Mrs. P's Reading is Cool Blog

Prepare your class for my Heroes themed K-4 annual Writing contest!

This year’s Be-a-Famous writer contest will be my 10th annual! Ten years of filling classrooms with books! WOW, it almost makes me feel like a superhero! I suppose my super power is to unlock the imaginations of students. The theme this year is all about heroes! There are so many kinds of heroes. From superheroes, with their extraordinary powers and awesome adventures, to real-life heroes —fireman, policeman, athletes, activists, teachers,— the many role models we look up too. There are so many examples of books with heroes for kids to read to prepare for the contest. Heroes can be people or animals!

                            My contest is all about stretching and exercising the imagination muscle. When we start the process of story telling and using my advice “If you can tell a story, you can write a story” we can find something magical. Not burdened by the correct spelling or sentence structure, just telling a story lets students discover their storytelling superpowers. They are free and have are no limits to their imaginations. So before you get them writing for the contest, how about starting off with a discussion to get the creative juices flowing.

• What is a hero? What are some adjectives that describe a hero?
• Who are some heroes you can name from history? What did they do that makes them heroic?
• Who are your role models? Are role models the same as heroes?
• Are there rules to being a super hero? Do they always have to save the day?
• If you were a superhero what costume would you choose? What would your super power be?
• Can a hero be an animal?  Can you think of a book where the animal was the hero?
• Can a friend be a hero? What would make them one in your eyes?

Use the theme as an opportunity for a trip to the library to read books about heroes. Students can explore different genres for example. Or let students explore different formats in reading such as graphic novels and audio books. Allowing students to explore in their reading can help build their vocabularies and comprehension skills. Many teachers create a research lesson around our theme, and heroes certainly let’s them make many book selections.  You can read about how teachers have used it in their classrooms and some of the benefits they saw.

I have a very special video made by students for your students to inspire them.

Be sure and watch this video to learn all of the details of the contest, so you can incorporate it into your classroom next fall!

So, think about how you can bring this FREE contest into your classroom.  Be a hero at your school, as your class will be filled with books and technology if you win!  These amazing companies provide it.

5th Graders Creative Efforts Inspire Young Writers

Do you have any heroes in your life? Well, I have a story about a whole classroom of 5th graders that I want to introduce to you. Here is how this story unfolded.

                                                                            

Recently, I did a video interview with Dyane Smokorowski, an amazing teacher who works in the Andover Public School system in Kansas. She let me know that a rock star teacher in Georgia, named Eric Crouch, would be editing the video down for her. I had never met Eric, but soon I got an email from him with a storyboard from his class of fifth graders about another project.

The storyboard was about my 10th annual heroes themed writing contest. It was just brilliant. I sent to my elf who was beside herself over it too. It was better than anything we had done before for the contest, because it was through the eyes of children and how they see the contest.

The message and how they captured it was so authentic. They asked to collaborate with me and for me do some voice overs to use in the video. They sent me a script. I recorded the audio files and sent them to them. Then I got the video. This amazing video. 

 

This class of 5th graders, through their own creative efforts, are sharing my writing contest with younger students to inspire them to tell their story. Their focus, determination and generosity are traits that embody that of heroes. These fifth graders are selfless, creative and empowered. And they want other students to share their own voice.

I asked Eric to share with me what his students were like. Here was his response:
“My students are fifth graders and I have the great fortune of keeping them all day long. No class changing! My students are from all over the world. We our a huge military town and our school (Double Churches Elementary) is primarily comprised of military families. Being so transient it is even more imperative that my students have the most incredible learning experiences in the world. We absolutely love learning about the world and how we can solve the problems facing our communities.”

I learned that everyone in the class was involved and about some of the other creative projects they had done. Earlier this year they design and printed a 3D Printed ornament that they sold to save a school in Kimilili, Kenya. They raised $4,000 in 8 days.  They also gave away 20 iPads to two very deserving teachers and are sending 10 more to their friends in Kimilili as a part of a learning exchange next year for his students next year.

