Stamina in Nonfiction Reading

Locomotive
by Brian Floca
Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, (September 3, 2013)

Review copy from the public library, but I have a feeling I'll be buying this one!

Don't you hate it when the perfect book for one of your social studies standards comes out the year after they change your standards? ARGH!

I struggled to find ways to make the Transcontinental Railroad accessible to urban 5th graders, most of whom had never traveled out of the state, let alone across the country by any means of transportation, and who had never seen a train, let alone a steam engine, up close.

Well, just because the Transcontinental Railroad is no longer in our social studies standards doesn't mean I can't use this book as a part of our nonfiction unit.

One of my goals for my students in this unit is that they will build stamina for reading longer and longer nonfiction. One of my goals for read aloud this year is that I'll actually DO what I've said I would do for years now -- integrate nonfiction read alouds.

This is the perfect book to support both goals.

We will study the endpapers -- the maps in the front and the diagram of a steam engine in the back -- using the document camera. 

The poetic text filled with the sounds of the train will draw us in and keep us going. 

We will read the notes in the back (even though there are a lot of small words on the page), maybe even doing a close reading to fuel a discussion of cause/effect, compare/contrast, and "what next?" (another goal for this nonfiction unit is that my students will find topics and authors that lead them from one nonfiction book to the next).

Here's a great video on the history of steam trains to watch before or after reading the book:

2 New Wordless Picture Books

I love wordless picture books. I decided really digging into wordless picture books when we get back from holiday break would be a good idea.  We'll need to ease back in AND kids will be ready for some sophisticated thinking. I love thoughtful conversations around wordless books because kids at all levels participate equally.  These conversations usually raise the level of talk in the classroom.

I discovered two new wordless books to add to my collection while I was at NCTE.  One is called Here I Am by Patti Kim. I found it while I was just browsing books. The cover is pretty stunning and the book is amazing. The book tells the story of a young boy who moves to a new country. It captures the struggles and joy in the move. Lots to talk about and the illustrations are gorgeous.












The other is called Holland/1000 Things About Holland Set

. This is an amazing picture book in which each page seems to stand alone. But Kathy Short suggested that I purchase it in the package along with the One Thousand Things About Holland book.  This companion book goes through and gives textural information to match all that she put into each illustration. It is unbelievable to see how much the author fit into one illustration and I imagine it will invite some great conversations in the classroom.

Excited about both of these books!

Have You Registered for World Read Aloud Day?

There are so many opportunities for our classrooms these days that it is often hard to participate in everything that looks worthwhile.  For the past few years, I've wanted to do more on World Read Aloud Day and this year I am committed to that.

World Read Aloud Day will be held on March 5, 2014. It is sponsored by LitWorld. If you don't know this organization, you need to. The do amazing work to support literacy around the world.   The website says this about World Read Aloud Day:

Imagine a world where everyone can read...

World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology.

By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.

The last few years, I haven't been able to participate. Things were already on the calendar for those days and it was one thing I couldn't fit in. But I followed along and saw the amazing power this day had. So this year, I am committed to taking part in this day in lots of ways. I am still just thinking but there are so many options for this day. Here is what I am thinking right now:

-I'd like my focus to be on literacy as a gift. How we take our life with literacy and books for granted, but also that we can give gifts of literacy. I worry that too often our kids think that the only way to give is in a monetary or material way, but I want them to know that you can give with books. You can give story. You can read aloud to someone. You can write a letter. The power of literacy as a way to give back to the world is huge and I want to do something around that.

-I'd love to get some authors to read aloud to my class that day via Skype. They'd be thrilled to meet some of their faves that way. And I hear some of them are willing to do this. Crossing my fingers!

-I'd like to do some Family Event around World Read Aloud Day. I'm not sure what it will look like yet but I think this component is important.

-And I want my students to know about organizations like Litworld and Booklove and Reading Village--organizations that are committed to getting books into the hands of kids. My kids know how strongly I believe in literacy but I don't think they know that many people have no access to books or education. To know how many great organizations are doing things to support literacy around the world in various ways will be part of our conversation.

