Group work

I am reading Comprehension & Collaboration: Inquiry circles in action, by Stephanie Harvey & Harvey Daniels. In reflecting on this book as part of a ning group discussion, and from threads of inquiry from last summer, I have been attempting to implement more student collaborative work into instruction. I am working with two second grade teachers on an author study. Students are evaluating character traits for a character of their selection from one of many books they have read by the author, Tomie DePaola. (Don't miss his video interviews on Reading Rockets.) We are able to climb Bloom's Taxonomy a bit as students evaluate the relative importance of the different traits they uncovered for their character. We'll develop wordles based on their evaluations.

It's fascinating to facilitate group work among students, especially 7 year-olds. My reading of the Harvey & Daniels book has made me acutely aware of the importance of this work, yet as a nation of educators, we do not do enough to prepare students for the essential skill and experience of productively working together.

As part of a reflection piece mid-project, we read Lousy, Rotten, Stinkin' Grapes by Margie Palatini. It's a fabulous, fun read aloud, and a perfect springboard for discussing group behavior. The kids had so much to say about both positive and negative group experiences. They came up with amazing options for dealing with challenging behavior on the part of team members. It's my hope that this type of discussion recurs frequently in their elementary education.


Thanks to my friend Sarah for nudging me to wake up my blog from a long snooze. Here's a shout out to Christine, one of Sarah's students: Thanks for tagging me!

Handwriting in this day and age

I recently read Script & Scribble: the Rise and Fall of Handwriting by Kitty Burns Florey.

Handwriting is of so little concern these days. We don't worry, the computer takes care of it. In her book, Florey shares stories of people who thought quite differently, people who devoted their lives to their passion for penmanship.

This book was a nostalgic read. I thought, for the first time in years, of my grandmother's beautiful cursive writing. She used to write with such an even scale. And yes, she wrote her script 'Q's like large '2's. I found myself pondering when handwriting will become obsolete. Penmanship like my grandmother's is now so rare. Most adults write with a hybrid style. This is a wonderfully enjoyable book, written with appropriate lightheartedness for its subject, yet sharing an obvious passion for reading and writing.

The Mohansicott Winners!

First graders chose the winners of our first annual Mohansicott Award! Students evaluated what makes a "distinguished" picture book, as described in the Caldecott Terms & Criteria. We looked at several past winners to help us identify "distinguished" attributes, such as details in the illustration, colorful pictures, something new and different we had never seen before, and illustrations that shared a feeling from the story.

The winner is A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann! Students enjoyed the colorful and playful illustrations complementing a sweet story of kittens enjoying winter's first snow. Our two Honor titles are Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken illustrated by Harry Bliss and written by Kate DiCamillo, and Old Bear by Kevin Henkes. The illustrations in Louise matched the adventures in the story: exciting and fun! Louise looked like a cartoon! In Old Bear, Kevin Henkes told the story of a bear who went to sleep for the winter and dreamed of the changing seasons. We loved how we could tell from the illustrations which season Old Bear was dreaming of.

We enjoyed sharing the Caldecott Committee's choice, The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson. Some first graders noticed that this cumulative tale tells a story then "rewinds" to tell the tale in reverse. Many students loved the beautiful etched illustrations with its careful use of golden color.

Special thanks to polldaddy for helping us tally our votes. We will soon have a medal designed for the winning and honor books that will be placed on the book covers in the Mohansic Library. Can't wait until next year!

Jan Brett's new contest is open

Jan Brett opened her 2009 school library visit contest today! This year is a little different -- you print out three characters to color and glue them under the right hat, then mail it to Jan Brett. Last year's contest was entirely online; this year, you get to mail your entry to Jan Brett! Remember that last year, Mohansic first-grader Ben won a signed poster from Jan Brett!! You can enter as many times as you wish! Click here for the contest page at janbrett.com to enter. Good Luck!

First Annual Mohansicott Award

First graders are learning about the Caldecott Medal, awarded to one picture book annually since 1938. We looked at the terms and criteria for the award, and had a lively discussion of what is meant by "the most distinguished American picture book for children"; how do we identify "distinguished" illustrations? We examined many Caldecott winners and noticed some characteristics of these "distinguished" books.

