Moms Inspire Learning

Share a Story: Old Faves and New Classics

2010-03-11T08:45:01-05:00

Button created by Susan Stephenson, the Book Chook, using ToonDoo.com.

Good morning!

I hope you're enjoying the Share a Story - Shape a Future Blog Literacy Tour so far. The theme for day 4 is Reading Through the Ages: Old Faves & New Classics, and it's being hosted at The Book Whisperer today. I'll hope you'll go take a look at the posts, especially if you're a teacher!

Tomorrow is the last day of this year's tour. The theme will be Reading for the Next Generation, and it will be hosted at Jen Robinson's Book Page. If you're looking for some great YA book reviews, you might want to take a look through this blog in advance!

Due to the time differences across the world, I will be posting my contribution, Am I a failure if I don't read with my kids, by this evening. See you later!

Share a Nonfiction Book Today!

2010-03-10T07:18:21-05:00

Share a Story, Shape a Future Literacy Blog Tour is being hosted at The Reading Zone today. Please be sure to stop by to find some great posts relating to nonfiction!

Have a wonderful day.

Circles of Literacy, Part 1

2010-03-08T22:22:54-05:00

©iStockphoto/forestus

Do you remember, in the movie The Lion King, when Simba saw his reflection in the water? At first, he sees his own reflection; but when Rafiki asks him to look harder, it is the face of Mufasa (his father) he sees.

Aren't most of us reflections of our parents? It's part of the wonderful circle of life.

I like to think of literacy as a great big circle as well.

The problem is, many of us are still defining literacy in a linear fashion. We draw a line. One end is labeled 'reading' and the other is marked 'writing.'

Reading_____________________________Writing

It's kind of limiting, don't you think?

In my eyes, true literacy starts way before children are able to read or write.

When a baby cries out for its parents for the first time, for example, what it longs for is a response. Whether we hold the baby in our arms, speak soft words, or gaze into his or her eyes, we are answering the call. Every word, every gesture, every look, every smile... is a form of early literacy.

You see, literacy is really all about communication. It starts with small gestures, and the use of the five senses. For babies, it involves a lot of watching, listening, touching, tasting, and even smelling. After all, without the five senses (or at least a few of them), why would we even need words in the first place?

So, for the first 4 or 5 years of a child's life, here's what the literacy circle might look like:

As we grow into adults, we tend to lose some of these components of early literacy, even as we gain the ability to read and write. Adults have much less imagination and fun than most children do! What a shame.

Those early literacy skills are still part of the circle, though, as it seems that we have the ability to turn them on and off during our lifetimes. That's why I like to think of early literacy as the sun, and literacy in general as the moon. While one fuels the growth of all living things, the other controls the tides of oceans.

So, for older children and adults, the literacy circle expands and contracts to look something like this:

Of course, this diagram is a simplified version of traditional literacy, but do you notice that many of the components originate during the pre-reading literacy stage? Listening, observing, speaking, and creative thinking all begin to develop before children learn to read, and continue to be essential components of literacy throughout life.

Out of those 4 main elements of early literacy, though, there are two which provide the ground upon which all of the others stand: listening and observing. They are the first skills a baby develops, but they need to be practiced throughout life.

That's not to say that to become fully literate you must develop both of these skills. There are plenty of people who can't hear or see who soar using only one of these essential components of literacy. All I'm saying is that we all need to practice at least one of these elements on order to develop any form of advanced literacy.

Jim Trelease says it so well, on page 4 of The Read-Aloud Handbook:

"There are really only two efficient ways to get words into a person's brain: either through the eye or through the ear."

The sheer power of the read-aloud lies in that statement, but that's a topic for another day.

In a world where literacy has become anything but simple, and where people have come to rely so much on the visual, the moon is causing the tides to turn like this:

It's become a very busy world indeed, hasn't it? You can't just practice one kind of literacy anymore, so it's not enough to just get by with early or traditional literacy. On the other hand, one does not have any hope of moving on to any of the above forms of advanced literacy without first mastering what might appear (on the surface) to be primitive forms of learning.

