Best Practices

Learning to Read

LEARNING TO READ AND WRITE: DEVELOPMENTALLY APPRORIATE PRACTICES FOR YOUND CHILREN, by Susan B. Neuman, Carol Copple and Sue Bredekamp (NAEYC, 2000).

 STARTING OUT RIGHT: A GUIDE TO PROMOTING CHILREN’S READING SUCCESS by the National Research Council (National Academy Press, 1999).

Summer Curriculum

Children’s literature and, especially, picture/story books expand a teacher’s curriculum and a parent and child’s world. Books, and the teachers and parents using the books, are a tremendous influence in the lives of children. Stories are the backbone of culture and in today’s times, present the most compelling way of anchoring children and families in society. Summer is a great time to visit the library and be role models for children in reading books. It is also a great time to make new family memories.

Picture book stories can spring from an author’s own memories, fictional stories woven together with pictures that connect with young children. Family Pictures can be used to show a parent a way to talk about family history. The book is excellent for teachers working with young children and with families in family literacy settings and efforts. Literacy activities for the child in a classroom setting and for the whole family in the home setting can expand into a whole summer curriculum. All the World presents another view of our place in the world for children and families to share. Liz Scanlon’s book is a Caldecott (Randolph Caldecott Medal) Honor Book.

FAMILY PICTURES CUADROS DE FAMILIA, story and pictures by Carmen Lomas Garza (Children’s Book Press, 1990).

ALL THE WORLD by Liz Garton Scanlon, pictures by Marla Frazee (Beach Lane Books, 2009).

In learning about nonfiction stories, children’s books are strong in focusing on the less well-known, intriguing facts of history and the stories that make people and events come alive. For example, if one wants to learn more about the Apollo 11 landing on the moon, two recent books come to mind. The first book was written by Buzz Aldrin, one of the astronauts on the initial moon-landing flight. The Brian Floca’s book, Moonshot, is a Sibert Medal (Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award) Honor Book.

REACHING FOR THE MOON by Buzz Aldrin, pictures by Wendell Minor (HarperCollins, 2005).

MOONSHOT: THE FLIGHT OF APOLLO 11, story and pictures by Brian Floca (Atheneum Books, 2009).

Fictional middle grade and young adult books often use a real setting or a period in history to create a story around.  The Gary Schmidt’s book is a Newbery (John Newbery Medal) Honor Book. The following two books represent only a couple of small windows of a huge library of wonderful books.

LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY by Gary D. Schmidt (Yearling, 2004).

ESPERANZA RISING by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Scholastic, 2002).

Books show the way for teachers and parents to ask open-ended questions for discussions about characters and conflicts in the stories.

LITTLE CORNER ACTIVITY:

1.    Ask children and family members to draw pictures about their family memories, events and world.

2.    Create scrapbooks with family photographs, drawings, and written versions of family stories.

3.    Share the creations at home and in classrooms.

4.    How do the stories read relate to our lives today?

Favorite Places

sublime