Part II: Older Children’s Books and Their Stories

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Jennie

My very first day of teaching was filled with nerves.  There I was, sitting in front of fifteen children, ready to read-aloud a book that was new to me- Swimmy by Leo Lionni.  Thus began my love of children’s books and reading.  My life was about to change.  It was more than the book; it was the full experience with the words and illustrations, and the children.

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Suddenly the library and local book store became my favorite stops. I vowed to start my own book collection.  One of my first purchases was Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. Breathtaking!  What does a teacher do when the book is so good that children need more? We created a giant mural, and then we went “owling”- at school, at night.  Parents brought spotlights, and we called to owls in the woods behind the playground. Years later, still parents recalled that remarkable night.

Books started to trigger more than marinating vocabulary.  I bought Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina.  The children made caps, and we performed a play for the school.  I had never done a play performance with children.  I quickly realized that adding this step made reading even better, not to mention building self confidence.

Fairy tales followed, and the favorites I added to my collection were Rapunzel by Paul O Zelinsky, The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone, and Jack and the Beanstalk by John Howe.  Yes, play performances were stellar.  One line in Jack and the Beanstalk prompted us to write to the author.  Jack’s mother said to Jack, “You stupid boy.”  John Howe kindly replied to the children with a handwritten two-page letter on why he used the word “stupid.”

I couldn’t read enough.  I read all kinds of books.  In time I just knew the good ones, like Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood, and The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer.

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I cried when reading-aloud books like The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. Tears are a good thing- they teach love so that children learn to feel for others.

I laughed my head off reading-aloud books like Would You Rather by John Birningham and Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos.  Belly laughing is a terrific experience with children!

Books became geography lessons.  Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton was the best in learning north, south, east and west- much like her book The Little House was the best in teaching history.  I began to use a big book atlas to expand on learning.  At any opportunity we opened up this marvelous tool to bringing books to life.  It was common to become sidetracked.  Isn’t that great?

Children need to understand emotions.  That’s an important part of preschool.  I discovered There’s an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer, Pig Pig Grows Up by David McPhail, Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman, and Humphrey the Lost Whale by Wendy Tokuda and Richard Hall.  Together,  we worry and wonder.

What happened next?  Children wanted to read on their own.  It is a common scene in my classroom:

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Today I continue to read these older books (and many, many more), along with new ones that I collect along the years.  There are rhyming books, poetry, books that I sing…

I teach from the heart, thanks to reading-aloud.  In the words to the song, “Make new friends and keep the old.  One is silver and the older gold.”  A book is a friend, whether silver or gold!

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, picture books, reading aloud, Teaching young children, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 31 Comments

Children’s Books: Old Can Be Better

Posted on November 27, 2016 by Jennie

Now that the best new children’s books this year are receiving awards and recognition, I’m excited and scanning the titles for my new favorites.  Besides recognizing the best new books of the year, it’s gift giving time. Nothing beats reading-aloud and turning the pages of a book.

Yet, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that older books, titles that have been forgotten by many, are often the best of the best. I guarantee that most authors who write winning books today would smile, knowingly, and heartily agree.

I am fired up to share some of these books with you and their importance, because I recently read this ad which was marketing Goodnight Moon:

“Goodnight Moon is now available in e-book. The perfect solution for parents on the go.”

Pardon me while I pull my heart back up from my stomach.  For the very young child, touching a book and turning the pages is essential.

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I read-aloud the words to this book every single day in my classroom. Every day, just before chapter reading. Three and four-year-olds need to hear the words, not just see the illustrations.  I simply read the words- and oh, how I read those words!  A favorite is adding the names of the children, something like this:

“In the great green room there was a telephone, and Sarah’s red balloon, and a picture of  Paulo jumping over the moon.”

Children wait to hear their name and then shriek with laughter!  There is much to be said about this; the listening and focus is intense.  Children are getting a big dose of language and rhyming words.  Best of all, they have to make the pictures in their heads, a necessary skill for chapter reading.  It is wonderful!

