Friday, August 28, 2015

My Teacher Can Teach... Anyone!

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this title with your child and use this book as a starting point to talking about what they've started doing or learning in school.
2004, Lee & Low
Summary:
"My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone!" takes you on an alphabet journey through all of the amazing things this special teacher can teach her students how to do.  

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-
Picture Walk

In My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone!, your child will have the chance to explore a diverse list of possibilities for all of the things they can learn this school year. Before reading any of the words in the story, take a picture walk through the book. Look at each page and talk about what your child sees. The colorful illustrations will lead the way for your child to make predictions about what each page may hold.


Discuss this with your child: 

Each page in My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone! has a career laid out in alphabetical order; using that you can prompt your child to think about the word based on the letter and picture on the page. They can mirror their own classrooms in the classroom in this book, viewing the similarities and differences in all of the topics they learn about in school. You can ask your child which topics they want to learn about or what they might already know about the ones found in the story. 

If you want to share My Teacher Can Teach...Anyone! with your child, you can find it here.


Friday, August 21, 2015

A Place Called Kindergarten

FOR THE WEEKEND, share this fun title with your child! 

A Place Called Kindergarten is especially appropriate for a child who will be starting (or has started) Kindergarten! 


2008, Puffin Books
Summary:
The animals in the barn become worried when Tommy doesn't come to see them in the morning. When they find out that Tommy is in Kindergarten that doesn't help them much. What is kindergarten? Where is kindergarten? Will Tommy ever come back? Their anxieties are gone once Tommy returns home to tell them all about his first day of school.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Compare and Contrast:
Tommy lives on a farm. Help your child develop their comparing and contrasting skills by talking with your child about how Tommy's home compares to your own. Tommy is very excited to share his stories after his first day of Kindergarten. You can also help your child make text-to-self connections by asking your child if they are excited about going to school and what they think they will learn about.

Do this with your child:
Every page in A Place Called Kindergarten is adorned with charming illustrations of farm animals. Engage your child and make the book sharing experience interactive by making the sounds of the animals with your child as you read through the story.

If you're interested in sharing A Place Called Kindergarten with your child you can find it here.

Friday, August 14, 2015

The Night Before First Grade

FOR THE WEEKEND, consider sharing this book with your child!

If you have an upcoming first grader that will be starting his or her first day of school on Monday, The Night Before First Grade would be a perfect book to read with them on Sunday night! 

2005, Grosset & Dunlap

Summary:
Prepare for the first day of the new school year with Penny and her family. She's laid out her clothes, made her own lunch, and gotten off the bus; but find out what happens when she gets to school and is put in a different class than her best friend.

Practice this Phonemic Awareness Strategy-Rhythm and Rhyme:
"The Night Before First Grade" follows the rhythm of "The Night Before Christmas." Your child will enjoy rhyming along through the story while Penny gets ready for school just like they will be doing. As you read, slow down at the end of each rhyming sentence and encourage your child to guess the rhyming word based on the picture clues in the story.

Discuss this with your child:
This story mirrors your child's routine as they get ready to enter the new school year. Talk with your child about how they want to get ready for school. Do they want to pick their own clothes? What will they have for lunch? Are they excited to see their friends just like Penny? Talk about what they are seeing in the pictures throughout the story, does their classroom look the same or different. You can also use this story to ask your child how they are feeling about going back to school. Are they excited, nervous, happy?

If you're interested in sharing The Night Before First Grade with your child you can find it here.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

My Teacher's Secret Life

Since August is the month where most children and families are enjoying their final days of summer break and preparing to head back to school, Raising A Reader National will post weekly book recommendations this month that parents can share with their children to help them get in the "Back-to-School" mode. 

FOR THE WEEKEND, check out our first book recommendation: My Teacher's Secret Life written by Stephen Krensky. 


(1999, Aladdin Picture Books)
Summary:
Mrs. Quirk belongs in school just like all other teachers. But what happens when you see Mrs. Quirk outside on the weekend? Explore Mrs. Quirk's after school routine and discover her secret life.

Practice this Comprehension Strategy-Using Context Clues
In "My Teacher's Secret Life" your child will have the chance to see a teacher outside of school. They will use context clues to make predictions about what her secret life may hold. Your child will be able to mirror themselves in the school and can relate this story to their own teachers.

Discuss this with your child: 
Use the bright and quirky illustrations in "My Teacher's Secret Life" to ask your child what they see on the page. Find the circles and discover where they are repeated in the book. Find the similarities and differences between the school in the book and the child's own school. Ask them if they have any predictions about what Mrs. Quirk might be doing outside of school. Talk with your child about whether their own teachers have a 'secret life' and what might they be doing.


If you're interested in sharing My Teacher's Secret Life with your child, you can purchase it here