Hurricanes are a remarkable force of nature. The combination of powerful winds, waves and tides can wreak havoc.
As the country marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall on the Gulf Coast, many are keeping their eyes on Hurricane Earl, which is churning its way through the northern Caribbean. Forecasters say there is a chance the storm will make itself known off the coast of North Carolina about mid-week.
News like this provides an opportunity to teach children. Teachers who keep one ear tuned to current events will find a vast resource to enrich lessons, making them vibrant and relative to life.
It is wise to keep your second ear trained on conversations your students are having amongst themselves. They hear their parents talking and see lots of images on TV. Age-appropriate lessons from a trusted adult can help children sort out facts, fiction and even gale-force worries. Allow adequate time for initial questions and the opportunity for followup conversation.
My family and I experienced a tropical storm firsthand in 2002. We had been living in Barbados for only about six weeks when Lili hit the island. We were in a strong house, but the roar of the storm was deafening on our tin roof. The storm gained momentum after it passed over, eventually reaching Category 4 status over the Gulf of Mexico.
I was schooling my two daughters for the year that we were abroad, so the storm prompted lots of questions and teaching moments.
– How fast is the wind?
– When will the rain stop?
– Where did the hurricane come from?
– Why don’t we have electricity?
– What happened to that person’s house?
– Who will clear the roads?
– Why can’t we go to the beach?
– Where do the birds, sea turtles and monkeys go during the storm?
– Has anyone else ever had a storm like this?
While I could answer some of the questions, it would have been great to pull up an online children’s book to help explore the topic – once the lights came back on. Big Universe now offers several books that would have done nicely!
- The Bellwether book “Hurricanes” by Kay Manolison describes how hurricanes form and behave. Part of Bellwether’s Blastoff! Readers series, the text is aimed at Level 4 readers. The author uses a variety of sentence patterns and expanded vocabulary and punctuation. The graphics are highly appealing. This would have been just right for my new fourth-grader.
- Rourke Publishing’s “Surviving the Galveston Hurricane” by Jo Cleland would have been intriguing to my sixth-grader (AFTER our storm hit and everything quieted down). Cleland, a professor emeritus of reading education at Arizona State University West, worked in public education for 20 years prior to her university work. She continues to engage children through storytelling. “What we learn with delight, we never forget,” she says.
- “Ready, Set…WAIT! What Animals Do Before a Hurricane” is another storm-themed book on Big Universe’s library shelves. The illustrations by Connie McLennan are charming, and the text written by Patti Zelch is insightful. The extra information in the back of the book allows teachers to expand their lesson plans in many directions. Sylvan Dell Publishing also provides quizzes and cross-curricular activities online.
To read more about ways to use current events to add life to your teaching, read “10 Ways to Use Current Events in the Classroom” or Melissa Edwards’ blog titled “It is All About Making Connections …”. She writes, “When students make connections with the books they read, their understanding, comprehension and recall of the information increases.” Preach it, Melissa!
It is back to school already!?!? I think most of us are wondering what happened to summer break; I know I am. Break time is over with and it is back to the books and I know that there are probably many households that are “refreshing” their reading skills. We did slack off a bit during the summertime in our reading, which I really did not intend to do, so we are going to have to play catch-up to get back on track.
My oldest son is in the 2nd grade this year and, from the words of his mouth, he says “Second grade is hard; it is only for smart people.” I have to chuckle every time he says that. The biggest challenge that our household faced last year was in reading. I have searched for ways to help to make reading a bit easier and here are some things that I have found:
a. Consistency, consistency, consistency. Did I mention consistency? Yes, I feel that is the most important aspect. When you do things in repetition, you tend to finally “get” things after a certain time period – everything just “clicks”. So, I am determined to spend a certain amount of time, on a daily basis, with my child to go over the basics until he grows tired and weary, and can recite what was set out to be learned.
b. Make learning fun. Find a character that your child enjoys and make use of that character. Spice up the routine every now and then so the “routine” does not become so routine.
c. Progress and reward chart. Your child is just like you are – loves to see progress. Make a chart at where they are starting from to where they want to go. You will be amazed at how excited they can become once they see that they are progressing, and what a better way to celebrate their progress than with a reward? Now, the reward does not have to be anything extravagant, maybe take them out to an ice cream treat or to see a movie that they have been wanting to see. It will make them feel special and, most of all, it will make them feel proud of themselves.
The vitality of mastering early reading and comprehension skills is so crucial to our children’s future. Reading IS their future. So, whatever steps that we, as parents, need to take to ensure the best possible learning in literacy for our children, we need to take. Reading may be their future but our children are our future.
