The book I chose to read for my read aloud plan (just to refresh your memory!) is The Three Little Pigs by Barbara Brenner. I actually decided to read the book to the kids at the end of the day around 5:15. The timing actually worked out pretty well because we could not go outside like we normally do because of all the wind, and the children were starting to get really rambunctious hitting and kicking and screaming at each other. I had thirteen kids aged 2-5 left to be picked up at this time and so I decided to sit them all down and read a book! I think the way I introduced the story and read it with such animation helped the kids stay seated and listen to the story. I was actually thoroughly impressed with the way they ALL stayed seated.
One of my five year olds, Cooper, knew what was going to happen before I turned the page every time. He took the liberty of informing me and the class each time I turned the page. Lucky us! Another girl, Jocelyn, did me a favor by keeping every one quiet while I read. She sat square in front of me and was thoroughly engaged the whole time. Whenever someone ever so slightly just started to get out a word she would turn around and say “HUSH!” Oh, did I mention she is two?
Overall, the kids stayed seated and listened. They were so interested! I love it when kids are that engaged in a book. I read aloud a lot since I work at a preschool, and I find more and more just how awesome children think books are. I feel like it is a gift to have the privilege to read to young ones.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Chapter 14
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Informational Books
I was a bit shocked when the text mentions that children's libraries organize the books 000-999 in 10 major categories and to find that fiction is only in the 800s. My immediate thought was, "Oh my gosh! I have only touched 1/10 of the children's books out there, and so have so many other kids!" Or something like that. I was just shocked basically. How could I have missed so many other books!? Well, when I kept reading I found the reasons for me missing all the other books holds true to why Tunnel and Jacobs say children have missed out on the other books as well. First, I have never used an informational book for pleasure reading. Second, my visits to the informational sections of the library were not by choice. I went to find research on any project I was doing or for any paper I had to write. Also, I have always thought informational books were boring because I'm pretty sure I did get headaches trying read certain ones. Anyways, this chapter helped re-direct my opinion on informational books, and I would like to start reading some for pleasure. For instance, I would love to read What You Never Knew About Tubs, Toilets, and Showers by Patricia Lauber, The Instant Answer Book of Countries by Warrender, and any Dorling Kindersley books. I will keep you posted!
Informational Books
I was a bit shocked when the text mentions that children's libraries organize the books 000-999 in 10 major categories and to find that fiction is only in the 800s. My immediate thought was, "Oh my gosh! I have only touched 1/10 of the children's books out there, and so have so many other kids!" Or something like that. I was just shocked basically. How could I have missed so many other books!? Well, when I kept reading I found the reasons for me missing all the other books holds true to why Tunnel and Jacobs say children have missed out on the other books as well. First, I have never used an informational book for pleasure reading. Second, my visits to the informational sections of the library were not by choice. I went to find research on any project I was doing or for any paper I had to write. Also, I have always thought informational books were boring because I'm pretty sure I did get headaches trying read certain ones. Anyways, this chapter helped re-direct my opinion on informational books, and I would like to start reading some for pleasure. For instance, I would love to read What You Never Knew About Tubs, Toilets, and Showers by Patricia Lauber, The Instant Answer Book of Countries by Warrender, and any Dorling Kindersley books. I will keep you posted!
Chapter 13
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Biography
I must admit that the mention of biographies does make me cringe a bit, and so when I started reading this chapter I thought I would have to struggle to get through it. I had obviously forgotten that Tunnel and Jacobs have this way of sucking my in to their chapters because they write so beautifully! After I was done reading this chapter, it made me want to find biographies and soak up as much reading as possible. I am lazy though and have yet to do it =(
I really liked learning about the different types of biographies: autobiography, picture book biography, simplified biography, complete biography, partial biography, and collective biographies. I use to think there was just autobiography and biography, but obviously there is a lot more to it. Some of the authors I plan to check out are Kathleen Krull, David Adler, and James Daugherty. I will keep you posted!
Biography
I must admit that the mention of biographies does make me cringe a bit, and so when I started reading this chapter I thought I would have to struggle to get through it. I had obviously forgotten that Tunnel and Jacobs have this way of sucking my in to their chapters because they write so beautifully! After I was done reading this chapter, it made me want to find biographies and soak up as much reading as possible. I am lazy though and have yet to do it =(
I really liked learning about the different types of biographies: autobiography, picture book biography, simplified biography, complete biography, partial biography, and collective biographies. I use to think there was just autobiography and biography, but obviously there is a lot more to it. Some of the authors I plan to check out are Kathleen Krull, David Adler, and James Daugherty. I will keep you posted!
