SOL 2: Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

As a lover of children’s literature, I often post authors’ birthdays on my calendar. I then give tribute to them and read a book to a class as often as I can. As a literacy coach, I send emails out to the staff with links to the authors and ideas they might use.

So to my surprise, yesterday I received an email from a fellow teacher. She was kindly sharing her week-long ideas to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday. I was stunned at my forgetfulness. I mean, Dr. Seuss. Everyone knows Dr. Seuss.  I just looked at the email and thought, where have I been?

Well, I breathed.

Then I thought.  I’ve been:

• instructing writing techniques for the ISTEP prompt
• meeting with new teachers
• coordinating four Title I assistants
• reading with first graders
• animating language lessons
• quieting grumblings
• coordinating new Title groups
• juggling two full-time positions

And, oh yeah … trying to stay sane.

So, Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!  Oh the Places I’ll Go!

Machines Go to Work

Love this book!  The cover grabbed my attention and immediately thought of some students who would love reading it. The pictures are bold.  The text gives descriptions of what the machine is doing.  After the two page spread, the children will be delighted with a 3 page fold out of the machine doing something helpful.

I always read the book jacket.  The information gives me a glimpse of the author’s life.  William Low is a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. He has also written Old Penn Station, which seems fascinating.  On his author’s link, William Low has a you tube video of how he uses digital technology with his illustrations.  Check it out.

Big machinery often catches the eyes of my kids.  They still ask question of wonderment – what task is it going to accomplish today?  Young children will enjoy the enlarged scenes.  The full-page flap heightens the excitement.  I can hear children making guesses as to what the machine’s job is.  At the end of the book, two pages label small pictures of each machine and their description of uses.

Savorings for reading and in writing for Machines Go to Work:

• Onomatopoeia – each machine is introduced with a sound it makes
• Informational – excellent mentor text for an All About Book unit of study
• Specific vocabulary – backhoe – stabilizers
• Repeating structure – Is the (machine) ....
• Prediction – excellent to begin teaching children in grades K and first
• Open full page flap

WPLibrary and PES new book