Lisa Ayers

SLIS 5345 Summer 2014

July 12, 2014

To What Extent Will a Books To Movies Reading Program Encourage Student and
Family Members to Read Together?
Background
One of the needs for our school community here at McKinney Boyd High School
(MBHS) that has been identified in the 2013-2014 Campus Improvement Plan is an
increased need for reading programs that can help encourage family literacy. Another
area that was also identified as needing additional instructional improvement is helping
our ELL (English Language Learners) students to improve their reading and writing
skills. Both of these have been identified as being of major emphasis for our school.
The library staff is in the process of creating a program that has great potential for
assisting our students in both of these areas of concern. Our high school community
encompasses over 3,000 students from 9th grade thru 12th grade. The chart below
indicates the demographic makeup of our student body as included in the 2013-2014
Campus Improvement Plan.

MBHS 2013-2014 Demographics

The Books to Movies Reading Program would begin with the participating
students, family members, and faculty members reading the book title selected for that
month. Then the movie would be presented to the entire group outside of regular
school hours such as on a weekday evening or on a weekend afternoon. A detailed
discussion of the book and the movie including impressions, likes, dislikes, similarities,
and differences would then take place. This discussion period would allow all
participants the opportunity to talk about the title with a group of people who have a
similar interest and experience in reading and watching the book/movie. The discussion
could be enhanced after the group has dispersed through continued family member
interaction, student-student interaction, and teacher-student interaction.
Observation of our MBHS community over time has shown us that a large
number of people, especially young people, love to watch movies, but adults enjoy
watching movies as well. Many other individuals from all age groups love to read
books. When the two groups are combined together or the individuals are allowed to
have access to both activities there is an automatic level of passion involved that makes
people want to learn more about the movie and/or book in question. They want to
discuss and review the observations that they have made with others who have either
similar or dissimilar interests. This passion allows for further development and insight to
occur as the variety and depth of the questions being discussed continue to grow with
each question that is asked. This type of program has the potential to address the
needs of MBHS and the community, but could also apply to other questions as well.
Some individuals would benefit from this type of interaction more than others, but there
is a much larger group of individuals potentially involved here since movies appeal to a
highly diverse audience to begin with. The discussions being directly addressed would
simply depend on the discussions and individuals involved and how interested they
actually are in the stories being read, shown, and discussed.
Research Questions
The primary question that would be researched is: To what extent will a Books to
Movies Reading Program encourage student and family members to read together?
Since the new program would create a Books to Movies Reading Program the first step
would be to first analyze the circulation statistics of some of the movies that are initial
choices to include as part of the program. This list would begin with the following titles:

The Harry Potter series

The Lord of the Rings series

Gone With the Wind

Man in the Iron Mask

The Percy Jackson series

The Hunger Games series

The Game of Thrones television series

The Dresden Files television series

The first step would be to evaluate the recent and current circulation statistics of the
selected titles to determine how often the books themselves are checked out and then
how often the movies in the library collection are checked out. Using this basic
information a written survey would be created that could be completed by students in
their English classes as this is a required class for all students at MBHS. ELL students
would have the option of completing the survey in their ELL assistance classes which
would provide them with the opportunity to ask the necessary questions they need, but
not require the entire class to wait. The second step would be to create an online
survey for parents to complete. Anecdotal feedback and responses would be taken
after implementation of the program to determine effectiveness as well as provide the
opportunity suggestions for improvement. Some questions that would need to be
examined include:

How often are books and/or movies of the selected titles being checked out by
students and family members?

What other titles of this same type are checked out often that could be included
in the program?

What copyright permissions and/or royalties would be required for the individual
titles?

Would a grant be available that could help curtail any necessary royalty
expenses?

What evenings and/or weekend days and times would provide the best
opportunities for students and family members to attend?

Would multiple days/times be effective in encouraging greater student and family

member participation?

How long would students need to read each book prior to watching the movie?

How often would the movies need to be shown?

What would be the most effective options for providing access to multiple copies
of each book for a larger than usual number of individuals to read
simultaneously?
Literature Review

