ch7

First off...what a way we've come from the late nineteenth, early twentieth century; to think that at one time it was unheard of or unusual to write or publish books solely for children... Picture books have come a long way from where they originated. I always wondered why picture books were so expensive, now I know. There are so many elements that go into the developing of a picture book. Picture books are one of the more difficult books to write. They have to be meaningful and captivating in a very limited amount of space. Everything we expect in a novel is also expected in a picture book: characters, plot, setting, quality writing... because of this, picture books are not just for young readers. I would have never thought to use picture books in middle school or beyond. Picture books are unique in a way that they combine illustrative art with literary art and can be used for more experienced readers to teach bias, , alliteration, irony, and flashbacks. They are a great way to introduce the latter topics, much easier to identify. I was just simply blown away at how much a simple picture book could be used in the classroom; to support writing, reading comprehension, content area learning... I always thought of them as simply aesthetic. This is surely not the case.

10/02

In reading the chapter on Poetry...getting through all the technicalities of it and the vocabulary...whew!...I liked that the book suggested to bring in fun, light poetry collections that children would certainly enjoy first. Once they are hooked, start adding other poetry, expanding the library; of course, being sure to keep their interests in mind. The common themes insert with poem collections and authors was also a nice tid bit. I also never thought to use poetry to supplement core subject areas.

I loved the idea of including traditional literature in the Social Studies curriculum. Even better, if there happened to be a child in the classroom of a particular culture they could have a relative come, or share themselves, a traditional story from their culture, then lead a discussion afterwards. I think it would be a great way for a child to feel special about themselves, their culture and for others to enjoy something special from their peer. Its a fun and entertaining way to learn about the history of others culture and also life's little lessons.

Now, to be perfectly honest, while I was working on the Author's profile I was doubling to meet some of my own immediate needs. I had a teacher conference with my son's teacher last week and was informed that although he exceeds standards for fluency and vocabulary knowledge he is somewhat lacking in comprehension. My son, Gavin, is in second grade. He is supposed to be reading 40+ wpm...he is reading 89 at the moment. His teacher isn't sure if he is trying to hard to get through it that he isn't taking the time to comprehend...or if he is just being lazy...for lack of a better word. He always seems to know the answer after a while. Who knows. So I figured I would look for ways to improve comprehension. In my search I found this website: http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/compre.htm . The website has links to many other sites that students, teachers, and parents can utilize to improve comprehension strategies.

Jan Thornhill is an author, illustrator and designer. She's a recipient of the Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, The Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction and many others. She uses wildlife and nature in her books that are enjoyable for children of all ages. They are filled with a joyful charm and colorful illustrations. Some are academic and some of her books deal on a more emotional growth spectrum. http://www.janthornhill.com/

I'm including Sylvester and The Magic Pebble by William Steig today because it is one of my favorite books; I know its an old one. My first grade teacher, Ms. Dana, gave me a copy and to this day, I have it. Both of my children have enjoyed the story also. Sylvester collects unusual stones. One day, he finds a red shiny pebble. Scared by a lion, he wishes himself into a rock. The story is about his personal attempt to change back to himself and his parents search for him.

mon.night 9/24/09

I was actually bummed when I read that the Aesthetic stance was the least used or most neglected in schools. I'm a firm believer that literature can mean different things to different people. When one reads a poem, a novel or even music for that matter it becomes something personal for them, means something special to them based on their life experience. My daughter and I like to print out lyrics to songs we like and write out what we think it means. Sometimes they come out similar, but they are different a lot of the times. I like doing this to show her that she has her own perspective and that doesn't make it right or wrong, its hers. I much prefer this deeper connection to literature over that of remembering facts. I'm not saying comprehension is not important, it is, I just think that the aesthetic stance is equally important and should not be dismissed. I enjoyed the activities that the chapter gave to help children respond to art. One of my favorites is putting on a puppet show or skit. I also think it would be fun to take a piece of literature and put a few twists in it to make it your own.

While working on the Author's profile I came across a site for children's poetry. Poetry is also important to keep in your classroom, available for children to pickup and read. www. poetry-online.org/childrens_poetry_resource_index.htm offers poetry from the classics to modern poetry.

With the growing numbers of children with disabilities being included in general education classes its a good idea for the class library to contain literature for children about children with disabilities. Its difficult for children with mental/physical disabilities to socialize, yet socialization can have positive effects in their lives. Literature can help a non-disabled child better understand a child with disabilities and can help them develop compassion and offer friendship. The teacher vision website at www.teachervision.fen .com/learning-disabilities/reading/5316.html offers a list of books for children about children with different disabilities. They are categorized by age groups. It also has printables, lesson plans and resources all categorized by age groups.

While on this subject, I came across a book about friendship. Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book by: Celeste Shally, David Harrington, Alison Singer. It is about two boys who befriend each other, one of which has Autism. The story gives examples of how their relationship works. The story also helps show kids that children with autism can offer fun friendship. I think a variety of books dealing with different disabilities should be included in all class libraries.

