The PRIDE of Fairview

To continue the thoughts of the last post on the importance of conversation as a way to help your student comprehend.

The way to start or continue a conversation with your child is to read with them.  Books can provide doors for sharing family history, values clarification, problem-solving strategies, “hot topics” like race relations, sexual attitudes, and a way to explore world thinking. Books-stories, words provided visually (paper& print) auditorially (CD, DVD, podcasts) virtual (visual & audio via the web).

An example of how a conversation with a picture book can enhance understanding of learning let me share what happened with The Rust, Trusty Tractor by  Joy Cowley.  The minute I saw the book I imagined sharing this “farm” story with my urban students to engage them in conversation about something they had not experienced but which might provide background knowledge to build their understanding for future reading.

With the cover of the book as an impetus we talked about rust and how it occurs.  Then onto trusty and its significance as a word we were all expected to practice.   As I thought about it, this was pretty deep subject matter for 4 year olds.  Yet they did have a handle on what is involved in the action of trust.  This conversation also allowed clarification or redirection for those students who did not have a clear understanding of the word. 

As we read through the book, the harrow, plow, seed drill, and baler, old farm implements and now residents of farm implement museums, were given an initial introduction to the students.  I doubt that they could tell you today what the purpose of the implements were, but at least they should have a memory of the word somewhere buried in their brain.  The intent is that having heard the word, the next time the student meets one of these words, a ping may be made in the brain to recall both the sound and some connection as to meaning.  This is how the conservation builds comprehension.

While I will never say “don’t read to a child”, I would like to expand the directive to include “talk to your child.”  I work with students from age 4 to 14.  I am always brought up short in their inability to carry on a conversation on a topic or in an interactive exchange.  They listen, rarely question, and move on.  Hence my word of encouragement to parents and teachers is to converse with the child.  Listen to what they say, how they say it, and what they don’t say.  Then prod and encourage their framing of a question about something not clear in their thinking.

I am convinced from my observations that some of the so called phonics difficulties lie in the child never having heard the word or not having the word in his active vocabulary.  It is almost impossible for me to read a word I haven’t heard and have no idea of  meaning.  There is no peg of previous knowledge or experience to hang this new idea on.  The advice is  to talk with your child in a two-way conversation and find out what they are thinking.  Have the child struggle a bit with putting their thoughts into words.  It is through this struggle that they grow in understanding.  Asking questions can help them think in new directions.  But even greater gain can be acheived if the child hears a great variety of words (vocabulary) in many different contexts and accents.  Children will speak and read words which they have heard.  If you hear your child speaking in ways that are unfamiliar to you, find out who they have been listening to.  If your child has difficulty decoding a particular word, ask yourself when was the last time that word was used in conversation with the child.  When the student brings home a list of sight words to learn, spelling words to practice, or vocabulary words for word study, take a couple of the words and try to weave them into your conversation with the child.  Your help is priceless.

I am particularly aware of this when I read with the K4’s or K5’s.  We examine such words as “liar,” “rotten,” “trust,” “plow,” and many many more.  I am truly amazed at how much the little ones do know and equally amazed at how they can express their understanding.

Turn off the TV and have a conversation between family memebers. You will be undergirding the reading writing ability of your student.

Along the main hallway at Fairview School are posted READ posters of our great staff.  Each staff person has their special book in hand.  We hope to encourage students to read by showing them how important reading is to the staff.  Visit the hallway and see the staff in action!

Staff also check books out of the LMC.  Tracking the number of books that patrons check out of the library is part of the encouraging strategy.  During the month of February, staff checked out 246 materials.   When students see staff using the library, they will “catch” the idea that reading has value.

We have some exciting things in the LMC to help children learn. 

Mrs. Meyer is visiting classrooms 2nd grade through 8th grade every other week with a selection of books and shares a book talk with students and teachers.  The books that are shared are listed on a bookmark to enable students to remember the title of a book they may want to check out on their next visit to the LMC.  Students have responded to the booktalks with a positive rise in requests for titles shared.    On the back of the bookmark is a quest question for students to complete if they wish.  The quest is to help students recognize and use the many tools that we have available in the LMC such as internet, virtual library, dictionaries, and other print tools.  If a student completes the quest and hands it in to Mrs. Conner, they receive a small token treat.

A new item offered this fall through the vendors is the PlayAway.   This is a very popular item allowing students to listen to an audiobook on a small self-contained mp3 player.  Only the book is on the player and only the book can be loaded onto the player.  We have 11 titles at this time and all of them are in circulation with a waiting list in place.   Because of the cost of the item, students are required to have a parent signed permission slip to check out the PlayAways.

