I plan to read All Year ‘Round by Stan and Jan Berenstain. The children I watch in after school daycare love The Berenstain Bears books; also, they love rhyming words, so I thought this would be a good choice. This book is also about the changing seasons, so I thought it would be relevant since this is what we are experiencing right now with the coming of spring. The age group I will read to is six to eight year olds. I wanted to see if they could guess the rhyming words that were coming up in the text by context clues and the pictures.
I first read the title and showed the two children the cover. They named all the seasons and said that spring was approaching. I then explained to them that I was going to cover up the word at the end of the sentence that rhymed with another word on the same page, and they would have to guess what the word was. At first, they had a hard time guessing the word, but then they started looking at the pictures and guessing the correct words. I really liked how this book had good rhythm to it; I felt like I was almost singing the story to them. They really liked saying the rhyming words aloud and kept getting louder and louder. I asked them prediction questions about what would happen with each upcoming season; they pretty much hit the nail on the head when answering these questions. Overall, I believe these two children really enjoyed this book. I know I enjoyed reading it to them; seeing their enthusiastic faces and hearing their enthusiastic answers was very rewarding.
Berenstain, Stan and Jan. All Year 'Round. New York NY: Golden Book/Western Publishing Company, Inc., 1993.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Craft Lesson 5: Yum! MmMm! Que rico!
Discussion: I think maps are a wonderful way to organize information and to physically see where food items and other items originate. This book would be a perfect example to introduce social studies with maps and culture.
How To Teach It: While reading this book to my class, we would write on the board where each item originates or is found. Then I will distribute maps and crayons to each student. The students will have to find the country and draw the item in the country where that particular object is found. After this is done, we could talk about how and why all these items get transported to different places around the world. Also, we could introduce directions and express which item is south or north of another.
How To Teach It: While reading this book to my class, we would write on the board where each item originates or is found. Then I will distribute maps and crayons to each student. The students will have to find the country and draw the item in the country where that particular object is found. After this is done, we could talk about how and why all these items get transported to different places around the world. Also, we could introduce directions and express which item is south or north of another.
Chapter 9: Children's Literature Briefly
I really enjoyed epics in high school. I think it was because I had good teachers that allowed us to do a lot of activities based off of the epics. I remember I really enjoyed the different language used; we even listened to it on a tape recorder so we could pronounce all the words and get the full effect of the language!
Fairy tales are a classic; I can remember reading these when I was younger.
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Fairy tales are a classic; I can remember reading these when I was younger.
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Read Aloud Plan and Reflection
I went to Hasting's and looked around at their books. There were so many choices, so I have course bought 3 instead of just one. I planned to read "My Mouth is a Volcano" by Julia Cook. It was a really cute book about a little boy that ALWAYS interrupted everyone. However, when others begin to interrupt the little boy, Louise, he learned how to respectfully wait for his turn to talk.
I read to a small group of 3rd graders at my after school day care program. I think the interrupting problem is a universal problem for children, and I have noticed this with my experience working with children. I have never really attempted to sit down and read a book to them, because most of the children just get books and read to themselves. I was interested to see if the group would sit down and listen.
I asked prediction questions throughout the story, and all of them were very interested in it. Eventually, more children from my day care sat down and listened to me read the book. While reading the story, I asked a question and three of the children blurted out their thoughts (just like Louise in the story), and I commented that their “volcanoes were erupting”. They all laughed and actually raised their hand to speak. I guess the book served its’ purpose.
I had brought the other books I bought at Hasting’s with me and one of my fifth graders wanted to read to the 3rd graders “Salt in His Shoes”, which was a book about Michael Jordan. So that was exciting that the 5th grader wanted to read, and he even asked questions just like I did.
