As the Clock Struck Noon

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Jennie

Today I was a small part of honoring those who have served and given the ultimate sacrifice.  A wreath was laid at Arlington National Cemetery at noon.  Simultaneously, cemeteries across America participated in the same wreath laying ceremony.  It was humbling.  I was proud to be there.

Thanks to Wreaths Across America, people all over the country could be part of this important event.  There’s something special about small town America.  Seems to me that paying respect in my own back yard has far more meaning.  Close to home and close to heart.  It feels good.

Westford is the next town over and much like my small town of Groton, full of old homes and a pretty landscape.  People smile and greet each other.  Neighbors help neighbors.  The cemetery is close to the center of town.  For a small town it is a big cemetery, and full of the graves of veterans.

I did not know what to expect.  First, the Girl Scout Chorus chorus sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” acapella.  Beautiful!  Then, the Cub Scouts said the Pledge of Allegiance.  A member of each of the Armed Forces laid one of the wreaths.  Sergeant Curran Huff, our classroom pen-pal last year, was one of the wreath layers.  It was wonderful to watch him!

Have you ever heard TAPS played?  It is beautiful and stirring to listen to the lone bugle.  Each note seems to hang in the air.  A fitting closing to an important event.

Volunteers stayed to place a wreath on every headstone of a veteran.  Quite a lengthy and worthy task.  Next year I will stay.

People often wait to honor members of our military, past and present, on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and the Fourth of July.  That’s like only giving thanks at Thanksgiving, or only spreading cheer at Christmastime. Saying thanks and remembering should happen all the time.

It did today.

Jennie

Posted in Uncategorized | 50 Comments

Practice What You Preach #FridayThoughts

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Jennie

Words of wisdom from Ritu, a teacher and a mother.

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Penguins, God, Spectacles, the Atlas, and Reading Aloud.

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Jennie

The classroom was dark except for a few strings of twinkling lights.  It was time for chapter reading before rest time.  We started a new chapter reading book, Mr. Popper’s Penguins.  Day one is always thrilling, and I show children the cover before reading.

We read the first chapter with great interest and discussion.  Then, we began to read chapter two.  As soon as I read the title, The Voice in the Air, Allie said, “Is that God?  He’s in the air, you know.”

I stopped.  Everybody stopped.  I smiled the biggest smile in the whole wide world at Allie.  Words can fill a vessel.  Allie’s words filled mine.

I said, “Let’s read and find out.”

Spontaneously, Noah said, “Jennie, I love you.”  When children say that on their own, they have felt a great moment of being covered in a warm blanket.  I knew Noah felt so good that he had to tell me.  I also knew that his feelings started with chapter reading.  He was really saying “Thank you for reading to me.  I love this story.  I feel good when I’m on my nap mat and you read aloud.  I like what Allie said.”  I think there was probably more in his heart.  Children don’t have the words that adults do.  Noah’s words spoke volumes.

As I read the chapter aloud, the words said Mr. Popper put on his spectacles.  Spectacles.  Every new and different word opens a whole conversation.  That is the power and beauty of reading aloud, where there are no pictures.  Every word becomes crystal clear and drives the mind, and also the heart.

Penguins.  That drove a big conversation, especially when we learned about pushing off the cliff and sea leopards.  Reality and survival are not easy topics to teach children.  Thank goodness there have been a host of writers who have put into words life and goodness and struggle.  Thank goodness for books and chapter reading.  It’s my yellow brick road for children.

I knew as soon as we talked about Antarctica that children needed and wanted to see the South Pole in the context of the world.  I promised I would show them the picture from our Big Book Atlas.

I always show children any pictures in the book after we finish reading.  As I did so, Noah belted out, “Jennie, you forgot ‘In the great green room’!  He was right.  And he was talking about Goodnight Moon.  I recite that book every day before chapter reading.  I was so excited about starting a new book and showing the cover that I’d forgotten to recite Goodnight Moon.

Noah had not forgotten.

After rest time I pulled out our favorite big map book so we could see Antarctica.  Oh, how we loved exploring.  This is what happens when children ask questions and wonder.

