Stories and Rhymes for Kids to READ online

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/stories/

March Reading Month Surprise Reader!

  Today I surprised a kindergarten class at West Elementary in Godwin Heights, Wyoming Michigan today by being their Mystery Reader.  I read one of my favorite books,  Book, Book, Book.   After we enjoyed this wonderful book, I passed out orange HOPE College pencils to remind each child to go home and tell their important to read to them.  We practiced telling each each, “I HOPE you will read me a story tonight.  Since my dad is the Public Relations director at Hope College in Holland, MI it helps to have an in!  This is my alumni school.  Also, my son will attend Hope College in the Fall.  I wore my HOPE T-Shirt.  I HOPE you will read every day for the rest of your life was my message today. 

 

I encourage every person reading this to volunter one hour this month by reading a story in one classroom somewhere this month.  If you are a teacher, go in a classroom that is NOT yours.  Read to another class.  They will LOVE it.  If you are not a teacher, go into a classroom and read to a group of students.  Make their day.  Be a mystery reader.  I promise you, you will benefit more than the students!

Four Square or Triangle Knee Conversations After Self-Selected Reading

My experience in classrooms has led me to believe that triads or ‘triangle knees’ are the ideal size groups.  A group of three students form a cooperative group that I refer to as triangle knees.  Each member in the group sits criss-cross applesauce so that each persons knees touch the person on both the left and right.  This small group forms the geometric shape of a triangle.    This Triangle Knee Format allows all the members in the group to look at each other in the face.  This group lends itself to a perfect quiet conversation in a classroom.  Partners can also face each other for a conversation, but the conversation is not as diverse between two people.    The Four Square Share Format allows for indepth conversation too.    The teacher and students should know and establish their triangle knees /triads before the lesson begins.  If the triangle knees partnerships are established for a few weeks, the members will become comfortable with each other instead of trying to get comfortable with each other each day. 

As students get ready for the small group conversation, the students need to think about what page will I share?  Do I want to leave a sticky note on it so I can find it easily?  How do I indicate tracks of my thinking?  Since this is school, I cannot write in my books.  I can write on a sticky note (post-it) note though.  I have to make sure that this is just a quick jot.  I am not going to read it to my group.  I might write a word or just leave it on the page.  I will not read anything to my group. 

In the beginning of the discussion time, I lead a triad or triangle knees group.  I asked 2 students to join me (or3).  We modeled how to have a discussion.  Day after day, we went through my whole class list.  ALL students participated in the Fish Bowl triangles knees  modeling.  This allowed for lots of opportunities for success.  If I had 30 students in my classroom, it took approximately 10 days to model.   One triangle group models per day in the fish bowl.     After the fish bowl triad/triangle group model, then every triangle knees group has a chance to try-it.  The teacher is coaching conversations as needed.  The teacher tries to listen and only prompts the students as needed. 

  If the teacher hears a statement that is not supported with evidence, the teacher might ask the students to support their thinking with one of these evidence based terms:
-because
-for instance
-for example
-let me explain
-the author said
-earlier it said on page ___
-from our reading we know that…

If the triangle group of students is sharing very light weight thinking in the share groups, the teacher might help the groups dig deeper by prompting with questions:
- Can you explain why you think that?
-What make you think that?
-Why did you say that?
-Can you tell me more about that?
-How can you explain that?
-Would you please give us evidence for that idea?
-What facts do we know that support your thinking?

Remember the purpose of the teacher monitoring conversations is support and teaching.  The teacher is not hearing all the conversations.  The students are learning to have conversations without the teacher.  The children are learning to value each other’s opinions and conversations.  The interactions are student centered.  The students are learning to look at each other, to honor each other’s responses, to connect to the text and to stay on the topic being discussed. 

Reflecting on How Sharing Went
After Triads or Four Square Share, lets think about how it went. Some groups think questions such as these help:
-How did we sit?
-Were we ready for the discussion?
-Did we have a sticky note marking our page that we shared?
-Did we look at the person talking?
-Did we listen to each other and respond to what the other person said?
-Did we refer to the book?
-Did we talk to each other?

Sometimes in the beginning of these conversations I teach a procedure to get the children started. The children share their books after Self-Selected Reading using a simple procedure called Four Square Share.  Child 1 says three ideas about book 1.  Child 2 says, “I heard you say ____.”  Child 2 is repeating something that Child 1 said showing that Child 2 listened to Child 1.  Child 3 says, “I heard you say ___.” Child 4 says, “I heard you say ___.”  If anyone gets stuck, Child 1 should help the child by repeating something in the book if needed.  The goal is that this procedure becomes a conversation eventually as written about above.  My experience in classrooms, is that it does with modeling and coaching.

Read Aloud to Students

We read aloud to our students for lots of reasons. 

“If we knew 10 books as well as we know our best friend, we’d have everything to teach writing for a whole year.”Lester Laminack

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

My daughter and eight of her classmates spent several hours at the local Walmart waiting for 12:01 AM so that they could buy the latest Stephenie Meyer’s book. She then read breaking dawn ALL NIGHT long. She read it the next day again by the pool, on the coach, and in her bed.

If anyone wonders where teens read, they do – everywhere!

My daughter, Ashleigh, has a favorite funny part (today). “Why am I covered in feathers?” I asked, confused. (page 89)

I often heard Ashleigh giggling or laughing as she conversed by texting with her friends since her parents (me) think phone calls late at night interfere with sleep. (What am I thinking?) I mistakenly say, “What is funny, Ash?”

She says, “You wouldn’t get it!”

I don’t know that I would, but if the scorn and the giggles mean that Ashleigh is reading then I love that she digs back into her texting and her reading. If a book is her topic, read on!

Breaking Dawn on Amazon

Stephenie Meyer Official Website

Working With Words Read Alouds

Reading is not just word calling, it is making meaning of the words. Choice Literacy this month is recommending a list of books that reinforces phonics and also makes sure that children will be able to make sense of the text. As I thought of my favorite books I use in the working with words block, I thought of some other books. http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/651.cfm