Thanks to everyone for sharing their favourite work of children's literature. Some were familiar and others will be worth looking into. Please include the title and author of the book you presented on your entry for this week. We started off with a Round Robin review game that helps bring the class together, activates prior knowledge and improves comprehension.
Lastly, our thanks to Pearson Canada publishers for generously providing us with a new textbook that will interest all kinds of readers. We analyzed what a good reading program might have and brainstormed some lessons. The image (above) is from a talented artist who illustrates fairy tales. Have a look at his website: http://www.scottgustafson.com/
Looks like another sunny weekend. Enjoy!
June 12, 2009
ReplyDeleteFirst off the book I shared was The Hockey Sweater by Rock Carrier.
I want to touch on the selection people made. It thought it was interesting to see everyone’s selections. When I was young I was not much of a reader so most of these selections are not familiar with me. To add to that I have done practicums in upper elementary, so once again my familiarity with younger children’s lit is limited. It was real great to see the reasons why people chose their books, and also how they might use them in a classroom. My interest was peaked by the book The Turnip, and all the creative ways you can use that book. I have never read it, but I assure you it will be on my list to purchase. I really liked the memory from the doctor’s office of the popcorn book and also the connections people have to the book, Love You Forever. I think the mother/child connection is a strong one and they emotion that can be brought out by this book is what makes books amazing. I am really looking forward to looking into some of these titles.
I felt compelled to comment of a few of the strategies that were discussed in class regarding how to engage a student who is not as enthusiastic or reluctant readers. I think one of the worse things a teacher can do is to ask a student to read aloud in class when they are not comfortable doing so. Allowing a student to read at his or her own pace is key to keeping them motivated. I always hated when my teachers assign chapters of the book for homework, I knew I was not going to get it done and having the pressure to get through all the pages. It did not endear reading to me, I did not enjoy it and I forced myself to read it quickly, even though I was not a strong reader, and was unable to follow what was going on. I read the pages in order to get it done. The undue pressure of reading does not make the task enjoyable.
I think the idea of having students reading and then discuss is a good strategy, as long as all the students are participating. The constraints of having to a project or a report on the book do not allow the students to think freely about the ideas in the book, and how they connected to it. I think having a discussion about the book is a different way to bring the students into the book. Both if done as a group or as a class, students may connect to a comment made by another student. It gives students an opportunity to hear about the book from a different perspective.
The book I shared was “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really appreciate about this class is how all the ideas are student centered. As mentioned the week before, students’ reading abilities at the end of grade 1 are a huge indicator of future academic success. I think the most important gift teachers can give students is a genuine love and excitement for reading. This will require work and creativity on the part of the teacher since it means really searching for books, topics, and themes that can hook in a reluctant reader. I do think it is important for students to be exposed to a variety of different genres and formats of literature, however at the beginning stages of reading I think confidence in and love of reading is crucial. If a student loves to read, the student will be more willingly to work at improving his skills.
Something that has been on my mind for a few weeks is the idea of teaching a class novel. The way I have experienced them, both as a student and as a student teacher, is typically the teacher (or a student) reads aloud in the class, some chapters are assigned for homework, and then discussions and activities follow. At the elementary level, I am not sure how effective this would be. Class novels are time consuming and students are at such varying levels of reading abilities and interests I think the traditional way of doing class novels loses many kids. To really make class novels a success, I think the novel should become a whole unit. The themes/topics could be explored first, then selected brief passages followed by brainstorming what happened before and after. However, I know novel studies are frequently used at the secondary level so students must be introduced to them early on. Does anyone know of a great way to use class novels that keeps students interested while taking individual needs into account?
The reading fluency strategy of “self-correct” (asking probing questions after a student has read to help identify errors) is my favourite we have learned so far. It really encourages students to become meta-cognitive, a skill that strengthens the brain and can help students in other subject areas. With “self-correct”, students actually think about what they read and said which really help them become critical thinkers.
I enjoyed hearing everyone elses favorite books last class! I had never heard of some, and had fond memories of others. I am sure that classics like Eric Carle, Robert Muncsh, Dr. Seuss, E.B. White (my fav), Love You Forever, Where the Wild Things Are and others will be in classrooms for many years to come. Books are so versitile they can be used in every subject to introduce, bridge, connect and summarize topics and units.
ReplyDeleteOur connections with books prove how reading and books make marks in our lives, make connections to special people, times/adventures, and moments in our lives. It is important to remember this when teaching. Making reading an enjoyable and memorable activity, allowing children to enter into a new world, is a gift that they will carry with them forever and pass on to others. They may even bring a memory from a teacher that taught them to read to their PDP course one day! What a powerful tool that is accessible and free to every person, if given positive encouragement and interestes are captured.
