Mrs. P's Reading is Cool Blog

Giving the Gift of Reading is Beyond Valuable & Thanks to Our Libraries it’s Free!

Even though my mother never finished high school she was a reader and she passed her love of it on to me - and I do so love to read. She took me to the library, and provided me with access to those books, and they became a big part of me. As a child if I loved a book I would re-read it once a year. Some of my yearly favorites were: Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth, Jr and his sister Ernestine Gilbreth Carey; Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein. It might seem like an odd combination of books - two biographies and a fantasy tale but what they had in common was living life in a fun, creative and adventurous way. That was the kind of life I wanted as a child and it is the kind of life I created for myself and lead now that I am grown. And that is what the library provided to me, a gift that stretched my imagination and developed a life long love of reading.

Part of my mission is  to help stretch the imaginations of young students. The library holds to key to opening the door of possibilities.  Just look at the images of these libraries!  Who wouldn't want to pass through these doors?
                                                      
I read everyday for entertainment, comfort and to keep my imagination toned and ever ready for my next adventure. Giving someone the gift of reading is beyond valuable and thanks to our libraries it's free. So why not share the gift of reading with every man, woman and child you know - and of course don't forget to gift yourself. Get a library card!

Here are some fun books about the library to use as inspiration to get your students excited about visiting this magical place!

 

 

Back to School FREE Resource Roundup! Ideas to Inspire Creativity & Literacy in the Classroom!

 

                                                                                                                  

It’s that time of year when teachers are planning for their students to come back to the classroom. I’ve learned first hand from my many interactions with teachers and librarians that budgets are tight and time is limited, so I thought I would put together a list of FREE resources for inspiring creativity & literacy in the classroom. My website is always free and my Storytime YouTube channel offers the words to help early readers too.  I also know that many schools are still offering remote learning so some of the resources might help out too. 

So enjoy this list of FREEBIES!

ONLINE LEARNING lesson from Mrs. P

I help kids learn how to exercise their imagination while building effective listening and writing skills. The magic comes about by sharing the simple secret – “If you can tell a story, you can write a story.” I share techniques on how to create and share an original story. These simple and entertaining examples inspire students to create their own stories and share them both out loud and on paper. This lesson gives a student’s imagination a serious workout, encourages communication and provides tools to help them build a strong sense of self while helping to generate self-confidence. Proof positive that learning can be fun!

 
 

MUSIC HELPS TEACH LITERACY SKILLS

In this lesson I use the three “R’s”: rhythm, rhyme and repetition. Singing can help children learn to read while having fun and strengthening their comprehension in the process. So how about a little music?

 

AUDIOBOOKS HELP BUILD VOCABULARY

                                                                                                                  
I love research and articles that provide information on what we can do to help promote reading! Here is a great resource from Tales2GO about how audiobooks allow children to build their vocabularies and encourage them to stretch their imaginations!   Check out these classroom and home audiobook activities and make sure you check out the lesson plans they offer. 

LESSON RESOURCES

• My imagination launcher videos help jump start imaginations.
• Try my Imagination launcher worksheet to download for your class to inspire storytelling.
• Check out my poetry fun playlists sharing simple poems to inspire students to write their own.
• Watch vocabulary fun with early readers. This helps young readers build their vocabularies by hearing and seeing the words.

Don’t miss my Teacher Page, created just for you. Filled with story playlists and blogs to accompany them with ideas for your class.