A Few Ideas

Hi Readers!

We are all in uncharted territories so I wanted to give y'all some resources and ideas I have seen in the last couple of weeks...

Remember that your child doesn't need to sit and work for 6-8 hours a day. Even at school they have multiple breaks and transitions. Until your district offers assignments/ online classes aim for 1-2 hours a day for elementary students, 2-3 for middle school, and 3-4 for high school. Let them play outside, read independently and do chores around the house. Also, have them help cook (many math lessons can be taught right in your kitchen).

Here are some free online resources to use at home.

A few ideas for your neighborhood:

* Chalk your walk: Draw or write encouraging messages in your driveway or sidewalk with chalk. Then take a walk around the neighborhood to see the messages from your neighbors.

* Go on a bear hunt: Encourage neighbors to place a teddy bear in their window. Read or watch We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. Go on a bear hunt around the neighborhood.

* Learning Walk: As you walk have your child look for letters on street signs, mailboxes, and license plates. If your child already knows letters ask them to find things that rhyme (Tree/ Bee, Cat/ Hat). Increase your child's vocabulary by having them describe different things (instead of a house, a large yellow two story home with an elegant blue door), also teach your child the real names for things (it's not just a flower; it's a tulip, that dog is a corgi, Mrs. Smith's tree is an oak tree).



*** If you start to feel guilty about letting your child watch too much TV then mute it and put on subtitles. Now your child is reading! 😉

Poetry

Title:  Poem Runs (Baseball Poems and Paintings)

Author: Douglas Florian 

Awards: N/A

Published: 2012

Genre: Poetry Picturebook 

Out of all the picturebooks I have read this summer, Poem Runs is by far my favorite. The word and font play are a lot of fun. The baseball players in my classroom will love the accuracy and wit included in this collection of poems. The colors take up the entire page and the illustrations look like something a devout young fan would draw of their favorite team. This collection starts with the warm up and takes you through each position adding in some humorous stereotypes. The season ends with a "poem run" and a reflection of the season. Sometimes it is hard to motivate the boys in my classes to read and enjoy poetry, but I won't have to worry about that any longer. This will be the first book I read to my students during any poetry unit and double as a book that describes my interests. The players in this book are both boys and girls adding to the playfulness and relatability of the book to all of my students. Students will be able to see how creative you can be with poetry and how it can be applied to any topic. I can already visualize my students wanted to create poems of their own about one of their favorite hobbies. 

As the description on the back says...

"You'll find this book

 has many a poem.

There's first base, 

second base, 

third base, home. 

A pitcher, catcher, 

slugger, and all.

There's even an umpire-

LET'S PLAY BALL!" 

Title:  A Child's Anthonlogy of Poetry 

Edited by: Elizabeth Hauge Sword with Victoria Flournoy McCarthy 

Illustrated by: Tom Pohrt 

Awards: N/A

Published: 2015

Genre: Poetry 

Many times children's poetry can be considered immature. I love that this anthology does not lose the richness of many poetic classics. With authors such as Maya Angelou, William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman, you can imagine the depth and diversity in which this collection contains. There are very few illustrations included but those that are add to the comprehension of the poem it accompanies. The poems are organized alphabetically by author with a table of contents available at the beginning. There is not one set theme in this anthology but more of a collection of classics. I would not expect the students I work with on a regular basis to be able to read and comprehend the poems in this compilation, however, this would make for a great read aloud which would lead to some great discussion. Deep thinking and inferencing skills are required but the more students listen and discuss and the more I model students will be able to critique, analyze, and infer on their own.  

Historical Fiction

Title:  The Butterfly 

Author: Patricia Polacco 

Awards: N/A

Published: 1972

Genre: Historical Fiction Picture Book 

With this assignment I stayed with the WWII theme. The Butterfly was written from the viewpoint of an innocent French child named Monique. Monique knew of the war and heard of some of the horrible things happening but never saw any of these events for herself. She noticed her mother becoming more and more distracted but would always have time for her daughter. One night Monique wakes up to a "ghost" of a little girl at the end of her bed. Monique eventually finds out that this "ghost" is a Jewish girl named Sevrine that Monique's mother has been hiding in their basement for a while. The direness of the war becomes evident to Monique as she becomes friends with Sevrine. One day when playing in the house they are spotted by a neighbor and knew Sevrine and her family must leave for everyone's safety. Monique and her mother wait and pray for a sign to show that Sevrine and her family were safe and they got more than they imagined. 

