What Are You Reading Good? (12/10/2010)

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Reader of the Month December 2010

Reader of the Month: Mrs. Vincent

In January, I will be posting an interview with a guest reader of the month!  I am excited to start interviewing students and to share their reading lives here on Mrs. Read-A-Lot!  To start off, I'll post my answers to the interview questions.  

What is your favorite book?  Who would you recommend it to?

     I have so many books that I love that it's hard to name just one all-time favorite book!  I'm going to pick Matilda by Roald Dahl.  Roald Dahl is one of my favorite authors and I think many readers can enjoy his books.  I would recommend Matilda to any student who hasn't read it, but probably most to a student who is in at least 3rd grade, unless you are reading with an adult.  

Where do you like to read?  Can you describe your favorite reading spot?

     I love to read everywhere!  There isn't a place where I can't read.  I have a knack for being able to read in loud or distracting places.  My favorite reading spot is on a couch in my living room.  I like to curl my legs up under me and get comfortable with my book!

When do you like to read?

     I love to read all the time and I try to find time to read throughout the day.  I love reading at night though, after my kids are in bed and the house is quiet.  

What are the last three books you have read?

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, 

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, 

Art & Max by David Wiesner

Do you prefer paperbacks or hardcover books?

     I used to love paperback books, but I've read a lot of library books lately that are hardcover and I think I prefer hardcover now!

How do you choose a book?

     I have lots of ways that I choose a book.  I talk to my students and friends about what they are reading.  One of my students told me about Jake Drake, Bully Buster by Andrew Clements and now I have it on my list of books to read!  I also read about books online and in magazines or the newspaper.  Also, when I am at the library, I look at the books on the shelves to see if a title or a book cover pops out at me.  If I find a book that looks interesting I will read the back of the book or the inside jacket flap and even the first page to decide if I want to read it.  

Reading is… 

     ...a way for me to learn about the world: people, places, things, feelings!

Check back in January to read about the featured reader of the month, Jeyanna!

What Are You Reading Good? (12/03/2010)

I'm so proud of my good readers!  It's exciting to hear what everyone is reading.  My students are reading some fun books that I love to hear about.  

I read Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper this week, about a girl who has cerebral palsy.  It's her story of  what it's like for her to have cerebral palsy and about what happens when she is finally able to express herself using a communication device.  

I also read The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles.  This author also wrote Love, Ruby Lavender which I thought was great.  This book is about a group of kids who are excited to play a little league game until a 4th of July pageant almost keeps them from playing!

Finally, I read the first book, Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, in the Lunch Lady graphic novel series.  It is so much fun!  Can you imagine a spatula, fish sticks, and a lunch tray as secret agent gadgets?  Wait until you see how she puts her lunch lady skills to work!

The snowy weather is perfect for reading!  I'm going to read Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  It's the last book in the Hunger Games series and I can't wait to see how it all ends!  Happy reading, kiddos!

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Author Spotlight - John Scieska

District U-46 will be welcoming Jon Scieszka in December!  Schools will be entered into a raffle to win a visit from the author Jon Scieszka.  He will also be appearing at Elgin High School on Wednesday, December 8th at 4:00 p.m.  That event will be open to the public so everyone has a chance to meet him!

I have been able to meet some of my favorite authors in the last few years.  It is interesting to see what they are like in person and to hear him or her talk about writing.  Jon Scieszka has written some great books that you might recognize:

The entire Trucktown series is a hit at my house!  I read Robot Zot! with one of my students this year and we loved it.  If you would like to learn more about Jon Scieszka you can visit his website at jsworldwide.  There is an audio clip that you can listen to to learn how to say his last name!  He also has a site on his publisher's website and he also started a website called Guys Read.  I just bought a collection of short stories called Guys Read: Funny Business and it's awesome so far!

Here is a fun fact about Jon Scieszka: He is one of SIX brothers!  (I can't imagine what it would be like to have five brothers...or to be a mom of six boys!)  You can read lots more about him at the websites above.  He seems like a really funny guy!

If your child comes to school and can tell me which author will be coming to visit U-46, he or she will earn one sticker towards a reading reward!

What Are You Reading Good? (11/19/2010)

This week seemed to go fast!  I shared with students a novel I am reading that is written through poems called Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli.  I also read Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee.  It is fast becoming one of my favorite books about friendship.  These two girls seem like opposites, but they get along great.  It's a fun book that shows students what a graphic novel is like.  Some graphic novels can be hard to read, for me especially, but this one is great.

I'm excited to see students reading and trying new genres and authors!  I love to hear about books I'm not familiar with.  I think Amelia Bedelia Talks Turkey by Herman Parish and More Pies! by Robert Munsch sound like great Thanksgiving reads!  I hope everyone enjoys Thanksgiving!  Keep up the reading, kiddos!

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Being Thankful

Next week, students will not be at school because of Thanksgiving break.  This week, I'll be talking to students about what they are thankful for.  One thing I would like to focus on are people, places or experiences that have shaped us as readers.  I am thankful for people, places and experiences in my life that have helped me become a reader.

