#Road2Reading Challenge: The Essentials

I have been sitting here staring at my computer screen and trying to figure out how to write this post. The #Road2Reading Challenge is more than recommending good books for young readers in grades Kinder to Third. For me, it is also the place where I try to figure out the best approaches to teaching reading to young, developing readers. Right now, I am feeling reflective. I have been struggling. I see too many students falling through the cracks and not really developing into readers. I see many teachers who don't have confidence in their ability to teach children to read. I see too many well intentioned school administrators purchasing programs to try to fix the problem without realizing that they are heading down the wrong path. 

I think back to my first few years as a teacher. Though I was still trying to balance out what I had learned in college with what was happening in my classroom, my natural instincts were solid. Despite working with a student population that arrived at school faced with a mountain of challenges, they made progress with reading. What I learned then has proven to be the right thing over and over again. 

Here are five essentials in creating a rich reading environment and a community of enthusiastic readers.

Read Alouds
Starting with the first day of school, teachers need to read aloud daily with their students. It doesn't matter if the students are in kindergarten or high school. Reading aloud and sharing books is essential. Honestly, thoughtful selection of books and communicating your own love of reading through read alouds will do more for building enthusiastic readers than any other practice. 

Classroom Libraries
Students need access to a variety of engaging books on all kinds of topics. Whether you take out books from the public library regularly to share with students or purchase books through Scholastic Book Clubs or pick up books at yard sales, investing and curating a classroom library is a must. Provide students time to browse through books and involve them in setting up and organizing the library. The more invested they are in the library the more likely they are to use it and to help maintain it. 

Relationships
As with so much of education, relationships make a huge difference in the life of readers. If you are part of a book club or a community of readers like Nerdy Book Club, you know that relationships have made a personal difference in your own reading life. Listening to others talk about a favorite book or getting to share a book I loved with others who share my passion is energizing. When I have read a book that I thought a student would love and then shared it with them, telling them that I thought they would love the book, the smile on their face is worth so much. However, when they have finished the book, and come back asking what other books you have for them, well, the feeling is priceless. 

Observation
Observing student readers as they read is part of the hard work of teaching children to read. How does a student approach a book or text? Do they listen to themselves read and make corrections? Do they have a sense of rhythm? Do they understand that they are supposed to remember what they read or do they just read in a mechanical manner? The more I observe students read the more I understand how children learn to read. 

Conferring
So often I hear teachers say that they need a test or something formal to know if a student has read a book or comprehended a story. However, I disagree. I have learned more from the times that I have just talked with students about what they are reading or when I asked them to tell me about their book. Yes, it takes time to have those discussions and to also help children to learn to talk about what they read, but it is very worth it. 

Over the next few weeks, I am going to look at each of these five essentials in more depth. I am also interested in hearing from you what you think has made a difference for your students and particularly helped students who struggle to make sense of the reading process. 

All journeys have a starting place.
This is a weekly place to find books and tools
that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey.
Join in the conversation at #road2reading.

Do you work with readers who are starting their journey on the road to reading?  Join Michele Knott from Mrs. Knott's Book Nook and myself every Thursday as we explore books and ideas to help readers have a successful start to independent picture book and chapter book reading. If you blog or have a Goodreads page, please link up with us!

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: What Are You Reading? The Nonfiction Edition

At the beginning of a new year, I spend time trying to find those last few past year titles I have wanted to read and begin to dive into the new releases for a new publishing year. Sometimes I find so many interesting books that I just need to share them in a round-up post. Here is what has jumped out of the stack recently.

Excited to finally have read these 2017 Titles....

Manjhi Moves a Mountain by Nancy Churnin; Illustrated by Danny P (Creston Books, 2017) 

Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai; Illustrated by Kerascoet (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers,2017)

Around the World in a Bathtub: Bathing All Over the Globe by Wade Bradford; Illustrated by Micha Archer (Charlesbridge, 2017)

Robins! How They Grow Up by Eileen Christelow (Clarion Books, 2017)

John Deere, That's Who! by Tracy Nelson Maurer; Illustrated by Tim Zeltner (Henry Holt & Co, 2017)

The Girl Who Ran: Bobbi Gibb, the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon by Kristina Yee, Frances Poletti; Illustrated by Susanna Chapman (Compendium, Inc, 2017)

Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki; Illustrated by Ellen Weinstein (Museum of Modern Art, 2017)

Here are a few recent 2018 Titles that jumped out of the pile...

