Chapter 9: Poetry

Bringing poetry into the classroom is very important for children because it teaches the student rhythm and improves fluency. Like all things there are strategies. Some strategies for bring poetry into the classroom and having them entertained:

• Teacher must read poetry with passion and energy.
• Encourage children to write in poetic fashion.
• Have a lot of poetry books in the classroom.
• Explore poets.
• Write poems
• Ask students to bring in poems.

Something I would do as a teacher is have a poem of the day board. :)

Pinterest: An education website?

In, The Joy of Literature, textbook it gives the reader a lot of strategies and helpful hints that help future teacher. It also encourages the reader to  stay updated with all the helpful sites and books out there.

Something that might surprise you is that, Pinterest, is a great education website. On Pinterest teachers and future teacher post valuable sites and strategies. The site allows you to see pictures of the strategy or classroom assignment as well as read a description on how it works. Below people can leave comments that says wether or not the like the assignment.

When I look at the sight I find it very inspiring. It always me to brain storm new ideas for lessons and projects.Take a look for yourself!

http://pinterest.com/all/?category=education

Shel Silverstein

While doing my Annotated Bibliography I  learned about a lot about new and old authors as well as some new and old books. One author that really struck the heart was Shel Silverstein. I remember when I was a little girl and I read some books  oh his books but I came across ones I have never read before. I always loved reading his books because they soo cooky and strange but meaningful. I love the feel I get when I read poetry. It very easy for me to connect to. I would recommend all his books to any reader no matter what age.

Here is a great website for kids:
http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html

All about Jane Kurtz

Jane Kurtz was born in Portland, Oregon in 1952 but moved to Ethiopia at the age of two.  Her parents were missionaries and raised six children including Jane. Her family lived in a small town called Maji. In this town there were no electricity, which meant no television, no movies and no radio. Her days consisted of exploring the environment around her by climbing trees, playing in the dirt and laughing with her five siblings. Jane Kurtz remembers Ethiopia as a magical place.

Jane Kurtz showed her writing talents at a young age.  She insists that she can’t even remember a time where she was not writing. Even in second grade her teacher praised her poetry talents, which is why her mother and father both encouraged her to continue to write. By the time she reached fourth grade she was sent to a boarding school in Addis Ababa. At the age of 18 she moved back to the United States to attend college. For years Jane did not talk about her life in Ethiopia because she didnt think anyone could relate to her. To learn more about her, please visit the following sites.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Jane Kurtz Official Website: http://www.janekurtz.com/index.html

Word Press Jane Kurtz: http://janekurtz.wordpress.com/

Article on Jane Kurtz: http://www.patriciamnewman.com/kurtz.html

Interview with Jane Kurtz: http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/authors/interviews/JaneKurtz.html

Chapter 8: Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is all about creating a sense on realism. It benefits the readers because it conveys a sense of life. Young reader begin to develop a perspective ad understanding that present and future relate to the past. The categories of Historical fiction is usually war or past eras. Allowing pretend play or dramatizations  benefit students because it gives them a deeper understanding of the content.


Great website to find Historical Fiction Book for Children : http://bookgirl3.tripod.com/historicalfiction.html

Chapter 7: Realistic Fiction

Categories of Realistic Fiction:

• Survival/Adventure
• Mystery
• Humor
• Animals
• Sports
• Family
• Growing up

Benefits:

• Portrays honestly
• Expands children's framework
• Literary framework
• Experience interactions

Top Rated Read Aloud:

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

Chapter 6: Modern Fantasy

The role of Modern Fantasy in Literacy Development:

1. Reading aloud
2. Clarifying differences among genres
3. Discussing Motifs
4. Scaffolding: characters, plot, and setting
5. Truth in fantasy
6. Literacy devices
7. Using visualization                          Modern Fantasy