Module 6 Literacy Letter - Ramona and Her Father

 

Dear blog,

This week I read Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary. This realistic fiction chapter book is a Newbery Honor Book from Cleary's Ramona series. In this book, Ramona's father loses his job, her mother begins working full time, and her big sister starts to become moody as she is maturing. Throughout the story, Ramona tries to find ways to help out the family since her father lost his job. Ramona also worries about her father and tries to get him to stop smoking. This book contains heartwarming family themes. 

This book can be used to teach various comprehension skills in the classroom. One skill that can be taught is compare and contrast. Students can compare and contrast Ramona and Beezus, as well as Ramona and Dad. Students can make inferences about what is happening in the story and how the characters are feeling. Students can also observe how the characters evolve throughout the story.  

Module 5 Literacy Letter - Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

 

Dear blog,

This week I read the children's fiction picture book Owl Moon. Owl Moon (1987) is written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoenherr. Owl Moon won the Caldecott Medal in 1988. The book has won other various awards, and has been translated into several other languages. In the book, a father takes his daughter out for a walk to go owling at night in the snow. During their walk, they have a close encounter with an owl. The book is beautifully written with a poetic rhythm. 

This book would be great to use in the classroom to teach visualizing and descriptive writing. The book would also be a great mentor text for story elements, realistic fiction, and figurative language. The story also contains a great selection of vocabulary. Owl Moon would also be a great introduction for an owl research project.

Module 4 Literacy Letter - The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

 

Dear blog,

This week I reread one of my childhood favorites, The Mouse and the Motorcycle (First Harper Trophy Edition, 2000) written by Beverly Cleary and illustrated by Louis Darling. The book was originally published in 1965. The book is the first in Cleary's Ralph S. Mouse series.

The story is about a mouse named Ralph who lives in an old motel, the Mountain View Inn. Ralph makes friends with a young boy named Keith who is staying at the motel with his family. Keith teaches Ralph how to ride his red toy motorcycle and lets him ride it at night. While Keith and his family are gone, Ralph rides the motorcycle through the hotel, encountering many obstacles along the way. Ralph loses Keith's motorcycle when he narrowly escapes a maid's vacuum cleaner. Keith gets upset with Ralph for losing the motorcycle, but Ralph redeems himself by risking his life to get Keith an aspirin when he is sick. To thank him, Keith lets Ralph keep his motorcycle that was found by one of the motel's maids. The Mouse and the Motorcycle is a great book to use in the classroom. The book is a great tool to use to teach character traits, story elements, visualizing, cause and effect, vocabulary, and more. 

Module 3 Literacy Letter - Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

 

Dear Blog,

This week I am focusing on the Newberry Award winning chapter book Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. The book tells the story of Fern's beloved pig, Wilbur, who makes friends with a spider named Charlotte. Charlotte's clever ideas ultimately save Wilbur's life. This heartwarming story has strong themes of compassion and friendship. Charlotte's Web would be a great novel to use in the classroom. While reading Charlotte's Web, I would focus on vocabulary and story elements. This book would also work well for literature circles. Some questions I would ask might be, "How does the setting change throught the story?" "How does Fern change throughout the story?" "How would you feel if you were Fern?" "How is Wilbur different from the other farm animals?"

Module 2 Literacy Letter - The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan E. Goodman

 

Dear blog,

This week I read The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial (2016). The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial was written by Susan E. Goodman and illustrated by E. B. Lewis. The book has received numerous awards including 2017 Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 2017 Jane Addams Peace Association Honor Book, 2017 Teachers' Choice Pick by International Literacy Association, and NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book of 2017. The book tells the story of how a four year old African American girl, Sarah Goodman, was kicked out of a "white school" because she "did not belong." Her experience resulted in the first lawsuit challenging the segregation of schools.
This book is a great nonfiction book to use in the classroom. The book has beautiful, realistic illustrations and addresses a big topic in a way that is relatable for students.

This book addresses an important social studies topic, while also allowing the teaching of reading comprehension skills. Students could practice sequencing by creating a timeline of events from the story, starting with Sarah's first day of school in 1847. Students could also practice analyzing characters by journaling about Sarah's feelings and about their own feelings about how Sarah was treated in the story. Students could also compare and contrast the two schools in the story.

Module 1 Literacy Letter - Corduroy by Don Freeman

Dear blog, 

This week I read the book Corduroy (1968). This is a fictional children's book written and illustrated by Don Freeman. This book was one of my childhood favorites. I remember checking it out at the library over and over again. The story is about a teddy bear named Corduroy who lives on display in a department store. Lisa is a young girl who wants to take him home, but her mom says no because he is missing a button. That night, Corduroy goes on adventure to find his missing button. The next day, Lisa comes back and buys him with money from her piggy bank, despite his missing button. When Lisa gets Corduroy home, she sews him on a new button and they are both happy that they have found a friend. 

Corduroy is a great book to use in the classroom. The book has a great message about friendship and compassion. It would also be a great mentor text to teach comprehension skills such as inferencing and compare/contrast. Some questions I would ask my students would include, "How will Corduroy's life at Lisa's house be different from his life in the department store?" "How did Lisa feel when her mom said no?" "Why do you think Lisa wanted Corduroy even though his button was missing?" "Why do you think Corduroy went searching for his button?" "How do you think Corduroy lost his button?"