So, like I said, at this point, all I've done is put the date on my calendar and register. And I've started to think about how I hope this day impacts my students' learning. And how I want it to be part of our yearlong conversation around community and literacy and giving.


Have you registered yet? How will you celebrate?

Celebrate This Week!

Is it possible for #Nerdlution to change my whole attitude?  I think maybe it did.  Not only was it fun to watch people jump on board, but I have loved following everyone's first week of their #nerdlution. The Twitter feed is almost addicting! So many great stories.  Really, actually getting up every morning and walking, working on my writing for 30 minutes a day, and eating an apple seems to be making my days better. But, the whole idea of so many people coming together in this and the fun we are all having with it, makes it all such fun. What I love most is that we all jumped in and do what we do. Colby created a hashtag. Kevin created a song.  Kristi created a logo and a #nerdlution font.  There are playlists and jokes (love the photos) and encouragement and joy. Chris made a FAQ list for #nerdlution with fabulous answers! And you can find #nerdlution on Pinterest.  There is even talk of a #nerdlution Tweetchat.   It just seems like #nerdlution is good for all of us. A definite celebration.

We started our own version Genius Hour in our classroom this week. Kids can learn whatever they want every morning from 9:05-9:30.   I realized that I had slowly taken too much control in the classroom and it wasn't working. I don't teach that way and I know that. Not sure exactly how it happened but it did. Seems to take me a while to find my way when I start a new grade level.  Anyway, we started Genius Hour (along with other things--changed up a few routines that weren't making sense to me) and it's been great!  My favorite celebration was after 3 days, we were chatting as a class about what they liked about starting the day this way and one child said, "I didn't know I could help people. I always just thought I needed help." A big message for me and so glad I followed my gut about what wasn't working in the classroom.

I shared #nerdlution with my kids and told them that I had started the year with the intention of reading a picture book every day--just because. I read lots of picture books throughout each day but they all tie into something we are learning about. I have let go of the habit of just sharing great books on a daily basis, just because.  So I told them my classroom #nerdlution was for me to do that, every day after lunch.  And from their reaction, they will hold me accountable to this!  On Thursday, I pulled out Guess Again! by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex. I had meant to share this book earlier but had forgotten.  The kids made me read it twice because it CRACKED THEM UP! They laughed and laughed. Even my kids who try not to laugh out loud, couldn't help it.  Great fun!

And JoEllen shared a new title with us at NCTE called Winter is for Snow . I shared it with kids this week in Writing Workshop and we had an amazing workshop.  I thought the book might be too simple for workshop but I was amazed at how many craft decisions the kids noticed in the book and how many they wanted to play with in their own writing.  And it was the perfect week for a snow book, right?


We had a Snow Day!

And finally, I found this video this week and loved it:

I so love living my weeks paying attention to the celebrations. Thanks, Ruth for starting this great tradition! (And visit Ruth Ayres Writes for more Celebrate This Week posts!)

Poetry Friday -- Ode to My Big Toe

Dear Big Toe,

We've been together since before I was born.
You've helped me balance;
I've taken you for granted.

Now I'll give you the pampering you deserve...
at least until the bandages come off
and we get back to normal.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2013



You gotta love a podiatrist with a sense of humor! Because of a recurring infected ingrown nail, I had an eighth inch strip of toenail removed yesterday, and the doctor "signed" my "cast" with these Spiderman (or alien) eyes.

Here's to healthy toes!

Robyn has the Poetry Friday Roundup at Life on the Deckle Edge. The call for roundup hosts for January for June is here.

Poetry Friday Call for Roundup Hosts

It's that time again. Six months have passed since last we queued up to host the Poetry Friday roundups.

If you'd like to host a roundup between January and June 2014, leave your choice(s) of date(s) in the comments. I'll update regularly to make it easier to see which dates have been claimed.

What is the Poetry Friday roundup? A gathering of links to posts featuring original or shared poems, or reviews of poetry books. A carnival of poetry posts.

