Literacy Now

Spring is just around the corner, and not a minute too soon for those of you still wearing your snow boots. But that doesn’t mean your classroom needs to stay buried in a snowdrift of doldrums.

Creating a classroom township—complete with neighborhoods, businesses, and budgets—will help you welcome springtime with renewed energy. Your students will come away with a true sense of what is required of them to cohabitate and function emotionally, financially, and socially in the real world. Along the way your students will use everyday skills in reading, writing, math, art, and social studies, which for you, the teacher, makes meeting academic needs across the curriculum almost—dare I say—easy?

The snow is melting, so without further a-dew, let’s get started!

FOUNDERS DAY

After introducing the concept of a classroom township to your students, the first item of business is to name your new municipality. My class made many suggestions, and after a vote Hunterville was the winning name.

p: Images_of_Money via photopin cc

The next order of business is to have a form of currency. My classroom was organized in groups which were identified as neighborhoods. I then gave each neighborhood a template of blank currency (rectangles drawn on white paper). The neighborhoods each designed ones, fives, tens, and twenties. Once again, we took a vote for the most popular of each and then I made photocopies.

To get Hunterville up and running, I provided each student with $200. With that money they were required to pay taxes, rent, and any fines they might incur. Anything left over was theirs to do with as they pleased. I explained that the only way to acquire more money was to earn it by either starting a business or working for someone else.

WAYS TO EARN A LIVING

The highly motivated students were the entrepreneurs. They were required to write a business proposal and submit to me for approval. Once approved, they applied for a business license, for which there was a fee. Each day they were open for business, they were required to have their license properly on display.

There were a variety of new businesses in Hunterville. One in particular was a bookmark making business where the girls designed bookmarks and then sold them to their classmates. The owner of the business had such a high demand that she hired two employees. Of course, she then needed to pay their wages, too.

Business owners who hired employees quickly learned about the relationship of general contractor/subcontractor and the can of worms that opens up. For example, if a job was not done correctly—or not at all, which did happen—the consequences first fell on the general contractor who then needed to take care of the subcontractors. Often that meant they fired their employees and needed to hire new ones in order to maintain a product for sale. Others decided it was not worth the headache and closed up shop and went to work for someone else.

Some students worked independently, such as the artists who sold their pictures to classmates. They learned their profession had an unsteady income, but ultimately decided they could live on less. Others liked the idea of a steady income and chose to work for the township cleaning the classroom, being the classroom librarian, collecting garbage/recycling, or enforcing classroom law. I provided the Tickets for Behavior to the officers who were on duty in the classroom, watching for negative behavior.

And then, as in the real world, others chose to not work at all. Consequences for this choice were dire. They learned that asking for money from their friends was short-lived at best, and they could not participate in any of the perks that required money (more on this below).

BASIC EXPENDITURES

Students were required to pay rent for their “home,” or in our case, their desk and surrounding space. Rent was based on the number of members living in the community and the location of the community within the classroom. For example, three students living together near the window paid a higher rent than five students living near the locked supply cupboard.

Those who did not pay rent received notices to pay or vacate, and if they continued to not pay rent they received an eviction notice. Those students lived on their own with their desk set apart from the rest of the community.

p: 401(K) 2013 via photopin cc

One last requirement was that everyone needed to pay monthly taxes. Once again if they did not pay taxes there were consequences. Taxes were paid to the township’s treasurer (the teacher). That money was then used to pay salaries for those working for the township. It was also used to pay interest to those who had a savings account with the township’s bank. (I was the banker for Hunterville but I did have employees to help collect on debts.)

After about two months of Hunterville in full operation, one student decided to open his own bank, creating a healthy competition. The door was then wide open to discuss business monopolies and why they are not necessarily a good thing for the greater good.

INDIVIDUAL BENEFITS AND CONSEQUENCES

Students who were able to pay their debts and still have some money left over were allowed to make purchases such as Friday Free time, extra recess, and homework passes (certain restrictions applied!), or earn interest on money held in a savings account at the bank. The fact that their money could make money was very interesting and exciting for the students.

Once a month we had a Hunterville Marketplace. The students were allowed to bring items from home to sell to their classmates using Hunterville currency. I sent a letter home with each student that they needed to return granting permission to bring their selected items to school to sell. The students who did not have money could not purchase any of the perks and during Marketplace they were allowed to only window shop.

Of course friends would sometimes loan money to friends but that never lasted for very long. Ultimately, students who were without an income realized the benefit of having a job.

