Princesses and Pumpkins?

My daughter has now been in Kindergarten a little over one month. Her favorite things at school are buying her lunch and checking out books from the library (in both cases she gets to pick out just what she wants). After her first trip to the media center at school, she told me that she wanted a Princess book but the teacher did not know where to find the Princess books, so she got to look on the computer with the teacher and find one.  My daughter has checked out books 4 times …. and so far, each time has been a Princess Book!

1. The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane Auch

2. Princess Penelope by Todd Mack

3. Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman

4. Princess Peepers by Pam Calvert

I am glad the my daughter enjoys books, stories, beautiful illustrations, and … princesses. Since she enjoys the topic of the books, we read the stories together so many times that eventually she can readthe story to me. I have to keep reminding myself the repeated reading are a good thing … even about princesses.There are some princess books on Big Universe:

• The Pirates? The Princess
• The Princess’s New Dress
• Princess Mia Learns to Share
• The Princess Who Was a Clown

There is even a book for teachers to with a princess as the main character: The Princess and the Mini Unit

As long as my daughter is enjoying books, I can handle the princesses.

Hopefully there will be enough Princess books to keep my daughter interested in books until she finds a new favorite topic. After reading Suzan’s blog post about the abundance of pumpkins on Big Universe, I started thinking that perhaps that would be a good new favorite seasonal topic for my daughter.

The Cinderella story connects princesses and pumpkins …

Princess Photo source

Did you know …

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.

Reading in the Summer?

So, it is getting close to summer …

Do you have a list of books that you would like to read this summer? Plans for books to take to the pool or beach? Plans to read on a trip?

Do your children or students have any ideas about what they might like to read this summer?

Big Universe has lots of great options for summer reading (and for anytime reading)!

Here are a few of my ideas on ways I might use BigUniverse this summer with my daughter:

• I might let my daughter pick a certain topic for a week and read as many books as possible that week about that topic
• I could do an advanced search in the sidebar to find books interesting for my child’s age
• My child could pick 3 Categories listed in the sidebar and then we can try to read a certain number of books from each category to compare.
• Have you ever looked at the Big Universe Staff Picks ? We might look at those to see what others like before choosing a book to read one day.
• Although I am sure all the books on the site are worth reading, it might be fun for my daughter and I to look at the Last 150 Books Added to the Site to discover something to read.
• We could read books created by a certain publisher or author one week.
• We might look at the books that others have added to their bookshelves recently to find some good idea.
• We could decide to read fiction books on BigUniverse one week and then nonfiction books another week.

My daughter loves to pick out books to read on BigUniverse. Have certain categories or types in mind to help guide her selection might be helpful for me to make sure she experiences a wide variety of books over the summer.

Do you have any ideas on ways you can use BigUniverse for summer reading experiences? I would love to hear your ideas!

Same Books … Different Strategies

I participated in a Celebrity Read Aloud at an elementary school yesterday (not that I am a celebrity but I enjoying reading aloud). I read to a 1st grade classes and one 4th grade class. I misread the email and thought I would be reading to two 1st grade classes, so I picked books appealing to that age group to bring with me to read.

At the beginning of the day, two students holding a poster with my name on it came to accompany me to their first grade classroom. The poster was decorated and signed by all the students. I sat in a rocking chair with children at my feet and started reading the stories. We made faces. We talked ab0ut what we noticed in the pictures. Students made connections. We also brainstormed what we thought would happen next if the story continued. At the end, I got a thank you note and was accompanied back to the waiting area. I was feeling really good about the experience.

A few minutes later, I saw two more students approaching with my name on a sign. Those students looked bigger than the first pair of students.  After we had our picture made, I followed them to their class. As soon as I stepped in the classroom, I knew it was not a 1st grade class. Looking around the room, I saw lists of latin root word, math terms like probability, and novels … not a first grade class. I knew I was now in a 4th grade class without even asking (I taught 4th grade for years).  So I thought that I might have a problem since I had books that I picked out to read to first grade classes. I reminded myself that children of all ages enjoy read alouds.

As I was reading the first story, I noticed which parts of the story the students in this class noticed (it was not the same parts as the first grade class). So I also responded to the story in different ways. I thought back to my “4th grade teacher” days and focused on some of 4th grade skills.  We talked about what we noticed about the words (how certain words sounds and some rhymed). We still discussed what we noticed in the pictures but also made mention of how the pictures added to the story events. One of the stories was very repetitive in certain parts, so the 4th graders read along with me some.

