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Welcome to Friday's Writing @ Reading prompt challenge. We think of it as Our Closing Ceremonies!
We've had lots of fun this week exchanging literacy ideas, reliving special times with our little ones (who may not be so little anymore), and sharing creative ideas in words and images. Here are the final Writing @ Reading Prompts for our 2013 Share a Story - Shape a Future event.
- Have you read a book with your child that you want to save and share with them when they get to middle or high school?
- Today is Poetry Friday ... here's your chance to write a poem for a Kindergartener!
- The other day we asked what characters you like to "play" when you read ... what / who are the characters your toddler- to Kindgergarten-aged child likes to imitate (e.g., dress up as).
Can't decide on just one topic? Yeah! We hoped that would happen. Remember, you are welcome to write a post for any or all of them! Each post = 1 entry for our fabulous book prize packages.
Rules Reminder:
- Winners will be selected in a random drawing. Each post written as part of our Writing @ Reading series will count as one entry for the contest.
- Each set of Writing @ Reading prompts will be published at Noon each day, March 4 to 8, 2013.
- We accept entries all week long, so if you decide to write to Monday's post on Wednesday, that's cool!
- All entries must be submitted by Saturday, 9 March 2013 at Noon Eastern time.
- The drawing will be held on Monday March 11, 2013, and winners contacted by email by Tuesday, March 12, 2013.
All week long, I've had a song stuck in my head ... "
This Magic Moment" by the Drifters. The song title may be the only refrain I can remember, but each time I *hear* it, I smile.
Why? Because it reminds me of all of the times I had the honor of being with a new reader the moment they discover they are
really reading. Here are a few of those magical reactions over the years ...
- "I mean it, I can read ... it's not because I mesmerized (sic) the book!"
- "Do you have something you want help reading?"
- "I got this!"
- "Can I read another book?"
With my daughter, it was a 30-minute spree of picking out every word or phrase she saw: road signs, newspaper headlines, cereal boxes, toys, ... you name it. If she could see it, she wanted us to know she could read it.
Those moments are priceless! I often liken that moment to the joy we see in in the surprises children discover on Christmas morning: anticipation and reality coming together.
In 2011, the theme for Share a Story - Shape a Future was the
Gift of Literacy. All week, we explored ways of nurturing and celebrating literacy in all its forms. Literacy truly is a gift - one that we receive and one that we share.
Being there as a child - or adult - opens their gift is the opportunity of a lifetime. Discovering the joys of reading and writing is lifelong journey. Here's to magical moments every day!
Do you remember that moment?
For those of us who are passionate about raising readers, we nurtured that spark and now it is a flame we carry with us always.
Just as it excites us to watch our toddlers and preschoolers explore the world around them, being part of that moment when a child has discovered reading is pretty darned special, too.
Although we tend to equate Kindergarten with learning to read, not every child is ready to read quite yet. It becomes a balancing act of guiding and helping (but not pushing too hard) and minimizing the peer comparisons.
Lucky for us, our guests today have great ideas on ways to encourage your reader-to-be and nurture a love of literacy, too. We're hosting "Graduation Day" at
Family Bookshelf, and these are the posts to get us started:
I will be back later with a post about that magical moment of discovering "I Can Read." In the meantime, we would love to hear YOUR stories about literacy with Kindergartners ... or your journey to being a bookworm and writer.
Add your links in the comments here or on the Family Bookshelf post and we'll incorporate them into the Event Summary.
We hope that you've been enjoying all the posts so far this week for our 2013 Share a Story - Shape a Future literacy blog tour.
Before we know it, the school bells will ring, and we'll alternately worry about how our "babies" are doing and dreading the spelling lists! But lets not rush it! So today, we'll enjoy the footloose, creative creatures who are our preschoolers.
Today's Writing @ Reading Prompts reflect the joys of the dramatic life ...
- Is there anything your preschooler has taught you about reading?
- Help: what do you do when the rhyming book doesn't rhyme like it should? Tips please!
- Create a book ad! Susan Stephenson, the Book Chook sent us this one as an example of the limitless possibilities.
