BigUniverse.com has a boo-tiful collection of online Halloween books for children.
I love the fall. I hate Halloween. I love apple cider. I hate blood and gore. I love pumpkins, but Jack-o-lanterns creep me out. I love to read books, but I hate to watch horror films. It’s pretty black and white with me. Some would say I’m boring or too literal. I say, “To thine own self be true.”
When I was 20, I saw “Friday the 13th.” It was peer pressure, pure and simple. I didn’t sleep well for weeks. When I was 30, I saw “Silence of the Lambs.” I was well into my third trimester with my daughter, Hannah. I had no idea what the movie was about when I entered the theater. My unborn baby got so much adrenaline that evening that she could have auditioned for River Dance and been a shoo-in. I’m still trying to forgive my husband for that ill-advised date.
I’ve never watched “Jaws,” “The Exorcist,” “The Shining,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” or “Poltergeist.” I’d rather curl up with a good book. There’s never any manipulative musical score lurking in the pages of a book, and if the story line gets overly suspenseful, I can just put the book aside for a while.
Oct 31 is fast approaching, but I am not putting up any freaky porch decorations, planning a trip to the local haunted house, or taking any spooky hayrides. I just despise being scared or startled. The physical electric shocks that run up my arms are not pleasant. The pounding heart is no fun either.
I am not alone. According to Dr. Glenn Sparks, a Purdue University communications professor who studies people’s reactions to terrifying imagery in media, about one-third of the population falls into this category. He says our kind just doesn’t see any redeeming value to stories that leave us frozen with fear. However, that leaves about two-thirds who do.
The 2011 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey by the National Retail Federation indicates that seven out of 10 Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this season – the largest number in the nine years that the NRF has conducted the poll. Spending is expected to be a little over $72 per person with total expenditures tallying $6.86 billion. That’s a whole lot of candy corn and faux spider webs, if you ask me!
In a WebMD article, Dr. Sparks said that some studies show that males like to be scared more than females. “It’s not that they truly enjoy being scared, but they get great satisfaction being able to say that they conquered and mastered something that was threatening. They enjoy the feeling that they ‘made it through.’”
Some girls fit into this category for sure. I had middle school and college friends that loved riding roller coasters and jumping off the 10-meter diving tower at a nearby water park. Some of my daughters’ friends fit this category. You probably have a few of these future bungee jumpers in your own classrooms right now! Very often they are the ones with the skinned knees, casts on their arms and oozing shenanigans. If you can harness this energy and direct it, these kids can learn all sorts of things and be highly successful. I like to think of these children as leaders in disguise!
…So, I remind you to know your children – whether they are your own or kids in the classroom. Some will gravitate toward scary tales like zombies to a graveyard, while other sensitive types will prefer more sanitized or realistic tales. Know where your children are developmentally. It’ll help you direct them to reading material they will enjoy. Understanding their families’ cultural backgrounds and spiritual beliefs are an additional piece to the diversity puzzle. Your Hispanic children may observe the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), while others may observe All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day or Reformation Day.
Children’s Halloween Books at Big Universe
- Five Trick-or-Treaters, Grades K and up.
- Gruesome Grub Halloween Party, Grades K and up.
- Kid’s Halloween Party, Grades K and up.
- Halloween, Grades K and up. (Audio included)
- When I Go Trick-or-Treating, Grades 1 and up.
- Haunted Party, Grades 1-2.
- Boo Cow, Grades 1-3.
- Penelope and the Monsters, Grades 2-3.
- Haunted Houses, Grades 4-6.
- Ghosts, Grades 4-6.
- The Secret of Grim Hill, Book 1, Grades 4-6.
- Grim Hill, Book 2: The Secret Deepens, Grades 4-6.
- The Shade, Grades 5-9.
Have a fun and SAFE holiday. (Don’t forget to brush those teeth and floss after sampling your Halloween candy. )
*NOTE: For the adrenaline junkies in your classroom, check out the children’s picture books highlighted in the Big Universe blog “Extreme Sports Books for the Reluctant Reader.”
* NOTE: Don’t forget to enter the Charlesbridge dragon-themed writing contest for children, K-3rd Grade. The deadline for entries is Dec. 31, 2011. Prizes include an author school visit and a $100 certificate for books. Click this contest submission guidelines link to read more about the rules.