I think the children in this class enjoyed these books just like the children in the first grade classes.  I used the same stories but focused on different skills to involve and engage the students in the read aloud time.  I had a good time and I hope they did too!

Turning the pages …

While sitting in a school library one afternoon, I looked around and saw a poster: “Turn the pages of your imagination. READ!!” That would be a great writing topic for students. I can imagine inviting children to brainstorm about what they think that message means. Here are a few guiding questions that came to mind:

• How might your imagination have pages?
• How does reading help jumpstart your imagination?
• Why do you think writers want the readers to imagine when they read?
• How do the things you imagine help you understand what you are reading?
• How might the things you imagine cause you to not understand what you are reading?
• If reading helps you turn the pages of your imagination, what could you do next?

That brainstorming or journal idea could be used as a pre-reading activity to get students thinking about or imagining what could happen in a certain story. That activity could be used to activate prior knowledge and/or generate a purpose for reading.

Another way that brainstorming or journal idea could be used is as a post-reading activity for students to reflect on what they read and how they used imagination in the story.

Students could also provide illustrations of what they imagine. Those illustrations could be connected with the before reading activity and/or the post reading activity.

So while the idea mentioned above could be used before or after reading, students could keep track of the things they imagine while they read. A small notebook, a piece of paper, or even a program like bubbl.us could be used to help student notice things in the story that cause imagination to take place.

Imagination plays a role in reading … before … during … and after

Why don’t you pick a book from Big Universe and see how it turns the pages of your imagination?

image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/24113168@N03/3803641352/

February: Lanterns ‘n Tigers and Mandarin…Oh My!

Valentine’s Day is Feb. 14, but did you know it’s the first day of the Chinese New Year, too?  Yup – the  Year of the Tiger is upon us! Maybe your child or class would have fun with some global fusion  –  half hearts, half dragons.

 Kids like quirky, well, most of them anyway. Hang Chinese lanterns from the ceiling and cut and paste valentines. Mix in talk of tigers, dragons and firecrackers and you are sure to engage the boys, as well.

I figure most of you have the Valentine’s Day theme down pat, so I’ll give you a few hints on how to use the Chinese New Year celebration as a spring board for learning.

Get to Know and Appreciate China

• Make Chinese paper lanterns to string in a doorway or from the ceiling. Very festive.
• Read “China” by Gisela Lee, who writes about this influential country’s rich history and vibrant modern-day culture. The book posted online by Big Universe has a map, colorful pictures and a good vocabulary list aimed at sixth-graders. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Fly a kite, bring collapsible umbrellas to school or play dominoes. They were all invented by the Chinese.
• Use “Kingka,” an award-winning board game, as a class supplement. Created by New Jersey educator, mom and children’s book author Sholeen Lou-Hsaio, the Mandarin-language matching game resembles bingo and introduces the 54 basic Chinese characters. It uses “the spirited nature of a memory game to encourage effective learning. It takes away the fear students have of learning Chinese,” said Lou-Hsiao.
• Learn more about giant pandas by clicking on this link, or read “Pandas’ Earthquake Escape” at Big Universe. (Sylvan Dell)
• “Confucius, Chinese Philosopher”  is another Big Universe book by Gisela Lee, who collaborated with Wendy Conklin to write this biography. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Look at “Holidays”  by author Dona Herweck Rice. It’s aimed at younger children with simple text and great pictures. Keep an eye out for the Chinese New Year street parade picture. (Teacher Created Materials Publishing)
• Go to Page 33 in the book “Animal World,” published by Saddleback Educational Publishing.  It offers a little zoology on the tiger – with colorful photographs and a fun “factoscope” box. Or read “What Tigers Do,” a beginner book written by Kris Bonnell and published by Reading Reading Books, LLC.
• Print out this coloring page of a tiger, a boy in traditional holiday clothing, or one of men dressed to do the Chinese New Year lion dance.

Tips for Getting More Books in 2010

In my hometown, there is an annual adult literacy fund-raiser called the “Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap Book Sale.” It took place a few months ago and more than 17,000 shoppers attended to purchase books and support the Greenville Literacy Association in South Carolina. A total of $150,000 was raised.

I don’t know about you, but my heart rate quickens at the sight of large quantities of books. Oh, the reading possibilities!

I even get a little rush when I go to my mother’s house – and not because she makes the best cappuccino east of Rome and north of Cuba! No, there’s inevitably a small pile of books waiting for me on a side counter near her kitchen door. My mom is an avid reader, and we share similar tastes in books. She has minimal space for storing extra books, so they get to come home with me to live. Yip!

