Yesterday was Read Across America Day and the day schools celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday… and I had such a fabulous day! I had the opportunity to visit Mineral Springs Elementary School and share Being Frank with Pre-K through 2nd grade students! Big thanks to Jerry Ethridge for the pics below! Filed under: writing for children […]
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By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 9/15/2013
One of my favorite memories has to be watching little kids go to the local fire station for the first time. They look up at the huge fire fighters and their trucks in such awe and amazement. Laura Murray has created a rollicking fun read aloud to celebrate this adventure.
The pint size hero of The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School returns for a class field trip to the local fire station. After their teacher announces they’ll be riding the bus to meet the fire fighters, Sophia reassures the Gingerbread Man that she can take him along in the pocket of her backpack.The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck
by Linda Murray
illustrated by Mike Lowery
G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin, 2013
available at
Amazon
your local library
ages 4-7
"I'll run and I'll dodge,The ensuing chase leads throughout the fire house, into the truck, up the shiny pole, through the bedroom and into the kitchen. When the alarm sounds, the fire fighters rush to the truck and the Gingerbread Man hops aboard, riding to the rescue.
As fast as I can.
I'm not a dog bone! I'm the
Gingerbread Man!"
By: Hannah,
on 9/9/2013
Katherine Ali is a dual-certified elementary and special education teacher. She recently graduated as a literacy specialist with a Masters in Science from Manhattanville College. She has experience teaching internationally in northern China and now teaches in the Bronx, NY.
As educators, we witness the transformations of students throughout elementary school. First graders will one day become fifth graders, while fifth graders were once first graders. So we must think, where did our students come from? and where are they going next? Our classroom must be structured to prepare our students for the future and help them build a skillset they can bring with them. In order to be active participants in the literate world, students must be reading, writing, speaking, and listening at all ages.
Here on the LEE & LOW blog, I’ll illustrate what it looks like to integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening across several grade levels: K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. The natural interplay of language looks slightly different across grade levels, but the foundations and mission are the same.
Reading: Text Complexity and the growth of comprehension
We want our students to ascend the staircase of text complexity and simultaneously sharpen their comprehension skills. Students of all ages need to build stamina through independently reading more rigorous and complex texts. Additionally, read-alouds allow students to access content and concepts they may not be able to decode themselves.
Writing: Text types, responding to reading, and research
The three main categories of student writing the standards focus on are opinion pieces, research-based projects, and narratives. It is also imperative that our students engage in the writing process and expand their writing style using the conventions of the English language.
Speaking and Listening: Flexible Communication and Collaboration
Speaking and Listening in each grade level includes (but is certainly not limited to) presentations, group work, and class discussion. Students need to be aware of their oral language skills and communicate their thoughts and research appropriately. Building off other students’ ideas is also an important component in developing these skills.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share a few titles published by LEE & LOW BOOKS that illustrate opportunities for integrating oral and written language in the classroom. The stories can be used in different capacities depending on students’ interest and ability; therefore I focus on the interest level as well as the guided reading level to determine each book’s grade-level appropriateness. Furthermore, while the mini-lesson ideas and strategy-based activities are categorized by each key feature, they are still connected.
Grades K-1
Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell
Interest Level: Grades K -3
DRA: 16, Guided Reading: I
Reading: The rhythm and rhyming of Rainbow Stew (“Whimper, sigh, cloudy sky, is it to wet to play? We don’t want to stay inside/ because of rain today“) make it a fantastic read aloud. Teachers can model how to use the bright, colorful pictures and other context clues to unlock the meaning of unfamiliar words such as “soggy” and “grasshopper.”
image from Rainbow Stew
Students can also practice reading together through choral reading exercises in either whole class or small group instruction. Choral reading supports struggling readers and strengthens fluency. Students are also then listening to the rhythm and rhyming of the author’s words repeatedly. Additionally, students may be able to read this story independently to practice fluency and build vocabulary. For emergent readers, this text can be a tool to teach phonemic awareness and word patterns as well.
Writing: Author Cathryn Falwell uses a methodical writing style of action words followed by rhyming verses. Young learners can discuss the writer’s craft in this picture book as well as notice some nuances in the different verses with strong scaffolding. Teachers can lead a shared writing project in which the class borrows Falwell’s style and writes their own book, playing with words. Another age-appropriate reading and writing strategy presented in Rainbow Stew is sequencing. Students will need to refer to the story in order to recount the events by either drawing pictures or writing.
