If there is one thing that makes people fall in love with reading, I believe it is the ability to visualize. The ability to take the words on a page and turn them into a mental movie. It's visualizing that allows you to immerse yourself into a book and escape the here and now. While this skill comes naturally for some, it is a skill that often needs to be taught and practiced for many. Today I am sharing my favorite picture books for teaching visualizing. How to Teach ... Read the Post
10 Picture Books for Teaching Visualizing
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 ... Read the Post
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 ... Read the Post
Back to School Books by Kevin Henkes
Are you looking for some back to school books by Kevin Henkes? He is hands down one of my favorite authors! Kevin Henkes is a brilliant author and he is also the illustrator of his own stories, which I find amazing! Not to mention he is both a Caldecott Medal winner and Newbery Honor winner. Most of the characters in his books are animals that act as humans and I believe that young children actually relate to these characters quite a lot. Henkes’ work is best known for touching on hot-button ... Read the Post
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 ... Read the Post
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 ... Read the Post
