How to use this Page

I had the best of intentions to do a blog post on this book: That’s My Dog before I went out of town. However, I’m still getting my stuff together and now my dear daughter is crying. So, I will do this book justice with three activities on another day, but I want to tell you that if you have never checked it out, you must do so at the link below.

It is a book that will help children understand adjectives, how to make their writing more specific, word choice, superlatives and more. Plus, my daughter as a toddler LOVES DOGS–so even she can appreciate the book because she loves the illustrations and the simple text.

Go to your library, check out this book!

I am thrilled to share with you two super cute picture books by a TexHEN named Aunt Judy, who writes and illustrates (SO CUTE!) Chickens on the GO! and Chickens in the Know!. Aunt Judy was generous enough to send me both of her picture books, which I am sure any young reader will LOVE, and so I am keeping one for my daughter and giving one away to a lucky reader! To win Chickens in the Know!, please leave a comment below. You can either say, PICK ME! or SOUNDS GREAT! or tell us your favorite professHEN, such as constructHEN workers or librariHENS. That’s what this book is all about–how the world is full of people who have different jobs, and we need EACH ONE to make the world go around.

The book I am keeping, but one you can purchase from Aunt Judy is Chickens on the GO! It is the perfect classroom book for young children and the perfect home school book for your young readers. The premise is that the world is made up of people who are different nationalities such as: JapHENese, BritHENS, AfricHENS, and AmericHENS. (SO CUTE–I’m telling you!) Aunt Judy tells readers something about the people/culture in each country she covers–in a catchy rhyme. She makes the point that everyone is different, but that’s okay! (Perfect in this world of bullying–the old-fashioned and cyber way) The repeating phrase in the book is: “It doesn’t matter where we’re from. We’re all chickens–let’s have fun!”

You can use Chickens on the GO! to discuss with young children how differences make us unique and special and even how where we are from affects our lives, but that’s what also makes us special. You can do geography lessons with this book–showing students where each HEN comes from as well as have children do more research on each HEN’s culture. The possibilities with this book are endless. Aunt Judy has several resources on her website, too at http://www.chickensonthego.com/Lesson%20Plans.htm. Don’t miss the lesson plans and puzzles she has created.

If you are interested in finding out more and purchasing this book, Chickens on the GO!, or its companion about careers, Chickens in the Know!, please see Aunt Judy’s website at: http://www.chickensonthego.com/books.htm
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Don’t forget, you can win a copy. On the back of the book, it says these books are for ages 1 to 99–no kidding! So, let me know your favorite professHEN or just say PICK ME! Contest ends on Sunday night, December 11 at 8:00 pm CST. Winner must have a U.S. or Canada mailing address.

*Young adult, historical fiction novel
*Teenage, African-American cowboy as main character
*Rating: I’m so glad I found Deadwood Jones at my local library! It’s a great book about a very interesting topic and will really appeal to boys.

Short, short summary:

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Allow students to keep a reading response journal while reading this book. There are many issues in it–from the treatment of black cowboys/slaves to traveling West at a young age–when students come upon a passage they feel strongly about, they should write about their feelings in the reading response journal–BEFORE discussing them. Many times, the discussion will be stronger if reactions to the novel are written down first.

2. Compare/contrast the author’s note in the back of the book with what happened in the novel. Did Helen Hemphill do a good job of sharing the “truth” in this historical fiction novel? Students could also do their own research about cowboys if so desired.

3. How does the author paint a picture of the “Wild West” with her words? What type of word choice does she use? Study strong word choice selections as part of a 6 + 1 traits of writing lesson.

I’m thankful for having the opportunity to love this loyal, old Basset Hound, Hush Puppy, who we had to put to sleep on Tuesday. He lived almost 14 years, and he was a lover of pizza, going bye-bye, and belly scratches. We will miss you, our old friend. Rest in peace.

I wanted to tell you about the Teaching Authors blog’s 10 days of Thanks-giving. They are having a blog round-up of sorts, where anyone–child or adult–can post a thank you OR send your thank yous to them, and then they will post links to different blogs and maybe more on November 30. For all the details and exactly what is going on, check out: http://www.teachingauthors.com/2011/11/ten-days-of-thanks-giving-time-to-share.html.

In the meantime, I want to share my THANKU. It’s a haiku that also says THANKS! Your students/children could easily write these at any time during the holiday season. Again, thanks to the Teaching Authors blog at the link above for the amazing idea.