My own library of books at school is a treasure trove of new and old, from Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag written in the 1920’s to Mother Bruce by Ryan Higgins, written last year.  A teacher’s budget allows for only the best.  I have discovered that many teachers and parents are unaware of children’s books written in the past.  For example, I used to assume that everybody knew The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg was a book– not just a movie!  I also assumed the whole world had read The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (one of the best books to teach history).  Not true!  So, now I make it a point to include them and a host of older picture books in my read-aloud.  These books are so good; rich in story-line and words and illustrations.

My mission is to keep great books alive!  Last week I pulled out  an old book, Ox Cart Man, by Donald Hall.

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This classic story follows the life of a New England farmer and his family throughout the course of a year.  The illustrations, perfect for this book, are beautifully done by Barbara Cooney.  Even I was surprised when I opened the book and was reminded of this:

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Here are a few books (beyond what I have mentioned) that have “been around the block”, lived up to the test of time, and are loved over the years by children. They are in no particular order.  I read these books again and again:

The Story of Little Babaji, by Helen Bannerman

Doctor De Soto, by William Steig

Jumanji, by Chris Van Allsburg

The Seven Silly Eaters, by Mary Ann Hoberman

Library Lion, by Michelle Knudsen

Blueberries For Sal, by Robert McCloskey

Captain Cat, by Inga Moore

Apple Tree Christmas, by Trinka Hakes Noble

Circus, by Peter Spier

Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell

Clay Boy, by Mirra Ginsburg

Of course this barely scratches the surface.  There are fairy tales, wordless books… more to follow!

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, picture books, reading aloud, Teaching young children, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 73 Comments

Emotional Reading Comes First

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Jennie

Reading-aloud is emotional in my classroom.  Thank goodness!  I belt it out, read with a voice, and stop to talk. I cry and laugh, and so do the children.  How best can children learn all that is really important?  With every picture story and chapter book I read I have a racing heart, because I have to read the words just like they were written by the author- with passion.

When I read Charlotte’s Web, children are drawn into every emotion; worried, sad, curious and more.  I am, too.  They love this book because it hits the heart.

Hits the heart.  That is the most fundamental component of character building. And character– the development of goodness and kindness, doing what is right, being brave and true and selfless–   is far more important than learning letters and numbers when children are young.  I do this with reading-aloud.

Children become the characters in books and take on the emotions that come with it.  Emotional reading is the real teacher, and children become authentic learners. When that happens, it sticks.  Sydney is proof:

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She chose to read Charlotte’s Web to her baby dolls.

Often it sticks like glue for years, even decades.  Lucca is three-years-old and she is read to every night.  I discovered her parents were, too.  When her father came into the classroom and spotted Gregory the Terrible Eater, he asked, “Did you read that book?”  “Yes”, I said.  He picked up the book, lovingly touching the cover and said, “Really!  My mother read that book to me all the time when I was growing up.  I loved that book.”

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Lucca’s dad: Look at that big smile!

Emotional reading gives important and everlasting gifts.  I often speak about how the number of words a child hears is directly attributed to academic success.  When those words are from good literature and have the power to bring children into every character, then they’re learning heart, not just words.  I will forever cry out loud when I read about Jack the dog crossing the creek in Little House on the Prairie.  I will forever laugh out loud when I read Mother Bruce.  I will forever be scared and angry for the baby dragon in My Father’s Dragon.  I don’t just read words, I read the voice within those words.  Collectively we stop to talk and question.  We learn about humanity.

That is why emotional reading comes first.

Jennie

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Writing Picture Stories

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Jennie

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I have hundreds of photos of children from over the years, yet only one photo is on my desk.  This scene was a party that children wanted because we read books and wrote stories.  They’re all in high school now, and doing very well.

Children have more ideas and thoughts in their heads than we realize.  Their brains are gigantic sponges; they see it all and hear it all.  The last part to develop, and the most important, is verbalizing everything that is in their brain.  In order to do that, they need words, lots of words- and then more words.

When the school year begins, I jump into reading-aloud picture books and chapter reading books with both feet.  Children are constantly hearing words- oh, their brain is soaking it up.  The next step is writing picture stories, because they need to use their language and verbalize what they are thinking.

In September we write about what we like to do in school.

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Imagine being three or four years old and asked by your teacher what you like to do in school.  And then, your teacher carefully writes every word that you say.  That tells a child that words are important.  The ‘frosting on the cake’ to validate a child’s words is asking the child to illustrate what s/he has said.

