Layers!
This is a book for adults as much as children. Kids will love it as it gives a different look at some classic storybook characters. Adults, however, will appreciate the endless jokes and layer upon layer of meaning.
Too much for a single sit down read aloud, this would be a book that I would recommend to a teacher that is doing a classic fairy tale unit. Characters such as Goldilocks, The Little Red Hen, The 3 Little Pigs, The Big Bad Wolf are all highlighted in this book in the form of letters back and forth between the characters. It is a great way to discuss point of view; there is more than one way to look at a situation. This book is a lot of fun!
Apart from pure enjoyment and an extension of classic fairy tales, this is also a great opportunity for readers to connect to their previous experience with these characters. You could also discuss how you write a friendly letter. The author's effective use of voice is another topic that you could introduce to young writers through these humourous letters.
Showing posts with label Connecting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Connecting. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Rain Shadow - Valerie Sherrard
I don't very often emote when I read. The last time I can remember openly crying during a book is on a plane with my son beside me wondering why mommy was a blubbering mess. Last night I finished Rain Shadow by Valerie Sherrard, nominated for The Silver Birch Award®. It didn't take me long to read, but I was on the verge of tears and at times crying through it's entirety. I'm not trying to be dramatic. It's that sad. What's the correlation between the two crying incidents? The book on the plane was another Valerie Sherrard book, The Glory Wind. Clearly this author has my number.
In Rain Shadow I literally felt like Bethany. Yes, yes, we often feel for our characters. Remember my earlier speech - if you aren't connecting to the book/characters, you either don't like it or you are daydreaming...blah blah blah. This time I really really was immersed into the story. I was sad, devastated, horrified and mad for Bethany. I wanted to yell at the characters who mistreated her, dismissed her, blamed her - what right do they have to make her feel that way when she was clearly hurting all on her own? I can't remember a time recently when I've felt so moved by what was happening to a character. My character. Bravo, Valerie Sherrard. You've done it again. I've been moved.
I also enjoyed the descriptions that Bethany uses in the beginning and how they take you through the entire book. I even went back to them when I finished to go over them again. i.never.do.that.
Her sister told her she was a jewel and Bethany was a stone:
The truth is, I do not mind the idea of being a stone ... Jewels are
nice with their colour and shine. But I think stones are
more interesting. Holding a stone can make you feel peaceful and
calm. Some stones are mysterious, with lines and drawings in them.
It is a mistake to ever think a stone is not worth looking at.
Then her classmate Luke makes reference to a rain shadow:
...the plants that grow on the rain shadow side are actually
stronger than the ones that get lots of rain...They have to
try harder to make it. These plants never give up...They're
strong and brave, like you.
We all should aspire to be stones and rain shadows. A great read!
In Rain Shadow I literally felt like Bethany. Yes, yes, we often feel for our characters. Remember my earlier speech - if you aren't connecting to the book/characters, you either don't like it or you are daydreaming...blah blah blah. This time I really really was immersed into the story. I was sad, devastated, horrified and mad for Bethany. I wanted to yell at the characters who mistreated her, dismissed her, blamed her - what right do they have to make her feel that way when she was clearly hurting all on her own? I can't remember a time recently when I've felt so moved by what was happening to a character. My character. Bravo, Valerie Sherrard. You've done it again. I've been moved.
I also enjoyed the descriptions that Bethany uses in the beginning and how they take you through the entire book. I even went back to them when I finished to go over them again. i.never.do.that.
Her sister told her she was a jewel and Bethany was a stone:
The truth is, I do not mind the idea of being a stone ... Jewels are
nice with their colour and shine. But I think stones are
more interesting. Holding a stone can make you feel peaceful and
calm. Some stones are mysterious, with lines and drawings in them.
It is a mistake to ever think a stone is not worth looking at.
Then her classmate Luke makes reference to a rain shadow:
...the plants that grow on the rain shadow side are actually
stronger than the ones that get lots of rain...They have to
try harder to make it. These plants never give up...They're
strong and brave, like you.
We all should aspire to be stones and rain shadows. A great read!
Monday, June 8, 2015
Making Connections - It Sounds So Easy...
I have a little speech I say to kids when we talk about making connections while reading:
Mrs. D: We are thinking all the time. When you are reading you are thinking. Reading IS Thinking! You are thinking the plot is awesome, or boring. You are relating in some way to the characters. Maybe they are like you, maybe they are your complete opposite. You are thinking that the setting is well described or you are struggling to picture it in your head. You think that the dialogue is funny or interesting or bizarre - whatever! Are these not all connections?
Student response: Sure they are! Absolutely! As we read, we are constantly making connections!
Ok, maybe they don't respond this way, but I try and make the point that if they are not having these thoughts as they read, then the book is too hard or they are daydreaming. It's virtually impossible to read a book and not have some sort of connection, because otherwise, why are we reading it? We don't want to read about things we can't relate to at all. Even the most fantasical of fantasy books have characters and situations we can connect to in some way.
