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What can we say to ourselves to affirm the power of writing? What words will help us move forward when the going gets tough? Thinking about class writing mantras...

For years and years and years (I've worked in libraries for a long-time) I've talked about and heard about the importance of school and public library collaboration. And, over the years, I've talked about and heard about how hard it is to be successful in this area. It actually seems to me that the challenges and barriers that I've been talking about and hearing about for a couple of decades haven't really changed. And, they certainly haven't gone away.

The fact that conversations remain the same over a long period of time, got me thinking - Maybe we are going about this the wrong way. Maybe, instead of the focus being on what we regularly call school and public library collaboration (the thing we do), what we really need to focus on is what is required in order to have positive lasting outcomes/impacts for students and teachers (what we want to achieve). This was brought home to me this week when I read the post Building Relationships Through the Use of Technology by George Couros. The ideas embedded in the image he included in that post (shown on the left) really resonated with me.

What if as the new school year starts you didn't talk about or focus on the act of collaborating with your school or public library, but instead talked about and worked towards answering the question, What should the outcome of public library school library collaboration be for students, teachers, parents, and school staff? What would be different and would you be more successful by the end of the school year? Taking the Couros post image as a model would you go from "Good Answers" like:

• Making sure that library staff know about assignments
• Being able to teach school staff (teachers and administrators) about library resources
• Making sure to purchase materials that support teacher/student needs
• Being able to add website links that support teacher/student needs
• Having the chance to work on lessons with teachers

To Better Answers like:

• Build relationships for long-lasting success within the public/school library community
• Change cultures
• Learn from each other - students, teachers, parents, administrators and other school and public library staff
• Develop outcomes and stories that can be used in advocacy efforts
• Drive change
• Lead
• Support learning of students no matter what.

Of course, as with many things in life, this is often easier said than done. But, it's doable, I'm certain. For example, this year instead of going into classrooms or talking with your counterpart colleagues about the resources you have for students and teachers, what if you had conversations that focused on what teachers, students, administrators, staff are:

• Working on
• What are they successful in/at
• What they are finding difficult to accomplish
• What would they like to be able to do more easily
• What would they like to change

Would that lead to stronger relationships with everyone and as a result a better chance to bring about positive outcomes? As you think about the outcomes and the conversations you can have with your library counterpart and school personnel and parents and students remember, the outcomes are what the students, teachers, staff, and parents gain. While through these gains library staff might find that their resources and expertise and time are used successfully - the focus of the outcomes you work towards in this area should be about the people you serve, not about you and your library. The outcome is in what changes in the academic and formal and informal learning lives of those you work with.  For more information and resources about outcomes, visit YALSA's wiki.

I don't think the idea of collaboration is a bad thing. But, I do think that we spend a lot of time talking about the thing - collaboration - and not what the impact of the work needs to be for students and teachers and families. Change the conversation, listen to those you want to serve before you tell them what you can do for them, build relationships, focus on the goal for the user, and see what happens.

With our summer reading club winding down tomorrow, August 15^th, now seems like a perfect time for us to focus on some new goals as kids return to the classrooms. What ideas do you have to improve your programs, services, and library spaces during this next school year?

Out with the Old           

(Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com)

During our busy summer it can be nearly impossible for us to organize everything we need as we scramble from one program to the next. It may not appear as exciting as some of our other tasks, but organizing our offices and closets during this time of transition after summer reading and before the school groups come rolling in can prove tremendously helpful. We complete an inventory of our closets and find some previously hidden treasures that could work perfectly as a prop for story time or an innovative craft. This also helps us save a lot of time when we have things better organized so we can best access our materials, and we use this time to order more supplies to ensure our closets are better stocked when we have those last minute programs we need to put together. Are there any special projects you are taking on to ensure your work space is better organized moving forward this school year?

Examining Our Early Literacy Efforts    

(Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com)

Our focus this fall is to streamline our efforts with our early literacy programs and services. Our December youth services training will review the latest edition of Every Child Ready to Read to ensure our new staffers have the skills and confidence to encourage parents and caregivers to participate in early literacy activities with their children at home. We will examine the agencies already available in our community to determine how they provide programs and resources to our children and their families. It is important for us to consider how to reach out to the customers walking through our doors as well as the day cares, preschools, and hospitals we may partner with in order for us to better serve our patrons. What projects or goals do you have to improve your services to your customers as we transition into this new school year?

Summer Reading Brainstorming                 

(Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com)

As soon as we complete one year’s club, we begin to focus on the next. The ALSC Blog has been a valuable resource for us as we read the creative ideas from librarians across the county interested in innovative ways to increase participation and get children excited about reading all summer long. We will review our prizes and programs to consider how to best reach our audiences next year. When we give our summer reading program the emphasis it deserves by debriefing our previous program and planning the next early in the year, we work to ensure our next year’s program is as successful as possible. It may seem light years away from now, but June and the start of our next summer reading club will be here before we know it. What ideas do you have to enhance your summer reading program for next year?

August is a month full of transitions from one busy season to the next. We will focus our efforts on decluttering our spaces, enhancing our early literacy efforts, and beginning our initial planning for next summer’s reading program. What plans and ideas do you hope to complete during this new school year? Please share in the comments below!

