My Love Affair With Kevin Henkes Grows:  The Year of Billy Miller

I have always had a love affair with Kevin Henkes' children's books.  I feel in love with the books with the little mice characters when I was in college and took a children's literature course at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  Sheila Rae stole my heart with her feisty bravery and honest need for support.  Lilly's spunk, passion, and love for her teacher made me wish for students like her in my pre-k and second grade classrooms.

Then, one fateful evening, I met Kevin at the Cooperative Children's Book Center's annual Charlotte Zolotow lecture.  We all (maybe 100 or so participants that hung around post-lecture) ate vanilla ice cream sundaes together with cherries on top - just like the characters in Weekend With Wendell.  I think I had an entire imaginary conversation with Kevin that night, wherein I told him how much I enjoyed his character development in books for such young readers.  In real life, I think I shook his hand and said hello.

Fast-forward nearly 15 years and countless books collected.  I found myself introducing Kevin at a speaking engagement at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project's annual Summer Institute.  I worked for weeks on crafting just the right words.  To prepare, I poured over his books - not just the mouse books - but also his richly woven chapter books.  I became a huge fan of Junonia and used part of that book to help craft the introduction.   I said this to him (among a few other things):

Your stories are the stories where characters go to dark places, and move through complex challenges and within themselves they find the knowledge they need to light their own way. 

We watch as Lilly faces the horror of losing her precious purple, plastic purse.  She goes a dark place and writes Mr. Slinger a letter.  But in the midst of the darkness, she realizes who she really is, a person who cares more about her relationship with a teacher than she does a purse, and she finds the courage and grace to ask for forgiveness.  That story helps us remember the person we want to be – helps us light our own way when we find ourselves in the darkness.

Time after time your characters seem to show us how children and adults can move into challenging moments with grace and humor along side of a little sorrow and longing.  And you seem to understand that all of that – grace, humor, sorrow, and longing is part of the way we grow. You show kids that these moments in life are to be expected and you trust your young readers to understand that they too can solve their own problems just as the characters do.

Your books mentor our kids into the kind of problem solvers we need in the world. Now, more than ever, the world needs heroes like you and books like yours. You are my author-hero.  You are a hero to us all.

This weekend, I fell in love with another one of Kevin's characters, Billy Miller, and declared Kevin an author-hero once again.  His chapter book, The Year of Billy Miller is one of my new recommendations for second and third grade read alouds this year.  Kevin does what he does best - crafting characters that are honestly their age.  Billy Miller is full of physical energy, wants to stay up all night long, and has a deep knowledge of bats.  He loves his family dearly and looks for their approval while simultaneously edging toward new boundaries.  He is annoyed with his table-mate at school on a daily basis, and his sister at certain moments (like when she threatens to ruin the all-nighter he has been anticipating for weeks).  He helps his dad with a "break-through" that advances his career and he decides to show his love for his sister and his mom in such genuine ways.

Some reviewers have said this book beautifully captures the ordinary moments, and I would agree, but it goes further.  It does the kind of subtle teaching that I love to do in k-3 classrooms.  Billy Miller's action, external dialogue, and internal thoughts are just the stuff that will give you great small group and whole class conversations after read aloud time.  And, it will fuel your character reading units of study.

My book has several dog-eared pages.  I'd love to talk with kids and offer kids time to talk with other kids about these parts.  Here are a few I can share without giving too much of the plot away:

The conversation Billy has with his dad in and around page 97 and 105.
- Why does Billy make this choice?
- What do you think this says about him as a character?
- How does his dad react?
 - What does this say about him as a character?

The conversation and actions between Billy and Sal around page 158.
 - What does he decide to do with the pearl?  Why?
 - What does this tell us about Billy as a character?
 - Is this what you thought would happen?
- What might you do?

The quote on page 176.  "Billy sighed.  He realized that as soon as one problem is solved, something else is right there, waiting to take up your time."
 - What do you think the author is trying to say or teach us?
- Does this remind you of anything?