Speaking & Listening: Teachers can facilitate an interactive read-aloud in which students turn and talk to one another about the story. Asking questions such as, “What other stories does Rainbow Stew remind you of?” adheres to the reading standards in making connections across different texts and fosters intentional discussions. Through the choral reading exercise students are reading, speaking, and listening to the text. Creating a class book improves collaboration skills such as taking turns, listening to other’s ideas, and compromising.
Stay tuned next week as I demonstrate how to integrate reading, writing, speaking & listening for grades 2-3 using As Fast As Words Can Fly by Pamela Tuck!
Further Reading:
Integrating Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening in the Classroom
What Does Close Reading Look Like in Kindergarten?
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 9/5/2013
When I look for a great counting book, I am looking for a book that pulls young readers back to read it again and again. It has to have clear, dynamic illustrations and text that invites the adult to interact with the child while they read together. Mark Lee's debut picture book Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street is a fantastic new counting book, perfect for little kids wowed by huge, towering trucks.
A little boy watches as an ice-cream truck rumbles down the street. When the ice-cream truck breaks down, it blocks middle of the street. This leads to a chain-reaction traffic jam, with truck after truck getting stuck in the street. Lee's rhyming text is wonderful to read aloud, adding interest for parents and children. He uses the page turns perfectly, building suspense along the way.
Twenty Big Trucks
in the Middle of the Street
by Mark Lee
illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
Candlewick, 2013
available at
Amazon
your local library
ages 3-5
*best new book*
"A mail truck stops, so now there are two.We start realizing the pattern just as the little guy on his bike starts counting the trucks. Kurt Cyrus, veteran picture book author and illustrator, captures our attention with bold digital illustrations.
Their drivers don't know what to do.
Watch out! Two trucks are in the way.
They stop a third truck carrying hay."
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 4/21/2013
Children are eager to explore the world around them. Many love to read about animals, learning about different species, their habitats and life cycles. I've often wondered how we help young children learn about problems caused by pollution, habitat loss or global warming without making children too worried or sad. Melissa Stewart's A Place for... series of picture books look at environmental problems, but focus on ways people can change them and help animals live and grow.
Turtles live in all sorts of different environments, but many have faced challenges brought about by environmental problems. Melissa Stewart introduces young children to specific problems that turtles face, such as habitat loss caused by invasive nonnative plants, but does so in a clear, simple way. Throughout, she emphasizes that we can all help change these problems.A Place for Turtles
by Melissa Stewart
illustrated by Higgins Bond
Peachtree Publishers, 2013
ages 4 - 8
available at your local library and on Amazon
"Some turtles have trouble building nests when new kinds of plants spread into their home habitat. When people find ways to control the new plants, turtles can live and grow."Stewart balances this clear, simple narrative with sidebars that provide more details on different species and the challenges they face. These specific examples add detail and interest, especially when combined with Bond's detailed acrylic illustrations. For example, Stewart writes that the bog turtle's wetland habitat has been threatened by invasive purple loosestrife that is growing too thickly. Families will find it interesting to talk about different projects that communities are undertaking to improve life for turtles.
If you like this, check out the other books in Melissa Stewart's A Place for... series:
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 3/21/2013
Every child I know has loved building things out of materials they find everywhere - whether it's stacking a huge tower of blocks, or making a pillow fort, or using toothpicks and green peas to make a pyramid. If you have a little builder at home, definitely look for Christy Hale's new book, Dreaming Up.
Christy Hale imaginatively pairs drawings of young children building forts, sandcastles and more with photographs of fascinating architectural structures that mirror the children’s creations. Each comes with a concrete poem that will bring a smile to your face. Here, children are building toothpick creations, alongside the Montreal Biosphere. The concrete poem reads,Dreaming Up:
A Celebration of Building
by Christy Hale
Lee & Low, 2012
ages 3 - 8
available at your local library and on Amazon
"Easy peasy as can be /Hale's comparisons and poems are accessible to young preschoolers, but they'll also intrigue seven and eight year olds. My daughter says, "I *love* that book! The thing I love most about it is that it can be for all age groups. It does not matter if you're a grandma reading it to your little grandchild or if you're a middle school kid who's fascinated by buildings."
toothpicks joining /
One, two, three."