Our kids are bombarded with commercials and advertisements for cereal, toys, the latest Disney movie ... you name it. What if we substituted those pitches with book ads? Think: image or video like a book trailor, but tailored to lure a 4-year-old. What book would you advertise, and how would you pitch it to a preschooler?
Can't decide on just one topic? Yeah! We hoped that would happen. Remember, you are welcome to write a post for any or all of them! Each post = 1 entry for our fabulous book prize packages.
Rules Reminder:
- Winners will be selected in a random drawing. Each post written as part of our Writing @ Reading series will count as one entry for the contest.
- Each set of Writing @ Reading prompts will be published at Noon each day, March 4 to 8, 2013.
- We accept entries all week long, so if you decide to write to Monday's post on Wednesday, that's cool!
- All entries must be submitted by Saturday, 9 March 2013 at Noon Eastern time.
- The drawing will be held on Monday March 11, 2013, and winners contacted by email by Tuesday, March 12, 2013.
Our thanks to
Winter Storm Saturn for making yesterday the perfect Share-a-Story kind of day. For many of us, the snow & high winds brought down power lines, creating adventures of playing outside, sitting in front of the fire, and reading books.
Although I loved having the opportunity to “do nothing,” the lack of access to the Internet made it a bit challenging to add and schedule today's kickoff post.
Ultimately, it pushed me to think a little more creatively ... like we often do when we're trying not to sound like a broken record with every “teaching moment” that presents itself. Preschoolers are a savvy lot, and it doesn't take too many letter games for them to realize what we're doing!
There are tons of wonderful ways to engage four-year-olds and help them with reading readiness. Do you have a post about engaging four-year-olds? We'd be honored to have you join the conversation, and welcome posts old and new.
Last but not least, save a little energy ... our
Writing @ Reading prompts will go live at Noon today.
Our theme today, about preparing children for preschool and beyond, could easily be called
I am three, watch me read!
I don't know about you, but in our house, the threes were much more terrible than the twos! More vocabulary = more ideas, more ways to express herself, etc.
It wasn't that our then 3-year-old could actually read, but she thought she could ! She morphed into the Bedtime Stories Casting Director. When she wasn't reciting her books herself, she was correcting us when we
skipped missed a [word, sentence, page] or didn't use the right character voice.
Today's Writing @ Reading Prompts reflect the joys of the dramatic life ...
- Is there a book your child loves (or loved) to read to you? What is it, and what do you love about their reading style?
- Tell us about a time when a book first came to life for you.
- Let's turn one of your toddler /3-year-old's/preschooler's books into a mini-movie. What is the book, what stars would you cast in the various roles, and why?
- Have you ever had a situation / event in your adult life that reminded you of a book, story, or character from a children's book? [Either one you read as a child, or one you've shared with your kids]
Can't decide on just one topic? Yeah! We hoped that would happen. Remember, you are welcome to write a post for any or all of them! Each post = 1 entry for our fabulous book prize packages.
Rules Reminder:
- Winners will be selected in a random drawing. Each post written as part of our Writing @ Reading series will count as one entry for the contest.
- Each set of Writing @ Reading prompts will be published at Noon each day, March 4 to 8, 2013.
- We accept entries all week long, so if you decide to write to Monday's post on Wednesday, that's cool!
- All entries must be submitted by Saturday, 9 March 2013 at Noon Eastern time.
- The drawing will be held on Monday March 11, 2013, and winners contacted by email by Tuesday, March 12, 2013.
Oh, how time flies ...
our babies grow up too fast, days just zoom by, and weeks are here and gone before we know it. In addition to getting taller, our kids are learning and practicing literacy skills the best way they know how: talking!
And oh, the things they say!
Lucky for us,
Debbie Alvarez (
The Styling Librarian) is here to help us create and savor some magical moments.
She has created a
page on her blog just for today's theme, and is also writing posts throughout the week. Today, as host, she's letting us in on her
secrets of early literacy preparation. She's also linking to these great bloggers ...