In sum, I would love to hear what you think of the book and what your young readers and thinkers have to say after reading it.  Write me back with the ideas that come from your conversations.

And, lastly I need to give two big thank you notes for this post (I would write them and seal them in a dragon envelope like Billy Miller if I had them handy).

#1:  A big thank you to the #nerdlution twitter community out there.  In case you are new to the hashtag, check out the post that started it all at Colby Sharp's blog and twitter feed.  Nerdlution is motivating me to read 60 min of YA a day and I promise to blog about it.  Nerdlution lasts for 50 days, but I am hoping my goal sticks as a real, long-term habit.



#2:  As part of my Nerdlution goal-setting, I decided that I needed an incentive to do the blogging about my reading.  I thought back to when I wrote my first book, and one of the things that kept me going, was the thought of the dedication page.  I dedicated that book to my parents and every time I didn't want to write, but knew I had to, I would draft a dedication page, and that got me started.  So, I think I will try that again.

I dedicate this blog post to my friend of 25 years, Emily Rhoades, out in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Emily, I can't wait to read your words in your first book.  Congrats on making the decision to chronicle your stroke recovery and survival.  You are and have always been one of my mentor readers, writers, and teachers.  Thank you for your honest advice and empathy.  May this year be the year of Emily Rhoades.

Second Grade Partner Time

in Reading Workshop

Hello Teacher Friends!  I was so excited about my day at PS 116 last week.  I wanted to share with you some of the great partner talk happening there.  Partner time has been going well there because it is a work-in-progress.  The teachers are working hard to listen and coach it. 

Second Graders love to talk about books in Kristen and Alyson's second grade classroom at PS 116.  They started the habit early and the kids remembered so many things from their first grade partner time.  Last week (which was just the second week of school for these 8-year-olds) we reminded them about book recommendations.  We told the kids that friends are often asking each other, "What are you reading?"  or "Do you have a good book your could recommend?" We noted how a book recommendation usually sounds, modeled one with a Mr. Putter and Tabby book we had just read, and then got the whole class practicing with a book they knew from Read Aloud, Mercy Watson to the Rescue.  

Towards the end of independent reading time, we gave a quick interruption to help the kids plan for their partner time.  We said, "choose the book or the part of the book you want to talk about with your partner today.  You might want to use the chart to rehearse if you are going to retell and/or give a recommendation."

Soon, they met with partners.  The readers in this inclusive classroom span a wide range of levels and there are lots of options for partner time.  Some kids chose to read a book together, some chose to talk about favorite parts, and many chose to give a recommendation.  While the kids met with their partners, the teachers and I could listen and take some quick assessments about retelling and summarizing.  We ended that reading workshop brimming with ideas about some quick small groups we could gather to support partner time as well as retelling and monitoring for sense as you read.

Finally, we started a class book recommendation chart together during our end-of-workshop share time.  The kids were chomping at the bit to post their recommendations.  It is growing day by day.

Our hope is that all the good book talk results in great independent book shopping and an increase in reading stamina.  I read with stronger stamina if I know a friend has told me a book is great.  Don't you?  

What partner talk routines are happening in your classroom?  What are kids doing already that they remember from last year?  Do you have fun ways for kids to share book recommendations?

Help Kids Find Writing Ideas

I was invited to do a guest blog post at Two Writing Teachers last week.  I decided to offer some tips with topic choice and supporting kids who tell us they are not sure what to write.  Click here for the post.  Support the kids with empathy and be sure to help them find ideas using strategies so they will be able to use them whenever they are stuck.

Happy Writing!

Close Reading

I have been reading lots of good conversation about Close Reading at Kinderconfidential and I am delighted to see Chris Lehman and Kate Roberts are about to  publish their book, Falling in Love with Close Reading.  Chris and Kate have invited all of us to think about what close reading is and isn't, during their blog-a-thon.  You can see a few of  their glorious blog posts here and here.