The post A Fresh Start for the New School Year appeared first on ALSC Blog.

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No matter how fine a school may be—too much of a good thing can prove to be a bad idea. Principal Keene learns about some of the other important things in children’s lives from a young girl who has the courage to speak up to an adult.

SCHOOL STORIES ABOUT TEASING AND BULLYING

Chrysanthemum
Written & illsutrated by Kevin Henkes  
Greenwillow, 1991

Hooway for Wodney Wat
Written by Helen Lester 

 Illustrated by Lyn Munsinger
Houghton Mifflin, 1999

Poor Wodney Wat (Rodney Rat) can’t pronounce his r’s. His classmates constantly tease him. When Camilla Capybara, a new student who is a big bully, enters the classroom, Wodney fears his days at school will only get worse. Fortunately for Wodney, he is a hero by story’s end because he gets rid of Camilla….forever.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Mellon
Written by Patty Lovell
Illustrated by David Catrow
Penguin, 2001

Molly Lou is the shortest girl in first grade. She’s got buck teeth, has a terrible singing voice, and is quite clumsy. Her grandma gives her the courage to take pride in herself. Then Molly Lou moves to a new town away from her grandma and old friends. A bully picks on her and teases her—but Molly takes it all in stride and wins over her classmates…including her harasser.

Libraries and schools across the country collaborate to promote library card sign-ups at the beginning of each school year. Annual efforts include blog posts, official proclamations, and lists of schools supplies sent out to parents. Last year, Philadelpha City Schools and Free Library merged databases to give nearly 100,000 students library cards. In April of this year, President Obama announced the ConnectED Library Challenge with the lofty goal of putting a public library card into the hand of every school student. As of August 5, nearly 50 communities had adopted the initiative.

Accomplishing this will be no easy task. When you live in an area (as I do) where one school district serves multiple library districts and vice versa, knowing where to go to get a public library card can be confusing. Unincorporated areas, which often aren't served by any public library, compound this. At least one nearby library has mitigated that issue by signing contracts with local schools that allow students who live in the unincorporated areas to receive a card for use during the school year.

One neighboring community, Skokie, has adopted the ConnectED Library Challenge. The Village of Skokie is a northwest suburb of Chicago, and is home to a little over 64,000 people. The village straddles two different townships, and so public high school students attend one of two different districts. One township, Niles, is also home to a portion of the Village of Niles, which makes up a significant portion of the Niles Public Library District. Confused yet? Students from four different library districts all attend Niles Township High School District 219.

In an effort to sign students up for public library cards with as little confusion as possible, District 219 created a simple form on their student/parent portal. This summer parents could sign their students up for library cards at the same time that they registered for school. They just needed to click a box to agree to release their residency information. From there, the students' information would be forwarded to the library district where they live, and a card would be generated. Cards would be delivered to students during the first days of school, which happen this week.

To promote the portal, letters were sent out to parents over the summer. Staff from all four participating libraries also took turns operating a help desk during the high schools' in-person registration days; both to promote card sign up and assist parents with the log in process. I haven't seen statistics of card sign-ups generated from this promotion, but (anecdotally) many of the students and parents who stopped at the library table while I was staffing already had library cards, had general questions, or needed to retrieve passwords from home before they would be able to sign in to the portal. I did help several families through the sign up process.

I also don't know whether the option to sign up for a library card will remain a part of the portal throughout the school year. This would be helpful, as students move into the district throughout the year. Others may not have been prepared to sign-up over the summer, and will be in the fall. And perhaps others who simply weren't interested will later change their minds.

For links to resources about community partnerships see the communication, marketing & outreach tools on the YALSA website.

Building Writing Communities  Community is defined by Merriam Webster as: a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood) a group of people who have the… Continue reading →

Whether students have a year or more under their belts or are starting school for the first time, a new school year can invoke everything from laughter to tears to giggles and cheers. Teachers face the full spectrum of student feelings about the first day of a new school year: excitement, shyness, doubt, fear, anxiety.

How can we help our students face their feelings and the start of the new school year?

Selecting the right back-to-school read aloud is exciting because of the potential it holds. We can imagine the conversations we will have with our scholars and the connections they will make. We can imagine the safe, welcoming, reading-first space we will inspire.

It may be tempting to concentrate on introducing students to routines and expectations and practicing procedures around sitting on the carpet or signaling for the bathroom. However, building classroom culture is critical to a successful school year. Reading should start on day 1 as part of your strategy for achieving that safe, welcoming, reading-first space.

As you assemble or sort through your read aloud bin for the right mentor texts for the first unit in your scope & sequence, think about which books signal the community and classroom culture you want and your students need.

Pair read alouds that are “elementary school classics” with books that celebrate and recognize your students’ experiences, backgrounds, and interests.

For example, a classic back to school read aloud is Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes, about a young girl’s first day of kindergarten. Henkes captures the feelings of many new students navigating new spaces and friendships.

Now pair that with a text that has characters with identities and experiences that are meaningful to your student population. Yes, first day jitters and excitement are universal, but the additional challenge of being a non-native English speaker or coping with homelessness can tip feelings over from nervous to overwhelmed.

Chrysanthemum, You’re Not Alone!

As part of your preparations for the beginning of the school year, gather a collection of your books related to the first day of school.

