Why Read Aloud?

Children's author Rick Walton has started a blog titled Why Read Aloud? He's collecting stories about reading aloud and being read aloud to. He says, "we will figure out a way to get your stories to the administrators and teachers who need to hear them. Your story of how being read to made your life better might motivate a teacher to read to her kids and make their lives better."

Why read aloud? Because you never know if the book you choose to read aloud will become a landmark book for a student who, ten years later, will still quote from the book and count the copy you gave her as one of her most prized possessions. (Fig Pudding, by Ralph Fletcher)

Why read aloud? For the joy of sharing the hot new book you bought in a bookstore in London before it was released in the U.S.. (Matilda, by Roald Dahl)

Why read aloud? Because you could guess how rich the conversations would be, but you never could have predicted that some of your students would cry with you. (Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech)

Why read aloud? Because the torture of the first half of the book is SO worth the action and adventure of the second half. (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi)

Why read aloud? For the sheer joy of the language and the pace of the story. (Emily's Fortune, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)

Why read aloud? Here's why:

"It is read-aloud time. The classroom is absolutely silent except for my voice and the muffled sounds of children playing on the playground that come in along with the puffs of fresh air through the open window. Some student sit with their chins propped up in a cupped hand; others lay their heads on their desks. Every student is relaxed yet alert. There is tension in the air, a simultaneous yearning for closure and for continuation. Some watch me. Others stare into space. Because they are each intently visualizing the story in their own way, the eyes of all of the students seem slightly out of focus.

My eyes are the eyes of all twenty-six students as I read the book.  My voice paints the story on the canvas of twenty-six imaginations. The story can pause for a question, a comment, or a short discussion to clarify or extend meaning without the spell being broken. Even when the book is closed at the end of a chapter or the end of the book, and the room erupts into cries for more or sighs of satisfaction, the magic of read-aloud is not gone. An individual connection has been forged between me and each student via the book. Just like a parent at the edge of the bed or with the child in my lap, my voice has personally delivered the story directly to each pair of ears and each imagination. The book also creates a collective connection, bonding me and all the student together as one through the common experience of having met the same characters, gone on the same journeys, and suffered the same losses and triumphs.

Read-aloud may look like an ordinary event in a typical classroom, but it feels extraordinary when the teacher who is reading is aware of the power of the book and the importance of her role in not only reading to her students, but leading them through the book--using read-aloud as a teaching time. Not only the teacher can feel the difference, but also the students. At the end of one school year when I asked my students to reflect on our read-aloud time, Mathias captured the essence of read-aloud in our classroom when he wrote, 'It is a time when we can learn without trying.' " (Reconsidering Read-Aloud,  p. 1-2)



Do you have a story about the power of read aloud, or a favorite book to read aloud to your children? Share it here, then go over and share it with Rick Walton, and then give the child on your lap or the children in your classroom the chance to "learn without trying" as you weave magic with words by reading aloud to them.

January Mosaic

In January, many people make resolutions to watch what they eat. I guess you could say the same was true for me this month...more than half of my photos are of food or food events! It's got to be a good month when you end with fresh pineapple (10 for $10 at Kroger -- WOW!) and a bourbon ball-making party!

Sunshine and blue skies have been quite rare this month -- that skyline shot in the next-to-last row really shines out, doesn't it? I took it from a Metro Park I never knew existed. We ate brunch at Skillet (details of the Reuben and the Omelette here) and on the way home, I asked where Whittier St. took you if you stayed on it and crossed Front Street.  Come to find out, this is Columbus' newest Metro Park -- Scioto Audubon Metro Park. We'll go back in the spring with our bikes and do some exploring to find out how the bike paths there connect to Grandview, German Village, and Downtown.

The Christmas Cactus has been making appearances every month since November, but I think the last, shriveled, dried bloom will be dropping off soon. On Friday afternoon, when I watered the front porch geraniums that are living on my classroom windowsill again this winter, I noticed that the crocus that made an appearance in one of the pots last February is coming up again.

And so the seasons go round and round.

Poetry Friday -- Balance

photo by alittlething from Flickr Creative Commons

Books are piled everywhere, clamoring to be read.