Writing picture stories brings thinking and language together.  It empowers children.

The day after Halloween we write picture stories again.  Children have many memories and thoughts.  By now, their language has become more descriptive.  Two months of reading-aloud is proof.

img_1938As the year progresses, we will read, discuss, debate, write, and facilitate vocabulary.  This week one of the chapters in our current chapter reading book, My Father’s Dragon, was titled “Farewell”.  Of course that was an unfamiliar word, so we stopped to talk about it.  Children at the end of the day were saying “farewell”.

It’s all about language.  The more words a child hears, the better s/he will do in school in all subject areas.  Period.  Now, if that doesn’t make every parent run to the library, and make every teacher institute multiple ways of promoting language, then I will keep shouting this loud and clear.

How simple; increase the number of words and a child does better in school.  Write about it, and the child wants to do better.  Win-win.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, reading aloud, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 38 Comments

Children and “The Star Spangled Banner”

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Jennie

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Bringing our National Anthem to Life

Few books have the power to move young students and make a difference; this one does. Whenever I sing our National Anthem with children, I pull out my well-loved and very worn book, The Star Spangled Banner by Peter Spier.  Every page is a full color illustration of the words to the song.

img_1944This book makes my heart race!  Every single time I read or sing the book,  children are drawn in.  There is wonder, and there are more questions, and inevitably a crowd of children begin pushing in to see and hear, and to learn.

This is what I wrote on one such occasion. “It happened like this…”

“I want to tell you about early morning in the Big Room today.  It was one of the most exciting, intense, and passionate twenty minutes with children that a teacher can have.  Emergent Curriculum at it’s best.  As we say in the Aqua Room when a story is true, “It happened like this”:

Troy wanted to have a ‘show’, so he and Jill and Sam went to the top of the loft.  No, they did not want to sing Troy’s favorite song, “Proud To Be An American”.  They wanted to sing “The Star Spangled Banner”.  Of course it was wonderful, and we all clapped.  Then I said, “Do you want to know what the song looks like and what really happened?”  I ran back to the Aqua Room (yes, I ran down the hallway and back…) and returned with Peter Spier’s book, The Star Spangled Banner.  Before I opened the book I said, “The guy who wrote this song was on a British ship, and it was night time.  The only way he knew if we were winning was if he saw the American flag.”

By that time I had Troy, Jill, Sam, Jacob, Callie, Lily, Cooper, Lizzie, and Finn all around the book, captivated.  First I asked them what a star spangled banner was.  They knew!  Then we started to read the book.  The first page alone took forever, because we had to explain and talk about the funny hats and clothes, and the ship.  Children had been to Boston to see the Constitution.  Jill knew that ‘Old Ironsides’ meant that cannons and rockets didn’t penetrate the sides.  Once we looked at the first picture, we had to talk about how long ago this happened.  It was 1814.  Oh my, we just figured out that next year would be the two-hundreth anniversary of the song!  We planned an impromptu ceremony.

We were still on page one, and now a crowd of children came over to be there.  We started to read, but children wanted to ‘sing’ the book.  That was fun!  We found the flag on every page, through the battle.  Then, there were other things we found, like ramparts, and new vocabulary words, like ‘perilous’.  When the verse ended, the book went on.  Children were stunned to to know that there were more words.  Those verses led us to learn why a flag is sometimes halfway down on the mast, and to the Statue of Liberty, the Statue of Iwo Jima, the astronauts on the moon, and different Navy ships at sea.

Honestly, the turn of each page drew more questions, and the discussions to find the answers were both intense and inspirational for the children.  Nobody interrupted, because everything was important.  It was a perfect experience.”

Do you know what a towering steep is?  The children figured it out:

img_1946When I get to this page, I stop.  I tell children this is a sad page, yet a proud page.  We talk about flying the flag at half mast, and about soldiers who have died for their country.  Children understand:

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Children can learn history, even at a young age.  This book proves that.  Thank you to Peter Spier who was born and educated in Amsterdam, and didn’t move to America until 1952 when he was an adult.  His book is a magic wand.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, patriotism, reading aloud, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Children and Patriotism; It Starts With Singing.