For those of you who have a crush on books like I do, I offer a list of ways to feast your eyes on a few more this year, keeping frugality in mind. The library is a given, of course.

Merger & Acquisition

• Check out thrift shops. I’ve found some classics there.
• Visit BookMooch.com, a point-based book-swapping website that “lets you give away books you no longer need in exchange for books you really want.” There is no fee to join. Mailing your books is the only cost.
• Post a book wish list in your classroom if you are a teacher (Parents Night) and include the list in your “Note from the Teacher” for each child’s take-home folder.
• Subscribe to Big Universe’s free weekly newsletter, which includes links in each issue for complimentary access to selected children’s books offered online. Follow Big Universe on Facebook and receive alerts for the website’s free book of the day.
• Scout  out local yard or moving sales. There’s always a crate of mix-n-match volumes under a table somewhere.
• Read literacy blogs and other social media, keeping an eye out for book giveaways or contests.
• Give the right answer when someone asks you for birthday gift ideas for your kids. “Anything would be lovely, but books are always a hit” works nicely.
• Start an exchange at the gym. Ask management if you can add a box by the door at the childcare room.
• Swap one of the duplicate books you got for Christmas with a friend.
• Look for post-holiday closeout deals at the book shop or big box stores.
• Do your research. Many reading incentive programs (especially in summer) offer book rewards for reaching goals.
• Get your techie to surf the Net for some deals – Affordabook.com,  Half.com or Powells.com for instance.
• Inquire at churches. Some offer lending libraries.
• Ask to collect books not claimed from Lost & Found bins.

* Let me know if you have any other ideas. I’d love to add to this list, so please submit a comment.

12 Ways to Help a Kid Conquer Writer’s Block

If you’ve been writing for any length of time, you know what it’s like to have the words dry up. It’s like you’re dying of thirst, and the rusty ol’ spigot just won’t give up a drop.

I probably felt that most intensely as a newspaper reporter and editor with a daily deadline. Writing facts in an orderly fashion was easy enough, but I worked in the Feature Department, so creativity was in high demand. Clever headlines. Intriguing lead sentences. Weekly humor columns. (Funny can’t be forced.)

It wasn’t long before I learned the merits of a “slush file” – also known as a backlog. I kept a file with random ideas, outlines of columns, and puns to prompt creative headlines when I was in a pinch.

I also made a habit of reading the news feeds and other literature resources, jotting down interesting facts and thought-provoking quotes – all stored away to use like one of those yeast bread “starters” that periodically get passed around the office and among friends.

You can do the same for children, who claim they can’t think of anything to write about. Here are a few ideas to get those creative juices flowing.

1. Provide physical prompts. Place a dog collar on a stool or a deflated football, a heart-shaped box of chocolates with one candy missing or a gift-wrapped box. Ask “How did this get here?” or “Tell me the story behind this item.” Or, use an intriguing photo.
2. Make it safe. While I think spelling and grammar are important, it is crucial to avoid striking fear of failure in the young writer. It is more important to nurture the joy of storytelling and the beauty of words. The mechanics will follow.
3. Give a fun situational prompt.    a.) “If you could have three wishes, what would they be?”     b.) “If I were invisible, I….”    c.) “If you had to live on an island by yourself for a year, what 5 things would you take with you?”
4. Use words to connect to others. Encourage kids to make cards for friends and grandparents – visual and language arts rolled into one. Plus, it teaches them to think of others: thank you notes, get well cards, holiday greetings. (My kids loved getting to add their two cents to the Christmas letter.)
5. Mimic a book character. Give a verbal prompt and ask your child to write something in the voice of a book character with whom they are familiar – the Cat in the Hat or Junie B. Jones, for example. “It’s fun, I tell you.”
6. Allow a little fun. Make writing notes in class “legal” on Thursday afternoons or turn on some music for 10 minutes and have kids take part in a written “Word Spill.”
7. Ask kids to be convincing. Encourage children to write a persuasive paragraph about a trip they would like to take or why they would like a particular toy.
8. Keep a family meeting notebook. I knew one family with five girls who kept notebooks in which their children could write anything: Why they got mad. How they broke the vase in the den. A prayer request. A thank you note. A joke.
9. Tap humor. Kids get spelling and vocabulary words for school and often are required to use them in sentences. When my girls dragged their feet, I encouraged them to have fun with their words. Anything was legal as long as it wasn’t mean-spirited. They ended up laughing and liked to read their favorite sentences to me. “Mom grumbled when I ate her last piece of delicious dark chocolate.”
10.  Gravitate toward superlatives. Kids love them. “Blank is the worst food in the entire world.” Tell them to write three sentences explaining why. Or, “My cat is the best pet because….”
11.  Let kids lock up secrets. Diaries don’t entice all children to write, but a book with a lock and key hints at secrets and treasure. Write a secret. Lock it up. Hide the key! Or, have children write clues for a big treasure hunt.
12.  Read books.  What can I say? I saved the best for last. Good books breed active imaginations. Books expand the mind until the words must flow somewhere. (Grab pencil and paper, a recording device or the easy-to-use authoring tool at BigUniverse.com to record the creative stories that result.)

