Interactive Read-Aloud Lesson: How Do Illustrations Add to Our Understanding of the Story?

This week my third graders and I are taking a deeper look at STORIES, particularly at the clues that illustrations give us about the setting, the characters, and the plot. I was looking for picture books that would generate thoughtful discussion--fortunately we had a book fair last week, so I had several brand spankin new picture books! After reading Mr. Tiger Goes Wild! with the kiddos, it was obvious that this one was a perfect fit for the discussion I wanted.

Learning Goal: I can explain how illustrations add to the text in a story.
Key Questions:
What clues do the illustrations give about the characters?
What clues do the illustrations give about the setting?
What clues do the illustrations give about the plot? 
Can you make predictions based on the illustrations?

FYI, these are the ELA Common Core Standards for Reading: Literature that this lesson meets:
1st Grade: RL 1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
2nd Grade: RL 2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
3rd Grade: RL 3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).

We started by talking about our learning goal 

{I can explain how illustrations add to what is written in a story}.

QUESTION: What clues can we find to help us understand the CHARACTERS, especially Mr. Tiger?Student responses included . . .

• Mr. Tiger has his eyes open and everyone else has them closed.
• The colors are dull except for Mr. Tiger.
• Everyone looks posh.
• Most of the animals are herbivores (I was so delighted with this observation by several of my students!). Mr. Tiger is different because he is a carnivore. Maybe this makes him more wild.

QUESTION: What clues can we find to help us understand the SETTING?

We looked at many pictures throughout the book, and made the following observations:

• He lives in a town or city.
• It is very dull colored and boring at the beginning.
• Guesses as to which city it might be included: New York City, Paris, and London. The kids guessed these cities mostly because of the pigeons. :)

QUESTION: What clues can we find to help us understand the PLOT?

The previous page says that Mr. Tiger has a wild idea . . . and then we turn to the picture of Mr. Tiger walking on all fours. No words. Just an illustration showing us what his wild idea was. I read it once without showing the picture (the kids agreed that there was missing information) and then again, this time showing them all the pictures. They understood so much more! (Just the learning moment I was looking for! ZING!)

Then we compared these two illustrations: one of Tiger being wild in the city and one of Tiger being wild in the wilderness. How are they the same? How are they different?

Reading and talking about this book was a BLAST! The children were riveted. Success! Thanks to Peter Brown and Mr. Tiger.

What kinds of questions do you ask during read aloud?

A Look Back at 2014

2014 has come and gone. When I started this blog last March, my goal was to find and share really great books, AND share how things are going in my classroom. So much has happened in the past year!

Let's take a walk through some of my favorite posts of 2014 . . . 

Why Books?

Ah--the very first post, a very good place to start. I go back occasionally and read this post to remind myself what my intentions are and why I write about books.


What Every Child (and Adult) Should Learn About Being Brave
I loved writing this post, and LOVED reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to prep for it. Fictional stories really do help us navigate through our own world and our own personal dragons. When I read this book to my class, I wanted them to get a sense of their own power to overcome trials, like the characters in the book do over and over again. Children need that. And so do I.

Getting Into Poetry
When April arrived, I was ready for National Poetry Month! We wrote 7 different forms of poetry as a class. Each student made their own poetry booklet. It was amazing to see them take ownership of their writing!

 


Teachers. We Need to Slow Down.
This post hits home for me, especially as I get ready to dive into end-of-year testing.  I need the constant reminder to slow down and find BALANCE.

Review #43: Mysterious Traveler
One of the best books that I read in 2014 is written by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham. Mysterious Traveler is a beautiful story, and one that I would recommend to everyone.

Staying Healthy Through the Winter Months: 6 Tips for Teachers
Stay clean, stay strong, stay healthy!

Here's to a fabulous new year! I hope 2015 finds you learning and growing!

Staying Healthy Through the Winter Months: 6 Tips for Teachers

That time of year is upon us . . . sniffles and sneezes and wheezes. 
If your classroom feels like a germ factory, keep these simple steps in mind:


1. Eat your vegetables

Along with the treats from all the winter holidays, make sure you are giving your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs. Find fruits and veggies that are in season. Stock up on vegetable juices—it is a quick way to get your veggies (all teachers need that!) and doesn’t go bad as quickly.

2. Create a cleaning routine in the classroom

You know it’s true—the flu bug you caught this month came from the children. Reduce those germs by having a set time daily or weekly for disinfecting desks, chairs, doorknobs, and shelves! Use safe cleaners and be aware of kids with allergies or skin irritation.

