Please excuse my paragragh’s structure. It looks right on my dashboard but doesn’t on my blog. I am trying to make technology be my friend.
October 3, 2011 Class
I am excited about the strategies we are using with vocabulary. These will greatly improve my instruction
with my English speaking and ELL students. I now have a better understanding of two and three tier words and I will challenge my students to use them.
I am amazed on what you do with your fifth graders. My son is a reluctant reader. He can read well but dislikes it
very much. I think he would have benefited greatly from your DRTA lesson plan and strategies. I fell that us learning about your student’s struggles helps us realize what we need to do to help the children be prepared
for the upper grades. All of your strategies can be tweaked to meet our student’s capabilities and needs. I am having a great time in this class. I also believe that using prior knowledge along with newly learned knowledge is key to comprehension.
Erica and I are excited to use these newly learned strategies with our multi-text unit. We have always thought our
Thanksgiving Unit was weak. We have already started working on this project and can already see how this will also improve our instruction as well as student learning.
Reading With Meaning – Chapter 4
I love the way she uses the morning message to integrate and teach many mini-lessons. I do this whole group but
see the advantage in changing to her method. I have changed the make-up of my day 2 years ago. I have now geared away from whole group sessions and more toward small group sessions. I have seen much improvement in student learning from making this switch. Therefore, I was disappointed to read that most of her day is spent
teaching whole group. I don’t think that benefits the students at all. The children don’t learn at the same time the same way. Therefore it only makes sense to differentiate their instruction during small groups.
I also disagree with her views on phonics. I prefer using Dr. Morris’s method that I learned during my practicum experience. I learned from Dr. Morris that the best phonics instruction should be individualized based on a spelling inventory.
Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles
This great novel by Deborah Wiles has a great sense of humor that shines through the entire story. It was nice to read a book about a tender relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter. The book also explores the strained relationship between two young girls that share a common family tragedy. They both deal with their grief in different ways which is a common reflection on how different people grieve. The setting takes place in the beautiful southern town of Halleluia Mississippi.
The main character, Ruby Lavender, is a fiery red head that adores her grandmother and her 3 “liberated” chickens. Ms. Wiles made the characters more exciting by weaving letters from Ruby to her grandmother throughout the story. Ruby writes with such spunk, honesty and wit. It made me want to write a letter to her myself. It was like snooping into their most intimate thoughts. It provides for a more realistic feeling and gave characters more depth. The interview Ruby did with Deborah Wiles was the smartest and most entertaining thing I have ever read.
This incredible story about a little girl who faces the harsh reality of death, the challenges of friendship and the joy of quite possibly the world’s best and most loving grandmother kept my attention until the end. It was very hard to put this book down. I literally read it in an afternoon. I laughed and cried throughout this book. I went from hating Melba Jane, to feeling sorry for her, to loving her.
I would love to teach this book to older children. It portrayed great character development. I could just imagine myself reading this book aloud to a group of children and have meaningful discussions of the character changes, the feeling of loneliness and the empty feeling of loss (death). This book has numerous lessons embedded within. Good garden of peas this book is my new favorite!
Philosophical discussion on Dragons and Giants by Arnold Lobel
My students and I truly enjoyed our discussion on this book. I was amazed how my kindergarteners were ready and able to discuss such serious topics. I would have never thought to have asked these types of questions. My students were really excited to share in the discussion and wanted to call out rather than hold up their hands. I agree that during our discussion my students started to feel important as they realized that their opinions really did matter. I noticed a few of them starting with: “I agree with you because” or “I disagree with you because”. How amazing!
I used the questions from Matthew and Saltzman to start the discussion before, and after reading the story. We talked about how you look when you are brave. I got some pretty brave facial and body expressions. Next, I asked them what does brave mean. Along with that question, I got many stories of how brave they are. So I then asked: “What does brave mean?” They were so eager to give their answers. I then showed the students the picture of Frog and Toad running from the snake. I asked the students how Toad knows he is not afraid. This question led to several parallel stories of them seeing a snake. Once I got them back on track, it became a very good discussion. I had 100% participation. It was great. They got as excited as when we wrote our shared story on a wordless picture book earlier this year.
This class has taught me so much this year. I would have never thought my kindergarteners could have had such a great discussion about serious things on their minds. On the playground that afternoon, they were still talking about it. Itzel was scared of the money bars and has been all year. That afternoon, she had a crew of friends cheering her on as she decided to be brave and give it a try. How amazing! Next year, I plan on doing this on a more regular basis.
Questions for Deborah Wiles
1. When did you write your first book and how old were you?
2. What are you writing about now? What inspired you to write this new piece?
3. What book are you reading now? Do you have a favorite author?
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Each week I find a new favorite picture book. Freedom Summer, written by Deborah Wiles and illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue is my new favorite. It is a great read-aloud for all ages. It is an informative story that needs to be told over and over again as well as remembered.