As there are many different aspects of this research question we have only
scratched the surface in terms of research. The ultimate program goal is to create and
maintain a Reading Program where our students and their family members read a
selected Book of the Month and then come into the library outside of school hours (such
as during an evening or weekend day) to watch the movie that was created using the
published book as its source material. Examples of this could include common favorites
such as the Harry Potter series and the Lord of the Rings series, but could also include
classics such as Gone With the Wind and The Man in the Iron Mask or television series
based on book series such as Game of Thrones and the Dresden Files. The book,
movie, and television series possibilities are almost endless, but the basic idea behind
this program is to encourage both students and family members to read the books that
inspired the movies people love to watch. Part of the process would also include
discussions about the different formats including similarities and differences as well as
the impact that the changes between the two formats had on the storylines.
The ultimate goal here would be to encourage not just the students to read the
stories, but to encourage family members to do so as well. The research (Dickinson,
2002; Huang & Dolejs, 2007) found to date has shown indications that this type of
shared activity can help to encourage increase family connections and literacy.
Students and family members can share the experience of reading the stories, watching
the movies, and discussing both in the program, but they can they expand the shared
experience by continuing the discussions and analysis together outside of the program.
The library staff as well as faculty have discovered through discussions with students,
other faculty, family members, etc. that many people do not often realize just how
different the book story can be from the movie story. This often takes people by
surprise and once they have discovered the extent of the differences they want to share
their newfound discoveries with others who have also been involved in the process.
This discovery and discussion process encourages continued analysis and
development. This analysis and development process also encourages a better
understanding of other individuals points-of-view and helps to forge a stronger bond
and relationship with the other participants.
Another aspect of this program that would be beneficial deals directly with the
utilization of subtitles when viewing the movies. Using subtitles as an additional viewing
format has been shown to greatly encourage ELL students to increase their vocabulary
as they read the books themselves and then view the written stories while watching the

stories unfold in the movie (Cho, 2006; Davey & Parkhill, 2012). This would also help in
encouraging a common interest between the student and their family members as
multiple generations improve their comprehension of the new language while
simultaneously sharing a bonding experience. Watching a scene of a story take place
in a movie while reading the subtitles can help in creating the neural pathways that are
necessary for learning and retention to occur.
Research Design
The program itself would begin with examination of the recent and current
circulation statistics for both the selected book titles as well as the overall circulation to
help identify other titles to read, show, and discuss. As participation in the program
would be completely voluntary in nature obtaining actual language and test scores
would be very difficult, especially for ELL students as they may have only recently
started learning their new language. All students would complete an initial written
survey in their English and/or ELL classes. Family members and faculty would have the
option of completing an initial online survey. Both of these surveys would allow for
individuals to provide initial input into the program. Students, family members, and
faculty would have access to an online survey that would allow for direct feedback and
suggestions on the program itself. Direct follow-up would take place in the form of
interviews with the teachers of the students who had actually participated in the
program itself. Discussion after the movies as well as with the students in the library will
allow for direct feedback as well.
Data Collection
There will be several forms of data collection utilized to evaluate the program and
its effectiveness for both students and family members. These are briefly outlined
below.

Circulation statistics Initial examination of the circulation statistics for both the
books and movies of selected titles as well as overall circulation for the library to
determine best titles to read, show, and discuss. Additional examination of these
circulation statistics will take place on a monthly basis to evaluate any changes in
circulation and requests as well.

Paper Survey Completed by students in English and/or ELL classes to

determine interest level. This will allow an opportunity for all students to
complete the survey as well as encourage participation from everyone present.
Other surveys like this are often completed during core classes to provide direct
feedback about school issues and programs.

Online Survey Completed by faculty and family members online to determine

interest level and to be sent to all parents via email. This will allow for faculty and
family members to complete the survey at their leisure without having to be on
campus.

Online Feedback Students, faculty, and family members will be able to provide
feedback and suggestions about the program online at any time throughout the
year.

Discussion After each movie ask for responses either verbally in discussion
session, written review, or online review options about effectiveness of program.
Also listen to what students and parents are saying about the program before,
during, and after school hours to gain direct feedback.

Faculty Interviews Faculty members will have an initial understanding of where

their students reading and comprehension skills lie as the program begins. After
each movie presentation a complete list of all student attendees as well as their
family members will be sent to all faculty members and administration to allow for
better observation of developmental changes and improvement of skills as well
as provide information for direct feedback. These interviews would be especially
helpful for ELL students teachers as they have been working directly with these
students all year and have a comprehensive understanding of the changes and
development that each ELL student will have completed.
Data Analysis

The initial analysis of data concerning the recent and current circulation statistics
should be easy and straightforward. This could be completed fairly quickly. The initial
written surveys would be completed within the first two weeks of the school year during
the initial activities where faculty and students work together to gain a better
understanding of each other as well as begin building relationships. Faculty and family
members would have the opportunity to complete the online survey before or during this
time period as well. Ongoing analysis would occur with regular examination of
circulation statistics, online feedback, faculty interviews, and presentation discussions
as most of the ongoing analysis would be subjective and based on personal observation
and interactions. A final end-of-the year survey would take place for students, family
members, and faculty to allow for additional feedback and suggestions for the program
as a whole. This would also provide the opportunity to examine options for integrating
the program with the faculty and curriculum overall.

Timeline

In-Service Announcements During the In-Service Training before classes start

for the year an announcement of the Books to Movie Reading Program will be
made including information about the surveys, feedback opportunities, and
interviews. Online surveys and feedback will be available for faculty and family
members to complete starting at this point.

First Friday of School Students complete written surveys in class.

Announcements will begin being sent to all email addresses of faculty, students,
and family members starting with todays Bronco Beat email newsletter.

First Week of September First book title and movie presentation date will be
announced via posters throughout the school and the Bronco Beat.