We do not know which books are being considered for this year's award. But there are several places to find some educated guesses. Try and google "Mock Caldecott" and you'll get a glimpse into a variety of opinions on the subject. Check out what School Library Journal thinks. The Allen County Public Library has a blog devoted to their mock Caldecott election. Here is the list by the Wells County Public Library. These are the books that first graders will choose from for the first Mohansicott Award:

What To Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham	Owney, the Mail Pouch Pooch by Mona Kerby, illustrated by Lynne Barasch	Old Bear written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes	A Kitten Tale written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann	Grace For President by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Monarch and Milkweed by Helen Frost, illustrated by Leonid Gore	Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young	1, 2 Buckle My Shoe by Anna Grossnickle Hines	Duel! : Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words by Dennis Fradin, illustrated by Larry Day	Louise: the Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss

We will use a survey website for our election, so we can easily track the winner. I can't wait to get started sharing these books together! Even if your favorite doesn't win, there's nothing better than discovering a wonderful new story!

Author visit in January

We are all very excited about the planned visit by talented author/illustrator Pat Schories to Mohansic's kindergarten. Pat's illlustrations for the Biscuit books are adored by early readers. She has also created her own character, Jack, a Jack Russell terrier who is the main character in a wonderful series of wordless books.

Kindergarten students will learn where Pat gets her ideas for her illustrations and how she uses models for her drawings. We will enjoy telling each other the stories in the wordless Jack books.

If you would like to view an interview with Pat Schories and Alyssa Satin Capucilli, the author of the Biscuit books, click here.

Favorite Holiday Stories

There are so many wonderful stories to read together at the holidays. The ones that I love share a deeper meaning of different holiday traditions and provide magical illustration to tell their story. Here are some of my favorites:

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
Night Tree by Eve Bunting
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Santa's Book of Names by David McPhail
The Best Eid Ever by Asma Mobin-Uddin

For some more inspiration, read this article in School Library Journal, with holiday memories by favorite authors. Comment with your family's favorite holiday reads!

Visiting Authors 2008-09

In 2008-09, students will meet these wonderful authors!

Pat Schories will visit Kindergarten.

"Probably best known as the illustrator of the Biscuit books written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and published by HarperCollins, Pat is now using her story-telling skills to create new books starring Jack and his family, published by Front Street Books, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. Jack and Biscuit are modeled after her own two beloved dogs, Speed and Spike." (Text and photo from http://www.patschories.com)

Pat is a Westchester County resident. We are very excited about her visit!

For more information, visit Pat's website.

Hans Wilhelm will visit 1st graders.

"With over thirty five million books in print, Hans Wilhelm is one of America's foremost author/illustrator of children's books. Many of his 200 books have been translated into twenty languages and have become successful animated television series that are enjoyed by children all over the world. His books have won numerous international awards and prizes." (Text and photo from http://www.hanswilhelm.com) Hans has chosen to make many of his books available online for free. Go to childrensbooksforever to read and enjoy his stories!

For more information, visit Hans' website.

Helen Lester will visit 2nd graders.

Helen knows her audience...she was a second-grade teacher for many years! She will share how some of her students inspired her engaging story characters, Tacky the Penguin and Fluffy the Porcupine.

"In addition to writing, I enjoy visiting schools all over the country encouraging children to write. Armed with messages such as "My books don't jump out of the computer," "Not all of my stories get published," and "Being edited isn't fun but it's good for you," I've found a new form of teaching. Author: A True Story comes directly from my school visits, and is perhaps the book of which I am proudest. How fortunate I am to have backed into this wonderful field. After living in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Minneapolis, my husband and I have settled in our favorite village, Pawling, New York, where we tend our writing, our dog, and our empty nest." (Text and photo from http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/helen_lester/index.shtml)

For more information, visit Helen's website or the Helen Lester page on Houghton Mifflin, where you will find her bio and ideas for using her books in the classroom.

New Books!

The new book order came in at the start of the school year and I am still enjoying reading all of the wonderful books! I just finished reading Sea Horse: The shyest fish in the sea by Chris Butterworth. It's my latest favorite (hint: the last book I've read is usually my favorite!) I learned so much about sea horses and I loved the beautiful illustration by John Lawrence. Did you know that a newborn sea horse is as long as your eyelash? What is your favorite new book in the Mohansic Library? (Or an old one...!)