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By: Keith Schoch ,
on 2/22/2013
Cretaceous Companions 
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley with illustrations by Brian Selznick ("many of which are based on the original sketches of Mr. Hawkins"). Working with scientist Richard Owens, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins wanted to create such perfect models of dinosaurs that anyone who gazed at his creations would see into the past. By using just the bits and pieces of fossils, bones, and teeth that had been found by early palaeontologists, Waterhouse filled in "gaps" by thinking of existing animals which the dinosaurs might have resembled. This book chronicles his triumphal premiere in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham Park (when tens of thousands of spectators, including the Queen, gaped in wonder at his creatures), as well as his tragedy in Central Park (when vandals under the vindictive order of Boss Tweed destroyed his dinosaurs destined for the Americans). Although we now realize that many of Waterhouse's guesses were somewhat inaccurate, no one can dispute his ability to light the imaginations of the thousands who viewed his works.
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 1/28/2013
Today was a certainly a day for Librarians Gone Wild! Across the nation, librarians gathered to watch the live announcements of the Newbery, Caldecott, Corretta Scott King Awards and more. Their were shouts of joy as favorites were honored, and sighs as others were not selected. But it is a happy day for all, as our profession celebrates the most distinguished and outstanding books for children.
I'll do a quick roundup today, and feature these outstanding books over the next several weeks.
Caldecott Award
As our Emerson 2nd graders know, this award honors the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book. One book receives the gold medal, and today four books also received the silver honor awards.
This darkly humorous tale will take kids by surprise as they wonder about the little fish who steals the enormous fish's hat and thinks he can get away with it. I can't wait to have kids act out this book, telling it from different points of view.This Is Not My Hat
illustrated and written by Jon Klassen
Candlewick Press, 2012
2013 Caldecott Medal winner
available at your local library and on Amazon
The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
HarperCollins, 2012
my review
2013 Newbery Medal winner
available at your local library or on Amazon
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 1/24/2013
Our 2nd graders have loved sharing their thoughts and opinions about what the best picture books have been this year. We've talked lots about how the Caldecott Medal is awarded to the illustrator, and how we need to think about how the pictures add to the story above and beyond the words. We've talked about the color choices illustrators make, the way the convey emotions in characters' expressions, and the perspectives they use and how this brings readers into the picture books.
Above all, they feel part of the process and are excited to find out the winners of the 2013 Caldecott Medal. Are you looking forward to it? Check out this website: ALA Youth Media Awards. You can also check into Facebook for the announcements on Monday morning.
My students passionately discussed three more books today, declaring love and admiration for all three. They're convinced that the Caldecott Committee has a very hard job on their hands, comparing these different illustrations!
Our second graders thought it was hilarious the way that the author and illustrator argued in this story. But more than that, they argued vociferously that the illustrations add to the humor and pizazz of this story. The love the combination of different media - with the puppet figures for Adam and Mac, the cartoon characters for Chloe, and the stage elements that give the story a 3-D feeling. They laughed at the way Adam's dragon is way-cooler than Mac's lion. And they loved the resolution at the end. This is a smart story that completely hooks its audience. In many ways, it reminds me of Interrupting Chicken, a Caldecott honor book in 2011.Chloe and the Lion
by Mac Barnett
illustrated by Adam Rex
Disney / Hyperion, 2012
reviewed here
ages 4-8
available at your local library and on Amazon
This wordless book took our breath away when we read it. It's truly a book that makes you think at each step of the way, as you unravel and make sense of the story. As the pieces of the puzzle came together for my 2nd graders, they were amazed at the young girl's kindness and courage, and the runaway slave's daunting challenge escaping to freedom. We talk all the time about "reading is thinking" and Henry Cole asks his readers to do just this. On our first read, some of my students were frustrated that we never see the full face of the African American hiding in the corn stalks. But as we talked about it today, those same students talked about how much this story stayed with them. Cole's pencil drawings evoke the girl's emotions and the setting of Civil War Virginia, creating tension and mystery within this quiet book. It's a book that will stay with us for many years.Unspoken
by Henry Cole
Scholastic, 2012
reviewed at 100 Scope Notes
ages 7-10
available at your local library and on Amazon
With giggles and pointing, our 2nd graders ate up every inch of Bingham and Zelinsky's mad romp in Z is for Moose. They loved the goofiness of the premise, but they also loved the heart of the story - declaring that this is really a friendship story in the end. We talked at length about how the illustrations add to the story. The love the chaos that ensues when Moose disrupts the story, but they also responded to the emotions in Moose's face as he felt left out from all the fun. Just look at Zebra's expression on the cover and you can tell the way Zelinsky adds tension through those angry eyes. Other children noticed the way the color frames contrast with the background and the stage. But mostly, our second graders just loved this silly, funny book and wanted to read it over and over again.Z is for Moose
by Kelly Bingham
illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2012
discussed at Calling Caldecott
ages 3-7
available at your local library and on Amazon
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 12/9/2012
Do you have any special holiday books that you read every year? Here are some of my favorites from this year. Some honor the spirit of giving, while others tell traditional religious stories from a child’s perspective. All celebrate the warmth, love and togetherness we feel during this time of year.
