An Inspiring Poem

This poem inspires me to have my children be amongst the top 10%:

This is not my poem!)

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!

Resource>nuratikahnabilah.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/if-you-can-pronounce-correctly-every-word-in-this-poem-you-will-be-speaking-english-better-than-90-of-the-native-english-speakers-in-the-world-after-trying-the-verses-a-frenchman-said-hed-prefer/

Inspiring and Motivational Books

As both book excerpts, Negotiating Critical Literacies With Young Children by Vivian Maria Vasquez and Castle in the Classroom by Ranu Bhattacharyya, children can become competent citizens with some teacher interventions. Negotiating Critical Literacies With Young Children focuses on how to offer teachers “a way to think about what students are learning to read and write, what they do with that reading and writing, and what that reading and writing does to them in their world” (101). This excerpt uses the interactions and confrontations kindergarteners from a Canadian school have with the even of French Café. In the excerpt from The Castle in the Classroom, the author essentially teaches the reader how to expand the writing workshop.

The students from Canada, at a school where French is no longer the second-most popular language, took action toward being included in school functions such as the French Café and “raised concern about the existing power structure where young children are not treated as equal participants in the school community”(96). Because of how the teacher chose to intervene to a student asking why they were not included in this 1^st-8^th grade event, she inherently “offered a space in which to change how they were positioned in the social hierarchy of their school.” This taught a fine lesson:

When a child asks a teacher a question, the teacher has choice in their response. Most often, the question will allow for 3 possible responses:

1. Treat the question with a potentially uncritical but valid answer.

2. Repose the question that positions the inquirer a little differently but can easily lead towards responding to the question with an activity.

3. Offer a critical challenge; treat the question as an opportunity for taking social action and disrupting inequity.

Curtis and his classmates ultimately created a petition and went through the process of creating social change as they strived to become equal participants within their school. “Through taking social action, the children learned not only a different way to resist and exercise their democratic abilities, but also the possibilities available through collectively working through a problem” (99).

From Canada to India, Georgia Heard, notices that Ranu’s classroom has the same learning needs as American children. At the American Embassy School located in Delhi, India, Ranu’s students are engaged in “setting the scene” for their classroom. In Castle in the Classroom, Ranu guides the reader with a beautiful description on how to really expand the child’s literacy experience. Ranu Bhattacharyya gives specific guidelines on how to engage the children in reading workshops, writing workshops, and word-study activity centers. The book beautifully illustrates the various purposes of each focused lesson. For example, in the lesson ‘Writing Descriptions of Settings,’ the purpose is “to recognize that giving voice to imagination paves the way for adding details to descriptions and makes a setting come alive for a reader.

The Power of Twitter

People are coming together on Twitter from all interest groups, including teachers! Teaching is very much about engaging as an active member of a community, and teachers collaborating on Twitter to share their resources and offer one another support.

Although Twitter can be seen as merely mindless amusement, teachers can use use it as an opportunity for personal, professional development. For instance, Twitter holds scheduled "chats" for teachers to participate in on a weekly basis.

EdChat essentially allows for anyone to participate in education discussions to any extend they desire. Here, they can discuss, debate, explore, reflect, and act on various topics and issues that revolve around education.

Having people come together from such diverse environments and experiences gives this Twitter community a richer experience. As all educators know, a worldly experience is the best experience. We must come together, starting with the individual, in order to make a positive global impact--140 characters at a time.

Technology and Literacy

Amazed and Worried.

Just these two words may sum up how many parents and educators often feel towards their children--particularly in relation to technology. Our children are digital natives.

According to the 'A is for Avatar' article, children are "growing up in brave new virtual worlds, but also as vulnerable innocents..." (Wohlwend).

Technology is constantly impressing our society, and the ease in which our children are able to use this technology is equally impressive. often, they know how to use the internet; they know about youtube, and they know how to tap away on an iPad. But what if they confuse the ipad for a magazine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXV-yaFmQNk

Such confusion can lead to tension, especially in terms of literacy. When is it best to allow and encourage technological opportunities inside and out of the classroom?