Lake Forest Library-my library growing up!  

It was old and I felt important when I went there!

Growing up, both of my parents encouraged me to read.  My mom took my sister and me to the library A LOT!  I remember finding my favorite books, reading in their big, rocking chairs, and participating in the summer reading program.  I am thankful to my mom for taking us to the library.  And I am so thankful to the library for being a place where I could find books that interested me and a place to quietly sit and read.

My dad and mom eating ice cream, not reading books...

I remember trips to bookstores with my dad.  He would go look at adult books while I would wander through the children and then young adult sections.  I would excitedly find a book that I would ask him to buy for me.  I am thankful to my dad for taking me to bookstores, letting me look freely at all the books, and for buying me books that I could call my own.

As a teacher, I have been able to share books and reading with many students.  I love hearing what students are reading and being able to tell them about a book I think they might like.  It has been exciting for me to see students become readers who can't wait to get back to their books.  I am thankful for the experience of being able to interact with students and books.

Talk with your child about people, places or experiences that shaped you as a reader and ask them about their favorite reading memories.  Who or what do you have to thank for helping you become a reader?  If you child can come to school and tell me about who or what he or she is thankful for when it comes to reading, he or she will earn one sticker towards a reading reward!

What Are You Reading Good? (11/12/2010)

This week lots of kids are reading the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne.  I brought one home to read myself this weekend!

I read a graphic novel, some pictures books, a poem, and listened to an adult book on audio this week!  We've been busy reading!  I hope everyone is having fun reading and getting in some family reading, too!

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National Family Literacy Month

November is National Family Literacy Month!  I'm excited to share family literacy because I honestly believe reading aloud to kids at home, modeling reading for them, and taking family visits to the library are so important in helping students learn to read and love to read.

I have great memories of reading with my family, going to the library with my mom and to bookstores with my dad.  Now, as a mom, I love getting comfy on the couch with my sons snuggled next to me to read books...we even read with the baby!

I encourage parents to read aloud to their kids everyday, and if not everyday, then at least try for once a week.  When I was pregnant with Jordan in 2007 I went to my library to listen to Jim Trelease speak about reading aloud to children.  I will never forget his message about reading aloud to kids: it doesn't matter how old they are, we need to be reading to them!  Trelease talked about reading aloud to his kids after dinner while they did the dishes.  I love it!  You can visit Jim Trelease's website to see more about what he has to say about reading aloud.

I hope you all read aloud as a family at least once a week, and if you don't, this month is a perfect time to start!  It doesn't matter if your child is in kindergarten or 8th grade!  If your child can come to school and tell me what book you read together this week or about his or her favorite memory of reading with a family member, he or she will earn a sticker towards a reading reward!

What Are You Reading Good? (11/5/2010)

This week I've been catching up on reading my spooky stories from Halloween!  I've read a few stories from Zombies vs. Unicorns which is a collection of short stories about either zombies or unicorns from many current young adult authors.  I'm used to reading novels so it's a little bit of a switch for me to read a short story but I'm enjoying them so far.  I have to say, I think I'm team Unicorn!

I also listened to A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.  I remember reading this book when I was young and I also vividly remember not understanding it!  It has bothered me ever since as a book that just didn't make sense to me.  Finally, I decided to check it out from the library again to see if maybe rereading it now that I'm (a lot) older would help me out.  I did understand the book this time around, but I still had to really pay attention as I was listening to the audiobook because it's hard to follow along.  Because this is a fantasy book, there are so many things that aren't easy to figure out.  I can definitely say I practice rereading, in this case it was an entire book I reread!

I've been reading a graphic novel that I'm going to be reading with one of the students next week and I'm excited to share that book next week.  This week two students are reading books from the The Magic Treehouse Collection.  I'm glad to see students reading books from a series.  I love finding books in a series.  Keep up the good reading, kiddos!

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Sight Words and Literary Elements

One of my younger students this week has been working on practicing sight words.  We've been playing games and practicing reading sight words from Dolch's high frequency words.  Our goal is to know all the words right away so it will help her become a better reader!

 

Another elementary student is working on what good readers do and practicing making different types of connections.  We talked about the tools a reader has - the good reading strategies he or she uses while reading.  Then, we talked specifically about making connections.

The older students have been looking at literary elements.  Literary elements are things that authors include in books that:

1. help a reader understand what he or she is reading.

2. make a book interesting for a reader.

3. make a book fun for a reader.

Some of the literary elements we are focusing on are:

*character/characterization

*simile 

*metaphor

*alliteration

*dialogue

*foreshadowing

*onomatopoeia

*imagery

When reading together, continue to talk about good reading strategies or find literary elements that authors are using.  If your child comes to school and can tell me one reading strategy or literary element he or she used or recognized when reading, he or she will earn one sticker towards a reading reward!

