Mr. Giso's Ways to Learn at Home #9

"Good Dogs, Great Listeners" 

Read Aloud, Genre Bingo, and What Made You Love Reading Journal

Hello, readers!

This "Ways to Learn at Home" celebrates how we are a community of readers.  Miss Cipoletti is back with a read aloud of the book by Renata Bowers called Good Dogs, Great Listeners.  This book is about a main character named Charlotte.  Charlotte isn't really being a good listener--ever!  She floods the house, gets in to her mom's makeup and has a romping good time that ends up with a leg injury!  What she doesn't do, however, is read.  Charlotte has not yet found her "groove" in her reading community.  Find out about her mischief and reading life by clicking HERE.

Play 3 Levels of Genre Bingo! 

With Your Family

After listening to this book, you learn how Charlotte turned her injury into a positive by reading to her "pets."  One of the things I have taught you about being a good reader is that readers keep track of their reading lives and set goals for reading.  After reading this book, you can start to play my version of Genre Bingo.  To play, just print out the Bingo Boards or list the categories on some scrap paper--you don't need to have a printer, you can just make your own Bingo Boards like the ones I made by clicking HERE.  Remember that a book's genre is the kind of book it is.  There are two categories of genre--fiction and nonfiction.

Write in a Daily Journal after Reading

Mr. Giso's Journal Idea #9

After reading and listening to the book by Renata Bowers, Miss Cipoletti gave you a topic to write about.  In your journal, write about what made you love reading and how you got interested in books.  If you don't consider reading to be one of your favorite things to do...yet... that is OK too.  Write about that too.  Reading is does not come easy for everyone at the same time.

Print out my "Journal Pages" by clicking HERE if you'd like to have some paper.  Thank you, Ms. Cipoletti!

Mr. Giso's Ways to Learn at Home #8

"Math Curse" 

Read Aloud, Draw It, Place It & Read It! Game, and Numbers All Around Us Journal

Hello, hello mathematicians!

This "Ways to Learn at Home" is about mathematics.  To get us thinking about how mathematics is all around us ALL the time, I have picked an animated version of the fun book Math Curse written by Jon Scieszka (below) and illustrated by Lane Smith.  This adventure begins with Ms. Fibonacci announcing in class that "You can think of almost anything as a math problem."  Click HERE

to listen and watch the story.  As you listen, be thinking about your home and the world around you.  Where do you see mathematics?  Think numbers, shapes, patterns, measurements and fractions, OH MY!

                                                

                                        

Play Draw It, Place It & Read It! 

With Your Family

After listening to Math Curse, I bet you are ready to play around with some numbers.  I have a really fun game.  To get ready to play this game you need about 3 sets of cards with the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 written on them (only one digit on a card).  Mix the cards up and place them in a bag, bowl or even a pillow case.  Before you cut the cards, they could look something line this.

Once you have the cards, you can either make a chart for each player to record your numbers like the chart below, or print out a chart for each player by clicking HERE.

To play the game:

1.  Choose one person to be the caller.  For each round, the caller draws 3 numbers for a digit in the    

         hundreds, or four cards for a digit in the thousands etc.  Decide this ahead of time.  Place an "x" 

         in the spots you will NOT be using.

2.  After each draw, players record the digit that was drawn in any column on the first row of the place value chart below.  Once a digit is recorded, it can’t be changed. Use a marker.  Strategize!

3.  After all the places are filled, the person who makes and reads the highest number earns a point.  Move to the next row on the place value chart for the next round.

4.  Keep playing until the paper is filled.  The person with the most number of points wins.  As a challenge, play again.  This time award points for making the smallest number.

In the comments section of this post, let me know who is the winner.  Of course, learning a strategy for making the largest or smallest number is the point.  Having fun is a lot more important than winning.

Write in a Daily Journal after Reading

Mr. Giso's Journal Idea #8

After reading and listening to "Math Curse," search around your home pretending that you have "caught the curse!"  Where do you see mathematics?  Describe what you see and how you know it's connected to mathematics.  What do you realize has a little bit of math in it, after listening to the book?  I can't wait to hear your thoughts.  You can also write me to explain the strategy you discovered in the game.  Be specific and use an example.

Print out my "Journal Pages" by clicking HERE if you'd like to have some paper.  There's a spot for an illustration, too.

Mr. Giso's Ways to Learn At Home #7

"Miss Rumphius" 

Read Aloud, Write a Post Card and Journal about Leaving Your Mark/ Making the World a More Beautiful Place

Hi, my friends!  

