This year marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11. It is a day that changed the United States, and the rest of the world, forever. September 11th is now a National Day of Service. The Day of Service was developed to provide a constructive way for individuals to remember and pay tribute to those lost and injured on 9/11. The goal is to help rekindle the sprit of unity that followed after the attacks.
This year, there is an opportunity for teachers and students to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives in the tragic events of that day. The goal is for teachers and students to participate in charitable events and/ or do a good deed. Remember, a good deed can be something simple. It does not have to be elaborate. Scholastic has put together a great set of resources for teachers. It is full of lesson plans and activities discussing the events of 9/11.
The events of 9/11 are not easy to talk about with young children. A great way to share information about the events of 9/11 is through story. Three of my favorite books that help jumpstart conversation about 9/11 are:
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
New York's Bravest by Mary Pope Osborne
Fireboat by Maira Kalman
Throughout the week I will share each book in detail. Until then, go grab your copy!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Hooway For Wodney Wat
Hooway For Wodney Wat by Helen Luster is a heartwarming story that will touch your heart. Rodney Rat is a small rodent who cannot pronounce his r's, so he is known as Wodeny Wat. All of the other rodents in his class constantly tease him. Because of his classmates teasing, Wodney Wat is very shy. He does not like to speak up in class and often tucks his head into his shirt.
One day a big, mean and smart bully named Camilla Capybara comes to school. All of the kids are afraid of her. Poor, shy Wodney Wat saves the day and the class is forever grateful!
One day a big, mean and smart bully named Camilla Capybara comes to school. All of the kids are afraid of her. Poor, shy Wodney Wat saves the day and the class is forever grateful!
This is such a great story to share with your chid as they start back-to-school. It is a great reminder that we are all different and are differences should be appreciated. This book is full of opportunities to make text-to-self connections. At some point, everyone has been the odd man out. Wodney gives readers an opportunity to relate their experiences to his experience. It is also an excellent book to practice inferring. The readers has to use background knowledge plus clues in the text to understand Wodney's feelings.
Some questions to guide your thinking conversation:
1. Read to "Wodney replied miserably" and ask your child: How do you think Wodney feels? Why do you think the other kids pick on him? Have you been teased before? How did you feel?
2. Read to "Was she smarter than any of them" and ask your child: Camilla is a bully. How do you think the kids feel about her? Have you ever met a bully before? How did you feel?
3. Read to " Capybara was the first on the playground, having trampled the others in her path" and ask your child: How would you feel if you were Wodney? What do you predict is going to happen?
4. Read to "The other rodents began to smile" and ask your child: Why are the other kids smiling? Why did Camilla pull up the weeds?
5. Read to" By now Wodney's voice was stronger and his head was entirely out of his jacket" and ask your child: How do you think Wodney is feeling? Why do you think this?
6. Read to the end of the story and ask your child: What lesson do you think the kids in Wodney's class learned? What lesson did you learn?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Back-to-School
Can you believe it is time to go back-to-school? I feel like summer just started!
This time of year is super busy. As a parent you are gathering up school supplies, buying new shoes and getting your child back into a bedtime routine. This time of year is just as busy for your child's teacher. Even though your child has yet to step into his classroom, his teacher has been busy preparing for his arrival.
Start the school year off letting your child's teacher know how much you appreciate them. There are a TON of ideas floating around for back-to-school teacher appreciation gifts. Two of my favorites are the calculator gift and the colored pencil vase! I love them because they only take a few minutes to assemble and are inexpensive!
I picked up an oversized calculator and the Dollar Store and put it in a cellophane bag. The cute tag can be found here for you to download! Simple as that! A cute appreciation gift to start the year for the cost of a dollar!
Another great idea is to create a vase out of colored pencils. It might look complicated, but it is really easy!
Directions:
I picked up three packages of 12 colored pencils at Target. Each box cost 97 cents! I was able to create the vase for under three dollars! The bright colors of the vase would make anyone's day!
Happy Back-to-School!
This time of year is super busy. As a parent you are gathering up school supplies, buying new shoes and getting your child back into a bedtime routine. This time of year is just as busy for your child's teacher. Even though your child has yet to step into his classroom, his teacher has been busy preparing for his arrival.
Start the school year off letting your child's teacher know how much you appreciate them. There are a TON of ideas floating around for back-to-school teacher appreciation gifts. Two of my favorites are the calculator gift and the colored pencil vase! I love them because they only take a few minutes to assemble and are inexpensive!
I picked up an oversized calculator and the Dollar Store and put it in a cellophane bag. The cute tag can be found here for you to download! Simple as that! A cute appreciation gift to start the year for the cost of a dollar!
Another great idea is to create a vase out of colored pencils. It might look complicated, but it is really easy!
Directions:
- Clean an empty soup can.
- Put a rubber band on the outside of the soup can.
