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Last year was the first year I tried this read aloud and comprehension activity, but it will now be a tradition. It really does set the tone for what kind of  deep thinking you are aiming for in a literacy-based classroom.

One of my first read alouds was an old favorite of mine, More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby. I have read this book for years, but last year was when I “got it”!

PLEASE NOTE: In case, you’ve never read the book, I will only refer to the main character as “the boy”. If you want to know why, you may look at the end of this blog.

During the first week, I read the book,  but what was different this year was that I thought of some lessons I wanted to use after reading Angela Bunyi’s blog at Scholastic on Using Symbolism To Deepen Comprehension and the work of Kelly Gallagher. Skeptics be prepared to be amazed.

I read the book aloud with my fourth grade students. Usually we would  just follow up with some writing response to the read aloud, about our goals-blah, blah, blah, but not this time! I went back to the text, and we looked again at the boy in the story catching a frog and reread and discussed using the pictures and the text the boy playing with the frog. I reread those pages, and we talked about how the frog was slippery, wet, and always on the move,  and the boy had to  carefully hold onto this little animal that he wanted.

I asked the children what was the boy hanging onto and wrote that on a t-chart under  the word tangible  ( which we had already talked about). I asked them what the  boy wanted “more than anything else,” and  most easily  my class said “to learn to read, ’” and so they needed a little  more prompting from me . I showed them the man in the book who can read, and the children then understood it was more than just being able to read, the boy wanted to be like the man- not just a reader but an educator! It was being educated that this boy wanted, and he wanted to  share and pass this education on to others! That was his dream or goal. I wrote  the words dreams/ goals under intangible.

I just so happen to have a stuffed animal- a frog in my classroom. I told them that  I was putting the frog where we could see it to remind us of how the boy in the book wanted his education and also to be a teacher, and he had to hold onto those dreams or goals despite the rather bleak situation he was in at the moment. It may be that you can think of a tangible object that can be a class mascot or symbol for your students as well ( a bird, a seed, a book, a rock).

The next several days we read some other books that had a similar theme. Here are some other  children’s book that follow that idea of having a dream or goal for both children and teachers:

The one Angela Bunyi uses in her lesson is:

How great would this book be to get kids thinking deeply and setting goals for themselves?

The funny thing is once you use this reading strategy with your classes, you will never look at books the same. I dare you to reread the book, Everybody Needs A Rock, and see what I mean.

If you want more ideas on using books to have students think deeply, I recommend that you take a look at  Kelly Gallagher. If you are a teacher of third grade or higher, you can adapt his ideas to your lessons. Don’t let the idea that he has high school in his books intimidate you. You can adjust many of his ideas for younger readers.

His book Deeper Reading is a great resource for reading teachers who teach intermediate, middle and high school students.

Note: The boy in the fictional  story More Than Anything Else is educator Booker T. Washington!

I love books! I love reading! I LOVE HISTORY!

Unfortunately, those three things didn’t often go together when I was a kid growing up in the 1970’s. There   were some dry, boring history books back in the day, but I was fortunate to have a mother who was an avid reader and a librarian who always choose the BEST books for me and made me a lifelong learner.

With July 4 almost here, I thought I would share some of my favorite children’s literature both old and new on the topic of INDEPENDENCE DAY!


My first choice: Joy Hakim’s History of US ( series)



Why: Joy Hakim’s series are the backbone of my US History read alouds. She engages the reader with details of how things look, smell, and sound as we travel back in time. The series is  an excellent choice for visualizing history, and her writing style is filled with snippets of first-person accounts and documents. I also like the fact that she doesn’t present historical figures as being perfect and  “god-like”. We read about their flaws and failures, and I think this better paints a picture of what leaders are while it also encourages kids to see that sometimes despite setbacks, you can  still succeed.