3. Maintain your exercise routine

I am adding this one on this list because it is the one I struggle with the most! My motivation to go to the gym or on a quick run plummets in the winter. Why? It is cold. And no one will notice any weight change under all the sweaters and scarves. I would rather eat gingerbread. Did I mention the cold? You may need to set up a new system, give yourself a reward chart (borrow a sticker chart from school . . . ), or track your progress in a public way (that might mean tweeting your goals or starting a fitness challenge with teachers in your building). What works for you?

4. Set aside time each day to de-stress

It is easy to get tightly wound with all the hustle and bustle. You have tests to give (and grade), plans to make, and meetings to attend. You have to write calming emails to angry parents. And that is just at work. Chances are you have a trouble or two outside of your job as well. Do yourself a favor and STEP BACK. Give yourself credit for what you are doing. Choose a 15 minute block of time every day dedicated to stillness. Find your own brand of unwinding; the possibilities are vast, but you can start with one of these:

• Breathe deeply
• Tell yourself 5 things you are good at
• Slowly eat a square of chocolate
• Practice a yoga move or two
• Remember all the funny things your students have said recently
• Make a mental list of all the things you are genuinely grateful for

5. Get enough sleep

A rested body is in a much better place to fight infection—don’t overlook the importance of a consistent bed-time. I know you are tempted to stay up late putting another layer of ruffles on the tree skirt, or watching another re-run of Downton Abbey. Those are strong temptations, but you need time to regenerate for tomorrow. Grab a calming herbal tea or a hot rice bag instead of the remote or your sewing kit.

6. If you need a sick day, TAKE IT!

I know too many teachers who carry on through viruses and fevers needlessly. The world will not end if you stop to take care of yourself.  Your students will be fine. Get away from that copy machine and Go To Bed.

What do you do to stay healthy?

How We Almost Lost Thanksgiving (and the Superwoman Who Saved It)

I found a new book yesterday—it has been in my classroom for years, unnoticed! (To be VERY honest, I thought it was a book about Betsy Ross and the American flag; apparently, I didn’t even read the title). But on the last school day before Thanksgiving I wanted to read a Thanksgiving story to my students. I flipped through my holiday books, and there it was: Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is a great feeling, reading a book for the first time, not to mention reading it out loud to a gaggle of 8 year olds. I never know how they are going to react to a story—with interest, disinterest, giggles, or insight, or a mix of it all. They loved this book. And I was shocked that I owned it all this time and was only just discovering it. I loved sharing with my group of bright-eyed chatterboxes the story of Sarah Hale, a “dainty little lady” born in 1788. The list of things she accomplished in her lifetime is phenomenal. Makes me tired just thinking about it! Here are a few:

• Wrote and published novels and children’s books
• Edited the Ladies’ Magazine (which published works by some of the most famous authors of her time, such as Poe, Hawthorne, Stowe, Longfellow, and Dickens)
• Raised five children
• Wrote Mary Had A Little Lamb
• Advocated for schools for girls and opposed slavery
• By night, she made hats and wrote thousands of letters

I’ve been trying to teach my class this year how to take action and not wait for someone else to solve their problems. It’s been an ongoing struggle—as I read this book to them, I could tell they were digesting the idea of a “bold, brave, stubborn, and smart” person who had an idea and worked hard to bring it about. This dainty little lady loved Thanksgiving-- and it was being forgotten by a lot of Americans, especially in the new states forming in the West. What did she do? Sarah Hale picked up her pen. She wrote letters by the thousands, urging Americans to make Thanksgiving a nationally recognized holiday. Imagine, the ENTIRE country celebrating and giving thanks on the same day. For a country embroiled in a civil war, that idea was powerful. We needed a little more coming together and a little less falling apart. Sarah appealed to FIVE consecutive presidents of the United States (that is some stubborn waiting!) before Abraham Lincoln made our Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, thirty-eight years after Sarah began her quest. I want the girls and guys in my class to have heroes like this lady. This book was a great find, just at the right moment too. The illustrations are witty and fun, and the story is inspiring. In the spirit of giving thanks, here are the things that have been on my mind:

• I am grateful that my husband doesn’t get annoyed when I read the Kindle over his shoulder (currently “we” are reading Catching Fire). You know how food tastes better when it is snitched from someone else’s meal? It just might be the same with books.
• I give thanks for a break from the children, so I can go back with renewed energy and patience.
• I give thanks for cinnamon & hibiscus herbal tea with cream.
• I give thanks for family.
• I give thanks for the beautiful DIY wreath made of ribbons that one of my students made for me. It is the first decoration to go up! Many more to follow.
• I am grateful that I am not sick with a cold or fever! Bring on the holidays. 

What are YOU thankful for?

Teachers. We need to slow down.

My heart goes out to you, fellow teachers. If your school is anything like my school, the buzz of end-of-year testing is already reaching a fever pitch.