MEETING CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

Literacy: During your introduction of the classroom township, model how to write a basic business proposal and have an example posted for the students to refer to at anytime. Then, let your students work independently to write their own plan. They will certainly have a sense of accomplishment and ownership of their new business and will work harder to make sure it is a success. Be sure to check for content as well as correct grammar and punctuation before giving them final approval!

For those not wanting to start their own business, they are required to complete a job application with the same writing requirements. Students will also need to read the various notices that are posted by the township’s Mayor (also the teacher), and fellow citizens and comprehend what they mean. If they don’t, they will be surprised by the consequences that will certainly follow.

Math: Students quickly learn the value of money—how to earn money, how to save and earn interest. They also learn how to budget their money earned so they can pay their debts and still take advantage of the perks. The entrepreneurs especially learn about the concept of cost benefit analysis for services provided and money earned.

Art: With budget cuts and expectations for high-stakes testing, art in the classroom is a subject of the past. But in your classroom township there are many opportunities and teachable moments to take advantage of for you to teach art and for students to experiment with different media.

For example, your township will need a sign. I used butcher paper and paints and let the students use their creative skills to make a sign they would all be proud to display. Signs for the individual businesses are another simple way for students to express their creativity. Designing the currency is another wonderful opportunity for students to collaborate on art designs. All you need to do is provide a few materials—construction paper, crayons, paints, pastels, markers, or whatever else you find in the dusty art cupboard. Art does not need to be fancy but it does need opportunity to explore and then see what happens!

Social Studies: Creating a township is the perfect way to touch on so many aspects of living socially, government, laws, rules, and regulations. Your students will understand what it means to actually commune with one another. And they will see firsthand how everyone has a very important role to play in their community’s success.

It will not take long for the township to operate fully by the students, reducing your role to that of a moderator, more or less. If there are glitches along the way, and there are certainly bound to be some, your students will be more inclined to solve the problems themselves and carry on business as usual.

As you witness their transformation from student to active community leaders and participants in their township, you will cherish everyday even more that you go to work in your new town!

Kathleen A. Hunter, MS is a literacy tutor and aspiring children's book author. You can visit her online at www.KathleenHunterWrites.com.



Putting Books to Work: Rick Walton's I NEED MY OWN COUNTRY!

Oh, the Places They Can Go: Sharing the Journey to Destinations Unknown

by Judith Hayn

Vaught, S. (2012). Freaks like us. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

Jason Milwaukee is 17 and like his best friends Derrick and Summer, he shares a self-contained classroom with other “alphabets,” so labeled because of their acronymic disorders. Jason is called "Freak" because the voices in his head perpetually echo that name accompanied by other epithets and visions because he has GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) and is SCZI (Schizophrenic). Derrick or "Drip" is ADHD while Summer is SM (Selective Mute), and it is her sudden disappearance after school one afternoon that triggers this compelling mystery. Freak’s feelings for Summer have apparently morphed into romance, but will the friendship the three friends share be mistaken for his and Drip’s guilt in her disappearance? Freak cannot verbalize his racing unsynchronized thoughts to uncover what he does know about Summer’s despair and hopelessness.

Susan Vaught delineates Freak’s character through first person narrative by using his rational observations accompanied by his troubled thoughts which only he can discern. This makes for challenging reading that is well worth the effort. Freak is much more than mentally unstable as Vaught meshes his illness into action, and the reader enters his chaotic mind. The fear and panic that engulf Freak are almost visceral as he tries to prove his innocence and find his friend.Freaks Like Us is a powerful reminder that there is something freakish in all of us—indeed, a novel to arouse empathy and awareness.

Dr. Judith A. Hayn is an associate professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

This article is part of a series from the Network on Adolescent Literature Special Interest Group (SIGNAL).

 

 

by Alexandra Panos

In this blog post, I hope to add to the growing number of voices advocating the importance of multimodal, digital poetry in the ELA classroom. As a middle school teacher in Chicago, a pulsing center of competitive high school choice, I have had to advocate strongly for an immersive poetry experience in my classroom. My school first transitioned to standards based reporting two years ago, and is now in the midst of a transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). But, because of the ongoing scholarly arguments for poetry instruction and the quality work students produce, my administration has joined me in my endeavor to fully embrace poetry in my classroom. 

Ryan’s Poetic Glogster

Students and teachers who engage in poetic exploration often immerse themselves in the reading and writing of poetry and poetic language. In a time of standards-based grading practices and curriculum design, the need for this exploration has grown, rather than diminished. Other scholars have made this argument better than I could, and I encourage classroom teachers to read, read, read the academic and classroom-tested literature available.