Who Built the Stable? A Nativity Poemby Ashley BryanAward-winning artist Bryan combines colorful, vibrant illustrations in strong, bold strokes with a touching poem about the Nativity story from a child’s point of view. The rhyming text follows a young shepherd who builds a stable for his animals and then invites Mary and Joseph to stay on this fateful night.
Simon & Schuster / Atheneum, 2012
ages 4 – 8
Amazon or your local library
Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mamaby Selina AlkoMany families will relate to the way Sadie’s family blends different holiday traditions. They scatter Hanukkah gelt underneath the Christmas tree and hang candy canes from the menorah on the mantelpiece, focusing on the joy of spending time together.
Random House / Knopf, 2012
ages 4 - 8
Google preview
Amazon or your local library
The Christmas Quiet Bookby Deborah UnderwoodSan Francisco author Underwood teams again with Liwska to celebrate quiet, small moments, focusing on the many emotions that come with the holidays. “Reading by the fire quiet” and “listening for sleigh bells quiet” will bring readers back to those special moments we remember year-round. Here is a lovely preview of The Christmas Quiet Book from Google Books.
illustrated by Renata Liwska
Houghton Mifflin, 2012
ages 2 - 6
Google preview
Amazon or your local library
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 12/5/2012
Do you have a little daredevil at home? My nephew loves everything that goes fast, jumps high and makes loud noises. His dad's favorite hobby? Going to the car races. So we know where this little guy gets his passion!
This holiday I'm going to make him a daredevil cape - bright red and shiny. It's going to be the perfect "go faster" special effect for him. But the book that I'm going to have tucked inside this cape? Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show - it's a fun spoof on a little boy's quest to be a daredevil in his own right.
Kel Gilligan is a daredevil - brave enough to attempt awe-inspiring feats like eating broccoli, facing "the Potty of Doom," and taking a bath with only ONE assistant. Santat's illustrations heighten both the drama and the humor in Buckley's story. You can tell just by the cover how much kids are going to love this.
Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show
by Michael Buckley
and Dan Santat
Abrams, 2012
ages 5-8
find it: Amazon and your local library
"Whether he is in underpants, in his caped stuntman outfit or bare-bottomed, young readers (and their grown-ups) cannot help but laugh out loud at the hilarious details of Kel's silly adventures because they tackle them daily and know them too well."
By: Jaclyn DeForge,
on 10/15/2012
Jaclyn DeForge, our Resident Literacy Expert, began her career teaching first and second grade in the South Bronx, and went on to become a literacy coach and earn her Masters of Science in Teaching. In her column she offers teaching and literacy tips for educators.
Over the next several weeks, I’ll be modeling how to do a close reading at several different grade levels. First up: Close Reading in Kindergarten using the D level text Bedtime Fun by Barbara J. Newkirk and illustrated by Laura Freeman.
In terms of student questioning, start general and move up Bloom’s Taxonomy by gradually increasing the rigor. For example, say you want to focus your close reading of Bedtime Fun on character development. Here are the questions I would ask:
Question 1 (Knowledge): Who is the main character in the story? Who is the story mostly about? Who are the other characters in the story? How do you know?