Eric wrote “If that isn’t impressive enough, on May 12 these students photographed 25 military families, printing their photos and framing them on the spot in our school gym. They have organized some outstanding community resources for these families in addition to the prints that these families will have to remember for many years to come. This video is just one of many acts of kindness that my students have taken on. I am so proud of their work and so proud to be their teacher. 88% of my students were a grade level behind in reading entering this year. Our state testing results came in and every student is reading at or above grade level.  All of my students are incredible.”

Incredible Indeed!

The Power of Listening! SuperHeroes to Celebrate Audiobook Month #Audiobooks

This year I am all about heroes, since it is the theme of my 10th annual Be-a-Famous Writer contest. Stories about heroes have a universal appeal to children. Classical literature is full of heroes. Heroes are seen as someone who in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength, often sacrificing their own personal concerns for the greater good.                                                
                                                                                       

Heroes embody a lot of similar traits:
Courage
Determination
Sacrifice
Focus
Compassion
Perseverance

As summer starts, it’s a wonderful time to find way to help students stay engaged with building and maintaining literacy skills. That is why I love audiobooks. Here are some selections from Tales2GO that showcase the traits of heroes.

                                                                                         

Audiobooks can be used during car rides, plane trips, and on a camping trip. They are so easily accessible. Children are getting the benefits of building powerful literacy skills, while having fun! Just like superheroes, give them a power! Let them discover the power of listening!

Here is a post about Engaging Younger Readers with Audiobooks from my friends at Tales2GO.

 

Get Caught Reading in May with Mrs. P!

        How do you foster reading with kids over the summer? Before school gets out be sure to have them Get Caught Reading!                                                        

                            

 Getting Caught Reading will help them keep the habit of reading up throughout the summer.   It also reminds children that reading builds their vocabulary and offers them lots of opportunities for discussions - which is really important in the summer when they might be making new friends.

May is officially Get Caught Reading month, but the celebration lasts throughout the year. Get Caught Reading is supported by hundreds of celebrities, including yours truly, Mrs. P!  The Association of American Publishers launched the nationwide Get Caught Reading program to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read.  

Here are some tips to motivate the kids to Get Caught Reading before summer arrives:

For the CLASSROOM

• Catch your students reading throughout the month.  Take photos of students reading and create a school display to share where they have Gotten Caught Reading. Encourage them to read in unusual places, and create a prize for the best new place to read.  (Maybe it’s under a tree on the playground for example).
• Invite a student from an older grade to read a story to your class and share where they love to read in the summer and why.  This provides an opportunity for older students to learn mentoring skills and build confidence presenting, as well as allowing the younger ones to role model positive traits from an older student.
• Refer to my Keeping Kids Engaged in Summer Reading Tips!
• Let your students know about how to get a public Library Card. It’s FREE, and most libraries have fun summer and after-school activities (as well as books full of wonderful stories and ideas from the smartest people who ever lived.) You can also find good educational videos and audio books at the library.  I have a special place in her heart for librarians, so tell them Mrs. P sent you!
• Suggest they be part of Mrs. P's Summer Reading Challenge to encourage kids to read every day! They can keep track of the books they've read with my Kind-Of-A-Big-Deal Official Mrs. P Reading Log. There's even a place to color.  (You can also find it in the drop down menu on my activity page.)  Provide them a copy to take home for the summer.  You can also download a PDF here  Download Mrsp_readinglog                                                                   

So help young readers avoid the "summer slump" and open their minds to new creative possibilities by having them Get Caught Reading in May!

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Mrs. P's Summer Reading Tips to Keep Kids Engaged! Plus Activity Sheets

Anchorage, Alaska Elementary School Singled Out for ‘Young Global Citizens’ Program by Follett Challenge!

By now, you all must be aware that I am promoting Literacy Heroes this year!  I selected the word Heroes as the theme of my 10th annual Be-a-Famous Writer contest.  In preparation for the contest, I have been acknowledging teachers, librarians, and companies, that I think exemplify the traits of a Literacy Hero!  I have a new one for my list, and every teacher and librarian should put them on theirs and bookmark this school changing contest! 