The illustrations in this story seem more like art work than pictures in a book. Patricia Palacco uses lighting to demonstrate the hope and innocence of the children as well as the graveness of the circumstances they are in. Palacco shows how the war can affect everyone no matter the age.  

When using this book in a classroom, teachers must allow time for deep discussion. In order to respect the events and the story Patricia Palacco describes teachers need to be available to guide students through some uncomfortable discussions and deep thinking. The fact that this story is from the viewpoint of a child allows students to relate to the characters and determine what they would do if they were in such a position. 

Title:  The War that Saved my Life 

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Awards: Newbery Honor Book, New York Time's Best Seller, Scheider Family Book Award, Wall Street Journal's Best Children's Book of 2015 

Published: 2015

Genre: Historical Fiction

I did not know what to expect when I opened this book but I was not able to put it down once I did. It even got to the point where I was telling my husband to hush so that I could concentrate. I went through a wide range of emotions while reading this book. 

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley paints us a picture of how someone can be at war even in their own home.  This story also takes place during WWII and is told from a child's viewpoint. Ada, a ten year old girl with a twisted foot, never left her apartment. Her mom would not allow the world to see this cripple who would never amount to anything. When the war threatens their hometown Ada and her little brother Jamie run away to leave with all the other children of the town. They end up staying with a woman names Susan Smith, who isn't happy to take them in. As the war moves closer Ada learns that she is more than her foot and teaches herself many things such as riding a pony and finding a German spy who has infiltrated their land. As Ada begins to trust herself the bond between Susan and these siblings also strengthens. Everything seems to be working out for everyone until the enemy arrives, but who is the actual enemy?

Realisitic Fiction

Title:  Rules

Author: Cynthia Lord 

Awards: Newbery Honor Book, Schneider Family Book Award

Published: 2006

Genre: Realistic Fiction 

It's hard enough to be yourself and know your place when growing up, but imagine feeling like you need to constantly protect your sibling. Catherine just wants to be "normal" but knows that will never happen because her brother has autism. This book takes you through her emotions as she tries to lead and guide her brother David with "rules". Catherine feels alone during the summer when her best friend goes to California to visit her dad. She has some high hopes when she learns a girl her age is moving next door. She then struggles with being her self or being who she thinks the girl wants her to be. She also meets a boy named Jason who in the end helps her realize you need to accept who you are and just be yourself. This book would be perfect for not only a student who has a special needs relative but has any sort of sibling. I would recommend this for students 9 and up due to the maturity of some of the topics about bullying and fitting in. As I was reading this I wasn't necessarily thinking about my personal students who would enjoy it but about my friend who teaches resource and specializes in working with students with Autism. I will definitely recommend this book to her and to the families in which she works with. Cynthia Lord does a great job explaining the struggles the character Catherine is going through. It's hard to balance knowing why your sibling gets more attention but wanting to be "seen" yourself and this book illustrates that very well. I think this is a great book for parents to read who have more than one child with a special needs child in the house to remember the importance of spending time with all of your children.

Title:  Those Shoes 

Author: Maribeth Boelts Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones  

Awards: N/A 

Published: 2009

Genre: Realistic Fiction Picture Book 

I work at a school that has some strange demographics. We are considered a Title 1 school and have multiple students who need assistance every morning with things such as brushing their teeth and combing their hair, but we also have some students whose parents are pretty wealthy and never wear the same outfit more than twice the entire year. I can't wait to bring this book into my classroom. This book can relate to every one of my students but I would use it mainly with first and second graders. 

In the book a boy who lives with his grandma dreams about wearing the newest, coolest shoes on the market. Unfortunately his grandma is doing the best she can and can't afford to spend money on "wants" when they have things they need. As more and more boys at school show up in these new shoes, this character becomes more and more desperate. One day at kickball his shoes break and he has to wear shoes that the counselor had in a box for kids who need things. When he returns to class everyone laughs besides a boy named Antonio who also doesn't have the new shoes. Grandma comes up with some extra money but not enough to buy "those shoes" so they look at the thrift shops where he finds them! Except they are too small but he buys them anyways. This character begins playing with Antonio and realizes his feet are smaller than his and he has tape holding his shoes together also. The character struggles with the idea of giving up his dream shoes but eventually does and loves the look on Antonio's face when he comes to school wearing them. In the end it begins to snow and all the boys have to change out of their shoes into boots and the character realizes the shoes didn't really matter anyways. 