An Old Favorite: Jean Fritz



Why: Jean Fritz is an old favorite of mine and still is at the top of my list. I read her books growing up. Joy Hakim ( above) actually uses Fritz’s work as a reference often. Fritz makes the characters sometimes quirky and always memorable. My students again see how historical figures are not perfect human beings but have both good and bad qualities. For instance: John Hancock made a horrible soldier and complained about the conditions and went  back home which sparked a discussion on why some folks should or shouldn’t be leaders. I use this set of books to do a fact and opinion activity because in fourth grade, we begin to introduce the idea of bias. These books are excellent to start discussions on whether or not Fritz has reported straight facts or offered her opinions as she writes her biographies so the books are also good for studying the author's craft.



The Liberty Tree



Why: This book has been published under several titles. It is still one of my favorite books because the language is easy to understand and concise but the illustrations and captions add interest. I find that the students read this one on their own, also. I find in our discussions that this is one that they quote from.




If You Lived….


Most of the books in this entire series have a home in my classroom. They are easy to read independently in the intermediate and upper grades ( 3rd-5th), and they have a question and answer format that breaks the text into smaller bits.  I use these books to show the strategy of asking and answering questions. The only flaw I find in the entire set is that I wish there was an index. Instead students must skim and scan the table of contents to locate information that is specific, and for kids, that is time-consuming and often frustrating. Despite that, I would still say the texts are worth reading.


Another favorite of my students by Lane Smith:



Why: I have to say it’s the quirky, cartoon characters that get the kids hooked on this one. I often find this one hidden in a kid's desk!

Something New: I found this one as I was looking over my collection, and it looks from the preview like it would be a good read aloud. I am always looking for read alouds in social studies especially something in the picture book category. It may be a new addition to my bookshelf.


One OLDIE and Another Newbie:
One of the people who is a part of both our American Revolution and Constitution units is Thomas Jefferson. I have several of the Marvin Barrett books which are extremely easy to read for fourth graders, and they seem to get kids hooked on reading biographies. It must work: this series has been around for a while.
In my search, I also found a book by Cheryl Harness. I have several of her books ( like the one on Daniel Boone), and while it’s not filled with colorful pictures, the information is outstanding for a history nut: sketches with labels, maps, and also a timeline of what else was going on as far as world history during the spot-lighted person’s life. Her writing style is also  enjoyable to read and conversational- almost like you are being taught firsthand.





These are just a few to get your kids and students thinking and reading INDEPENDENTLY for the July 4!

As I’m ending my day, I’m thinking about some potential themes for this blog. I noticed as I thought about change that I was humming an Eric Clapton song,CHANGE THE WORLD. I also happen to find a great YouTube Video with really COOL graphics to share.



The  chorus of this song reminded me of  the book, MISS RUMPHIUS by Barbara Cooney. The character Miss Rumphius sets several goals for herself as a child, but her grandfather reminds her that she needs to do something to improve the world. This book is a great  read at the beginning of any school year or any new venture  as a way to encourage students to set similar goals.

We as teachers need to encourage our students to look ahead, set goals,  and plan their futures because the outcome of our lives begin with a single thought whether they are positive or negative.

As the saying goes,

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

( from http://thinkexist.com)

And like Miss Rumphius, we need to help students see their lives as a  whole- a destiny, a legacy that can be planned with set goals that go behind ourselves.

Why  should parents teachers, and children think of leaving a legacy? According to the Legacy Project website,
“Leaving a legacy is a human need. It is in part selfish -- we want to feel immortal. The idea of leaving something behind that will "live forever" is appealing. We also want to feel like we matter in the vast sea of humanity. By connecting with those at the beginning of their lives, we do complete a full circle in life's journey and leave some of our "selves" -- our experiences, ideas, values, and personal example -- in the minds and hearts of others. But leaving a legacy also has an altruistic component. If we don't leave a positive legacy, what kind of society are we building? What kind of world are we leaving behind? What are we passing on to our children and grandchildren?”

The Legacy Project has a huge list of  many wonderful ideas, lessons, and books to help parents and teachers teach the idea of leaving a legacy in children and in families.
http://www.legacyproject.org/teachers.html


Here’s a new charmer: A wonderful story that reminded me of my Grandmama who left behind a legacy of love and living  a life for something more than  ourselves.



We can really change the world and leave a little something good of ourselves behind just like Miss Rumphius.
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