This experience really opened my eyes to how much I could affect children’s interest in books. In my Foundations of Reading Instructions course, my professor constantly talks about read a-louds and how important prediction questions are with a small group of children. Reading this book out loud to a group of children really did show me this. For example, I could tell as soon as I asked questions about what was going to happen or what they thought the title meant, they were so excited to answer. I could even see their eyes light up when they had an idea. I can really see now how questions capture children into the story and help them be part of it, instead of me just reading a book and showing them the pictures.
Cook, Julia. My Mouth is a Volcano. Illus. Carrie Hartman. Warrenton, VA: Courage to Change Publishing, 2005.
I read to a small group of 3rd graders at my after school day care program. I think the interrupting problem is a universal problem for children, and I have noticed this with my experience working with children. I have never really attempted to sit down and read a book to them, because most of the children just get books and read to themselves. I was interested to see if the group would sit down and listen.
I asked prediction questions throughout the story, and all of them were very interested in it. Eventually, more children from my day care sat down and listened to me read the book. While reading the story, I asked a question and three of the children blurted out their thoughts (just like Louise in the story), and I commented that their “volcanoes were erupting”. They all laughed and actually raised their hand to speak. I guess the book served its’ purpose.
I had brought the other books I bought at Hasting’s with me and one of my fifth graders wanted to read to the 3rd graders “Salt in His Shoes”, which was a book about Michael Jordan. So that was exciting that the 5th grader wanted to read, and he even asked questions just like I did.
This experience really opened my eyes to how much I could affect children’s interest in books. In my Foundations of Reading Instructions course, my professor constantly talks about read a-louds and how important prediction questions are with a small group of children. Reading this book out loud to a group of children really did show me this. For example, I could tell as soon as I asked questions about what was going to happen or what they thought the title meant, they were so excited to answer. I could even see their eyes light up when they had an idea. I can really see now how questions capture children into the story and help them be part of it, instead of me just reading a book and showing them the pictures.
Cook, Julia. My Mouth is a Volcano. Illus. Carrie Hartman. Warrenton, VA: Courage to Change Publishing, 2005.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Yum! MmMm! Que rico!
I really like how this book is so informative. I really feel children will get a lot out of this book by reading the excerpts on the sides of the pages. Also, the pictures are beautiful and really do add a lot to the text. When I turned to the page where the character's father eats the chile, my mouth started watering; it reminded me of this one time I was eating with my parents at a Tex-Mex restaurant and I accidently ate a chile pepper...VERY HOT!! I really enjoy the imagery taking place in the text. I will definently read this book in my class, but I will be sure to read right before lunch time :).
Mora, Pat. Yum! MmMm! Que rico!. Illus. Rafael Lopez. Madison Avenue NY: LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc., 2007.
Mora, Pat. Yum! MmMm! Que rico!. Illus. Rafael Lopez. Madison Avenue NY: LEE & LOW BOOKS Inc., 2007.
Chapter 12: Children's Literature, Briefly
I am glad other children feel the same way I did at one time when in History class. I remember thinking that it was so boring because it was a bunch of facts and dates. The things I remember that were fun about history were activities that my teacher let us do like interviews with people of history, in which we would all dress up as a character in history and would be interviewed by the "audience". The book also mentions this in its' section titled "The Historical Period Should Come to Life". Getting the students involved in history is the key, not memorizing facts and dates. Also, I believe a big part of history is letting children know that they will be part of it one day.
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Chapter 11: Children's Literature, Briefly
While I was reading this chapter, I kept thinking about these group of boys that I use to watch at an after school daycare program. These boys use to talk about magic tricks and would always ask me questions about mysteries and magic. This one little boy read fiction mystery books ALL the time. He seemed like he knew about everything that was not reality (he probably knew facts about things too; he was so smart). Anyways, my point is, I really do think children at the elementary level love the kind of fiction with mysteries and characters with supernatural power. I will definently be sure to include these kind of books in my classroom library.