I’m sure there are a gazillion other great ideas out there. Please share how you encouraged the children in your life to write!

Dogs Can Boost Confidence of Reluctant Readers

“D-O-G, Dog!” It was one of the first words I learned to recognize and to spell. “Cat, cow, pig” soon followed. Before long I was toting home books about anything with four legs and fur.

Most children have an affinity for animals, so they are a natural catalyst for promoting reading, believes the BARK literacy group. Based in Long Beach, Calif., Beach Animals Read with Kids currently has 42 certified therapy dogs, which visit libraries and elementary schools in the region.

Students are invited to read to the dogs – even cuddle on the floor with them as they turn pages together. Not only is it fun for the kids, but it also gives them confidence and helps them improve their reading skills, say the group’s advocates.

According to BARK’s website, “Students read to dogs 15-20 minutes once per week for eight weeks.  They are given a bookmark with photos and information about the dog they are reading with. Pictures are taken and given to the student on a subsequent visit.  At the end of the eight-week session, each student is given a brand new book to take home and the dog stamps and signs the book with his paw.  They are also given a small stuffed dog.”

Fifteen of the dogs participated in the Christmas parade in Seal Beach, Calif., a few days ago. They and their handlers gave out 750 books to those in the crowd to encourage reading over the upcoming holiday break. A little holiday magic, I think!

Encouraging a child to read audibly with a pet is an awesome idea, and it’s easy to implement at home. Simply, put your own four-pawed wonder to work. If your dog is the nervous type, go with Goldie, the goldfish. She may not be easy to snuggle, but she is a captive audience for your new or reluctant reader.

Of course, if your child has pet allergies or fears, he or she can use a stuffed animal, favorite doll or other comfort item.

To learn more about BARK, go to their website. To volunteer or request a visit at your school or event, drop an email to barkreadingdogs@aol. There are many other similar programs around the country, as well.

For dog stories or holiday picture books, go online to BigUniverse.com and click the “Read Books” tab. Then browse by category.

Loved the Fur Off Any Books Lately?

Gasp! The headline from the news feed grabbed my attention. “Copy of Poe’s First Book Sells for $662K in NYC,” it read.

 During the Christmas season, it takes an intriguing headline to get me to slow down long enough to read something for fun. This one jumped out for three reasons.

First of all, it was about a book, and a bibliophile can’t pass by such a juicy hook. Second, it was about Edgar Allan Poe – a literary friend of mine from way back. And finally, $662,000 is a huge sum of money in New York – let alone Greenville, S.C.

The rare copy of Poe’s “Tamerlane and Other Poems” just sold at Christie’s auction house, “smashing the previous record price for American literature,” reported the Associated Press. “The previous record is believed to be $250,000 for a copy of the same book sold nearly two decades ago.”

The collection of poems was published in 1827, but only about four dozen were printed. So, it’s understandable why the 12 that still exist are highly valued. It mattered little that the auctioned 40-page volume was stained and tattered – traits that typically lower the value of antique and rare books.

I have some old children’s books that show distinct signs of wear and tear. They were from my childhood…and my mother’s and my grandmother’s before that. I have since shared them with my children. They include “Through a Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll, “Hans Brinker” by Mary Mapes Dodge, “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri, “Pinocchio” by Carlo Collodi and umpteen fairytale books.

The page corners are dog-eared, and the spines are broken. The fonts are uneven, and the tape over the tears (a big no-no among collectors) is quite yellowed. But those books are dear to me. The inscriptions in the front link me to other book lovers in my family, women who gave them as special gifts to the girls in their lives more than a century ago.

While my books probably wouldn’t warrant a second glance by anyone at Christie’s, they are precious to me. Like Skin Horse told the Velveteen Rabbit, “Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off.”

“‘Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse.

 ’It’s a thing that happens to you.

 When a child loves you for a long, long time,

 not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’ ”