How the Grinch Stole Christmas has been a part of my holiday celebrations for over 40 years. I love this story! The humour, drama and rhyming text build to expertly give the message that toys are not what this time of year is about. It's about celebrating and being thankful for the love of friends and family. Although this is a Christmas story, the message can be appreciated by anyone. I read this story as a preamble to our watching the cartoon version.
The class watched this as a companion piece to hearing the book version read aloud. Hearing Boris Karloff's voice telling the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas brings back lots of memories for me and my children. This cartoon stays faithful to the story by Dr. Seuss, but adds some wonderful songs to help the story along. When my children were little, I bought the video version of this cartoon and to my horror, there was a different voice telling the story over the original cartoon. How disappointing! I believe that Boris Karloff makes this verison the classic that it is. The director, Chuck Jones (he directed many of the "Loony Tunes" cartoons) did a brilliant job adapting the book. In my opinion, this cartoon is perfect.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is another holiday classic. Even though many students do not celebrate Christmas, it is important to give them context for many of the songs and images they see this time of year. This is a great story to discuss important universal themes like bullying and being different. The students are now becoming more sophisticated in their ability to discuss books by answering questions like, "Why was Rudolph so sad at the beginning of the story?" and "How do you know" and giving evidence from the text to support their answers. It was a powerful lesson for the students when they realize that the very thing that Rudolph was bullied for (having a different nose) was the thing that saved the day at the end of the story.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Read Aloud Books for December 10
Dinner at the Panda Palace is an engaging story that uses the basic structure of a "+1" growing pattern, to tell a story. The Panda Palace is a restaurant and different groups of animals enter to eat there (i.e., one elephant, two lions). After repeated readings, the students were able to read along with the predictable text. The ending is sweet, showing that Mr. Panda was a kind host, but also showed how the numbers 1 to 10, when added together, equals 55.
Snow is my Favorite and my Best is a cute story about winter and winter activities. I also chose this book because there are two children in my class with the same name as the little girl "Lola" in the story. Many of the illustrations use paper snowflakes and I will use this book later as a link to when the children learn how to cut paper snowflakes in class next week.
Dewey - There's a Cat in the Library is a non-fiction story of how a small, abandoned kitten became a world-famous library cat. I found this book after I read the book that Vicki Myron wrote for adults about her 19 year relationship with this amazing cat. People from all over the world came to visit the library in the small town of Spencer, Iowa, just to see this cat. I also brought in a small, stuffed Dewey look-alike for the children to play with.
As a connection to the first book, Dewey's Christmas at the Library, is a nice companion story for the children to listen to. The students can then use what they know about the character to help them understand the second story. As not everyone celebrates Christmas, this is a good story to talk about the kinds of activities that people do to celebrate this holiday.
Snow is my Favorite and my Best is a cute story about winter and winter activities. I also chose this book because there are two children in my class with the same name as the little girl "Lola" in the story. Many of the illustrations use paper snowflakes and I will use this book later as a link to when the children learn how to cut paper snowflakes in class next week.
Dewey - There's a Cat in the Library is a non-fiction story of how a small, abandoned kitten became a world-famous library cat. I found this book after I read the book that Vicki Myron wrote for adults about her 19 year relationship with this amazing cat. People from all over the world came to visit the library in the small town of Spencer, Iowa, just to see this cat. I also brought in a small, stuffed Dewey look-alike for the children to play with.
As a connection to the first book, Dewey's Christmas at the Library, is a nice companion story for the children to listen to. The students can then use what they know about the character to help them understand the second story. As not everyone celebrates Christmas, this is a good story to talk about the kinds of activities that people do to celebrate this holiday.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Read Aloud Books for December 3
Eric Carle's book, Today is Monday is a great review of the seven days of the week. As well, the students learned the names of some new animals (e.g., pelican) and followed and repeated aloud the growing word pattern of the text. The illustrations were also a talking point for the class as Eric Carle uses torn and cut paper for his collages (as did Leo Leonni in Little Blue and Little Yellow that we read last week) and the students also made tissue paper collages in class this week.
In this classic TV special, now on DVD, the story of Frosty the Snowman is told through animation and songs. Personally, I am quite fond of this video as I remember looking forward to watching it every year on TV when I was a child and then watching it with my own children at this time of year. The class talked about how a video is also a story but just told in a different way. There was a lot to discuss as the children realized the science of why Frosty couldn't be inside with his new friends (he would melt) and why he was trying to get to the North Pole (where it is winter temperatures all year round).
Frosty the Snowman, the book, was a new find for my teaching practice this year. I wanted to illustrate to my class the different ways to tell a story by watching the video of Frosty. Then I found this wonderful book that illustrates the lyrics to the song, "Frosty the Snowman" (which I learned was written in 1950). After reading the story, the students talked about how it was the same as the video and how it was different. When I pointed out that the words were actually the words in the song and then "sang the story" to them, they realised that a song is another way to tell a story.