Joe and John Henry are best friends. They both love to play marbles, eat ice pops and swim in Fiddler’s Creek. And, when they grow up, they’re both planning to be firemen. It seems as nothing can separate these two, except race. John Henry’s skin is “the color of browned butter” while Joe’s skin is “the color of the pale moths that dance around the porch light at night.” Although the boys see nothing wrong with one another’s skin color, their small southern community sees things differently. In the early 1960’s, there are some things they just can’t do together. John Henry’s not allowed to swim in the town pool or buy his ice pops at Mr. Mason’s General Store. When laws are passed to end segregation, the boys thought it would mean big changes. Unfortunately things didn’t change exactly the way the two boys dreamed.
History came alive for me in this book. This book put names and faces to one of the most intense struggles our country has ever faced. It described how many racist people went through great lengths in order to prevent integration under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There were whites all across the South who refused to cooperate and open their doors in equality for all. Instead, they found it better to close establishments, treat blacks poorly, or come up with other loopholes – like shutting down a public pool by filling it up with tar.
This book is a great lesson on history as it touches on the emotional impact of civil rights and integration. This book was not only wonderfully told, but it is also educationally sound. It is a story of racism, hatred as well as friendship. I plan to use this book next year during Black History Month. I learned in Chapter 6 that historical fiction picture books, “provides a way to introduce the historical fiction genre to younger children.” “Connecting humanity to historical times is strength of the focus of the picture book topic and format for disseminating the personal side of history.” This story is written in a manner that young children will be able to understand and relate to while the bold, colorful illustrations complement the story. I hope that while this book focus on segregation, my students will also be able to relate it to issues of bullying and prejudice. The teachable moments from using this book are endless.
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
The book Countdown by Deborah Wiles is a great book that I plan on reading again with my 11 year old son this summer. Ms. Wiles did a great job recalling her personal feelings of change, insecurity and peer pressure that unfortunately stemmed from the scary Cuban Missile Crisis time in 1962.
In 1962, 11 year old Franny Chapman is having problems. Her best friend seems to be shunning away from her, she’s worried her older sister Jo Ellen might be leaving to change the world, and her perfect younger brother Drew is obsessed with being an astronaut while constantly reading his favorite book. Her mom is stressed out, her father is a pilot at Andrews Air Force Base, and her Uncle Otts is losing his mind. On top of all this there are tensions between theUSAand theUSSRand the escalating Cuban Missile Crisis. With regular air raid drills and nuclear missiles aimed at the country, Franny is troubled, saddened and confused. While Franny is trying to discover how to make her way through her own life, she also has to cope with the fear that has developed in the world due to President Kennedy’s announcement thatRussiais sending nuclear missiles toCuba. The threat of a bomb is always on Franny’s mind. Her school doesn’t help to relieve this fear with their constant reminders of duck and cover drills.
Before starting this book, I knew very little about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Throughout the story, I found myself getting more familiar with the topic. Deborah Wiles educated me in a way that made it feel like a conversation instead of a lecture. She did this by delivering the facts through the main character. The details about this past were seamlessly woven into the story between conversations of daily 11 year olds and family. This style allowed the author to successfully inform the readers about the Missile Crisis and the main characters life in an interesting way.
I was blown away by the format of this book which was infused with information from around 1962 such as advertisements for bomb shelters, Bert the Turtle “duck and cover” posters, black and white photos, news broadcasts, songs and speeches, and essays of notable people. This added a wonderful element of history to the narrative. As I read, I felt as if I had boarded a time machine and traveled back to the sixties. Just as I was living Franny’s life with her and enjoying her moments and adventures with her friends and family, an announcement or a duck and cover drill would take place. I was never able to escape the fear of attack, and this made the novel so much more real. At the same time, I was also reminded through these same photographs and music of how the rest of theUnited Stateswas trying to move on with their day-to-day lives and how there were other major events taking place at the exact same time.
I am not a big History fan. I love Math, Language Arts and Science. This novel sparked an interest. I would have loved history back in High School if I was taught with novels such as this. We were normally asked to read a chapter in our history book and then answer the following 5 discussion questions at the end for homework. Is this a valid way to teach? I don’t think so. “Trade books used in content areas can provide more in-depth coverage of topics than a textbook while accommodating various reading levels (Olness, 2007; Vacca & Vacca, 1996). If my teachers would have used historical fiction in their curriculum, I might have enjoyed it more. As stated in Chapter 6, “historical fiction presents historical facts through the everyday life of young people living during a particular historical period.” This book is a perfect example of historical fiction. “Historical facts shared through realistic characters and settings bring history to life for readers” (Cianciolo, 1981).