Book Pairing Recommendation:

Elizabeti’s School + Moony Luna/ Luna, Lunita Lunera + Chrysanthemum (HarperCollins)

Ideal read-alouds for the start of school should:

• Allow you to introduce and discuss the roles of students and teachers, the classroom, and school in general
• Show young learners that it is normal to have a mixture of feelings during this time of change
• Include a variety of themes and topics: the first day of school, making friends, families and communities, dealing with new situations and separation, helping each other process our emotions/overcome fears, and growing up

Getting students to start talking about how a character grapples with new  classmates and the school setting can help them express how they are feeling as well as recognize that others in the room feel exactly the same way. (It also gives you the opportunity to start reading to kids! And show how book-centric your classroom is.)

Activities:

1. In the first few days, read more than one character’s first day of school. Ask children to make connections between these stories. Also encourage them to connect their own school experiences to those of characters in the books.
2. If students are writing, have children write about something in school that made them feel happy. It may be one or two sentences. For students who are not writing yet, encourage them to dictate their experience for their drawings to an adult who will record their words. Include a space for students to sketch their answer.
3. Have students turn to the last page in the book. Then ask them to draw a dream that the character might have that night or imagine what her second day will be like.
4. As a whole group, write a class letter as Chrysanthemum to Moony Luna. What advice would she have for Luna about school?
5. Finally, create a bin of other back-to-school books (it’s quite a genre!) for students to explore in and outside of class.

Additionally, consider reading your favorite must-read back-to-school book in the students’ first language (or inviting a parent to join alongside you in the reading) if they are English Language Learners. Many of the most popular “classics” are available in other languages as well as authentic literature written as bilingual texts.

Recognizing children’s cultures and their languages is a BIG deal. Too many schools get students’ names wrong from the beginning. More and more schools have English Language Learner populations and multiple languages spoken within one school and classroom. Reading in students’ language or selecting a text that portrays a character your students identify with communicates to them that they matter, their lives matter, and they are going to learn a ton with you this year.

Culturally responsive books with characters and themes about navigating a new school/grade/year:

A Shelter in Our Car: Zettie and her Mama left their warm and comfortable  home in Jamaica for an uncertain life in the United  Sates, and they are forced to live in Mama’s car.

David’s Drawings and Los dibujos de David: Available in Spanish and English, a shy young African American boy makes friends in  school by letting his classmates help with his drawing of  a bare winter tree. A shy young African American boy  makes friends in school by letting his classmates help  with his drawing of a bare winter tree.

Elizabeti’s School and La escuela de Elizabeti: In this contempory Tanzanian story available in English and Spanish, author Stephanie  Stuve­Bodeen and artist Christy Hale once again bring  the sweet innocence of Elizabeti to life. Readers are sure  to recognize this young child’s emotions as she copes  with her first day of school and discovers the wonder and  joy of learning.

First Day in Grapes and Primer día en las uvas: Available in Spanish and English, the powerful story of a migrant boy  who grows in self­confidence when he uses his math  prowess to stand up to the school bullies.

Home at Last and Al fin en casa: A sympathetic tale available in Spanish and English of a mother­daughter bond and  overcoming adversity, brought to life by the vivid  illustrations of Felipe Davalos.

Moony Luna/ Luna, Lunita Lunera: Bilingual English/Spanish. A bilingual tale about a  young girl afraid to go to school for the first time.

The Closet Ghosts: Moving to a new place is hard enough without finding a bunch of mean, nasty ghosts in your closet. When  Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, answers Anu’s plea  for help, Anu rejoices­until she realizes that those pesky  ghosts don’t seem to be going anywhere.

The Upside Down Boy/ El niño de cabeza: Bilingual English/Spanish. Award­winning poet Juan  Felipe Herrera’s engaging memoir of the year his  migrant family settled down so that he could go to  school for the first time.

Willie Wins: In this heart-warming story, a boy gets beyond peer  pressure and comes to appreciate the depth of his  father’s love.

For further reading on starting the school year:

• How to Choose Books For Core Value Study
• How to Teach Core Values To Kids Meaningfully

I know, I KNOW. It’s July 29th. It doesn’t feel like it’s time to go back to school.

And for lots of districts, it’s not.

But for huge swatches of the South and the Midwest, it’s happening this week or next week. It’s so early, it’s so hot. The kids are so cranky (I would be, too, if I had to go back to school so soon!)

What’s the solution?

COMICS.

Here’s some great, recent comics/graphic novels to give to your kids. Throw these up on a display, handsell them, or stealthily slide them across your circ counter. Your tweens will thank you.

Gotham Academy Volume 1. Do your kids love Batman? This comic is set in a prestigious prep school right in the heart of Gotham. With great supporting characters, secrets, and possibly a ghost, this hits all the superhero buttons. The mysterious Wayne family might even make an appearance…

Oddly Normal! Image Comics just reprinted this with a new cover. It’s INCREDIBLY fun. Oddly is a half-witch and having a mother from Fignation isn’t always a walk in the park. It’s even less fun when her parents disappear and she has to go live in Fignation. She’s the only being in the whole world that’s even remotely human. Hijinks ensue.