This year, my professional goal setting has expanded to include 21st century learning skills that are at the forefront of educational news and educator professional development. The idea behind 21st century skills and incorporating them into classrooms is to utilize technology to help students build those skills necessary for the future. Information related to 21st century learning skills suggest that classrooms should include creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration.
Obviously, blogging has become a major part of my professional dialogue through Big Universe Learning, and I have seen first hand the impact that blogging can have on my teaching development and continuous sharing of innovative ideas. I wanted to provide my students with the same type of opportunity to communicate and collaborate with their peers in a 21st century form. (The site that I use for classroom blogging is www.kidblog.org since it is extremely user friendly and easy for primary age students to understand.)
When initially setting up our classroom blog, I introduced the concept to my students through examples of how people use blog sites in their everyday lives. Then, as a class we determined the topics and expectations that all blogs should follow. In addition, we discussed in great detail the information related to Internet safety.
Internet Safety Concepts:
- Understanding that the Internet is viewable to the public (Regardless of being password protected.)
- Students should never use their first and last name, and the location in which they live or go to school on a blog post.
- Students should never put a picture of themselves on a blog post. However, pictures of objects related to the main idea of their post are acceptable.
- Comments written on the blog site should be appropriate, and the comment should be directly related to the main idea of the blog post.
- Students should only sign into the blog site with their unique username/ password. Using another student’s password information without permission is considered “hacking” into their account.
Each student’s first blog post was a controlled topic which helped to introduce the students to all the features of publishing a blog post, as well as, viewing their peers’ postings and leaving appropriate comments. My students created “Transitional Phrase Stories” titled “A Day in My Life,” which helped to introduce them to their peers, while also meeting academic content standards for Language Arts.
From this first blog posting, students have been encouraged to post blogs related to the agreed upon topics. (Personal experiences with family, sporting events, books and vacations, etc. Or, students can blog about concepts that we are learning about in the classroom. Our blog topic list is ever expanding.) To my surprise, many of my students have not only enjoyed posting new blogs for their peers to read, but have also left meaningful and creative responses to others’ postings. All comments are subject to teacher approval, making it easy for educators to monitor comments for appropriateness. Additionally, each week I post a blog related to literature or a learning concept, and encourage students to leave comments to promote an online dialogue. Not only are my students visiting their blog at school, but many of them are also logging on at home!
This week, I posted the following blog topic:
“We have been using www.kidblog.org for a few weeks now, and many of you are becoming comfortable with how to post and leave comments. Think back to your experiences with this site, and leave a comment to reflect on the following question: What do you like most about blogging?”
Popular Student Comments:
- “I like reading what other kids blog.”
- “I like being able to talk to my friends.”
- “I like it because I can talk to my friends at my house.”
- “Sending comments to friends about books.”
- “I love sending comments.”
- “I like it because I can talk with my class when I’m not in school, and it is cool to blog with my class!”
- “I like it because you get to blog and send comments.”
- “I like it because my friends can read what I write.”
Classroom blogging has greatly impacted my students’ willingness to share ideas, communicate and collaborate creatively, while also meeting reading and writing academic content standards! I hope my experience encourages other educators to take a risk and introduce students to the world of blogging!
Read about pumpkins in English or Spanish on BigUniverse.com.
What feeds the rumor mill? Well, sadly, just about anything. Often rumors are linked to people’s common fears, making them sound plausible even though they may be an oversimplification of the truth or downright fabrications.
As of late, the rumor of a pumpkin shortage has been broadcast far and wide. It’s October, so this of course feeds into everyone’s imagination. No pumpkins! No jack-o-lanterns! No pumpkin pie! Halloween and Thanksgiving are cancelled! Oh the humanity!
While some farmers did experience vine crop loss this year because of catastrophic flooding and uncooperative weather, losses did not stretch from Canada to Mexico or the East Coast to California. Some “cucurbits” growers did fine, so local shortages are being remedied by our marvelous transportation system. Produce stands are getting their supplies from neighboring patches – perhaps even out-of-state farms – a common occurrence in our commerce system. A pumpkin may cost a wee bit more at the grocery, but I doubt many tykes will go without.