Posted on August 14, 2010 by Keisa Williams in Big Universe News, Lesson Plans, Personal Experiences, Reading Lists, Special Needs, Tips, Uncategorized.
Tags: creativity, Literacy, preschool, Reading, storytelling, wordless picture books
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Keisa Williams (aka Ms. K) is a K-5 School Librarian at Monarch Academy, a public charter school in Oakland, CA. She is certified in secondary and elementary education (MLIS and MEd) and loves collaborating with teachers and integrating technology into her library lessons. She considers herself a “Technology Diva” and “Gadget Junkie”.
The Lion & The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Wordless picture books are a great way to encourage reluctant readers, motivate storytelling, and prompt creative writing. I was blessed to receive the Caldecott Medal winning book, The Lion & The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney from a Twitter Elementary Librarian colleague, Ernie Cox. It was serendipitous that our kindergarten and first grade teams had just read another version of this story to our students.
When I introduced this book to students, I talked about how the illustrations in most picture books tell the story. I then modeled how to “read” a wordless picture book. I narrated parts and I added dialogue where appropriate. For example, “As the lion squeezed his paws around the mouse, the mouse screamed, “HELP!”…But no one heard his cries.” During the second reading, I call on students to “read” each page. When they narrate, I encourage them to think about describing how a character feels (and why), body language, the setting, and encourage them to add dialogue to enhance their storytelling. They always surprise me with the humor and specific details they choose to add to the story.
Did you know that Big Universe has wordless picture books? Use these titles to get your little ones “reading”:
Wordless picture books on Big Universe
Ben's Big Dig on Big Universe
Ben's Bunny Trouble on Big Universe
Maggie Cary, a national board certified teacher has been an educator for more than 17 years. She is certified in secondary education and holds a master’s degree in early childhood education.
Over the years she has mentored countless teachers and advised hundreds of parents. Cary has taught children from preschool through high school. She also offers classroom advice on website Classroom Talk.
You can take advantage of the extra time you’ll have with your child this summer by incorporating reading games into your everyday activities. These times when you can help your child practice reading and writing are Golden Opportunities. Here are 10 ways to make sure you don’t miss out.
- When waiting for a meal in a restaurant, ask your child to read items on the menu.
- When waiting at the ice cream shop, have your child try to read all the ice cream flavors. To mix things up you could ask them to read to themselves and then tell you all the flavors that include chocolate or a type of fruit.
- On a car trip, a great way to pass the time is to read bumper stickers and the sides of panel trucks. See who can be the first one to spot a specific word or letter.
- If you go to a theme park or zoo this summer, let your child be your “tour guide.” Depending on age and reading level, your child can read signs or the full descriptions from books and brochures.
- Let your child write a list of things to take on vacation. They can then check off the items on their list as they pack.
- Similarly, your child can make a summer activity to-do list. Let them post it on the refrigerator and make tally marks of the number of times they did particular things at the end of the day.
- Summer is the perfect time to make cool collections of things you find outdoors—bugs, rocks, flowers, etc.—and make custom labels. Older kids can look up the objects in their collection in library books, while younger kids can fill out their labels with simple descriptions.
- As a family, send post cards to friends and relatives even if you don’t leave town.
- A new notebook can serve a number of purposes for your child: a diary or travel journal, a field notebook or collection of short stories.
- Start a scrapbook with pictures and captions of summer fun.
Here we go! Summer is winding down, and the school year is gearing up. It’s kind of like January, just a whole heck of a lot hotter.
While it’s inevitable that the new year will pose some challenges, the first day of school brings to mind the old saying, “Starting with a clean slate.” All things are new and fresh. All things are possible.
The spontaneity of summer days is fun – but it’s sorta like hearing an improv session on the bongo drums. A little goes a long way.
The upcoming school year, however, resembles a really good drum corps that unifies syncopated cadences with a solid bass beat. The sound is powerful and engaging, inspiring people to dance, clap and tap their feet in sync with the rhythm. A good school does the same thing.
That paints a pretty picture, but the fact is that some students can’t hear the rhythm. Their little hearts are beating too hard.
The first day of school can cause nerves to jangle and imaginations to go into overdrive. However, parents, caregivers and older siblings can do a lot to calm fears and clear up misconceptions.
Talking about what to expect on Day One and in the following weeks at school helps little ones prepare for changes. Drive by or visit the school. Take time to ask and answer questions. If you have photographs of your first day of school, dig out those golden oldies and show them to your kids. They’ll get a kick out of them.
