Planting the Seeds of Literacy Learning: June 2014

Saturday, June 21, 2014

What I Learned from Author Denise Brennan-Nelson

I am currently sitting in our game room – there is a beautiful storm raging outside – windows are cracked – my 12 year old is sitting in the window seat reading – my 9 year old is on the floor reading – a peaceful moment!

I had the amazing privilege of being at the Literacy in Motion Conference at Judson University this past week. I have so many thoughts and ideas that I am reflecting upon. One of the best parts of the week for me was listening to a couple different authors share their personal stories. It is fascinating to learn more about the author’s lives and the stories behind their books.

One of the authors we were blessed to hear from was Denise Brennan-Nelson.
There were a few things that Denise shared with us that have stuck with me so I thought I would share them with you...

**When Denise was sharing about her childhood she told us that she was pretty much never allowed to watch TV. She said that her mom encouraged her and her siblings to 'use their imagination' and she gave them the tools to do so. Because that sense of wonder was fostered in her life, she learned how to express herself through writing. This was a challenge and strong reminder for me to make sure that I am encouraging my own children to use their imaginations and enjoy that sense of wonder and awe of all that God has given us! Take a few minutes to read a thought provoking article on questioning and curiosity that Denise wrote: http://www.reading.org/reading-today/classroom/post/engage/2014/04/24/where-did-all-the-questions-go-#.U6TTA5RdWSo

**Another challenging reminder for me was hearing her talk about how very important it is for our kids to see us writing. I love to read, and I read in front of and with my children fairly frequently. But, writing… hmmm… when I stop and think about it, I do not write in front of or with my children very often. I want them to know how important writing is – just like reading. So, I need to be more intentional about recording my thoughts in the presence of my kids.

**My favorite take away idea was to have a family journal. Denise suggested that you keep a notebook on the kitchen counter and add to it as you live life together. What a great way to record those precious moments in life – and, we’ll be accomplishing our goal of letting our children be a part of our ‘writing life’. Then, if we give them their own notebook to record their thoughts in they will copy the behavior they see in us!

One of her quotes that might be a bit of a paradigm shift to consider… “Writing isn’t just for authors – it’s for everyone”… If we believe this to be true for ourselves then we can pass that belief on to our children – and we will have given them a great gift!

Denise has an informative website that you can take a look at:
http://www.denisebrennannelson.com/

A few of her books that you might consider reading with your child are:

This book is filled with many of the idioms that we all know but maybe have never known what they mean or what the history is behind them. It is an enjoyable read as you and your child can discover what they mean together - and, have some good laughs along the way. Denise has other books in her idiom series as well.

You can find all of her books in this series on her website at http://www.denisebrennannelson.com/denise/books/

Willow is a sweet story about creativity, imagination, and relationship. Miss Hawthorn - Willow's art teacher - has a very particular way that she thinks art needs to be done. But, Willow is just too imaginitive to be so boxed in. What will happen between the two as they work through their differences?

As a parent, this story is a great reminder of making the most important things our top priority. It gives us a thoughtful perspective on how our children may be processing the things we say. It is such a moving tale of family relationships. This one is my favorite of her books - it hits that spot right inside of you!

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Learning About Insects

One of the best things about summer is that I have more time to do one of my favorite activities - READ! I love to sit out on our deck, in the warm sunshine, and get lost in a good book. For those of us with school-aged children, summer has a very different routine. It is busy in a different kind of way, but for most of us it is probably a bit more of a relaxed pace. Now, with no more reading calendars to fill out - or whatever we might have done to hold ourselves accountable for reading with our children during the school year - we need to make sure that we are still making time to read with our kids every day. We want to make sure we are choosing quality literature and having rich conversations with them. This will help ensure that they will not become 'rusty' in their thinking over the long break.

With some of that in mind, what are things that speak of summer to us? Sunshine, parks, fishing, sprinklers, lemonade, fireworks, golf, s'mores, bike rides, baseball... I am sure you could add many more of your own ideas to the list.

Most kids I know love to look for and catch bugs - and summertime is the perfect time of year to do it! The following book is great to use to teach them more about bugs and insects. They will learn what an insect is, what it isn't, and how to tell the difference. I have included questions and activities to help make reading this book a deeper learning experience for you and your child.

The FIRST TIME you read the story with your child...

Before reading

Talk about what they notice on the cover.
Tell them the name of the author and the illustrator - ask them to remind you what the author's job is and what the illustrator's job is.
Turn the book over and read and talk about the summary on the back cover.
Talk with your child about what they already know about bugs/insects.
Do a picture walk with your child through the book - look closely at the pictures and talk about what you each notice.

During reading

Every so often stop and talk about what you have read/learned so far - make sure to point out new learning specifically.

After reading

How many body parts does an insect have? What are the names of the parts?
How many legs does an insect have?
What else did you learn about insects?
What are some things that make a bug different from an insect?
Name some other animals that have an external skeleton that are not insects.
Name some insects that work together in groups.
Name some animals that ARE insects. Name some that ARE NOT.

READING IT AGAIN... AND AGAIN... (the more times that you read a book with your child the more you can find to talk about... it's like watching a movie for the second or even third time and saying, 'hmm... I didn't remember that part'... Plus, we all know that kids love to read and reread books)...

Why do you think the author chose to write a book about insects?
How does the author help us to understand what an insect is? Help me find this information in the book.
Which insect would you like to learn more about? Why do you want to learn about that insect?
How is your skeleton different than an insect's skeleton? Help me find where we learned this in the book.

WRITE ABOUT IT...

What is your favorite insect? Draw it - make sure you include its three body parts and six legs, and its wings and antennae if it has them. Write what you know about this insect. (You and your child can do research other books - see the list below - or online to find out more information about a specific insect).
Go on an adventure in your backyard. Bring a notebook to draw/write what you see. Bring a camera and take pictures. After you have gathered your information draw and write about what you found. What was the most interesting insect you saw? Why do you feel that way?