The Turning of the Year

Bill Martin Jr. is an author who brings rhythm and rhyme to the his writing.  Although this text, The Turning of the Year, is short, the words are rich.  It was like savoring each bite of Turtle Cheesecake.  The text takes you through each month of the year – with only two lines per page. 

Greg Shed, the illustrator, infers so much more with his illustrations.  One painted page shows a scene from a typical day.  On the text page, Greg scatters items that represent other activities.  These clues lift the level of comprehension, especially for younger children.

Savorings in reading and in writing for The Turning of the Year:

• Context Clues – rich vocabulary
• Class book idea – your students could create a page about activities happening each month for the school year
• Repeating Structure – each month has activities
• Personification – “earth fashions green“
• Inferring

Warsaw Public Library book

Happy New 2010!!

Happy New Year everyone!  I have enjoyed 2009 and am looking forward to 2010.  Someone said recently that you can always start fresh, remembering the accomplishments you are proud of and making improvements on what didn’t meet your standards.  I’m so glad that each day I can make a choice for the better.  As a teacher, I want my students to strive for the best.

After having some surprising health issues, I am making a comeback.  Christmas break was wonderful, but my body seemed to know that I was on vacation and thus did not go at my normal fast pace.   I’m glad 2010 is here.  More great books are on their way.

Thank you again for your comments.  They do help fuel my energy.  An audience is so important.