Thank goodness for inventors and all their famous inventions. There are the basics like cars, light bulbs, and (one of my personal favorites) hot water heaters. Then there are some less obvious ones like thumbtacks and zippers. There are even a few I resisted at first, like backup cameras in cars. I mean who needs those? (Apparently, me.) If you can believe it, I didn't even want an iPhone when … [Read more...]
Big Ideas from The Other Side
I read The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson at the start of each school year. It's perfect for introducing sophisticated topics to young children, such as exclusion and racial tension. The story deals with big ideas in kid-friendly ways, helping us have conversations about kindness in an effort to build healthy relationships and communities. The author explains how she hopes the story of Clover … [Read more...]
Makerspace Literature: Boxitects
Architect: One who designs buildings. Boxitect: One who makes things out of boxes. Obviously. If you've been collecting makerspace literature, add this new one by Kim Smith to your list. It's a fun story about Meg, a boxitect, who has a serious passion for constructing things out of old boxes. Meg loves school, and the thing Meg loves most about school is that she's the only boxitect … [Read more...]
How to Use Wordless Picture Books
A book without words? It seems like an oxymoron, right? If there are no words on the pages, is it still a book? Can it be "read?" Will children be challenged to think deeply when they're only looking at pictures? Yes. Yes to everything. I think some teachers look past wordless books because, well, there are no words. They seem like books for little kids... for "kids who can't read yet." … [Read more...]