Families, you can provide children with demonstrations of important literacy practices.

Such as:

-text messages

-emails

-iPads

But these are usually not supported in the classroom; they can cause class division.

My best advice? Technology can and should be used in all environments represented in the child's life. The key is in moderation and use of appropriate materials. As always, the main goal should be development.

Sociodramatic Play and Literacy

As our curriculum clearly depicts, learning through play is what we're all about here in the classroom! Playful opportunities support children in developing knowledge in several areas:

*Knowledge About Language Factors:

-Developing literacy has to do with developing the sociocultural discourses needed to effectively use language in a variety of situations.

-Their play reflects their approach in the real world.

-According to Vygotsky, "in play, a child always behaves beyond his average age..."

-Essentially, play naturally frees children to explore culturally patterned activities, which include language and literacy.

*Knowledge of Features, Formats, and Genres

-Experiencing these elements as they occur in real contexts allows for learning to really make sense, much more so than when these are presented to children in an isolated, standardized way.

*Knowledge of the Content Area

-Play places much value in fostering a deep understanding for content areas.

*A Context for Critical Reflection

-Even when we encourage children to choose how and what to ply, they may play in ways that replicate the social hierarchies they have observed in their world.

*A Context for Expanding Literacies

-Equip play areas with familiar reading and writing materials.

*Literacy-enriched Play Areas

-There are many different ways to set up and facilitate play centers.

Here are just a few ideas:

art gallery

post office

restaurant

grocery store

doctor's office

For more information, explore resources contributed by Gretchen Owocki.

Take-Home Literature Packs

How does the opportunity to bring home a DIFFERENT bag of treats EVERY week sound?

This year, our class will be involved in the great opportunity of Take-home literature packs. Take-home literature packs are sets of books accompanied by sets of extending, relative ideas, activities, and materials.

School year 2011 has blessed me with 17 children and their families; therefore, we will have 17 plus two extra take-home literature packs offered throughout the course of the year. HERE’S WHAT TO EXPECT:

-The Lit Packs will be sent home with the children on a rotating basis. Each pack will be full of various books, activities, and materials that revolve around a central theme.

-Parents are to engage and cooperate with their children and complete these packs by the due date. Parents: do not stress about the due date! Although you have tasks to complete with your child, I do not want you to feel like this homework. I am willing to discuss how much time you need at the take-home literature pack workshop.

-I invite and strongly encourage all families to attend the take-home literature pack workshop. Your input is extremely important to me. Together, we can help brainstorm ways of connecting the activities with your home culture best suited for each child.

-Lastly, and most importantly, you can expect to reap many benefits from this opportunity. Just some of the benefits include:

-Quality family time

-Packs provide a fresh array of resources for free

-Develop both literacy and world knowledge

-Creates intimacy and comfort for the family

-Provides text-to-self, text-to-others, and text-to-world connections

-Helps me, as the teacher, learn more about YOU!

I implore you to take advantage of these resources! By going through the take-home literature packs and exploring them thoroughly, I assure you that you will begin to see the lifelong benefits it can have.

Exploring Children's Literature

Explore the desires of each child so that they gain the desire to explore.

A literature-based curriculum "promotes the development of knowledge and understanding, processes and skills, as well as the dispositions to use and apply skills and to go on learning" (Bredekamp and Copple, 1997, 20).

Through books, children can explore all aspects of the world.

-Science

-Social Studies

-History

-Geography and the Environment

-Various Art Forms

-Math concepts

-Multicultural

-Self-Analysis and Emotions

These are just a few of the topics of interest that a child can learn more about through reading.

In order to foster such interests, it is important to build upon prior knowledge and experiences.

For ever topic of interest there is an equal number of ways (genres) to present that text. Literature comes in the form of poetry,songs, fiction, non-fiction, interactive, and many other books.

It is important to find out which genre and topic adheres the needs and desires of each specific child. If we want our children to want to read, then we must provide them with desirable material!

Although some of these needs and desires are innate are come from sources outside of the classroom, educators and parents can deepen these desires by strategically reading a book with purpose.