Baba Yaga’s Assistant is out next week. It’s a bit spooky but not outright scary. Masha needs some adventure so when Baba Yaga advertises for an assistant, she decides to try it out. But she has to be clever and wily enough to earn her place.

BONUS:

I am Princess X is actually a novel, but there’s a story-within-a-story here that’s told in comics, and it’s a very cool example of mixed-format storytelling. May’s best friend Libby passed away a few years ago in a really tragic accident, and she’s been lonely ever since. But all of a sudden, she sees Princess X popping up all over Seattle: Princess X was a childhood creation that only Libby and May knew about. As May dives into the world of Princess X and webcomics, she begins to wonder–could Libby be alive?

Enjoy the last part of your summer!

*

Our guest blogger from YALSA today is Ally Watkins (@aswatki1). Ally is a Library Consultant at the Mississippi Library Commission.

The post Comics for back to school! appeared first on ALSC Blog.

For many of you, by now your little ones will be well and truly back into the school routine. Apart from the usual school-related requirements, you may have also restocked your return-to-school library, determined to share the educational and emotional journey your child is embarking on, perhaps for the first time. You will find some […]

The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade

By Justin Roberts; illustrated by Christian Robinson

Have you ever seen the movie “Network?” In this 1977 winner of 4 Academy Awards movie, Peter Finch plays a news commentator Howard Beale that notices what’s going on in the culture and is well, fed up. He’s also a little crazy. One doesn’t know whether he is a function OF the culture or merely a reflection of it. He definitely taps into something in everyday living that OTHERS, TOO have felt is not quite right. His iconic statement of, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore” is electric in its viral ability to tap into the general feeling of disquiet that he has long observed and paid attention to. He has PAID ATTENTION, while many are busy living their lives as he decries generated profits weighed by the higher ups with their little regard for content.

This is not to suggest, by any means, a parallel between the movie character and the above picture book character named Sally McCabe. That would be a BIG stretch. But they DO have one thing in common. They BOTH pay attention and take a stand when they see something wrong. It takes both a while to observe and evaluate, but they decide to stand up to bullies, injustices and, in the process, call attention to problems that may slip other’s attention.

Kids are VERY observant. They notice the minutia of life that sometimes slips adult notice in the fever of life. And Sally McCabe is an observer of life.

Written by Justin Roberts, a Grammy-nominated children’s musician, dubbed by none other than the The New York Times as “the Judy Blume of kiddie rock.” If you are familiar with Judy Blume’s work, her books are full of very observant characters.

Back to Sally McCabe who is the smallest in a small grade. It’s easy to slip by unnoticed, but this young one misses little. To quote the book, Sally “was paying super extra special attention.” But to what?

“To abandoned kites with tangled string.”

“To the twenty-seven keys on the janitor’s ring.”

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY

“To the time Tommy Torino is tripped in the hall.”

 

“She saw Kevin McKuen get pushed off a slide -

But through all the mean words and all the cold stares,

no one even noticed that Sally was there.”

 

I love the way Justin Roberts compares the crushing power of a bulldozer compressing flowers, with her small view of “how a whisper could make someone cower.”

The emotional debris from bullies is pictured as the pile of “stuff” she sees pushed about in nature.

And then comes “February third at eleven twenty-nine on the lunchroom line.” And Sally, sort of like the news commentator in “Network” stands up and says, with a finger pointed upward,

“I’m tired of seeing this terrible stuff.

Stop hurting each other! This is enough!”

Will there be snickers, shrugs, distinct disinterest OR a collected connection of similar feelings among the small students in Sally’s school?

Will some stay out of doing something at Sally’s school? Yes, that’s life. But when one small youngster stands up, others may too – and do. More importantly, they will THINK a bit before they act without thinking about someone else as regards what they say or do. They may think about the effect of one word, one gesture, one dismissive behavior.

Justin Roberts and the cheerful colorful drawings of award-winning illustrator, Christian Roberts that brings small Sally and her small classmates to life for your young reader, provide a thought provoking message for young readers.

Small people can make a big difference – if they pay super extra special attention – and care enough to do something!

Like many things in life, what we say we will do, is not as important as what we actually do. Sally McCabe is a sayer and doer and models courage for the smallest in small grades.

And like the heavy steel ring of the janitor’s keys all strung together that “held all the secrets to unlock everything,” so too are the small kids in their small school, ready for one life secret of behavior to be unlocked at a time. And kindness is the key!

Mr. Wayne’s Masterpiece

By Patricia Polacco

School is back in session at the same time that one of my favorite picture book authors, Ms. Patricia Polacco, offers her newest picture book and it is reason to celebrate on so many levels.Artistically and narratively, her books are a joy to read. They draw you in immediately and hold you till the end.

Her books speak to children’s vulnerabilities, uncertainties, fears and doubts in a variety of situations. Bullying, disabilities that can hamper learning, shyness, and family problems are but a few of the issues some of her picture books address. I love that she never attempts to sugar coat or gloss over the very real emotions and feelings that children may encounter in any or all of the situations that may come their way. YET, there is always SOMEONE in her picture books that helps the child overcome those feelings and, in the end, conquer what have seemingly been roadblocks to learning AND growth. I am also very gratified to see that in many of her books, that person happens to be a male OR female teacher!