- Slide colored pencils under the rubber band one at a time until the entire can is covered in pencils!
- Tie a pretty ribbon around the rubber band.
- Fill your vase with water and some pretty flowers!
I picked up three packages of 12 colored pencils at Target. Each box cost 97 cents! I was able to create the vase for under three dollars! The bright colors of the vase would make anyone's day!
Happy Back-to-School!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Runny Babbit
I love getting lost in a good book, but sometimes there is not enough time in the day! On those days, I encourage you to get lost in a poem! Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein is one of my all time favorite poetry collections for children. This collection of poetry took Silverstein twenty years to compile and was published several years after his death. If you and your child need a good laugh (and a mental workout), you need to get your hands on Runny Babbit.
The introductory poem explains the layout of the book:
Way down in the green woods
Where the animals all play,
They do things and they say things
In a different sort of way-
Instead of sayin' "purple hat,"
They all say "hurple pat."
Instead of sayin' "feed the cat,"
They just say "ceed the fat."
So if you say, "Let's bead a rook
That's billy as can se,"
You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he.
Children LOVE these poems! They find it hilarious that the characters speak funny. You will find it hard to read, but you will laugh too. This selection of poetry shows children how fun it can be to play with language. They will want to rearrange the letters and create their own silly poems.
When reading these poems, just have fun with them. See if your child can read it the way it is written and then see if they can put the poem "back-to-normal." Challenge your child to talk Runny Babbit style. It is much harder than you think and it takes a lot of phonetic skills to be able to do so!
Turn off your television, gather your child next to you on the couch and share a laugh or two!
Way down in the green woods
Where the animals all play,
They do things and they say things
In a different sort of way-
Instead of sayin' "purple hat,"
They all say "hurple pat."
Instead of sayin' "feed the cat,"
They just say "ceed the fat."
So if you say, "Let's bead a rook
That's billy as can se,"
You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he.
Children LOVE these poems! They find it hilarious that the characters speak funny. You will find it hard to read, but you will laugh too. This selection of poetry shows children how fun it can be to play with language. They will want to rearrange the letters and create their own silly poems.
When reading these poems, just have fun with them. See if your child can read it the way it is written and then see if they can put the poem "back-to-normal." Challenge your child to talk Runny Babbit style. It is much harder than you think and it takes a lot of phonetic skills to be able to do so!
Turn off your television, gather your child next to you on the couch and share a laugh or two!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Mysteries of Harris Burdick
As I have shared before, I love Chris Van Allsburg! His stories transport the reader into another world. One of my all times favorites is The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. It is by no means a new book. It was published in 1984, so it has been around for awhile.
The story offers a very important, but fictional, introduction to the reader. As it is told, Harris Burdick wrote fourteen stories with fourteen illustrations. He dropped his illustrations off to a book publisher and was never seen again. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is a collection of his drawings. Each drawing has a title and a caption. The rest of the story is left to the reader's imagination!
The drawings are erie, magical and beautiful at the same time! As you examine each picture you will begin to tell a story. I promise! You cannot look at the pictures and not help but wonder what the story is behind it. Because of this, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is a great book to practice the skill of inferring. There is no right or wrong answer - only your child's background knowledge and the illustration clues to weave a story of fantasy.
This book is a great spring board for a writing activity! Look at one of the pictures with your child. Read the title and the caption. Talk about what might be happening in the picture. What could the story be about? After having a solid conversation, let your child write the story he/she thinks belongs with the illustrations.
I bet your child will surprise you with his/her story! When I was teaching, I would get twenty-six completely different stories and I was always amazed with my students' creativity!
Grab this book. I know you and your child will love it!
Stay tuned. In October, fourteen authors are going to tell their tales of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick! I cannot wait!
The story offers a very important, but fictional, introduction to the reader. As it is told, Harris Burdick wrote fourteen stories with fourteen illustrations. He dropped his illustrations off to a book publisher and was never seen again. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is a collection of his drawings. Each drawing has a title and a caption. The rest of the story is left to the reader's imagination!
The drawings are erie, magical and beautiful at the same time! As you examine each picture you will begin to tell a story. I promise! You cannot look at the pictures and not help but wonder what the story is behind it. Because of this, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is a great book to practice the skill of inferring. There is no right or wrong answer - only your child's background knowledge and the illustration clues to weave a story of fantasy.
This book is a great spring board for a writing activity! Look at one of the pictures with your child. Read the title and the caption. Talk about what might be happening in the picture. What could the story be about? After having a solid conversation, let your child write the story he/she thinks belongs with the illustrations.
I bet your child will surprise you with his/her story! When I was teaching, I would get twenty-six completely different stories and I was always amazed with my students' creativity!
Grab this book. I know you and your child will love it!
Stay tuned. In October, fourteen authors are going to tell their tales of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick! I cannot wait!
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