Janet Wong did such a great job with the morning session of the Literature Festival, that I decided to pull my grandson out of school so he could attend the afternoon session. I did not regret the decision.
During the morning session, I enjoyed watching Janet Wong interact with the students. Her suitcase filled with props, was a good way to grab their attention while she introduced and read her poems.
After picking up Jonathan, we attended Mel Glen's session on poetry writing. The room was half full of middle school students. I thought I would be in for a long session with kids interrupting the presenter with ridiculous questions and comments. I was never so glad to be wrong! Mel did a terrific job not only interacting with the students, but also got them involved in writing poetry. I was surprised to find how simple he made it. The kids were anxious to write and then share their writing. And their poems were terrific. Mel did such a good job of creating a nonthreatening enviornment, that both Jonathan and I found it easy to write; I even got up and shared a poem.
I never thought I would buy a poetry book that was not required reading, but that afternoon I found myself in line, waiting for authors to sign my 12 books of poetry! As much as I enjoyed listening to, meeting, and talking with all three of these authors, the frosting on my cake came after arriving home.
After an afternoon of, "This is boring", "I'm bored", and "Let's go, I'm hungry", I overheard Jonathan telling his friends that he had met "all these authors"—he was showing the kids the books Janet Wong, Mel Glenn, and J. Patrick Lewis had signed for him. He was telling them about spending the afternoon at Tech with his "guela", meeting "her professor"and "he's a writer, too". He told them about writing a poem and listening to the other students' poems and "I should have read mine, too". I really wasn't eavesdropping—I was listening to my "bored" grandson bragging how he had missed school that afternoon.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Craft Lesson 3
Introduce Minn and Jake by Janet Wong. Have your third or fourth graders make predictions of the story line and record on butcher paper. Allow students to view the pictures in the book to help with predictions. Beginning reading.
After reading the first few chapters (1& 2 and/or 3), check the predictions and ask students if they wish to make changes and/or if they have discovered one of the main subjects of the story line (help them to identify "how to make friends"). Ask students to list some characteristics of a friend. On butcher paper, write all responses.
At the end of each reading, students will make a journal entry about the characteristics they found in the reading that was or was not on their list. Allow students to read and/or share their entries.
At the end of the book, students will use their journal entries to help them write a story on how they can become a good friend.
After reading the first few chapters (1& 2 and/or 3), check the predictions and ask students if they wish to make changes and/or if they have discovered one of the main subjects of the story line (help them to identify "how to make friends"). Ask students to list some characteristics of a friend. On butcher paper, write all responses.
At the end of each reading, students will make a journal entry about the characteristics they found in the reading that was or was not on their list. Allow students to read and/or share their entries.
At the end of the book, students will use their journal entries to help them write a story on how they can become a good friend.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Chapter 18
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
I've always loved reading and I'd often heard people say that reading a book was much more stimulating than watching TV. I had never given much thought to that idea, until I read Madeleine L'Engle's explanation of "creative involvement". That makes so much sense. When I watch TV, it's just the pictures on the screen and I follow along with the storyline. But, when I read a book (even a good textbook) I not only follow along with the storyline, I actually get involved with the words. My imagination begins to work it's magic and I am absolutely drawn into the story. What an epiphany!
This was a great chapter! The information on using trade books in the classroom and teaching approaches were eye opening!
I've always loved reading and I'd often heard people say that reading a book was much more stimulating than watching TV. I had never given much thought to that idea, until I read Madeleine L'Engle's explanation of "creative involvement". That makes so much sense. When I watch TV, it's just the pictures on the screen and I follow along with the storyline. But, when I read a book (even a good textbook) I not only follow along with the storyline, I actually get involved with the words. My imagination begins to work it's magic and I am absolutely drawn into the story. What an epiphany!
This was a great chapter! The information on using trade books in the classroom and teaching approaches were eye opening!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Craft Lesson 2
Introduce Apple Pie, 4th of July to a group of third graders. Before reading, ask them what they think the book will be about. Write down their responses. Flip through the book and allow them to look at the illustrations. Ask if anyone would like to change or add to their previous responses. Make changes as needed.
After reading the book, discuss their predictions. How were they different or the same? Why did they make those predictions about the book? Which illustration made you think something would or wouldn't happen?
Extend on the lesson by allowing students to write and/or illustrate their experiences on a 4th of July and how they are different or the same as the story.
After reading the book, discuss their predictions. How were they different or the same? Why did they make those predictions about the book? Which illustration made you think something would or wouldn't happen?