Question 2 (Comprehension): What was the big thing that the entire story was about? How do you know?
Question 3 (Comprehension): Can you explain what is happening on page 3? On page 4? On page 6? How does the little boy change over the course of the story? What clues does the illustrator give us that show that the little boy is changing? How do you know?
Question 4 (Application): What would have happened if the little boy had tried to lay down and go to sleep after page 4? What makes you think that?
Question 5 (Analysis): Why do you think the little boy chose to play with his bear, jump on his bed, stand on his head, etc? What makes you think that? Make a connection to your own life or to another book you’ve read to support your answer.
Question 6 (Analysis): How would you describe the little boy? What is he like? How does he behave? How do you know?
Question 7 (Synthesis): Can you think of another thing the little boy could have done so he could stay up later?
Question 8 (Evaluation): What did you think of the little boy? Did you agree with the choices he made? Think about the author. Did you like the choices she made for the main character? Did you like the way the author ended the story? Why or why not?
Additional questions to ask:
Even an 8 page book can serve as the foundation for some rigorous student discussions when read closely!
What are your favorite questions to ask when doing a close reading focused on character development?
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 9/6/2012
September is a month of changes. Children have grown over the summer, learned new skills and made new friends. Now they are meeting new teachers, learning new routines and getting ready for the new challenges ahead. It’s a perfect time to share a favorite author, Rosemary Wells, who has written more than 150 books for youngsters and captures the world of young children in the midst of these big changes, starting school and making friends.
This is one of my favorite books to share at this time of year. Emily is an eager, enthusiastic bunny.Emily’s First 100 Days of School
by Rosemary Wells
NY: Disney Hyperion, 2000
ages 4–7
available from your local library and on Amazon
“On the first day of school, leave my mama’s arms. I am too excited to cry. I have my own desk and my own notebook and my own teacher, Miss Cribbage.”Miss Cribbage tells her new students they will “make a new number friend” every day for the next hundred days, at the end of which they will have a big party.
By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: August 14, 2012
September is just a few short weeks away and children going into kindergarten will enter a whole new realm that is really quite different from Pre-K or daycare settings. And because young children are highly observant, it’s important to prepare yourself so that you can face your child’s feelings. The following books will help explain the school setting and hopefully clear up any doubts or lingering fears in preparation for the first day of school.
Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!Reading level: Ages 3-6
Hardcover: 28 pages
Publisher: VikingPublishing
What to expect: Preparing for the first day of kindergarten
Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! is a story about Henry’s first day of school. The book sets out the basics of the new routine: waking up in the morning, getting ready, having breakfast, packing supplies and walking to school. Henry is excited and asks what the day will be like—he’s ready for the new class, new friends and new activities but as he gets closer to school he starts to get anxious. And acknowledging fears is essential to preparing the little ones for the challenges ahead. The simple story gets to the heart of the matter and will reassure your young one that kindergarten will be loads of fun.
My School TripReading level: Ages 4-7
Hardcover: 28 pages
Publisher: Scholastic
What to expect: Preparing for school
My School Trip is part of the BOB Books series for budding readers. They are intended to help children love learning how to read. This particular book tells of a trip to the zoo. It sets out the details of how school trips are conducted, establishes that school trips are educational and are also lots of fun. Budding readers can sound out words and will be able to decipher words based on the simple illustrations and story.
Bailey at the MuseumBy Harry Bliss
Reading level: Ages 3 to 6
Hardcover: 30 pages
Publisher: Scholastic
What to expect: School trips, following the rules
In Bailey at the Museum, we meet adorable Bailey the dog who’s going on a class trip with his schoolmates to the Natural History Museum. Bailey embarks
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By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 7/7/2012
Are you still basking in the glow of Fourth of July? My children love our local Independence Day traditions - a neighborhood parade, patriotic songs and a ringing of the liberty bell. Every year, we wonder if we'll stay up late to watch the fireworks. If you're looking for a book that celebrates this holiday, find a copy of Lee Wardlaw's newest book, Red White and Boom! It will bring back your children's memories of this holiday and show them how other families celebrate, too.