A Lady Has the Floor: Belva Lockwood Speaks Out for Women's Rights by Kate Hannigan; Illustrated by Alison Jay (Calkins Creek, February 20, 2018)

Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World by Susan Hood; Illustrated by 13 Extraordinary Women (HarperCollins, January 23, 2018) 

Free as a Bird: The Story of Malala by Lina Maslo (Balzer & Bray, January 23, 2018)

Anybody's Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball by Heather Lang; Illustrated by Cecilia Puglesi (Albert Whitman, March 1, 2018)

You will see and hear more about these 2018 titles during my March Women's History Month posts. 

Look for these titles at your local bookstore or community library.

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews below...

#Road2Reading Challenge: January Early Reader New Releasesf

Last week, I posted about several new early chapter books that were coming out this month. You can check out the post, here. Today, I am sharing about some new early reader releases from favorite authors. 

My Friends Make Me Happy (The Giggle Gang #3) by Jan Thomas (HMH Books for Young Readers, January 16, 2018)

Jan Thomas's Giggle Gang is back with two new titles. 

Don't you love the bright colors and the animated characters? They are so much fun to read. 

My Toothbrush is Missing (The Giggle Gang #4) by Jan Thomas (HMH Books for Young Readers, January 16, 2018)

And, not only do we have one Giggle Gang book but two that just came out this week. 

Look for these books at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Please, No More Nuts! by Jonathan Fenske (Penguin Young Readers, January 23, 2018)

Our two squirrel friends from WE NEED MORE NUTS! are back!

This time they may have had enough of nuts. Look for this new title coming out next week.

Pass the Ball, Mo! by David Adler (Penguin Young Readers, January 30, 2018)

And our favorite sports playing friend, Mo, is back in a new story about basketball. 

We will have to wait until the end of the month to get this one into classrooms.  Looking forward to sharing all of these with young readers.

All journeys have a starting place.
This is a weekly place to find books and tools
that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey.
Join in the conversation at #road2reading.

Do you work with readers who are starting their journey on the road to reading?  Join Michele Knott from Mrs. Knott's Book Nook and myself every Thursday as we explore books and ideas to help readers have a successful start to independent picture book and chapter book reading. If you blog or have a Goodreads page, please link up with us!

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Cover Reveal: Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers

Sometimes a request comes and you are honored to be the one asked. I am excited to be able to host the cover reveal for author, Melissa Stewart's 2018 title - Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs (Peachtree Publishers). I had the opportunity to read a very early copy of the book and I love it. Melissa uses her skill as a writer, understanding of the animal world, and knowledge of what children will love to create a fabulous new book that you need to add to your "list of books to read". 

Thank you Melissa for sharing the cover of your upcoming book and telling us a little about it. Let me turn the blog over to Melissa for her thoughts on the cover and ideas behind the book.

Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs
by Melissa Stewart, Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
Peachtree Publishers (September 2018)

Don't you just love this cover? 

Okay, now here's the back. It's just awesome right?

Stephanie Laberis is crazy talented! The animals she creates are scientifically accurate and a whole lotta fun. Her style is absolutely perfect for this book.

Here’s the publisher’s description:
“Puny? Poky? Clumsy? Shy? Written in a lively and playful voice, Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs introduces young readers to a variety of “animal underdogs” and explains how some of the surprising characteristics we see as weaknesses actually play a critical role in their survival.”

There are lots of books out there about the biggest, fastest, tallest, strongest animals. You know,
creatures we admire. If they were people, we’d give them shiny gold medals. But our book isn’t
about them. Instead, it focuses on some of the world’s underappreciated animals and shows that
they’re pretty amazing too.

Even though the information is presented in a fun way, the book’s central nugget, its creative
core is serious. I was severely bullied as a child, and this book is my way of offering hope to
children who might be facing something similar right now.

Here’s my favorite spread in the book:

I was a clumsy, uncoordinated, unathletic kid, so the western fence lizard is kind of my hero. See how its “weakness” helps it catch prey? Let’s face it. Eating is pretty important if you want to stay alive, and this lizard has come up with a completely unique way to getting the job done.

Everyday across America, children get picked on for being small or slow or shy or overweight or clumsy, but sometimes these perceived flaws turn out to be a core part of what makes them successful adults. Using examples from the animal world, I encourage children to flip their thinking, and to be kind to one another. 

Thank you Melissa for stopping by and sharing your new cover and a few thoughts on your upcoming book.

About the Author: Melissa Stewart is the author of more than 180 science-themed nonfiction books for children, including award-winning A Place for . . . series. She holds a degree in biology from Union College and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. Melissa believes that nothing brings nonfiction writing to life like firsthand research. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. www.melissa-stewart.com

Illustrator Bio:  Stephanie Laberis is a character designer and Illustrator who specializes in creating art for animation and children’s publications. She has illustrated several picture books, including My Little Golden Book of Sharks and Grumpy Cat ABC Book. She lives California. Visit her website at www.stephlaberis.carbonmade.com.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...