Extend on the lesson by allowing students to write and/or illustrate their experiences on a 4th of July and how they are different or the same as the story.
Craft Lesson 1
Read Buzz to a Kindergarten class. Discuss the different morning sounds, and objects that made these sounds.
Extend this by allowing students to add other sounds they might experience or have experienced during their busy mornings. Some of these might include the school bus honking when it picks them up, bacon sizzling, parents waking you, roosters (when visiting Grandma at the farm), whatever they suggest is a valid response.
Allow students to choose to draw a picture of what makes the sound, write a story about the object and the sound it makes, or record the sound and then tell a story about where they heard, or could hear, the sound.
Extend this by allowing students to add other sounds they might experience or have experienced during their busy mornings. Some of these might include the school bus honking when it picks them up, bacon sizzling, parents waking you, roosters (when visiting Grandma at the farm), whatever they suggest is a valid response.
Allow students to choose to draw a picture of what makes the sound, write a story about the object and the sound it makes, or record the sound and then tell a story about where they heard, or could hear, the sound.
Minn and Jake, p. 75-146
Wong, Janet S. Minn and Jake. Illus. Genevieve Cote. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003.
What an entrepreneur Jake turns out to be; I knew he had to have some kind of secret talent. He does a great job of manipulating Minn.
Friendships, like all relationships, go through stages and changes. It's heartwarming to experience the way in which Janet Wong takes Minn and Jake from strangers to advisaries to best friends.
After studying the illustration of Minn dangling from the tree, I went back for a look at the other illustrations. Boy, I miss a bunch when I get caught up with the reading. The illustrations are great. I liked Jake's shadowed animals and his lizard dreams, but I especially liked the lizard clouds and lightening. In the future, I will be more observant.
What an entrepreneur Jake turns out to be; I knew he had to have some kind of secret talent. He does a great job of manipulating Minn.
Friendships, like all relationships, go through stages and changes. It's heartwarming to experience the way in which Janet Wong takes Minn and Jake from strangers to advisaries to best friends.
After studying the illustration of Minn dangling from the tree, I went back for a look at the other illustrations. Boy, I miss a bunch when I get caught up with the reading. The illustrations are great. I liked Jake's shadowed animals and his lizard dreams, but I especially liked the lizard clouds and lightening. In the future, I will be more observant.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Reading Assignment, Chapters 6-8
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Chapters 1-5 were such good and easy (interesting) reading. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 were very difficulty (boring) reading. Why? All these chapters included new information, so why did it take me longer to read fewer chapters?
I agreed totaly with Chapter 8, poetry is (was?) boring, but now I know why—I had horrible teachers! Actually, I only remember (it's been a few years since I was in elementary school) one poem—"It Was the Night Before Christmas". I remember this because we (4th, maybe 5th grade) presented it in the school auditorium, before a packed house (as packed as an elementary school in Nixon, TX could get). It was wonderful and I still remember most of the poem.
There was one other poem, but I can't remember the title. I just remember standing in front of the class, reciting something, and wanting to be finished so I could sit.
More recent, I remember wanting my students to write a Haiku and being so frustrated because they couldn't understand how. It was so easy. After all, I had walked them through the process, twice. So what was the problem?
The problem was, my poor kids had inherited a horrible teacher, who had had a horrible teacher! I feel sooooo guilty; expecting those poor kids to a grasp the abstract concept of a Haiku. I'll need to remember this the next time I go to confession.
Chapters 1-5 were such good and easy (interesting) reading. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 were very difficulty (boring) reading. Why? All these chapters included new information, so why did it take me longer to read fewer chapters?
I agreed totaly with Chapter 8, poetry is (was?) boring, but now I know why—I had horrible teachers! Actually, I only remember (it's been a few years since I was in elementary school) one poem—"It Was the Night Before Christmas". I remember this because we (4th, maybe 5th grade) presented it in the school auditorium, before a packed house (as packed as an elementary school in Nixon, TX could get). It was wonderful and I still remember most of the poem.
There was one other poem, but I can't remember the title. I just remember standing in front of the class, reciting something, and wanting to be finished so I could sit.
More recent, I remember wanting my students to write a Haiku and being so frustrated because they couldn't understand how. It was so easy. After all, I had walked them through the process, twice. So what was the problem?
The problem was, my poor kids had inherited a horrible teacher, who had had a horrible teacher! I feel sooooo guilty; expecting those poor kids to a grasp the abstract concept of a Haiku. I'll need to remember this the next time I go to confession.
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