In Mark Dressman’s recent book, Let’s Poem, he directly addresses the world of multimodal poetic response and creation.  Any teacher tackling poetry as either a new area or making the case for its inclusion in their CCSS classroom would benefit from his detailed, classroom tested, and exciting approaches to poetry, some of which I describe below.

Bridget Dalton’s recent piece, “Multimodal Composition and the Common Core State Standards” in The Reading Teacher lays out a framework for the integration of technology into the writing classroom. She argues that the open-endedness of the CCSS gives educators space to promote thoughtful multimodal, composition in the ELA classroom.

Most recently, Julie B. Wise wrote an encouraging piece on this blog directly aligned to the grade 5 CCSS classroom. Her plan for intertwining reading and writing digital poetry is accessible and adaptable for any classroom. The use of PowerPoint as a publication strategy emphasizes student language choices.

Ultimately, the argument comes down to the inherent importance of careful language study in the standards-based or CCSS classroom. Any way you teach it, poetry instruction should reflect the complexity of choices available to poet and reader, from which students have the right, and need, to make meaning in ever expanding and increasingly digital modes.

Audrey’s Poetic Glogster

Why Multimodal, Digital Poetry?

An added benefit of the shifting nature of literacy education is the emphasis on digital and multimodal literacies in the ELA classroom. Poetry reading and writing often require complex literacy events to unfold for students to make meaning. Luckily, with the expanding nature of the digital world, we are now better able to give our students quality methods with which to respond and create.

As with all multimodal responses and compositions, they have clear ties to pedagogical principles most ELA teachers already employ in their classrooms. Ties to the dramatic and fine arts have always been multimodal ways to engage with poetry, but we also can weave into our classroom practice new digital methods that support and extend our facilitation of student learning. I hope this brief list of more “traditional” multimodal ideas can further encourage teachers to either take up multimodal poetry as an integral component of their classroom culture or extend to digital modes as well.

Lilly’s Poetic Glogster

Choral Poetry

Reading poetry aloud is one of the original multimodal methods of approaching poetry in the ELA classroom according to Mark Dressman. In my classroom we do choral readings of The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe, blues poems by Langston Hughes, and, if requested, my students’ writing. The shared nature of the readings help students learn from and with one another. Let’s Poem has a wonderful breakdown of how to engage in choral reading. 

To extend to digital work, try using Garage Band to create poetry podcasts!

Spoken Word Poetry

Folding spoken word poetry into the classroom can mean a greater awareness of both the aural and figurative natures of language. In my 8th grade classroom, we watch portions of the fantastic documentary Louder than a Bomb which follows students as they compete in the largest spoken word poetry slam in the country of the same name. It is inspiring and motivating for student writers. As we workshop our own poems, we also make time for daily mini-slams. Sharing poetry orally inspires critique of language as well as reaches out to other modes of art, such as rap and music. Let’s Poem also has great resources for application in your own classroom.

To extend to digital work, have students create “music videos” to accompany their own spoken word poems!

Artistic Interpretations

Students have visceral responses to many of the images they find in poems we read and write in my classroom. I’ve found that artistic response is often a powerful way for them to demonstrate their emotions as well as create meaning. They do this for a range of poems, from Hurt Hawks by Robinson Jeffers to Naomi Shihab Nye’s Sifter to the lyrics of their favorite songs. In particular, their own writing lends itself well to artistic interpretation as it provides them a means of broadening the figurative language found in their poems.

To extend to digital work, have students create Glogsters of images, sounds, and video!

Franny’s Poetic Glogster

Publishing Multimodal, Digital Poetry in my Classroom

My students and I enjoy reading and writing poetry throughout the school year, but place special emphasis on it in the cold Chicago winters, when we dive into the depths of poetic language. This brief month of intense focus has led to carefully crafted poems which we publish digitally using Glogster.com. 

While I am not writing here to share a unit plan, I hope solid examples of some student work and my grading tool might benefit others who hope to facilitate the publication of multimodal, digital poetry. To create these detailed poetic Glogsters, students must meet several criteria, and make careful choices about their work. The most important of these criteria include:

• Purposeful edits through independent work as well as peer and teacher conferences
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed
• Intentional use of figurative and aural language, poetic form or line break, and sensory devices and images
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events
• Appropriate synthesis of information through writing, images, video, sound, and use of space
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Seventh and eighth graders wrote, designed and published the pieces shared here. I have my students for three years, as such this is either the second or third year these students have had an immersive month of multimodal and digital poetry. Some students, such as Lilly, add music, video and moving images, fully embracing the digital nature of Glogster as a medium. Others, such as Audrey, look at their Glogster as a still canvas. Rather than force students to use specific media, I ask that they write a reflective paragraph which explains the choices they made. This provides more formal writing practice as well as cements the meanings they are making.