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Literature Autobiography
Who Influenced my Reading:
I decided to use my best resource to find out what I read or who I read to when I was younger, my mother. My mother and I exchanged stories back and forth to recapture some moments I had with books and reading in general. My mom explained to me that when I was younger my dad and she would read to my brother and me every night. They felt reading and being read to was very important to form my vocabulary and a positive way to bond with me right before I went to sleep. After listening to my mom tell me stories, now I can actually remember lying in my Strawberry Shortcake sheets and listening to my parents read to me; I was and still am very lucky to have such committed and caring parents. I guess technically my parents were the first ones to introduce me to books and influenced my feelings towards books. My mother went back to school to get her Master’s when we were in elementary school. I can vividly remember sitting in the Lewisville public library with my brother and my mother reading our books. My mom was not reading children’s books, of course, but I can remember feeling important reading next to my mother.
My father also influenced my reading in a positive way when I was younger. I can remember him asking me questions about the books I was reading when I was younger. Also, in high school, he wanted me to read some of his books he read when he was in high school. They were murder mysteries. I never thought I would get into murder mysteries, but I really did fall in love with them. In high school, I remember reading Mary Higgins Clark and Agatha Christie. Another person who influenced my feelings towards books was my older brother. When I was younger, I wanted to be just like him. There are pictures of me wearing the same clothes as my brother, dressing the same as my brother, and acting the same as my brother. So, when my brother picked up a book and started reading, I wanted to read just like him.
I think the most influential reading teacher I had was Mrs. Christenson, my second grade teacher. She was one of those teachers that I just thought the world revolved around. I can remember being in her classroom and sitting in the library surrounded by hundreds of books. Mrs. Christenson got me to start reading Shel Silverstein’s poetry books, Falling Up and Where the Sidewalk Ends. I still have these books today because of Mrs. Christenson.
I remember in 4th grade my teacher, Ms. Henry, made us create our own book. I mean this was the real deal; we were our own publishing company. We actually got to draw our own pictures and write our own words on the pages; the book was even a hardback book. I remember feeling very excited about this project, since I could make up the all the characters, the story, the plot, the pictures, and the title. My title was “Christmas Without My Brother”; I wonder why I would write such a story! I do love my brother, I promise.
I Knew All Along:
You know how some people just know what they want to be when they grow up? Well, supposedly I was determined that I was going to be a teacher. My mom always tells me about my early days in school. When I was in first grade, I had A LOT of stuffed animals that I always arranged in rows on my bedroom floor. Then, I got all of my books down from my shelf in my room, started reading to my “class”, and asked my stuffed animals questions. Of course, they would answer and we would have a class discussion about the book we were reading. I then got on to some kangaroos in the back for talking and not paying attention to me. This really does make me laugh, because I knew what I wanted to be when I was in first grade, yet, I changed my major five times once I was in college. Now, look where I have returned: to the education field! Not only is this related to my profession, but also to reading. I not only was reading to myself as a child, but also to an audience, whether it be my relatives (like my little cousins whenever they would visit) or my favorite stuffed animals.
Favorite Books:
Among my favorite titles were the American Girl Collection books, which naturally led to asking Santa for the American Girl dolls every Christmas. As I mentioned before, I can remember reading poetry like Falling Up and Where the Sidewalk Ends. I can remember this one book called Minnie and Me, which I thought was so cool when I was younger (and still do). The book was about professions, and I was actually one of the main characters, along with Minnie of course. There was a place in the back to put my picture so that I was with Minnie on every page. I can also remember getting the magazine “Highlights” in the mail. I looked forward to these every month, because not only did they have interesting articles, they also had little games and crossword puzzles to play with. Also, I had a lot of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I really liked these stories and actually still buy some Chicken Soup books today.
How Important Reading Is:
Reading is a way we can gain knowledge, acquire new vocabulary, use our imagination, and travel to places without leaving our homes. Reading, also, can give us insight into different cultures and diverse concepts. Also, reading is interpreting something for yourself due to prior experiences that you have been through. You and the person sitting next to you could be reading the same thing and, yet, perceive the words to tell a story about two totally different things. That is the power reading has over us; reading can be taken literally or metaphorically.