Our fantastic Community Volunteer is featured today.  We are so excited to hear Mrs. Karam read aloud a book for us that shines with unique illustrations and beautiful messages.  It's one of my favorites.  Special thank you to Mrs. Karam for taking the time to put this read aloud together.  Be sure to notice the framed print on the wall to the right of Mrs. Karam; it connects to the story so nicely.  The main character in this story is Miss Rumphius.  The book is both written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney.

Miss Rumphius travels far and wide in search of a way to leave her legacy to the world.  She does find a way to make the world a more beautiful place thanks to a certain type of flower.  Mrs. Karam wants to share her connection to the story, as she too, enjoys working in her garden just like the main character you are about to meet.

Enjoy listening to the travels of Miss Rumphius.  Tell someone in your family what you think the theme of the story is.  What lesson does the author want you to take away?  Here is Mrs. Karam in one of her many travels just like Miss Rumphius.  She is hiking the Pacific Coast Trail in the state of California.  Click HERE to listen to Mrs. Karam read our story.

Pack Your Bags and Write a Postcard!

After listening to this story we know two things.  Miss Rumphius traveled near and far and took the time to appreciate what was around her.  The setting of this story appears to change on every page.  I'd like you to pretend that you are traveling.  Pick a place.  It can be to a place you have traveled to OR a place you would like to visit.  It can be near like the park or a place far away like Antarctica!

Write a postcard to someone about what you see.  What sights do you take in?  What do you hear?  What do you smell?  You can even design your own stamp in the upper right hand corner that resembles your place too.  On the back draw the scenery you see.  You don't need a printer at home to do this; just draw a postcard like the picture below.  If you want to, though, print out my postcard by clicking HERE.  

Write in a Daily Journal after Reading

Mr. Giso's Journal Idea #7 

After reading and listening to "Miss Rumphius," write about what you think you can do to make the world a better place.  You may be young, but there are so many simple things you can do around your house these days to make someone smile.  Imagine that you are now 20 or more years older.  What do you see yourself doing to leave your mark like Miss Rumphius? We can't wait to hear what you have to say.  Your thoughts are important.  They matter.  Thank you again, Mrs. Karam!

Print out my "Journal Pages" by clicking HERE if you'd like to have some paper.  There's a spot for an illustration, too.  Thank you, Mrs. Karam!

Mr. Giso's Ways to Learn at Home #6

"The Word Collector" 

Read Aloud, Make Your Own Word Collection  and Journal

Hi, my friends!  We have my student guest teacher Ms. Cipoletti back for another guest read aloud.  She has picked one of her favorites-- The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds.  This book celebrates the power of words.  Words that are fun to say.  Words that describe who you are.  Words that spark your imagination.  Words you have around your house.  Words that you come across in your books. Words, words, words in general!  After listening to this book, you can start to put together a word collection of your own.  Ms. Cipoletti will give you some ideas on how to find words after she reads you the book.  Enjoy listening to Jerome (the main character) teach you about the power words have.  Click  HERE to listen to the story.

Build Your Word Collection!

To get started on a word collection of your own, the possibilities are endless!  You can print out the activity I have prepared by clicking HERE.  All you need to do is search for words and put them on the blank slips of paper.  Of course, you can get a piece of paper, cut up slips and make a collection of our own.  You can even use a notebook to start a word collection.

You can even upload a picture of you with a special word to the official Word Collector Website by clicking HERE.  Share your word with the world!

Write in a Daily Journal after Reading

Mr. Giso's Journal Idea #6 

After reading and listening to "The Word Collector," write about words.  What words are unfamiliar to you?  What words are challenging?  What words do you think are fun to say?  What words can you find in your kitchen, book or games?  We can't wait to hear them.

Print out my "Journal Pages" by clicking HERE if you'd like to have some paper.  There's a spot for an illustration, too.  Get ready to hear from our Salem Community Volunteer, Mrs. Karam.  She is getting ready for your next activity.  It's going to be a good one.  Thank you, Ms. Cipoletti.  Thank you, Mrs. Karam!

Mr. Giso's Ways to Learn at Home #4

"Maybe: A Story About the Endless Potential in All of Us" 

Read Aloud and Journal

Happy Wednesday.  Today, we have a special read aloud and journal prompt put together by Ms. Cipoletti.  She's our guest student teacher from Salem State University.  Ms.  Cipoletti picked a book that was new to me.  I loved hearing it.  The illustrations are very different, too.  She does such a good job making sure that we have time to enjoy the illustrations.  Miss Cipoletti is also reading the "Little LuLu" series by Judith Viorst. I love these book so much.  There are now 4 published.  (Many of you read these with me).  They are a great read aloud for children and adults of any age.  Children in second grade and up can even work on reading them independently.