I have been thinking about close reading quite a bit this summer as I watch my one- year-old daughter tear through the books she loves so much.  I say, “tear through,” because, quite frankly, we have been using a lot of packaging tape to fix those lift the flap board books.  But, really, this post is not about Baby M.  It is about the observations we make as teachers during independent reading time, the way we organize our classroom libraries and student reading materials, and the way we plan for read alouds.  Watching Baby M read just gave me the reminders I needed as I start this school year. 

Tip #1:  Collect some data about close reading when you observe you readers.  Collect some data about your classroom environment and how kids use it.

·      Do they reread? 

·      Do they look closely at the pictures or ponder about what the words mean?

·      Do they seem to reread their sticky notes where they have dome some writing about reading? 

·      Do they reflect on the things they have written and expand on those ideas?

·      How do kids check out books?  Do they “get to” check out books yet or do you make table baskets to share?

I noticed in June that M enjoyed reading books, went to them independently, and often chose them as her first item to play with in the morning.  But then, in July, I noticed that she was speed-reading through the shelf.  I worried, “shouldn’t she take her time, look more closely at the pictures?”  I tried modeling it.  Nope.  More tossing of books after she read just a page or two. 

Simultaneously, I read Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, M. ED.  He suggests, “Less is More.”  On Page 65, he says, “Quite Simply:  A smaller, more manageable quantity of toys invites deeper play and engagement.  An avalanche of toys invites emotional disconnect and a sense of overwhelm.” 

So, I counted up the books.  We had over 60 board books available to her at any given time.  (Yes, we are lucky to live literate lives and have friends who gave us great books as gifts).  This realization that we might have too many books available at one time and in one place lead to action and tip #2…

Tip #2:  Provide your readers with the amount of texts and tools to sustain them for a week and allow for close rereading. 

·      Do your k-2 readers have a book box they can call their own or do they browse a vast library with hundreds of titles? 

·      Do your beginning readers in kindergarten and first grade have 8-10 books in their book box?

·      Do more advanced first and second grade readers have tools like this  or this or this and a place to jot notes? 

I quickly made a book box for Baby M (see photo at the beginning of this post).  I put it next to the bookshelf that she loves and moved the other books into two other bins.  We switch out her books every 4-5 days so she is not bored with the titles.  I noticed almost immediately that she settled into her reading time with less tossing books overboard.  I also noticed her rereading books to find her favorite pages.  I think she was able to do this because she got to reread the same texts day after day.

In Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms, I have begun to rethink the browsing bins for a whole table in September.  I have been wondering if would be easier for kids to stay engaged and do some close reading in September if they shared a book box (maybe a magazine box size) with a buddy.  And, maybe these boxes could be theme based (one about trucks, the other with Thomas the Train books, another with farm animal books, another with alphabet books, etc.).  I am wondering if we can help kids get the stance for close reading that Kristi wrote about on her blog if we give them these partner bins right away in the first weeks of school.  I wonder if there will be fewer arguments at tables about who will get the puppy book next and more sharing of thoughts, ideas, and favorite parts.  And, if kids switch partner bins every 3 days or so, perhaps they would know much of the library by the end of September.  Could this be a new way to browse the library?  Let me know what you think.  If you try this, I’d love to hear how it goes.

Tip #3:  Model the close reading and rereading in Read Aloud

·      Do you have class favorite read alouds that the kids love to hear again and again?

·      Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers, do you have those Emergent Story Books lined up on your shelf ready to go?  What are your favorites?

·      Try modeling think-alouds or questions like this:

o   “Oh, today I noticed ____ in the picture.  I never noticed that before.  Maybe that was there on purpose as a hint to tell us what is happening next!” 

o   “What do you notice in the pictures today?  Why do you think the author/illustrator did that?”

o   “Oh, I thought this was just a simple list book, but really, it is also telling a story.”