There are five different steps that can be practiced for each stage of reading:

Before reading: look at the cover, talk about pictures and text, activate prior knowledge, personal connections, and set a purpose.

During reading: make predictions, pause and reflect, create mental images, synthesize and summarize, and conduct oral cloze.

And After reading: make personal connections, make text-to-text connections, sketch to stretch, create reenactments, and perform retellings.

So you can see that there is more than just giving a child any book to read--READING IS A THOUGHTFUL PROCESS!

Reelin’ in the Reading: How to hook struggling readers

Have you ever encountered a child disinterested in or discouraged from reading?

Were you ever a person that was disinterested or discouraged?

There’s a solution—a key.

The ultimate to key to relieving these all-too-common problems is to provide the person with a book they actually want to read.

Encouragers must keep in mind that any form of literacy should be encouraged, especially for hesitant readers. Non-fiction books, newspapers, magazines, even comic books can hook students on reading.

If a child tends to be off-task during reading times, make an effort to pin-point the reason for such behavior. Does he or she really just have trouble focusing on the task at hand, or are they simply discouraged? If there is a chapter book in front of this reader, consider replacing it with an alternative that may adhere to their interests more.

In today’s society, there is a general stigma against picture books as we develop academically. Parents and educators often push children away from them as they age in order to set value on their maturity. “Picture books are for early readers.”

False.

In fact, picture books are great for all ages! They are often that key, or solution, that opens the door of opportunities and enthusiasm for the reader. Whether it be picture books, magazines,or even instruction manuals, let the child explore.

Encourage exploration early.

A Lovely Visit To The Library

Greetings, Parents!

Happy Friday!

As I'm sure you have heard, today our class took an exciting trip to the public library. The kids' excitement began with our bus ride and only escalated throughout our experience. We began our trip by entering the cozy theatre room for Story Time. Story Time is a well thought-out activity that the leaders of the library conduct specifically for the interest of the child--it is child-based. The theme that our class attended was animals and the zoo. We learned that there are so many different ways to tell a story in even the short amount of time that a young child's attention can hold!

We sang songs, listened to the art of oral storytelling and reenactment, building on a story through the use of big drawings, and more!

Although this trip proved to be an exciting trip for all, it was also quite effective. Effective library programs directly contribute to higher student achievement--even at birth! Our community is very fortunate to have an abundance of programs readily available. For examples, this is in fact a program explicitly designed for newborns.

Essentially, when teachers, families, and library media specialists collaborate to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess various learning experiences, higher student achievement will be reached. There are more opportunities than just media check-outs at the library for the public to use. Just some of these opportunities include (but are not limited to):

*Community Outreach

-Book mobile services

-Homebound services

*Homework help for grades K-12

*Family seminars

-"Balancing Wants & Needs With Smart Budgeting"

-Homeschooling and parenting resources

-"Adorable Adoptables": Bloomington Animal Care and Control houses adoptable cats and dogs waiting for good homes. Stop by the library to meet pets that are up for adoption.

......All free of charge!!

So parents, please keep in mind the community and its resources it has to offer. If you ever need guidance, please let me know.

Very sincerely,

Miss Emily

TEXT: true, togetherness, and too important!

Learning to read starts long before a child enters school, and reading is what helps a child

become a good student. Prior to entering the academic world, a family’s involvement can affect the child’s literacy skills dramatically. I truly believe that one’s love (or dislike) for reading starts at home. If, however, a child is not fortunate to have this love nurtured at home, then it is the responsibility of the educator to instill it. Having success in fostering a love for reading in a child involves selection—a selection in the forms of literature, book styles, books themselves, and how you present it to the classroom. Each child will be different. Perhaps a book club would be useful, depending on the age group. Regardless, most children appreciate authenticity. Oftentimes, children need authentic and meaningful objectives to build on their literacy and writing skills. What are they writing? Who are they writing to?

Another thing to consider when trying to build enthusiasm for literacy and reading comprehension is EXCITEMENT. If we want our children to be excited about it, then WE need to be excited about it!