©iStockphoto/Graeme Purdy

Being around the youngest of children gives us the opportunity to experience the simple pleasures of life and early literacy all over again. They help us to listen better, laugh more, dream more, and just plain old live more. They help us to bring back those early literacy skills, which are becoming even more essential in this ever changing world of ours.

The Lion King reminds us that we are all a part of the circle of life. I think literacy is the heart and soul of that circle. It's something that evolves -and revolves - over time.

Sounds kind of like our planet, doesn't it? If our world is one large circle of life, then it orbits around a sun of early literacy. The moon may control the tides, but there would be no life in the oceans without the sun.

Let life and literacy shine on!

Please note that this post is part of the Share a Story Shape a Future Literacy Blog Tour, which is being hosted at The Book Chook blog today. The topic of the day is Literacy My Way/Literacy Your Way. I'll hope you'll stop by and check out the links to some fascinating blog posts.

Welcome to Share a Story Blog Literacy Tour!

2010-03-08T07:57:57-05:00

Are you ready for the big event?

To kick off the week, the theme for today is The Many Faces of Reading. You will find links to so many wonderful posts by the many faces of bloggers at The Reading Tub's Scrub-a-Dub-Tub blog.

You'll also want to check out the daily writing prompts at the Share a Story site. Today's three Writing about Reading questions are:

What is the book from your childhood you can't wait to share with a child and why?
Who is the person who influenced you most as a reader?
Do you have any special reading-time rituals for reading aloud with kids?

You can find out how to join the conversation at the post Writing About Reading: Questions for Day 1. Please do!

I'll have more information for you about the Share a Story Shape a Future Blog Tour each day this week, including posts of my own tomorrow and Friday.

Have a fantastic week!

Read-Alouds in Middle School?

2010-03-04T10:50:46-05:00

A common misconception among parents, and even some teachers, is that once children start reading independently, they no longer have the need or the desire to be read-aloud to. Well, having observed and worked in a few different 4th and 5th grade classroom settings (within low and high socioeconomic status neighborhoods), I can tell you that tweens LOVE to hear read-alouds!

Whether tweens are avid readers, or very reluctant readers, they love to hear really great stories. When you think about it, who doesn't?

Our society is connected through the stories we share, whether they're real or imaginary. The problem these days, though, is that with so much visually enhanced technology, we seem to be reading and watching these stories unfold, as opposed to actively listening to them.

When you just listen to a story, it's a much different experience. With no moving visual image, you have to think more critically and creatively. That's why listening to the radio and/or audio books can be such a powerful tool, when used to supplement independent reading and live read-alouds.

Jim Trelease makes a great case for continuing to read-aloud to children, at least through the 8th grade:

"According to the experts, it is a reasonable assertion that reading and listening skills begin to converge at about eighth grade. Until then, kids usually listen on a higher level than that on which they read. Therefore, children can hear and understand stories that are more complicated and interesting than anything they could read on their own." (The Read-Aloud Handbook , page 37)

High quality reading materials use language and vocabulary that children do not usually hear during conversations. Even the writing in picture books can be much more advanced than your typical conversation or chapter book (even for middle schoolers). That's why children need to be exposed to a variety of reading materials.

Of course, it's hard for parents to get middle schoolers to take time out for a read-aloud. Parents are busy themselves. But it really is a great way to start conversations and make connections you otherwise would not make with a child whose hormones are raging!

If parents and teachers take just a few minutes each day to read-aloud an excerpt of a high interest (and advanced) book, newspaper, or magazine clipping, it will most likely become a treasured activity that can become a springboard to so many other topics and activities.

Hey, I have trouble finding time to read-aloud with my own children, since they're so busy with homework and independent reading (I'm lucky in that respect). There have been long stretches in my own home when we just didn't read together at all. It's something that really is worth making time for, though. So, I will continue to carve out time to do so when we can, even though my daughter's now in high school!

How do you find time to read-aloud to your independent reader (or, if you are a teacher, to your students)? What reading materials do you like to use? Please do share!