Little kids shout out their connections during read alouds, but then as older students, they struggle to make connections. Why?
I think teaching connecting is something that needs to grow with the reader. You may have made friends based on your favourite colour when you were little but that doesn't cut it as you get older ("You like pink? I like pink! Let's be best friends). More mature readers struggle to make good connections as they read. I believe they are making these connections (see dialogue above) so why aren't they able to express them?
It's important that students make connections to self, text and world. I would however start with text to self connections. If they can master these, move on. If they are struggling to make simple connections, there's no sense expecting them to connect to other texts AND the world. They need to make meaningful text to self connections before the others.
Here are a few hints to help students make 'good' connections:
1. Start the year off with lots of 'connectable' texts. Do you like how I just make up words? ;) One book I enjoy reading in September is 'The Relatives Came' by Cynthia Rylant. Summer vacation is done, but many kids will have spent some time in a car OR had family visit OR had a BBQ, picnic...There are so many things that students can connect to in this book. They may be surface connections (my family visited from wherever, just like in the book), but you can use these surface connections to dig deeper. Have the students help each other, ask questions and try to make those connections more meaningful. How do you feel when you have to share your space? This could be with another family member in the house, not just a relative that comes to visit. Have you ever had a relative or a friend break something of yours by accident? How did you feel, for real? How do you feel about long car trips? Like them? Hate them? Would you rather be the relative that hosts or the relative that visits? The talking may lead to more meaningful connections.
2. Don't accept lame-o connections. I talk about what makes a good connection and a lame connection. If there is a dog in the story and they have a dog, this is a lame connection. Think again! Did they have the same feelings as the dog owner in the story? Do they yearn for a dog, but can't have one? Can they discuss their feelings as being the same as the character who does have a dog in the story? Surface connections don't cut it, dig deeper!!!!
3. Give students a stack of stickies while they read. Stickies are magic, students for some reason have no problem writing on a sticky. Maybe because they are small??? Have them write at least one connection per page. They write them on a sticky and stick it on the page. When they are done reading for the day, they review their connections and pick one really good one to write about. Only rule? No lame connections!
4. Read the books your students are reading and conference! If you can't read everything (and who can, really?) make sure you are still conferencing. You can usually drag something (a connection) out of student orally if you can't get it in writing. If they make connections as you conference, write them down. At least you can report that they can make connections, but struggle to express them in writing. Students who does struggle to connect, need more conferencing!
Don't rush through Making Connections! Do it well, Do it often!
Mrs. D: We are thinking all the time. When you are reading you are thinking. Reading IS Thinking! You are thinking the plot is awesome, or boring. You are relating in some way to the characters. Maybe they are like you, maybe they are your complete opposite. You are thinking that the setting is well described or you are struggling to picture it in your head. You think that the dialogue is funny or interesting or bizarre - whatever! Are these not all connections?
Student response: Sure they are! Absolutely! As we read, we are constantly making connections!
Ok, maybe they don't respond this way, but I try and make the point that if they are not having these thoughts as they read, then the book is too hard or they are daydreaming. It's virtually impossible to read a book and not have some sort of connection, because otherwise, why are we reading it? We don't want to read about things we can't relate to at all. Even the most fantasical of fantasy books have characters and situations we can connect to in some way.
Little kids shout out their connections during read alouds, but then as older students, they struggle to make connections. Why?
I think teaching connecting is something that needs to grow with the reader. You may have made friends based on your favourite colour when you were little but that doesn't cut it as you get older ("You like pink? I like pink! Let's be best friends). More mature readers struggle to make good connections as they read. I believe they are making these connections (see dialogue above) so why aren't they able to express them?
It's important that students make connections to self, text and world. I would however start with text to self connections. If they can master these, move on. If they are struggling to make simple connections, there's no sense expecting them to connect to other texts AND the world. They need to make meaningful text to self connections before the others.
Here are a few hints to help students make 'good' connections:
1. Start the year off with lots of 'connectable' texts. Do you like how I just make up words? ;) One book I enjoy reading in September is 'The Relatives Came' by Cynthia Rylant. Summer vacation is done, but many kids will have spent some time in a car OR had family visit OR had a BBQ, picnic...There are so many things that students can connect to in this book. They may be surface connections (my family visited from wherever, just like in the book), but you can use these surface connections to dig deeper. Have the students help each other, ask questions and try to make those connections more meaningful. How do you feel when you have to share your space? This could be with another family member in the house, not just a relative that comes to visit. Have you ever had a relative or a friend break something of yours by accident? How did you feel, for real? How do you feel about long car trips? Like them? Hate them? Would you rather be the relative that hosts or the relative that visits? The talking may lead to more meaningful connections.