Stuart's Cape: Opinion/Craft Lesson
Pennypacker, S. Stuart's Cape. Illus. Martin Matje. New York NY: Scholastic/Orchard Books, 2002.
What I thought about the book…
I am a fan of Pennypacker’s books, but I must admit that I was disappointed with this particular book of hers. For some reason, I could not relate to Stuart’s wild imagination. I had a really hard time connecting with his character. I feel the reason for this is because when I was about to enter third grade I had a lot of friends and never had a dull moment. I would play rollerblade hockey with my neighbor boys who were of all ages on my street, and I would play various other sports with anyone who could keep up with me. I was a tom boy, obviously. My imagination has never been as creative as Stuart’s even as a kid, and my imagination never got carried away as much as Stuart’s either. I also didn’t really like how Aunt Bubbles encouraged Stuart’s imagination. I found her reactions to everything Stuart did weird. I felt the flying and the growing of the toast was too far fetched to acknowledge.
Craft Lesson…
I think a fun writing activity could be pulled from this book. The idea I came up with was for each child to come up with their own idea of how they though Stuart’s first day of school went. They would use a web or some form of pre-writing to jot down their ideas, and they they’d eventually make a one page paper of it.
Also, I could have the students make their own capes. I could set out a lot of different materials and just let the students’ imaginations help them form their own capes.
Poetry Folder!!
I think that poetry should be used in every subject possible in elementary school. Also, I feel it should be read everyday. Most people’s experience with poetry has not been a positive one, and I feel this is due to a lack of attention in the earlier years of schooling. Of course, children already read poems everyday through different stories and books, but it is not really talked about. At least it wasn’t when I was in school. I feel that Tunnel and Jacobs would agree with me on this matter. The following poems are examples of how to use poems throughout the school day to enhance writing and start engraving into students a reason to appreciate poetry and all that is has to offer.
1. Adoff, Arnold. (1989). Chocolate Dreams. Illus. by Turi MacCombie. Lathrop, Lee and Shepard books.
I feel this is a very good description of when someone bites into chocolate. It would be a fun poem to use as a craft lesson for eating chocolates. A fun way to introduce the poem is to just say the title and ask the kids what they think the poem is going to be about. I bet one would get a lot of interesting answers!
2. Grimes, Nikki. (1997). Meet Danitra Brown. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. HarperCollins.
A lot of children will know at least one person whom this poem describes. I think it would be neat to read this poem out loud and have the students write down who they think this poem most describes. It is also neat because it rhymes and therefore will keep the children interested.
3. Prelutsky, Jack. (2000). The Random House Book of Poetry for Children: A Treasury of 572 Poems for Today’s Child. Random House Children’s Books.
This would be a great poem to teach kids how to embrace their individuality. I think it is something most kids struggle with. I think this poem would be great to talk about and even post on the wall so the kids can look at it year round. It is so important to teach children to be comfortable in their own skin. This is why I like this poem so much!
4. O’Connell George, Kristine. (1999). Little Dog Poems. Illus. by June Otani. Houghton Mufflin Company.
This poem would be great for introducing poetry in Kindergarten. Most children have dogs or some kind of pet at home, so the teacher could ask each child to share their own stories of how their pet greats them when they come home. It is short and simple, relates to the kids, and therefore I feel it would be great for class discussion and activities.
5. Kuskin, Karla. (2003). Moon Have You Met My Mother? Illus. by Sergio Ruzzier. HarperCollins.
Could this poem describe how reading and writing are essential any better? This would be great to share with students who struggle with reading and writing. I love how it says “reading is writing is learning is growing”. This is exactly how I feel about reading. I would explain to my students that even as an adult I continue to learn through reading and writing. I would explain that learning is a LIFELONG process, and that is why they need to learn the basics now. I just love this poem.
6. Silverstein, Shel. From Falling up. Dr. Akrofi Handout.
Shel Silverstein was my favorite poem author as a child. I remember reading and rereading A Light in the Attic all the time. He always seemed to be able to rhyme everything, and everything he wrote about was just so silly and funny. He always kept me engaged in his reading, and I remember being anxious to turn the page to find what other silly subject he chose to write about. This poem above would be perfect for a science project. The kids could bring their favorite foods to class and take turns looking at them under the microscope. I think it is a lesson the kids will remember forever.
7. Yolen, Jane. Dr. Akrofi Handout.
I feel this is another poem that is great for introducing poetry to young students in kindergarten. It is short and it rhymes in couplets. It is great for kids who live in big cities so they can relate to the city’s smog and tall buildings.