Let me introduce you to the Follett Challenge if you don't know about it.  What they are providing to schools is life changing!  The grand prize winner receives $60,000 in products and services for their school!  Yes, that certainly qualifies as a Literacy Hero in my book!

                                                                                                    

What is the Follett Challenge:  It was created by Chuck Follett, retired president and CEO of Follett Corporation. Follett Challenge entrants must complete an online application and submit a video describing their program. The contest rewards groundbreaking educational programs by seeking applications illustrating critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration. All K-12 schools/districts, public and private, in the U.S., Canada, and Australia are eligible to apply.   Be sure to bookmark the Follett Challenge, as the prizes are life changing for a school.

The Challenge was designed to give educators a platform to share their stories of innovative ways they teach 21^st century skills. This year, they had more than 130 entries, and their panel of judges had the difficult task of narrowing down the submissions to three Semi-Finalists. And from those three Semi-Finalists, choosing a Grand-Prize winner.

The grand prize winner was Tudor Elementary,  in Anchorage, Alaska with an enrollment of 346 students. They won for its “Young Global Citizens” entry, which showcases what it means for their students to be global citizens, how it impacts their learning, their perspectives on the world and the impacts they can have on it.  You can read all of the details and learn about the other winner on the press release.

What I love about the Follett Challenge, is that is also provides an opportunity for schools to learn about and from the program winners.  Schools can watch the videos that were submitted to get inspired at their own school perhaps with a similar program.  

So a tip of my hat to my latest Literacy Hero! Join me by bookmarking their site for your school for next years challenge.  And of course, a huge round of applause to Tudor Elementary and all of the other schools who entered.                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make Connections for Your School Library by following these 6 Advocates to Celebrate School Library Month #AASLslm

Librarians play such an essential role in their schools. They help transform learning. They provide resources and connections. They work their tails off making connections to the outside world like bringing authors into the schools via Skype and sharing resources and new technologies with their colleagues.

                      

Because it’s School Library Month, I wanted to give a shout out to some of the people I’ve met who work in or with school libraries. These people have a huge passion for literacy. They inspire me every day. They inspire students every day. And they do it out of love, a love of sharing their passion for literacy and learning with others. I find their daily musings infectious. They make me smile, laugh, and sometimes even cry with what they share. I learn from them daily and I think you will too.

I suggest that every school librarian or library media specialist on Twitter follow these literacy heroes and their amazing resources.

Meet them now!

• Shannon McClinktock Miller @Shannonmmiller Shannon can be found speaking and consulting around the country on education, librarianship, technology, social media and education. Check out her blog The Library Voice and sign up for her newsletter too!
• Elissa Malespina Middle School Librarian @elissamalespina As the ISTE Librarians Network President her knowlegde of how to use technology in education is endless. Bookmark her website and don’t miss the presentation link!
• Matthew Winner - Elementary School teacher Librarian @MatthewWinner You won’t want to miss his website.  As there you will also find the Children’s Book Podcast link. He interviews authors, promotes innovation both in and beyond the library, and provides book recommendations to readers and fellow teacher librarians.
• Colby Sharp - 5th grade teacher. @colbysharp He loves reading, teaching and creating! At his site you can find links to his Nerdy Book Club, the Yarn podcast and Nerd Camp Michigan. His new book the Creativity Project  is there too! Oh, and don't miss his videos!  Your class will love them.
• John Schumacher - aka Mrs. Schu @MrSchuReads He works diligently to put the right book in the hands of children. I think he might be the biggest advocate out there in the county for school-age reading. You won’t want to miss an entry on his Watch. Connect. Read blog.
• Andy Plemmons @plemmonsa Andy has a passion for helping his students experiement with new technologies. Being a Google Certified Innovator, and Flipgrid Ambassador he got great ideas for maker spaces too! His blog name alone will movitate you. Expect Miraculous

Heroes themed writing contest has me take stock of my own Literacy Heroes!