I notice Baby M paying more attention to the pictures in her books these days.  I also notice that she is able to sit and attend to read alouds (although these are one-on-one read alouds) for longer stretches of time.  She points to pictures, tries to approximate reading, and taps along on her knees when a book has rhythm.  This all began around the time we started to read and reread the same 3-4 books every single day at the exact same time.  We modeled the close reading by pointing to the pictures and talking about them.  And, we lead the way, choosing to reread instead of just grabbing one of the other 50 books. 

Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers do this often as they include some Emergent Storybook reading in the beginning of their school year.  They read and reread titles like Caps for Sale and the kids chime in, reading along.  Soon they are holding their own copies. 

I wonder though, how often do we reread picture books when this emergent storybook unit ends?  And what about first and second grade?  This whole conversation about close reading has reminded me that is important. 

And one last final thought…

In one chapter of her book, Mind in the Making:  The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs, Ellen Galinsky writes about the development of self-control and it’s relationship to attention with children.  This whole conversation about close reading has me thinking about Galinsky’s advice about developing and cultivating children who are able to attend and focus for longer and longer stretches of time.  In primary reading workshops, we can deliberately create environments and model the stance of close reading (and support kids to hold attention for longer stretches of time):  lingering, pausing, thinking for a bit, asking questions, and then talking about our ideas and questions with others.  

Thanks Chris and Kate for putting this topic out there to ponder.  I can’t wait for the arrival of the book!

Year Long Planning

Hello Teachers and School Leaders,

I have been visiting schools and supporting fellow teachers and administrators as they make their plans for the 2013-2014 school year.  I want to share with you some of the ideas that teachers seem to like best.

Idea Number 1:  Plan out reading, writing, math, science, social studies, as well as assessments on a calendar grid.  See this kindergarten sample from Manhattan School for Children.

 The teachers created this together and then we revised and added in the assessments we needed.  They searched for curricular connections and used note cards so they could physically move things around if needed.  Then, they added clear dates on their calendars for writing celebrations and assessment dates.

And, they also set up a protocol for their weekly planning meetings so they can hold themselves to this amazing grid.  They will start each meeting with a 5 minute calendar check-in so each teacher can reflect and set classroom goals for the following week.

Idea Number 2:  Plan out an Ideal Week
Use post-it notes to plan for everything you need to do and want to do in a school week.  Do you need to teach 5 math workshops in a week?  Then make 5 post-its that say Math Workshop.  Do you want to teach Word Study 4 times a week?  Then make 4 of those.  Don't forget the post-its that say lunch, gym, art, etc.  Then, plot it all out on a big chart.  Start asking, "What's most important?"  and "What can I leave out?"  and "According to my data, what do my kids need most right now?"  Here is an example from a first grade teacher.  She is still looking for the room to do more shared reading, word study, and interactive writing.  She'll make it happen.

Best wishes as you play around with your unit plans and weekly plans.  

Remember, we have so much of the day in our control.  

We can choose the things to teach that our students need most, 

and the methods that are engaging and fun!

Kindergarten Character Reading Clubs 

Kindergarten readers are in love with some new book best friends (Book BFFs according to the K team at PS 267).  I think this is the perfect time of year to invite K readers to meet new characters, perhaps a series of books featuring beloved characters, and gear up for high volume summer reading.  Kathy Collins's book, Reading for Real, will give you support if you want to know how to set up partnerships for this unit, prepare materials, and gather minilessons with colleagues.  I am posting just a few pics and tips here to help you get started in your classrooms.

First, create some inviting character club baskets that include books at your students independent reading levels.  Choose a few to use as whole class read alouds so you can model how to follow a character in one book and across books.

Many of you are teaching kids to infer how characters feel by reading the words and looking closely at the pictures.  You may have a chart like the one below that you have built with kids during a few minilessons.

This class built a chart to show how they got to know the character Mercy Watson from the lovely series by Kate DiCamillo.  They read a bunch of these books during read aloud and then the teacher referred to just parts or pages in her minilessons.  With each minilesson, she added to the chart with a clear example from the text and clear language.