If you read “The Art of Miss Chew”, “Thank you, Mr. Falker”, “Bully” and the above, “Mr. Wayne’s Masterpiece”, Ms. Polacco has mirrored a life changing instance ( in many cases, it may well have been her own), in a child’s life that has paved the way for a more confident, emotionally healthy future adult. More often that not, it was because of the direct and caring words and actions of a teacher that recognIzed a need that had yet to be addressed in a child – and met. They meet it NOT by providing a way out, but by ACCOMPANYING the child THROUGH IT with words of encouragement and sincere belief in the child’s abilities when the child does not possess that courage and belief in themselves as yet. That is one of the reasons why teachers DO effect eternity in that their words echo throughout a child’s life.

Meet Trisha who has a very hard time with public speaking. She halts and hesitates through the reading of book reports to be read aloud in class. Trisha is smart, but lacks confidence in her own abilities. Do you know a Trisha? I have met many in my time in the classroom and it is so heartening to see them blossom through a word, a gesture, or a special note of praise. Sometimes, in a very busy day in a classroom, those are the moments that stand out.

For that is just what Trisha needs, and she gets it from the collaborative efforts of two teachers named Mr. Tranchina and the drama coach, Mr. Wayne, who has just composed a play for a school production.

Mr. Tranchina is the facilitator here in that he recognizes Trisha’s talents as a writer and connects her with the drama teacher. Mr. Wayne, in turn immediately notices her reticence to be front and center, yet sees her talent can be cultivated and nursed “behind the scenes.” Her facility also lies in the arts and painting! Remind you of anyone, yet? It should, to Polacco fans.

The winter play called “Musette in the Garden Snow” involves a girl, her friends and a mysterious garden, and as Trisha half listens backstage, she finds herself mouthing EVERYONE’S LINES, INCLUDING MUSETTE’S!!!

Circumstances find Trisha facing a daunting opportunity to take over the role of Musette with a mixture of trepidation and terror oddly mixed with a talent that will not be denied!

Children may find themselves identifying wholeheartedly with Trisha as she faces her fears and finds herself onstage and in command, and “on fire” as she fully embraces the energy of the performing arts.

I asked my actress daughter to explain to me what it feels like onstage. “Mom, she said, “It’s this energy that you give out to the audience and they pass it back to you. And when it”s working perfectly, it’s an exhilaration akin to hitting the “sweet spot” on a tennis racket.” It’s a volley that just continues throughout the play and it’s a feeling like no other.”

Trisha, thanks to those two teachers – AND a supportive mom, gets her moment to feel it too!

They say in life it’s the things you DON”T do that you regret the most, and in “Mr. Wayne’s Masterpiece”, his creative effort is not merely his play, but the newly confident Trisha, herself.

I count myself so fortunate to have had at least TWO such teachers in MY life! Each time I tell a story to a group of children, I can see their faces in the children’s eyes!!

Al Pha’s Bet

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal; illustrated by Delphine Durand

As the first few weeks of Back to School roll out for families attempting to adjust to school schedules and the new “order of the day”, an ABC book came to mind for young readers. And it prompts the question, “Did you ever wonder WHO put the 26 letters of the alphabet in ABC ORDER for countless generations that have enunciated them in sing song fashion?

New York Times best selling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal, author of “Little Pea” and “One of Those Days”, does.

Like many other things in life, it all depends on how you look at things and Ms. Rosenthal has chosen to roll out the alphabet in a refreshingly imaginative way.

It’s not JUST the same ole ABC’s. It’s their STORY, and don’t kids love stories, or at least one VIEW of how they came to be, well, in ABC order?

Enter Al Pha in the time of long ago of course. In point of fact this is the VERY long ago as in the time of the invention of FIRE, the WHEEL and SHADOWS (might THIS reference to SHADOWS be a nod of the head to Plato’s cave theory relating to the allegory of knowledge? This could lead to a VERY interesting turn in the story telling road). We’re talking VERY olden times here!

Anyway, the king announces a contest for the organization of the letters of the alphabet that had just been thrown together willy-nilly! The lure of being famous AND remembered “for all time” prompts Al to enter with both feet. SHH! Private BET time as Al tells NO ONE of his plan. Remember the BET! Al collects his burlap bag of letters from the palace and is off and running on an organizational quest. The easiest letter to come first is A. A is of course, for Al!

And what follows is a very interesting take on the progression of the letters AND what prompts their groupings. Could a bee casually buzzing by Al be responsible for its place as #2 in the list of 26? And what about E and F closely resembling each other? Could they be TWINS? A snake’s hiss and S is assembled, but not before the reaction of Al with an “Arrrrrrrrrr”, that precedes the S! As Al nears the end, it’s a literal “toss up” of X and Y to see in which order they will be arranged.

Dragging the ABC burlap bag BACK to the king, Al and the king wind up in a duet, SAYING AND SINGING the letters that tons of school kids have recited in the same way. Al is a shoe-in for fame.

So, Al Pha won the BET! What a neat tying up of loose ends, Ms. Rosenthal. AND it’s the end of the story, but not of Al and Ms. Rosenthal’s cunning take on the history of the ABC’s.

And hey, Delphine Durand’s “thumb like”, red-panted Al is perfect for a “Where is Thumbkin?” illustration. But THAT is ANOTHER story!