I could see myself using this novel with a group of 5th graders. Not only would they be exposed to the well written literature, but the history to be learned would be just as awesome. Before we start reading the novel, I would research with the class on the subject of the Cuban Missile Crisis. We would watch the video on Bert The Turtle. Throughout the book we would have large discussions on what we just read. I would like to have an intense character study of Frannie. How is she different from you? How is she the same as you? Are there characteristics of Frannie that you admire? How about the setting of the book? How are things in her community and school different from yours? Why? How are they alike? Afterwards I would like to brainstorm with my class on ways we can promote peace and friendship in our homes, with our friends and family and in our neighborhoods, our school and our country. “As children savor historical fiction, they realize that today’s events rapidly become a part of tomorrow’s history” (Chapter 6).
A Biopoem on Lou Gehrig
Lou
Team player, 6 World Series Championships, unbelievable endurance, “The Iron Horse”
Husband of Eleanor Gehrig, friend of Babe Ruth and son of German immigrants
Lover of NY Yankee baseball, football, swimming and billiards
Who felt that he was “the luckiest man on the face of the Earth” with strong faith, great friends, supportive fans and a loving family
Found happiness in his great talent of baseball
Who needed others not to pity him as a victim of a cruel fate upon hearing his diagnosis of ALS at an early age of 36
Who gave and continues to give a blessing to all
Who feared he would disappoint his millions of cheering fans
Who would have liked to see the children that he and his wife never had the chance to have
Who enjoyed playing 2,130 consecutive Yankee games
Who liked to wear his #4 Uniform each week on first base at the Yankee Stadium
Resident of New York City before entering Heaven’s Gates on June 2, 1941
Gehrig
Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man by David A. Adlar
I read the biography Lou Gehrig: the Luckiest Man written by David A. Adlar and illustrated by Terry Widener to my present Kindergarteners. It was a great picture book for teaching compassion and good citizenship. The story began in 1903. This was the year Henry Ford sold his first automobile and the Wright Brothers made the first successful flight in an airplane. In baseball, the first World Series was played. This was also the year Louis Gehrig was born. He became one of the greatest players in baseball history.
This picture book was a great teaching tool. “Well-written biographies can be inspirational to children and are often preferred over the average school textbooks.” (Ellis 2007). Many of my students are presently playing t-ball and our class is scheduled to play a t-ball game against Mrs.Ireland’s kindergarten class next week. Therefore, baseball is a topic that is discussed a lot in class, on the playground and during lunch. My 24 little students sat quietly on the carpet as I read this book to them. Afterwards we had a lively discussion about this great ballplayer. We talked about his compassion, his bravery and dedication. We also talked about how he never missed a day of school and then became a baseball player who never missed a game. While atColumbiaUniversity, he was offered a lot of money to play for the NY Yankees. He quit school to play for this great team. Kendallsaid he mother would be very mad if he quit school. Jonathan said that he should have finished school first. I had to agree with the both of them.
Lou Gehrig became a true hero as he was one of the best first basemen. He was nicknamed Iron Horse because of his incredible stamina. He played a record of 2,130 games in a Yankee uniform. Sadly he was diagnosed with a rare deadly disease on his 36th birthday. He never complained. Tamaury said he would cry if that was him. We read that Gehrig spoke about his blessing: his fans, his family and his teammates. Jennifer asked his Lou Gehrig was scared of dying. We continued to read and found out that he didn’t dwell on the disease that would take his young life. Instead he talked about all his accomplishments and that he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth to have lived such a great life. Charity had a tear in her eye and responded that he was sure a brave man. Here again I have to agree with my smart students. Strasser and Seplocha (2007) refer to a position paper suggesting that reading aloud to children appears to be the most important activity for developing the skills necessary for reading improvement. I also read in Hani Morgan’s article that good teachers pause and interact with students during interactive read-alouds by stopping at important sections in a book and asking students to predict what will happen next, what they like about a story, and other questions that lead to critical thinking. We did a lot of this while reading about Lou Gegrig.
Gehrig died in 1941 at the age of 37 from ALS. His Yankee uniform #4 has never been worn again. Nick said his uniform has #4 on it and thinks his coach should call him Iron Horse as well.
Terry Widener did a great job illustrating this picture book of Lou Gehrig’s life. Her illustrations show the heroic proportions of the man and the game. The emotional illustrations towards the end of the book were amazing. I felt as if I was really there. The last spread, showing vivid illustrations of Yankee Stadium on the day of Gehrig’s funeral, awash in rain, shows silence, sadness and love. The lone baseball, pelted by raindrops, against a field of grass was simple but said a lot. It was a powerful ending to this story.
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