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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.

One aspect of the Common Core that I get asked questions about all the time is thematic text sets.  What are they?  How do you know which books to use?  What types of texts should you be pairing together?

Fear not!  I’ve compiled some examples of text sets that cover one topic and span multiple genres and reading levels and over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing these sets with you.  Some of the titles you may already have in your classroom library, and others I think you’ll enjoy discovering.

Theme/topic:  The Moon

Grade: 2nd

Informational Text:  The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons (Shared Reading)

• provides scientific information about the moon
• can be used to address informational text standards

Nonfiction Poetry:  A Full Moon is Rising by Marilyn Singer  (Read Aloud)

• provides scientific information about the moon
• provides information regarding moon-related festivals, traditions, holidays, and celebrations
• can be used to address informational text and literature standards

Realistic Fiction: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen  (Guided Reading)

• the moon plays a central role in the setting of the story
• can be used to address literature standards

Realistic Fiction:  Surprise Moon by Caroline Hatton (Independent Reading)

• discusses celebrations and festivals related to the moon 
• can be used to address literature standards

from A Full Moon is Rising

What books would you put on this list?  Add your favorites in the comments!

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.

One of the most critical elements of the new Common Core Standards is the emphasis placed on close reading. In the anchor standards for reading for grades K-12, the first item under the heading Key Ideas and Details states that students should be able to:

“Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.”  (pages 10, 35, 60)

In the past, some curricula spent a huge amount of time on the accuracy and speed at which a student was able to read, and stopped there.  This emphasis on fluency isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as the teacher recognizes that just because students sound fluent, it doesn’t automatically mean they’ve fully understood what they’ve read.  Making meaning from text is a process and should be explicitly taught during every Read Aloud and Guided Reading.

The Common Core’s mention of close reading shifts the collective focus back to meaning.  It asks teachers to spend time with rigorous, complex texts, reading and rereading a text, moving from the big ideas to paragraphs to sentences to individual word choice, focusing on meaning and craft in a thorough way.  Time is still spent on retelling the story and basic comprehension questions, but the bulk of the discussions focus on meatier topics such as word choice, author’s purpose, character development, mood, etc.  In my opinion, those lessons are incredibly interesting to plan and a lot of fun to teach because the student discussions that result (after sustained practice at this slow, deliberate reading) are really insightful!

But what does close reading look like in practice?  Over the next few weeks, I’m going to walk you through how to do a close reading using several of our titles.  Hopefully this modeling will demystify the process and help you as you plan more Read Alouds centered on close reading!

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.

Ready or not, the 2012-2013 school year is upon us!

And while parents are stocking up on pencils and notebooks (and, if the Target Music Teacher is to be trusted, potentially an inordinate amount of denim), teachers are busy planning for the first weeks of school.

Educators, for your planning pleasure, here are three titles to get students back in the right mindset for those first days back in the classroom:

Read Aloud:  Yasmin’s Hammer by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Doug Chayka

Major topics & themes:  hard work, determination, the transformative power of education

Common Core connections:

• What does the author want us to learn from this story?  What is the central message?  How do you know?  Use details from the story to justify your answer.  (Grades 2 & 3, Literature, Key Ideas and Details, 2)
• Who is Yasmin?  How would you describe her?  What kind of person is she?  How do you know?  How do her actions affect what happens in the story? Use details from the story to justify your answer.  (Grade 3, Literature, Key Ideas & Details, 3)

Read Aloud: Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller and illustrated by Gregory Christie

Major topics & themes:  triumph over adversity, educational equality, scholarship

Common Core connection:

• Ask students to write a persuasive response to the following question:  Is access to books and information a right or a privilege?  Use details from the life of Richard Wright to support your answer.  (Grades 3 & 4, Writing Standards, Text Types and Purposes, 1 a-d)

Read Aloud: Babu’s Song by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen and illustrated by Aaron Boyd

Major topics & themes:  educational opportunity, integrity, sacrifice

Common Core connection:

• Where does the story take place?  How would you describe the setting? How is Bernardi’s neighborhood like your neighborhood?  How is it different?  How do the illustrations in the story help you picture the setting?  (Grades 1 & 2, Literature, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, 7)

What are your favorite books to read to your students during the first weeks of school?  Drop me an email at curriculum@leeandlow.com or share yours in the comments! 

