Making Knowledge through Interactive Read Alouds in Kindergarten: New E-Book

from iTunes

I have revised and added the full set of read aloud units for kindergarten.  This e-book, Making Knowledge through Interactive Read Alouds in Kindergarten is now available for download through iTunes. 

It is book #10.

The book contains 8 units of study: 

1. Concept Books
2. Neighborhoods
3. Giving Thanks
4. Traditional Stories and Grain
5. All About Trees
6. Water
7. Reading and Libraries
8. Contemporary Stories

 There is also an introduction now that lists the unit, text, learning strategy and reading/writing focus so that you can see the learning strategies that are used across the text and what they target (comprehension, vocabulary, writing in response to text)

There was great care taken in the selection of texts.  As such, the books represent a range of topics and people. 

These are the books by Unit.

Unit 1: Concept Books

from Unit 1

1. Bruchac, Joseph. (2004). Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America. Illustrated by Robert F. Goetzl.  New York: Scholastic. (580L)
2. Burns, Marilyn. (2008). The Greedy Triangle. Illustrated by Gordon Silveria. New York: Scholastic.  (580L)
3. Cotten, Cynthia. (2002). At the Edge of the Woods: A Counting Book. Illustrated by Reg Cartwright. New York: Henry Holt. (No Lexile)
4. Demarest, Chris L. (2003). Firefighters A to Z. New York: Aladdin. (310L)
5. Falwell, Cathryn. (2013). Rainbow Stew. New York: Lee and Low Books. (740L)
6. Houblon, Marie. (2009). A World of Colors: Seeing Colors in a New Way. Washington D.C.: National Geographic. (No Lexile)
7. Jenkins, Steve. (2004). Actual Size. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. (1080L)
8. Thong, Roseanne.(2000). Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes. Illustrated by Grace Lin. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. (No Lexile)

Unit 2: Neighborhoods

Page from Unit 2

1. Croza, Laurel. (2010). I Know Here. Illustrated by Matt James. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books. (760L)
2. Cumpiano, Ina. (2009). Quinito's Neighborhood/El Vecindario de Quinito. Illustrated by Jose Ramirez. New York: Lee and Low Books. (490L)
3. Fine, Edith Hope and  Angela Halpin. (2010). Water, Weed and Wait. Illustrated by “Colleen M. Madden. San Francisco, CA: Tricycle Press. (No Lexile).
4. Kalman, Bobbie. (2000). What is a Community? From A to Z.  New York: Crabtree Publishing. (680L)
5. Shewchuk Pat. (2013). In Lucia’s Neighborhood. Illustrated by Marek Colek. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press. (360L)
6. Watson, Renée. (2010). A Place Where Hurricanes Happen. Illustrated by Shadra Strickland. New York: Random House. (No Lexile)

 

Unit 3: Giving Thanks

from Unit 3

1. Delacre, Lulu. (2013). How Far Do You Love Me? New York: Lee and Low Books. (800L)
2. Glaser, Linda. (2010). Emma’s Poem. Illustrated by Claire A. Nivola. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (790L)
3. Mora, Pat. (2009). Gracias / Thanks. Illustrated by John Parra. Nee York: Lee and Low Books. (1040L)
4. Swamp, Chief Jake (Mohawk). (2005). Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message.  Illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr. (Cayuga/Tuscarora). New York: Lee and Low Books. (660L)
5. Swamp, Chief Jake (Mohawk). (2005). Gracias Te Damos: Una Ofrenda De Los Nativos Americanos Al Amanecer De Cada Dia. Illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr. (Cayuga/Tuscarora). New York: Lee and Low Books. (660L)

Unit 4: Traditional Stories and Grains

from Unit 4

1. 1. Galdone, Paul . (1985 ). The Little Red Hen. New York: Sandpiper. (550L)
2. Gershator, David and Phillis Gershator. (1998). Bread is for Eating. Illustrated by Emma Shaw-Smith. New York: Henry Holt. (450L)
3. Hairston, Meredith. (2011). Little Red Hen. Illustrated by Jes Golden. Digital Story/Video. Retrieved 12.31.12 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPrhPiOiNEY 
4. Paulsen, Gary. (1998). The Tortilla Factory. Illustrated by Ruth W. Paulsen.  New York: Sandpiper. (550L)
5. Sturges, Philemon. (2002). The Little Red Hen Makes Pizza. Illustrated by Amy Walrod. New York: Puffin. (320L)