How do you survive as a psychology student? It might be a daunting prospect, but we here at OUP are here to give you a helping hand through three years of cognitive overload. Here are our top tips:

1. Do some essential reading before you start your degree! Psychology is a very broad subject, so build some strong foundations with a wide reading base, especially if you’re new to the subject. Check out our Essential Book List to get you started (and recommendations welcome in the comments below).

2. Stay up-to-date with current affairs. Psychology is a continually evolving subject, with new ideas and perspectives emerging all the time. Read blogs, journals, and magazines; watch TED talks; listen to podcasts; and scan newspapers for psychology-themed stories.

3. Always keep your eyes and ears open. University is your chance to learn beyond the classroom. Pay attention to life – just watching your favourite TV programme can give you an insight into how a theoretical concept might actually work. Use everyday events and interactions to deepen your understanding of psychological ideas.

4. Learn from everyone around you. Psychology asks questions about how we as humans think – so go and think together with some other humans! Compare and contrast different ideas and approaches, and make the most of group learning or other opportunities, like taking part in other people’s surveys or experiments. Joining your university psychology society is a great way to learn from your peers and to balance work with play.

5. Learn how to study independently. This is your chance to learn what you want, not what you have to. You will have much greater academic freedom than ever before. Wherever you choose to study, you will have to take on your own independent research, and if you see yourself building a career in psychology, then independent investigation is crucial.

6. Hone your note-taking / diagram-making skills. On your laptop, tablet, smartphone — or with paper and pens — you’ll be writing a lot of notes over the course of your degree. Referencing and formatting might not seem like the most exciting aspects of your degree, but good preparation and organisation will make them more bearable (and quicker!). Get to know how best you learn, remember and process information.

7. Get enough sleep. Sitting up late staring at textbooks and computer screens is easy, but it’s not the healthiest habit to get into. Studying well is less about the number of hours you put in, than how effectively you spend those hours. Keep up a balanced diet, stay hydrated, do regular exercise, and find someone to talk to if you’re feeling stressed.

8. Don’t be afraid to admit to your own weaknesses. Psychology is a demanding subject, and questions are more common than neat answers.

9. Try to enjoy your studies. There are many ideas to explore, from behaviour to dreams, memory to psychoanalysis. Keep looking at different topics that interest you to stay motivated. When it does get too much, don’t be afraid to step back and take a break.

10. Finally, remember what psychology is about. You can get lost in surveys and experiments, theories and concepts, but try to always keep in mind what drew you to psychology in the first place. In studying psychology you’re taking part in a great tradition of questioning how the human mind works and behaves – be proud of that.

Heading Image: Student. Photo by CollegeDegrees360, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr

The post 10 ways to survive being a psychology student appeared first on OUPblog.

        

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Today’s guest blogger, Sarah Kilway, wrote to us after receiving hundreds of new books for her students. We couldn’t resist sharing her story with you.

I teach 187 kids at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center in Indianapolis, IN. The majority of my students live in poverty. Most have only one parent at home.

Not many of my kids own books, nor were they read to as children. Even as 9th graders, they lack basic common knowledge of fairy tales, fables and iconic book characters.

Our school has many great resources, but when something is lacking, my colleagues and I step in. This often means spending my own money on books and other items for my students, but it’s totally worth it. I also have First Book.

Thanks to First Book, I was recently able to give a new book to every single one of my students – all 187! A few told me it was the first book they’d ever owned. Some said it was the first book they have ever finished. Such a proud moment for me and them – one that I wanted to share with you.

My students now ask me to go to the library on a daily basis.

Please give to First Book today so I can continue helping them discover and enjoy reading, and so other teachers can too. Your support puts a whole new world within their reach.

The post 187 Reasons Why a Teacher Needs Books appeared first on First Book Blog.

M is for Mischief: An A to Z of Naughty Children

By Linda Ashman; illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

How do you find a picture book that teaches good behavior by showing the exact OPPOSITE in little rascals that model pure unadulterated mischief from the get go AND introduces the ABC’s in the process?

Example is usually always the strongest teacher when WE model behaviors we want to see in our children such as empathy, honesty, kindness, sharing, politeness and the like. But Ms. Ashman has chosen a different approach. She shows in her alphabetically listed antics of a very anti social group of young ones, A to Z named kiddies modeling behaviors you hope your young would be reader will opt to AVOID!!

Picture book readers are probably fascinated like their older siblings with all things electronic. What about starting them out as they begin the adventure of reading and recognizing letters with a physical book. The mischievous maniacs listed here will help build sustained attention span in your child as you relate the antics of this wildly uncivil group!  

Sometimes, and the operative word here IS sometimes, the more effective way to reinforce GOODNESS is to point out its counterpart in VERY NAUGHTY kiddies. Ideally, the behavior you point out will look so awful they will roll their eyes and say UGH!

BUT, there is always the slightest of risks that these behaviors may look, shall we say, attractive and their reaction will be…Hmmm! But Ms. Ashman has wisely put a poetic caveat at the intro to her book.

DEAR READER.

 

 You, of course, are not the sort,

 To argue, fight, or brag.

 You’re not inclined to be unkind:

 you rarely whine or nag.

 

 Others aren’t so pleasant, though.

