The 2017 Books Plus Gift List is Here!
For the past five years, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite books along with the perfect gifts to go with them. It really is one of my favorite recipes for gifts for children: 1 great book + 1 fun toy = sure-fire winner with loads of use!
Speak Up! How to Make Conversation A Powerful Part of Your Child’s Day
In my most recent post, I wrote about how powerful words are in a young child’s development. As I mentioned then, it’s been said that sometimes we’re in such a hurry to give kids the things we never had, that we forget to give them the things we did have. Meaningful conversation may rank high on that list of simple, yet powerful things we take for granted.
Meaningful Literacy for Early Readers
“The first thing kids should learn about words is that they have meaning.”
That’s what I wrote in a guest post for The Imagination Tree recently. And it’s true! While there is plenty of practice that does — and needs to — go on with pieces and parts of words, rearranging letters, and practicing sounds and sight words, we must remember that with all of that, kids need a strong foundation in using words to receive and send meaning.
We’re really quite fixated on the importance of literacy in education, but if reading isn’t connected to meaning, all we’re teaching kids to do is string a bunch of sounds together. That’s not literacy.
In this old article from a 2005 issue NAEYC’s Young Child magazine, Susan Neuman and Kathleen Roskos, leading researchers in the field of early literacy, wrote about the importance of infusing meaning into the literacy experiences of early readers.
In reference to the joint position statement created by NAEYC and the International Reading Association outlining developmentally appropriate practice in literacy instruction, the authors wrote:
“The research-based statement stresses that for children to become skilled readers, they need to develop a rich language and conceptual knowledge base, a broad and deep vocabulary, and verbal reasoning abilities to understand messages conveyed through print. At the same time, it recognizes that children also must develop code-related skills” (phonological awareness, the alphabetic principle, etc.).
“But to attain a high level of skill, young children need many opportunities to develop these strands interactively, not in isolation. Meaning, not sounds or letters, drives children’s earliest experiences with print. Therefore, the position statement points out that although specific skills like alphabet knowledge are important to literacy development, children must acquire these skills in coordination and interaction with meaningful experiences (Neuman, Bredekamp, & Copple 2000).”
How do you create a culture of literacy that is rich in meaning? Here are a few key ideas. [Read more…]
The Book with No Pictures
It’s such an unassuming cover. White with black words. The Book with No Pictures* by BJ Novak. (Yes, that BJ Novak). (*affiliate link)
The kids didn’t look impressed.
“We’re going to trick Dad into reading that tonight,” I whispered to my oldest, as I bustled about the kitchen making dinner.
“What? Why do we need to trick him?”
“Just read a little, then you’ll see.” [Read more…]
Reading Aloud is More Than Just Reading (And an Introduction to Brontorina)
It’s rather well-known that reading aloud to children is one of the best things you can do to promote literacy. While simply hearing the story has its benefits, really building literacy, comprehension, and vocabulary requires conversation off the page. Here is an example of some of the conversation that took place as I recently shared a wonderful book, Brontorina by James Howe,* (*affiliate) with a group of young children.
Before starting the story, I show the children the cover and ask what they see. They notice the ballet dancers and the enormous dinosaur on the cover. They love that the dinosaur’s head is bumping into the letters above. Some point out that there are BOY ballet dancers, and an old lady. “Probably their grandma,” someone suggests.
I ask what they think the story might be about.
“The dinosaur wants to eat the kids.”
“No, that’s a plant-eater.”
“I think he’s dancing. Wait, is that a boy dinosaur or a girl dinosaur?”
We talk about their ideas. We’re building prediction skills and a foundation for connections and comprehension. Then I point out the title as I read it. We talk about the letter it starts with and the sound it makes. Then someone points out that the name of someone in the class starts with a B as well. We talk about who Brontorina might be, and they all agree it must be the dinosaur on the cover. The kids can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen, so we jump in! [Read more…]
It’s First Friday!
Well here it is! There were so many great questions and so little time! I’ve supplemented with some links below. Please add your links and input in the comment section as well!
Finding the Sweet Spot for Early Literacy
It seems the older I get, the more I realize the importance of moderation. Over and over again, I find that answers lie in between dogmatic extremes. Perhaps nowhere is this realization more important than when considering approaches to early literacy.
Five Ways to Make Literacy Learning Meaningful
I was just re-reading this old article from a 2005 issue NAEYC’s Young Child magazine, written by Susan Neuman and Kathleen Roskos, leading researchers in the field of early literacy. The emphasis of the article was on the importance of creating meaningful experiences through which children can truly engage in the process of acquiring early literacy skills. In reference to the 1998 joint position statement created by NAEYC and the International Reading Association outlining developmentally appropriate practice in literacy instruction, the authors write:
Book Activity: Max's Words
It’s no secret: I love to discover a great new children’s book. While Max’s Words by Katie Banks is not actually a “new” book (it was published in 2006), it is “new to me” and I’m so glad I found it!