Wong, Janet S. Minn and Jake. Illus. Genevieve Cote. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books, 2003.
I have really enjoyed reading this book so far. It brings me back to my childhood and the good ol days of recess. I enjoyed how they portrayed Minn as the tomboy, the one who likes lizards and to get dirty, and Jake is the one who is scared of lizards and would rather nap than catch them.
This book was such an easy for read for me. This book would be perfect for the reader who is just getting into chapter books. I feel that it is very good for kids probably in the fifth grade as they could relate easily to the issues Minn and Jake are having. I have not finished reading this book but I can not wait to start the second part!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Chapters 6-8
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
I really liked the idea of the teacher writing a poem on the board daily so the children could look at it. The teacher doesn't have to read it to them, or ask them the meaning; it is just there for them to read if they like. And I think in most cases they would read it. It is so often that kids lose interest in poetry because they are always asked to interpret the poem. Well that is no fun for a child. When I was little my favorite poems were in the book, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. I think that those are great poems for children. They are funny and alot of kids can identify with them!
I really liked the idea of the teacher writing a poem on the board daily so the children could look at it. The teacher doesn't have to read it to them, or ask them the meaning; it is just there for them to read if they like. And I think in most cases they would read it. It is so often that kids lose interest in poetry because they are always asked to interpret the poem. Well that is no fun for a child. When I was little my favorite poems were in the book, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. I think that those are great poems for children. They are funny and alot of kids can identify with them!
Craft Lesson 2
Learning our Culture
Discussion
Children should start to recognize their different cultures and realize that America is a melting pot. With this activity I think it will help them realize a little better that our Independence Day is important.
How to teach it
I will read Janet Wong’s book Apple Pie 4th of July and begin by asking a few children what they do on the Fourth of July. I will give the kids a small piece of poster board and we will paint a flag on it. If the kids have originated from a different country they may paint that flag. I will give the children a handout; which I will go over with them; that has a series of questions on it.
1. What do you do on July 4th?
2. What is your favorite pie?
3. Do you watch fireworks?
4. Would you eat Chinese food on the Fourth of July??
The paper will be in four sections with enough room for them to draw a picture of their response underneath. After they are done they may share what they like to do on July 4th. We will then hang them in the hall for all of their classmates to see!
Resource Materials: Applie Pie 4th of July by: Janet Wong
Discussion
Children should start to recognize their different cultures and realize that America is a melting pot. With this activity I think it will help them realize a little better that our Independence Day is important.
How to teach it
I will read Janet Wong’s book Apple Pie 4th of July and begin by asking a few children what they do on the Fourth of July. I will give the kids a small piece of poster board and we will paint a flag on it. If the kids have originated from a different country they may paint that flag. I will give the children a handout; which I will go over with them; that has a series of questions on it.
1. What do you do on July 4th?
2. What is your favorite pie?
3. Do you watch fireworks?
4. Would you eat Chinese food on the Fourth of July??
The paper will be in four sections with enough room for them to draw a picture of their response underneath. After they are done they may share what they like to do on July 4th. We will then hang them in the hall for all of their classmates to see!
Resource Materials: Applie Pie 4th of July by: Janet Wong
Craft Lesson 1
Repetition & Recognition of Sounds and Words
Resource Materials: BUZZ by Janet Wong
Discussion:
Children will often recognize words after they see it so many times in a text; such as in Janet Wong’s book BUZZ. They need to learn to begin recognize those letters and that word outside of the text they are familiar with. Repetition of a word is good when just beginning to become familiar with recognizing letters in text.
How to teach it:
I will the book BUZZ by Janet Wong and let the children become familiar with the letters in BUZZ and the word. I will let the children interact with me while I read it and let them say the BUZZ on each of the pages. I will pass out a paper with a bee on it and the word “BUZZ” at the bottom. They may color it however they want, I would just like them to make the correlation between the word that was in the text and the word that is in the handout. We will then as a class come up with our own list of things that BUZZ. We can then think of the sounds they hear in the morning, and as a class make our own list! I think the repetition will help them become familiar with the letters and the word.
Resource Materials: BUZZ by Janet Wong
Discussion:
Children will often recognize words after they see it so many times in a text; such as in Janet Wong’s book BUZZ. They need to learn to begin recognize those letters and that word outside of the text they are familiar with. Repetition of a word is good when just beginning to become familiar with recognizing letters in text.
How to teach it:
I will the book BUZZ by Janet Wong and let the children become familiar with the letters in BUZZ and the word. I will let the children interact with me while I read it and let them say the BUZZ on each of the pages. I will pass out a paper with a bee on it and the word “BUZZ” at the bottom. They may color it however they want, I would just like them to make the correlation between the word that was in the text and the word that is in the handout. We will then as a class come up with our own list of things that BUZZ. We can then think of the sounds they hear in the morning, and as a class make our own list! I think the repetition will help them become familiar with the letters and the word.