Who can do the Poetry Friday roundup? Anyone who is willing to gather the links in some way, shape or form (Mr. Linky, "old school" in the comments-->annotated in the post, Jog the Web, or ???) on the Friday of your choice. If you are new to the Poetry Friday community, jump right in! If you've never participated, but you'd like to get started, choose a date later on so that we can spend some time getting to know each other.

How do you do a Poetry Friday roundup? If you're not sure, stick around for a couple of weeks and watch...and learn! One thing we're finding out is that folks who schedule their posts, or who live in a different time zone than you, appreciate it when the roundup post goes live sometime on Thursday.

How do I get the code for the PF Roundup Schedule for the sidebar of my blog? I'll post it in the files on the Kidlitosphere Yahoo group, and I'd be happy to send it to you if you leave me your email address. Speaking of the the Kidlitosphere Yahoo group, I'll set up reminders on the calendar there. Plus, I'll send the schedule to Pam to put on the Kidlitosphere Central webpage.

Why would I do a Poetry Friday Roundup? Community, community, community. It's like hosting a poetry party on your blog!

And now for the where and when:

January
3   Betsy at I Think in Poems
10 Donna at Mainely Write
17 Keri at Keri Recommends
24  Tara at A Teaching Life
31  Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect

February

7   Renee at No Water River

14 Linda at TeacherDance

21 Karen at Karen Edmisten

28 Anastasia at Poet! Poet!

March

7   Margaret at Reflections on the Teche

14 Kara at Rogue Anthropologist

21 Julie at The Drift Record

28 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading

April

4   Amy at The Poem Farm

11 Michelle at Today's Little Ditty

18 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge

25 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference

May
2   Katya at Write. Sketch. Repeat.

9  Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup

16 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass

23 Violet at Violet Nesdoly / poems

30 Diane at Random Noodling

June

6    Catherine at Catherine Johnson

13  Carol at Carol's Corner

20  Buffy at Buffy's Blog

27  Jone at Check it Out

Thankful For the Public Library!

The first thing you notice when you walk into my room is the books -- six shelves there (with tubs across the tops of all of them), a homemade cinderblock and plank shelf there, two tall ones there, two short ones under the chalk tray there, the one behind the small table that serves as my desk...books are everywhere.

And yet, as I worked on the details of how I would approach the nonfiction unit we were set to start this week, the details about what other kinds of learning I was going to aim for beyond the standards that guided our planning, I realized I didn't have enough nonfiction books.

Praise be for the ability to place reserves online!

Praise be for TWO library cards -- a citizen card plus an educator card!

I have 17 different volumes in the Scientists in the Field series checked out. I want to explore with my students what kind of stamina it takes to read longer nonfiction. (No, these aren't the only longer nonfiction choices they'll have, but what a great place to start, eh?)

I have 22 books by Steve Jenkins checked out. These books support a range of readers. And they are already noticing what I hoped they would -- the very narrow and creative topic choices Jenkins makes. I want him to be a mentor for their topic selection when we get deeper into the writing portion of this unit.

I have 9 books by Don Brown checked out (this is his newest ...with a name like Don Brown, it's hard to do an author search on Amazon!). He's coming to the Dublin Literacy Conference in February! He writes more literary nonfiction, without the internal text features we often see in nonfiction and with more of a story arc as the structure. He has great "stepping stone" books that might get a reader interested in a topic that they will explore further. This is another sub-goal I have for this nonfiction unit.

(If it feels like I'm stopping this post without fully explaining everything -- like I did with my word study choice time post yesterday -- blame #nerdlution. This is my 30 minutes to write and if I don't stop now, I won't get showered and a lunch made and to school on time! At least this one is better edited than yesterday's [I hope]. I'm planning to update the word study choice post with information that answers some of the questions in the comments. What else are you wondering about our nonfiction study?)

Choice

Giving students choice time in Language Arts takes a lot of trust.