My students will have many opportunities to read in my classroom whether it be for science, social studies, language, or math. My goal is to have diverse books for all my different children to choose from so that they can get the most out of reading like I feel I did when I was younger.
I decided to use my best resource to find out what I read or who I read to when I was younger, my mother. My mother and I exchanged stories back and forth to recapture some moments I had with books and reading in general. My mom explained to me that when I was younger my dad and she would read to my brother and me every night. They felt reading and being read to was very important to form my vocabulary and a positive way to bond with me right before I went to sleep. After listening to my mom tell me stories, now I can actually remember lying in my Strawberry Shortcake sheets and listening to my parents read to me; I was and still am very lucky to have such committed and caring parents. I guess technically my parents were the first ones to introduce me to books and influenced my feelings towards books. My mother went back to school to get her Master’s when we were in elementary school. I can vividly remember sitting in the Lewisville public library with my brother and my mother reading our books. My mom was not reading children’s books, of course, but I can remember feeling important reading next to my mother.
My father also influenced my reading in a positive way when I was younger. I can remember him asking me questions about the books I was reading when I was younger. Also, in high school, he wanted me to read some of his books he read when he was in high school. They were murder mysteries. I never thought I would get into murder mysteries, but I really did fall in love with them. In high school, I remember reading Mary Higgins Clark and Agatha Christie. Another person who influenced my feelings towards books was my older brother. When I was younger, I wanted to be just like him. There are pictures of me wearing the same clothes as my brother, dressing the same as my brother, and acting the same as my brother. So, when my brother picked up a book and started reading, I wanted to read just like him.
I think the most influential reading teacher I had was Mrs. Christenson, my second grade teacher. She was one of those teachers that I just thought the world revolved around. I can remember being in her classroom and sitting in the library surrounded by hundreds of books. Mrs. Christenson got me to start reading Shel Silverstein’s poetry books, Falling Up and Where the Sidewalk Ends. I still have these books today because of Mrs. Christenson.
I remember in 4th grade my teacher, Ms. Henry, made us create our own book. I mean this was the real deal; we were our own publishing company. We actually got to draw our own pictures and write our own words on the pages; the book was even a hardback book. I remember feeling very excited about this project, since I could make up the all the characters, the story, the plot, the pictures, and the title. My title was “Christmas Without My Brother”; I wonder why I would write such a story! I do love my brother, I promise.
I Knew All Along:
You know how some people just know what they want to be when they grow up? Well, supposedly I was determined that I was going to be a teacher. My mom always tells me about my early days in school. When I was in first grade, I had A LOT of stuffed animals that I always arranged in rows on my bedroom floor. Then, I got all of my books down from my shelf in my room, started reading to my “class”, and asked my stuffed animals questions. Of course, they would answer and we would have a class discussion about the book we were reading. I then got on to some kangaroos in the back for talking and not paying attention to me. This really does make me laugh, because I knew what I wanted to be when I was in first grade, yet, I changed my major five times once I was in college. Now, look where I have returned: to the education field! Not only is this related to my profession, but also to reading. I not only was reading to myself as a child, but also to an audience, whether it be my relatives (like my little cousins whenever they would visit) or my favorite stuffed animals.
Favorite Books:
Among my favorite titles were the American Girl Collection books, which naturally led to asking Santa for the American Girl dolls every Christmas. As I mentioned before, I can remember reading poetry like Falling Up and Where the Sidewalk Ends. I can remember this one book called Minnie and Me, which I thought was so cool when I was younger (and still do). The book was about professions, and I was actually one of the main characters, along with Minnie of course. There was a place in the back to put my picture so that I was with Minnie on every page. I can also remember getting the magazine “Highlights” in the mail. I looked forward to these every month, because not only did they have interesting articles, they also had little games and crossword puzzles to play with. Also, I had a lot of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I really liked these stories and actually still buy some Chicken Soup books today.
