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Caldecott Medal 2022 Predictions

The 2022 Caldecott Medal award winner will be announced in just a few weeks, which means it’s time for my predictions on which book will take home the top prize and who will be runner-up. The ALA awards will be given out sometime in mid-January. Members of the Caldecott committee work hard all year to choose the book they think is deserving of this distinguished award. Members of the committee read thousands of picture books throughout the year. Then they must narrow their choices down to 7 titles each. Once they have this much smaller list, they spend hours debating about which book should receive the top honor. Every year I always come up with my own list of titles that I believe will be contenders. This year I have come up with 15 books that I believe should be on the list (although I have not read nearly

The Best Picture Books for Teaching Character Traits

Teaching students about character traits in reading is important but can be difficult to do. Character traits are such an ABSTRACT idea that some children have a hard time understanding what character traits are. Students typically have to use inferencing skills to “read between the lines” of what information the author is giving you about the characters in the story, such as what the character is saying and doing. How to Teach About Character Traits Start by defining exactly WHAT character traits are. Then together, make an anchor chart about character traits. Have students help you name certain traits that they believe characters in stories might have. Make sure to get them thinking about character traits on the OUTSIDE and on the INSIDE! I like to do another lesson about positive character traits vs. negative character traits. (Some traits can even be neutral). Finally, my biggest piece of advice

8 Great Picture Books for Teaching the Main Idea

Are you constantly looking for picture books to teach about the main idea of a story? Some people confuse the theme with the main idea. The theme or central idea of a book is the lesson, moral or message the reader takes away after reading. The main idea is what the book is about and can usually be stated as a short summary. It’s important for students to start understanding the main idea (and supporting details) of a story after reading it. This means that they should be able to retell the story to show their comprehension of it, stating the main idea and at least three details that can support the main idea of the story. Some Tips for Teaching the Main Idea A read aloud can be one of the most overlooked strategies that can be used to teach main idea and supporting details. When performing a

8 Awesome Fiction and Nonfiction Picture Books for Teaching Cause and Effect

Are you constantly looking for different fiction and nonfiction books for teaching cause and effect to your elementary students? Teaching about story elements such as cause and effect, main idea, character traits, problem and solution and comparing/ contrasting are very important. I’ve compiled a list of 8 awesome fiction and nonfiction picture books for teaching cause and effect to make your life simpler. TEACHING CAUSE & EFFECT Teaching children about cause and effect develops critical thinking skills important for all ages of children — from the 3-year-old deciding not to run across the street to the 11-year-old deciding how to handle peer pressure. Picture books are an especially great way to teach about this concept because the illustrations support the meaning of the text and show cause and effect in action. Start with a picture walk to open a discussion around the key cause and effect moments. Reinforce to

The 5 Best Fiction and Nonfiction Book Pairings for Older Students

Do you use fiction and nonfiction book pairings for older students? Book pairings are great to use with students of all ages because it helps students understand the characteristics of each type of writing and may just encourage students to read both fiction and nonfiction books. A book pairing simply means that a fiction AND nonfiction book on the same topic can be read together for a lesson to compare and contrast. Check out this recent blog post all about the 5 best fiction and nonfiction book pairings for younger students. Today let’s talk about the 5 best fiction and nonfiction book pairings for older students. When I say older students, I’m talking about typically 4th-7th graders. Book pairings between fiction and nonfiction books are especially important for older elementary and middle school students because by this age, you really want to encourage students to read both types of

The 5 Best Fiction and Nonfiction Book Pairings for Younger Students

Do you use fiction and nonfiction book pairings with your students? Book pairings are great to use with students of all ages because it helps students understand the characteristics of each type of writing and may just encourage students to read both fiction and nonfiction books. A book pairing simply means that a fiction AND nonfiction book on the same topic can be read together for a lesson to compare and contrast. Fiction and nonfiction book pairings are important for younger students because it begins to develop their understanding of the difference between the two genres. Make sure you use books that are shorter in length with students in grades K-2 so that you have plenty of time to re-read the books if needed and discuss them in detail during the lesson. Here’s how to create a book pairing: Pick a topic (Check out this book list on similar

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Caldecott Medal 2022 Predictions

The Best Picture Books for Teaching Character Traits

8 Great Picture Books for Teaching the Main Idea

8 Awesome Fiction and Nonfiction Picture Books for Teaching Cause and Effect

The 5 Best Fiction and Nonfiction Book Pairings for Older Students

The 5 Best Fiction and Nonfiction Book Pairings for Younger Students

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