This book really is important because of its message.  Maybe is written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Gabriella Barouch.  It explains how all of us (big adults and small children) have lots of possibilities out there.  We can be anything and do anything.  I learned that no matter how young or how old you are, we never know what new things can come our way.  I have been thinking what possibilities are out there for me?

Click HERE to watch and to listen to Ms. Cipoletti read aloud this book. In the beginning, she will tell you an idea for a writing about reading--perfect for a journal.  I will explain what you can write, below too.

Write in a Daily Journal after Reading

Mr. Giso's Journal Idea #4 (Brought to you by Ms. Cipoletti)

After reading and listening to Maybe, write down what are your dreams.  You are important to us!  What makes you important?  Anyone can email me your journal, and I will make sure to send it to Ms. Cipoletti so she can hear your answers.  We love and miss you.

Print out my "Journal Pages" by clicking HERE if you'd like to have some paper.  There's a spot for an illustration, too.  Have a great day.

Mr. Giso's Ways to Learn At Home #3

What's a Memory?  Read Aloud and Scavenger Hunt

Good afternoon, all.  I'm hoping that you have had a happy and healthy weekend.  I've been enjoying all the email I've been getting.  It really puts me in a good mood to keep hearing from students old and new.  A lot of you want to know what I've been doing, since I can't be with you each day.  Teachers are still very busy having lots of video conferences with each other.  We are planning activities to send out and making sure we are reaching out to you.  In addition to that, I have been doing lots of cooking, cleaning and extra long walks with Velma and Winston.  Here is what I made for dinner yesterday--chicken piccata.  Well, it was actually "turkey" piccata because there was no chicken left in the supermarket.  Yummy!

Here is what cleaning in my living room was like this weekend.  I took off the couch cushions, vacuumed them, washed my comfy blankets and dusted lots of things.  Thank you mom and dad who helped buy me my favorite, orange (of course) couch.

Also, here is Velma and Winston on a walk.  They are doing what they do best.  Smelling. EVERYTHING.  Every. Chance. They. GET! I'm over the smelling, but am being patient because that's how they learn about their worlds.

Lots of you enjoyed my reading to you on Facebook, so I have another read aloud and an activity you can do at home.  The book is written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas. Mem Fox is a professor who teaches children's literature (just like me).  She's from Australia (not like me).  Watch me read aloud her book Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.  You can do that by clicking HERE.

 

After listening to the book, you can go around your house and hunt for things that spark your memory.  I prepared a list of things to gather around your home, just like Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge did to help Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt's memory.  You can use the picture below for your hunt or get a print out of the hunt by clicking HERE.  Special shout out to Mr. Gonzalez @teaching3rdwithmrg on Instagram for the idea of sharing memories that made me think of this book.  Have fun searching for memories!  Let me know what you come up with.  You can even put in a comment here, below this post.  There is a free spot on the hunt, so maybe you can challenge someone to get three in-a-row with you?

Write in a Daily Journal after Reading

Mr. Giso's Journal Idea #3

After reading listening to Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, write down what you would say if you had to teach someone younger than you what a "memory" is.  How would you do it?  What would you say?  Any examples you would want to include?

Print out my "Journal Pages" by clicking HERE if you'd like to have some paper.  There's a spot for an illustration, too.  Let's have a great week.  I'm going to work some mathematics things you can do and a race you can have at home to teach you about evaporation.  Stay tuned...

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick

Title:  Front Desk

Author:  Kelly Yang

Mr. Giso's Book Pick Number:  8

Received or Recommended By:  Mrs. Erps, The Literacy Coach at my school

Number of Pages:  286

Level/Target Audience:  Grades 3-8

Genre:  Realistic Fiction with an Autobiographical influence

Date Finished:  July 29, 2019

Part of a Series?:  No, but the sequel to Front Desk is coming in 2020!

First Lines:  My parents told me that America would be this amazing place where we could live in a house with a dog, do whatever we want, and eat hamburgers until we were red in the face.  So far, the only part of that we've achieved is the hamburger part, but I was still holding out hope.  And the hamburgers are pretty good.

Last Lines:  "Wait, wait, wait!" she said.  "Let's get a picture!"  "I'll take it!" Hank jumped out.  As he held his hand up and clicked, I looked around at my new family and smiled.  It was a picture I'd been waiting a long, long, time for.