A perpetual to-do

List (never completed, never shorter) sits

At my place at the table. I

Need to vacuum and dust, not to mention

Check papers and write lesson plans. But

Everything can wait while we have this cup of tea together.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2010

Last spring, we took our fourth graders to a leadership camp, where they took part in all kinds of team-building activities. One activity was a giant platform teeter-totter that could hold an entire small group of students. Their goal was to arrange themselves on the platform so that it was still and balanced. The group I was with was not having an easy time with teamwork, and they attacked this challenge, as they had the others, without communication and planning. The camp counselor and I watched as the platform tipped up in one direction and they all moved to the other side of the platform,  tipping it up in the other direction. Back and forth, crises after crises, no communication, no planning, no balance (but lots of squealing and bouncing and fun).

Balance, to me, is NOT when the platform of my life is completely still and level. That would be impossible to achieve for more than about 5 minutes at a time. But balance is also NOT those times when the platform of my life tips back and forth wildly. What I'm trying for is a life that dips slightly on the one side when work piles up a little too much, but that also dips slightly the other way when I put all the work aside and take time for me -- for exercise, time with friends, blogging, sleeping in. The tilt has been towards the work side the past few weeks. I'm inching my way over to the "me time" side, beginning with a cup of tea, and Poetry Friday!

Elaine has the roundup at Wild Rose Reader this week. I'll be putting aside my to-do list tomorrow morning to come and read the week's offerings. See you then!

How-To Writing

Our 4th graders are working on a project that integrates several pieces of the curriculum. One of the things they will be doing is making objects to sell for a charity of their choice.  To go along with the items, they will pass out How-To sheets to let buyers know how they can make the items at home.

To get started with this part of the project, we began looking at How-To books as mentor texts. I like How-To writing because I think it is a genre that can teach a great deal. I find it to be a good genre for teaching sequencing, reading like a writer, using clear sentences, and determining what is/is not necessary information.  Because this is a quick piece of writing, I feel like some good revision strategies can also be practiced. I find with shorter text, kids are much more willing to go in and reread and play with things. When they have written long, it is usually not so fun to go back and revise.

We started to study How-To writing this week. I used several of my favorite How-To Books from the library.   They included:


Better Homes and Gardens Snack Attack 
This Book Made Me Do It See How It's Made
365 Things to Do and Make (Usborne) 
Show Off
The Cookbook for Girls   

These books are all a little bit different in terms of their layout and the things they include in each set of directions. But they all have effective how-to pieces. Kids have looked at these books before--as readers and as they were looking for ideas of things to make for this project. Today, we looked at them as writers. My first thought was to give them the actual books to look at but they are so full that I knew that would get distracting. I knew that if I really wanted them to focus on both craft of the writing and the craft of the layout, I would need to choose some great examples.  So, I chose an example or two from each of the books and copied/laminated them. I gave each table a set of 8 of the same set of directions to explore and read-like-a-writer.

Then, together we came up with what made good how-to writing.   We then moved to talk about what made a good layout for how-to writing.  The conversation was interesting and I think we all learned a lot. Although this is only one piece of the writing for this project, it will be a fun one. I am excited to take their learning to the next level once they begin writing.

The Homework Help Center at the Dublin Branch Library

The Columbus Metropolitan Library did not get to be the 2010 Library of the Year for no reason! I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have such a resource in my city.

This week, during library classes, each group was able to meet and learn from Miss Val, who runs the Homework Help Center in Dublin. Miss Val was able to meet each class, read some books and poems, and share information about the new Homework Help Center.  The kids were all excited and I am sure many of our students will visit the Homework Help Center soon.  Our students love knowing the librarians at the Dublin Branch. They love to see Miss Loren, Mr. George and Mr. Ray on their visits to the library. They will now know 4 people during their visits.  The outreach they have done has really helped our kids get excited and feel welcome in the library.

Miss Loren shares her Caldecott predictions
 in December. And she was right!

I think the Homework Help Center is a brilliant idea. Kids can go in and get help with their homework. The center is filled with tables, computers and supplies such as markers, scissors, etc.  Miss Val, Miss Jeanie and the volunteers help students from grades K-12 with their homework.  Having that little bit of support can make a huge difference for kids. And Miss Val helped the kids see that it was a fun place to hang out.   I know as a parent, it is often easier to have someone else help with homework after school on some days. And most days, kids don't need much help--so a place like this would help them be efficient about getting it done.  I also love that kids can use the resources in the library--if they are doing research, they have so many resources available to them. I also love that it gets them to library and most likely, they will start to love it there.  And parents can do their own thing in the library while kids are there. It is not a babysitting service but kids can be in the Homework Help Center by themselves while parents read, browse books, etc.