Let me tell you why that is a CRAZY idea. It might even be a bad idea. Because my state is launching a completely new computer-adaptive test. Which means my third graders have to TYPE a lot of their answers (whoooa, that will be a challenge for those little fingers). Totally new. And there is zero time to train the students because the staff was only trained on it last week. Phew.

Still . . . My inclination is to teach with depth, without transferring the frenzied stress to the kids.

REASONS WHY I AM SLOWING DOWN AS TESTING SPEEDS UP

1. The test may be new, but I know the core.

Many of my colleagues are frantic about this new testing system. I refuse to be frantic (and it has to be a conscious effort).  I have been teaching my students quality stuff all year, all core-aligned, meticulously planned . . . you know exactly what I mean because that is how you teach. You resisted the urge to spend 2 weeks on a cute butterfly craftivity, even though it would have been awesome, and taught the phases of the moon instead (AND still managed to do a cute moon-themed craft!).  ALL YEAR, we have been teaching well, hopefully taking measured risks, meeting needs, looking for strengths and weaknesses . . .  so why are we worried? You are a good teacher. Relax and keep teaching.

I don’t know about you, but I want my students to be good thinkers. Creators. Innovators. And that, my friend, takes time. Class time that isn’t being wrung dry by a big fatty state test. I know that testing has a place. It is a tool to show progress and identify needs. It is ONE tool among many.

How about thinking of some other tools? A friend shared an article with me, about what creative people do differently, and even though it wasn’t written about education, it is a portrait of what my ideal classroom would allow. 

Just reading it made me feel more relaxed and creative. 

Another speaker for education, Sir Ken Robinson, said that children do not grow into creativity, they grow out of it.

My aim is to help my kids to never grow out of their own inherent creative skills.

And then there is this beautiful piece by a veteran teacher about standardized testing.

I could go on.

3. I will NOT lose my sense of humor.

Stress is a killer. But this teacher/possible comedian gets it: read her brilliant solution to test administration woes. I will be trying these out. :)

4.  My students are not machines.

Like you, I have put sweat and tears into building a strong foundation of respect, kindness, and creativity in my classroom. I am not about to squander the last months of school on test-frenzy. There is so much potential for deep, real learning with this group of kids that are now working as a group, despite the bumps in the road. We will prepare and study with the same fun and energy that we have enjoyed all year. They will be ready for the test, yes, but MORE than that, they will still love learning.

There are many great minds better than mine who have explored this idea.  Ken Robinson is a fantastic speaker, who puts plainly the struggles and triumphs that I see every day in the classroom. Here is just one of his thoughts on creativity in the classroom:

How do you create conditions for your students to flourish?

How do you handle testing?

Getting into Poetry

April is nearly here, and it is . . . National Poetry Month! 

We are linking up with some other lovely people for Workshop Wednesday to talk about POETRY :)

I loved writing poems with my 3rd graders this week. It was one of those magic moments--they were happy as clams to sit and write, because they cared about what they were writing about. We started out with this planning sheet: 

They made lists of things they think about a lot, things they love, places they've been, things they have seen, etc. Every time we wrote a new poem, I sent them back to this page to decide what their poem would be about. 

We did the planning together. I had the same graphic organizer under the document camera. I wrote my thoughts, they wrote theirs. We shared and talked and made lists (bliss).

Once we had a bunch of ideas written down, we were ready to go! This is when they got excited about writing poetry because they realized they could write about whatever they wanted. Freedom! With structure. :)

There are 7 types of poems that I teach in this unit--

Haiku, Cinquain, Clerihew, Quatrain, Free Verse, Acrostic, and Diamante. Each has its own rules and format. My kids loved learning about each one (which was a pleasant surprise). I use these poetry posters with the document camera as we look at each form of poetry.

Their poems were lovely. A lot were about "My Dog" . . . that happens every year. BUT a lot of their poems came out creative, funny, and personal. We wrote the final version in our poetry booklets:

Have to say, it is one of my favorite subjects to teach :)

I hope you can use this in your classroom. Grab the posters and printouts here :)

The Advantage of Disadvantage

A new book by one of my favorite non-fiction authors is out and I am absorbed in it! This is not a children’s book, but it’s nice to stir things up a bit.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell is proving to be just as good as his previous books. And as usual, the content makes me re-evaluate all my preconceived notions about my students and the way we educate them. 

Think of the students you teach. You know them well enough to know the specific things they grapple with: learning disabilities, loss of a parent, dyslexia, etc. What if those things are their greatest asset? What if some of those students can become better BECAUSE OF the difficulty, not in spite of it?

I am a huge advocate of reading. Read often. Read early, Read well. I read to my students everyday, and stretch out reading time for as many minutes as possible. But. As much as I believe in the power of reading, I also know exactly which kids will deeply struggle with it for a long time. What about them? What about carving out room for the skills that come easily to them?