Jennie

Posted in books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Imagination, Learning About the World, Teaching young children, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Five of the Best Children’s Books

Posted on December 9, 2017 by Jennie

I have been tagged to nominate my top five children’s books.  Thank you Norah at norahcolvin.com.  Choosing five books (only five) is a roller coaster, and I love that ride.  Here are my favorite children’s books, and why:

Goodnight Moon 

This book is a classic.  It is what every baby needs to hear, over and over again.  In my classroom, I recite Goodnight Moon before chapter reading.  Every day.  Often I change it up to include the children’s names: “In the great green room there is Mark’s telephone, and Sarah’s red balloon…” and so on.  It is the best.

The Story of Little Babaji

Helen Bannerman wrote this story in 1899.  When I was a child, I loved Little Black Sambo, which was an adaptation of this book.  That book was banned, and the original, based in India, was reborn.  Thank goodness.  Not only is it a great story, it is so beloved in my classroom that we host play performances for families.  When a children’s book has a repeating phrase that encourages children to join the reader and say aloud; “Little Babaji, I’m going to eat you up”, it cements their love for the book.

Swimmy 

My very first day of teaching I read aloud Swimmy.  That was all I needed for me to recognize the most important thing in teaching- reading aloud.  This book has it all: adventure and suspense, life in the ocean, and most importantly, problem solving when you’re feeling lost.  The story is timeless. Reading it today is just as fresh and exciting as it was that very first day.  Children feel the same way.

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot is, hands down, my favorite new book for elementary grade children.  I’ve read this aloud to a captive audience of second graders.  On the surface, it is a fantastic adventure story.  Who wouldn’t want to read about a wild robot who is shipwrecked?  Underneath, it is a story of a robot who has to adjust to nature and animals… and therefore change.  Can a robot become human?

Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web is an all-time classic.  I have been reading this book to students for decades.  It’s the very first chapter book that I read aloud at school, every year.  My class comes together as a family, because I read the words about love, worry, fear, friendship, understanding… all that really matters.  A spider and a pig, and a story of life.

I am nominating five bloggers to do the same; post your five favorite children’s books!

Rules:
1. Thank whoever’s nominated you and share their blog link.
2. Let us know your top five children’s books.
3. Nominate 5 people to do the same.
4. Let your nominees know you nominated them.

Here are my nominees:

  • Marcia at marciastrykowski.com
  • Robin at witlessdatingafterfifty.wordpress.com
  • Beth at nerdybookclub.wordpress.com
  • Susan at redcanoereader.wordpress.com
  • Ritu at butismileanyway.com

Of course, many thanks to Norah for including me in this challenge.  Please visit her wonderful blog at norahcolvin.com.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, picture books, reading aloud | Tagged , , , , , , , | 75 Comments

Children Talking Death and Dying… It’s Good

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Jennie

Recently on the playground I watched children happily engaged in play.  The important part to them was someone dying.  It may sound grim, but it was really a happy game of imaginary play.  The characters were a mom and a dad, a baby, and a dog.

First,  the Mom died.  The other characters rushed around to help, calling out loud, “Oh, no.  She died.”  Then the game switched characters, and the dog died.  Interestingly, the baby never died.

I took it all in, because I know that play is work, and also how children sort out things in their minds.  It’s natural that death and dying is simply a part of what children learn and talk about.

Here is a conversation that occurred at the playdough table:

Lincoln:  Auntie Terry got dead.  She is in church.

Alex:  Who got her dead?

Lincoln:  Nobody.  She just is.  She fell and got dead.

Lucca:  Awww!  That’s so sad.  I feel bad for her.

What a terrific conversation!  It’s natural and full of curiosity.  All too often parents want to hush-hush any discussion or questions about death.  They’re scared.  They decide that avoidance is the best thing to do.  They think perhaps shoving it under the rug until their child is older is the way to go.

It’s not.

Answering questions with a three or four-year-old is delightful.  They are just learning to put the world in order.  They are as curious about a wooly bear on the playground as they are about death and dying.  Simple questions need simple answers.  No more, no less.