Help your child write a story about the new adventure ahead of him. It will be fun to reread at the end of the school year.
You also can read books such as “First Day Jitters” by Julie Danneberg and illustrator Judy Love. The Charlesbridge book is charming and rates 5 out of 5 stars on Big Universe.
Lobster Press has published a first-day-of-school themed book too, titled “The Little Dragon Who Couldn’t Breathe Fire.” It’s a cute story; take a peek.
Magination Press released a book by Dianne Blomberg back in 1999 titled “Sam and Gram and the First Day of School: A Story to Answer a Child’s Questions & Soothe Fears about School.” In addition to the story, two helpful sections have been added for parents.
A few years ago, the Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington, Ind., compiled an extensive book list about kids and their school experiences. Check it out.
If you can recommend other picture books about the first day of school, please share!
Best wishes and happy new (school) year.
“We believe that books with good writing and amazing photos are irresistible to kids,” states Bearport Publishing, a new partner of the children’s picture book website Big Universe.
I found Bearport’s new horse books irresistible, so that must make me a big kid too! Not only was “Hollywood Horses” filled with images of celebrity equines from my childhood – Trigger, Mr. Ed and Silver – it also was chock-full of interesting trivia.
Q. Who was the first cowboy-and-horse team in Hollywood?
A. William S. Hart teamed with Fritz, a talented paint horse.
Q. How many westerns did actor Gene Autry and his trick pony Champion make together?
A. They made 91 westerns, and Champion starred on his own show.
Q. What is a “stuffie”?
A. Sometimes a mechanical horse called a “stuffie” is used to film certain riding scenes in movies.
Q. What was actress Dale Evans’ horse named?
A. He was named “Buttermilk” for his unique coloring.
Kids – especially girls – are drawn to horses like bees to honey. I was one of those and so was my oldest daughter. Other readers are drawn to trivia. Bearport Publishing has honed its topics to feed these interests, recognizing that they can be used to facilitate literacy.
“We believe that providing books kids want to read is one of the surest ways to foster reading achievement. These… principles guide the development of all our curriculum-aligned nonfiction titles for children in grades PreK-8.” – Bearport Publishing.
Great photos accompany the interesting non-fiction narrative written by Meish Goldish in “Hollywood Horses.” Vocabulary words are highlighted in the text and listed in a glossary at the back of the book. The humane treatment of horses and animals in films is emphasized. Fact boxes add interest, and resources for further study are given.
Big Universe also features three other selections from Bearport Publishing’s Horse Power series (Grade 2-7), including “Working Horses” by Mary Packard, “Show Horses” by Margaret Fetty and “Police Horses” by Sunita Apte. They offer historical facts and provide great cultural context. Other books in the series include “Fire Horses,” “Military Horses,” “Race Horses” and “Therapy Horses.”
Note: I list additional children’s picture books in my blog “20 Horse Books to Trigger Love of Reading.” To find other high-interest series, check out Bearport Publishing’s narrative non-fiction offerings on its website.
Sorting is one of my favorite activities to do with young people in the library at the beginning of the school year. It encourages scientific and critical thinking and it’s a great way to reinforce the concepts of the Dewey Decimal system. Each year I place piles of different types of books on the library tables and my only instruction to students is to work together to “sort the books.” I give them 2 minutes to sort the books and then I ask for a group member to share how they sorted the books and why. Most of my younger students will sort according to color and size. The older students are more sophisticated and tend to sort by subject. I repeat this procedure until we have completed 3-4 cycles of sorting. By this time, it becomes challenging to figure out new ways to sort the books…but this is where their creativity comes to play. Try this activity with your little ones and see what they come up with.
This Big Universe title, Sort it Out!, by Barbara Mariconda is a perfect book to read just before the sorting activity. 
Keisa Williams (aka Ms. K) is a K-5 School Librarian at Monarch Academy, a public charter school in Oakland, CA. She is certified in secondary and elementary education (MLIS and MEd) and loves collaborating with teachers and integrating technology into her library lessons. She considers herself a “Technology Diva” and “Gadget Junkie”.
From Black Beard to Anne Bonny, pirates have intrigued the masses for eons. They elicit fear and fascination simultaneously, producing folklore, Hollywood movies, school mascots and books – lots of books.
