Sno-Isle, the local library system, has produced a pamphlet, Countdown to Kindergarten: 100 Essential Picture Books that’s a starting place for great picture books to share with kids from age 3 to 10. Yep. I said 10. I read picture books to third graders and they love them. We use them as idea starters to… Read More »
Hopefully reading has been an active part of most kids’ summers. Books, plays, short stories, cereal boxes, maps, pamphlets, or whatever; all will have made a positive difference as school restarts. If most of you students took part in a summer library program be sure to keep that interest going throughout the school year by… Read More »
Reading in schools takes up more than 80% of the school day. Finding meaning in any text requires us to think about how we think.** We must once again use these four basic elements: Plan and Organize skim and preview tasks breakdown the parts decide how to proceed Self-Monitor check your progress troubleshoot problems ask… Read More »
Close Reading is defined as thoughtful, critical analysis of a text to focus on and look at significant information to develop a deep, precise understanding. Close reading requires spending extra time on text. After two initial read-throughs, a third reading is needed to analyze and evaluate the text. Obviously not every text needs to be… Read More »
Close Reading is defined as thoughtful, critical analysis of a text to focus on and look at significant information to develop a deep, precise understanding. So, how do we engage students to encourage close reading? First, explain that some texts deserve extra considerations. That means we will read and reread them to uncover information. Our… Read More »
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 8 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. Now’s time to get active with what’s been read over the past few weeks. Select a story that can be acted out OR go to… Read More »
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 7 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. The vastness of resources is mind-boggling. Rather than provide a list, I suggest you grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever, and go online… Read More »
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 6 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. Here are a hodge-podge of ideas to keep reading fresh/changing. In fiction: Read using different voices for different characters. Use/Make puppets and share the story… Read More »
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is #5 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. Reading can and should be an interactive skill. That means, taking the tine to talk with your kids about what they are reading. Before reading, ask… Read More »
Summer! The perfect time to carry around a book and spend time with favorite or new characters and subjects. This is # 4 in my 8-part series on Summer Literacy. Scan the book with a young reader. Look at all the illustrations. Talk about what the book might be about. Sit side-by-side and help the… Read More »