End of September First movie presentation will be held with discussions

afterwards. List of all attendees will be sent to faculty after movie presentation to
encourage participation and observation of student development.

Each Month Book title announcements will be made at the beginning of the
month with movie presentation held at the end of the month. List of all attendees
will be sent out to faculty after each movie presentation.

First Week of May Face-to-face Interviews with teachers of participating

students who attended the movie presentations will be conducted. Request for
feedback and suggestions from students and family members sent out with
Bronco Beat.

End of May Evaluation results sent to all faculty and administration via email.
Request also sent for additional feedback, suggestions, and ideas for inclusion
with curriculum for next school year via email.
Presentation of Findings

The primary stakeholders in this program would include the library staff, students,
family members, and faculty as everyone would be encouraged to both participate in
and provide feedback of the new program. The ultimate purpose of the program would
be twofold: encourage families to read together with increased discussion of the books
and movies themselves as well as to provide opportunities for ELL students to improve
their new language skills. This would in turn lead to more interest in reading and
sharing personal insights which would be helpful in any and all classes as analysis is a
key TEK for every subject area.

The Bronco Beat weekly newsletter update encourages input from all clubs,
groups, faculty, sports, etc. on campus. This newsletter is sent out to all parents,
faculty, administration, and students via the contact emails that are currently on file with
the school district. Individuals can manually sign up to receive the emails as well. As a
result, updates on the program status and information would be regularly sent out to
everyone involved with MBHS, whether they attend the program meetings or not. It
would be very simple to add a regular article about the program with upcoming meeting
information, upcoming titles, and contact information to the existing newsletter format.
This medium could also be used to provide direct feedback and encourage discussion
about the program and current status.
All individuals involved would have the opportunity to provide feedback and
suggestions either during the movie presentation discussions or via the online feedback
system. This would be available on the library website as well as on the Bronco Beat
each week to allow everyone a direct link without having to search for the options.
Additionally, updates and information about the program should be posted on the
librarys website to help provide ease of communication and encourage attendance.
Face-to-face interviews with the faculty at the end of the school year would also
provide direct opportunity to share information about both the program as a whole as
well as the individual students that the teachers have been working with that year.
Finally, the overall results would be shared with faculty and administration to allow for
discussion to occur regarding further implementation of the program and inclusion into
the curriculum during the next school year.
Conclusions
The Books to Movies Reading Program would require the library to have extra
copies of the selected titles available for students and family to check out. This would in
turn require some additional work for the librarian in trying to predict the number of
additional copies to add to the MBHS library collection or have available through the
local public libraries. The questions about copyright permissions and/or royalties would
have to be researched and answered for each title chosen prior to actually purchasing
the books and a copy of the movie. Communication would be key for this part to work.
If the copies are not available to check out ahead of watching the movie it would make
discussing the books, movies, and differences between the two a bit more difficult, but
this does not mean that some students would not read the book after watching the
movie and being part of the discussion. The program would also require additional
scheduling requirements, possible concerns about potential refreshments, and the time
outside of school itself to watch each movie ahead of time to prepare questions for
discussion as well as the meetings themselves.

The impact on the library program would really only be a positive one. Since the
circulation statistics for the titles involved would have already been evaluated prior to
ordering additional copies and presenting the movies, the program itself could begin
slowly or quickly without much difference in the preparation or work involved. If
students and family chose not to attend the movie presentations then the library would
have a few extra copies of books that are regularly checked out and could be shared
between other libraries in the district as needed. However, if the program proved
popular then the result would be more on the additional personal reading that students
would be enjoying. It would also increase the profile of not only the MBHS library, but
the public library as well which could help keep students reading during vacation breaks
and other times that classes are not in session. This result would then directly impact
the goals we are currently working towards: increased family literacy and opportunities
for ELL students and their family members to improve their language skills in the new
language. This would in turn increase the depth and level of analysis and discussion
that would occur in the classroom between students and teachers about the curriculum
as well as the world around us. At the end of the school year we could begin the
process of including and implementing the program into the current curriculum.

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References
2013-2014 Campus Shared Decision Making Committee (October 21, 2013).
McKinney Independent School District - McKinney Boyd High School: 2013-2014
Campus Improvement Plan. Retrieved from:
http://legacy.mckinneyisd.net/Campuses/school_websites/boyd//information/HS_
MBHS_13-14_CIP.pdf
Cho, K. S. (2006, Fall). Read the book, see the movie, acquire more English. Reading
Improvement, 43(3), p. 143-147.
Davey, R. and Parkhill, F. (2012, October). Raising adolescent reading achievement:
The use of sub-titled popular movies and high interest literacy activities. English
in Aotearoa, 78, p. 61-71.
Dickinson, P. (2002, Spring). Introduction: Reading movies. Essays on Canadian
Writing, 76, p.1-46.
Huang, G. and Dolejs, B. (2007, Summer). Reading theatre, parents as actors: Movie
production in a family literacy workshop. Reading Improvement, 44(2), p. 87-98.