And, it is also great to teach the kids to read across their books.  They can find the things their characters like to do, like to eat, like to play, and more.  Then, they can search for places where the characters do the same things in all of the books.  They can also compare one character to the other.  A kindergarten class at PS 6 made this chart together after they studied Mercy Watson, Piggy, and Fly Guy (3 different series).

Have fun meeting you new BFFs!  Encourage the kids to share their new "friends" with one another and make plans to meet more over the summer.

Science Lab Report Writing for First Graders

Hello Teachers and Coaches!  Can you believe it is May?  It is time to experiment.  For many of us, this means we will experiment with our teaching while we invite kids to create science experiments in our classrooms.  Before I write any further I need to thank some teacher friends of mine who have helped me experiment with Science writing for first graders.  Special thanks for this post go to the first grade team at PS 267, especially Breanne and Francessca who tried this writing unit for the first time last year.  Much of what I learned about science lab report writing for first graders, I learned along side of them and the science teacher at their school, Mr. Sloane.  And, I also need to thank the inspiring first grade team at Lake Mills Prospect Elementary school.  The charts you see here were up in Hillary's classroom as we began this Science Writing Workshop unit last week together.  Deb, Sherry, Nick, Stacy, Desha, and Amanda shared in the planning and teaching fun too.  Cheers to these two amazing first grade teams and all of the amazing first grade teams out there! 

Okay, now, on with the science writing fun!  If you are reading through the amazing science writing unit of study from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and want some support to launch it, here are some of the things we tried at 267 and Prospect Elem. 

First, we recognized that this science unit was all about creating experiements and writing them up like a real lab report.  The teachers did observation journals for science writing earlier in the year with other topics like observing animals changing and growing over time.  Now, it was time to actually experiment and so they decided to teach this writing unit along side of the science content of liquids, solids, and gases.  Specifically, they wanted kids to investigate different liquids, mixing, combining, and asking questions about how things combine and perhaps become a solution. 

In the classroom, Hillary read aloud a great book,
 

 

Then, she asked her kids to turn and talk about all the things they learned from this book and what they knew from previous experience about what scientists do.   They made this great list:

The next day, we conducted a whole class experiment, much like we would do a whole class read aloud.  I gathered the kids at the carpet and we had a bunch of liquids in front of us.

"What can we do with these?" I asked.

"Mix them up!!!" a first grader shouted.

So, we began to ask questions about which things we should mix, how we should mix them, how much we should mix, how long we should mix, and when we should observe.  Each of these are variables and yes, we used that scientific word with the kids.  The kids talked with their partners and then we came back together as a whole class to conduct the experiment and write the lab report.  We asked the question, "What will happen when we add water and oil to a jar and then shake it up 20 times and then wait 20 seconds?" Here are the two charts that guided our experimenting and writing.  

 

As we conducted each part of the experiment, I wrote the lab report for the kids and the paper was projected so they could see their words and the record of the experiment going onto the paper.  You can use chart paper on the easel to do this or a document camera.  Keep in mind that first graders CAN most definitely do this!  Think of the whole-class experimenting and writing as a shared writing experience.  They can ask a question and make a prediction.  Let them turn and talk with partners and record the things they say on the lab report paper.  They can write a list of materials needed and a procedure.  It is just like a How-To Book!  Remind them of this and then have them rehearse it out loud with their partners.  And, you, the teacher, record it on the paper right there in front of them.  Record the observations with drawings, labels, and sentences.  Let them give you the words for this.  They will see it happening so let them talk with partners and give you the words.

I hope to post a first grader's lab report up here soon.  The kids in Hilary's class were ready to design their own mixing experiments that day!  When we finished this experiment, every single first grader had new questions about mixing and combining.  They all went off to their tables and wrote the first two pages of their own lab reports.

Let the experimenting begin!  Have fun Teachers!