One thing’s for sure. BigUniverse.com didn’t suffer a pumpkin shortage. We have plenty to go around – thanks to the beauty of the 24×7 eBook! We carry the English language variety, “Pumpkins” by author Jacqueline Farmer and illustrator Phyllis Limbacher Tildes. There’s a Spanish version too, titled “Calabazas.” Both picture books from Charlesbridge Publishing are leveled for kindergarten through Grade 3 and include an online reading comprehension quiz.
Charlesbridge has also posted a picture book on Big Universe, titled “Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch.” It’s a poetic tale of porkers plotting a peculiar path during a romp through the barnyard. It has strong picture and text support, directional words, figurative language and provides the opportunity for vocabulary and mapping skills development, as well as exposure to life science, organisms and their environments.
Pumpkins have shown up in literature for a long time. Remember Cinderella’s coach? How about Peter, the pumpkin eater? And, of course, a pumpkin plays an important role in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
The 1901 edition of "Mother Goose" featured this William Wallace Denslow illustration with the "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater" nursery rhyme.
Mother Goose Rhyme
Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
Had a wife but couldn’t keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her very well.
Mr. Pumpkin
(Same tune as “Where is Thumpkin?”)
Mr. Pumpkin, Mr. Pumpkin,
Eyes so round. Eyes so round.
Halloween is coming. Halloween is coming.
To my town. To my town.
I’m an Orange Pumpkin
(Same tune as “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little pumpkin
Orange and round.
Here is my stem,
There is the ground.
When I get all cut up,
Don’t you shout!
Just open me up
And scoop me out!
Pumpkin Poem
One day I found two pumpkin seeds.
I planted one and pulled the weeds.
It sprouted roots and a big, long vine.
A pumpkin grew; I called it mine.
The pumpkin was quite round and fat.
(I really am quite proud of that.)
But there is something I’ll admit
That has me worried just a bit.
I ate the other seed, you see.
Now will it grow inside of me?
(I’m so relieved since I have found
That pumpkins only grow in the ground!)
Other Pumpkin Unit Enrichment Links
**NOTE: While the great “pumpkin shortage of 2011” may be easy to remedy, real-life rumors, gossip and slander may not be so easy to handle. PBSKids.org has some online material that may be useful if this is an issue in your classroom. (Just click the link provided.) Words are powerful. Use them wisely.
Many students struggle to read fluently. Fortunately, we can give prompts to readers that will provide them with opportunities to learn various reading strategies and tools for successful reading. The prompts below have helped my struggling students get back on track towards reading achievement!
Support Students to Self-correct
“You are almost right. Try again.”
“Something wasn’t quite right.”
“You made a mistake. Can you find it?”
“Point and slide through the whole word.”
Support Students to Search
“Use the picture to help you.”
“What letter would you see at the beginning?”
“Does that look right?”
“Does that sound right?”
“Does that make sense?”
Support Students to Cross-check
“Look for parts you know.”
“Check that. Does it look right and sound right?”
“Try that again and think about what would make sense instead.”
“Get your mouth ready to say the sound of the ___ letter.”
Support Students to Self-monitor
“You said _____, but does it make sense?” or ”…does it sound right?” or ”…does it look right?”
“Were you right? How do you know?”
“Try that again.”
“It could be____, but look at ______.”
Earlier this week, I came across Critical Components of Reading: Comprehension Activities. (I know that is sounds like a fancy, hard-to-read article. but really it is not.) At the top of that page, it talks about how using Visualizing can be a helpful comprehension activity:
Teach students to make a visual picture in their mind of what is occurring in the story. Have students stop at the end of each page, close their eyes, and visualize what has happened in the story so far. Encourage students to discuss what they are visualizing about the story so that any misconceptions can be corrected. Students may benefit from hearing someone else describe what they have been reading.
I am a visual learner and when I remember things I “see them” in my head (I form pictures in mind), so I can see how this strategy could help with comprehension.
I started searching the internet for other ideas about ways to use the Visualizing Strategy for Comprehension:
- Into the Book lists Visualizing as a teaching tip for reading and understanding fiction books
- ReadWriteThink provides an activity using Visualizing to strengthen comprehension skills.
- The Reading Lady provide a lesson plan called “Visualizing from a Vivid Piece of Text”
- The Inspired Classroom has a blog post about Visualization in Reading and Music stating that visualization is a huge key to comprehension.