When our hermit crab died, here is the conversation that happened in the classroom, and what I said to parents:

Last Wednesday one of our hermit crabs died.  In spite of the many conversations about death and dying that naturally occur with a classroom pet, it is still a moment of wonder when a pet dies.  Some children were surprised, some were quiet, some asked many questions, and some appeared to take it in stride.

A child:  Jennie, the hermit crab isn’t moving!

Jennie:  Let’s take a look.  Join me on the floor and we’ll open the cage.

(Fifteen silent, wondering children gathered to see what had happened.)

A child:  He still isn’t moving.

(Jennie put the hermit crab on her flat, open palm to show the children.)

Jennie:  The hermit crab has died.

A child:  Why didn’t he go into another shell?

A child:  Will he come alive and find a new shell to live in?

A child:  No, you can’t come alive after you die.

Jennie:  That’s right.

A child:  Will he go to heaven?

A child:  Yeah, he’ll be with Ray and Baby Smokey in heaven.

Jennie:  That would be wonderful!  We’ll go to the Memory Garden and bury the hermit crab.  You can come along if you wish.

(On a drizzly, chilly morning, we went to the Memory Garden on the playground and buried the hermit crab.)

Jennie:  Should we sing a song?

A child:  The ABC song!

A child:  Twinkle, Twinkle!

(We sang the songs, said good-bye, and headed back indoors to play.)

When a child experiences death with a pet, that is sometimes helpful when there is death in the family, such as a grandparent.  There is a small degree of familiarity, and questions have already been asked and answered.  The Aqua Room feels that including children in the wonder of life, as well as death, is a learning experience for both the mind and the heart.

Including children in the wonder of life, as well as death.  Absolutely!

Jennie

Posted in Death and dying, Early Education, Learning About the World | Tagged , , , | 58 Comments

Why Reading Aloud Made Cuban Cigars Great

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Jennie

While reading aloud is my passion and what I do- because it makes a marked difference in learning- I always write about reading aloud to children.

Well, there’s more.  Adults.  The proof of reading aloud making a difference is in the high quality of Cuban cigars.  It’s a great story, one of my favorites.

Reading aloud never gets old.  It weathers time and generations.  For adults, when we are read to, we listen, think and feel.  And, we have to stretch our brain.  When we only hear the words it sharpens our mind, and our performance is much better.

The Cuban cigar industry understood this.  That’s why they make the finest cigars.

La Lectura 04521u.web_

They have la lectura, who reads aloud for up to four hours to the factory workers, from the daily news to Shakespeare to current books.  This is both brilliant and common sense; the workers are entertained, happy and productive.

Jim Trelease writes about this in his million-copy bestseller book, The Read-Aloud Handbook.  He is a master writer and has it nailed on reading aloud.  Here is an excerpt from the chapter about the history of reading aloud and its proof:

Then there is the history of the reader-aloud in the labor force.  When the cigar industry blossomed in the mid-1800’s, supposedly the best tobacco came from Cuba (although much of the industry later moved to Tampa, Florida area).  These cigars were hand-rolled by workers who became artisans in the delicate craft, producing hundreds of perfectly rolled specimens daily.  Artistic as it may have been, it was still repetitious labor done in stifling factories.  To break the monotony, workers hit upon the idea of having someone read aloud to them while they worked, known in the trade as ‘la lectura’.

The reader usually sat on an elevated platform or podium in the middle of the room and read aloud for four hours, covering newspapers, classics, and even Shakespeare.

As labor became more organized in the United States, the readings kept workers informed of progressive ideas throughout the world  as well as entertained.  When factory owners realized the enlightening impact of the readings, they tried to stop them but met stiff resistance from the workers, each of whom was paying the readers as much as twenty-five cents per week out of pocket.

The daily readings added to the workers’ intellect and general awareness while civilizing the atmosphere of the workplace.  By the 1930’s, however, with cigar sales slumping due to the Great Depression and unions growing restive with mechanization on the horizon, the owners declared that the reader-aloud had to go.  Protest strikes followed but to no avail, and eventually readers were replaced by radio.  But not in Cuba.