 Read on and you shall see.

 Here’s a catalog of naughtiness.

 Presented A to Z.

 

Linger longingly when you read the most ubiquitous behaviors of these 26 baddies such as Impolite Irma, Joking Jackson and Untidy Ursula. Then skip quickly through the more irascible ones such as Kicking Ken, Vile Vern and Zany Zelda. But then again they’re probably the ones your young one may cotton to. Twas ever thus! Nancy Carpenter’s art is fresh and funny illustrating the antics of the deviant behaviors of this lot of young ones to a tee.

But if you’ve ever sat in a restaurant and watched a fellow diner’s child wreak havoc while people attempt to enjoy their meal, you may just recognize SOME of these behaviors. I like Ms. Ashman’s approach. If you don’t recognize BAD behavior, how can you learn to avoid it? Kids will certainly recognize it here AND learn their ABC’s from this self-obsessed group of god-awful kiddies.

Roald Dahl’s “CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY” crew, famously named Violet, Augustus, Mike and Veruca are a walk in the park compared to this lot. They definitely need a trip to the factory and a visit from the Oompah Loompahs!

Wendy Moore’s best friends couldn’t wait to give her a special surprise for her 50th birthday. To honor her great love for books, they set up a virtual book drive with First Book and collectively raised over $1200 to purchase brand-new books for kids in Wendy’s hometown of Wilson, NC.

The need for books in Wilson County Schools is high. Located a little over an hour outside of Raleigh, the rural district ranks as Tier One community – a title reserved for the most distressed counties in the state. But Wilson residents like Wendy are committed to their children’s education.

Every year the county hosts a Back-to-School Fair, an event that celebrates education and equips kids with backpacks and school supplies for the upcoming school year.

Journey received one of the free copies of Where the Wild Things Are at the Wilson County Back-to-School Fair. She said the book is her favorite!

The event draws hundreds of the community’s neediest families, many lining up as early as 10 p.m. the night before the fair in order to receive school supplies.

At this year’s fair, Moore joined staff at the Wilson County Schools booth to distribute the books purchased through First Book with the funds raised by her friends. In less than 90 minutes, all 420 copies of her selected book Where the Wild Things Are were in the hands of excited students.

“Hopefully it will inspire at least one kid to dream and do things that go far,” said Moore.

In your hometown and across the nation, kids need books to foster a love of learning. Click here to find out more about hosting your own virtual book drive.

The post A Birthday Surprise: 420 Books for Kids appeared first on First Book Blog.

So summer is over and it’s back to school and back to work.

I took my eight year old daughter and five year old son for their first day back at school today. Ruth and Richard were excited to meet their old friends and discover a new class with a new teacher. I felt a sense of pride and sadness as I watched them walk to their new classes. Pride because they’re growing older and wiser. A bit of sadness because with each passing day, I know they’re less dependent on Daddy and finding out all the good, bad and ugly things that make growing up fun, scary and challenging. As a family, I’m so glad we had a summer we can fondly look back on as Winter approaches.

This summer was the first summer (in a very, very long time) where I actually got to enjoy a holiday for what it was/is – a time to relax and unwind. And unwind I did. I visited Belgium for a wedding and enjoyed the warmth and friendship of the Belgian people. People my wife and I met on the street were very happy to say ‘Bonjour!’ While there are many things I like about the British culture, saying hello to total strangers isn’t really woven into the British DNA. It was a joy to experience another culture and perhaps Belgium will feature in one of my books one day. The things I’ll remember Belgium for were the warmth of its people, tram/train lines that zig-zagged across the length and breadth of Brussels and a brown leather jacket I ended up not buying. If you’re thinking of visiting Brussels, then I’d whole heartedly recommend staying at the Husa President hotel. The staff are lovely, the rooms are spacious and you descend into dreamland once your head hits the pillow.

Another thing I did while on holiday was to take my children to Legoland. My son’s getting into his lego and our trip just took his love of construction to another level. Legoland is situated on the outskirts of London near Windsor Castle. Matter of fact, you can see the castle from Legoland as well as planes departing and arriving at Heathrow Airport. Legoland really is a fun environement for the family. The rides that left an impression were the Jolly Rocker, Viking Splash, Atlantis, Dinosaur Safari to mention a few. If you’re thinking of going, then I would recommend getting a Q-Bot. It’s a little device that allows you to jump the queue. Trust me. it makes all the difference. What typically took most people an hour in waiting time, took us less than five minutes! Its £15 per person and is worth the investment.

I also got to MC a business graduation event in at the Dominion center which is 2,000 seater auditorium in North London. It was a fun experience and allowed me the opportunity to wear another of my creative hats.

So summer is over and I’m getting back into the groove of things as a writer and publisher. I’ll be visiting some schools in the run up to Christmas, publishing a Billy and Monster Christmas edition and hopefully the second book in the Kojo the one-eyed sea dragon series.

Watch this space.

Today’s guest blogger, Adara Robbins, is 8th grade teacher at YES Prep Southwest, a public charter school in Houston, Texas.

My students and I during after school study time.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

It’s a tough question. But imagine trying to answer if you didn’t know what your life would look like tomorrow – much less years from now. This my students’ reality.