My big goal for the past three years as librarian at Riverside has been for my students to see the library as a hub for learning and thinking.  A place full of resources and possibilities.  A place where you are in charge of your own learning.  The Homework Help Center and the other programs that our CML children's programs offer supports that message completely.  I am excited about this opportunity for our students and our community!

Gabby and Gator by James Burks

GABBY AND GATOR by James Burks is a great new graphic novel. It is the story of Gabby, who doesn't quite fit in. She has lots of interests and talents but the other kids don't quite understand her. And it is the story of Gator, an alligator who also has no friends. Gator and Gabby meet and hit it off right away. They understand each other and they understand what it means to be friends.

The book is amusing. Gator is always hungry-trying to eat things like dogs and squirrels.   In the meantime, Gabby is being bullied. Luckily Gator saves her a few times.

The story is a fun one and has good messages about friendship, acceptance, bullying, etc.

The reason I most like this book is that it is a graphic novel that is appropriate for young readers.  I find that our youngest students love the idea of graphic novels, but so many are meant for older readers. I think the format of a graphic novel is perfect for young readers--so much of the meaning comes from the illustrations.  This particular graphic novel gives kids lots to think about but is written in a way that makes it very accessible to younger children.  And, because it is a graphic novel, the book will also appeal to older readers. It is a fun story and the illustrations will draw in readers of many ages.   The book is a bulky book--lots of pages and a larger than usual graphic novel size.  Many of the spreads have  very few, if any words while other spreads contain more dialogue.  

The characters are well developed and the story is a good one. I am thinking this might become a series. I can see Gabby and Gator going on other adventures.  I am hoping that we see more graphic novels like this in the future--graphic novels that are more appropriate for younger readers, but that will still appeal to older elementary kids too.

Other Reviews:

School Library Journal: Good Comics for Kids

Bookie Woogie

Kid Lit Frenzy

OUT OF MY MIND

My 11-year-old daughter wrote this poem tonight, thinking about the book that is the read aloud in her classroom, OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon Draper.

out of my mind

a word may seem so ordinary
every step you take is as easy as breathing
each movement moves so easily
well, not for me
a word is a gift
a step can be so special
a movement can be so hard
i unlike other people have a boundary
i can only move if you move me
i have never said a word
each movement takes so much work
for what
a stupid looking movement
that looks like nothing
all my life all i see is pointing
staring laughing
you think i cant hear
but i can
i too have feelings
don’t just focus on what i look like
get to know i’m a normal girl
just like you

My January Reading

After a year of lots of travel and coursework, I am working hard this winter to get back into a more healthy life balance.  One of those pieces that helps me feel balanced is getting back to the habit of daily reading. I have never stopped reading, but for a while there, most of my reading during the last year, was for a purpose and I lost track of what I was reading and how much I was reading. I felt like I couldn't keep up and I didn't have control of my own reading.  I found myself meaning to read at bedtime but then falling asleep after just a few pages.  My To-Be-Read stack grew to an overwhelming pile and I just couldn't find the time to enjoy reading when there were so many other things I had committed to.  I am a much healthier, happier person when I read lots.

In November, I attended ALAN at NCTE and came home with a huge box of books. Holiday break provided lots of time to read and I have a semi-calm winter season that is also giving me lots of time to read. Donalyn Miller's #bookaday challenge helped me catch up on my ever-growing pile of books.  Paying attention to Twitter friends, @PaulWHankins, @Donalynbooks and @Professornana on Twitter, I realized how many books were out there that I was dying to read.  And, these people read more than anyone I know.  And then I learned that @MrSchuReads read over 1700 books in 2010! When you hear about so many great books on a daily basis, how could you not make time to read more?

I joined the Facebook group (The Centurions of 2011) of people committed to reading 111 books in 2011.Because of the Facebook group, I have been keeping better track of my reading. I realize that I read a lot that I never really count. Keeping track of picture books is difficult but I am trying.  Hopefully I can keep it up.  So far this month, I have finished 36 books.

And here is how my reading is going so far in 2011:

I am into a better health routine this month. Eating better and exercising almost daily. Since I was pretty out of shape, I started on the stationary bike and have been reading on the Kindle.  I am currently reading RUN LIKE A MOTHER on my Kindle. These authors are marathon runners, which I do not ever hope to be. But I am always interested in ways that busy women fit in healthy habits and I love this book. I am about halfway through and it is the perfect book for me as I try to regain a more balanced life again.