Do you have a post about reading with kids who are three? We'd be honored to have you join the conversation, and welcome posts old and new.
Last but not least, save a little energy ... our
Writing @ Reading prompts will go live at Noon today.
Welcome one and all ...
We hope you've enjoyed reading the posts this morning and saved some energy for Writing @ Reading! Today's Share a Story 2013 theme is The Terrific Twos, and our writing prompts center on literacy-related ideas and activities for toddlers. So without further ado ...
- What (or who) are your favorite characters to "play" when you share stories with your child(ren)?
- Please share three, non-book literacy activities that you use (or have used) to engage toddlers.
- Have there been any books that you originally borrowed at the library and then ended up buying because your toddler loved reading it so much?
Can't decide on just one topic? That's okay ... you're welcome to write a post for any or all of them!
Rules Reminder:
- Winners will be selected in a random drawing. Each post written as part of our Writing @ Reading series will count as one entry for the contest.
- Each set of Writing @ Reading prompts will be published at Noon each day, March 4 to 8, 2013.
- We accept entries all week long, so if you decide to write to Monday's post on Wednesday, that's cool!
- All entries must be submitted by Saturday, 9 March 2013 at Noon Eastern time.
- The drawing will be held on Monday March 11, 2013, and winners contacted by email by Tuesday, March 12, 2013.
Although we tend to think of literacy as "reading," it is so much more. Literacy encompasses communication and the ability to express ideas and comprehension, as well as critical thinking and its cousin problem solving.
Books are one tool for building these skills, but not the only ones. In our quest to "walk the talk" of literacy, we created
Writing @ Reading. Each day this week we will post two or three writing prompts build around the daily theme.
Just as we have in years' past, Writing @ Reading is a contest. Thanks to our generous sponsors -
Reading is Fundamental and
The Reading Tub, you can win books for your school, public, or personal library. For each post you write, you receive one entry in our random drawing for one of six sets of books.
Today's prompts:
- If you were creating a children's library from scratch, what ten books would you start with, and why.
- In a still image or 30-second video, share what "literacy with baby" looks like in your house.
After you write your post, be sure to come back here and add the link in the comments. That's how we'll be able to enter you in the drawing.
Rules Reminder:
- Winners will be selected in a random drawing. Each post written as part of our Writing @ Reading series will count as one entry for the contest.
- Each set of Writing @ Reading prompts will be published at Noon each day, March 4 to 8, 2013.
- We accept entries all week long, so if you decide to write to Monday's post on Wednesday, that's cool!
- All entries must be submitted by Saturday, 9 March 2013 at Noon Eastern time.
- The drawing will be held on Monday March 11, 2013, and winners contacted by email by Tuesday, March 12, 2013.
Welcome to the May celebration dedicated to emerging and developing readers! This month we are hosting the
I Can Read Feast for New Readers here at Share a Story - Shape a Future.
For the next three days we will be talking about easy reader and short chapter books. In the days to come, stop back by to find book reviews for easy reader, short and illustrated chapter books, as well as tips and ideas for nurturing the developing bookworms.
The blogosphere is starting to come alive with ideas and activities for summer reading ... that time of year when kids see "no school," and we think "but they need to keep their skills up." Even though easy readers and illustrated chapter books are designed to help new readers build their skills, there is no reason they can't be fun!
So to kick us off, I'm going to go back to a personal fave!
Andy Shane and the Queen of Egyptby Jennifer Richard Jacobson
illustrated by Abby Carter
Candlewick Press, 2008
reading level: 3.5
Summary: Each student in Ms. Janice's class will do a project related to an African country for the Culture Fair. When Ms. Janice didn't hear Andy say "Egypt," Delores Starbuckle does her best to answer for him (and change his choice). In the process she announces to the class that she is the
Queen of Egypt, and is left having to persuade Andy that they can work together. Andy needs time to think about it. This early reader chapter book offers a humorous story about friendship, passion, and school projects!
Anyone familiar with Andy Shane's relationship with Delores knows that these are fun, fun books. Although the reading level is for a third grader, my then first grader L-O-V-E-D this book. It is a just-right selection for families with mixed age audiences: whether mom and dad are doing all the reading or the third grader is reading alous with younger siblings!