Teaching Points:  Immigration, Chinese culture/customs, character development, social justice/injustice, family

This incredible read took me along the journey of Mia and her parents-- all three immigrants from China who traveled to America in search of freedom.  Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel while her parents work tirelessly to clean and upkeep the motel for its guests.  The Tang family, together with the residents who live weekly in the motel, teach us what compassion, loyalty, hard work and freedom really mean.  Family can be chosen.  We follow Mia's hopes and dreams, feel her letdowns and heartbreak and are left with a piece of her heart.  Many accounts of Mia and her parents are based on the author's childhood working in several motels.  This makes this read even more poignant and inspirational for me.

We are reminded of how much we can learn through the eyes of a child and how they are, in fact, listening to their elders-- even if it may appear that they aren't.  Mia reflects, "My grandmother used to say that people don't change.  Our heart is like a rubber band.  It might stretch a little, but it snaps right back."  Mia isn't quite sure that this is true.  She has hope it's not.  Mia knows that if people don't have the power to change, we are in a way, doomed!  I'm with her.  

Reflecting upon this book's significance, Kelly Yang notes "Often during tough times, the first instinct is to exclude.  But this book is about what happens when you include, when despite all your suffering and your heartache, you still wake up every morning and look out at the world with fresh, curious eyes."  This story is so inspiring, and it's not over.  A sequel comes out in 2020.  Thank you Ms. Yang for sharing so much of your childhood with us.

Good Reader Strategies at Work in Room 120

For those of you current or former first grade teachers out there, I definitely enjoy how well my students can "suddenly" read after the winter break.  Months of phonics, word work, guided reading and sight word practice just seems to click this time of year.  That's when I choose to formerly and explicitly teach our good reader strategies.  We use them all year, but by this point in the year they are ready to better express, through writing, their use of each strategy.  Each strategy is introduced one by one with the following steps.  Click here for a former blog post where I had  introduced these teaching tools.  Here they are again at the top of my bulletin boards.

Step 1:  Interactive Read Aloud-- 

I select a book that is perfect for introducing the good reader strategy.  I discuss the strategy, provide examples and model using the strategy as I do my read aloud.  I use the same activity sheet they will be using to do this (this is key).  We use the appropriate visual for the strategy to reinforce what we are doing.

Step 2:  Guided Practice--

I give my students time to practice using the new good reader strategy in a book that is at their instructional reading level.  Students either work with a partner, myself (in their guided reading group) or independently with a paraprofessional checking in and guiding them along the way every so often.  Again, they use the same activity sheet as I did in my introduction in step one.

Step 3:  Independent Practice--

I give my students their "Good Reader Strategies" book which you can get by clicking here.  Using a book from their browsing boxes [(a box of books too easy (for fluency), a little challenging (for scaffolding purposes) and just right], they read a book of their choice and perform the reading strategy.  Again, the "Good Reader Strategies" book has the same activity sheet at steps 1 and 2.  The key here is that I provide minimal support.

This week we are well into our "Asking Questions" strategy, so I have some pictures I'm excited to share with you for the more visual learners (like myself).

To model this strategy in my interactive read aloud, I used the Reading Rainbow book entitled Lion Dancer Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year.  First, I read the cover and the inside title page and made my question sentence.  "I wonder why there is a dragon."

Next, I read a little more, noting the features of informational text such as the photographs, captions, labels, etc.  As I read, I decided to stop and model a few more of my questions.  If my "I wonder" statement was answered, I circled yes.  When I got to the end of the book, there was one question that did not get answered.  There was a red mixture rubbed on the lion costume's face.  I wondered why, but the book didn't tell me.  Does anyone know?

Note how I have a glitter-foam arrow that I cut out and hot-glued  to a clothespin clipped on the "Ask Questions" strategy.

After some guided practice with a partner where I closely monitored what I needed to reteach, clarify or celebrate, we used our "Good Reader Strategies" books to use the strategy independently.  One of my firsties read the book Marvin's Woolly Mammoth by Jill Eggleston (Sails program by Rigby).  Here is the student's book and "I wonder" statements.

If you read the second one, this student wrote (spelling fixed of course) "I wonder what's a mammoth."  Pretty spot on question, based on the title!  Upon reading further, this reader encountered this text on the eighth page.

The reader was delighted to discover that woolly mammoths were like elephants, had long hair and long tusks.  A "yes" was circled right away noting that the text had answered the question.

Although this student also wanted to also see if they live in the Arctic, that question never got answered.  Next week my first graders are very excited to move on to our next strategy... visualizing!