- Reading.org calls Visualization the missing piece between reading and writing
What are some ways children can use the visualizing skill along with the reading and writing that happens on BigUniverse?
image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/68676385@N00/290412819/
Did you know on Big Universe users can look for books by …
- Lexile level?
- Fountas and Pinnell rating?
- DRA level?
- Accelerated Reading (AR) reading levels?
- Grade Level?
- Topic?
- Language?
Did you know you could combine some of the above searches by using various search combinations in the Advanced Search area?
Did you know on Big Universe there are books for all the main subjects (Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science)?
Did you know users can find picture books, read-aloud books, chapter books, and many other types of books on Big Universe?
I am sure (well, almost sure) that I have those types of books in my classroom library. However, I can’t search through all my books according to the levels listed above (I do have some of them marked AR but that is about it). I know that I don’t have many books in my library for math and science. I really enjoy reading books aloud. I have my own special books that I read aloud from. I try to keep these away from students, but students often want to read their own copy of book after the book has been read aloud to the class. If I used books from BigUniverse to read aloud, I would not have to worry about students losing or tearing up my books when they want to read the story on their own …
Even though I asked many questions to start this post, I think I have found a possible answer for expanding … and possibly replacing my classroom library collection.
Posted on May 10, 2011 by Suzan Woodard in Personal Experiences, Reading Lists, Uncategorized.
Tags: Brain Drain, Bug Books, Cicadas, Insect Books for Children, Ladybugs, Reading Loss, Summer Fun for Kids, summer reading, Summer Setback, Summer Writing
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Big Universe has children's picture books about ladybugs, cicadas, bees, crickets and more.
Summer is on its way and like it or not, so are the bugs. Most adults have lost their fascination with insects and other creepy-crawlies, but don’t underestimate the power of a six-legger to keep a child occupied.
I recently attended a high school track meet – one that lasted a long time. There was a delay in the action, so I watched a charming little girl play nearby. She was not holding an electronic device or the latest plastic plaything from Toys R Us. Nope. That 3-year-old was playing happily with a ladybug. It occupied her for THREE HOURS!
She did not whine to go home. She did not beg for candy. Nor did she pull a “Grace Van Cutsem,” when the crowd cheered loudly for the relay runners on the track. She simply let her ladybug crawl up one arm and down the next, making a bug-friendly bridge with her chubby, but gentle, index fingers.
I am inclined to think she would enjoy the two online picture books about ladybugs that Big Universe offers. The website has an amazing assortment of fact-filled bug books for junior entomologists. The pictures are exquisite, so pre-readers can enjoy the books on their own or alongside a grownup.
The Big Universe Author Tool provides another way for kids to process what they find in their own backyard. They can write about the bugs they discover in the flowerpots on their deck or crawling in the lawn. The writing tool can be used to create a field notebook to record life cycles, feeding habits and other observations. The website’s “Insect” clipart lets children illustrate their writing easily.
Reading bug books, going on a scientific bug hunt, and writing about it on a computer are a fun combo to ward off summer setback – or “brain drain.” (Experts say reading a minimum of six books is enough to keep children from losing literacy gains made during the previous school year.) The physical activity will keep their bodies healthy, too.
Children’s Books About Bugs
Other BU Blogs About Summer Reading:
Summer Reading Lists: Cats, Dogs and Horses
Batter Up! Baseball Stories for Summer Reading
The ABCs of Car Games: Part One
The ABCs of Car Games: Part Two
The ABCs of Car Games: Part Three
Fight Summer Setback with Free Books
Top 10 List: Golden Opportunities of Summer
Children, Books and Summer Vacation
Reading in the Summer
Have you heard of graphic novels? I will be honest and admit that I do not know very much about them.
Here is what I have found:
Graphic novels are expressed through many frames of pictures and words. They are similar to comic books in appearance but have the depth of novels. Graphic novels are important to introduce students to for many reasons. Students are given opportunities to analyze many forms of literature. Some of these are poetry, fiction, and non fiction. Graphic novels are often not taught at all by teachers. They can be an excellent resource though. Students who may not respond well to some literature might love graphic novels.
I recently found a LiveBinder (online 3 ring binder) dealing with Graphic Novels which helped me understand and appreciate this type of story a bit more: Graphic Novel Webliography.
