2015 - 2016 Read Alouds

Selecting my read alouds this year was particularly difficult.  This difficulty was in part due to the fact that I have 5 kids in my class from last year, and that I am teaching 3rd-5th grade this year.  I wanted to choose books they could all relate to and enjoy, that they hopefully hadn't heard read aloud before, and that would incite thoughtful discussions.  So here are my choices:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I've always been hesitant to read this book aloud because of the controversy (I've also always had Jehovah's Witnesses in my class), but this year I took the opportunity to read it.  It was THE BEST read aloud I've ever read.  The kids LOVED it and begged me to keep reading.  Many began reading the series.

Diamond Willow

Some kids loved this book while others were unsure.  Everyone could relate to the childhood issues and love of animals.  Many of the kids were excited to hear the "secret message" on every page hidden in the diamond-shaped poem.

The City of Ember
The kids were unsure about this book at first.  It reads like a roller coaster with a very long build-up.  Of course the end is very exciting and goes by fast.  About 3/4 of the way through they started begging me to keep reading.

The Hundred Dresses

This book is a classic and, regardless of the setting, the kids relate to the timeless issue of bullying.  They also enjoyed using the clues from the book to determine the timeframe in which the book takes place.

Confessions of a Former Bully

I actually read this book out loud every year, regardless of the fact that I usually have repeat students. The kids relate to the characters, understand the metaphors, and enjoy practicing and using the strategies to stop bullying.

2014 - 2015 Read Alouds

Fresh New Read Alouds!

On average, the population of children at my school face adveristy with some serious, adult issues in their daily lives.  From alcoholism to parents going to jail, these kiddos often struggle with focusing on school work because they are so low on Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs," or whichever model you use to assess student needs.  My focus this year with read alouds is children (and animals) rising above the difficulties in their lives.  This summer one of my goals is to read each one of my read-alouds for next year (some of them for a second time).

Here's my plan:

September: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

• Adversity faced: Unexpected responsibilities and friendships
• How it's overcome: Work and understanding, reevaluating what is important

October: Wonder by R.J Palaccio

• Adversity faced: Having disabilities, looking different, being an outsider, starting a new school
• How it's overcome: Empathy, compassion, and acceptance

November/December: The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson

• Adversity Faced: Homelessness, building a family
• How it's overcome: Teamwork, family

January: The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

• Adversity Faced: Alcoholism, losing a parent, losing a friend, new school, being an outsider
• How it's overcome: Making surprising friends, learning to trust, caring for others, letting go 

February: Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

• Adversity Faced: Being alone, in hiding, a forbidden third child
• How it's overcome: Making friends, being brave, standing up for what you believe

March: Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaels

• Adversity Faced: Crime, bad decisions, abuse, helplessness, anger
• How it's overcome: Reflecting on bad decisions, deciding to make a change and stop the cycle

April: The Captain's Dog by Roland Smith

• Adversity Faced: Difficult journey, depression, uncertainty
• How it's overcome: Perseverance, teamwork, friendship, trust

May/June: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

• Adversity Faced: Saving the community
• How it's overcome: Teamwork, hard work

A Few Picture Books I plan to read:

Summer Goal: Improve my Knowledge and Practice of Differentiation

Materials

Learner Profile Resources

IB Learner Profile Guide

Advance Organizers

RAFT Assignments

Sample KUD's

See My Reading Journal for Responses to these texts

"Tomorrow's Alphabet" Activity

I used the book "Tomorrow's Alphabet" by George Shannon to teach inference.  I describe inference as using clues the author leaves and prior knowledge to solve the mystery of the book.  I also use the metaphor of putting a puzzle together: when you put a puzzle together you don't know exactly what the next piece will look like but you have enough clues to figure it out.

I read Tomorrow's Alphabet aloud, covering up the second page for each set.  (If you haven't read the book it goes something like this: "V is for paper-" (page 1) "tomorrow's... Valentine." (page 2).  I then have students predict what they think will be on the next page, stating what clues or information makes them think this.

After finishing the book I have the students choose a letter (or assign them a letter) and make their own "Tomorrow's Alphabet."  I used this at the end of the year so I focus on graduating, moving on, etc. in my examples.  I.e. "A is for child - tomorrow's adult."

"Tomorrow's Alphabet" Activity

Cute Classroom Labels

Part 1: Library, Social Studies, Science, Art

Classroom Labels

Classroom Library Label

Classroom Library Label Library Checkout

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss was a pretty amazing guy tackled HUGE themes in a way students could relate to and understand.  (You may have seen this on Facebook).

New Challenge

As I have said before, I think it is critical as an elementary educator to know and love children's literature.  After all, there is a correlation between student success and number of books experienced (see article by ALA).  Thus, I have set out on a new endeavor:  Finish reading one children's or education related book per day.  See my reading journal to check up on my success :)

Reading Quotes

"We read to know we are not alone." -C.S. Lewis

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."- Oh! The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Wonderful new website!

Check out Planet Esme, a website by the author Esme Raji Codell, that includes: priceless booklists of various genres, tips for new teachers, a book-a-day blog, etc.