Hot New Interactive Read Alouds Workshop

I recently provided a couple of inservice sessions for area teachers introducing them to some amazing new (or newly discovered by me) interactive read alouds out there.  One session was for primary teachers and one for intermediate.

I honestly believe that teachers have zero time to be researchers.  Their daily day consists of planning, meetings,  phone calls to parents, paperwork and of course, teaching.  They truly desire to have the most powerfully moving texts to be reading with their kids, but, time does not always allow for them to find them. I feel obligated to make sure we have the books that provoke deep discussion and thinking in our bookroom.  And, also, to make sure our teachers know that they are there.

If we, as literacy coaches, can periodically, do some workshops on the books that are already in our possession and also be constantly bringing in new engaging texts that fit with what grade levels are doing, then we become an increasingly important link to helping students and teachers love reading.  And, we make those teachers who are looking for that "perfect read aloud" smile. :-)

Here are 2 powerpoints for each training, along with a handout for each.


K-2 IRA Powerpoint
K-2 IRA Handout
3-5 IRA Powerpoint
3-5 IRA Handout

Enjoy!

Shari :-)

Books to Explain Tragedies

I am in distress over the devastation of the people in Japan during these times.  The natural disasters that have taken place are events that children in our own country of the United States can truly never understand.  The video footage available through media even looks to be that of which movies are made.  I watch them over and over repeating to myself, "It just can't be."

As teachers and parents, it is our responsibility to inform and educate our children of these traumatic and historical events in our ever changing world.  They teach our children empathy and generosity, as well as gratitude for their own safe homes (well, at least safer, we hope, than a tsunami).  Taking time away from our normal curriculum to help our children try and understand what led up to these natural disasters and learn about the devastation that follows is what we do.

One way to weave this in is with the picture book Tsunami, a book of sacrifice by, of course, Ed Young.

Tsunami (2009) is the story of an earthquake, a fire and a tsunami along with the selfless heroism of a wealthy old rice farmer who lives high on the mountainside, above a village.  The farmer feels the tremors of the upcoming disaster and sets his beautiful fields afire to draw the villagers upland in hopes of saving their lives.  The result is the ruins of his crop.  Seems a small price to pay for the lives of his people.  This story is based on a true story of a Japanese hero, who in 1854, set his own rice fields ablaze to save hundreds of lives.

Ed Young, a Caldocott winner for Lon Po Po, creates a visual playground of collage illustrations combining torn paper to cardboard to photos to straw to bamboo.  Readers and artists alike will sense the terror felt when the black wave engulfs the land and destroys the village in his captivating artwork.  Myself, I felt a need to create my own representation this story after studying these scenes.  Artists are immediately inspired.

If this book is not on your shelves or in the hands of your students, it should be.