How to use this Page

Is it Friday already? Wow, what a week! Today at Jen Robinson's Book Page, Jen is wrapping up the week with a look at how we take the next step. She and her guests are offering answers and ideas to some of the toughest questions we have as adults ... mostly parents, but not always. We have a few questions left ourselves, so here goes ...

• Is there a book from your childhood that you didn't like "back then," but that you've since re-read and liked? What was it about the book that you didn't like before?
• Do you have a favorite chapter book for reading with kids of different ages  (e.g., 4, 9, 13)?
• What book(s) has your child recommended to you that you loved?

•  Jen Robinson who wrote about her favorite reading spot at Jen Robinson's Book Page; and
•  Elisabeth Marie, who answered all three writing prompts at YS Princess.
•  

•  Tess Alfonsin, who shared her personal journey to reading success in My Cornerstone Book at the Reading Countess.  
• Eric Van Raepenbusch, who told us about the books he wants to read with his daughter; his Dad, who was his reading influence; and the reading rituals at his house at the Happy Birthday Author blog.
• Tif at Tif Talks Books,  who also answered all three questions and shared stories about her reading inspiration, the books she wants to read with her kids, and a favorite night-time ritual. 
•  

Just that fact, ma'am ... Sarah Mulhern has us thinking all about Nonfiction today at The Reading Zone. As you'll see from Sarah and her guests, this isn't your parents' nonfiction. Nonfiction books are one of the best ways to hook kids on reading.

* Do you have an image (photo, chart, illustration) from a nonfiction book that has stayed with you, even though you don't remember many of the details about what you read?
* What kind of reading material has inspired your dormant reader to become an avid reader and book seeker?
* Where is your favorite place to read? Do you share  your secret spot with your child?

Here are the steps ...
1. Select the question or questions that resonate with you.

2. Find an old post or write a new one that answers the question. [Be sure to grab the Share a Story button from the sidebar to include in your new post!]

3. Come back here and link your post either via the inLinkz box or as a comment.

The inlinkz box will remain open all week, so come back anytime to add your post.

• What is the book from your childhood you can't wait to share with a child and why?  
• Who is the person who influenced you most as a reader?  
• Do you have any special reading-time rituals for reading aloud with kids?

• Jen Robinson adds her thoughts for all three questions at Jen Robinson's Book Page. 
• Eric Van Raepenbusch talks about reading at his house at the Happy Birthday Author blog.
•  Kirsten Cutler tells us why her dad influenced her the most as a reader at the 4IQREAD blog.
•  Roberta Gibson tells us about her favorite book and why it has probably resonated with her more than her son (so far) at Wrapped in Foil.  
• Tess Alfonsin shares her personal journey to reading success in My Cornerstone Book at
  4 Comments on Writing about Reading: Questions for Day 1, last added: 3/11/2010
  Display Comments
  ReadingCountess said, on 3/8/2010 7:14:00 PM
  

  Thank you, Mrs. Wolford!

  Cathy Puett Miller said, on 3/9/2010 2:23:00 PM
  

  Terry,
  
  Better late than never. I wanted to start reading and following yesterday but did today instead. Great content! I'll be sharing!

  Tif said, on 3/9/2010 10:30:00 PM
  

  I believe that in order to be eligible for the giveaway, we are to enter our school or library that we would like to see the books donated to. I just want to put it out there that I am uncertain at this time! I think it will depend on the answer to the question that I posted in the announcement post! :)

  Elisabeth Marie said, on 3/11/2010 12:35:00 PM
  

  Please let me know if I've done this wrong!

  Add a Comment

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I guess students of Spanish may feel the same when they watch TV programs in Spanish. They may know many of the words they hear, but the meaning of the speakers may elude them. To complicate matters — and this may be one of the most disheartening things for students of Spanish— one realizes that each Spanish-speaking country has its own variety of Spanish and, therefore, its own slang.

Here’s a sample of Puerto Rican slang from my college days at the University of Puerto Rico:

comerse un cable = to be left “hanging, stood up”; literally to “eat up a cable”

ser ganso = to be a wise guy; literally “to be a goose”

se lo chupó la bruja = something bad happened to him; literally, “the witch sucked him up”

estar caliente = to be under suspicion by the law; literally, “to be hot”

estar pelao = to be broke; literally, “to be bare, plucked”

tráfala = lowlife (unknown origin)

But don’t despair; this is one of the things that make learning a foreign language interesting. It’s a different way of using words: a weird, twisted, fun way. In the words of Marvin Santiago:

“Al son de la lata baila el chorizo.” “The sausage dances to the beat of the can.”

Being a new player on the team can be tough. Since this is my first week working as a Spanish editor at Amsco, I thought I could share some tips I’m trying to use to fit into my new job.

With the collapse of the Roman empire in the 5^th century A.D, Italy became fragmented and was subjected to several invasions by the Greeks, Germans, Celts, and Moors, to name a few. Each region in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Italy became a world into itself, developing its own unique culture and language. Over time, these languages, due to a variety of outside influences, grew to be mutually incomprehensible versions of vulgar or spoken Latin. (See map above.)

By the 15th century, Italy saw commercial prosperity and a growing sentiment of national identity which, in turn, required a national Italian language. However, it wasn’t until Italy’s unification in the 19^th century that Florentine (Tuscan, as spoken in Florence) —because of its long-standing literary tradition, which included Dante Alighieri (La divina commedia), Francesco Petrarca (Il canzoniere), Giovanni Boccaccio (Decameron)— was chosen to be the national language. The other languages were relegated to the category of dialects.

The dialects remained widely used by the population until about the 1950s, when using dialects in public started to be viewed as a sign of low social status. But arguably, the introduction of television was the single main factor in helping Italians to learn the national language. Today these dialects are mainly spoken by the older generations. Interestingly, what has been taking place is the “dialectalization” of Italian, whereby each region imparts its own flavor to the standard language. But that, folks, is another story.

Dr. Janet Hiller, the author Spanish Four Years: Advanced Spanish with AP Component, was born in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Germany, one of three children of Holocaust survivors who migrated to the United States. She heard many languages growing up and from childhood understood their power. After winning the Spanish award in high school, Dr. Hiller decided to major in Spanish and French at Brooklyn College. She received her B.A. Degree in January 1969 and immediately began her career teaching Spanish in New York City. After living in Colorado for one year and teaching Spanish and French there, she returned to New York and completed her Master’s Degree in Spanish and Education at Queens College.

Lori Langer de Ramirez began her career as a teacher of Spanish, French and ESL. She holds a Master's Degree in Applied Linguistics and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently the Chairperson of the ESL and World Language Department for Herricks Public Schools, in New York.

Lori is the author of AMSCO’s Cuéntame – Folklore y Fábulas (a folktale-based reader with activities). She has also written numerous articles about second-language pedagogy and methodology. Her interactive website, www.miscositas.com, offers teachers over 40 virtual picture books and other curricular materials for teaching Spanish, French, and ESL, as well as multicultural education.

Lori has presented workshops at professional conferences both in the US and abroad. She is the recipient of the Nelson Brooks Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Culture, several National Endowment for the HumanitiesMexico, Colombia, and Senegal, and a Fulbright Award to India and Nepal. Her areas of research and curriculum development are multicultural and diversity education, folktales in the language classroom and technology in language teaching. grants to study in and develop lessons about

Lori currently lives on Long Island, NY, with her husband Ramón Orléy and her son, Nikolás.