How Important Reading Is:
Reading is a way we can gain knowledge, acquire new vocabulary, use our imagination, and travel to places without leaving our homes. Reading, also, can give us insight into different cultures and diverse concepts. Also, reading is interpreting something for yourself due to prior experiences that you have been through. You and the person sitting next to you could be reading the same thing and, yet, perceive the words to tell a story about two totally different things. That is the power reading has over us; reading can be taken literally or metaphorically.
My students will have many opportunities to read in my classroom whether it be for science, social studies, language, or math. My goal is to have diverse books for all my different children to choose from so that they can get the most out of reading like I feel I did when I was younger.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Craft Lesson 4: My Many Colored Days
Discussion:
I think this book would be a perfect opportunity to work with younger children on emotions and appropriate ways to express them. I feel younger children struggle with expressing their emotions appropriately, so I think this would be an important topic to discuss especially with younger children.
How To Teach It:
Dr. Seuss compares emotions in this book to animals. I think it would be a good twist to compare emotions to anything the children come up with. Maybe when they feel anger, they compare themselves to a barking dog showing its' sharp teeth. This will get children to use their imagination. Also, we can all bring up a discussion about how we can express these emotions in order to not hurt others. For example, as a teacher I could ask my students, "How do you handle things when you get angry; do you use your words or your body to express this emotion?". Then, we could discuss expectations I have as a teacher for my students to express their emotions in an appropriate manner. Since this is with younger children I do not know how far you could extend this activity, but it really just depends on your students. However, I really feel you could make the discussion more complex and introduce it in a K-2 classroom.
I think this book would be a perfect opportunity to work with younger children on emotions and appropriate ways to express them. I feel younger children struggle with expressing their emotions appropriately, so I think this would be an important topic to discuss especially with younger children.
How To Teach It:
Dr. Seuss compares emotions in this book to animals. I think it would be a good twist to compare emotions to anything the children come up with. Maybe when they feel anger, they compare themselves to a barking dog showing its' sharp teeth. This will get children to use their imagination. Also, we can all bring up a discussion about how we can express these emotions in order to not hurt others. For example, as a teacher I could ask my students, "How do you handle things when you get angry; do you use your words or your body to express this emotion?". Then, we could discuss expectations I have as a teacher for my students to express their emotions in an appropriate manner. Since this is with younger children I do not know how far you could extend this activity, but it really just depends on your students. However, I really feel you could make the discussion more complex and introduce it in a K-2 classroom.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Reflection on 4th Annual Literature Festival at Texas Tech University
I really enjoyed the conference because it opened my eyes to how important poetry is. I was really touched by the children in the morning reciting their poems. Honestly, I did love poetry when I was younger but have grown to dislike it recently. However, this conference made me see how important it is to include it in my classroom.
Poetry is a way for children to express their emotions and explore their imaginations. Also, poetry does not have to be in complete sentences, so I believe this is a good way to start with early writers. Students can make their poems however they want them to; they can be one word lines, phrases, sentences, expressions, or noises. Poems are a way that children can express their personality through their writing.
I am glad I attended the conference because it did change my views on poetry. I never really thought about using poetry in my classroom, because, like I said before, I have begun to not really enjoy it anymore. However, this conference seemed to recapture that liking for poetry. This would have been a bad experience, especially if I never included poetry in my classroom. I do not want to turn my students off from any form of reading and/or writing. This has also made me realize that even if I do not like a particular author, book, poem, or subject, I still need to have diverse learning/reading materials for my students. All of my students will be different and will have different wants and needs, so I need to accommodate for that.
Poetry is a way for children to express their emotions and explore their imaginations. Also, poetry does not have to be in complete sentences, so I believe this is a good way to start with early writers. Students can make their poems however they want them to; they can be one word lines, phrases, sentences, expressions, or noises. Poems are a way that children can express their personality through their writing.