Here’s my THANKU:

Thank you to my mom
And to my father who watch
My darling daughter

Without their help, I would never get as much writing done as I do!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Thank you for reading my blog!

Graphic organizers are great tools for students to use in all subjects and for all grades.  Using pictures in Kid Pix or Kidspiration to writing out ideas, formulas, thoughts, data, or information from textbooks, there’s one ready made to fit the need.  I especially like to use the Graphic Organizers available through two of SSPP’s curriculum publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Education Place (our Reading and Social Studies K-5 curriculum) and ScottForesman’s PearsonSuccessNet (our K-5 Science curriculum).  Step Up To Writing has some available on line, and teachers use hard copy printouts provided with the SUTW curriculum in the classroom.

The NY Times ran an article (01/21/2011)  commenting on a Science journal (01/20/2011) published study from Purdue University challenging the value of graphic organizers, specifically concept maps,

Educators rely heavily on learning activities that encourage elaborative studying, while activities that require students to practice retrieving and reconstructing knowledge are used less frequently.

The research concluded that, “Retrieval practice is an effective tool to promote conceptual learning about science.” It got some reaction, pro and con.  One notable reaction came from Howard Gardner, the father of multiple intelligences.

Educators who embrace seemingly more active approaches, like concept mapping are challenged to devise outcome measures that can demonstrate the superiority of such constructivist approaches.

So, we’ll see if those outcome measures will be developed, but, in the meantime, the graphic organizers do help break down the information to give students a fighting chance to learn the material and integrate it into their thinking and understanding of content. Perhaps the assessments can be better designed to determine if the students actually remember what is being taught.

Graphic from  Boise State.

0 Comments on Graphic Organizers as of 1/1/1900

*Middle-grade historical fiction with Christian themes (WWII)
*13-year-old girl as main character
*Rating: Last Page in the Diary will really appeal to girls who like historical fiction and like writing in their diaries. It is a great book to use in a home school or Christian school setting as so many tweens deal with this question: “How can God let bad things happen?” This book is especially great because it also teaches about history!

Short, short summary:

So what do I do with this book?

1. If students do not know much about the period of history this book covers, then have them research different things mentioned in the book, such as Pearl Harbor Day or the Japanese Internment Camps. Students can write reports, do Power Point presentations, create posters, or some other way to share information with students.

2. Have readers ever felt the way Pat or Mike do in the novel–either with their relationship with God or as a victim of bullying/racism? These are great journal writing topics and discussion topics for tweens. Through the characters in this book, tweens may feel more comfortable talking about and/or writing about these issues and comparing/contrasting their experiences with the ones in the novel.

3. If students were involved in an essay contest, what would they write about? And why? You can even hold your own essay contest if you want to. . .:)

*Easy reader (I’d compare to Amelia Bedelia books, divided into chapters), fantasy
*A loveable giraffe and turtle as main characters
*Rating: I won Joe and Sparky, Superstars in a blog contest at Clara Gillow Clark’s blog, and I am so glad I did What a super cute book for those readers transitioning from having Mom or teacher read them a book to reading on their own. Joe cracks me up!

Short, short summary:

So what do I do with this book?

1. Joe and Sparky are unique animals with their own personalities and characteristics that make each special–just like your own children or all the children in your classroom. First with children, make a list of Joe and Sparky’s character traits based on the book. Then ask students to make a list of their own character traits. If you are working with preschoolers or kindergartners and sharing this book, you can make a general list and then students can choose one or two words to write or illustrate depending on their ability level.

2. Ask students: what is your talent? You discover in the end of the story what Sparky’s talent is and it is great! So, do a think, pair, share activity in your classroom. Ask students to think what their talent (s) is, pair them up with other students and tell them to share with their partners, and then their partners share the talent with the class.

3. What is a superstar? Ask students to draw a picture, write a poem, write their own story, or any other way to describe what a superstar is in their opinion. This could also be a Mother’s Day/Father’s Day/Christmas present idea with something like: My mom is a superstar because_____________. Students fill in the blank and illustrate the sentence. OR My dad is a superstar like Sparky and Joe because_________________________________.