June 11,
ReplyDeleteThe book I shared was “ A Mountain Alphabet” by Margriet Ruurs
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In reading and responding to literature for children’ class, I really like the idea of bringing the childhood favourite books. Everybody was excited to share the different reasons about why they liked the specific books. I was amazed to see that all of us were very touched by the sharing of childhood book for the personal reasons. As a teacher, it is very important to know about students’ favourite books and also, why these books are important to them. Once you know your students’ favourite books, then you can add those books in the class library. I believe if students read their favourite books or the books which interest them, then their writing respond to these books is going to be very well. If children read books for pleasure, it is more likely that they will absorb so much information, and they will be able to respond passionately and clearly in the writings. The students who read the books which are interesting for them, and are not imposed by the teacher, those students connect to the books very well and their writing response are full of their personal experiences. Therefore, I will try to find out my students’ favourite books, and I will allow them to read in the class. I will give them choice for the writing respon. Sometimes, we will read books and do some projects on the books, and then we will celebrate those projects. I will not use those projects for marking.
The other idea struck to me was reading clubs or literature discussion groups often called literature circles. Students like the term reading clubs because this term appeals to them. May be literature circle is a big term for them, and they have never heard it before. Also, Students like the reading clubs because they have the prior knowledge about the word, ‘club’. They also might have heard the term many times from the siblings or parents. I believe they are having a hard time relating to the literature circles. Therefore, book clubs is relevant to them then literature circles and we all know that we like things which are familiar to us. I would say it is human nature. In book clubs, students choose books by themselves, and then find the students who have chosen the same books to make a group. Book clubs also provide the opportunity for social interactions because students learn to take turns, listen to each other, learn to make connections, and ask relevant questions regarding the text. Of course teacher has to do a hard work in order to set routines about discussions and listening to each other. It is lots of work but it is worth doing it. I have personally experienced the book clubs. There was different number of students in each group and all the students had different roles. For instance, in each group, there was a Discussion Director, Wonderful Sentence detective, Questioner, Summarizer, and Vocabulary checker. In one group, there were only two students because both of them were at different level then the other class. The teacher always spent more time with them because they needed the most help; of course she visited the other groups occasionally. In the group, both of them exchanged their roles, and also their roles were little easier then the other groups because of their reading and comprehending level. One student’s role was to find an interesting word and the other one was responsible to find a “Fat question,” and then they were responsible to decide how many pages they are going to read from home. Once they found the question, then they have to write it onto a double entry journal. At the end of the book club readings, everybody did an awesome job in their responses to the read literature, and it was in the form of projects. The teacher gave choices of doing the projects, and every single project was very creative. I think book clubs provide children with opportunities to share and refine their responses in the company of others, also, they choose the books which interest them.
The book I shared from my childhood was Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban.
ReplyDeleteOne thing we discussed in class that interested me was the use of SSR (self-selected reading) in the classroom. I certainly think that SSR is an important part of school. If parents don’t model reading for pleasure at home, then the 15-20 minutes a day that teachers dedicate to pleasure reading may be the only exposure that children have to this kind or reading. I also think it’s important for the teacher to take part in the SSR, modeling it for the student. Of course, teachers shouldn’t become so engrossed in their book that they are oblivious to what students are doing in the room. During my practicum I would usually select a book from the class library and read, situating myself somewhere where I could see the whole class. I found the students were really pleased I was taking books from the same class library as they were and they were often curious about what whether or not I enjoyed my selection. This made for a good jumping off point to talk about the books they were reading and to draw their attention to books they may not have read yet.
Someone in our class brought up research that suggested many students don’t actually participate in the SSR, especially ESL and reluctant readers. I found this was true in my own classroom as well. I struggled with getting students to participate and enjoy the SSR time. In one class I visited students filled out a reading journal for five minutes each day after SSR and were then expected to share something from their journal with the class. I found this did encourage participation, but many students weren’t enjoying SSR in this situation. They felt like it was just another assignment to get done. I think the challenge then is to ensure that any activity you use to make students accountable for their SSR is also something they enjoy. For this reason, I would look to use more book discussions in my classroom and ensure students that the discussion was just for fun, not “for marks.” Since our textbook suggests that reading in any language is going to be beneficial I would also encourage ESL students to bring in books in their first language to read during SSR.
One idea that really jumped out at me from the textbook was the idea of a classroom bookboard (p. 159). This seems like a wonderful idea. By simply supplying post-it notes in three different colours students could rate the class library. As books gained popularity it may entice more reluctant readers to give them a try, similar to what happened with the Harry Potter craze. As well, with just a glance the teacher could see who has been reading what, giving them a general idea of each child’s preferences and which authors/types of books are popular with the class. This would certainly provide some guidance when it came to adding new selections to the class library or making recommendations to individual students. Students could become even more involved in the process by recommending new books to add to the bookboard based on reading they’ve done outside of school.