2. Don't accept lame-o connections. I talk about what makes a good connection and a lame connection. If there is a dog in the story and they have a dog, this is a lame connection. Think again! Did they have the same feelings as the dog owner in the story? Do they yearn for a dog, but can't have one? Can they discuss their feelings as being the same as the character who does have a dog in the story? Surface connections don't cut it, dig deeper!!!!
3. Give students a stack of stickies while they read. Stickies are magic, students for some reason have no problem writing on a sticky. Maybe because they are small??? Have them write at least one connection per page. They write them on a sticky and stick it on the page. When they are done reading for the day, they review their connections and pick one really good one to write about. Only rule? No lame connections!
4. Read the books your students are reading and conference! If you can't read everything (and who can, really?) make sure you are still conferencing. You can usually drag something (a connection) out of student orally if you can't get it in writing. If they make connections as you conference, write them down. At least you can report that they can make connections, but struggle to express them in writing. Students who does struggle to connect, need more conferencing!
Don't rush through Making Connections! Do it well, Do it often!
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
I know I've been using the word poignant too much...
But what a great word it is! Poignant.
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood made me a little sad and wistful. What looks like a bedtime storybook for the very young (and it totally could be) can be used in many ways in the classroom. Again, the illustrations are beautifully tied to the simplistic text! This book will conjure up lots of memories and conversations.
How would Mrs. D use this book?
Reading strategy - Inference - My newly coined acronym WCB? WCA? is appropriate with the pictures in this book. I can't believe I've come up with an acronym. Please let me know if this is already out there. I'm totally claiming it as my own until I hear otherwise! Simply asking students, What came before this picture? and What came after this picture? is a great way to highlight what it means to make an inference. There can not be a wrong answer, but there can be a great inference! See what they come up with and let them choose the picture they discuss.
Reading Strategy - Connecting - This is such a basic strategy but actually hard for students to demonstrate well. As readers, we are connecting all the time. We don't realize the thinking we are constantly doing while reading. I tell kids all the time, if they are not connecting in some way to the book (characters, setting, theme, plot) then they are either daydreaming or the book is too difficult. Connecting are all the thoughts that are going through your head as you read. What does the setting description remind you of? What have you read before that reminds you of the theme? The plot? I will allow a student to say that they dislike a book if they can prove to me that they can't connect with it in some way.
For The Quiet Book, students will find a part that reminds them of something that has happened to them at some point. There's their connection! Was it a happy time? What happened to them? How was it different or the same from what 'seems' to be happening in the book? The one page that resonated with me was, 'Top of the rollercoaster quiet'. Who hasn't experienced that? Can a student tell you about a rollercoaster experience? How did it begin? How did it end?
After reading this book I'm convinced that there a numerous types of quiet!
Writing Form - Who wants to write a class book? You may choose to do a Quiet Book or perhaps a Sad, Happy or Mad book. Each student could pick an emotion and describe a few moments when that emotion feels different. A great opportunity for students to practice paragraph writing! Introduce the emotion in an introduction sentence, give a few examples and write a concluding sentence. Done.
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood made me a little sad and wistful. What looks like a bedtime storybook for the very young (and it totally could be) can be used in many ways in the classroom. Again, the illustrations are beautifully tied to the simplistic text! This book will conjure up lots of memories and conversations.
How would Mrs. D use this book?
Reading strategy - Inference - My newly coined acronym WCB? WCA? is appropriate with the pictures in this book. I can't believe I've come up with an acronym. Please let me know if this is already out there. I'm totally claiming it as my own until I hear otherwise! Simply asking students, What came before this picture? and What came after this picture? is a great way to highlight what it means to make an inference. There can not be a wrong answer, but there can be a great inference! See what they come up with and let them choose the picture they discuss.
Reading Strategy - Connecting - This is such a basic strategy but actually hard for students to demonstrate well. As readers, we are connecting all the time. We don't realize the thinking we are constantly doing while reading. I tell kids all the time, if they are not connecting in some way to the book (characters, setting, theme, plot) then they are either daydreaming or the book is too difficult. Connecting are all the thoughts that are going through your head as you read. What does the setting description remind you of? What have you read before that reminds you of the theme? The plot? I will allow a student to say that they dislike a book if they can prove to me that they can't connect with it in some way.
For The Quiet Book, students will find a part that reminds them of something that has happened to them at some point. There's their connection! Was it a happy time? What happened to them? How was it different or the same from what 'seems' to be happening in the book? The one page that resonated with me was, 'Top of the rollercoaster quiet'. Who hasn't experienced that? Can a student tell you about a rollercoaster experience? How did it begin? How did it end?
After reading this book I'm convinced that there a numerous types of quiet!
Writing Form - Who wants to write a class book? You may choose to do a Quiet Book or perhaps a Sad, Happy or Mad book. Each student could pick an emotion and describe a few moments when that emotion feels different. A great opportunity for students to practice paragraph writing! Introduce the emotion in an introduction sentence, give a few examples and write a concluding sentence. Done.
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