The Cuban novelist Miguel Barnet reports, “Today, all over Cuba, this tradition is alive and well.  Readers are in all the factories, from Santiago to Havana to Pinar del Rio.  The readings have specific timetables and generally begin with the headlines of the day’s newspapers.  After reading the newspaper, the readers take a break and then begin reading the unfinished book from the day before.  Most are women.”

Used by permission of the author, Jim Trelease, 2013, The Read-Aloud Handbook (Penguin)

No wonder Cuban cigars are among the finest.  This story is one of my favorites and illustrates the effect reading aloud has on people.  Thank goodness I get to do this multiple times every day with children.

Jennie

Posted in Jim Trelease, reading, reading aloud | Tagged , , , , , | 82 Comments

The Book That Changed Thanksgiving

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Jennie

When I visit with the grandchildren, a beloved ritual is reading a story before bedtime. The musicality of words floating into the ear and going into the mind becomes an arrow that pierces the heart.  It always happens that way.

This Thanksgiving I brought along plenty of books to read aloud.  I also brought a new book to read.  Not a read-aloud for the children, but a book for me.  I never expected what would happen next.

The children were camping out and snuggled in sleeping bags in the bedroom. It was fun, but didn’t lend itself to seeing the pictures in a picture book.  I thought I would read to them a little of my book, Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (the author of the award-winning book The One and Only Ivan).  I hadn’t read the book, so we were all jumping into something new.

What started as one night of bedtime reading became the focus of our holiday together.  The book is outstanding.  It plucks at every scintilla.  There is no stopping, as the storyline keeps going.  So, we had to keep going.  We read the next day, and the next night, and so on, until we finished the book.  211 pages.  Just like chapter reading in my classroom at school, I was reading aloud with no pictures.  The big difference was reading the book in only a few days.  Somehow, that made reading more exciting.  Breathless.  Heart pounding.

Red is an oak tree with two hundred and sixteen rings.  He’s been around a long time, and he tells the story.  He’s a Wishtree, with a long and honorable history.  On the first day of May it’s been a tradition for people to put wishes on his tree, written on paper or cloth and  tied to his branches.  Sometimes those wishes are also whispered to Red.  He talks about his neighborhood:

Different languages, different food, different customs.  That’s our neighborhood: wild and tangled and colorful.  Like the best kind of garden.

Red talks about himself and people:

For a tree, communication is just as complicated and miraculous as it is for humans.  In a mysterious dance of sunlight and sugar, water and wind and soil, we build invisible bridges to connect with the world.

Can you imagine reading those sentences to children?  I had to stop.  My grandchildren said not a word.  Words were not necessary because Red had said them all.  We were humbled.  Spellbound.

The story is centered on two children in the neighborhood, Samar and Stephen, the host of animal families who live in Red’s tree, and Francesca, whose family has owned Red for centuries.  It is history and uncovering the past, diversity and acceptance both then and now, friendship, nature, understanding, and great adventure.  Oh yes, adventure.  My grandchildren and I fell in love with Bongo the bird, Red’s best friend.  Lewis and Clark are cats, FreshBakedBread is the mama skunk, and on and on, with animals who are the supporting characters in this book.

When someone carves LEAVE on Red, the plot thickens.  This becomes sleuth work.  The stories of the children, and Francesca’s past, and also Red’s past come together.  It is captivating.  The message it sends is a beacon of hope and promise.

Like Red, I’ve been around a long time.  I know the best.  And, this is one of the best.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Diversity, Early Education, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 74 Comments

Quotations on Kindness

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Jennie

frenchc1955's avatarcharles french words reading and writing

plato

(https://commons.wikimedia.org)

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”

                                                                                Plato

Desmond_Tutu_2013-10-23_001

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu)

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

                                                                              Desmond Tutu

The_14th_Dalai_Lama_FEP

(https://commons.wikimedia.org)

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”

                                                                              Dalai Lama XIV

View original post

Posted in Uncategorized | 29 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Jennie

Whether you are traveling near or far to be with loved ones today, giving thanks and being together with family or friends, may your travels be swift

and may your time together be filled with the the important things, the little things: laughing, telling storing, seeing new babies, eating, and simply… being.  Together.  That’s what Thanksgiving means.