Here are a few things I learned from the Graphic Novel Webliography:
- Graphic novels appeal to both experienced readers and reluctant readers
- Graphic novels can be used with students of all ages (elementary through adult)
- Graphic novels can be used to build vocabulary
The webliography also provides links for parents and educators to learn more about Graphic Novels in general and recommends specific ones. I really like the “No Flying, No Tights: Super Hero Soup” tab. I know my classroom library tended to have more options for the girls to choose (I did not plan it that way … it just happened). I can see Graphic Novels appealing to both girls and boys.
I was also pleased to find that when you do an Advanced Search in Big Universe, one of the categories is Graphic Novels. When you do a search for Graphic Novels on Big Universe, you can find illustrated classics, biographies, history, nonfiction, and just really good stories!
image from Franklin Park Library and found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/88488351@N00/2624664037/
Big Universe's "Tornadoes" picture book will help answer kids' questions about these powerful storms. (NOAA photo)
Children’s minds are a wonderful realm – a place where the road is paved with Who’s and How’s and Why’s, leading all the way to the kingdom of knowledge.
With questions, children seek to answer the great mysteries of life and slay the dragons that threaten. They try to make sense of their environment and gain some independence.
Last week, the questions might have been “Who invented Brussels sprouts?” or “How do ocean tides move in and out?” This week, I suspect thousands of children are asking, “Why do tornadoes happen?”
In light of current events, the tornado question might be a very hard one to answer. Sometimes books can help. There are many kid-focused websites that put this weather phenomenon into terms they can grasp. One way or another, these questions need to be answered. Take the time to work this one out.
BigUniverse.com offers several weather books, and I’ve tracked down a few websites with lesson plans about tornadoes.
10 Places to Find Out About Tornadoes
- “Tornadoes” (book) (Reading Level Q. Interest Age: 3-12)
- “Investigating Storms” (book), pages 14-17, (Reading Level R. Interest Age: 9-12)
- “Rourke’s World of Science Encyclopedia, Volume 4: Earth Science” (book), page 45, (Interest Age: Grades 3-8)
- “Our Powerful Planet: The Curious Kid’s Guide to Tornadoes, Earthquakes and Other Phenomena” (book), pages 16-17, (Interest Age: Grades 2 and up.)
- WeatherWhizKids (website)
- KidStorm SkyDiary (website)
- TornadoWordTwister quiz (website)
- Create a Tornado experiment (website)
- National Geographic: Eye in the Sky—Tornadoes (website)
- FEMA Tornadoes: A Kid’s Guide (website)
To learn more about using current events as an educational resource in the classroom, read these Big Universe Blogs by Suzan Woodard.
“10 Ways to Use Current Events in the Classroom”
“Add Life to Your Teaching with Current Events”
“Dealing with Death Through Books”
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside! Cue the Weather Books”
“Mark Civil Rights Anniversary with Rosa Parks Bio”
Big Universe provides a wealth of both fiction and nonfiction stories to read. In my classroom, I often read fiction books with my students either as read alouds or in guided/independent reading time. We have end of the year test that use mostly pieces of nonfiction to assess reading skills.. Realizing that difference, I think we need to help our children understand there are different ways to tackle reading a fiction story and a nonfiction story. The nonfiction books on Big Universe are a great place to start.
I have some questions that I use to think about the ways to approach reading these different genres. (I don’t necessarily use these questions exactly as they are worded here when I use them to talk to students.)
- What is that author’s goal when writing a fictional story?
- What is a reader’s goal when reading a fictional story?
- What is the author’s goal when writing a piece of nonfiction?
- What is the reader’s goal when reading a piece of nonfiction?
- What evidence or data does an author need to support the information provided in a fictional story?
- What evidence or data does an author need to support the information provided in a piece of nonfiction?
- Are there concepts and ideas that a reader needs to understand before reading a fictional a story?
- Are there concepts and ideas that a reader needs to understand before reading a piece of nonfiction?
- How can knowing about these concepts and ideas help a reader’s understanding/comprehension?
- How can not knowing about these concepts and ideas hurt a reader’s understanding/comprehension?
- What assumptions does a reader have concerning reading a fictional story?
- What assumptions does a reader have concerning reading a piece of nonfiction?
- What assumptions do writers make when choosing to write a certain genre?
- What assumptions do readers make when choosing to read a certain genre?
(These questions are based on Dr. Richard Paul’s Model of Critical Thinking)