IMPORTANT NOTE:

I want to thank one of my new readers, Lauren of the new A Book, A Boy, and a Dog blog, for inspiring me to write this post. She is a middle school teacher who just started a blog, since she's out on maternity leave. I can tell from this post that she is a truly extraordinary teacher. It's worth taking time out to read (it was the springboard for this one), because she has packed so much valuable information (including personal teaching stories) into this one post.

Lauren also has added some fantastic links and articles to her blog, and has inspired me to add some of my own to my sidebar (one of these days), so that they're more accessible to readers. She hasn't been blogging for long, but has already taught me a few things! Please do check out her blog when you get a chance. I'm adding the link to my sidebar.

Oh, and one more IMPORTANT note:

It's the final round of voting for the National "Read to Kids" Campaign! You have until Friday at 5 pm ET to cast your vote. Find out more here.

It's time to get ready for the Share a Story Literacy Blog Tour next week! I hope you'll join us.

Teachable Moments for World Maths Day!

2010-03-03T10:14:32-05:00

Welcome to World Maths Day! Right now, children around the world are playing mental math games online.

So, I thought I'd just write a very quick post about how to extend the learning by finding the teachable moments that surround you every single day. Here are just a few off the top of my head:

Point out those street signs. Ask your child what shape and color each one is. If they're learning to read, ask what the sign says. Talk about why we need street signs, and why they might come in different shapes and colors.

Make fractions out of food. Whether it's cookies your child will share, or pizza you're eating, help your child to see part/whole relationships. For example, if there are 10 cookies, ask your child what fraction makes up the whole (10/10). Help your child to understand that 10/10 = 1 whole. If you and your child each take one, what fraction did you take (2/10), and what fraction is left (8/10)? Older children may be able to reduce those fractions to 1/5 and 4/5. There are so many possibilities!

Calculate the tip at a real or pretend restaurant. Older children will love to figure it out. If you double the tax, it makes it easier for them to understand. They could also help you split the bill, which is great division practice.

Count and sort any and all objects. All ages can practice this one! It's not just math skills here - it's life skills, like sorting data and organizing information. From toys to puzzles, the possibilities are endless!

Go shopping with a calculator. Children who are learning to use a calculator will love using one at the supermarket. It might take a little longer, but what a great math connection for them. On a separate trip, it's great to have them start reading and understanding food labels (there's math in calculating the serving sizes and such). You'll get more of a literacy connection in there, and you'll be helping them to make healthier food choices too!

Take out those measuring cups and spoons. Cooking together is the ultimate math/literacy/health connection. From practicing concepts relating to fractions and measurement, to choosing and reading healthy recipes, to communicating and creating something wonderful together, it's an experience not to be missed. All ages of children will love to cook, if you're enthusiastic about it yourself, and let them help with the whole process. What a great way to connect!

I could go on and on here, but I think you get the idea that there really is math in every single day. You just have to take time out to notice it. That's really what a teachable moment is - an ordinary circumstance, situation, or event that we spontaneously turn into a fun and interesting learning opportunity. The best teachers seize those moments, instead of always following a scripted lesson plan. You can too...

Please feel free to add to this list! Of course, you can always look back through my math resources as well. You'll even find some great picture books and games to get your child thinking about more math too.

Share a Story Event is Coming Next Week!

2010-03-02T10:44:14-05:00

Badges created by Susan Stephenson (The Book Chook), using ToonDoo.

It Takes a Village to Raise a Reader.

That's the theme for this year's Share a Story week, which will take place all across the blogosphere between March 8th and 14th. It's the one time when librarians, teachers, parents, illustrators, and authors come together to blog about literacy and children's literature. So, please be sure to mark you calendar!

There will be a different theme and host for each day, as follows:

Monday, March 8 - The Many Faces of Reading, hosted at Scrub-a-Dub-Tub blog.

Tuesday, March 9 - Literacy My Way/Literacy Your Way, hosted at The Book Chook blog.

Wednesday, March 10 - Just the Facts: The Nonfiction Book Hook, hosted at The Reading Zone blog.

Thursday, March 11 - Reading Through the Ages: Old Faves and New Classics, hosted at The Book Whisperer blog.