Wardlaw and Lee capture the joy, excitement and pure fun of Fourth of July celebrations across the country in this bold, eye-catching picture book. Wardlaw, the author of the award-winning Won Ton Cat, writes short, focused rhyming pairs that bring readers right into the celebration with their many sensory details.Red, White and Boom!
by Lee Wardlaw
illustrated by Huy Voun Lee
NY: Henry Holt / Macmillan, 2012
ages 3 - 8
available at your local library and on Amazon
"Flags unfurl/batons twirl...Lee's papercut artwork brings readers right into the celebrations. Families watch a parade marching through their city, with children leading off the parade carrying a large balloon of an American eagle. Throughout, children and families of many colors and ethnic backgrounds celebrate together.
Corncob sweet/Drippy treat...
Rockets wing/Crackle, sing
Burst and zoom/Red, white, boom!"
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 4/12/2012
With a bit of luck, April will bring the perfect combination of rain and sunshine, and our hills will shine in brilliant green. Children have an innate sense of the seasons and they marvel in the magic of watching a plant grow. In many ways, it’s a microcosm of all the changes their little bodies are going through. Here are a few books that celebrate watching our gardens grow with our children.
Enter the world of a meadow garden and look carefully around you. You’ll find seeds that have been planted in so many different ways: scattered by the wind and rain; eaten by a flock of birds; carried away by foxes’ tails or peoples’ clothing. Galbraith and Halperin work together seamlessly, showing through poetic words and soft illustrations just how wild plants spread their seeds and how seedlings then grow into wild plants. Young children will be fascinated by the drawings that show small sequences of seeds germinating, and plants growing and taking root. Halperin balances these small panels with larger sweeping landscapes. The lyrical text uses sound effects as the rain and wind whisk seeds away. This is a perfect book to intrigue little gardeners and nature lovers.Planting the Wild Garden
by Kathryn O. Galbraith
illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
Peachtree Press
ages 4–8
available at your local library, favorite bookstore and on Amazon
Flower Garden
by Eve Bunting
illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt
CA: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1994
ages 3–6
available at your local library, favorite bookstore or on Amazon
preview available at 0 Comments on Celebrating spring in the garden - ages 3 - 8 as of 1/1/1900
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 4/3/2012
Spring is truly coming and we have been having fun with a delightful new book by Anita Lobel: 10 Hungry Rabbits. This counting and color book offers a chance for young children to practice counting and color names with a sweet, comforting story.
Mama Rabbit has nothing to feed her ten hungry babies, so Papa sends them out to the garden. "You are sure to find good things for Mama's soup pot there," he tells them. Sure enough, the little rabbits find all sorts of treasures in the garden:10 Hungry Rabbits
by Anita Lobel
NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012
ages 2 - 6
available from your local library, favorite bookstore or on Amazon
preview available on Google Books
"This concept book has an original story line, engaging characters, rich language, and a predictable visual and narrative pattern, and the concepts themselves are reinforced in multiple ways in words and pictures, some subtle and some obvious. Best of all, it's the sort of picture book you can read aloud just for the fun it, even if you don't care about teaching numbers or colors."The review copy was kindly sent by the publishers, Alfred A. Knopf and Random House. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 3/15/2012
Today I shared with my students books that make me smile. There is an utter loveliness to books that bring us a simple smile. They may not be hilarious books, but they fill us with warmth, with a small moment that brightens our day. Penny and Her Song is just the sort of lovely book that will bring a smile to the face of a beginning reader.
Penny comes home from school one day with a smile on her face. She has made up her very own song, and can't wait to share it with her family. But Mama and Papa tell her she mustn't wake up the babies. So Penny goes to her room and sings to herself in the mirror - but she really just wants someone to listen to her. At dinner, Penny tries to sing again, but her parents ask her to wait until after everyone eats. Finally, Penny sings her special song for the whole family. Her parents adore the song, and then everyone joins in, singing Penny's song.
Penny and Her Song
by Kevin Henkes
NY: HarperCollins, 2012
ages 5 - 7
available from your local library, favorite bookstore and on Amazon
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 3/4/2012
Do your children like to create things? That's like asking if the deer in my mother's garden like to eat roses, or if Peter Rabbit likes carrots. Children love to create things - whether it's lego machines or intricate drawings or bracelets for their friends. A wonderful new book, Extra Yarn, celebrates this creative spirit with a fun twist.