3321 Monday night

Well, I finally received my book and now I am playing catch up. I've always loved reading and knew that I would want a library in my classroom filled with books so that the children would have an array to choose from. I also have an...OCD type condition...I can't get rid of books... I have every book I've ever owned as well as my children's books. I have boxes and boxes of books in storage...I just can't part with them. I especially saved my children's books because I thought I would use them in my classroom one day. Now I feel a little sad because I never thought that they would be outdated. I probably should donate them so that they can be appreciated again. I loved the idea of a living literature classroom. I think its great that we can use literature to back other teachings; history, science, math.

That being said, I found this great book while surfing around. A River Ran Wild by Lynn Cherry. I thought it was appropriate considering our global and environmental issues. Its suitable for elementary school aged children second grade and up. It has a strong link to history but also to ecology. It tells a factual story of the Nashua River. How it went from a pristine river when the first Native Americans were using it as a source to its polluted state when European Colonists developed a city around it. It ends with a community driven clean up. I think its a perfect way to intertwine some history with global consciousness! www.lynnecherry.com/work12.htm

But Who Will Bell the Cats? by Cynthia Von Buhler is a new release this month! Von Buhler uses Aesop's fable as a starting point but the story is all her own about a princess who owns eight beautiful cats. The illustrations were completed in a fresh artistic approach. She actually built the scenery herself then photographed them. The character's were oil painted on. So the Scenery is 3D and the character's are 2D. This book is sure to be a favorite and it reminds us all of the simple power of kindness. http://www.butwhowillbellthecats.com

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site has a multitude of information from Book Review to curriculum ideas. It contains Theme ideas and topics of interest. This is a great place to start when searching for literature ideas and class projects related to literature. www.carolhurst.com

So in addition to realizing that I need to keep my library updated and current to the times; I also need to be sure to include books with many cultural backgrounds as well as ones about special needs children and acceptance. As I said earlier, I love the idea of a living literature classroom and the ideas that Chapter 3 gave to ensure comprehension were great! I love the idea of story maps and comic strips. It gives the children a chance to peer teach/learn and an opportunity to throw in a little art.

Children's lit.

Well, I still do not have my textbook...I have now cancelled my long standing order with Barnes and Noble and placed one with Amazon. It should be here Monday. One can only hope! Soon that stress will be gone. :) In searching for children's literature authors, I came across some interesting sites that not only contained lists of authors and books, but also contained resources for teachers on how to select and use literature.

www.childrenslit.com contains monthly features in relation to time of year and any special events that may be occurring. It also features different authors and illustrators. Its mission is to help teachers and librarians make available appropriate choices for children. The site contains links to authors, publishers, resources for parents, children, and teachers. It also contains links to children's literature collections and upcoming events. There is a yearly fee, but this could easily be split between fellow teachers. They also offer a free trial period.

The Database of Award Winning children's literature contains over 7,000 records of children's literature. Its primary purpose is to help a teacher or librarian create a reading list for students that would contain quality literature that has received awards. You can find this site at www.dawcl.com.

http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/index.html was created to share ideas for those who are looking for ways to intertwine children and literature. It also shares how literature can be used in the classroom to aid children in knowing themselves and the world around them through stories and the characters in them. This site also contains multicultural and technological links.

3321-Authors

Well as I do not have my book yet...its somewhere is textbook space, though promised to be here by 9/16... I can't comment on the first chapter yet. In searching for children's literature authors I came across a few that promise to be very interesting and contribute to the world of literature for children in special ways.

Gary Paulsen is a three time Newberry Honor winner who has the pleasure of having his wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen illustrate some of his books. His life-experience as a young boy has given him plenty of material for his adventerous stories which are sure to make connections in children as well as adults. These three books have won the Newberry award: Hatchet, Dogsong and The Winter Room. If you are interested in learning more about him visit his site at www.garypaulsen.com.

Patricia Polacco got her inspiration to wright at home. As a child she was always surrounded by family and was especially close to her grandparents. Everyone in her family loved telling stories about their heritage. She takes special interest in elderly people and reflects the gifts that they bring in her stories. Most of her stories come from her own life experiences as in, Thank You Mr. Falker. Mr. Falker was a grade school teacher who discovered she had dyslexia. This of course had a huge positive impact on her life. She has a list of awards validating her work. To find out more about Patricia Polacco visit her site at: www.patriciapolacco.com.

Seymour Simon has found a way to integrate science and literature. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Commendation from the National Forum on Children's Science Books. He's written over two hundred and fifty books relating to Science and Nature. He has a new book concerning Global warming coming out in February of 2010. Simon has built a bridge from global consciousness, science and nature into children's laps. Visit his website at: www.seymourscience.com

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