The nonfiction book “A Thousand Years of Pirates” (ages 10-14) recently earned two nominations for the Canadian Children’s Literature Awards. Written by William Gilkerson of Nova Scotia’s Mahone Bay, the book relates the history of swashbucklers from the Vikings to contemporary pirates, who menace coastlines and open seas around the world. The book is nominated for “Best Book” and “Best Nonfiction Book,” making it eligible for $35,000 in prize money.
“This clear and compelling cross-over [history] for all ages includes not only biographical and dramatic narratives but also the rarely told sordid and sad details of piracy,” the jury said, according to a CBC News report.
For readers who like adventure, BigUniverse.com offers several pirate selections.
- “Pirates,” a graphic written by Joanne Mattern and illustrated by Chris Marrinan, features buccaneers and privateers of the seven seas. Juvenile Level. Historical, but violence mentioned. (Rourke)
- “Lucky the Pirate,” a humorous (but gruesome) tall tale, is written and illustrated by cartoonist John Lakey. Reading Level 2-3. (Remedia)
- “Vikings,” a graphic-styled book about Norsemen pirates, is written by journalism professor Don McLeese and illustrated by Chris Marrinan. Juvenile Level. Historical, but violence mentioned. (Rourke)
For other pirate book suggestions, check out National Geographic’s buccaneer book list. You also can visit the website of Charlesbridge, one of Big Universe’s publishing partners. It offers pirate-themed books such as Fluffy: Scourge of the Sea (Ages 4-7), “Pirate Bob” (Ages 5-9), “A Pirate’s Life for Me” (Ages 3-7) and “Sea Queens” (Ages 9-12).
To double the fun, host a pirate party. Visit these three links for ideas.
- Pirate party games
- Pirate coloring pages
- Pirate party crafts
This post is inspired by Dawn Little’s (AKA Links to Literacy) Book Buddies blog post where she explained the benefits of pairing fiction and nonfiction readings to increase comprehension and engagement, and to increase background knowledge about a subject. Unfortunately, most of our home, classroom, and school library book collections are limited. The public library is always an option, but there are times when you aren’t able to make the trip to the library. Why not utilize the Big Universe website for your fiction and nonfiction pairings? There are hundreds of books to choose from!
Just search for your topic using the Search bar:
Screenshot of The Big Universe Search Box
-or- Browse the different categories:
Screenshot of the Category option
Leave a comment for other pairings that you discover on the Big University website.
Here are a few to get you started:
Bears
Sea Turtles
Birds
Bats
Keisa Williams (aka Ms. K) is a K-5 School Librarian at Monarch Academy, a public charter school in Oakland, CA. She is certified in secondary and elementary education (MLIS and MEd) and loves collaborating with teachers and integrating technology into her library lessons. She considers herself a “Technology Diva” and “Gadget Junkie”.
My dad used to call my sister “Miss Fingers,” because she was always touching things. I now know that she was a tactile learner – driven by curiosity and the desire to understand and experience objects up close and in person.
Today she is a renaissance woman of many talents: school teacher, mother, tennis whiz, quilter, seamstress, great cook, scrapbooker and home decorator extraordinaire.
My youngest daughter takes after her creative aunt. When she was really little, I would have my “Miss Fingers” roll up her hands in the front of her shirt, when we walked through stores with lots of breakables. She just could not resist “looking at” all the pretty things with her busy little digits.
She now spends her free time cutting, pasting, gluing, stringing and knitting things together. Her collages cover her bedroom walls, and her friends have been the recipients of homemade cards, picture frames, scarves, jewelry and one-of-a-kind posters.
If you have a child with a hunger for hobbies, check out the craft series by Big Universe’s partner, Rourke Publishing. Written by Tracy Maurer, these well-illustrated books are aimed at the Grade 3-6 crowd. Following the directions for each project strengthens reading comprehension skills and vocabulary – while fostering artistic creativity.
Paula Willey of the Baltimore County Public Library in Towson, Md., reviewed this series for the November 2009 issue of School Library Journal. Here is what she had to say:
“The crafts in these cheery books are not too hard, but not so simple as to be boring, and are made with a minimum of specialty supplies. Lively, upbeat covers feature photos of regular girls with big smiles. Inside, the subject of each book is first put into context and then illustrated with seven to eight crafts. There is an emphasis on safety and on getting permission and on responsibility. Many projects incorporate reuse of household items that might otherwise be discarded (worn-out jeans, buttons, jars, newspapers).”
Rourke Publishing also offers an “Explore and Draw” series, which would have been up my other daughter’s alley when she was younger – a combination of reading and sketching! Titles include:
Hurricanes are a remarkable force of nature. The combination of powerful winds, waves and tides can wreak havoc.
