Cafe ReadALatte

Café Read-A-Latte

If you serve it they will come…

Susan K. S. GrigsbyElkins Pointe Middle School

Fulton County Schools

Hazelnut Latte .50French Vanilla Latte .50

The challenge…• How to generate interest in

reading amongst middle school students?

• How to build influence in the media center?

• How to promote reading in an age-appropriate way?

• Reading isn’t cool…

More challenges…• Reading teachers and

Language Arts teachers had little time for collaboration

• World Language teachers left completely out of the loop

• How to insert the media specialist into this mix?

Looking for creative solutions• How could SSR be incorporated

into the school culture?• What does the research say about

“free reading” and “sustained silent reading?”

• How can reading and “coolness” be brought together?

Café Read-A-Latte!• Build on the perceived

coolness of hanging out at Starbucks

• Create a coffee-shop atmosphere within the library

• Kick off the Café in conjunction with Book Fair

Café Read-A-Latte!• Research on Sustained Silent

Readingo SSR accompanied with

instruction in subject-specific vocabulary can help rescue low achievers and boost academic performance of all students

Robert J. Marzano, 2004


Readingo A literacy approach that includes

free voluntary reading helps children become better readers, writers, and spellers.

Stephen Krashen, 2006


Readingo “When students are choosing

their own reading materials, the differences between a 14-year-old freshman and an 18-year-old senior can be significant.”

Steve Gardiner, 2007


Readingo Whether SSR is a private time

activity or a discussion or writing motivator, most experts agree that one thing is essential to its success. It is crucial that teachers participate in the process as role models.

Gary Hopkins, 1997, rev. 2007

How do we do it?• Café Middle School by Becky

Kornmano School Library Journal, 2/98

• TAR: Middle School Library Coffee Houseo LM-NET query

How do we do it?• Reading Teacher buy in• Joint meetings with Reading

Teachers, Language Arts Teachers, and World Language Teachers

• Meetings included reps from TAG (gifted), ESOL, and Special Ed

How do we do it?• Starbucks approached for donations

o Coffeeo Cups and cup holderso Stirrers and napkins

• Parent volunteers approachedo PTA brewed more coffee and provided

servers during the evento Parents and teachers signed up to bring

baked goods to go with the coffee

How do we do it?• Media Club/Broadcast News Team

recruited as servers• Morning news program used to

promote the event• Teachers agreed to judge a poster

contest to promote the event• Posters put on display all over the

school

How do we do it?• Strings/Orchestra teacher agreed to

bring a small quartet for entertainment

• Student musicians given the opportunity to play the “open-mic”

• Teachers formed a small chorale and sang

• Storytellers and dramatic readings

How do we do it?• Media Center door completely

redecorated with Café banner• Count-down calendar on media center

entrance• Poster contest winners announced on

morning news• Pizza party contest

o Homeroom with most visitors during the opening night would win a pizza party courtesy of our PTA

Grand Opening Night• Starbucks came through with a

huge container of coffee with paper supplies

• Cookies, brownies, biscotti, and more baked and ready

• Servers taught how to create the different lattes

Grand Opening Night• Library tables covered with

tableclothso Centerpieces on each tableo Magazines and newspapers placed

around each tableo Mini stage set up in reference area

of media centero Lights dimmed for atmosphere

Grand Opening Night• Three coffee drinks on the menu

o Hazelnut Latteo Chocolate Latteo French Vanilla Latte

• All baked items cut and ready for individual servings

• All items cost .50 each

Easy Recipes!Kids loved them!

Grand Opening Night• And this is what it looked like…





Grand Opening Night

• And this is what it looked like…

The results…Congratulations to all!In my humble opinion, the Café Read a Latte was a terrific event last evening and a serious success!! The turnout was wonderful and as I was walking the hall this morning I overheard a student twenty paces back exclaiming, “Café Read a Latte was AWESOME!” It’s not a small feat, impressing middle schoolers….:)Thanks to each of you for your time and energy in making this happen… JSusan – not only was this a great idea – you and Catherine really worked wonders getting students and volunteers all engaged and committed to this event. Hats off! P.S. I feel like I should “twist and shout!” Mrs. Alice P. SmithRemedial Reading TeacherEPMS Reading Contact

The results…

I whole-heartedly agree with Alice! Thanks to Susan and Catherine for a fantastic opening ceremony last night. I was thrilled to be a part of this momentous event.Kudos to all!Ms. Judy Alspach Elkins Pointe Middle School 6th Grade TAG-LA 6th Grade TAG-SS

Building on success• Café events become once-a-

month and invitation-only• Held during the last period on a

Friday afternoon in the media center

• Students must turn in a completed reading log to earn an invitation

Building on success• All items complimentary with

an earned invitationo Grand opening proceeds helped

pay for remaining Café events• Tables laid out with reading

materialso Newspapers, magazines, and

graphic novels were a big hit

Building on success• Continued promotion from

reading teachers resulted in many invitations

• Students who earned invitations continued to be regular library visitors even when reading wasn’t being logged

Building on success• High numbers of ESOL

students worked to earn invitations

• Circulation of dual-language materials increased

• Before/after school visitation by students increased

Building on success• Perception of the library

slightly altered• Representative cross-section of

students becoming regular patrons

• Student input on purchased materials increasing

The recipes…• Chocolate Latte

o One cup coffeeo One envelope hot chocolate mixo Squirt whipped cream

• Put chocolate mix in cup, pour coffee, stir, top with whipped cream (add a sprinkle of cinnamon for a “Starbucks” touch)

The recipes…• French Vanilla Latte

o One cup coffeeo Two squirts CoffeeMate French

Vanilla nondairy creamero 1 Tablespoon vanilla syrupo Squirt whipped cream

• Put creamer and syrup in cup, pour coffee, stir, top with whipped cream (add a sprinkle of cinnamon for a “Starbucks” touch)

The recipes…• Hazelnut Latte

o One cup coffeeo Two squirts CoffeeMate Hazelnut

nondairy creamero 1 Tablespoon hazelnut syrupo Squirt whipped cream

• Put creamer and syrup in cup, pour coffee, stir, top with whipped cream (add a sprinkle of cinnamon for a “Starbucks” touch)

Café Read-A-LatteSusan K. S. GrigsbyElkins Pointe Middle School

Best clerk ever!

Works Cited• Marzano, Robert J. Building Background Knowledge

for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2004.

• Krashen, Stephen. Free Reading: Is It the Only Way to Make Kids More Literate? School Library Journal, v52 n9 p42, September 2006.

• Gardiner, Steve. Librarians Provide Strongest Support for Sustained Silent Reading. Library Media Connection, p16, February 2007.

• Hopkins, Gary. “Sustained Silent Reading” Helps Develop Independent Readers (and writers). www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr038.shtml 10/15/2007.

Works Cited• Kornman, Becky. Café Middle School. School

Library Journal, p49, February, 1998.• Robison, Margaret. LM-NET response: Audiobook

Café (ABC Café)• Martha the Librarian. LM-NET response: Coffee

Café/Beatnik Poetry Café• Mangum, Jessica. LM-NET response: Read-A-Latte

at Lady’s Island Middle School• Cribbs, Jonathan. Let’s Stop By the Library for a

Latte: Lady’s Island Middle School students get a treat for reading. Beaufort Gazette, Sept. 22, 2007.

Education

Cafe ReadALatte