The Arkansas Department of Education, the Arkansas State Library, and the Arkansas Reading Association are pleased to announce the annual selection process for the Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award for 2001. Only students in Grades K-3 who have read or heard read at least three of the books from the 2000-2001 list will have the opportunity to participate in the selection process. Schools should make clear to the children that they may vote for only one title.
Because of the age group involved in the Diamond Primary Book Award, the reading committee suggests that when books are read to children, the teacher or library media specialists devise a plan for helping the children vote on the books. This may be accomplished in a couple of ways: (1) The teacher or library media specialist may read all the books to the children in a condensed amount of time and then ask the children to vote. (2) The teacher or library media specialist may read the books to the children over an extended period of time but conduct a review of the books read with the children just prior to voting. Young children may have forgotten some of the books if the books were read at the beginning of the year.
Attached is a ballot (Form 1) to be reproduced by the school and used by the students to vote. The votes should then be tallied in each school and totals for each title should be indicated on Form 2. Then, Form 2 should be faxed to Krista Underwood at 501-682-4441 or e-mailed to mgraham@arkedu.k12.ar.us no later than FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2001.
The results of the voting for the 2000-2001 Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award will be posted in May 2001.
The new 2001-2002 Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Reading List of books published in 1999 is attached.
Form 3 has been included for submission of titles to be considered by the Arkansas Diamond Reading Committee for the 2002-2003 reading list. The copyright date must be 2000.