Francis Pleasant Robinson in his book, Effective Study (Harper & Row, 1946) developed a reading strategy for college students to help students improve their comprehension of textbooks.  Swarthmore  College still offers a link through their Office of Learning Resources today as does Ohio’s Columbus State Community College.  I often come across the SQ3R strategy–Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Recall– in my work as a Reading Resource Specialist.  It’s recommended to help students improve their reading skills, one of those tried and true strategies (not the only one!)  I found a fun SQ3R interactive you might want to try from the Oswego City School District of New York.  They put together a website, StudyZone.org, to help students and their teachers prepare for state tests in English/Language Arts, Math and Social Studies.

A few other links of interest are here on SSPP Reads–Interactive Learning and Writing Skills.  There you can find links to our writing program, Step Up To Writing, the template for MLA style research papers, Wordle, Houghton Mifflin Graphic Organizers, Build A Word for Kinder and First Graders, and more.

Graphic from Peer Resources Tutoring at Columbus State Community College open source.

*Picture book for preschoolers through 1st graders
*Two young rodents as main characters
*Rating: The strength in The Vole Brothers by Roslyn Schwartz lies in the illustrations and humor. I just wish the Vole brothers would have solved their own hunger problem, instead of luckily falling into a garden. However, you can use this book to work on problem solving skills with young children.

Short, short summary:

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Like I mentioned in my rating, this is a super cute book, but the voles just luck into solving their problem. So with young readers, first describe what the problem is. Then, make a list of possible solutions. Finally, ask students to choose one and write about it or illustrate it or both.

2. What are voles? Students may not be familiar with this animal. Share some facts with your students or children if you homeschool. Click here for some facts about voles: http://www.pestcontrolrx.com/david_somlcom/vole/

3. What do students think about the sound words? Do they add to the story? Can students use this technique in their own writing?

*Wordless picture book for preschool through 2nd graders
*Walrus as main character
*Rating: Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage is a cute book that tells a complete story without any words.

Short, short summary:

So, what do I do with this book?

1. I love wordless books for writing exercises for children. Let them provide the text and create a class book with their own illustrations, modeled after Stephen Savage’s!

2. Wordless books are also great for practicing writing dialogue, putting in the quotation marks, and so on. What would the zookeeper say to the Walrus? What would the diving judges say? You can do this as a shared writing activity or have students practice on their own or in small groups.

3. Where could Walrus hide in your city? At your school? In your students’ neighborhood? In your child’s room? Discuss this with students, and then they can create their own page to go with this book! Have fun!

photo by nodomain1 www.flickr.com

We’re loading up our 2007 HHR on Friday and heading to Cleveland for my sister-in-law’s wedding. We’re all very excited, and this is Katie’s first big car trip (10 hours). I’m not sure how excited she actually is. . .:) We are traveling in the late afternoon and evening to hopefully make it easier for her. I’m sure Logan (10 years old) hopes that this makes it easier for him, too, as he is usually the baby-entertainer in the back seat. Anyway, I’ll be gone for a while and part of it without Internet access, so Read These Books and Use Them is going on hiatus until August 1. Starting August 1, I’ll be back with the winner of the contest I am about to announce as well as new posts about books and how to use them! So. . .

While I was thinking about going on vacation and getting ready to move (hopefully we are leasing our home) by August 1, I was thinking, What can I do on my blog? , and I decided to talk about the books I’m reading and to hold a little contest. Currently, I am reading Miss Scarlet’s School of Patternless Sewing, which I am enjoying immensely. It’s definitely geared toward women–whether it’s women’s fiction, chic lit, or romance–I’m not far enough along to tell you yet. But I have been captivated since page one, so check out what people have to say about it by clicking below:

Also, I am listening to Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin, which is a YA book with some fantasy mixed in. I am also enjoying this book and the mystery that is playing throughout. I will be blogging about it here in August, so stay tuned for that.

Yes, yes, there is a contest. . .here’s what you do. Simply respond to this post and tell me 1. what books you or your children are reading this summer 2. if you would recommend these books to us 3. your email address

What you can win. . .
I am giving away a free 10-page critique from my Editor 911 business. You can either use it for the first 10 pages of a novel or a short story that is up to 10 pages. If you are not a writer yourself, you can give it away to anyone!–your sister, your children, your spouse–anyone!

Also, if you ever do write anything or need an editor and mention that you saw this post (you don’t have to enter the contest to take advantage of this), then you can get a 10% discount on your overall bill.

