Teachable Moments while Reading Books with Small Children (Pre-K-2)

A First Grader Reads No. David!

The Richness of the Experience was to me an Awesome Surprise!

I recently had a tutoring experience that illustrated the power of books and imagination. A first-grader was reading a beginners book about David who always gets in trouble but his Mom always loves him anyway. In having the child explain what had happened and what story the pictures were telling, page by page, I was able to (1) reinforce and teach vocabulary and sentence structure, (2) to check for actual understanding, and (3) get a dialogue going about the child's thoughts, experiences and imagination. We were even able to (4-5) discuss consequences of actions, both in a social sense and in a scientific sense.

Now I know all you elementary teachers know this, but I am more used to working with older kids, grades 7-12. My point here is that just reading the story with a child or to a child provides only half the learning potential of a good book.

Teaching Science in a Reading Lesson

We even got a science lesson out of the book. I asked her what was wrong with how he was standing on the books. We demonstrated the danger with her sitting on her piano bench correctly and sitting on the very edge. I gave the bench a gentle nudge for each position. When the bench began to topple over while she sat on the edge, we giggled and she completely understood the consequences of David's unbalanced position. 

I suppose I could have asked her why the water in the fishbowl was level with the book bottom, but I didn't.

Learn More about David Shannon

Read about Shannon, the author, on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No,_David

I Highly Recommend the David series by D. Shannon

After having my first grade student read and discuss several of these books by David Shannon, I can say that the series is a valuable teaching tool. Each appeared at first glance to be such a simple story with little in it to advance learning. Was I wrong! The child loved the books, the underlying message, the same in each, is essential to a child's emotional development, and the stories are realistic. These are classics, right up there with Dr. Seuss.

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Comments of a Frustrated Teacher and another Suggestion for Educational Reform

Today's post on Knee Jerk Reactions is by a teacher who is frustrated by the frequent push for educational reforms. Check it out.

Teaching Science with Theories

Why do we science teachers teach theories in science?

"Facts and evidence" are important for one to know so that students have some practical knowledge about the world. But the meaning of "facts and evidence" is what allows students to predict "what will happen if...?" and how to make and use technology to get the job done. Theories are the framework that give the "facts and evidence" meaning so that predictions can be made more accurately and so that technology that works can be produced.

In modern science, students are expected to learn both facts and theories for a more complete understanding of what we currently know about the universe--especially our world; and to more effectively predict what will happen in our world and be caused by our interactions with it.

Man has come a long way since nature's response to man's activities was considered magic or curse or blessing. It is the theories of science, even the ones that have been replaced with better theories, that have brought us to our current state of understanding of "cause and effect" in all realms of science and human endeavor and to our current state of technological achievement.

Think about the power of the Germ Theory in curing disease. Think about the Theory of Relativity in space travel and faster cars; the Electromagnetic Theory of light in developing lasers; the Atomic Theory is making plastics and MEMS and computers; and, yes, the "Theory of Evolution" in establishing principles of ecology and sustainability and in designing programs that will allow man to maintain society/civilization in response to the changes in the biosphere that are coming as the result of global warming.

I say teaching theories is a good thing.

Read a previous post on theories for a partial list of scientific theories.

Read some of my thoughts on responding to the results of global warming.

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I just read a blog post and its comments. That inspired me to comment back. The above is what I had to say about presenting scientific theories in the science classroom (k-12). Another reader had commented that today "facts and evidence" were being replaced by theories in the science classroom, or something to that effect. So here I am on my soapbox again.

New SpringWidget: UCTV Teacher's PET

Visit the Widget Gallery

I'll be writing about these programs from time to time. Meanwhile, enjoy the shows. The webpages have podcast links &/or ways to watch the streaming videos. These videos are geared towards teachers and faculty as professional development. They are entertaining and perfectly suitable for homeschool parents to stay up to date on educational practice.

Later!

Valerie

Getting Kids to Read

One of my passions is encouraging kids to read my favorite books: great science fiction.
In fact I even joined a group that facilitates just that. You can visit their website at Reading for the Future, which links to other sites with the same mission.

In the back of my mind for years has been this idea. I present it you today.

Yes, I know that authors do not having their works butchered or censored. However, kids are kids; and there are a few things about adult literature and kids that either are incompatible or intimidating.

I have not checked to see if this is already being done. Is it?

What if we did this to some of the exciting adult science fiction:

1. Make a reading list of the best pages in a long, complex "future history" with many interlacing threads.  What if that list dealt with only one thread and were placed in a mini-story for kids?
2.  What if the stories were illustrated in the same manner as the old Treasure Island and Star Wars books (art rather than photos)?
3.  What if a list of the pages of only one subset of readings were in a reading list or lesson?
4. What if new anthologies were published with certain words removed and story subsets were included--like the old literature books we grew up with but with book passages as well as short stories?

These could be short, 100 pages or so. They could be ebooks. They could be illustrated. They could be packaged as youth books. They could be paperback and library-bound hardbacks. They could have links to author bios, information about the "rest of the story" and lessons online--all those things that would make the book more like a textbook removed from the book itself but made easily accessible.

Teachers and Librarians, would this work?

I have a long list of books--the ones in my bookstore online--that I would love included in such a project. I have another set that I have recently read that I would want included, too.

Yes, I would love to be tagged as an editor for such a project.

The picture at the top is of a slide that is a PowerPoint Template Design. To me this design is a bit other-worldly. I thought it would add ambiance to this post.

Postscript: I reread this page today, 10/8/10, and -- oops! -- found typos.  I corrected several. Hope I got them all! Sorry. --Valerie