My immersive month of poetry with my students is my favorite time of the year. Our final step is to embed our Glogsters into Edmodo.com, an education social networking site. Here students comment on one another’s work, discuss the language chosen, and feel the real sense of accomplishment which comes with publication.  Students learn, standards are assessed, and we grow as a community of readers and writers because of the intricacy of choices we make in our study and creation of poetry.   

Josie’s Poetic Glogster

Resources

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2010). Common Core State Standards forEnglish Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and TechnicalSubjects. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Accessed from:http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards

Dalton, Bridget. "Multimodal Composition and the Common Core State Standards." The Reading Teacher 66.4 (2012): 333-39. Print.

Dressman, Mark. Let's Poem: The Essential Guide to Teaching Poetry in a High-stakes, Multimodal World. New York, NY: Teachers College/Teachers College, Columbia University, 2010. Print.

"Edmodo | Where Learning Happens | Sign Up, Sign In." Edmodo | Where Learning Happens | Sign Up, Sign In. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. 

"We Are Celebrating!" Glogster. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.

Wise, Julie B. "TILE-SIG Feature: Digital Poetry Bridging Common Core Standards with Multimodal Instruction." TILE-SIG Feature: Digital Poetry Bridging Common Core Standards with Multimodal Instruction. International Reading Association, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.

 

Alexandra Panos is a middle grades Language Arts teacher in Chicago. Her future posts will focus on multimodal approaches which support digital literacy.

This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s March 2nd birthday and NEA’s Read Across America celebration, the International Reading Association's Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group would like to present a Tribute to Literacy in this week’s column. Today’s classrooms and libraries offer reading selections for children that they can freely select and enjoy. Reading will truly put tomorrow’s citizens on the path to success.

ReadWriteThink offers lesson plan ideas to support teachers and their individual celebrations of Read Across America. NEA offers a plethora of “Resources to Get Reading.”

 

GRADES K-3

 

Abouraya, Karen Leggett. (2012). Hands around the library: Protecting Egypt’s treasured books. Illus. by Susan L. Roth. New York: Dial Books.

Although the January 2011 uprising against Egypt’s regime received much media attention, one smaller act of courage concerned books and the country’s literary treasures. This picture book describes how some of the nation’s most unlikely heroes banded together to protect the library of Alexandria from possible damage as the Egyptian protesters took to the city’s streets to express their displeasure with the current state of politics. Angry individuals intent on being heard by destroying whatever lies in their path don’t often stop to think about what might be lost by their actions. In this case, the quick thinking of those onlookers and protesters who linked hands with the building’s librarian, Dr. Serageldin, kept the building and its contents safe. They risked their lives by forming a human chain to protect the library. The library itself is a treasure, not just for the books it contains but for its architecture, its cultural significance, and the sanctity it provides to citizens. It even features stones containing letters or signs from 500 different alphabets. The book’s illustrations consisting of collage and photo montages are stunning and inspire contemplation of the power of literacy to form bonds among strangers. The love of some humans for their libraries knows no bounds, and acts of heroism are inspired for many different reasons.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Alexander, Claire. (2012). Back to front and upside down! Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

After Miss Catnip's students learn that today is the birthday of their principal, Mr. Slipper, they decide to make birthday cards for him. Stan is full of great ideas for what he plans to draw on his card, but he is frustrated once he realizes he must write a message as well as provide an illustration. No matter how hard he tries, he just can't get those letters to look like Miss Catnip's examples on the board. With encouragement from a friend, he asks his teacher for help, and realizes that he isn't the only one who is struggling with letters that seem to come out backwards and upside down. The soft colors of the illustration and text itself may feature a classroom of animals, but the simple story describes a common classroom challenge while offering suggestions for coping when things that seem easy for others are very hard for you. The expressions on the faces of these earnest students are endearing, adding to the pleasures of reading this title, whose author/illustrator is a recent recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award for this book.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Asim, Jabari. (2012) Fifty cents and a dream: young Booker T. Washington. Illus. by Bryan Collier. Boston: Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

Written in a free verse style, this beautifully illustrated biography tells the life story of Booker T. Washington. Previous interpretations of Washington’s life have often run contrary to concepts of the fight for freedom and true emancipation than other versions and approaches to civil rights. Author Jabari Asim has presented the determination of a young man born into slavery but given his freedom by the end of the Civil War years. Through hard work and just a few pennies in his pocket, he walked 500 miles to begin the academic life he so earnestly sought when he received admission into the Hampton Institute in 1872 Virginia. Working as a janitor while he was at Hampton, Booker earned his degree and went on to become a teacher truly living the dream he had placed before himself as a young boy. Detailed author notes at the end of the book provide a timeline and further details of the life of this determined young learner. Teachers will find an interesting interview with both author and illustrator at this popular children’s literature blog, Mr. Schu Reads.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Cline-Ransome, Lesa. (2013) Light in the darkness; a story about how slaves learned in secret. Illus. by James E. Ransome. New York: Disney/Jump at the Sun.