One dull winter day, Annabelle finds a box full of yarn - enough yarn to knit herself a sweater, and then one for her dog. There is extra yarn, and so Annabelle keeps knitting - a sweater for her neighbor, for classmates, for all the little animals. And she still has extra yarn. Soon, an evil archduke hears about Annabelle's magical box of yarn and he tries to buy it for her for a million dollars. But Annabelle is a strong, stubborn little girl who will not give into this sinister nemesis.Extra Yarn
by Mac Barnett
illustrated by Jon Klassen
NY: Balzar + Bray / HarperCollins, 2012
ages 4 - 8
available at your local library, favorite bookstore and on Amazon
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 3/1/2012
Our kindergarteners are connecting with John Muir School across town through a video chat. They'll sing "Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss" to a group of 2nd graders from John Muir. The 2nd graders will read aloud Green Eggs and Ham for our kindergartners. It's a big deal for the 2nd graders - reading in front of the camera for our kindergartners. They've been practicing all week. |
| iPad book app from Oceanhouse Media |
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By: LitLass,
on 2/24/2012
This year I've been helping some of Johnny Boo's kindergarten classmates with letters and sight words. I've also become addicted to Pinterest, much to my husband's chagrin (Chagrinterest?). Following are a couple of sight word games copied from or inspired by pins I've made: Sight Word Parking Lot (based on a bigger parking lot game at Juggling With Kids) Print Parking Lot game here. I
By: Kelly Butcher,
on 2/14/2012
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 1/31/2012
Having a new baby brings change for any family, and it can be a big adjustment for a child who gains that new sibling. As parents’ attention shifts toward the coming baby, the soon-to-be big sister (or brother) wonders what it might mean for her (or him). Will her parents have time for her? Will the baby want to play with her big sister, or just take all of dad’s time?
Anticipation and imagination. That is the powerful mix at work when a young boy asks his mother, “When is the baby going to come?” As they walk along, she answers in a perfectly reasonable way that it will come in the fall, when it’s ready.
There's Going to Be a Baby
by John Burningham
illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
MA: Candlewick, 2010
ages 3 - 7
available at your local library, favorite bookstore or on Amazon
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 12/15/2011
Dinosaurs fascinate many young children. These huge beasts dominated the world, and yet they vanished leaving only a few traces behind. Preschoolers and kindergartners love the sense of power that dinosaurs bring - there's nothing better than stomping through the sand box pretending you're a giant dinosaur on the hunt. But these young children also soak up scientific information as they learn about dinosaurs. If you have a dino-lover, check out the new book app: Magic School Bus Dinosaurs.
The Magic School Bus: DinosaursMs. Frizzle takes her class on a field trip to a dinosaur dig to investigate how dinosaur bones are uncovered. The paleontologists at the site have discovered some Maiasaura dinosaur bones, but are disappointed that they haven't discovered any eggs. Ms. Frizzle has the perfect solution: her class will travel back in time to see if they can figure out where the Maiasaura's nests are.
developed by Scholastic Media
based on the book
The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
for the iPad
version 1.1 - October 25, 2011
current price: $7.99
ages 4 - 8
available from the iTunes app store
nominated for the Cybils Book App award
By: Mary Ann Scheuer,
on 12/12/2011
All of Emerson was abuzz last week with excitement for books and reading. Todd Parr, a wonderful author and illustrator, came to visit our students and share about his books. As so many of the kids said, "We love you, Todd." You see, he ends each book with a note that speaks directly to kids, and he signs these notes, "Love, Todd". I truly believe this helps kids connect with Todd as a person, and they return his love adoringly.
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| Todd Parr with my daughter Emily |
I especially love talking with the kids about how Todd's grandmother read with him when he was a child. He loved reading his favorite books over and over again. Todd talks about how his grandma would ask him what would happen next, and he would create crazy imaginative predictions. She encouraged his creativity and helped him connect to the books they were reading. 
Donna,
Barefoot and surrounded by kids. It doesn’t get much better than this. Congratulations on a great Dr. Seuss Day. Thanks for sharing.
yeah, I liked that barefoot picture too! I know those kids had at least as much fun as you did!
Whoo-hoo! I can tell you had a blast. I’m so happy for Frank’s success and yours.
Jean