The story, I Have a Little Dreidel, is a book about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. It is very accessible to young children as the focus in on how Jewish families celebrate this holiday over 8 days by lighting the candles on a menorah (candle holder), making potato latkes (potato pancakes) and playing the dreidel (spinning top) game. As my family celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas at our house, I was able to bring in a menorah, candles and dreidels to show the children. The students also learned that the words in this book are also the lyrics to "The Dreidel Song". Another example of song as a way to tell a story!
In this classic TV special, now on DVD, the story of Frosty the Snowman is told through animation and songs. Personally, I am quite fond of this video as I remember looking forward to watching it every year on TV when I was a child and then watching it with my own children at this time of year. The class talked about how a video is also a story but just told in a different way. There was a lot to discuss as the children realized the science of why Frosty couldn't be inside with his new friends (he would melt) and why he was trying to get to the North Pole (where it is winter temperatures all year round).
Frosty the Snowman, the book, was a new find for my teaching practice this year. I wanted to illustrate to my class the different ways to tell a story by watching the video of Frosty. Then I found this wonderful book that illustrates the lyrics to the song, "Frosty the Snowman" (which I learned was written in 1950). After reading the story, the students talked about how it was the same as the video and how it was different. When I pointed out that the words were actually the words in the song and then "sang the story" to them, they realised that a song is another way to tell a story.
The story, I Have a Little Dreidel, is a book about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. It is very accessible to young children as the focus in on how Jewish families celebrate this holiday over 8 days by lighting the candles on a menorah (candle holder), making potato latkes (potato pancakes) and playing the dreidel (spinning top) game. As my family celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas at our house, I was able to bring in a menorah, candles and dreidels to show the children. The students also learned that the words in this book are also the lyrics to "The Dreidel Song". Another example of song as a way to tell a story!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Read Aloud Books For November 26
Children love books that pop-up and have moving parts. Unfortunately, they are not always the most gentle users of this kind of book. I found Slide and Surprise Numbers at my favourite bookstore (Indigo/Chapters) and immediately I knew it was a book for my class. Because it is a board book, it is very durable. The book also reinforces the numbers 1 to 12 through pictures, numbers and words. It was a very popular book this week in the reading corner during centre time.
The Color Kittens ( 1949 )is a classic book from Margaret Wise Brown (who wrote Goodnight Moon). Brush and Hush are two kittens that are trying to make the colour green. The book is, of course, about colour mixing but it is also about experimenting and not giving up. My class learned from this book that when you mix all colours together, you get brown. This fact was talked about extensively during our next painting time. A nice gentle story about colours in our world.
Put Me in the Zoo (1960) is another Ms. R family favourite! I remember reading this book as a child and it was also a favourite of my own two sons. It served as a great review of colour identification for the students. It also has easy to read language for the beginning reader. The creature has a lot of magical talents and tries to convince two children that he is special enough to be in the zoo. Watch for a cameo from our favourite character, The Cat in the Hat!
Little Blue and Little Yellow (1959 ) by Leo Leonni is destined to be a class favourite as he also wrote Swimmy which we read at the beginning of the year. The children loved this story of two friends that had an adventure together. The book also reinforces some of the colour theory the students have been talking about. The simple collage illustrations and limited text were a good discussion point for the class. We talked about how to use their imaginations to help them understand the story.
The Color Kittens ( 1949 )is a classic book from Margaret Wise Brown (who wrote Goodnight Moon). Brush and Hush are two kittens that are trying to make the colour green. The book is, of course, about colour mixing but it is also about experimenting and not giving up. My class learned from this book that when you mix all colours together, you get brown. This fact was talked about extensively during our next painting time. A nice gentle story about colours in our world.
Put Me in the Zoo (1960) is another Ms. R family favourite! I remember reading this book as a child and it was also a favourite of my own two sons. It served as a great review of colour identification for the students. It also has easy to read language for the beginning reader. The creature has a lot of magical talents and tries to convince two children that he is special enough to be in the zoo. Watch for a cameo from our favourite character, The Cat in the Hat!
Little Blue and Little Yellow (1959 ) by Leo Leonni is destined to be a class favourite as he also wrote Swimmy which we read at the beginning of the year. The children loved this story of two friends that had an adventure together. The book also reinforces some of the colour theory the students have been talking about. The simple collage illustrations and limited text were a good discussion point for the class. We talked about how to use their imaginations to help them understand the story.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Read Aloud Books for November 18
This is the POP UP version of the book, The Incredible Book Eating Boy, that we read last week. There are lots of moving parts and pieces that "jump" off the page to help add an extra dimension to this funny story.