8. Studness, Roy. Dr. Akrofi Handout.
Yet again, here is another great poem to introduce younglings to poetry. Every child can relate to this poem because every child has gotten sick! The teacher could even have their students write a short poem about what they do at home when they are sick.
9. Bacmeister, Rhoda. Dr. Akrofi Handouts.
This poem best serves in a class full of students who have been around snow enough to know that snow gets slushy when you walk on it. The children could do several activities with this poem, like write another poem describing what it is like to walk on other surfaces with other types of shoes. Also, for younger grades, this poem is great for introducing the “es” endings.
10. Moore, Lillian. http://www.k12.hi.us/~shasincl/poems_ocean.html#beachstones
I think this is another poem that would be great for a science experiment. The children can experiment with different objects they take out of the ocean or lake or pond-whichever they live close to. Then, they can write a poem about the different things that happen to the objects.
11. Viorst, Judith. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/some-things-don-t-make-any-sense-at-all/
This is another poem that is great for children just learning about poetry. Most children have younger siblings as well, and they could write a poem about the way the felt when their little brother or sister was born. Or, if the child is the youngest in the family, they could write a poem about how they think their older brother or sister felt when they were first born.
12. Kennedy, X. J. http://www.ralphmag.org/xjkennedy.html
This is a deeper poem and children may not get it right away. I think this is a good thing though because you can take each line for just what it says and make it simpler than it appears. I think this poem is a good example for teaching kids that even though poetry may seem deep and confusing, if you just re-write it in simpler words it makes just as much sense. This might be a good poem to go over right before middle school, when the students start getting into old English poems.
13. Florian, Douglas. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/1133/seasonalpoems/winter.html
This poem is perfect for right before holiday break. After reading the poem out loud, children can share their own stories of family time during the winter, especially on the harsh winter days. Then, the children can write about their different stories either through a letter thanking a family member for everything they do for them, or a note to a friend, or just a short story, or any form of writing really.
14. McCord, David. http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/webstuff/poetry/McCord-HistoryofEduc.html
Students will probably have several questions over this poem. Mainly one like, “HUH!?” However, I think it is great to introduce poems that do not always make sense right away to get children to think more critically about the poem and the words and what they are trying to say. Also, I think it is interesting that this poem was probably written a very long time ago, as in historically, and the poem is titled “History of Education”. It is a good poem to back up the fact that poetry has always been around and so has education.
15. Wong, Janet. http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2007/09/happy-birthday-janet-wong.html
This poem is perfect for talking about culture and diversity and how every child is different. Children can write their own poems about what their faces look like and where they came from.
16. Livingston, Myra Cohn. http://www.brownielocks.com/valentinepoems.html
Obviously, this is a perfect poem for Valentine’s Day. I think it is great for first graders because the poem is simple couplets, and most of them will find this very humorous and appreciate it. This poem could be used to talk about Valentine’s Day and how everyone should get Valentine’s for everyone, and if they want to give special valentines then they can do so outside of class. This way, no one’s feelings will get hurt!
17. Merriam, Eve. http://project1.caryacademy.org/echoes/poet_Eve_Merriam/Samplepoemmerriam.htm
This poem is great for beginners. After reading the poem and having many grand conversations about it, the students can pick their own color to write a short poem about.
18. Stevenson, R. L. (2007). A Child’s Garden of Verses. Illus. by Gyo Fujikawa. Sterling.
This is a cute poem for kids. I think they would be able to follow along with it just fine and relate to it very well. Several different activities can be acquired from this poem alone.
19. Ciardi, John. http://f2.org/humour/language/nonsense.html#HappyFamily
Even though this is a longer poem, the students can take one line at a time and write it in words that make more sense to them. They can re-write the whole thing, write another version of the poem, just take one verse and add on to make a different poem, or something like that.
20. Lewis, J. Patrick. Published by the Baseball Almanac. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_reasons_for_rainbows.shtml
I think this poem would be great for those who like sports. It is important to gain the interest of every student in poetry and examine all different subjects. I think this is a great sports one to use. I think the boys would really like it!
1. Adoff, Arnold. (1989). Chocolate Dreams. Illus. by Turi MacCombie. Lathrop, Lee and Shepard books.
I feel this is a very good description of when someone bites into chocolate. It would be a fun poem to use as a craft lesson for eating chocolates. A fun way to introduce the poem is to just say the title and ask the kids what they think the poem is going to be about. I bet one would get a lot of interesting answers!