Under the cover of darkness, Rosa and her mother, both slaves of the master’s plantation, sneak away to find the “pit school” of Morris. Though expressly forbidden by law, Morris, himself a slave, was taught to read the Bible by the master’s wife. Now he has set up pit schools to teach other slaves who are willing to risk these clandestine learning sessions. Pit schools are shallow holes dug into the ground and often covered with branches and twigs so as not to be discovered by the plantation night patrollers. Rosa and her mother slip away as often as they can and are slowly learning their letters. Rosa is most anxious to learn whole words and now, even after a close call with the night patrollers, risks a harsh whipping with lashes for each letter learned, she is willing to continue learning. Pair this picture books with Gary Paulsen’s novel Nightjohn (1993), young readers will understand the strong desire these folks had to learn to read. Teachers might like to introduce this book with the video showing how illustrator-husband James Ransome created the beautiful watercolor illustrations for this story.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Fleischman, Paul. (2013). The matchbox diary. Illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Despite his inability to read and write, an Italian immigrant finds a way to keep a record of the events in his life. Finding several small matchboxes, he places a token of each important event in each of them, and then later stashes them in a cigar box. When his great-granddaughter comes to pay her respects and get to know her ancestor, she is fascinated with his treasure trove of interesting objects. He tells her that each of them represents a story. When she chooses the cigar box, he uses its contents to describe his story about life back home during desperate times when the family had little to eat and their subsequent journey to the United States. Once they join his father who had originally come to the country seeking a better life, they face prejudice and mistreatment. Eventually, he goes to school, learns his new country’s language, becomes a printer, and later, opens his own bookstore. As the stories draw the great-granddaughter closer to her relative, she expresses a desire to keep a diary of her own so she, too, can keep a record of the things that matter. The story is tenderly told, and is perfectly supported by the book’s lovely, light-filled acrylic and gouache illustrations showing perfectly the mixed emotions of the book's characters.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Grant, Joyce. (2013). Gabby. Illus. by Jan Dolby. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

Like many novice readers, Gabby loves reading her book. When the letters somehow spill from its pages, Gabby gathers them up and forms simple words, including cat, fish, and bird. As the letters make words, the animal each work represents appears on the page, and Gabby has quite a menagerie around her. But a cat, a bird, and a fish all in the same room might spell disaster unless Gabby moves quickly. She manages to swiftly fashion another word since the three animals aren't getting along. After they become friends, she can go back to what she really longs to do: her reading. The illustrations are filled with bright colors and a smiling Gabby, and the back matter includes two activity pages to add to readers' enjoyment of the book.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Winters, Kari-Lynn. (2012). Gift days. Illus. by Stephen Taylor. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside.

Reminding readers not to take for granted the right to go to school and become educated, this understated story about a young girl's desire to learn to read will tug at readers' heartstrings for several reasons. After the death of her mother in Uganda, Nassali assumes responsibility for her younger siblings and spends her days performing the necessary household chores. There is no time or money for school, at least not for a girl. Nassali longs to learn how to read, and after reflecting on their mother's goals for both of them, her brother gives her a precious gift. Once a week he gets up early and takes care of the chores so that his sister can practice reading and writing. This inspiring story shows just how important an education can be in attaining a better life. The softly-colored illustrations reveal the sheer joy on Nassali’s face once she has a chance to dream of a brighter future. The book’s back matter includes a glossary and discussion of Article 28 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as statistics about the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

GRADES 3-5

 

Pattison, Darcy. (2012). Desert baths. Illus. by Kathleen Rietz. Mount Pleasant, SC: Sylvan Dell Publishing.