Chameleons' Colours is a book (translated from Japanese) that follows the adventures of a chameleon that is tired of changing colours all the time. He helps the other animals change colours too but there are problems and so, in the end, the animals realize that they were happy just the way they were. This is a good book to read and compare with the book Elmer in order to talk about what the main character learns in the story.
Elmer is a classic story that teachers have read aloud for over 20 years. We read this story to compare with the book, Chameleon's Colors. The main character has a patchwork of different colours on his skin, which makes him different from the other elephants. One day, Elmer covers himself in grey berry juice so he looks like the others, but his friends don't recognize him. Through a sweet storyline and gentle humour, the message of the story (that it is okay to be different) shines through.
Chameleons' Colours is a book (translated from Japanese) that follows the adventures of a chameleon that is tired of changing colours all the time. He helps the other animals change colours too but there are problems and so, in the end, the animals realize that they were happy just the way they were. This is a good book to read and compare with the book Elmer in order to talk about what the main character learns in the story.
Elmer is a classic story that teachers have read aloud for over 20 years. We read this story to compare with the book, Chameleon's Colors. The main character has a patchwork of different colours on his skin, which makes him different from the other elephants. One day, Elmer covers himself in grey berry juice so he looks like the others, but his friends don't recognize him. Through a sweet storyline and gentle humour, the message of the story (that it is okay to be different) shines through.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Read aloud books for November 12
This is a wonderful book to introduce colours to children. It follows the thinking of a cat who is trying to figure out which colour is his favourite colour. Our class used the pattern of this book to write a class book using the sentence starter, "I like...." so each student can state his/her favourite colour. The illustrations are fun and informational so that, upon the second reading, the students were able to "read" along.
It is very difficult to talk to very young students about Remembrance Day and what the day means to Canadians. Luckily this book talks about peace in an age-appropriate way. The focus is on peaceful living and the things that people can do to lead a peaceful life. It really appeals to the students and the words and pictures communicate the message very well. At the end of the second reading, the students in one of my classes started to applaud!
The Incredible Book Eating Boy is a strange book but with a very cool concept. The book begins with Henry finding out that if he eats a book, he gets smarter, even smarter than his teacher! However, things start to go horribly wrong and in the end, he realizes that reading books is a much better way to learn new information and enjoy books. At first the students are perplexed by Henry's actions but then they realize the important lesson that he learned by the end of the story.
It is very difficult to talk to very young students about Remembrance Day and what the day means to Canadians. Luckily this book talks about peace in an age-appropriate way. The focus is on peaceful living and the things that people can do to lead a peaceful life. It really appeals to the students and the words and pictures communicate the message very well. At the end of the second reading, the students in one of my classes started to applaud!
The Incredible Book Eating Boy is a strange book but with a very cool concept. The book begins with Henry finding out that if he eats a book, he gets smarter, even smarter than his teacher! However, things start to go horribly wrong and in the end, he realizes that reading books is a much better way to learn new information and enjoy books. At first the students are perplexed by Henry's actions but then they realize the important lesson that he learned by the end of the story.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Read Aloud Books for November 5
This is a new publication with a wonderful story. Don Freeman (author of "Corduroy") wrote this story in the 1960's but it wasn't published until his son found the manuscript many years after he passed away. His son arranged for an artist to finish Freeman's original illustrations and the book was published. The story follows a little grey squirrel, named Earl, as he gathers acorns for his family. This was a great connection to the "Grey Squirrel" song our class learned this week and our study of oak trees and acorns.
This is the first story of Earl the squirrel that Don Freeman wrote. In this story, the squirrel needs to find acorns to help his mom. He has some exciting adventures along the way, culminating in an encounter with Conrad the bull. Conrad inadvertently helps Earl find a fantastic source of acorns. The illustrations are black and white with red accents and really demonstrates the range of Don Freeman as an illustrator.
The book on animal homes (featuring squirrels) is, sadly, out of print.
This book by Canadian author Melanie Watt has won numerous awards. It is a humorous look at the life of a squirrel that is afraid to leave his tree. Because this book has a lot going on in the story, we read it twice. The class was challenged to think about how the squirrel was feeling at the beginning of the story and how he was feeling at the end. We even discussed the idea of, "What did the squirrel learn?"
This is the first story of Earl the squirrel that Don Freeman wrote. In this story, the squirrel needs to find acorns to help his mom. He has some exciting adventures along the way, culminating in an encounter with Conrad the bull. Conrad inadvertently helps Earl find a fantastic source of acorns. The illustrations are black and white with red accents and really demonstrates the range of Don Freeman as an illustrator.
The book on animal homes (featuring squirrels) is, sadly, out of print.
This book by Canadian author Melanie Watt has won numerous awards. It is a humorous look at the life of a squirrel that is afraid to leave his tree. Because this book has a lot going on in the story, we read it twice. The class was challenged to think about how the squirrel was feeling at the beginning of the story and how he was feeling at the end. We even discussed the idea of, "What did the squirrel learn?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)