Building Resiliency

Reading For the Fun of It! began as a joint reading venture between two Collier County Public Schools media centers and the Friends of the Collier County Public Library. Both organizations are in Naples, Florida. The concept behind Reading For the Fun of It! is to connect teens to books and magazines by having them select materials for a special recreational reading section in the media center. Once school officials recognized the program's potential to increase reading and impact student scores on the FCAT, the state-mandated test of basic skills, they also wanted to participate. Both the Friends and the School Advisory Committees have funded teens' trips to the bookstore to select and buy books and magazines for Reading For the Fun of It! Circulation statistics verify what was suspected all along: students are enthusiastic about reading when presented with books and magazines that truly interest them.

The two Collier County high schools to implement Reading For the Fun of It! have very different demographics. Lely High School implemented this program in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. Lely High School is a racially and economically diverse school. Fifty-four percent of the students are White, 15.1 percent are Hispanic, and 3 percent are Haitian. Twelve percent of the student population speaks a language other than English. Almost 39 percent of Lely's student population is eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch. The second school to implement Reading For the Fun of It! is Barron Collier High School. The program began in 2001-2002 and continues to this day. Barron Collier is a more affluent school with 16 percent of its student population eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch. Eighty percent of the students are White, 15 percent are Hispanic, and three tenths of one percent is Haitian. Almost six percent of the students at Barron Collier speak English as a second language. However, what Lely and Barron Collier have in common is the popularity of Reading For the Fun of It! At both schools the program proved effective in encouraging student reading.

Reading For the Fun of It! is effective for the following reasons:

1. The program increases teen reading. Research on the topic of adolescent literacy indicates there is great dichotomy between what teens read for academic and personal purposes. It is the academic reading that students are not doing. Oftentimes, teens find academic reading to be irrelevant and boring. Sometimes the reading level of textbooks is too difficult. Whatever the reason for their failure to read, media specialists/librarians must make a greater effort to improve reading skills by connecting teens with materials they will read. Research indicates teens will read, but first and foremost they want to read books and magazines that interest them. Reading For the Fun of It! promotes teen reading by building a recreational collection teens are interested in reading.

2. The program provides an opportunity for the media specialist/librarian to connect with teens and support their efforts in reading, developing life skills, and bettering themselves. On each book buying trip, students talk about their lives, interests, dreams, and wishes. Sometimes they talk about their studies. The time spent with teens promotes resiliency. The results of resiliency research indicate that the greatest protective factor of all is an adult who cares.

3. Reading For the Fun of It! builds a more effective recreational reading collection because the media specialist/librarian has greater knowledge of teens. By accompanying teens to the bookstore, the media specialist/librarian observes first-hand the topics, interests, and types of materials teens want to read. Media specialists/librarians are trained in collection development. They know which publishers produce quality academic resources. They know which books have won awards. However, media specialists/librarians may not know about teen nonacademic reading unless they seek out this information.

Reading For the Fun of It! can be organized different ways. In Collier County, the budget for each book buying trip is $1000. By taking advantage of the school's 20 percent discount and tax-free status, this translates into each student having a $200 budget. Six students go on each trip. The reason for this is because the school's van only holds six passengers plus the driver. Some students volunteer for the trip, but others are selected. Each group is diverse by gender, race, reading ability, and interests. Even though the program in Collier County began as a partnership between the public library and schools, other organizations such as the Kiwanis, the Lions Club, and local businesses would be natural partners to fund Reading for the Fun or It!

In preparation for the book buying trip, students are given guidance about selecting recreational reading materials. Students are asked to talk to their friends about the types of books and magazines they are interested in reading. The group leaves the school at 9:00 a.m. and arrives at the bookstore by 9:30 a.m. About half the teens will meander off by themselves to select materials. The others will pair up to select materials. The teens select materials until about 11:00 a.m. At that time the group meets near the cash register to review everyone's selections. Inappropriate materials because of nudity, language, or topic cannot be purchased and will have to be returned to the shelf. After the books are paid for, it is off to the food court at the local mall. Lunch is an animated time as the teens discuss the materials they selected. The enthusiasm shown by these teens as they discuss the new fiction and nonfiction additions to the Reading For the Fun of It! section is truly amazing. Teens debate the merits of these materials with a vigor most adults are not accustomed to. The group arrives back at school about 12:45 p.m.

Because interest in these materials is so high, these teens are allowed to check out one or two books or magazines before processing. In the vernacular of a major credit card company, the energy these teens bring to Reading For the Fun of It! is priceless.

Read more articles on resiliency.