I’ve been lucky over the past ten years of hosting my annual K-4 Be-a-Famous Writer Contest and free literacy website to meet a lot of amazing like-minded people. People that want to support literacy.  I want to use this opportunity to share with you some of the people and companies that are my literacy heroes.

                              

On social media I’ve been able to engage with many teachers and librarians. Many of these interactions have resulted in virtual visits to their classrooms or an invitation to a conference. I’ve been awed by their dedication to support children in building their literacy skills and going the extra mile always for their school and students. 

The American Association of School Librarians recently named their Social Media Superstar finalists. On this list are two women who I’ve had the good fortune of building valued relationships with and am proud to call my friends. Shannon McClintock Miller is in the Leadership Luminary category and Elissa Malespina is on their social justice defender list.

Every week I look forward to the Kid Lit round up of links that I may have missed.  This is compiled by Jen Robinson. I encourage you to bookmark Jen Robinson's Book Page. The mission is a place  for  parent's, teachers, and librarians to grow joyful learners: bookworms, mathematicians, scientists, artists + more.  You can also subscribe to her newsletter as well.  It's full of valuable information about literacy.

I also have met two wonderful multicultural book advocates on Twitter. Children’s reading and play advocates Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book and Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom teamed up to create an ambitious (and much needed) national event and non-profit initiative called Multicultural Children's Book Day.  Their page has a lot of valuable resources. Everyone should have a bookmark to this link: Diversity Book Lists and Activities for Teachers and Parents.  Also check out their individual websites as well, as they have book reviews, and resources about what is happening in the children's literacy arena.

I’ve also been wow’ed by the companies I’ve meet too. The chats they offer on Twitter to engage with the education community to discuss technologies and share solutions, or just to listen and learn. I am so impressed that so many companies aren’t just about selling products, but are also about providing valuable resources to teachers and librarians.

I’d like to introduce you to the companies that are my literacy heroes. Here’s a round up of some of the free resources they provide! 

Mackin Educational Resources. They have the Mackin Grant Channel. It is Mackin’s resource focusing on the latest funding opportunities for your school or library. Every month they have a featured grants list. There is also a link for ongoing grants and get this, they also give you grant writing tips,  where they show you sample documents and there’s a section about grant strategizing. Honestly, every school library should have this link bookmarked. You can sign up for their newsletter so you never miss an issue.

Tales2GO You won’t want to miss the access to the research and articles about the value of audiobooks.  You can download a paper from their website on how Audiobooks can support English Learners by meeting their unique challenges. They also have a newsletter you can subscribe too and it comes with a free trial.

Follett Learning has the Follett Challenge. They encourage schools to share an incredible program that’s changing the way we teach and students learn. The schools might win a share of $200,000 in Follett products and services. This can be life changing for a school!  Every school should have this site bookmarked!

Buncee A creation and presentation tool for students and educators to create interactive classroom content, allowing learners of all ages to visualize concepts and communicate creatively. They have a teacher corner where presentations are shared for other teachers to access. You can find ideas like a PI Day Activity Template for example
 or a very informative Global Maker day interview with Instructional Technologist Jamie Donally.

Flipgrid is the leading video discussion platform. I came into contact with this company through a teacher who asked me to read a page of a story for Global Read Alouds. They merely sent me a code, it took me to a page with all of the information, and I honestly can’t tell you how simple it was to participate in this event. I’ve continued to do this project and have done 4 books so far. Flipgrid is very active on social media and provides so many ideas, contests, and more. You can watch a number of webinars online so you can learn more techniques and ideas about how to use this technology with your students. 

 

Storytelling Skills of 4th Grade Class Result in Winning Writing Contest Entry!

                                    
                                                                                       

Every year I hold my annual Be-a-Famous Writer contest to spark the imaginations of young K-4 students. This year the theme was dragons. I am always amazed at how students choose to write about the theme, as all of the stories are so very different from one another.