My 8th graders at YES Prep Southwest face the constant stress of poverty. They can’t be sure where they will sleep tomorrow. They have to take care of younger siblings, leaving limited time for homework. They have few, if any, books at home. With so much uncertainty, it can take a lot of work for them to visualize a future where they will succeed and attend college.

But they will. By the time my students finish high school, 100% of them will be accepted to a four-year college – it’s a graduation requirement.

Many of my students come to me up to five years behind their peers academically. As their teacher, I guide them through a demanding curriculum that brings them up to grade level and inspires a genuine love of learning. Neither could happen without having great books to give them.

In the gym with some of my outstanding female students.

Because of First Book, my kids have the books they need to become strong, confident, enthusiastic readers. They’ve grown academically. They get along better with one another. They love and constantly ask for more books. My students are simply happier when they start their day reading.

They also work extremely hard. They attend school from 7:30am to 4:30pm, often staying late for extra help. Their tenacity and determination inspires me to do a better job every day.

All over the country, teachers like me face the challenge of helping kids living in poverty read, learn and succeed. Your support of First Book gives us the resources we need to help kids change the course of their lives. Please consider making a gift today.

The post My Kids Need Books appeared first on First Book Blog.

R is for Robots : A Noisy Alphabet

By Adam F. Watkins

Hey picture book lovers! I’m still at the farm and we’re nearing the close of another season “living close to the land” and feeling its rhythms. As the leaves begin to turn a rusty color on the enormous chestnut tree at the front of our farm stand, I’m sure I’ll also soon see the familiar sight of yellow school buses coursing up and down Main Street in our little town of Southold, New York. It’s Back to School time just in case you haven’t noticed, patient parents. But then, I’m sure as the Labor Day weekend wound down, you were making frenetic trips to Staples, stocking up on the endless list of school supplies, and all while fitting in ONE MORE trip to the beach! Beginnings and endings are full of memories and moments we never realize ARE a memory until they’e OVER!

And speaking of beginning and endings, it led me to a perfect start off to Back to School books, namely those featuring the ALPHABET! There are some great ones out there for your young soon to be reader! Tackling those letters and becoming familiar with their shapes and the sounds they make is the FIRST STEP to the magic Open Sesame door to READING. So why not make it an adventure with books that help make the intro easy and fun?

“R is for Robots: A Noisy Alphabet” is a colorful cacophonous romp through the alphabet . According to an article written on “The History of Robots” by Paula Timpson that I read recently, robots “come in every shape, size and color.” Did you know back in 850 B.C., the poet Homer wrote about a creature called a “bot”, short for robot? Today, they can play chess, talk, paint, dance and have even gone to Mars! Why even Leonardo da Vinci sketched a mechanical knight when he was 12! Yikes! He showed that movement by humans could be copied.

Remember Robbie the Robot in the great movie, “Forbidden Planet”? And who can forget the iconic R2D2 and C-3PO of Star Wars Fame. Well, Adam Watkins has fashioned a collection of lovable robot rompers that march forward on wheels and more. As they try to harness these pesky alphabet ABC’s, Watkins’ robotic roustabouts find it is no easy task! A lot of grunting and groaning of effort ensues. They’re on a assemblage mission replete with emanating sounds that begins with the letter they’re harnessing. Cool! As a giant B is carted into place, the phrase BEEP BOOP also moves into view and C falls to the ground causing a robot to cover its ears as a deafening CLANGO CLINK CRASH echoes on the construction scene.

These cute and clamorous robots vacuum, drill, haul, cycle, tractor and cycle. And as the letter T totters into place, a large robot with a tick tock clock for a body, points to the hands as if to say, “Let’s get it going, guys!”

Don’t let your young one miss the letter S hard working senior robot that uses a walker as he gingerly helps out. The tennis balls on the bottom of his walker glide smoothly over the grass as if to say, “I may be old, but I am STILL useful. KIDS, take note!”

By the time Y and Z are put into place with a YOINK and ZAP from a Super Soaker-iike gizmo, kids will be saying, “READ IT AGAIN! and please don’t forget the sound effects, reader! It’s half the fun of making Mr. Watkins’ book make the letters A to Z clatter clearly and with cacophony, into the consciousness of the young!

This week has been full of writing workshop conundrums and dilemmas!

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Some children can't wait for the first day of school to begin, while other young children have a more difficult time making the transition from summer to "back to school". Today I'm sharing some simple books with a school theme that are especially appropriate for very young children (infants, twos, and threes). The simplicity of these texts, along with their vibrant pictures, allows for a great opportunity to discuss what your child might expect in school - whether it's his first time in a new school or are a returning student.

All of these books can help young children understand the ins and outs of the school day routine. What is also so great is that they are easy to read with very young children who might be in a day care setting, but are interesting enough for preschool students who might be returning to school after a summer break.

Click on the picture or link to find out more information on Amazon.

• Point out how your child's school will be similar to or different from the classroom's in these books.
• Talk about how the characters are feeling in the books. Relate these feelings to how your child is feeling about going to school.
• Use the books to help you describe to your child the types of activities that she will do in school.
• Identify behaviors in the books that are expected of children who are in school.
• Observe any friendships between characters in these books, and talk about making new friends.

I've culled the TWT archives for posts you might want to read during the first month of the school year.