April is School Library Media Month and May is Get Caught Reading Month, so what better time than now to put your nose in a good book. Recently, I gave myself a little history lesson about reading and I couldn’t believe all the information I found. Did you know the first public library opened in Peterborough, New Hampshire on April 9^th, 1833?

Reading is the foundation for learning, and it’s never too early to start. It’s our job as parents, teachers and mentors to encourage reading at an early age and to expose children to all different kinds of reading materials. Take your class on a trip to the school media center or to the local public library- show your students what they can find, learn and do in a library. If you don’t already have one, create a “Reading Center” in your own classroom, or allow the school media center to be available to your students as often as possible.

Here are some additional facts about reading I found during my search:  

-When children read texts at their level, they have increased opportunity to read for meaning

-Reading comprehension is the product of decoding skill and language comprehension skill

-Oral language comprehension is a good predictor of reading comprehension

-Oral language comprehension is more related to reading ability than intelligence

-The core of reading skill is the ability to identify individual words quickly and accurately

-Children who recognize words more readily are able to focus more attention on the meaning of the words

-A strong positive relationship exists between phonological awareness and reading skills

-One of the best predictors of early reading ability is a child’s understanding that written words are made up of letters that represent sounds in speech

-Vocabulary size is a good predictor of reading comprehension

-The average student learns about 3,000 words per year in the early school years (8 words per day)    

The teaching of letters, words and phonemes relies heavily on the use of visual manipulatives.This is where the Cutout Maker becomes particularly important.

Tweet This Post 

Seeing as though April is National Poetry Month, it might be a great time to draw out that creative side from your students!  There are many kinds of poetry for students to explore – some that rhyme, some that don’t; some that are long, others that are short. Here are a few to get you started:

Clerihew - a humorous poem about a person.

Diamante - a verse that has seven lines and is diamond-shaped.

Couplet - a two-line verse where the last word in each line rhymes.

Limerick - a comical poem consisting of five lines.

List Poem - the first line is the title and consists of words or phrases stating the main idea

Acrostic - write a word down the left side of the paper.  Then write a series of phrases that describe that word. For example:

Poems

            Possibilities are endless

Opportunities for expression

Explore new ideas

Test your creativity

Rhyming opportunities galore

Yourself in words

Alliteration Poem - uses sound to create a special effect, often contains words that begin with the same sound.

I hope this list tweaks your interest to do more research with your students on poetry. One idea is to study famous poets of the past.  Once written, be sure to display students’ poems proudly - the Poster Maker would be a useful tools for enlarging students’ poems for posting as static visuals on the classroom walls and in the hallway. Save copies of the poems for parent-teacher conference folders too (take it from me, parents love to look back on that stuff)! 

Tweet This Post 

There are tests to be taken all throughout the school year, but it seems like Spring is unusually busy with testing activity.  It tends to be a busier, and sometimes stressful time as students try to remain focused on classroom learning in the midst of nicer weather bringing about new outdoor interests and activities.  It can be difficult for students to approach their state-mandated tests, semester finals, college entrance exams and other tests with confidence.  In fact, a recent article from U.S. News & World Report mentions some creative strategies schools are putting into place to help children and teenagers cope with stress. Yoga training, elimination of class rankings and personal wellness days off are just a few.  So, in the spirit of this test-taking season, I encourage you to visit www.testtakingtips.com for study tips, note-taking skills, cramming techniques and more to help your students be their best to test!

Tweet This Post 

Sign up for a FREE demo today for your chance at winning $1,000 towards the purchase of a VariQuest Design Center, Poster Maker, Cutout Maker or Awards Maker! Click here for complete details. Just remember to enter Promo Code VQGRANT when filling out the form. Good Luck!!

Tweet This Post 

Tweet This Post