-Peer interaction

-Games

-Contests

-And involvement from other resources that display enthusiasm are great means to unraveling a well-rounded child. For example, take a trip to the newspaper print building, the library, or have a guest speaker come in.

Reading is All Around Us

ENVIRONMENTAL PRINT

Environmental Print is everywhere, and being able to recognize and read it is one of the beginning stages of literacy development. Essentially, environmental print is the letters, words, numbers, and even colors found in logos and signs of products, stores, and street signs such as Barbie, McDonalds, and STOP. There is an innumerable amount of opportunities that provide (emerging) readers with the opportunity to interact with various forms of print in the environment around them. As adults, it can be easy to look over the importance of a child's use of environmental print, but it truly is the first type of print a child learns to read.

Keeping this in mind, there are many things we can do inside and out of the classroom to engage our children in the relevant realm of reading. Our classroom will practice use of it in multiple ways including:

-Classroom discussions of favorite toys and other brands

-Classroom activities such as "Dine-in Day" where we turn the classroom into a restaurant that includes menus, recipes, and invites to families and other participating classrooms!

REMEMBER: Environmental Print is just one of the many ways we can instill confidence in our young children. Using contextual cues of things that excite them, we are essentially infusing enthusiasm into those things they were already excited about--but now with a literary take!

When this happens, children will inevitably learn literacy skills at a swift pace; thus, transitioning them into the use of "school" print more easily as well.

READ ON CHILDREN AND PARENTS! :)

Creating The Third Space

FAMILY IS EVERYTHING.

As it should be in any realm of education, working closely with the family is crucial for all members of this special partnership. Since a child divides their time quite equally between school and home, it is especially when there is frequent and friendly communication about the practices in both environments. Every child that enters their classroom has a different story. Every one has a unique social and cultural upbringing that gives way to their academic lifestyle.

That being said, let me shed light on The Third Space. Creating a third space where a child's 'funds of knowledge' (79) from home become evident in the classroom is vital for success. In order to make the connection of the third space, a teacher must investigate and explore each child. Although it may seem overwhelming, taking the time to go beyond knowing the culture and family setup of a child will end up creating ease in the long (and possibly short) run.

When you get to know an innumerable amount of details about each child, you can plan your curriculum especially suited for them. Inevitably, children learn how literacy is understood, valued, and practiced within their families formally and informally. Whether it be from cultural practices or pop culture, literacy is everywhere!

RESOURCES: Packet handed out in class. ISBN: 978 85856 459 3

Reading In Motion--A fun way to early literacy instruction!

READING IN MOTION!

About "READING IN MOTION":

Originally named, 'Whirlwind Performance Company', this non-profit arts organization was founded in 1983 by three artists. At this time, the program mostly focused on the arts in school systems. However, in the mid 90's, it became clear to the Board of Directors that the biggest challenge within the realm of education was children's literacy. From there, the company began to shift its focus toward improving the reading skills of all children, especially those from where the program was founded--Illinois, at the Chicago Public Schools.

MISSION:

"Reading In Motion’s mission is to get every at-risk student reading at or above grade level within the first years of school through the power and discipline of the arts. To accomplish this we partner with schools and teachers to create and deliver an innovative, supplemental reading program that uses music and drama to engage students. Reading In Motion is currently in 140 Chicago-area classrooms and has helped more than 45,000 students since it was founded in 1983."

MORE:

Essentially, the program strives on innovative use of music and drama to engage young students to not only get them reading but to also get them reading above grade level! The program has been derived from research studies. The Reading In Motion program takes on the process of evaluating the program and its participants in a number of different ways. They are assessed using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) at the beginning and end of each session.

"The Reading In Motion program is a series of carefully designed sequential curricula. Each step builds upon the previously mastered skill, one after the other until the student reaches the final goal of proficient reading. The sequence was developed from our years of experience working with students and is based on well-documented research about how children learn."

This is a program I would really like to implement into my curriculum. Kids need enthusiasm in nearly everything you want to encourage. By using music and drama and choreography, this can be made possible for eager readers. Check out ReadingInMotion.org for more information--including a video!

RESOURCES:

http://www.readinginmotion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=10