LOL means laugh out loud, right? Not today, folks! Today LOL stands for Love of Literacy! That’s because, here at The Mailbox, we’re celebrating the final week of National Literacy Month 2011. So what does this mean for you? Well, it depends.
If you’d like a chance to earn some buying power at The Mailbox, zip on over to “September Is National Literacy Month” and tell us about a favorite literacy center. We’d love to hear from you! Please share before October 1.
If you’d like to enter a drawing for a free literacy book from The Mailbox, leave a comment on this post before October 1 and describe how you promote a love of literacy in your classroom.
And, if you’re curious about the literacy habits of The Mailbox family, check the Blog later this week. Pictures will be posted!
In love with literacy,
Diane
Congratulations to Kaila! She’s the winner of a free book from The Mailbox!
I go into Goodwill once a month and almost always find ‘new’ books for my classroom library, the students love the ‘new’ books!
Everyone loves an excuse to celebrate! We celebrate our favorite authors all year long! Whenever a favorite author’s birthday rolls around, we celebrate by singing them happy birthday during snack or lunch time (usually with a themed snack to go along with one of their books) and then we read their books. One of our favorite things to do is re-write the endings to our favorite books and then combine them all to add to our own very special reading center.
I try to incorporate art into as many stories as possible. Either an art project,or a response drawing and sentence or two. I also use drama (plays or readers’ theater)as a follow up activity. They LOVE to
be actors!
I started something new this year with my 4 year olds. At circle I introduce the book of the day – read at least 1/3 to 1/2 way through and then explain the art project for today and talk about the story while they are working, I have centers set up for whatever book it is, and put the book in one of those centers. I even try to make up my own file folder games to go along with the story. We are also working on what the words look like that are in the story. So say we are reading Apple Trouble, I have a card with a picture of an apple and the word apple written next to it, a picture of berries, a picture of a piece of paper etc.
I organized a monthly trip to our local library. The children have story time and afterwards we allow each of them to pick out a book. We have a crate that the library books stay in and we pull it out throughout the week and have “special” reading times. The kids love having new material each month and they are very proud of the books they picked out. This also gives me a chance to advertize community literacy events. The library provides me with flyers about upcoming activities and I distribute to our families. It’s a win/win relationship!
Books on tape are an exciting way to introduce and reinforce literacy for young (and old!) children. They are also great or struggling readers.
I have an author/illustrator of the month in my class. We will read books by that person during circle and we will do a few projects based on some of their books. Also,the librarian from our town comes to the center once a month to read to the children. When she leaves she leaves us a crate of 30 books for us to borrow for the month. I change the books in my book area every 2 weeks to go along with our themes.
I use books for everything. I have books in all of my centers that pertain to what’s going on. (ex. Bread and Jam for Frances in the Housekeeping center)(Building Houses in the Blocks) There is a basket in every center with books to read. I also do quiet reading for them to have time to look at the books on their own. You would be surprised what you will gain from listening to them do quiet reading on their own. They have told and read some great stories looking at the pictures and also reading predictable books. I sometimes have them partner up and read to each other and they love this. Once a month I have the Sixth grade class come down and read to the children. I pair up a Sixth grader and a preschooler to read 3 or 4 books and discuss them. My class loves this.
I use the school and local library a lot. I try to get new books on a regular basis about current events and any topics we are learning about.
Since my students should have a book to read with them throughout the day I set up a lending library. I am always adding to this library. They are allowed to browse the shelves and pick a book. Then they have to come to me so I can record which book they have.
We take time to read as much as possible in the clasroom. I send home reader logs for the students to read. Once they return it, they get a treat. We also have a reading night where the kids get to wear their pajamas to school. Fun!
I love boks on tape that we do as whole group and then let the students do listening centers. Also Big books and puppets with books, and lots and lots of books in the library area!
I love to read to my students. They sit so quiet and are so involved in the story they never want me to stop reading. For our child and parent classes this year we are doing a book a week and all the activities will be about the book we are reading.
I start off the new school year by going into last years projects and find a different way to introduce a book to the children. I also go to garage sales and flee markets looking for childrens books. Example: today is Johnny Appleseeds bithday. I started out explaning how a apple grows, that apples come in diffrent colors. The history of Johnny Chapland and how he got the name Appleseed. They colored their favorite apple, and help make apple carmel with cool whip and who ever wanted nuts on it. Than end it up with a song called “The Apple Man”. Tomorrow they will have the first letter of their name printed out in upper and lower case. The children will take these little tiny flower shape pasta and glue them to outline their letter. On the bottom will have the first name printed out all on a red apple. With weather permitting we will take a walk and sing “The Apple Man” song.
Enjoy
Elizabeth
In response to every curriculum book presented in class, I give my kinders a chance to be authors and illustrators. Their drawings have shown great improvement since the beginning of school (much more detail)and they are asking for words/sentences to add to their illustrations. Writing is shaping up too!
When I taught 2nd grade I would have a reader of the day. Students would have a day during the month when they would read a book to the class during snack time. Students always loved doing this. Students had to choose a book that they practiced at home and knew the words to. This activity gave students incentive to practiced reading at home. Some students liked to read books they wrote in our Writing Workshop.
Everyone in my preschool class loves loves loves to “read” books…Even though they aren’t at the age where they actually do read they can tell wonderful stories just by looking at the pictures and letting their friends know what the books are all about. I have a Inflatable Blue Chair that I call my “REALLY GOOD READER” CHAIR and the kids get selected by their behavior for the week…On Friday our “RGR” gets to share their favorite book to the class while sitting in this special chair…OH HOW THEY LOVE to be the RGR….amazing how such a small task can make such a well behaved classroom.
My favorite thing to do with the kids to teach literacy is to make books with the kids. For example What will you be for Halloween and let them dictate answers. I compile them and wow they love it. I have to read it over and over. But what I have is hearing the author of each page say thats my page I was the writer of that.
I have two favorite activities to encourage my kindergartners to write, read, and listen.
My students take home The Riddle Box (a lunch box), put in one item, and write 3 clues about it. Others listen to the clues and try to guess what it is.
I also have a stuffed animal, Cody the Camel, a small tote bag with Cody’s name on it, and a theme book (journal) labeled with his name. Kids each have a turn taking Cody to their home and writing in Cody’s journal. They chant, “Cody! Cody!” when it’s time in the school day for Cody’s host/hostess to read the journal.
One of the main ways to do this is to “enjoy” reading to children when you are doing it! I can NOT stand it when people sound like the teacher from Charlie Brown and show no expression when they are reading to them…….it just drives me crazy!