Writing, Publishing and Sharing Children’s Books

Melissa Smiley, 8th grade teacher at Academy of Alameda (AOA), described a book project for 8th graders explore the psychology of learning and reading development, how lessons are taught through children’s stories, and the publishing process. The final project for this unit would be for students to write and create a children’s book with a specific grade level in mind that would share a specific message with the audience. When the books are completed, the 8th graders will participate in “Buddy Day” where they will visit elementary school classrooms and share their stories with the younger students.

Ms. Smiley writes: “We hope to expand this project by creating a “Buddy Program,” where a select group of 8th graders will volunteer in the elementary classrooms and read with a buddy on a regular basis.”

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Barnes and Noble Press offers private publishing and print of books with a minimum quantity of one book ordered. This would allow the 8th graders to not only “play publisher” but actually experience the publishing process. It would also create a special memento from their middle school years that they will be able to share with family and friends. They will have a sense of accomplishment and feel that they created something real, and not just a school project made with printer paper and string.

The second function of the grant would be to begin the Buddy Program expansion. By collaborating with elementary school teachers and parents, her classroom will create a list of children’s books to order so that the 8th graders can read new and exciting things with their buddies, creating a positive culture of learning.

This project is built on a foundation of psychological research that has shown that students who read from a young age are better able to regulate their emotions among other benefits. In “The Surprising Benefits of Early Reading“ by Jennifer Fraser, PhD, she discusses the findings of a study conducted by Warwick and Cambridge Universities stating, “This major dataset showed that children who start reading early, for the sheer pleasure of it, develop brain structure in such a way that they improve their thinking skills, mental health, and conduct. They show signs of reduced stress, as well as reduced tendencies towards aggressive behaviors such as bullying.” These benefits align with the core values and mission of AOA. By instilling a love of reading from a young age, using fellow students as role models, the project will create a stronger community and more vertical alignment between the elementary school and middle school through social and academic interaction between the older and younger students. These interactions have and will continue to make lasting memories for the students involved. Ms. Smiley stated: “We began this unit last year, and some of my current students who had siblings in 8th grade last year came to me asking about the project. It turns out that the students with younger siblings practiced reading their stories to them at home before reading it to their buddy, which led to more excitement about ELA“.

This project will also help instill the importance of time management skills for the 8th graders. By “playing publisher,” they must meet important deadlines in order to be able to participate in the Buddy Day activity. Deadlines only become more and more strict as they grow up, and so this is a great opportunity for them to learn how to manage their time. By having a clear goal that will impact not just their grade, but younger students as well, helps 8th graders gain empathy and time management skills.