The book I shared with our class was “The Turnip”, an old Russian folktale illustrated by Pierre Morgan. There are many versions of this tale, my particular one was collected from a Russian story teller Katherine Milhous. Like I mentioned in class, I was really connected to this book because I had read it as a child in my own language many times. When I saw it as part of the class library in my ESL 1 class, for sure I thought I was my teacher’s favourite student, even though she had no idea that I already knew this book. At the time, it made me very proud, not only because there are some words in the book that sound similar to the words in my language but I knew what the book was about even though I couldn’t understand the writing. I kept “reading” this book for months that it ended up being a gift for me from my ESL teacher. A few of our class members came up to me after and told me that they have used the book during their practicum, and it was great to hear all the activities. Practically out of this one book, there could be weeks worth of activities/projects for students.
ReplyDeleteI was also very happy and thankful for the new book we got. It is a great addition to anybody’s “TOC kit” for discussions, write ups, etc. I especially liked the “Time Will Tell” section of the book as it gives us opportunities to experience imaginary worlds – perfect for those reluctant readers who are only into video games!
To add to Sonja comment above…. When it comes to novel studies, at least in elementary schools, usually they are done through literature circles. During my practicum I introduced this to my grade 6/7 class. Since they have never done Lit. circles before, I wanted to use the same novel for everybody until they got comfortable with all the jobs and roles in their groups. This way I had to be careful of what I was choosing for them so I tried my best to get something that would interest them. I chose the novel “The Hatchet” and before I even told them about it, I took them to a nearby park and got them to imagine what their life would be like if they were never to return to school and stayed stranded in this park for some time. Before we left school I told them to bring a list of five things that they thought they would need to survive in the wild. When we got there they each had to explain how they would live using the five things they brought (this was all they have) and what things they could use from nature to help them survive. Hatchet is the story of a 13 year old boy's survival between nature and himself. I won’t give away everything, but the novel is great especially for grades 6 and up as many kids can relate not only to the main character but some of the things he is going through, such as his parents’ divorce. Anyway, the novel is great, my students loved it and there is so many activities that you can do with students. The best part of my novel introduction was when we returned to class and started revising the lists they initially brought with them. I was a lot of fun!
Week 6
ReplyDeleteThe book I brought for sharing was the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis. A fanatic book and I truly recommend having your students read it even if it is a movie. It is beautifully written and has a great story line for any reader to get lost in.
Discussing children's literature was so much fun last class looking at all of my old favorites and realizing the importance those books had on my early reading career. Although most of those books would not be beneficial at secondary, I believe that the lesson behind those great books is. I think many students don't read because they often do reading in classrooms that they do not enjoy. I think the joy of reading comes from finding something that really interests you and makes it wroth your while. As we have mentioned earlier in class, usually students who don't like reading have had difficulties in the past and have lost confidence in reading. Thus, making them reluctant readers. As teachers we see this all the time as students truly do not enjoy the book they are reading; This becomes difficult when there are “novel Study” projects done in class. I can understand that finding good literature is very important because it does offer students the opportunity to find things that engage them. Things that can liven their imagination and make life seem more interesting and full of intrigue. I think that having those books in your classroom and knowing whats out there is key. I think it is every teachers job to make sure that students have access to great books and leaving them in the library unknown is not helpful. Teachers must be aware of new books coming out and classics that they can recommend and be able to find books that are relevant to their students. Books that can start classroom discussions and make students want to continue reading other books. '
The benefits of finding good literature and having your students engage with it is what Nuss Baum calls developing moral imagination. We can not time travel and we cannot know what it is like to live all over the world. Readers can learn this through the power of a good book. Skills like compassion and empathy are two of the most important skills humans can have and many students are surrounded by societal norms. The only way for them to deal with differences and to begin understanding is through reading.
One of the ideas I really like is book clubs. I was thinking that instead of doing a class novel in one of my classes I would instead have several books to choose from and have students form in class book clubs. I thought this would be fun because it is a smaller group of students that can meet 3 times a week in class and discuss their books. I could provide each group with guiding discussion questions. Most of the skills and comprehension we want students to gain out of reading can be gained by many different styles of books. Therefore I would not hesitate to have different novels with different genres, non-fiction and factual books to help students find something they are interested in reading. Then I would proceed with the same structure of any good novel study looking at themes etc... and then the students main task will be presenting the book to the rest of the class at the end.