Do you have a favorite summer read for new and developing readers? We'd love to add it to our list! Just add your link in the InLinkz collection or in our comments! We'll pull them all into the main post when the event closes.
Jo Ann Kairys interviews her son and co-author Daniel Kairys (pronounced care-ease) about the inspiration for their award-winning book
Sunbelievable: Connecting Children with Science and Nature and how it engages young readers.
Interview with Dan.
Daniel shares his experiences as growing up as a young reader in Montana, and how a simple story like
Corduroy impacted him and introduced him to "other cultures." Jo Ann shares her memories of Daniel's first dive into reading with
The Hobbit. Daniel adds that
Chaim Potock was also one of his first real forays into reading.
Both of Daniel's children love to hear him tell stories. Like many busy parents, Daniel doesn't have lots of time to "spare," and Jo Ann asks how he fits reading with his kids into his schedule .... and theirs. Terry also asked Jo Ann a few extra questions.
Terry: Thank you for finding Share a Story, Jo Ann and for sharing such a wonderful interview with your son and co-author. I'm curious. Was Daniel as "into" books then as he is now with his kids?Jo Ann: You're welcome. I'm glad to be here. It is such a great complement to my new passion: the
BRAG project (
Bloggers Read Across the Globe).
Daniel was always into books... he loved picture books and started reading before he learned the alphabet because he was so eager to know the actual story on the page. He started sounding out letters by guessing. I helped him with the sounds and then he immediately grew into chapter books. He read
The Hobbit on his own in the early part of second grade. Couldn't put it down.
From second through fifth grade, his teachers took him almost daily to the library for a new stack of books. He spent most of his days at the school reading in a corner, loving every minute! He sees similar traits in his children and tries his best to encourage and inspire their reading by engaging them in the experience, sharing impressions of characters in books, talking about their feelings and expressions. They have a lot of fun with reading this way!
Terry: You mentioned the Hobbit, andin your interview, Daniel mentions Chaim Potock. Thinking about the kinds of books he read as a child, and now as a dad, has anything changed?Jo Ann: He loved me to read aloud from the encyclopedia. When a topic interested Daniel, he'd search for more information during our library visits. A favorite topic at around age 7-8 was WWII--strategy, biography, history, geography. He also loved when I read from the newspaper... especially editorials!
At Dartmouth College he was granted special permission to attend advanced poetry writing classes, with no prior writing experience. I think the s
How do you create a reading culture when you don't consider yourself a reader. What does a reader look like? Do they wear glasses and always have books in their hands? Do they always have their nose in some book and never seem to hear you?
Terry Doherty and her guests will be answering those questions! At the Family Bookshelf and here on the Share a Story blog, you'll find suggestions on ways to engage readers-to-be, recognize a reader, and maybe even discover that you're already a reader!
Books and the Fourth Grader: Discovering a Reader by Terry Doherty @ Family Bookshelf
Like many of her peers, the fourth grader in Terry's house eked out her required 20 minutes of reading. She finished her homework, but her parents wondered if she would ever really like books and reading. When would the just-get-by behavior end? Continue reading ...
No Time To Write - Musings of a Children's Book Author, Surgeon and Read Aloud Dad by Jo Ann Kairys @ Share a Story - Shape a Future
In this 20-minute interview, award-winning author/illustrator Jo Ann Kairys and her son talk about his life as a writer and reader, both growing up and now as an adult. “I especially love working with my son Daniel, co-author, humanitarian surgeon and avid read-aloud dad."
Welcome to the best Monday in March! We are so glad you are joining us for Share a Story - Shape a Future 2012.
If you're new to our annual blog tour, we invite you to look around. For each of our four years we've picked one over-arching theme for the week. Then, all week long, bloggers gather to share ideas and recommendations on one facet of that theme.
Looking at it as a flower may help. One bloom comprises multiple petals, a stem, and leaves ... all necessary pieces to the beautiful blossom we enjoy.