Teaching students to wonder is the most crucial role of a teacher. To keep readers turning the pages is the work of an author. In this well-written and illustrated book, young readers learn about the inhabitants of the American desert. Readers will be amazed at the diversity of creatures living in the desert. Since these animals show up at different times of the day, the narration flows in a natural chronology. The accurate illustrations provide details to situate the young readers in the desert habitat. Using text and illustrations, readers actively participate in trying to figure out how each creature will find different ways to stay clean when there is no rain or water. One by one, the bobcat licks her cub, the pallid bat takes a spit bath, and the javelina rolls over thick, cool mud. In addition to six pages of activities, the book is accompanied by a teaching guide and numerous tools for classroom activities that provide opportunities for engaged learning. A great resource for any teacher because of its focus on the desert, this title may encourage many reluctant readers to search out similar texts.

- Rani Iyer, Washington State University Pullman

 

Polacco, Patricia. (1998). Thank you, Mr. Falker. New York: Philomel Books.

The well-loved author/illustrator returns to a painful period in her own childhood to describe the ultimately heartwarming story of little Trisha, who is at first overjoyed at the thought of starting school and learning how to read. But her initial excitement turns to dread and embarrassment as the numbers and letters in the school books jumble together in her mind. As Trisha struggles to read and write, school becomes even more challenging for her. A move to a new school and new city only results in Tricia’s being teased for being unable to read, and Trisha starts to hate school. Mr. Falker, a new teacher in the fifth grade, changes Trisha’s life when he stops a classmate from bullying her and gives her hope by promising that she will learn to read. Teaming with the reading teacher, Mr. Falker works with Trisha every evening after school, and four months later, she can read sentences and even a complete paragraph. Once opened for Tricia, the world of words never closes again. Decades after its events occurred, this autobiographical story is still potent, filled with the palpable pain and pride of self-determination, an everlasting tribute to literacy and readers.

- Rani Iyer, Washington State University Pullman

 

Scieszka, Jon, editor. (2013). Who done it? An investigation of murder most foul. New York: Soho Teen.

Kids love to have fun while reading … and writing, so what better way to show the fun and power of words than to start with Jon Schieszka as the editor who puts together over 80 of the most celebrated authors in children’s and YA literature and accuse them of the murder of the disgusting editor, Herman Q. Mildew? Through all sorts of responses from quick quips, Tweets, eulogies, denials and illustrations, the authors provide hilarious comebacks to adamantly prove their innocence. Just a few of the authors include David Leviathan, John Green, Lemony Snicket, Mo Willems, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Peter Brown, Barry Lyga, Rita Williams-Garcia, Lyren Miracle, Elizabeth Eulberg, Mandy Hubbard, Mac Barnett and more! This fabulous collection of hilarity will make for a great read aloud in addition to providing an example of the numerous forms writing can take.
Watch this TED production of Dave Eggers as he talks about the writing program called 826 Valencia or visit the website of the 826NYC project to learn about the history and background of this writing and tutoring program.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 5-8

 

Fitzmaurice, Kathryn. (2013). Destiny rewritten. New York: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins.

The day before she is born, Emily’s English-professor mother buys a book of poems by Emily Dickinson. As fate would have it, her mother names her new daughter, Emily, and her destiny begins. Her mother would have her become a poet but young Emily does not even like poetry. In fact, she has another genre of writing she is much more interested in and that is romance novels and writing wonderful happy endings. Emily discovers one day the original book of poetry where her mother has actually written notes in the book including one page that reveals the identity of her long-absent father. The book somehow is misplaced, given away and Emily and her friends begin a desperate search trying to find where this book has ended up in second-hand bookstores. Set against the backdrop of the 2006-2008 Oak Grove tree-sitter controversy in Berkeley, California, this book is layered with several other themes as Emily learns about environmental issues as well as her own identity. Teachers might like to pair this book with The Emily Sonnets (Yolen, 2012) reviewed later in this column. Read more about the book or view the book trailer at the author’s website or download the detailed discussion guide at the publisher’s website. Learn more about the Oak Grove Tree Controversy at Berkeley at.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Hitchcock, Shannon. (2013). The ballad of Jessie Pearl. North Andover, MA: Namelos Publisher.

Based on the author’s own family history, Jessie Pearl’s life in the era of a 1920s North Carolina tobacco farm is not easy. Her own mother has died and now her older sister, Carrie, has tuberculosis. When Carrie passes, her infant son is left behind to be cared for by Jessie. Jessie’s own high school education is put on hold and that is devastating to her because graduating and attending teacher’s college is her lifelong ambition. She has always loved school, studied hard and been a good student. First her mother’s death and now the responsibility of her sister’s child make her dream seem impossible. J.T., a nearby farmer, has also entered Jessie’s life and has offered her a life being his wife and partner. In time for Women’s History Month, this book offers a realistic and heart-wrenching story of the choices, or lack of choices, women of earlier eras faced. Throughout the book readers will be eagerly awaiting the choice that Jessie makes to determine her future. Learn more about the author and her book at the author’s website, where she has created a CCSS curriculum guide for download.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Yolen, Jane. (2012). The Emily sonnets; the life of Emily Dickinson. Illus. by Gary Kelley. Mankato, MN: Creative Company.

Author/poet Jane Yolen has created a collection of sonnets to pay tribute to the distinguished poetic voice of Emily Dickinson. Through this series of 15 sonnets penned by Yolen she presents the life of Emily sometimes through the voice of her sister, sometimes a friend, sometimes a critic and also by Yolen herself. Jane Yolen actually lives near the family homestead of the Dickinson family in Amherst, Massachusetts, so the setting and period have given the author the appropriate backdrop for this volume. Gary Kelley’s somber and somewhat dark paintings add the right atmosphere that surrounded Emily’s solitary life. Yolen has included biographical information throughout the book interspersed with the sonnets. Teachers might like to use the volume with the book reviewed earlier, Destiny Rewritten (Fitzmaurice) or the 2012 YA novel, Emily’s Dress and other missing items (Burak). Read more about Jane Yolen on the Engage blog. 

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 9-12

 

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux. (2012). No crystal stair: A documentary novel of the life and work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller. Illus. by R. Gregory Christie. Minneapolis: Lerner/Carolrhoda Books.

Life was surely no crystal stair for Lewis Michaux, who grew up during a time when segregation still existed. After trying to make a living in various ways, Lewis started his own bookstore in Harlem with only five books, peddling his wares on the city streets. Eventually, his store became a meeting place for anyone interested in black heritage as well as a home away from home for writers such as Nikki Giovanni, and political figures such as Malcolm X. Amazingly, Michaux even encouraged patrons to use his bookstore as a library if they couldn’t afford to buy the books he had for sale. This story about the author's own great-uncle is inspiring, a fresh reminder that knowledge gained from literacy is power. Nothing mattered more to this man than providing literature written by African-American writers to African-Americans. The inclusion of FBI notes on its observation of Lewis over the years is rather chilling, reminding readers that those who spoke out against the status quo were often suspect. Clearly, this single-minded man and his bookstore were community treasures. Check out the interview with Vaunda Micheaux Nelson on the Engage blog. 

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Sa, Rachel. (2012). The Lewton experiment. Vancouver, BC: TradeWind Books/Imprint of Orca Books.

Seventeen-year-old Sherri has accepted a summer internship as a newspaper reporter in Lewton, Ontario. When she arrives in Lewton expecting a city teeming with activity, she is sorely disappointed to discover a near-phantom like downtown existence. She soon learns that the newly constructed big-box store, Shopwells, has hired many of the people who formerly worked at the businesses on Main Street. Sherri finds it odd that these people have boarded up their businesses to support and work for “the enemy” business so she sets out to investigate what is happening in this town and why these changes have taken place. As the mystery proceeds, a love interest turns up for Sherri that gives her pause to reflect on the relationship with her boyfriend back home. This fun mystery read with a touch of romance and investigative journal writing will appeal to aspiring writers.
Read about the author’s experience as a reporter at her website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online. The International Reading Association partners with the National Council of Teachers of English and Verizon Thinkfinity to produce ReadWriteThink.org, a website devoted to providing literacy instruction and interactive resources for grades K–12.

 

The March IRA Member of the Month is Cory Lemoine from Louisiana. The Baton Rouge Center for Visual & Performing Arts (BRCVPA) third-grade teacher was given the Master Teacher Award in 2011. He tells Reading Today his thoughts on teaching literacy, technology in the classroom, and how IRA councils got him out of his "bubble!"

What made you want to become a teacher?

After exploring a variety of ideas, I decided that teaching was the best use of my various talents. My interests lie in many content areas, so I knew I would be knowledgeable and hoped to inform my students on how to become successful citizens in our world.

As a literacy educator, how do you motivate kids to want to read?

To motivate kids to read, I generally make reading aloud part of everyday instruction. I try to make it fun in many ways, be it through questioning techniques, relating the content to their life experiences, or making sure to find reading that is not only at their independent reading level, but is also within their interests as well. For boys especially, I work to try to stock my classroom library with lots of nonfiction books and magazines at varied levels to help motivate them to read. 

What books or genres do you recommend to parents/families looking help their kids become better readers?

This question depends on what level reader a child is. For those below their grade level, I recommend parents find books that are easy readers to help motivate a child to become fluent in lower reads so that the joy of reading can gradually grow as the child grows as a reader. Any series or genres are great for this, especially if they are what the child/children are interested in. I do find that fiction tends to lend itself more to helping students work at reading more fluently because children typically are familiar with how stories work. For those who are on grade level, I suggest fiction books such as the Magic Tree House series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, or the Big Nate series. These have proven successful, especially the latter two, in motivating and helping average readers to be successful at a higher level. I also suggest any nonfiction books in which students have an interest. As an elementary teacher, I enjoy pushing my top readers to reach as far as I can. I have been known to work with this small group on middle school books to continue to push them upward. These are generally fictional, many of which are more in the realm of fantasy (these tend to entice their imaginations). 

You were given the Master Teacher Award and your school received the ACHIEVE3000 Power of Technology Reading and Writing Award. Plus, you have a great classroom website. How do you see technology playing a role in education for elementary school children, both now and in the future?

Since I began teaching 10 years ago, technology in my classroom has changed greatly. With the amount of technology in the classroom, generating data and being an efficient instructor are two huge outcomes of the continued wave of technology. At present, using an interactive whiteboard on a daily basis in my classroom has allowed me to be able to more efficiently make connections to concepts from the past than ever before. Technology also helps me to reach students through different modalities to ensure a greater student success rate. No longer do I have to go and find an encyclopedia to show a picture to a student of a volcano. The internet is right at our fingertips so that not only can we see pictures of volcanoes, but we can also see a video of one erupting, someone’s personal experiences with one, and even a satellite imagery of one from different angles. Technology also allows the current generation to learn in a manner that is more consistent with the world that they are growing up in. In the future, I think a time will come when we no longer have textbooks in the classroom taking up so much space. Instead each student will have some sort of electronic reader or tablet computer where all textbook information, worksheets, notes, etc. will be stored on. A new wave of electronic tables/desks is beginning to rise, and the adoption of these and various other technologies that are around make many teachers feel that we are truly in a science fiction movie that we never thought would come true in our lifetimes.

How did you become involved in the International Reading Association (IRA) and the Louisiana Reading Association (LRA)? What do you value most about your membership?

When I was in my fifth year of teaching, I was contacted by a supervisor in my school district that asked if I would consider being vice-president of my local reading council. The idea was that I would learn for two years becoming president of the council after that. Well, things don’t always work out the way they are expected to. The next year I became the president of a council that had decreased in membership and activity for several years, so I was tasked with working to build back up to a historically prosperous council. It is through the work that I did with my local organization that I became familiar with the state and international organizations. My five years in the organizations have been a treat! I have become part of a community of teachers and learners from not only around my state, but also my world. No more getting stuck in the little bubble that I lived in! I have made relationships with so many wonderful people that I never would have if it weren’t for the reading councils. I value the dedication, service, and learning from members of these great councils that have helped me to become a better organization member as well as teacher.

What do you consider to be your proudest career moment?

This is too difficult to pinpoint. Every time one of my current or former students receives any kind of award or recognition at my school, or any time my students work in a production of some sort and I see their joy, dedication, and success, I get teary eyed and feel very proud. No matter what awards, accomplishments, or successes I achieve, my proudest moments will always be seeing all of my students excel in some way. I love all of my students and they make every day the proudest moments in my career.

What’s the best advice you could offer someone new to the profession?

For those new in the field, I suggest staying informed and connected to other professionals beyond their school assignment. Also, keep your chin up and your attitude positive! Times will get tough and stressful! Remember that you are in your first year and that you are doing the best you can. No one is super teacher, not even after ten years. We are all constantly learning. If you are having trouble, don’t be afraid to ask. There are a multitude of websites and blogs out there dedicated to making teaching more fun and creative at the same time as meeting the rigorous standards that our students face. No need to reinvent the wheel when someone out there is willing to share their knowledge and activities. I also suggest making sure to have a life outside of teaching. This will help life to stay balanced keeping teaching from becoming all-consuming. I LOVE teaching, but I also cherish the time I get to spend with family and friends.

What do you like to do when you’re not wearing your educator hat?

I enjoy two things the most when I’m not in teacher mode. Firstly, I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my two nieces and two nephews. Seeing their happy loving smiles and playful attitudes toward life help me to stay young. Secondly, (but really tied for first) I exceedingly enjoy gardening. I love being outdoors, and nothing brings me more at peace than working in dirt to create something beautiful. Be it vegetable or flower gardening, or even raising five chickens, being outdoors centers me and completes the balancing in my life that I need.