Literacy+Link

Michelle Lapointe Literacy Link February 16, 2011 Surrounding children with literature is very essential to their learning experience as they grow. It can open up views and teaches them lessons without them really realizing it. Reading opens up children’s imagination and allows them to be creative. As literature continues to expand over the years there is a never ending supply of great and award winning books to help teachers teach and reinforce their lessons in school. In addition there is a never-ending supply of books that children can read just for fun. Making connections to children’s memories is a great example of how to relate writing. You can read a child a book and get their creative juices thinking so they can write a creative story. You can provide children a little checklist when writing so they can make sure they include all the elements to create a cohesive story. The ten books following this are great books to try to use in a classroom. The publication times range from 1985 all the way to the present. Just because a book is bad does not make it any less useful. Nor does a newer book make any less good because it does not have an award. Each book you use is tailored to each lesson and the dynamic of each class, so teacher need to be flexible when choosing books each year and not be afraid to change it up.

Neuschwander, Cindy, Langdo, Bryan, Springer, Steve, Alexander, Brandy, & Persiani- Becker. (2006) __Mummy Math.__ McGraw Hill. __Summary:__ Twins get stuck in a tomb while on an adventure with their parents. While they are stuck they decide to go exploring. While they explore the find hieroglyphics that are represented by different shapes. Through out the story they find many different shapes. __Art:__ The shapes are in bright colors to be easily seen and different names are provided. __Curriculum:__ Math __Connections:__ The story is great for little kids who are learning about geometric shapes. It introduces kids to different types of shapes where they are portrayed in a real world aspect.

Wood, Douglas, & Cushman (2002) __What Teachers Can’t Do__. New York: Simon & Schuster Children __Summary:__ It explains what teachers can’t do like ride a bike or use the hall pass. In the end it shows that teachers can’t do everything because they are busy doing what they love which is teaching. __Art:__ Cartoon with alligator as teacher. __Curriculum__: Introduction in beginning of year. __Connections__: The book is best for the beginning of the year to introduce that teachers are not good or perfect at everything. The book offers creative ways to show that even though students think teachers can do everything, we still need help with things.

Morrissey, Dean. (1994) __Ship of Dreams__. Harry N. Abrams, INC. __Summary:__ About a little boy who dreams about the Sandman and everything he does. He is caught in a shooting star net, and the sandman explains his job to the child about how he helps kids go to bed and how he puts stars in the sky. __Art:__ Paintings __Curriculum:__ Creative Writing __Connections:__ You can read this book to children then ask them to reflect on the reading and think about dreams they have. Ask the children to write a story about a dream they have had.

Bowen & Gammell. (2008) __I Know An Old Teacher.__ __Summary:__ A ordinary teacher starts to swallow all the classroom pets. She eats one to eat the other. It is a sequel to I Know an Old Lady. __Curriculum:__ Rhyming and Repetition. __Connections:__ Teachers can use the story to teach rhyming and repetition or for entertainment.

Curtis & Cornell. (2008) __Big Words for Little People__. Joanna Cotler Books. __Summary:__ The book shows situations in which you can use big words to describe. For example they compile a bunch of kitchen ingredients and using the word disgusting to describe it. It also ties in love, family and respect through big words.__Curriculum:__ Rhyming, contexts clues, new vocabulary, family importance. __Connections:__ Teachers can use this book to teach the subjects or rhyming or context clues to figure out what big words mean. 6. Kelley. (2007) __The Blabber Report__. Dutton Children’s Books __Summary:__ Little Blabber the main character is very talkative in class but when he needs to present a report to the class he gets nervous. Each time he tries to give his report he can’t. In the end the class helps out Little Blabber by posting their questions on index cards. __Curriculum:__ Writing and presentations __Connections__: It shows students it is okay to get nervous. It also shows them that their classmates should support their peers. It is good to read if students are going to presenting a report to the class, it shows a good model on how to act.

Frazee (2008). __A Couple Of Boys Have The Best Week Ever.__ Harcourt Children. __Summary:__ The two main characters, James and Eamon, spend a week together on vacation. They explore many places and do many different activities. They had so much fun they call it the best week ever. __Curriculum__: Chronological order __Connections:__ The story includes children by using speak bubbles to engage them. It also has a big font. It can be used to introduce or reinforce chronological order.

Murphy & Walz. (2001) __Ben Franklin and The Magic Squares__. __Summary:__ Explains some of the amazing things that Ben Franklin did. Then it dives into how Ben figured out the magic square. __Curriculum:__ Addition and history. __Connections:__ You can read the story to explain the magic squares and then have students create their own magic squares to practice addition. The story of Ben makes the exercise more fun and relatable to children. You can also use this book to link to history in addition to math. The book can link two subjects together in one day.

Tang. (2002) __Math for All Seasons.__ Scholastic. __Summary:__ The book shows different rhymes and riddles of math problems while going through the seasons. __Art:__ Bold Colors and big pictures. __Curriculum:__ Seasons, riddles, rhymes and math problems. __Connections:__ The teacher can chose to use this for a varity of subjects whether they want to focus on riddles and rhymes. Or the want to use it to reinforce a math lesson or the seasons.

Flournoy & Pinkney. (1985). __The Patchwork Quilt.__ Dial. __Summary:__ A little girl names Tonya helps her grandmother make a special quilt from pieces of old clothes. Tonya takes over with the help of her mother when her grandmother gets sick. When the grandmother gets better she finishes the quilt and gives it to Tonya as a gift.__Curriculum__: Social Studies – other cultures and family generations. __Connections:__ You can teach children about other cultures. You can incorporate multicultural learning if you live in a diverse area. Good for anytime of the year, but if you do have a diverse class it is good so each student and introduce their culture to the class in the beginning of the year. You can then create a family tree from it with the different cultures in the classroom. You can also incorporate traditions.

Harris. (2008) __The Day Leo Said I Hate You.__ Little Brown & Co. __Summary:__ After being told NO so many time the little boy gets mad and expresses his hatred by saying I hate you to his parents. The words are explained as hurtful towards anyone and especially towards parents. __Curriculum:__ Emotions, Repetition, Descriptive words. __Connections:__ the story has big and bold text with pictures that really show the emotions that Leo is feeling. It also has repetition and descriptive words that teachers can use in their lessons.

All of these books give teachers ways to bring literature into their lesson no matter what they chose to teach that day. It provides teaches with ways to bring literature into the classroom to provide students with different lessons, views and understandings. Some books are there to provide critical literature while some is just purely for entertainment, but no matter the reason it will engage students. Books are a great engagement tool for introducing, closing or just reinforcing a lesson, which is a great asset for teachers. Children’s literature is important and completely essential for children in their development. Although literature was something that I never enjoyed as a child, I hope to engage children and instill in them the joy that can come with reading.