“Most of us gravitate toward the areas in which we excel. The child who picks up reading easily goes on to read even more, becomes even better at it, and ends up in a field that requires a lot of reading . . . and on and on in a virtuous circle.”

Student who are not good readers are developing OTHER skills, just as powerful.

“Desirable difficulties have the opposite logic …”

That opposite logic is that a child with dyslexia is forced every day to compensate. They have no choice but to find OTHER ways of doing what needs to be done. They survive the school system without being able to read fluently, but they become devastatingly good at listening and talking and remembering. They know how to think around a situation and make it work for them. Could a teacher or a parent give a kid that kind of intense motivation? I don’t think so.

“What is learned in necessity is inevitably more powerful than that which comes easily."

As parents and educators, of course we want our kids to learn the art of persuasion or to think outside the box.

“But a normal, well-adjusted child has no need to take these lessons seriously.”

Think about it. The very skills we work so hard to teach are learned instinctively and with great effort by children who grapple with things like dyslexia.

“If you get A’s in school, you never need to figure out how to negotiate your way to a passing grade, or to look around the room as a nine year old and start strategizing about how to make it through the next hour.”

Disadvantages are the perfect preparation.

Re-think. Take another look. We are always seeking out our students’ strengths—it could be that their struggles fit in that category as well.

What Every Child (and Adult) Should Learn about Being Brave

Narnia. We all know it is magic.

I just finished The Voyage of the Dawn Treader this week and was completely wrapped up in its metaphors and movement.
There is a quest, started by Caspian to find the lost lords who served his father.
There is danger and rescue. There is Aslan.
Every person, big ones and little ones, YOU and ME, knows about adventure and danger BECAUSE WE ARE LIVING, we are human, we are vulnerable, we are learning to be brave.
There are things every person must face, and I am glad to have already met in this book ordinary children who fought sea serpents—and won. When my own troubles come slithering in, I already have the victory envisioned.

So! This is your list of what I learned about being brave—here I will be brief—if you want the full effect, read the book.

1. Direction is Important 
Bravery in this story has purpose. As a constant motif throughout every chapter, the Dawn Treader sails East. Each island is a step along the way. They know where they are going from the moment they set sail. East, east, east, toward the sun.


2. The end of the world is not the end of the world
I want my students to know this.
I want my future kiddos to know this.
I want to know this.
When Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, Caspian, & the gang reach the first island, they are immediately caught and sold as slaves. In the whole scheme of the book, it is a small piece of the adventure, and (spoiler alert!) they do escape the slavetrader. Of course they do. It is not the worst thing to happen—just the first thing.
When my students bring a problem to me, often their eyes are filled with “this-is-the-end-of-the-world.” No, it’s not. It is the beginning.


3. Dragons Can Be Conquered
Even if the dragon is You.


4. Make It Narnian
For children, and more often for adults, life is murky. If something in your world is hard to understand, imagine instead what it would look like in Narnia.

Ordinary people become kings and queens. Your loved one struggling through addiction becomes a knight in armour, battling off the seven snare-clawed demons circling his head. Make the worry into a metaphor and suddenly it snaps into focus.

So be brave like Lucy! Be changed like Eustace! It is nice to read a children’s novel and feel closer to God and closer to he truest version of myself. You don’t get that very often.

Join the fun:  

Just Keep Learning

This is my fourth year of teaching; the thing I feel most is relief and steadiness because I have my sea legs. Now I am looking around, figuring out where the ship is going. It took a lot of work and stumbling around for the first few years! Do problems come up? Only every day. But I am becoming more comfortable with the structure and the pacing and the flow of it all. I still work hard to find my balance—and maintain my balance. 

Looking back, I am astounded at the opportunities to grow that have heaped themselves at my feet. In a school setting, we are thrown into close quarters with a specific group of people. Some bring out the best in us, and some bring out the dragons. Kids, parents, coworkers—they all take their piece of you or build a place with you. As hard as that process is, I wouldn’t trade it for anything less demanding. 

Looking ahead, there is still so much to learn—I went to a class hosted by a local university about integrating agriculture into science lessons (growing pumpkins and such) and I sat down next to MY 3^rd grade teacher. To her credit she hasn’t aged a day (teaching must be good for the skin . . . or something). There she was after 20 years, the teacher that heavily influenced me to become what I am now. If anyone could sit back and feel confident that they have this teaching thing down, go home, and binge watch episodes of Downton, it would be her. But no, her first thought was to take another class. Learn something new. Shake things up and re-write her plans to include terrariums and seed packets. She is still inspiring me.

Just keep learning.