I have students who will relate to the main character. They really want what others have but know they can't afford it. They get really excited when they get it but it's not 100% what they expected. I have students who will relate to Antonio who are sweet students who understand what others are going through and will defend them until the end and are extremely appreciative of everything they receive. And I have students who will relate to the boys who have the shoes right away and this book can help them see that not everyone can have what you have and it's not their fault. They can see the struggle and how it hurts when someone makes fun of them for it. 

The illustrations in this book are incredible. Noah Z. Jones does a great job of showing the emotions of the characters on each page. He also adds great details to the pictures which makes you understand what the characters are going through and how they are living or getting by.   

Folklore

Title: Dover Children Thrift Classics: Aesop's Fables (Unabridged, Easy-to-read Type)

Author: Aesop

Awards: N/A

Published: 1994

Genre: Folklore- Fable

Title: Fairy Tales: A Beautiful Collection of Favorite Fairy Tales

Author:  Parragon Treasury Collection

Awards: N/A

Published: 2011

Genre: Folklore- Fairy Tale

Folklore are stories that have been passed down for generations just by word of mouth. Even though some of the stories have evolved depending on the person and time period who told them, they have stood the test of time because they usually pertain to things we all experience as humans. Eventually there was someone who wrote them down but there is no way to know where they really originated. 

There are many types of folklore but two of the ones I tend come across in the primary grades are fables, and fairy tales. The two books I have read on Folklore both are a compilation of these stories. 

Often times it takes a lot of discussion between students and intense assistance by the teacher in order for students to truly understand the moral of Aesop's fables. I liked Dover Children Thrift Classics version of Aesop's fables because many of the fables include a picture and every one contains the moral of the story. This allows the reader to understand the message behind the fable. I can foresee my students rereading the story again and again after hearing the moral just to better understand and discuss where and why that is the moral. The illustrations in the story set the scene for the story which helps the reader better visualize what is happening. The vocabulary can also be difficult for some readers so the illustration can assist with multiple meaning words and other confusions.

Parragon's Fairy Tales is a collection of eight classic stories. This collection has fabulous illustrations that cover the entire page. You will find very few white pages in the entire 192 page book. Some of the illustrations also include some special details like the actual recipe the little old woman used to bake the gingerbread man and the invitation the King and Queen sent out to celebrate the birth of their baby girl (Sleeping Beauty). 

The main difference between these two types of folklore is that fables always have some sort of moral lesson to be learned from it while fairy tale's are more geared to entertain the reader. 

Pictures... Books... Picturebooks

Title: Mr. Wuffles! Author: David Wiesner  Awards: Caldecott Honor Book Published: 2013 Genre: Picturebook (Wordless)
Title: Flashlight  Author: Lizi Boyd  Awards: N/A Published: 2014 Genre: Picturebook (Wordless)
Title: Chalk Author: Bill Thomson  Awards: Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Picture Books Published: 2010 Genre: Picturebook (Wordless)

I am no stranger to picturebooks. All my teaching experience has been in the primary grades so there wasn't a day that went by where I didn't read a picturebook to my students. Well, what I thought a picture book was. I always thought a picturebook was just like it sounded- a book with a lot of pictures. So I have to admit I had a hard time figuring out what a picturebook really was. What really is the difference between a illustrated book and a picturebook? I didn't realize I may have had it wrong until I started studying picturebooks. I was relieved to find out that even the Caldecott committee had a problem with this question when they met. They finally came up with these terms and criteria:

1. A “picture book for children” as distinguished from other books with illustrations, is one that essentially provides the child with a visual experience. A picture book has a collective unity of story-line, theme, or concept, developed through the series of pictures of which the book is comprised.
2. A “picture book for children” is one for which children are an intended potential audience. The book displays respect for children’s understandings, abilities, and appreciations. Children are defined as persons of ages up to and including fourteen and picture books for this entire age range are to be considered.