The book I shared with our class was “Love you, Forever” by Robert Munch, this is one of my favourite books for several reasons. I have enjoyed many of Robert Munch’s stories over the years, in fact, I have actually attended a few live readings by Munch and they were amazing! The enthusiasm and passion he has for his stories is so evident during his story telling sessions, if ever offered the opportunity I definitely recommend attending a story telling by Robert Munch.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed hearing about everyone else’s childhood favourite books. It’s amazing how many of us have early memories attached to books and reading. I am the oldest of three children and during my toddler years the only time my mom and I had alone was while my younger siblings napped and my mom read to me. Sometimes it would be story books, other times it would be the newspaper or even the newspaper. I loved this time my mom and I shared alone and consequently it developed my love for reading and books. I think developing and fostering this early love for books is an essential part of developing early literacy skills. As we have discussed in prior classes, this can be developed in a variety of ways, whether it be reading books on your own, listening to books on tape or just being read to. As teachers, we can help students by introducing SSR into our daily routines. This is a great time to ensure students are spending some time, daily reading a book of their own choice.
Week 6
ReplyDeleteThe book that I brought in last week was “Love you Forever,” by Robert Munch. I enjoy this book as it is a sweet book that children seem to love. As a child I remember loving Robert Munch books and loved when the teacher read any of his stories to the class. Melanie had a Robert Munch book that I had never read before and it was funny. It was really great hearing about the books that everyone else liked and having everyone post the name and author of the books will be a great resource. Hearing about the books brought back many memories. I had forgotten about the Bernstien bears books and how fun they were to read. I was the type of child that liked re-reading books and this series was one of my favourite. However as I got older I did not read as much and have recently found my love for reading again.
It was nice for each of us to have a copy of the Pearson readers. They were fun to look through, and I enjoyed the stories that I read from it. The discussions about the books were interesting as it is always nice to hear others ideas. Someone may think of an activity that would not have crossed my minds and I find it helpful to learn from the others in our class.
The book I shared last week is called "Timmy and the Otters" (The 'Timmy and the Tug' Series) by Jeremy Moray. Great book for BC content.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 was full of informative facts about children’s literature and how to make reading educational, yet appealing to students. I really liked the idea for book displays and making a divided bulletin book-board so that students could share their thoughts on the books. I think this is a much better idea than just seeing which student can read the most books, as so many kids just power through the easiest books they can find and can’t remember most of what they read. Having books suggested on the bulletin is great for those students who don’t know what books to read and it also might get students interested in something they wouldn’t usually choose.
I appreciated Susan’s caution that because we are such a diverse society we have to be careful about some of the material (i.e. religious or alternative lifestyles) we introduce into the classroom as we do not want to offend different ethnicities or religions. With this in mind it was nice to see the alternative of being able to teach morals through fictional characters from different cultures (i.e. Fairytales, Aesop’s Fables). I know that my grade two students loved all the fairytales we studied and were quick to point out the bad/good behavior of the characters in the stories. They learned a lot from these characters about how people from different cultures lived, as well as some history. I was surprised at the interest they took in this unit, often returning from the library or home with another variation of a fairytale to share with the class. The idea that children can learn so much through literature is great, as I think some teachers get in the trap of thinking that kids can only learn from non-fiction.
When Djana mentioned her beloved turnip book, I have to agree with her about what a great choice this is. I read this to my class and after reading it and then acting it out, the kids then found “The Giant Carrot” by Jan Peck and another book about a giant potato. I would have thought this would get repetitive but apparently not as they BEGGED to read and act them out over and over again. This is one of those books that is good for choral reading because the kids easily get the hang of it and love to “read” along.
The book that I shared was Noah's Ark by Jan Brett. I just love her books as the illustrations are beautiful and vivid.
ReplyDeleteI really liked last class when we were able to share our childhood memeories of the books we read. I think it is very important to have students read books that they are interested in becasue they are more motivated to read them. It is better to read texts that students are interested in as they can make and draw connections that relate to thier own lives. Making connections allows students to become part of the story instead of looking at it from the outside. Also, students who are engaged often want to read more because they are not being forced to. They want to read becasue they want to and not because they have to. I am not saying they don't have to read a specific novel, but by giving students the opportunity to choose will make them more motivated to read.
The book that we received last class is a great resouce that I am going to apply in my classroom. After class I was looking at the book more carefully and found that the book offers different suggestions for each of the stories. I think this is valuable becasue of the variety of learners within the classroom. Also the stories are easy enough for the teacher to manipulate to meet the needs of our classroom. The other creative part to this book is that it has a various generes of writing within. The book has taken the approach by that it introduces different forms of writing, such as satires, play, stories and monologues to students. By doing this it introdues students to a variety of texts, which may attract a reader who is not comfortable with large amounts of text on the page. I think this gives students choices on what they want to read. Also it allows teachers to identify and play with different forms of text. Adding spice to reading will help readers who are uncomforatble towards heavy based texts. This will build the confidence of low readers because a play or monologue will have less text thus allowing for easier understanding. Overall, this is a great resource for new teachers
First of all, the book I brought was “Corduroy Lost and Found” by B.G. Hennessy. The book is based on the character created by Don Freeman, other books include “Corduroy” and “A Pocket for Corduroy.” It was awesome to see the variety of books that the class brought and to hear why they chose their specific book.