The winning story of my 9th annual Be-a-Famous Writer contest came from Ms. Young’s 4th grade class at Brywood Elementary School in Irvine California. The story is called: “The Royal Fondue Party”. The judges loved the creative problem solving of the characters, and how well the story flowed with it’s well written dialogue.  I think you will really enjoy this delightful story.  Robin Robinson did all of the illustrations.

 

I also made a runner up story “There be Dragons” from Ms Bish’s class in Germantown, MD into a video. As a strong advocate for antibullying, I loved the inclusiveness theme of this story that thought it should have a place on my playlist.

 

 

What Teachers Say About the Contest
“Thank you SO much for this wonderful opportunity. I want to personally let you know how much my class enjoyed this contest. They researched dragons! They drew dragons! They studied all types of mythological creatures! And when it came time to vote on a piece to enter, it was a very difficult decision because they all did so well. The work you are doing to promote literacy and writing is more valuable than you can imagine. As both a teacher and a children's book author, I appreciate everything you do"  Best, Joy Keller, Brooks Hill Elementary School Fairport, NY

“Dear Mrs. P., My students are so proud to be in the top 5 of your writing contest. I should have recorded the cheers for you! We learned so much from this experience. Writing collaboratively on this project inspired some hesitant writers to write more confidently and enthusiastically! Thank you for being an inspiration to  our young readers and writers as well as their teachers! You're the best,  Cherrie MacInnes 4th Grade teacher Pond Cove Elementary School Cape Elizabeth, Maine

I hope teachers will bookmark the link for my 10th annual writing contest. The theme is Heroes. Here is a video where you learn all about it and how your classroom could be filled with books from my amazing sponsors Mackin, Tales2GO and Powell’s.

 

 

 

Read or Listen to Peter Rabbit with me Before Seeing the Movie

                                                                                                  
Don’t get me wrong I love movies, but I also am a book lover as you all know. When I saw the new trailer for the movie, Peter Rabbit, I thought about my audio book version and my video version. It made me think about what I love when I read this story out loud.

Books provide us the little details:
I love how when I read a story like Peter Rabbit I can just imagine Beatrix Potter painting every little picture of her rabbits and describing the little details of each character as she does. Reading a book paints distinctive pictures in our brains, what we imagine the characters to look like. Even the voice of the character is something we imagine when we read.

What I love about reading is it provides my brain a workout in visualizing what is happening. I get to create what I think the characters looks and sound like. I get to use my imagination.

So let your imaginations soar and join me for story time before you head to the movies!

You can listen to the story at Tales2GO in your classroom and then go to my teacher blog for some fun questions to get your students writing or sharing about the story. You will also find a fun book mark making activity there.

Or enjoy this video at my FREE story time YouTube channel. I show the words too for young readers.

The Tales of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

When we read aloud, we change the world! #WorldReadAloudDay Ideas to celebrate

February 1, 2018 is World Read Aloud Day! I am excited to share some World Read Aloud Day ideas that you can to implement in your classroom. Also be sure to check the World Read Aloud website full of ideas too. 

                                                                                                     
Many teachers are Skyping with an author, but fear not, if you didn’t connect with one, you can still find plenty of ways to celebrate.

• Create a special story time in your classroom. Let your students all take turns reading a sentence or page from a story.
• Tune into a online event. The NY Public Library is hosting one at noon EST
• Need some ideas for books to read?  I just participated in #ReadYourWorld celebrating Multicultural Children's Books.  What could be better for #WordlReadAloudDay than reading a story about another country?  Here is a website filled with book reviews that can serve as a valuable resource for your classroom.

I have participated in two #WorldReadAloud stories coordinated with teacher extraordinaire Sean Forde. I met Sean Forde on Twitter and was sent a page of a book to read using Flip Grid. Below you will find the videos that were created from people all over to globe. The story traveled many continents to be read. And that’s what makes it so much fun to share. Students can see people from all over the world reading together.

What is amazing about these little videos is that can help students develop their vocabularies, and their reading and language skills.

Enjoy these read-alouds read to you by people from all around the globe! They were put together using Flipgrid and Book Creator.