THE LIBRARIAN'S ROLE IN READING INSTRUCTION

The AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner state that "reading is a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment." In fact, this is the first statement of the standards. Though reading is a core skill, few librarians have time to teach it. They are called upon to do so much--technology, information literacy, professional learning communities--that reading, the very thing that likely drew many of them to the profession, often falls through the cracks. It is important, though, for librarians to be a part of the reading team at the school. Here, Andersen and Blakemore discuss some approaches in teaching reading.