2. Grimes, Nikki. (1997). Meet Danitra Brown. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. HarperCollins.
A lot of children will know at least one person whom this poem describes. I think it would be neat to read this poem out loud and have the students write down who they think this poem most describes. It is also neat because it rhymes and therefore will keep the children interested.
3. Prelutsky, Jack. (2000). The Random House Book of Poetry for Children: A Treasury of 572 Poems for Today’s Child. Random House Children’s Books.
This would be a great poem to teach kids how to embrace their individuality. I think it is something most kids struggle with. I think this poem would be great to talk about and even post on the wall so the kids can look at it year round. It is so important to teach children to be comfortable in their own skin. This is why I like this poem so much!
4. O’Connell George, Kristine. (1999). Little Dog Poems. Illus. by June Otani. Houghton Mufflin Company.
This poem would be great for introducing poetry in Kindergarten. Most children have dogs or some kind of pet at home, so the teacher could ask each child to share their own stories of how their pet greats them when they come home. It is short and simple, relates to the kids, and therefore I feel it would be great for class discussion and activities.
5. Kuskin, Karla. (2003). Moon Have You Met My Mother? Illus. by Sergio Ruzzier. HarperCollins.
Could this poem describe how reading and writing are essential any better? This would be great to share with students who struggle with reading and writing. I love how it says “reading is writing is learning is growing”. This is exactly how I feel about reading. I would explain to my students that even as an adult I continue to learn through reading and writing. I would explain that learning is a LIFELONG process, and that is why they need to learn the basics now. I just love this poem.
6. Silverstein, Shel. From Falling up. Dr. Akrofi Handout.
Shel Silverstein was my favorite poem author as a child. I remember reading and rereading A Light in the Attic all the time. He always seemed to be able to rhyme everything, and everything he wrote about was just so silly and funny. He always kept me engaged in his reading, and I remember being anxious to turn the page to find what other silly subject he chose to write about. This poem above would be perfect for a science project. The kids could bring their favorite foods to class and take turns looking at them under the microscope. I think it is a lesson the kids will remember forever.
7. Yolen, Jane. Dr. Akrofi Handout.
I feel this is another poem that is great for introducing poetry to young students in kindergarten. It is short and it rhymes in couplets. It is great for kids who live in big cities so they can relate to the city’s smog and tall buildings.
8. Studness, Roy. Dr. Akrofi Handout.
Yet again, here is another great poem to introduce younglings to poetry. Every child can relate to this poem because every child has gotten sick! The teacher could even have their students write a short poem about what they do at home when they are sick.
9. Bacmeister, Rhoda. Dr. Akrofi Handouts.
This poem best serves in a class full of students who have been around snow enough to know that snow gets slushy when you walk on it. The children could do several activities with this poem, like write another poem describing what it is like to walk on other surfaces with other types of shoes. Also, for younger grades, this poem is great for introducing the “es” endings.
10. Moore, Lillian. http://www.k12.hi.us/~shasincl/poems_ocean.html#beachstones
I think this is another poem that would be great for a science experiment. The children can experiment with different objects they take out of the ocean or lake or pond-whichever they live close to. Then, they can write a poem about the different things that happen to the objects.
11. Viorst, Judith. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/some-things-don-t-make-any-sense-at-all/
This is another poem that is great for children just learning about poetry. Most children have younger siblings as well, and they could write a poem about the way the felt when their little brother or sister was born. Or, if the child is the youngest in the family, they could write a poem about how they think their older brother or sister felt when they were first born.
12. Kennedy, X. J. http://www.ralphmag.org/xjkennedy.html
This is a deeper poem and children may not get it right away. I think this is a good thing though because you can take each line for just what it says and make it simpler than it appears. I think this poem is a good example for teaching kids that even though poetry may seem deep and confusing, if you just re-write it in simpler words it makes just as much sense. This might be a good poem to go over right before middle school, when the students start getting into old English poems.
13. Florian, Douglas. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/1133/seasonalpoems/winter.html
This poem is perfect for right before holiday break. After reading the poem out loud, children can share their own stories of family time during the winter, especially on the harsh winter days. Then, the children can write about their different stories either through a letter thanking a family member for everything they do for them, or a note to a friend, or just a short story, or any form of writing really.
14. McCord, David. http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/webstuff/poetry/McCord-HistoryofEduc.html
Students will probably have several questions over this poem. Mainly one like, “HUH!?” However, I think it is great to introduce poems that do not always make sense right away to get children to think more critically about the poem and the words and what they are trying to say. Also, I think it is interesting that this poem was probably written a very long time ago, as in historically, and the poem is titled “History of Education”. It is a good poem to back up the fact that poetry has always been around and so has education.