I have to believe that setting aside my agenda for a half an hour every day will not result in lost instructional time.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Yesterday, when it was reading choice after a writing workshop focus day, a handful went back to the nonfiction they had begun in our new nonfiction study, but the two who are listening to The Lightning Thief as they read along happily plugged into the iPad minis and were lost in the story in an instant. Books that were in process before Thanksgiving came out to be finished. Several students had begun or were beginning next books in series: Clementine, City of Ember, Lunch Lady.

Because we had spent all of our word study time defining and beginning to explore our new roots, we hadn't had any word study choice time. We ended Social Studies with 15 minutes to spare, and the question, "How about some word study choice time?" was barely out of my mouth before this happened:

All I had to do was get out of the way...and play a game of Boggle...and figure out some tricky 4 Pics 1 Word clues.

A Visit from Artist, Steve Harpster

The day before I left for #ncte13 we had visiting artist, Steve Harpster, at our school. He is a local illustrator with lots of great books for kids on how to draw. After our class visited his website and watched some of his videos, we were really excited about his visit.   Here is what Harptoons is all about!

His work is perfect for elementary kids. I loved the way he made drawing complex things accessible for kids and I also loved the videos as mentors for the how-to videos kids might make during the year.

His sessions were as engaging as his website as he got kids drawing right away. We were told to make sure kids had paper and pencils because they'd be active. It was a great session as kids were engaged and laughing most of the time.

One thing I loved was that he used an iPad to present with.  I'm not sure what the app was but already my kids are playing around with draw tools in new ways, based on what they saw Steve do.  Even though the iPad was never mentioned, kids learned about another possibility with digital tools.

Steve Harpster's session was a great one and I love his drawing books. I have lots of how-to drawing books in my classroom but it is hard to find books that are as accessible to young children as these are.  My kids love them and they are already circulating around the class like crazy.


Visuals are becoming so important and I think it's important that kids play around with drawing as much as they play around with writing. Steve Harpster's session really gave my students confidence in their drawing abilities. Everyone left feeling like they could draw and I imagine I'll see that in their work across content area.

From what the website says, Steve Harpster does free Skype visits and free local school visits. I'd highly recommend checking out his website and his books!  I'm so glad we got a chance to learn from him!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Thanks to Jen at Teach Mentor Texts for inviting us all to participate in It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Visit her blog to catch up on everyone's reading this week.

So, I had a few hours free last week to browse Barnes and Noble. I haven't had time for book browsing in months and I forgot how much I love just looking at all that is new on the shelves. During my browsing, I realized how little Adult Fiction I've read lately.  I did read The Light Between Oceans: A Novel , which I loved, but not much else in 2013. I realized, as I was browsing, that I like my life much better when I am reading adult fiction. I love children's books, I love my professional reading and I love YA. But I also love adult fiction and I've let that part of my reading life go. So, even though I am not making this a #nerdlution, I am thinking I want to make more time for adult fiction in my reading life for 2014.  So, today's "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" post is dedicated to adult nonfiction and books I am hoping to read in the near future.

I picked up Barbara Kingsolver's book, Flight Behavior: A Novel . I love her books and haven't read enough of them.  I am not sure how long this one will take me to read as I am reading for CYBILS and for a few other committees.  But I bought it and I have many adult fiction books on my TBR list. Here are some that looked good to me during my browsing.  I took photos so I would remember the covers and the titles.  I'm not sure I'll read all of these or if I'll read any of these, but I do want to get back to reading adult fiction more regularly.  This book browsing reminded me how much I am missing it!

Life After Life: A Novel by Kate Atkinson (I actually have 2 by this title that I want to read-they sound very different but equally good--Life After Life: A Novel

The Husband's Secret ,  The Outcasts: A Novel , The Light in the Ruins

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel (I've been meaning to read this one!) and Flight Behavior: A Novel .

And, Samantha Bennett always has great books to recommend. They are always a bit long but I can trust her when I say, "Tell me the ONE adult fiction title I need to read."  This time, she recommended The Goldfinch so I've added that one to my list too!