I am glad I attended the conference because it did change my views on poetry. I never really thought about using poetry in my classroom, because, like I said before, I have begun to not really enjoy it anymore. However, this conference seemed to recapture that liking for poetry. This would have been a bad experience, especially if I never included poetry in my classroom. I do not want to turn my students off from any form of reading and/or writing. This has also made me realize that even if I do not like a particular author, book, poem, or subject, I still need to have diverse learning/reading materials for my students. All of my students will be different and will have different wants and needs, so I need to accommodate for that.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Good Night Texas
I made a trip to Hastings to find a board book to discuss for this class. There were a lot, so it was a hard decision. Eventually, I chose the book, Good Night Texas. I have lived in Texas my whole life and really do love it here, so that is why I chose this book. In summary, it is about two children experiencing a day in Texas. The children see cattle, wildflowers and Chisos Mountains at Big Bend National Park, Rio Grande rafters in a canyon, prairie dogs out on Texas Panhandle plains, bluebonnets, fishermen out on the Gulf of Mexico, the beach, Indians, cacti, horny toads, a rattlesnake, a bucking bronco, cypress trees in the Big Thicket National Preserve, an armadillo, an oil well, etc. It ends with the two children sleeping by a fire underneath the stars saying, "Good night, Texans". I liked this book, because it really hit home and showed the diversity just within Texas.
Gamble, A. Good Night Texas. Illus. Red Hansen. Our World of Books: South Korea. 2007.
Gamble, A. Good Night Texas. Illus. Red Hansen. Our World of Books: South Korea. 2007.
Chapter 10: Children's Literature, Briefly
This chapter reminded me of some children I looked after at YWCA-RE. These certain group of boys would always talk about magical powers that they had and go on and on about science fiction topics. I was really amazed that they had such a wonderful imagination. This chapter and this experience with children reminded me that I do need a wide variety of books and ideas laid out in my classroom for my diverse students. No two students are going to love reading the same thing (while they might, but you get my point!!).
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Craft Lesson 3: Minn and Jake
Discussion:
This book does touch on a lot of subjects, but I feel math could be integrated into curriculum planned for this book.
How To Teach It:
The height difference between Minn and Jake was very obvious throughout the text. I think it would be interesting to see how tall each student is in the classroom. You could have the students group up and measure each other with measuring tapes. You could have the students calculate the difference between each other in their groups and eventually all the students in the classroom. Then you could plot the heights on a piece of long construction paper on the wall making it into a physical representation. To expand this activity you could have the students measure each other's feet, arms, and legs. This would be a fun activity to get your students moving around the classroom but, yet, still using math because of the measuring, addition, and subtraction taking place.
This book does touch on a lot of subjects, but I feel math could be integrated into curriculum planned for this book.
How To Teach It:
The height difference between Minn and Jake was very obvious throughout the text. I think it would be interesting to see how tall each student is in the classroom. You could have the students group up and measure each other with measuring tapes. You could have the students calculate the difference between each other in their groups and eventually all the students in the classroom. Then you could plot the heights on a piece of long construction paper on the wall making it into a physical representation. To expand this activity you could have the students measure each other's feet, arms, and legs. This would be a fun activity to get your students moving around the classroom but, yet, still using math because of the measuring, addition, and subtraction taking place.
My Many Colored Days
Dr. Seuss is a classic!! This book is for younger children but that does not mean you can not do anything with it. I really like how you could extend an emotion lesson of this book. It is really important for children to understand and know how to express their emotions. With my experience working with children, I believe this is a hard task for younger children to accomplish. This book would be great for talking about emotions and how people feel on different days.
Seuss, Dr. My Many Colored Days. Illus. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1996.
Seuss, Dr. My Many Colored Days. Illus. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1996.
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