15. Wong, Janet. http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2007/09/happy-birthday-janet-wong.html
This poem is perfect for talking about culture and diversity and how every child is different. Children can write their own poems about what their faces look like and where they came from.
16. Livingston, Myra Cohn. http://www.brownielocks.com/valentinepoems.html
Obviously, this is a perfect poem for Valentine’s Day. I think it is great for first graders because the poem is simple couplets, and most of them will find this very humorous and appreciate it. This poem could be used to talk about Valentine’s Day and how everyone should get Valentine’s for everyone, and if they want to give special valentines then they can do so outside of class. This way, no one’s feelings will get hurt!
17. Merriam, Eve. http://project1.caryacademy.org/echoes/poet_Eve_Merriam/Samplepoemmerriam.htm
This poem is great for beginners. After reading the poem and having many grand conversations about it, the students can pick their own color to write a short poem about.
18. Stevenson, R. L. (2007). A Child’s Garden of Verses. Illus. by Gyo Fujikawa. Sterling.
This is a cute poem for kids. I think they would be able to follow along with it just fine and relate to it very well. Several different activities can be acquired from this poem alone.
19. Ciardi, John. http://f2.org/humour/language/nonsense.html#HappyFamily
Even though this is a longer poem, the students can take one line at a time and write it in words that make more sense to them. They can re-write the whole thing, write another version of the poem, just take one verse and add on to make a different poem, or something like that.
20. Lewis, J. Patrick. Published by the Baseball Almanac. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_reasons_for_rainbows.shtml
I think this poem would be great for those who like sports. It is important to gain the interest of every student in poetry and examine all different subjects. I think this is a great sports one to use. I think the boys would really like it!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Sidewalk Circus
Fleischman, Paul and Kevin Hawkes. Sidewalk Circus. Massachusetts: Candlewick, 2004.
I would like to do an activity with this book in a small group. I would hold the book and turn the pages while the kids took turns explaining what they saw and thought of the pictures. After doing this with the group, I will have the children tell of their own experiences when they have imagined something else going on while they were bored. Then, I will have them write a short draft of that experience. They can add pictures as well if they like. If they cannot recall a time where something like this happened, then I will tell them to use their imagination and make one up! Eventually, the students will revise and edit their papers to be published on the wall of the classroom for anyone to read.
I would like to do an activity with this book in a small group. I would hold the book and turn the pages while the kids took turns explaining what they saw and thought of the pictures. After doing this with the group, I will have the children tell of their own experiences when they have imagined something else going on while they were bored. Then, I will have them write a short draft of that experience. They can add pictures as well if they like. If they cannot recall a time where something like this happened, then I will tell them to use their imagination and make one up! Eventually, the students will revise and edit their papers to be published on the wall of the classroom for anyone to read.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! Craft Lesson
Resource: Mora, Pat. Yum! MmMm! Que Rico!: America's Sproutings. Illus. Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc., 2007.
When I was in elementary school, I believe it was either third or fourth grade, we did this activity that involved learning about the different taste buds on our tongues. I remember how neat it was to learn where the bitter, sour, salty and sweet spots were located on our tongues. I will remember it forever because it was the ONLY time I had ever learned about the tongue in that much depth. With that said, I think this book could be perfect for introducing this lesson. Learning about the tongue is not required knowledge, but it is always fun to know! Therefore, after reading this book to my class, I will explain to the students that we will be learning about the different areas of our tongue and use the foods described in this book to apply the information hands-on, and to discuss what happens when we place the foods on different areas of our tongues. They could apply this lesson to every meal with their families and annoy everyone at the table by informing them what is going on inside their mouths. How fun!!!
When I was in elementary school, I believe it was either third or fourth grade, we did this activity that involved learning about the different taste buds on our tongues. I remember how neat it was to learn where the bitter, sour, salty and sweet spots were located on our tongues. I will remember it forever because it was the ONLY time I had ever learned about the tongue in that much depth. With that said, I think this book could be perfect for introducing this lesson. Learning about the tongue is not required knowledge, but it is always fun to know! Therefore, after reading this book to my class, I will explain to the students that we will be learning about the different areas of our tongue and use the foods described in this book to apply the information hands-on, and to discuss what happens when we place the foods on different areas of our tongues. They could apply this lesson to every meal with their families and annoy everyone at the table by informing them what is going on inside their mouths. How fun!!!
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