What Are You Reading Good? (10/30/10)

I'm posting this a little bit late because I wasn't feel well last night.  I was sick and just went straight to bed after the boys went to Grandma and Papa's.  I'm excited to share what we were reading this week, though!  The students have been reading lots of mysteries along with other books, too.

I read Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby about a girl who becomes deaf, but whose mother refuses to let her learn sign language until she meets a chimpanzee named Sukari who helps her realize how important it is to be able to communicate through sign.

I also read Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham.  John Grisham is a very famous adult author, but I have never read any of his books.  I love the idea of a young person as a lawyer.  Even though Theodore Boone hasn't passed his Boards, he knows a lot about the law and finds himself helping kids and adults alike when it comes to understanding the law.  I hope there are going to be more books in this series!

One of my students was reading a Babymouse book by Jennifer Holm.  I've heard of these graphic novels, but I have never read them...now I really have to get my hands on those books because they look really fun.

I also discovered a new award this week.  One of my students is reading Rules by Cynthia Lord.  It has won the Schneider Family Book Award for a book that portrays living with a disability.  I'm going to look for more books that have won this award!  I love sharing all these books with my students and getting to hear what they are reading!  I can't wait to see what next week brings!  Until then, keep reading, kiddos!

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What Do Good Readers Do?

Good readers use reading strategies!  We've been talking about what good readers do and will continue to discuss this.  It's tricky to see what a good reader does, because most of it is all inside the reader's head!  Here are ideas that we have brainstormed about what good readers do!

*Make Predictions

*Make Connections

*Visualize

*Use Textual Clues to Make Inferences

*Ask Questions

*Stop and Think

*Reread 

These are just a few from our lists and here is one of our actual lists!

Reading is one of the best activities to model for you child!  Take a few minutes to talk to you child about what you do when you read.  Discuss some of the reading strategies you use.  Add the strategies you talked about or the strategy you seem to use the most in the comments section.  If your child comes to school and can tell me one strategy that his or her mom or dad uses when reading he or she will earn one sticker towards a reading reward!

What Are You Reading Good? (10/22/10)

This week was kind of a crazy week!  I had meetings and a workshop this week and then this morning fell and hurt my knee.  The kids were all asking me about my knee today because I was limping.  Next week, we will welcome Miss G. from Illinois State University.  She is a senior practicum teacher and will be with us until the 19th.  I'm excited to hear what she has been reading!

I finished listening to the audiobook Dreamland by Sarah Dessen.  It was an interesting book about a girl who finds herself in an abusive relationship.  It's definitely a middle/high school book.  I also read The Elevator Family by Douglas Evans which was super fun.  I'm excited to share this with some of the younger students.  It's such a silly, good-hearted story about a family that goes on vacation and ends up moving into the elevator of the hotel!

We had fun reading If I Had a Robot by Dan Yaccarino.  He is one of my favorite illustrators.  We started by thinking first about robots, then visualized while we read the book, and afterwards, went back and practiced using "would" and "could" just like Phil does in the book.  Some kids will be reading this next week!

Since my knee is hurt, I'll be doing lots of resting so I'm excited to get some reading done!  I'll share what I read next week!  Until then, keep reading kiddos!

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Choosing A Book

Welcome to my first Tuesday post of the 2010-2011 school year!  Tuesdays posts will talk about reading strategies, genres, authors, and illustrators.

Today I'd like to talk about choosing a book.  There are many different things that influence how or why I choose a book.  I'll be talking with students about this throughout the week, and I'll add to the list as we brainstorm more!  Please add your own ideas in the comments section!

Here's a list of a few factors that influence me:

*I like the cover!

*I hear about the book from a friend.

*I hear about the book from a teacher.

*The book is written by an author I like.

*I see the book in the library or at a bookstore.

*I see the book reviewed on a blog.

*I read the back or inside cover and like the story.

*The title catches my interest.

I recently read The Strange Case of Origami Yoda By Tom Angleberger.  I just happened to walk by a Star Wars display at Barnes and Noble on the way to the elevator and this book cover caught my eye.  I had to stop and read the back of the book.  Once I read the back of the book and looked again at the cute origami Yoda on the front, I knew I wanted to read this book!  Of course, I love the Star Wars movies and since this somewhat related to the movies, this book interested me.  It was a great book and I would recommend it to any 5th - 8th grader!  

Talk with your child about how you choose a book and how he or she choose a book.  Add your ideas to the comments section.  If your child comes to school and can tell me one reason he or she chose his or her current book he or she will earn one sticker towards a reading reward!

What Are You Reading Good? (10/15/10)

I've been asking students all week what they are reading good!  It's been exciting to hear about what they are reading.  I love the one titled Super Burp, by Nancy Krulik!  It cracked me up!

I've been reading How Rocket Learned to Read, by Tad Hills, with the elementary students this week.  I think everyone has enjoyed Rocket and how he mastered the "wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet"!  I've also found some good short stories for the upper elementary and middle school students to respond to from One Voice, Please by Sam McBratney.  Keep up the good reading, kiddos!

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