ReplyDeleteI thought the cue card activity at the beginning of class was a great start to the class. I think it could be used in any subject and with a variety of grade levels. I will definitely keep that on my list of activities to try in my own classroom. It helped us (students) connect with prior knowledge and increase comprehension for the material being discussed.
From the textbook, I really connected with the ideas of a book talk and reader’s theatre. I think having a regular book talk after silent reading would be good. The students can sit in a special chair, read an excerpt or summarize their book to the class, and then share their opinions. I think this would get the students engaged in their reading. I also liked the reader’s theatre idea. I think those students who have a hard time getting into reading would find this activity fun. It would especially appeal to the active students because they would have the opportunity to become someone else and act in front of the class. This would especially be fun for older students because they could be more involved in choosing and preparing for the presentation.
The book I chose was "I Wish That I had Duck Feet" by Theo LeSieg (AKA Dr.Seuss).
ReplyDeleteEach week I am genuinely more inspired to give kids a desire to immerse themselves in literature. The books that everyone shared certainly seemed to have personal significance. It reminded me of how just one children's book can profoundly impact and change a person's self-concept. I never really thought of this until I started sharing about why the book I chose was relevant. Before taking this class I wondered how teachers just seem to know what books are worthwhile. Sharing the way we do in class is a great way to share resources as well as being reminded of what is out there.
The question answer strategy was a creative way of engaging the whole class. Since then I've been thinking of possible ways to adapt that strategy to early primary students. I've noticed that when it gets to crunch time, some teachers resort to standard question/answer worksheets rather than doing a similar interactive activity like this one.
I couldn't help but think of students who really struggle with reading aloud. It seems to be a common practice (at least in classes I've worked in)to have all students read aloud - even the strugglers. I've noticed that these students will either act-out ahead of time to get sent out, and avoid the dreaded moment. Others seem anxious and filled with dread about anticipating being in the spotlight. I hope to figure out a way to still encourage these students to practice reading aloud without being embarrassed and at the centre of attention.
Esanju
Sharing our favorite children literature was a fun and challenging event. I found it very difficult to choose just one book. I have many different favorites some are ones I have read to my kids, some childhood favorites and so many others for many different reasons. For class tonight I brought Skippy Jon Jones by Judy Schachner the reason this is one of my favorites is it is a fun read aloud book with the main character with a wild imagination. I think it is a story many children can relate to the theme that the main character is being punished in their room and how the imagination takes over. The story is written in English with some Spanish words nicely placed throughout to make it enjoyable and fun to read and listen to.
ReplyDeleteI think there is so much great children’s literature out there that we must always encourage children to find something they love and are interested in. I tend to shy away from mythological, magic type books for my own personal reasons but I must be aware of this bias as not to let it rub off on my students.
I liked the round robin activity that we started class with I will definitely try this approach when reviewing material, and even activating prior knowledge of the subject. I found this approach of question and answering prompts students to pay close attention and not drift off. I also enjoyed trying to answer the question before it was read out loud.
I really enjoyed sharing our favorite children’s literature. I also found it a challenge to pick just one. When it came down to it I just had to bring Robert Munch “Good Families Don’t”. This book still makes me laugh out loud when I read it, as do many of his classics! It was very enjoyable to go back and re-read and discover some of my childhood favorites. I remember in grade 2 and 3 being determined to read all of the “Ramona” series by Beverly Cleary. The feelings that stem from reading a good book can really stay with you for life and discovering that as a student is something to foster throughout life.
ReplyDeleteI was also very excited to receive the book from Pearson’s “Time will Tell” and “On the Edge”. I got some really great ideas for implementing literature in the classroom and possible lesson plans to use. The stories are ones that are relevant and current for youth, but also interesting and thought-provoking. I found such sections as “React and Respond” especially helpful in designing lesson plans around some of these stories. During my grade 3 practicum, I used such books as “Effie the Ant” and “Scaredy Squirrel” where students made predictions, connections and participated in various reading and responding activities. Now, having exposure to foundations of reading and writing through this course and other teacher resources, it would be a lot less time consuming to draft various lessons around such stories. I enjoy all of the different tools and methods to bring variety to lesson planning. The trick it seems is to stay fresh and current and always be looking for new ways to present material to students.