As you return home

Savor the memories.  Smile inside.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Jennie

Posted in Giving thanks, Thanksgiving | Tagged , | 35 Comments

When Children Drive the Boat at Storytime

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Jennie

I’ve often said that the best learning and most meaningful experiences with children happen unexpectedly.  And, it happens all the time, especially with picture books.  You just have to seize the moment and be ready to let go of the scripted text, the one that’s in your head.

I’d like to tell you about two outstanding books where this happened, each with very different experiences:

The First Book

Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La… and Gaston.  Yes, reading those words from Gaston, by Kelly DiPucchio to the children started it all.  They cracked up (it really was funny), so I read it again.  More laughing, and I laughed, too.  The words in the text repeated the dogs’ names.  I paused, looked at the children, and read the names again- this time with a voice and an accent.  Well, we roared, together.  I couldn’t stop laughing.  My tears blocked seeing the words in the book.

Was this planned?  Of course not.  It just happened.  Why was this important?  It made their teacher (me) more human.  It was a class bonding moment.  If anyone was having a bad day, they weren’t any longer.  Laughter is the best medicine.  Next, we finished reading the book, and we learned a few impromptu words in French.  Oui, oui.

The story is about Gaston, who is clearly not at all like his sisters, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, and Ooh-La-La.  The dogs meet another family, Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and Antoinette, who is not like her brothers.  The two mother dogs discuss what appears to be the obvious, a dog in each family that doesn’t belong:

It seems there’s been a terrible mistake.  Whatever shall we do?  I guess we’ll let them decide.

What happens next is a story of diversity, belonging, and love.  Laced with humor, the book appeals to children and adults.  It certainly appeals to my children!  Belly laughing made it a memory.  Oh, we now sing  “Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La and Gaston” as a catchy tune.

The Second Book

Sometimes a simple text can be powerful.  I discovered just that when I read aloud Life, by Cynthia Rylant.  The book starts with these words:

Life begins small.  Even for elephants.  Then it grows.  Beneath the sun.  And the moon.  Life grows.

Powerful, indeed.  I read the words slowly, taking time to stop and let the words sink in, and show the illustrations.  Children were silent.  The story depicts not only the elephant, but many other animals.  In a matter-of-fact way, it tells the tale of how things are not always easy.  Life.  Yet, there is always hope and wonder ahead as we go through life.  The book ends with these words:

And it is worth waking up in the morning to see what might happen.  Because life begins small.  And grows.

When I finished reading to this silent group, I clutched the book to my chest and paused.  I said, “I love life.  What do I like the most?”

Long pause and thinking.

“Singing!  I love singing.  Everyone knows Jennie loves singing.”

And then I looked at all those little faces, looking at me.  I knew what I needed to do; I asked each child what they love about life.  I was stunned.  I never expected to hear these answers:

  • Allie: “Hearts and love.”
  • Emmett: “Legos.”
  • Lincoln: “Trees.”
  • Tessa: “The moon.”
  • Ella: “Dancing.”
  • Lucca: “Santa.”
  • Savannah: “Hearts.”
  • Alex: “Rainbows.”
  • Quinn: “Big hearts.”
  • Kate: “My big sister.”
  • Jayden: “Playing with Alex and Hunter.”
  • Will: “My big brother.”
  • Adam: “My Mom and Dad.”

My goodness!

No wonder this book has been recommended as an alternative to Dr. Seuss’ book, Oh the Places You’ll Go, as a graduation gift.

If you think books and words and stories aren’t powerful, think again.  When you seize the moment as you read a book aloud, and follow your instinct and heart, you will make that book far more meaningful for children.  Whether it is filled with humor or worldly advice, it really doesn’t matter.  You will make that book come alive.  You will make a difference.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, children's books, Early Education, picture books, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments