One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is celebrating by reading Christmas picture books with my young children. Another favorite part of the season for me is singing Christmas songs. In fact, our home is one in which Christmas songs are fair game all year round! What better union, then, but to read children’s picture books […]
A Christmas Carol Characters Crowns for Christmas Carol Readers Theater
I am so excited that today we got to do a fantastic readers theater Christmas party with our homeschool friends. We read the Christmas Carol Readers Theater script that my Mom and I made (she taught middle school English as a Second Language). We also brought treats for the children to eat as we read through […]
Learn to Compare and Contrast using A Tale of Two Beasts
A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton is an amusing tale about a girl who finds a strange beast in the woods and brings him home to take care of him. It is also the tale of a beast who is minding his own business when he is accosted by a terrible beast that kidnaps […]
Favorite Fall Picture Books and Lessons for Early Elementary
It cooled off! This Monday morning feels like fall. Today, in celebration of the coming of the new season, I have two great fall picture books to share with some ideas on how to incorporate them in to learning. Learn about the apple tree life cycle and also sort the sillies out of the season!
Picture Books to Inspire Unique Story Organization
I had a lot of fun considering favorite picture books as I considered the variety of ways one could organize a story. So many times in elementary school kids are given a prescription for writing and they must follow that. Writing is more fun when students are free to organize their thoughts or ideas creatively. […]
Learning Science History through Literature-Rich Curriculum
I love history. My son loves science. We both love great books. So when I had a chance to take a look at Beautiful Feet Books’ History of Science, I was couldn’t resist. Learning science history through a literature-rich curriculum seems like the perfect compromise. I’ve long thought that learning subjects through stories is the […]
Story Outlining and Retelling Using a Wordless Book
The Red Book by Barbara Lehman is a wordless picture book, so it may not be the first to come to mind when considering a book to “read aloud” to a class. However, because the illustrations tell the story, The Red Book can be an ideal book to use as students practice outlining and retelling […]
Encouraging Independent Quiet Time for a Preschooler
If there is one thing my preschooler does not like, it is being alone: playing alone, resting alone, eating alone. You name it, she always wants someone right by her side to talk with her, to listen to her, and to be with her. She is an exuberant personality that loves company. Always. I am, […]
Treasure Island-Inspired Compass Treasure Hunt
I’ve recently finished reading Treasure Island in the original and unabridged language with my son. In Treasure Island, young Jim Hawkins travels across the ocean to a remote island, where the crew of the ship mutiny and turn out to be pirates! They spent plenty of time on the beaches of Treasure Island, and both my son […]
Goal Setting Compare Contrast Writing
In Tia Isa Wants a Car and A Chair for My Mother, kids work towards earning money for a goal. Although they are very different stories, the goals of the main characters make them perfect for a lesson in comparing and contrasting. The ultimate goal setting lesson from these books is also a great character […]