Our first major order of the school year  has been  received.  New books have been shared through the book talks.  A major part of the order was DVD’s of Bill Nye’s science series.  We had some of these titles on VHS tapes, but now we will have all of the titles on DVD.  Because of the size of the order, we will receive many DVD players for classrooms as well.  Students and teachers can look forward to some exciting learning adventures with the famous Bill Nye.

I am sorry that it has been so long before I updated the news at the LMC.  Perhaps it was because we recieved over 500 books into the library collection during the month of April.  Some of the snags along the way are consuming my time in May.  However, we are pleased with the year. 

I remind you to visit the school web site and go to the LMC page http://www2.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/fairview

 I am trying to put up short video clips with quick reviews of the new books that we have received.  I probably won’t get them completed before the end of the year but will have them ready for fall.  Hopefully this will be a quick and interesting way for students to get a taste of the different books that the LMC has to offer.  Parents likewise can click on the clip and get an idea of what is available for their students.

You will also find some podcasts (audio) presented by students reviewing different magazines that the library now has on hand.  Some of them are not well known titles but are written by kids for kids.  I wonder if there would be any interest in publishing a Fairview Magazine of student work?  How to finance that undertaking is a big thought.

This Friday May 26th is the last day for checking out books.  It will take the next two weeks to get all the books returned and the overdues found and returned.  I want to thank Mrs. C and Ms. P for the great work that they do.  They also have the big job of inventorying the entire collection.  This is no little task as we have 18, 353 books/materials in the LMC.  The effort is to streamline our organization so that every item on the shelf is current, and in good condition for students to use.  My time of late has been devoted to weeding.  Until this year, I had no idea of what weeding a library was all about.  It involves removing books that are out of date, (published before 1980), poor condition, (torn and marked up), or irrelevant to the curriculum, (using pictures of a dial telephone for instance).  The weeding process also involves checking the call number to see if it fits the use intended.  Many times I find books that have never been checked out because no one would look for them on the shelf with their present call number.  The focus this year has been on making sure we have a collection of books that current, reflect new trends or interests and that appeal to all students k-8.  Now we have the materials; the next step will be to make the students aware of the materials and easy for them to access.

Don’t forget to visit the blog, Lion’s Lair for book reviews  mathnut.edublogs.org

and if you are an educator take a look at read&write  wordsetc.edublogs.org

Being a person who likes to try new things and having the opportunity to try ebooks in our library was enough to prod me into ordering ebooks.  We have had three for over a year.  However appealing the concept is, the practacality of the ebook idea is like a maze that I have been traveling for a long time and have no exit in sight.  However that does not stop my commitment to the idea, so I ordered a few more ebooks that will appeal to a different age level.  The ebooks are installed and ready to use.  Now I need to find the time to introduce them to the classes.  One drawback is the only computers that will have access are the ones in the LMC lab.  Believe me, I will not give up.  I will somehow figure out how to get this media material to the students.  Somehow someday.

Meanwhile, have you explored the Milwaukee Public Library ebooks available as audio files, downloadable for a time period to listen to on computer, or MP3 player.  The advantages are great: no time wasted in driving to the library, or returning the item.  You download the material over the internet and at the end of the loan time, it automatically disappears from your files.  It is returned. 

Fairview’s ebooks are visual displays on the computer, only available in the LMC lab at this time.  Try them out after school, or during a computer lab time.  Let me know what you think of this material delivery. 

E BOOKS MAR. 06

629.22 Bud
ATVs [eBook] / by E.S. Budd. Reading Level: 3.7
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. Chanhassen, MN : Child’s World, c2004. Introduces all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), what they do, how they work, and how to be safe on and around them.
 

796.357 Kil
Baseball [eBook] / by Cynthia Klingel and Robert B. Noyed. Reading Level: 1.1
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. Chanhassen, MN : Child’s World, c2001. Illustrations and simple text describe the fun a child has playing baseball.
 

796.323 Owe
Basketball arenas [eBook] / Thomas S. Owens. Reading Level: 8.1
Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Title proper from title frame.;Electronic reproduction. Brookfield, CT : Millbrook Press, 2002.;Includes bibliographical references (p. 58) and index. Outlines the history of basketball’s early courts and gyms, and discusses how modern arenas are funded and constructed and how they function during games.
Horn Book (Fall, 2002)
In this book about past and present basketball courts serving professional teams, most of the black-and-white and color photos of basketball arenas are clear, but the narrative is loosely organized, lacking in transition, and both spotty and anecdotal in coverage. The book is an inadequate introduction for the young sports fan.
 

796.323 Cro
Basketball in action [eBook] / John Crossingham & Sarah Dann. Reading Level: 4.1
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. New York : Crabtree Pub. Co., c2000.;Includes index. Introduces the techniques, equipment, rules, and safety requirements of basketball.
 

