Sophie and Sadie's Scholarly Site

I just finished reading another chapter of Igniting A Passion for Reading by Steve Layne which prompted me to think about a part of reading that seems to be ignored often by  both schools and parents. By the time kids get into the intermediate grades ( grades 3-5)  and surely by middle school- the practice of a well-delivered read loud is  sadly very often gone. But this chapter also put me in mind of a heart-warming story that inspired and touched  me that was recently in the news:

Meet Alice Ozma!







Here is Alice’s website: Make A Reading Promise
http://www.makeareadingpromise.com/
And the CBS story featuring Alice’s  awesome dad, Jim Brozina…

Some people are not  as comfortable reading aloud as Jim Brozina. Parents often don’t feel they can read well to their own children, and likewise,  there are  many teachers  who often don’t feel that they do a good job reading aloud to their students. This is in evidence from a quote from author Mem Fox:
First of all, a good starting place then is to check out Mem Fox's Ten Read Aloud Commandments for the “how to” of delivering a good read aloud experience.




Second, there are so many great examples of read alouds online. Storyline has Screen Actor Guild members reading aloud like James Earl Jones, Melissa Gilbert, and Betty White although I will remind you: You don’t have to be a professional to do a great job!


http://www.storylineonline.net/
Finally, I would advise parents and teachers alike to HAVE FUN with your read alouds. When I read aloud to my  class, I am like a Shakespearean actor on the London stage. I am a little bit of a “Ms. Pricklepants” ( with a nod to my inspiration in Toy Story 3). I change my voices, act a little, and ham it up to send it over the top sometimes. Just enjoy yourself!


Thanks for reading my blog, and “Happy Reading” to you!

Today’s focus is going to be on something that is both WILD and WONDERFUL: WATER! Right now in sunny SC, the temperatures  are well into the  high 90’s daily so we are all looking for ways to cool off, and I have a few ideas from several different sources that are water activities that you can do easily with very few materials at home or school.

My co-teachers  and grade-level team of  Tami Garvin, Quetta Hammonds, Tammy Swartz and I put on our first Water Olympics in May. Earlier in that same week, we also did several team-building activities that involved water during our end-of-the-year camping unit. One challenge was building a paper cup with only one sheet of paper and glue ( we used glue sticks). I was impressed by the ingenuity of the kids’ designs and how well their designs held up! We also had the traditional water balloon toss the same day as our water games. The kids ( and teachers) had a BLAST!



Our activities were  based on  several ideas suggested by Victoria Jasztal on her Scholastic blogs at Top Teaching last year.
http://blogs.scholastic.com/classroom_solutions/2010/05/incorporate-math-and-science-with-an-outdoor-camping-day-event.html
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3756002

Our  water-based activities were  adapted from similar AIMS units:

http://cmase.uark.edu/teacher/workshops/AIMS-lessons/mini-metrics.pdf
http://cmase.uark.edu/teacher/workshops/AIMS-lessons/Water_Olympics.pdf

There are plenty of resources of water sports and games online that can easily been done at home, and while they are just good, old-fashioned fun, some also involve really using your brain!

http://www.kidactivities.net/category/Games-Outside-Water.aspx

The team building and thinking games such as the paper cup challenge that I used with our students came from a great new set of  resources that I really LOVE! These are  my new favorite books for cooperative games, brain teasers and challenges and team-building  and are all by Lorenz Publications. I have about five total that I can use in any subject area and also can be used to start class instead of “bell work” or to end class but some are JUST FOR FUN!  Some of the activities require little or no materials, and the activities we’ve used have left my kids begging for more. That’s the best review anything can get!

 

Have fun and I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday, too!

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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