Contest ends on July 31 at 8:00 p.m. CST. You can enter as many times as you like–so if you start reading a new book, please leave another comment and enter again. I will critique/edit/proofread anyone’s story from age 3 to 103 (or older) that is the winner of this contest. The winner will be chosen by using random.org (love this site!)

Happy reading!
See you all on August 1.

If you have any questions about my editing business, Editor 911, please feel free to email me at margodll (at) aol.com at anytime before or after August 1. I will have access to email periodically while I’m gone.

*Picture book, fantasy for preschoolers through second graders
*Bats (the animal) as main characters
*Rating: The strength in Bats at the Ballgame is definitely the illustrative talent of Brian Lies–cute concept and some clever text, like Cricket Jacks!

Short, short summary:

So, what do I do with this book?

1. This is a great book to share during summer school, in those warm spring months before school is out (or your home school children are ready to have a break), or even in the fall around World Series time. There is quite a bit of “baseball lingo” in here, which your boy and girl baseball players will appreciate. Ask students to make personal connections with the text, as they have all probably at least played baseball/softball in P.E. or at recess. Ask them to write a paragraph about what this book makes them think about in their own lives. (It could be any sporting event, actually.)

2. You can teach word choice and sentence fluency, two of the 6 + 1 traits of writing, with this book. Word choice is an obvious lesson since Lies has written descriptive text, and it rhymes. Don’t you love the way he chose to write Cricket Jacks instead of Cracker Jacks? Even that one simple word makes an entirely different book–this is word choice at its finest. As for sentence fluency, when you read a rhyming book like this out loud, your students can really hear how the text flows. Look at the punctuation, too, and/or transition words to see how these keep the text flowing.

3. Brian Lies has beautiful illustrations. Give your students a chance to study them. What do they notice? How do the illustrations and the text work together to tell the story? If your students really love his work, then share (and compare and contrast) one of his other books such as Bats in the Library.

Many of you who read this blog may also be writers or aspiring children’s authors. Some of you may be interested in taking some online writing courses to learn an aspect of the writing business you didn’t know before. WOW! Women On Writing offers several online workshops in a variety of subjects from finding an agent to writing picture books and screenplays! You can check out all the listings here on the classroom page.

I am teaching five classes for WOW! Here’s the information:

• July 25: Writing the Middle-Grade Novel http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html#MargoDill_WritingMiddleGradeNovel

  This class is perfect for people who have an idea for a middle-grade novel and want some direction OR for people just starting out with a novel idea and need some motivation.

• July 27: WRITING FOR CHILDREN: Everything You Need to Know About Short Stories, Articles, and Fillers http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html#MargoDill_WritingForChildren

  This class is for anyone who is interested in writing for children’s magazines, e-zines, or anthologies. By the end of the class, you will have 3 pieces ready to send to magazines.

• August 19: FREELANCE WRITING: Querying and Writing Non-Fiction Articles **This is my new class! http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html#MargoDill_FreelanceWriting

  If you want to make some money writing articles for publication, then this is the class for you. We will go through finding ideas to querying magazines to writing the articles.

• August 30: BLOGGING 101 AND MORE: Start a Blog, Make it Unique, and Keep it Going
  http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html#MargoDill_Blogging101

This is the perfect class for someone who wants to start blogging or someone who has started and needs some oompf added to her/his blog. I’ve had students who knew nothing to students who had been blogging for years but had become uninspired.

Also if you are looking for some inspiration for your writing this summer instead of a class, I highly recommend this book, which I just love and look at from time to time: The Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life by Nava Atlas. There’s more information about this book at this post on my blog.

*Picture book, realistic (?) fiction for preschoolers through 2nd graders (although there’s something for older kids, too)
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: The Great White House Breakout is a clever book with wonderful illustrations and a storyline to get kids and adults talking about the President of the U.S.–in a good way!

Short, short summary:

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Write a letter to the current president at the White House. You will get a letter back and maybe even some goodies–such as a picture of the first pet–to go along with it. In the letter, ask students or your child to tell about this book you read and encourage them to ask questions about being the president or the White House. They can also learn the most famous address in the United States by addressing their own envelopes.

2. Study what there is to do in Washington, D.C. Use The Great White House Breakout as a starting point and then ask students to do some of their own research. Students can work together in pairs to make a Washington, D.C. tourist brochure or even a “Plan for Sam, Leonard, and Warren.”