Last class was fantastic. It was my favourite class thus far. I believe the reason for this is because it really made a personal connection with me. (Further showing me the importance of triggering students’ personal connections with prior knowledge when teaching a topic). When we were asked to bring in our favourite childhood book, I was really a bit intimidated at first. As I alluded to in class, my mother had health problems when I was younger and I had two demanding younger siblings. Therefore, I was more of a caretaker to my siblings and mother from a young age and appeared to have missed out on that special parent and child reading time. I don’t know if this affected me in school (with reading) as it likely meant that I would have been exposed to less print than some other children. I don’t remember that part. What I do remember is trips to the doctors office, where my memorable ‘popcorn book’ lived. I’m sure I only went to the doctor’s office about twice a year, but I remember these visits so vividly. The reason? The memories associated with reading! When thinking about this story, I had an “ah-ha!” moment. It made me think about the first class and the comments Sue made about how instilling a love of reading in children is such an important thing a teacher can do. (In my notes I have stars and hearts drawn around this comment. I now understand why.) It made me think about how reading should be interesting, not just drills. It should comfortable, not scary. Such a simple concept on paper, yet it only really seems clear to me now. Just like music, when we hear a favourite song and it brings us back to that memory, a book can bring back memories of emotions, smells, sights, and sensations. Who knew? Oh ya, and I did some heavy-duty research to find out the name of this ‘popcorn book’ (turns out my mom remembers how I demanded time and time again to be read to with it, but also can not remember the name). It is called, “Popcorn: A Frank Asch Bear Story”. I don’t know if any of you have heard of Frank Asch, but now I am obsessed with him! I can’t wait to order the book online and share it with my future classes.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed hearing about everyone’s favourite books. I found it very informative because as everyone talked about their books, I was thinking in my mind how I could use the book to my students; whether to teach them about a certain theme (i.e. social responsibility) or a reading strategy. They are also very helpful for building up a literacy resource for when one is teaching on call (TOC). So, I wanted to say thank you for allowing us to do that!
ReplyDeleteThe book I brought was a collection of poems called “Jelly Belly” by Dennis Lee. It is whimsical and delightful in that it plays on traditional nursery rhymes. You can also combine actions with the words, which make it interactive for children.
I think it’s wonderful to use children’s literature as a way for children to read and think about what they are reading. But not just for reading, but also when singing. Because this poem has a natural beat and rhythm to it, it can be transferred into a musical score full of percussion instruments. I did this with a class of grade 2 kids. We created a musical score by replacing the words with non-pitched instruments in certain places. The class really enjoyed this as they got to have fun with the selected poem we read and turning it into something creative.
This brings up my second point, which is how important it is for children to make decisions and discuss with one another when they are reading or creating something from a book. The text mentions having literature circles and the benefits that can evolve from them. I have seen this as an excellent idea because it reinforces everyone who is reading the same book, to be on the same page as everyone and they get to explore ideas that others may not have come up with. This also gives a chance for reluctant readers to listen to what their peers are saying and join in the discussion and think ‘outside the box’ as he or she becomes more interested in the book. However, I think this will work best only when the book is read aloud by a teacher or the group. Anyway, overall, I think having literature circles in all grades are beneficial to the struggling and the gifted student because of the varied material that one can think about and discuss.
Stephanie
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ReplyDeleteThe books that I brought were:
ReplyDeleteMy Side of the Story by Daphnie Skinner
The Care and Feeding of Fish by Sarajo Frieden
In response to Sonja’s question on how to make a class novel meet the needs of all students, I think that it is like any other subject. No matter what you are teaching you need to take into account the needs of everyone. I think that a good way to accomplish this with regards to a class novel would be to do it as a read aloud. This way, everyone can understand it, even if they could not read it themselves. I did this with a grade 4 class, I read them The Indian in the Cupboard. There is controversy surrounding this book because it is not always politically correct. However, I was also doing a unit of First Nations People, so we discussed all of the stereotypes made in the book. There was a first level ESL boy in this class, and at first it was really difficult to meet his needs. When he was not responding in writing through the book, I had him draw a picture about what the chapter was about and write down the words that he heard me say that he knew. It worked out wonderfully, and at the end, he had created a comic from his pictures and words. I think that reading novels to intermediate and even high school students is important because they can just sit back and enjoy the book. At the same time you can engage the students by having them write responses or have them discuss what was read to them in groups, much like lit circles. I understand Sonja’s point that this can be time consuming and I know a lot of people feel this way; however, I think that it is incredibly beneficial if done in a meaningful way.
I really like the idea of doing Lap Stories, described on page 169. I have never heard of this before. I think that it is a very creative way to engage students with the stories they have read, or had read to them. It is also a great way include literacy in art. You could create an art unit based on books, I think that this would also encourage students to read books if there was a lap story available on a book that they had not read before.
The text mentions theme studies on page 175. I have never done a theme study before, but I will be doing one in September with a grade 2 class. My theme is Fall. I am a little apprehensive about this, having never done one before. Does anyone have any ideas that could help me out? If anyone knows any picture books about Fall or any Language Arts activities I would really appreciate it.
Week 6: Wednesday, June 17, 2009
ReplyDeleteMy children’s literature selection was You Are Special by Max Lucado.
As always, our class was both enjoyable and informative! Children’s literature is such a passion for me and I felt a little overwhelmed with having to choose only one book to share with the class! My son and I will spend hours at Chapter’s/Starbuck’s pouring over books and taking turns reading to each other. I probably do most of the “read alouds” but I think children of all ages love to be read to. My husband is an avid reader too but he’s over 6’4 and not a big fan of sitting on the floor at Chapter’s ;) I have always believed that the best gift anyone can give a child is the pure joy and love of books; looking at books, reading books to themselves or others, and having books read to them. Something that really resonated with me when reading chapter 6 was the statement that “a child who doesn’t like to read is just a child who hasn’t yet discovered the perfect book”. This is so true and part of our job as teachers of our students and of our own children is to help children find their “perfect book”. I also really appreciated the fact that the text presented such a broad “definition” of literature that went far beyond the “typical” picture book to include so many different categories or genres. Opening up the possibilities and expanding the definition of literature will go a long way in helping students find the book that sparks their love of reading.
When it comes to strategies for getting students excited about reading, I really love the idea of “book displays” described on page 159. Using pictures, decorations, concrete objects, and even bulletin boards are a great way to “hook” your students and to stimulate their curiosity. The variations on the book displays described in chapter 6 look equally as motivating and engaging to students. I especially liked the idea of including students in the creation of the displays and I actually came up with a variation of my own. Instead of “enlisting” students to create a display for the teacher’s book choice, I was thinking that it might be nice for students (individual or small groups) to create a book display related to a book that they recently read and would like to share with the class. Creating such displays would not only help to inspire other students to read these books but it would also help to empower the students who create the displays.
My final comment is a HUGE thank you to Sue and to Pearson Canada for the wonderful and versatile book(s) On The Edge and Time Will Tell. I have already used them as a reference for an advertising unit in my Language Arts class!!
Shanie
To start, I shared a few of the Berenstain Bear Books, written by Stan and Jan Berenstain. The ones I thought were particularly good for increasing reading fluency/comprehension, but also for addressing common classroom social issues were: “The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Friends”, “The Berenstain Bears and the Bully”, “The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Teasing”, and, “The Berenstain Bears: No Girls Allowed”.
ReplyDeleteLast class I really enjoyed hearing everyone discuss their own personal connections to a particular work (or works) of children’s literature. I know the books I mentioned are a cherished possession of mine because of all the fond memories I have of reading them as a child. These happy memories coupled with relatable stories and wonderful illustrations are part of what made me love reading in the first place. Thus, I think it is so important for parents and teachers alike to find books that appeal to their children’s interests. Instilling in them a love of reading I believe is a well worth it venture, and one that will make a world of difference for them in the future.
I thought the opening activity in which we all had a response to someone else’s question was a fun and interactive way of accessing prior knowledge, assessing where your students are at and identifying which concepts need to be reviewed. As Sue suggested, I could definitely see myself using this strategy as a way of helping my students to prepare for an upcoming test, although I see it working best in the intermediate/secondary grades. Perhaps this activity could also be adapted to suit the primary grades as well, maybe by using a combination of words and pictures.
Lastly, after having looked through the interesting new text we were given, what I liked the most about it was how appealing it is to students. It combines contemporary names and titles that children are sure to recognize in a manner that truly promotes the acquisition and development of age-appropriate reading skills. I very much look forward to testing this book out in my own classroom one day!
The book I shared last class was Maurice Sendak’s, Where the Wild Things Are. I loved seeing the books that everyone in the class choose to bring. The fact that these books have resonated in our minds for this long proves that they are powerful and interesting stories. It is great hearing ideas for lessons based on the stories.
ReplyDeleteOne of the nicest things about this class in the time we are allotted to share ideas with one another. Talking to others who share the same passion is an excellent way to hear new lesson idea. I find that I tend to come up with the same ideas over and over again, especially when basing lessons around works of literature. Hearing other idea are excellent. The people I was talking to have extremely different ideas than I have, and came up with ideas I never would have thought of. Now I’m beginning to think in a different way, and trying to create lessons that I would not typically create.
I love the round-robin game that we began class with. It was an excellent way to both begin class on a fun note, and to activate prior knowledge. I’d imagine a game like this would work well in a classroom for any subject – math, social studies, science etc.
The book I shared was Scaredy Squirrel, by Melanie Watts. I would also like to share If the World Were a Village, by David Smith. This book is a social-awareness book about the divisions of food, shelter, education, etc, in the planet. The global community in the book has 100 people and shows how many people exactly would have a share of these necessities. It's a very good book to make kids conscious about the realities of the world and how fortunate we are to live in North America.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I really enjoyed the game that we played at the beginning. It was a fun way to check our understanding of the topics we have discussed thus far. I agree with what people have said above - I think this game could be used with any subject and it is one the kids will enjoy. I completely believe in playing games in the classroom (even though it does take up some time!). It's a fun way for kids to be engaged and learning.
I also thought that our book share was very interesting, although I think it would be an even nicer idea if we were able to walk around and view the books and have conversations with the owners rather than just listening. I did think it was rather touching how some people shared their personal experiences with the book. It's interesting how something so simple can bring up important memories, isn't it? It also goes to show that our job as teachers is not just to improve skills, it is to build character and life experiences.
One last thing (and this question goes out mainly to Craig): I LOVE The Hockey Sweater and have been trying to find a copy of the video for two years now. Does anyone know where I can get it?
The Book I shared was "Green Eggs and Ham", by Dr. Seuss. This is my all-time favourite book because it is so full of action and really empowered me as a reader.
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting and touching to see the amazing variety of books brought and shared by the class, which goes to show that all of our connections with books are very personalized and unique. As the textbook said, "...feeling energizes reading and writing (CMCM p.154)." I became a reader very early, and, as a child, I could become so completely absorbed in a book that I would often forget everything that was going on around me. I still remember the first book I read in which I suddenly realized that I could read! It was about some children putting on a circus in their backyard; I read that book over and over again, and had to read it to everyone who was important in my life, because the realization had dawned on me that I could actually read! The home environment, in which my mother read to us daily, did a lot to foster our appreciation for books.
One thing that struck me in class last week was when one student shared her book, "The Stinky Cheese Man", given to her by a teacher who appreciated the fact that she did not like to read, and how that book changed her view of reading. It further reinforces the statement made in the textbook that effective teachers read a great variety of books to their students, "...because they believe that a child who doesn't like to read is just a child who hasn't yet discovered the perfect book (p.187)." This statement underscores, for me, the importance of dialoguing with our students in order to be aware of what they might be interested in reading, and making a great variety of reading materials available in the classroom, as well as engaging in many different literacy experiences. Following our conversation on gender-segregated classrooms, there is evidence that boys and girls tend to be drawn to different types of literature, so a variety should be made available without commenting on who would like what. Culturally appropriate books are also becoming increasingly important, as Dajana pointed out with her book, "The Turnip". I also love that book, but I had no idea it was Russian. This example shows how folk tales may be used, not only to make a new arrival to Canada feel welcome and accepted, but to foster dialogue between students, learn about other cultures, and explore common bonds.
One idea in the textbook that I really liked was the Teacher-Student Conferences on pp.165-166. The idea seems easy to implement - during self-selected reading time - allows teachers to keep in touch with and support individual student reading progress, and gives the student some special one-on-one times with the teacher in which they can discuss and appreciate books and the reading process.
Teacher-student conferences may be easily structured to review and enrich concepts already being explored through other parts of the language arts program such as Literature Discussion Groups. They may also motivate students to settle down and focus on reading during reading time because they are looking forward to conferencing with their teacher, are seeing the teacher model appreciation for discussing books, are getting support in their areas of need or extra challenge, and may receive suggestions from the teacher on how to select books. This strategy is one that may be applied to other curriculum areas as well, and is one that I plan to place a priority on in my own classroom.
The books that I brought in were, “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble” and “The Polar Express.”
ReplyDeleteI had mentioned in class that I am a fan of the “classic authors” such as Eric Carle, Robert Muncsh, Dr. Seuss etc. When I was asked to bring in my favorite book, I couldn’t do it. I don’t have a specific favorite so I had to bring more than one in to class. I also brought more than one because I knew if I brought, “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Love you Forever,” some other classmate would have brought it to class. I was right. I find it interesting the concepts behind what makes a children’s literature book good and enjoyable. I noticed from class that although the majority of us brought in different books, there were many books mentioned as a favorite and then the rest of the class commented “Oh yah, I love that book.” Just by sharing books titles in our classroom reminded other people of their interest in that same book. I had this similar occurrence happen to me when I was reading the text book. The text had listed some books, one of them being the Frog and Toad series; as soon as this was mentioned in brought back my memories of reading those books as a child that I completely forgotten about.
I think on top of having our favorite books, it is important to include those favorite books in a personal book collection. Chapter 6 recommended for students to build their own personal collections by having subscriptions, participate in book clubs, attend book fairs or even run a student-run bookstore. It is important for students to have their own collection of books to help support their reading.