Okay, let's get on with the show!
Our theme this year is the Culture of Reading, and Donalyn Miller kick-starts our event by talking about Creating a Reading Culture. She and her guests will explain what a "reading culture" is, and offer ways to encourage kids to read more at home and school, as well as across age groups.
Here's what's on tap today ...
Creating a Reading Culture at Home by Donalyn Miller @ The Book Whisperer
Parents often ask teachers and librarians for tips on how to encourage their children to read more at home. The conditions that foster lifelong reading habits in children are remarkably robust and apply to both home and school reading. Continue reading ...
Building a Reading Culture in the Secondary Classroom by Sarah Mulhern @ The Reading Zone
I have an obsession with reading. Some might say that is an unhealthy obsession (my husband is reminding me that our house is a fire hazard), but I disagree. I can’t imagine my life without reading, so I make it my mission to share that love with the students at my high school. Continue reading ...
Reading Culture and Preservice Teachers by Kristin McIlhagga @ Children's Literature Crossroads
As I was getting ready to write this, I decided to reread the Share a Story, Shape a Future website. What stood out to me particularly about the topic of A Reading Culture was the idea of stretching and pushing thinking about the concept beyond an elementary setting. I was excited about this because I’ve been thinking quite a lot about creating a reading culture with the students in my children’s literature and young adult literature course. Continue reading ...
Building a Classroom Reading Culture by Cynthia Alaniz @ Teaching in Cute Shoes
Cynthia has two recent posts that I think you'll love ... and which are both perfect fits for today's mini-theme. In
4 Comments on Donalyn Miller Opens Share a Story 2012, last added: 3/6/2012
Today's Writing @ Reading Prompts focus on the giving the gift of literacy. Our very good friend Mrs. P., is not only sharing her own thoughts about the gift of reading, but has a few other surprises. No, I'm not going to tell you up front!
Sharing the Gift of Reading
by Mrs. P.
A few years ago, a friend gave me a nightgown for my birthday that was so large I wound up using it as an emergency parachute in case I ever had to jump out of my second-floor bedroom. Last Christmas, I received a pair of red socks from my cousin that were so small I wound up using them as ear warmers for my cat.
There is, however, one gift I enjoy receiving even when it doesn’t fit. Sometimes especially when it doesn’t fit. That gift is a book.
Getting a book that doesn’t “fit” can open up your world in ways you never imagined. “Why I never showed the slightest interest in Ancient Egypt,” you think. “Why would someone give me a book about
that?” Then you read it and are transported back to a world so amazing and compelling, you read three more books about it simply because you don’t want to leave.
“Why would someone give
me a book about a racehorse? I’ve rarely gone to the races and have no special interest in horses.” But then you read
Seabiscuit: An American Legend
by Laura Hillenbrand and are hypnotized; swept away against your will by the evocative writing and astonishing story.
Sometimes, I enjoy wandering through a library or bookstore and letting serendipity direct me to my next book. And if it’s the last thing I ever thought I’d read, odds are it’s going to be a fulfilling experience.
On my free website,
www.MrsP.com, I sit in a cozy chair by the fire and read classic stories to kids. It’s one of my favorite ways to share the gift of reading. My website features a library with dozens of tales, from the hilarious to the scary. I encourage kids to not just choose the stories that immediately strike their fancy, but to give others a try too. For some reason, those often turn out to be the stories that stick with you – and even change your life.
Or course, I realize it’s not always easy to persuade kids to read
anything if they haven’t developed a love and appreciation of books. To help parents with a child needing a bit of encouragement, and to celebrate Share a Story, Shape a Future, I’ve created a new,
free activity on my website.
It offers fun ideas about how you can – with very little time and money –
create magical, handmade books out of stories created by your child. And when a child sees a story woven out of thin air from her or his imagination turned into a
real book – well, I guarantee, that child will be a lot closer to understanding the power of books and the wonders of reading.
Thank you Mrs. P! You ARE the best reader in show biz!
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It's was a real treat to write a post for your week long celebration.
Thanks Erica ... we were so glad you could join us!