3. Ask students to imagine they live in the White House and write (or draw pictures if that’s more age appropriate) about their activities. They can be as creative as Sam or just realistically tell what they would like to do!

My good cyber buddy, Clara Gillow Clark, is having her second annual Spilling Ink writing contest for children in grades 4 to 8! Spilling Ink by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter is a great resource book for your classroom or your home–it’s a young writer’s handbook. On her blog, Clara says, “Spilling Ink is a humorous and inspiring book of advice, questions, and writing prompts for young writers.”

Basically,the contest goes like this: Write 200-300 words on one of these writing prompts:

Writing Prompts from Spilling Ink, the Book:
Writing Prompt #1: I DARE YOU Rewrite a scene from your life. Think of something that happened today. Something that wasn’t perfect–maybe something that was even downright mortifying–and rewrite it as you would have wanted it to happen. (Tip from Clara: Remember that scenes have a beginning, middle, and end!)

Writing Prompt #2: I DARE YOU Think of two people you admire. Now think of the thing you admire most about each of them. Combine those two qualities into one person and write about that person in the following situation: She or he is walking down the street and a strange man hands your character a small sealed carton and says, “Don’t let anything happen to this!” Then the man sprints away. What does your character do next?

Writing Prompt #3 from Wendy Townsend and Clara Gillow Clark: Is there a pet you wish you could have? Is it a wild animal? Maybe a goldfish, cat, dog, white mouse, a lizard or a snake? Perhaps, your pet is imaginary? You really really want this pet. Write about all the ways you might go about getting this pet. Now write a scene where you put that plan into action.

After you (students/kids) write your piece, you e-mail it to: [email protected] by May 1. You can win cash prizes, books, and a publication opportunity on Clara’s blog. For all the details, check out the post here.

If you are interested in Spilling Ink, click on the link below:

I am happy to host author Nava Atlas today and her book: The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life. She has written a wonderful post on how juggling motherhood and a career has been a struggle for centuries! Her book is amazing because she poured through letters, journals, essays, memoirs, and more to find quotes from 12 classic women authors to create a book that is an inspiration for writers everywhere. This would be a perfect book for a high school English teacher or college writing teacher. I use my copy when giving presentations and for daily inspiration. Read what these authors had to say about motherhood. Then click on the Amazon link below to find out more about the book!

Classic Authors on Motherhood and the Juggling Act

by Nava Atlas

When discussing the challenges faced by women authors of the past in The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life, one of the questions I’m asked with startling regularity is why it has always been so difficult to master the work/life/motherhood balance. It was grueling for Harriet Beecher Stowe in the nineteenth century; and while it may have been somewhat easier for Madeleine L’Engle in the twentieth, it was just as guilt-inducing. For those of us who write today, there are still no easy answers.

I’m not one to bandy about gender stereotypes, but it’s hard to dispute that in traditional relationships women still bear the greatest share of childcare and household management. This is tricky enough in situations where both partners work, and even more so in instances where the woman’s work is something she actually likes and that gives her creative gratification. The impulse is always to put others first—if not our kids, then our parents, or our partner, or our community. How dare I take this time to write, our guilty mind frets, when there’s so much to do, and when so-and-so needs me?

In times past, if a woman wanted to give her all to her writing pursuits, she often had to forego family life. Fewer than half of well-known women authors of past generations were mothers. Of the twelve authors I focus on in this book, only four were mothers (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Madeleine L’Engle, L.M. Montgomery, and George Sand), and that’s a fairly accurate reflection of how the profession was in the past. Now, more women writers than ever want to enjoy a fulfilling creative life as well as a family. It’s comforting to learn that women authors of the distant and not-so-distant past, like most of us, muddled through as best they could, and dealt with daily disruptions and longer interruptions. And yes, they felt guilty, acknowledged it, and wrote anyway. They just couldn’t help it.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was the mother of seven children. Despite the rigors of raising a large family, attending to household duties, and doing paid writing to help with expenses, she burned to write the anti-slavery story that would become Uncle Tom’s Cabin. She expressed her desire for a private place to write and for more domestic help. She also wrote of her guilt, as in an 1841 letter to her husband: “Our children are just coming to the age when everything depends on my efforts. They are delicate in health, and nervous and excitable and need a mother’s whole attention. Can I lawfully divide my attention by literary efforts?”

Stowe was devastated when her toddler son died of cholera, but later, she claime