I promised myself I would share the new blog I’ve been working on once I reached 20 posts.  That promise was made in late February.  Life got pretty busy between February and June. … Read More →

*Picture book, contemporary, for preschoolers through 2nd graders
*Dan, the Taxi Man and a band as main characters
*Rating: Dan, the Taxi Man (Publisher: Kane Miller) follows a classic children’s book form that I happen to love. There’s sound effects that are easy to read aloud AND there’s repeating text. Think The House that Jack Built crossed with Charlie Parker Played Be Bop.

Short, short summary:

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Dan, the Taxi Man begs to be read out loud! Once Dan picks up a musician, that person’s instrument sound is repeated on each page. So, children can repeat the sound with the reader. If you have a large classroom, you can have children divided into groups, and each group can be a different instrument. Have fun reading this book aloud.

2. Before reading the ending to children, ask them to predict what is missing from the band’s performance. Ask children to explain their prediction based on the text or other books they have read.

3. If possible, bring in real instruments or real musicians and have them play the instruments that are mentioned in the story. This is actually a great book for a music teacher to use with young children!

My daughter has been a little obsessed with peacocks after reading Three Hens and a Peacock last month so I tracked down a few more peacock tales (hee hee) at our local library. Peet and Polacco are both master storytellers/illustrators and these two peacock books did not disappoint. Both stories are on the longish side, and they are probably best for children that don't have limited attention spans.


The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock by Bill Peet. Houghton Mifflin (1973); ISBN 0395154944; 32 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library

"My tail has gone wild!" exclaimed Prewitt. "It's turned into a green-eyed monster! What a terrible tail! But then, after all," he sighed, "I grew it, so I suppose I'll just have to get used to it."

Prewitt the peacock is anything but proud. His pathetic, scraggly tail with only two eyespots is nothing to boast about. Even worse, one day his tail goes wild and turns into a "green-eyed monster." The two eyespots grow larger, fierce eyebrows and a mouth appear and two of the feathers look like scary arms. The other peacocks don't like the look of his new, spooky tail and tell him to leave or get rid of his monstrous feathers. However, Prewitt's weakness becomes his strength as his unique tail becomes a useful weapon in a dangerous jungle.

Tsk-tsk! I'm ashamed to admit this is the first book written by Bill Peet we've read, but let me tell you, it certainly won't be the last. Peet's story is funny and memorable plus it also teaches a valuable lesson, the importance of being who you are by maintaining your individuality despite oppression. The illustrations are spot-on and full of expression (and a monstrous face). You can't help but feel sad for poor Prewitt and cheer when he triumphs.

Related Link: Bill Peet Website


Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco. Bantam Doubleday Dell (1990); ISBN 9780553058840; 32 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library

"What are we going to do?" Ruth asked. "Fancy is too fancy to be Amish!"

While a peacock plays a big role in this book, the main focus is on Amish life. Two Amish sisters, Naomi and Ruth, find an unusual egg in the field outside their home. Longing to own something fancy, Naomi gently takes the "fa

Edited by Ruth: Pssst…today is Mary Helen’s birthday! Won’t you join me in leaving comments on her blog post about one of her very favorite books? Mary Helen Gensch is currently a literacy coach and Title I interventionist for Pierceton Elementary School in Indiana. Her journey as a writing coach began with the AllWrite!!! Consortium [...]

Parents often ask, how old do my kids need to be before I can stop reading aloud with them?  Looks like they are never too old! The Forum on Child and Family Statistics recently published America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2011,  a summary of national indicators of children’s well-being and monitors changes in those indicators. One key indicator is the family reading to young children at home.  It is linked to reading development and later on,  achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school. This study was a feature article in the recent issue of Reading Today, the International Reading Association’s bimonthly newspaper.The Florida Center for Reading Research lends support to this indicator and has made available to families recommendations to help families promote literacy development at home. Here at Sts. Peter and Paul Salesian School, our K-5 reading program– Houghton Mifflin’s The Nation’s Choice, recently upgraded to the Medallion Edition, provides recommended leveled reading lists for students (easy, on level, challenge), independent readers, and for read alouds for students in K-5.  You might want to check the lists out here, and then get the books at the public library.  Nothing like a good story to get the imagination running, dendrites clicking, and getting ready for school!

Graphic courtesy of The Eagle’s Eye