Unit 5: All About Trees 

from Unit 5

1. Depalma, Mary Newell. (2005). A Grand Old Tree. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books. (460L)
2. Gerber, Carole. (2009). Winter Trees. Illustrated by Leslie Evans.  Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. (760L)
3. Miller, Debbie S. (2002). Are Trees Alive? Illustrated by Stacey Schuett. New York: Walker & Company. (640L)
4. Muldrow, Diane. (2010). We Planted a Tree. Illustrated by Bob Staake. New York: Random House. (620L)
5. Pallotta, Jerry (2010). Who Will Plant a Tree? Illustrated by Tom Leonard. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press. (No Lexile)
6. Winter, Jeanette. (2008). Wangari's Trees of Peace. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (730L)

Unit 6: Water 

from Unit 6

1. Asch, Frank. (2000). Water. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. (140L)
2. Cobb, Vicki. ( 2002). I Get Wet.  Illustrated by Julia Gorton. New York: HarperCollins. (No Lexile).
3. Lyon, George Ella. (2011). All the Water in the World. Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson. New York: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books. (520L)
4. Sweet, Melissa. (2008). When Rain Falls. Illustrated by  Constance Bergum. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers. (No Lexile).

Unit 7. Libraries and Reading 

from Unit 7

1. Gonzalez, Lucia. (2008). The Storyteller’s Candle: La velita de los cuentos. Illustrated by Lulu Delacre, San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press. (730 L)
2. Hest, Amy. (2007). Mr. George Baker. Illustrated by John J. Muth. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Books. (520L)
3. Mora, Pat. (2000). Tomas and the Library Lady. Illustrated by Raul Colon. New York: Dragonfly Books. (440L)
4. Ruurs, Margaret. (2005). My Librarian is a Camel: How Books are Brought Around the World. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. (980L)
5. Winter, Jeanette. (2005/2012).  The Librarian of Basra (Digital Version). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Retrieved 12.31,12 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5xp-KOVbmw 

Unit 8: Contemporary Stories

from Unit 8

1. Harjo, Joy (Muskogee-Creek). (2000). The Good Luck Cat. Illustrated by Paul Lee. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. (540L)
2. Falwell, Cathryn. (2005). David’s Drawings. New York: Lee & Low. (150L)
3. Herrera, Juan Felipe.(2004). Featherless/ Desplumado. Illustrated by Ernesto Cuevas, Jr. New York: Lee & Low. (No Lexile)
4. Krishnaswami , Uma. (2006).  Bringing Asha Home. Illustrated by Jamel Akib. New York: Lee and Low Books. (560L)
5. Smith, Cynthia Leitich (Muscogee [Creek] Nation). (2000). Jingle Dancer. Illustrated by  Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. New York: HarperCollins. (710L)
6. Sockabasin, Allen (Passamaquoddy). (2005 ). Thanks to the Animals. Illustrated by Rebekah Raye. Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House Publishers. (700L)
7. Tafolla, Carmen. (2009). What Can You Do With a Paleta? / ¿Qué puedes hacer con una paleta? Illustrated by Magaly Morales. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press. (No Lexile)
8. Tafolla, Carmen. (2012). What Can You Do With a Paleta? / ¿Qué puedes hacer con una paleta? (Digital Version) Illustrated by Magaly Morales. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press. Retrieved 5.1.15.

Reading State Exemplars With A Critical Eye

I was reviewing a model ELA unit of study for a client that is aligned to the ELA CCSS.  The unit was produced by a state Department of Education and is intended to be used with fifth grade students. I expected that a state DOE would produce apt models--given that the K-12 series is intended to (in)form teachers' work.

So, it was particularly shocking when I read these directions for students:

Read the summary of A Wrinkle in Time, Chapter 1, from SparkNotes, then read the description of Mrs. Whatsit from the text.

Students would repeat this process for chapters 2 and 3, beginning with the SparkNotes and then reading a only small portion of the actual literary text.

Yep, SparkNotes is the main text.

It seems incredible that SparkNotes are an equivalent to any literary text.  I mean it's SparkNotes.  Read all of the SparkNotes and just a small portion of Madeleine L'Engle's actual words? How can this make sense and why would a DOE put this out for educators to emulate?

In the SparkNotes version of A Wrinkle in Time, the 21-page first chapter is reduced to three paragraphs of information. Gone is the press of weather. Gone are the tensions among daughter, mother and brother.  Nothing but the bare facts remain and it couldn't be sadder.

Surely this isn't a vision of literary learning we want to encourage.