796.6 Spe
Bicycle stunt riding [eBook] / by Russ Spencer. Reading Level: 6.5
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. Chanhassen, MN : Child’s World, 2005.;Includes bibliographical references (p. 31) and index.;Humans and machines — History of a hybrid — Gears and events — Let the good times roll — The bicycle big time. Presents a short study of bicycle stunt riding and provides practical information on motocross races, BMX riders, equipment, and amateur as well as professional competition.
 

796.6 Kil
Biking [eBook] / by Cynthia Klingel and Robert B. Noyed. Reading Level: 1.2
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. Chanhassen, MN : Child’s World, 2001.;Includes bibliographical references (p. 24) and index. Illustrations and simple text describe the fun a child has riding a new bicycle.
 

523.8 Dav
Black holes [eBook] / Amanda Davis. Reading Level: 3.1
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. New York : PowerKids Press, 1997.;Includes index.;There’s no hole in a black hole — The life cycle of a star — Black holes are massive — The gravity of a black hole — Why don’t black holes shine? — Black holes are hard to study — Can we see black holes? — How many black holes are there? — Will Earth be sucked into a black hole? — Time. Briefly describes the formation and composition of black holes and the forces connected with them.
 

629.227 Bud
BMX bicycles [eBook] / by E.S. Budd. Reading Level: 3.0
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. Chanhassen, MN : Child’s World, c2004. Describes BMX history, bikes, gear, races, and freestyle riding in simple text, and includes color photos.
 

F Ber
The Berenstain Bears and the Green-eyed Monster [eBook] / Stan & Jan Berenstain. Interest Level: K-3
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. New York : ipicturebooks.com, 2004. Sister is overcome with jealousy when Brother gets a shiny new ten-speed bike for his birthday.
 

796.6 Sti
Dear diary, I’m dead [eBook] / R.L. Stine. Reading Level: 6.2
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. New York : Avon, 2001.;”Parachute Press.” Alex Smith discovers that information about the future mysteriously appears in his diary.
 

F For
The door to the secret city [eBook] / Kathleen J. Forti. Interest Level: 5-8
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. S.l. : Mind Like Water, Inc., c2004. While unconscious from an accident, Freddie meets a guardian angel who takes Freddie’s spirit on trips to learn about selfishness, loneliness, positive thinking, and prayer.
 

F Sti
Liar liar [eBook] / R.L. Stine. Reading Level: 5.4
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. New York : Avon, 2001.;”Parachute Press.” Ross Arthur is a boy with good looks, intelligence, a movie executive father– and a penchant for telling lies. He will find out what little lying will do for him once he enters The Nightmare Room.
 

636.976 Hor
101 facts about ferrets [eBook] / Claire Horton-Bussey. Reading Level: 5.1
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. Milwaukee, WI : Gareth Stevens, 2002.;Includes bibliographical references (p. 31) and index. Provides information about ferrets, how to care for them, and how to understand their behavior.
Horn Book (Fall, 2002)
The “facts” in these volumes include histories of the animals, breeds and colorings, and care and enjoyment of the animals, set up in numbered paragraphs and illustrated with color photos that often demonstrate the texts’ points. The numbered arrangement creates a haphazard text flow with choppy transitions, but overall the series provides enough information to get young pet lovers started.
 

636.9 ar
101 facts about guinea pigs [eBook] / Julia Barnes. Interest Level: K-3
Title proper from title frame.;Mode of access: World Wide Web.;Electronic reproduction. New York : ipicturebooks.com, c2001.;Includes bibliographical references (p. 31). Color photos accompany more than one hundred facts about guinea pigs, covering care, and training. Also includes a glossary and a list of related books and Web sites.
 

A site with word games for kids. Free and does not require you to download.

http://familyfun.go.com/games/online-games/feature/word-game-finder-ms/

A site to give you the variations of the Three Little Pigs.

http://www.ferrum.edu/applit/bibs/tales/Other3Pigs.htm

Whyvillians (our “citizens” call themselves Whyvillians) come from all over the world to learn, create, and have fun together. Whyville is their world. Whyville has places to go, things to do, and of course, people to see. Whyville has its own newspaper, its own Senators, its own beach, museum, City Hall and town square, its own suburbia, and even its own economy - Whyvillians earn “clams” by playing educational games. And much, much, much more!

Joining Whyville is free, but Whyvillians can purchase Why-Passes for extra perks. The primary support for Whyville comes from its sponsors.

Like to learn more?

http://b.whyville.net/smmk/top/about

It looks fascinating even though I didn’t have time to play the games.