Friday, March 12 - Reading for the Next Generation, hosted at Jen Robinson's Book Page.

You can find out more at the Share a Story Shape a Future blog.

I'll be contributing posts (right here on this blog) on Tuesday, March 9th, and on Friday, March 12th, as well as providing you with daily links to the above blogs. I hope you'll join us for this extraordinary event!

By the way, aren't those badges adorable?

I can't decide which one I like better, so I'm going to add them both to my site. You can too, if you visit the Share a Story Shape a Future site (link above, or through logo on my sidebar).

So, I hope you'll join us for this exciting event next week! I will probably not be posting much, other than the daily links and my two related blog posts. You'll have enough reading to do!

It really does take a village, doesn't it?

Ta ta for now.

Literacy Lava 4 is Available Now!

2010-03-01T07:49:43-05:00

The 4th edition of Literacy Lava is ready! Here is a list of the titles of the articles included in this issue:

Nurture Creative Thinking

Let's Give Magazines a Little More Love

Book Loving Boys

What do I do? My child hates to write!

The Love of Reading

Discovering Baskets of Hands-On Learning

Simple Story Extensions

The Multimedia Generation

I did not make a contribution to this current issue, but you'll find some repeating contributors, as well as some new ones, in this edition. So, grab a nice warm beverage and relax for a few moments of quiet reflection...

You can access this current issue of Literacy Lava, as well as volumes 1 through 3, here. Enjoy!

This Reading Research is Timeless

2010-02-26T11:10:00-05:00

Just in case you haven't gotten your hands on The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease yet, Jen Robinson just wrote a complete review of the sixth edition this week. Even though it was published in 2006, it's full of research that remains so relevant today. You can find her review at Jen Robinson's Book Page.

You might also be interested in reading one of my prior posts, which has two great book recommendations for teachers:

Why Children Are Not Reading, and What We Can Do About It

I'd like to thank those of you who supported the National "Read to Kids" Campaign proposal! We'll see what happens during the final round of voting next week.

Have a great weekend!

Your Vote is Your Voice

2010-02-24T11:31:03-05:00

Do you remember all of those anti-smoking commercials? I don't know if they're still on anymore, but boy did they leave a lasting impression.

What about all those "It's 10 pm. Do you know where your children are" commercials? Those were unforgettable too, weren't they?

As part of the introduction of The Read-Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease suggests that the most powerful way to get the read-aloud message across is to adopt a similar campaign for literacy. It makes perfect sense to me.

Why hasn't any such campaign ever been sponsored, however? Well, according to the author:

"Politicians have been reluctant to hold parents accountable because they're afraid of losing the parent vote, which is far larger than the teacher vote." (page xviii of The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease)

Well, they're not doing any of us any favors. That's for sure.

One of the major reasons why I walked away from public education is that many teachers feel that there is no time to read aloud in class anymore. The testing culture has taken its toll. Classroom and school libraries, and the simple joy of reading, are slowly becoming extinct in many schools.

To further exacerbate the problem, parents have little time to read aloud to their children these days, either. Not only that, but many of them do not realize how vitally important it is that they do.

School libraries are in jeopardy. Public libraries are in jeopardy.

In a world which depends upon literacy to fuel its success, especially now that it's the age of the Internet, something has to change.

The change has to come from all of us. Parents, teachers, school librarians, public librarians, authors, publishers, book store owners, university professors, CEO's...everyone.

Well, now you have a chance to make your voice heard! You can help the nonprofit literacy organization, Everybody Wins, launch a National "Read to Kids" Campaign, by voting for the cause at Change.org. Only the 10 most popular ideas will be presented to members of the Obama administration, so your support is so desperately needed. You can cast your vote up until 5 pm EST on Thursday.

Your vote is your voice.

There are many causes to support, I know. Here are some articles/photos which should help to put things into perspective:

Huffington Post's photos of The Most Amazing Libraries in the World

Denverpost.com's A troubling chapter (found via @JensBookPage and @RascofromRIF on Twitter)

Ultimately, it's your choice.

Thanks for reading!