Extra, Extra!

Just in case my books and tips aren't enough, Check out Reading Is Fundamental's monthly reading calendars. These are a great resource to use when daily participating in your child's literacy adventure. 

Here is the link! It is a PDF file.

http://www.rif.org/documents/us/Mar11_LtR_calendar.pdf

Reading and Learning Math at the Same Time!

Some of you may know this, but I come from two generations of Elementary school teachers. Both my Mom and my Nanie are teachers. This is part of the reason why literacy and education are so special to me, because as I was growing up, I would leave school to come home to more education. I think that education shouldn't end when a child leaves school grounds. The best opportunities to learn can come at the dinner table, before bed, even during commercial breaks while watching television. My mom is constantly offering great advice on literacy techniques and books to use, and this week's books are directly from her. The great thing about these books is that they are all math-based, and classroom tested. So while your child is reading a funny story on ants, he or she also learns valuable multiplication skills. Enjoy!

One Hundred Hungry Ants 

by: Elinor J. Pinczes

Summary: A rhyming text describes the progress of one hundred ants marching toward a picnic. To travel faster, one ant suggests dividing into two lines of fifty, then four lines of twenty-five, and finally ten lines of ten. Their frantic reorganization takes so long that the picnic is gone by the time they arrive. Ages 4-8

Grandfather Tang's Story

by: Ann Tompert

Summary: Here's a folktale with a twist: Tompert uses tangrams, a traditional "visual aid" employed by Chinese storytellers, to spin a tale about two shape-changing fox fairies. Seven "tans" (standard-sized pieces of a square) are arranged and rearranged to represent various characters in the story. The fox fairies vie to outdo each other--the first one becomes a rabbit, the other a dog who chases him, and so on--but when the two chase each other right into danger, they finally have to set their competition aside and pull together. Parker's graceful, impressionistic illustrations have a gentle Oriental flavor, and the constantly changing tangram configurations add a novel touch. A traceable tangram is provided at the end for do-it-yourselfers. Ages 3-7

Here is one of the tangrams used in the book

Also, if you are still reading "The Search for Wondla" with me, let me know how it is going! I will post my thoughts on it soon!

Challenge!

This week, instead of choosing a few books to read, I am going to try something different. I recently heard about the book, "The Search for Wondla" and it intrigued me. So, tomorrow I am going to go to my local library and check it out! What I want to do is implore you to also read the book with me. I am really excited about this book because I watched an interview with the author/illustrator on the Today Show and he compared the writing style to that of the early Wizard of Oz books. (I love those books!!) Also, if your child enjoyed "The Spiderwick Chronicles" then they will more than likely enjoy this book, it is written by the same author. Here is the information about the book: Typically this book is read by ages 9-12.

The Search for WondLa

By: Tony DiTerlizzi

Summary: When a marauder destroys the underground sanctuary that Eva Nine was raised in by the robot Muthr, the twelve-year-year-old girl is forced to flee aboveground. Eva Nine is searching for anyone else like her, for she knows that other humans exist, because of an item she treasures—a scrap of cardboard on which is depicted a young girl, an adult, and a robot, with the strange word, "WondLa." Tony DiTerlizzi honors traditional children's literature in this totally original space age adventure: one that is as complex as an alien planet, but as simple as a child's wish for a place to belong. 

Also, check out the website for the book, http://wondla.com/

My Crazyy Spring Break

With the students of Wylam Elementary

Playing Literacy Basketball at Chelsea High School

These two weeks of spring send college students across the nation into a frenzy. Beaches, Bathing suits, and a break from school is the usual prescription used to relieve the stress of the school year. My Senior spring break was a little different than some of my friends. I left school to spend a week in Shelby County, and had a blast. I visited the incredible kids at Wilsonville Elementary, Wylam Elementary, Snow Rogers Elementary, the fun group of students at Chelsea High School as well as a very special little girl's birthday party. We read together, played literacy fast facts games, and even had a Bieber-fever moment. Right, Snow Rogers? I hope you all are having a great week! :)




Here are some of the pictures of my Crazy, wonderful spring break. Have I said it before that I love being Miss Shelby County??

GOAL!

Snow Roger's best students! :)

At Chelsea High School playing Literacy Basketball

With my new fourth grade friends at Wilsonville Elementary

More great kids at Wilsonville

We read the great book "One" and Wrote stories
about our own experiences being "the one"

With the Birthday Girl, Allie, and her friends at her party. I had the opportunity to teach these girls poise, the importance of self-confidence and had a blast rocking out to Hannah Montana

Read Across America Week

I had the opportunity to visit Charles Henderson Elementary were I caught them doing...guess what?? READING! Check out my news package, aired on TrojanVision this week.