Molly Baldwin, 2nd Grade Teacher at Carl T. Mitnick School in Cape May, NJ, knows how to make writing come alive for her students. How do you make a persuasive writing assignment extra fun? Tie it to some wacky and wild picture books! YOUNG WRITER’S WORKSHOP – THE PERSUASIVE PIECE by Molly Baldwin For the… Read more »
literacy
What Came First? The Dragon or the Verse? Guest Post by Penny Parker Klostermann
I’m one of the lucky ones. At a picture book workshop I was leading, I got to hear Penny Parker Klostermann first read her hilarious picture book manuscript THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT. I knew instantly she had a winner. So it brought me great happiness to hold this shiny, new… Read more »
Tuesdays for Teachers: “This Is My Universe” Mentor Text Poetry
Today, I’m proud to feature another guest post by another amazing teacher. Heather Natale and her 2nd graders captivated me with their honest, deep and stunning free-verse poetry. This is an exercise to note and use over and over again in classrooms of any age as a perfect introduction into the depth and breadth of… Read more »
Tuesday for Teachers: “Time In” and “Time Out” Corners
One of the greatest pleasures of my school Skype visits is meeting amazing teachers. Susie Gruben, a first Grade teacher at Strawberry Park Elementary School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is one such teacher. Take a look at how she used one simple picture book to touch on 8 – you heard me, 8! – academic… Read more »
Zeroing in On an Idea: Using LIGHT UP THE NIGHT as a Mentor Text
In my picture book LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, a child uses his imagination and his blanket to travel through his universe before bed. The child’s blanket, white and red, represents the themes of the book – security and a sense of place. By zeroing in on a significant object in their lives, students can explore… Read more »
Noticings and Wonderings: The Best Questions a Parent or Teacher Could Ask While Reading Aloud.
Guest Post by Boni Hamilton One of my best memories of childhood happened at a family friend’s country farmhouse during an unexpected snowstorm that stranded us. Imagine seven kids, chattering and giggling, snuggled together in a single bedroom. Either of my parents could have squelched the noise with a look, but our friends’ parents –… Read more »
Skyping with Older Students and “What I Love Most.”
My published picture books are aimed at the youngest readers, so teachers of 2nd-12th graders often wonder what I can do in their classrooms. Why Skype with an author who writes kiddie books? With older students, we usually talk more about writing and I often share with them my Top Ten Super Secret Writing Tips…. Read more »
Tuesday for Teachers: A View From their Window
In my book TIME OUT FOR MONSTERS, the boy in the story draws a window with a view. What would students like to see outside their windows? Let them draw their dream views on square-shaped pieces of paper. When they’re finished, let them add a paper window frame and panes with thin strips of brown… Read more »
2015 ALSC Book & Media Award Winners
Wondering what to read next? I’d start here! Congratulations to all the wonderful winners! John Newbery Medal The Crossover written by Kwame Alexander and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Newbery Honor Books El Deafo by Cece Bell, illustrated by Cece Bell and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. Brown Girl Dreaming written by… Read more »
Tuesdays for Teachers: “TOO” Cool Copycat Writing
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but it’s also a darn good writing tool. I call it “copycat” writing. Educators call it using a “mentor text.” If you’ve read my book LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, you realize that it was patterned after the classic THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. The structure of the… Read more »