Monday, January 21, 2008
BUZZ
Wong, Janet S. Buzz. Illus. Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Orlando FL: Voyager Books/Harcourt, Inc., 2000.
Wow, I was very suprised at how many things BUZZ! This story begins as a little boy looks out his window at a very busy buzzing bee eating breakfast. As the story progresses he finds things in his everyday life that continue buzzing: his parents alarm clock, his father's shaver, the garage door, his mother grinding coffee. I like that this book uses repition so it will be easy for kids to begin to read. They will recognize the word (BUZZ) and get excited when they can read it on the next page! I also like the illustrations. I think that alot of children can identify with this little boy. They see how busy it is in the mornings before they have to buzz off to school or their parents' buzz off to work.
Wow, I was very suprised at how many things BUZZ! This story begins as a little boy looks out his window at a very busy buzzing bee eating breakfast. As the story progresses he finds things in his everyday life that continue buzzing: his parents alarm clock, his father's shaver, the garage door, his mother grinding coffee. I like that this book uses repition so it will be easy for kids to begin to read. They will recognize the word (BUZZ) and get excited when they can read it on the next page! I also like the illustrations. I think that alot of children can identify with this little boy. They see how busy it is in the mornings before they have to buzz off to school or their parents' buzz off to work.
Apple Pie Fourth of July
Wong, Janet S. Apple Pie 4th of July. Orlando FL: Voyager Books/Harcourt, Inc., 2002.
This book begins with a young girl who is very frustrated that her parents' have opened their chinese food restaurant on July 4th. She thinks no one will want chinese food on the fourth of July; after all you are supposed to eat ice cream, soda, chips and of course apple pie. You are supposed to enjoy the parade and firewords and lounge in the sun. All day she can smell apple pie from her neighbors house and hear the parade passing her by. I really enjoyed how subtle the message was in this book. We see her upset that she has to restock the shelves and frustrated with her parents that they don't understand the American customs. As the story progresses you see her face in the pictures change. As people come in to the store she sees that the whole day was not a waste and the frown begins to turn into a smile. I did like how the story ended with her whole family going on the roof to watch fireworks and eat apple pie, because even though her family did not close their business on this day they celebrated it in their own way!
This book begins with a young girl who is very frustrated that her parents' have opened their chinese food restaurant on July 4th. She thinks no one will want chinese food on the fourth of July; after all you are supposed to eat ice cream, soda, chips and of course apple pie. You are supposed to enjoy the parade and firewords and lounge in the sun. All day she can smell apple pie from her neighbors house and hear the parade passing her by. I really enjoyed how subtle the message was in this book. We see her upset that she has to restock the shelves and frustrated with her parents that they don't understand the American customs. As the story progresses you see her face in the pictures change. As people come in to the store she sees that the whole day was not a waste and the frown begins to turn into a smile. I did like how the story ended with her whole family going on the roof to watch fireworks and eat apple pie, because even though her family did not close their business on this day they celebrated it in their own way!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Textbook Chapters 1-5
Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature Briefly. 4e. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.
Having just read chapters 1-5 in our textbook I can really identify with one section in paticular. The section titled "Why Do So Few People Read" really rang true with me. I began thinking back and remember loving to read when I was little. My parents were always taking my brother and I to the bookstore to buy new books. As I got into junior high and especially high school, that feeling eventually wore off. "Despite having completed the required reading that marks the path to a diploma, a suprising number of supposedly educated graduates have rarely, if ever, known the sustaining thrill of reading a book...". It is true for a large number of people that as you get older you began to do only the required reading (if that), and it stops there. I know I didn't read for enjoyment or the thrill of reading a good book, I read because I had to get a grade for the assignment. I am hoping that as I continue to read, not only for this class, but on my own I will get that excitement back I had when I was little!
Having just read chapters 1-5 in our textbook I can really identify with one section in paticular. The section titled "Why Do So Few People Read" really rang true with me. I began thinking back and remember loving to read when I was little. My parents were always taking my brother and I to the bookstore to buy new books. As I got into junior high and especially high school, that feeling eventually wore off. "Despite having completed the required reading that marks the path to a diploma, a suprising number of supposedly educated graduates have rarely, if ever, known the sustaining thrill of reading a book...". It is true for a large number of people that as you get older you began to do only the required reading (if that), and it stops there. I know I didn't read for enjoyment or the thrill of reading a good book, I read because I had to get a grade for the assignment. I am hoping that as I continue to read, not only for this class, but on my own I will get that excitement back I had when I was little!
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