22 picture books (including a few picture book biographies)
6 middle grade novels
3 poetry books
3 nonfiction
2 graphic novels

Some highlights of my January reading that I haven't yet mentioned on the blog have been middle grade books. These, in my opinion are must reads if you are a 4th, 5th or 6th grade teacher.

THE DEFENSE OF THADDEUS A. LEDBETTER by John Gosselink is a great read--probably best for 5th grade and beyond.  It is the story of Thaddeus Ledbetter who has been suspended from school for the rest of the year. This is Thaddeus's story. His defense. His proof that he should not have been suspended. The book is filled with letters, emails, detention slips, etc.  But the voice of Thaddeus is one that I loved early in the book. He is a good kid that has gotten in trouble.  He doesn't mean harm (as he tells us many times.)  As you know, I am all about good characters in my reading and I love Thaddeus. (He even has a great blog.)This is one of those books that is definitely funny but there are also serious issues to consider and discuss throughout the book.

I was able to read both the first and second book in the new series, THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE by Maryrose Wood. I LOVE this series and cannot wait for the 3rd book to be released. (I actually read the ARC of the 2nd so the 3rd may not be coming for a while..)  The story is about a governess who is hired by a family to care for 3 children. The three children were found in the woods, and were supposedly raised by wolves.  The governess, Miss Penelope Lumley is by far one of my favorite characters ever and the adventures of Miss Lumley and these incorrigible children are quite fun.  I can see this as a possibility for an early-in-the-year read aloud for grades 4 or 5. A book that will hold kids' attention and interest and one that will give them lots to talk about in order to set the stage for a year of great read aloud. This is a light read--no huge real life issues to think about. It is really the voice of the author that makes it such fun. How I missed this book for so long is beyond me. Betsy Bird let us know how great it was in May.  I would love to meet this author. She has to be totally hysterical.

Other reviews:
Watch. Connect. Read.
Chocolate Air


  

This series is a definite MUST-READ. 

Poetry Friday -- SNOW DAY!!

Too Much Snow
by Louis Jenkins


Unlike the Eskimos we only have one word for snow but we have a
lot of
modifiers for that word. There is too much snow, which, unlike rain,
does not
immediately run off. It falls and stays for months. Someone wished for
this
snow. Someone got a deal, five cents on the dollar, and spent the
entire family
fortune. It's the simple solution, it covers everything. We are never
satisfied
with the arrangement of the snow so we spend hours moving the snow from
one
place to another. Too much snow. I box it up and send it to family and
friends.

(read the rest of the poem at The Writer's Almanac)

There's no such thing as too much snow if you're a teacher buried in an avalanche of grading, planning, and data to be analyzed so you can better plan and design assessments to be graded and analyzed and used to inform further instruction. 

And, yes, someone wished for this snow. A whole lot of someones, in fact, both shorter and taller. It's nice when, every now and then, wishes do come true!

Happy Snow Day! Check out the Poetry Friday roundup at A Teaching Life, hosted by Tara.

Adding A New Tool To A Writer's Toolbox

On Tuesday, I introduced my fourth graders to compound sentences. First, we brainstormed nouns and verbs and wrote simple sentences. Then, together, we connected two simple sentences with a conjunction (one of the FANBOYS -- for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). They all gave it a try with two or three sentences on their own.

Tuesday afternoon, in reading workshop, a student came up to me with DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE UGLY TRUTH in hand and pointed out a compound sentence in the book.

Yesterday, Wednesday, we started writing workshop by singing the School House Rock classic "Conjunction Junction." Then I challenged them to write at least one compound sentence for their SpellingCity sentences. (SpellingCity is another post for another day.) Eight out of eighteen who finished sentences wrote at least one compound sentence with some kind of success. Two of the eighteen (the one who sighted compounds in Wimpy Kid, and another very capable writer) wrote exclusively in compound sentences.

Every student in my classroom has a new tool in their writer's toolbox: compound sentences.

Some aren't ready to use this tool (and might never be). They are still struggling to put words together into simple sentences and sentences together in paragraphs that make sense.

Some will overuse this tool with partial understanding and create run-on sentences with a conjunction in the middle, causing more problems than it might have been worth.

The thrill in making this tool available to my writers was watching those two who were really ready to try something new in their writing reach out for it and put it right to work, gleefully creating sentences that were more and better than any they'd ever written.