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Jennie

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Teaching patriotism is something I do in my classroom, and I do it frequently.  It is rarely a planned activity; it just happens.  Much like teaching kindness or giving, or even bravery, the learning comes from doing.  And the way we learn about patriotism often begins with singing, especially if the song is also a book.

Yes, I sing books.  It’s the best way to learn a song because there are pictures to the words.  Pictures cement the meaning to the song, and children understand.  And, they sing with pride.  When I play the Autoharp to sing a patriotic song and have a fellow teacher (and Gloria) sing-along, children stand and place their hands on their hearts.  They love singing, and naturally gravitate to what a song feels like.  Children are far more tuned-in to feelings than adults.

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Today we sang “God Bless America”, “This Land is Your Land”, and “The Star Spangled Banner”, while we read the books.  Children belted out the words.  They stood tall with hands on their hearts because they were filled with pride.

Irving Berlin did not particularly like our National Anthem, and he wrote “God Bless America”.  Woody Guthrie did not like “God Bless America”, and he wrote “This Land is Your Land”.  Isn’t that interesting? I told this to the children today.  We took a tally vote of our favorite song, yet there was no clear winner.

When my son was eight, I bought him the book The Star Spangled Banner by Peter Spier.  Suddenly all the words to a song that he loved came to life.  Every time I read this book, something remarkable happens, because this book has full page illustrations that tell the story.  It is history for young children.  This is part of what I wrote to families a few years ago when children wanted to sing “The Star Spangled Banner”:

“It was one of the most exciting, intense, and passionate twenty minutes with children that a teacher can have.

Troy wanted to have a ‘show’, so he and Jill and Sam went to the top of the loft.  No, they did not want to sing “Proud To Be An American.”  They wanted to sing “The Star Spangled Banner”.  Of course it was wonderful and we all clapped.  Then I said, “Do you want to know what the song looks like and what really happened?”  I ran to get Peter Spier’s The Star Spangled Banner, but before I opened the book I said, “The guy who wrote this song was on a British ship, watching the battle.  He couldn’t get off the ship and it was night time.  The only way he knew if we were winning was if he saw the American flag.”

Suddenly I had every child pushing and eager to see the pictures and hear the whole story.  Oh, we went through the entire book.  It was perhaps the best lesson in history and patriotism for children.  I will post the full version of this remarkable story in a few days.

Today we learned how to properly shake hands, and how to say “Thank you” to a Veteran.  Thank goodness for patriotic songs that help children feel pride in America.  At the end of the day, long after we had been singing our hearts out, Kate kept singing while she was drawing.  Over and over she sang, “God bless America, land that I love.”  Just those words. The children standing nearby hummed and sang a few words along with her.  The more Kate sang, the more it felt like hearing the words to Goodnight Moon, a beloved story that I read-aloud every day: safe, loved, and strong.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, patriotism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

The Essential Children’s Bookshelf

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Jennie

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Found this lovely infographic via ebookfrienly.com

What’s your favorite children’s book?

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Voices from the Field

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Jennie

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This is one of a series of blogs featuring first-person accounts from early educators across Massachusetts.

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Jennie Fitzkee Jennie Fitzkee

My name is Jennie Fitzkee. I am an Early Childhood Educator teaching the Full Day, multi-age class preschool class at Groton Community School in Groton, Mass. This my 33rd year of teaching preschool. Lucky me!

“Back in the day,” women were encouraged to become a nurse, secretary, or a teacher. Fortunately, I decided to become a teacher. I made a good career choice! I use the word “career” because teaching young children is far more than a job. It shapes the lives of children and educates parents. That is powerful; both a responsibility and a thrilling challenge.

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Gloria and Trick-or-Treating

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Jennie

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Last night Gloria was invited to go trick-or-treating.  There was no doubt in the child’s mind that she would be a cow, a baby cow.  She rode in the stroller with his little sister.  He just knew that was the right costume for Gloria.  He was right.  Not only did Gloria go trick-or-treating, she was part of the family’s Diwali celebration over the weekend.  And, she was welcomed into the family with big arms.

Few moments within the classroom leave me searching for the words that are deep enough to tell the story.  Gloria does that.