When I first was looking into getting 3 picturebooks I went online, typed in picturebook and bought the first three I saw. Parts by Tedd Arnold, A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young, and Doctor De Soto (Newbery Honor Book) by William Steig. After reading these stories, I know my students will love them. 

Parts is about a 5 year old boy who thinks he is falling a part and starts to stress until his parents tell him that everything is normal. I can already imagine my students laughter and the "eew's" echoing on the walls of my classroom. After I return the book to my classroom library they won't be able to wait to read it themselves. The pictures add detail to the words and truly show how the character is feeling throughout the entire story. The rhyming on each page keeps the story light and fun. 

A Unicorn Named Sparkle is a cute book about not judging a book by it's cover.  A little girl named Lucy orders a unicorn from an ad and dreams about all the fun things she's going to do with her new best friend. She was unpleasantly surprised when her "unicorn" (a goat with a horn) arrives and isn't exactly what she expected. She returns her "unicorn" and soon realizes she loved him despite his flaws and runs after the truck to get him back. The bright and silly pictures will be an instant hit for my unicorn loving students in my class. They will laugh and empathize with both Lucy and Sparkle. 

Doctor De Soto is a book about helping others in need by also being cautious. A mouse who is a Dentist and works on all sorts of animals besides those who would be harmful to a mouse. Doctor De Soto has to weigh the pros and cons when a desperate fox comes by in severe pain. While under sedation the fox mentions how he would like to eat Doctor De Soto and his wife. The couple has to come up with a plan on how to stay safe while still helping someone in need. The illustrations add to the story by allowing the reader to see how the characters feel, how De Soto does his work and the instruments he uses.

Now I'm sure you're wondering why I talked about these three books yet have 3 different ones mentioned at the top. After reading these books I felt like they were fun, and entertaining, and students will love to hear them but when I thought about all the Caldecott winners and picturebooks I have seen over time these three didn't really go into the same category as them. I recently  purchased the three wordless picturebooks mentioned above and shared them with my students and I was blown away at the results.

Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner  is a Caldecott Honor Book. My students had such a fun time creating the narrative behind the illustrations in the book. Without a single word in the book they created dialogue,were able to figure out the plot, and tell be what the conflict and resolution was. These pictures were so detailed my students had not trouble "reading" this book and had a great discussion about it. The story involves a cat and some unwelcome visitors who come into his home. The alien visitors work together with some of the home's insects to devise a plan to escape. 

I was shocked to not find any awards for Flashlight by Lizi Boyd. This wordless picturebook is about a child who is walking in the forest at night with his flashlight. Every where he shines his light he finds something new. The story ends with a funny surprise at the end after he trips and the flashlight goes flying. This book lends itself to some great lessons on sequencing. This book also has die-cuts on each page to give you a sneak peek of the page to come. 

Chalk by Bill Thomson was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Picture Books. This is another wordless picturebook which lends itself to some great oral discussion. The characters in this story find some magical chalk which brings a world of problems when their chalk dinosaur comes to life. The children have to come up with an idea in order to save each other from the ferocious dinosaur. 

First the...

Caldecott Honor

Title: First the Egg 

Author: Laura Vaccaro Seeger 

Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book, New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book List, The American Library Association Notable Children's Book List 

Published: 2007

Genre: Picturebook 

First the Egg is going to become the new favorite in my classroom library. The author/ illustrator, Laura Vaccaro Seeger not only created the pages to look like canvas, she also used die-cuts to give a sneak peak of the page to come. The colors and painting techniques on each page looked so realistic I actually ran my hand across the page to feel the texture. There is not one white page in the entire story. My students are going to enjoy this simple yet discussion evoking story. Most students will be able to read the book just by looking at the pictures but will be able to learn and discuss components of the life cycles of living things such as the chicken, frog, plants and butterflies. As a teacher of literacy my favorite section is when she compares writing and illustrating to a life cycle as well. "First the word, then the story." I already want to put this quote on the wall of my classroom.

This book demonstrates how complex picture books can be. Words that are so simple yet have a deep underlying meaning. This is going to be a great "go to" book for many science lessons, writing motivation lessons, and illustration lessons.