students who are top readers as determined by their time spent reading on the myON platform also will be recognized.

Register Here