Years ago, Erin asked to take Gloria home for the weekend and include her in trick-or-treating.  What a surprise!  This was a first for Gloria.  What happened next was a page-turner for me:  On the following day, Erin’s mother arrived at school very upset.  Her words went something like this:

“Jennie, I just don’t understand people (she stamped her foot).  It was so frustrating last night.  Everyone kept asking me why a witch was dressed up like Minnie Mouse.  I kept telling them she is not a witch.  They didn’t get it.  They just didn’t understand!”

It never occurred to Erin and her mom that Gloria was anything but a person, and a shy person.  Since then, Gloria has been trick-or treating many times.  She has been a dragon, a pumpkin, a lamb… years of different costumes alongside children and their families.

Over the years children have come to embrace Gloria as a true friend.  They see her for what she is, deep down inside, not for how she looks.  She has become a role model because every day children play with her, unconsciously accepting and including.  They care for her.

In years to come, children in my class will be humanitarians, thanks to Gloria.

Jennie

Posted in Diversity, Kindness, Teaching young children, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Storytelling: A Halloween Story

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Jennie

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Storytelling is, and has always been, the foundation for language and learning.  I write about children, yet storytelling applies to all people.  Words and ideas are how we start to learn, and how we continue to learn.

Everybody loves a good, gripping story.  I am the storyteller at school, and all my stories are true- things that happened to me in my childhood.  A pretend story starts with Once Upon a Time.  A true story starts with It Happened Like This.

Whenever I say the words, “It happened like this”, children are captivated.  They know it is a ‘Jennie Story’ and a true story.  Best of all, they are getting far more words and language into their brains because storytelling has no pictures.

This is “The Halloween Story”.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  Children beg for this story even in the summer.

“It Happened Like This”… When I was eight years old I went trick-or-treating with my little sister, Sarah.  Back then children went trick-or-treating alone.  There were no Moms or Dads.  And, we never went out until it was really dark.  All the way dark.  I dressed up as Raggedy Ann and Sarah dressed up as a scarecrow (although she looked more like a hobo than a scarecrow).  We each had a pillow case to collect all the candy which we called our ‘loot’.  We were so excited!

Then my mother said, “Jennie, don’t forget to go trick-or-treating at Mrs.  Crotty’s house.”  Mrs. Crotty!  She was really old.  She always looked mean and she never smiled.  Her house was dark brick with big bushes and trees everywhere.  Everything was always dark.  Her house was as old as she was.

I said nothing to my mother.

Sarah and I headed out trick-or-treating.  We had the best time!  We got tons of candy, too.  When we got back home we dumped our pillowcases out on the rug in the den and sorted through all the candy.  I gave Sarah all my Tootsie Roll Pops and she gave me all her Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  Yum!

Then my mother said, “Did you go trick-or-treating at Mrs. Crotty’s?”  I had forgotten, of course.  When I heard her words I felt like a lightening bolt had hit me while I was falling off a roller coaster.  Again she said, “Well, did you go to Mrs. Crotty’s house?”  All I could do was look down and shake my head.  My mother was not happy!  She said, “Jennie, I told you to go.  So take your sister’s hand and go right now”.

I took Sarah’s hand and we went back outside together.  Now it was really dark and trick-or-treat was over.  There were no lights on at anyone’s house.  We slowly walked to Mrs. Crotty’s house.  As we turned the sidewalk and walked up her walkway I squeezed Sarah’s hand and she squeezed mine.  I was so scared.  We got to Mrs. Crotty’s porch which was pitch black and surrounded by weird branches.  As we approached the front door I said to my sister, “You knock.”  “Oh, no” she said, “Mother told you to do it.”  So, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A moment later I heard the door slowly creak open.  Just as I was ready to run away, the lights came on and there stood Mrs. Crotty, smiling.  I’d never seen her smile before.  She said, “Hi Jennie.  Hi Sarah.  Come in.”  We stepped inside the door.  “Wait right there!”  We didn’t move.  She ran to the back of the house and returned with two gigantic popcorn balls, covered in melted butter and caramel.  They were still warm.  Yum!

And I was so afraid.  Silly me.

Jennie

P.S.  This is a popular ‘Jennie story’ in my classroom.  Happy Halloween!

Posted in Early Education, storytelling, Teaching young children, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments