BOOKS ALIVE  HAS  ARRIVED

 

In the fall of 2001, The Greater Essex County District School Board replaced the Primary French program with a Primary Early Literacy Program. The goals of the program were to increase the amount of instructional time allocated to teach reading/writing skills and strategies to primary students, develop the components of a balanced literacy program and train a teacher in each school to act as a resource person and facilitator of the program. The components of the Balanced Literacy Program include Read Aloud, Write Aloud, Shared Reading, Shared Writing, Guided Reading, Guided Writing, Structure Writing, Independent Reading, Independent Writing and Literacy Centres. The skills covered can include phonological awareness, concepts of print, concepts of literature, types of genres, alphabet knowledge, oral language development, reading comprehension, author comparisons, author styles, patterning authors' books and more. The Greater Essex County District School Board has been extremely generous, supportive and fastidious with regards to training Early Literacy teachers and providing numerous resources. Presently, the Internet has remained a somewhat untapped resource. The purpose and intent of this web site is to provide Early Literacy teachers with additional resources which could be used to enhance their program. The number of useful web sites is limitless which demanded that I narrow my search to a specific area. I have focused on compiling a directory of children's authors whose styles, techniques, genres and meaningful web sites will help support the Early Literacy Program within the classroom. The added bonus is that ANY primary teacher will find this site useful. The listings provided are useful to the teachers for information gathering, idea generating or they can be utilized as web quests where possible. I have also provided some web quests and additional sites which are relevant to the author or the contents of their books. The entries are all arranged alphabetically by last name.

AUTHOR CHOICES

	FRANK  ASCH	JAN BRETT	MARC BROWN	ERIC CARLE	NANCY CARLSON
JOHANNA COLE	MEM FOX	PHOEBE GILMAN	ARNOLD LOBEL	PATRICIA MACLACHLAN	ROBERT MUNSCH
LAURA NUMEROFF	MARY POPE OSBORNE	DAV PILKEY	JACK PRELUTSKY	SHEL SILVERSTEIN	MIKE THALER

 

ABOUT THE SITE

- site is laid out simply and orderly

- choose from the following subtitles:

Fun Stuff for Teachers

- limited and a bit commercial

- interested in sales it seems, too bad

Fun Stuff for Readers

- “An Interview With Frank Asch” certainly gives the students an insight into the author

- great for teaching children how to ask questions and answer questions

What’s New?

- children can listen to the Frank Asch book entitled “Barnyard Lullaby”

- this would be great as a literacy centre

Send Me E-mail

- students are able to contact author after studying his books

- ahhhh...writing for a purpose during computer time

The List of My Books

- comprehensive, a great resource, very useful to teachers

- very commercial (prices but outlines about the books are not provided)

Learn More About Me

- informative

- good example of biography genre to model for the students

OTHER MEANINGFUL LINKS FOR FRANK ASCH

http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/dcorley/authors/Asch.htm

- a simple site, not great but perfect for primary students to read about the author independently

http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1158.html

- this is a lesson exchange for "Happy Birthday Moon" by Frank Asch

- there are not any "original" ideas but it may help

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/asch.htm

- numerous listings for lesson plans based on Frank Asch’s books

- only problem - some links no longer work

- peck and find method

Click book to go back to Author Choices

ABOUT THE SITE

- the official site for the creator of the "Very Hungry Caterpillar"

- it contains a biography, activities for kids, an online store, an FAQ and upcoming events

- choose from the following subtitles

About Eric Carle

- contains biographical notes for Eric Carle

- provides links to synopsis of his most famous books and images of their covers

Answers To Frequently Asked Questions

- the questions asked are purposeful

- they give you some real insights into how he created his books (where he got the ideas etc.)

- he also lets you in on little secrets within his books - things that children would love

- great for an art lesson as he enlightens you in regards to how he accomplishes his illustrations

Caterpillar Exchange: Bulletin Board

- this is a bulletin board where teachers and parents using Eric Carle’s books in creative ways can submit their ideas (definitely check this out)

- the ideas submitted have all been organized by the Eric Carle book they relate to

- there are endless ideas for just about every Eric Carle book - be sure to check this out!

List of Eric’s Books

- comprehensive bibliography

Guestbook

- allows the class electronically send a letter to the author

- a meaningful purpose for children to write

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

- take a look

- what a great way to tie in the arts to this author study

Click book to go back to Author Choices

 ABOUT THE SITE

These two sites are tied into together as Scholastic does a fantastic job of presenting "The Magic School House Series". They also have a website which cannot be overlooked by Early Literacy teachers as there is a wealth of information to be found.

Scholastic has divided their website into three areas, Families, Kids and Teachers. They are all extremely valuable to any teacher.

Here are some highlights:

Site Map

- what a valuable resource, be sure to check out the site map

- it is organized and succinct which makes finding specific topics a pleasure

"Kids" Section

- let your students take a look in this section

- they can tune into Harry Potter, Animorphs, Goosebumps, Captain Underpants, Clifford and I Spy

- there are endless activities - some are more educational than others

"Families” Section

- has “everything you need to encourage a love of learning.”

- that sums up the entire section...be sure to check it out

- a good site to mention in your newsletters or put on your school web site for parents

"Teachers Resource Centre" Section

- provides lesson plans and activities for grades JK to 8

- allows teachers to search for a specific reading genre, topic, or grade level for all subjects

- be sure to check this out teachers

- provides a section entitled “Teaching With Books”

- it has a Book Finder and Author Index which allows you to find books to supplement your curriculum themes

“The Magic School Bus” Portion of this Site

- is excellent for fulfilling the curriculum need to read non-fiction

- an excellent resource for the grade two and three science curriculums

Theme Index

- it includes entire cross-curriculum units on Animals, Motions and Force, Life Science, Ecology, Physical Science, Space, Machines and more

Parents and Teachers

- has science fun activities and references to related books, cd-roms, television and videos

OTHER MEANINGFUL LINKS FOR JOHANNA COLE

WEBQUESTS

http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Class/est572/lpenn/lesson1.html

- has many other "space" related links and bibliographies

- appropriate for grade three

- in this lesson the students will go on a scavenger hunt in outer space to explore the solar system via the Internet using the worksheet provided

Click book to go back to Author Choices

ABOUT THE SITE

My immediate thought was, ”What an inviting site...this looks like it is going to be special!”

- very visual, “friendly” and aesthetically appealing

- in the author's own words, “the site works like a book, with chapters and a "contents" page. To find your way around, just turn the pages. If you want to browse, keep going back to the contents page.”

- what a perfect web site to teach children about chapters and tables of contents in a meaningful situation

Let's look at some of the chapters offered in this web site.

Chapter #1 All About Mem

- check out Mem’s Biography, Author’s Profile, Mem’s Loves and Loathings, Mem’s Favourite Books and The Fox Family

- extremely interesting reading and entertaining

Chapter #2 Mem’s Books

"Possum’s Questions”

- questions and answers, as posed by her readers

- very informative and entertaining

- be sure to check out "the story behind the stories" of the author's most successful books

- fascinating reading and great for children to hear

- it gives you an outline of the book, the background behind the book and a picture of the cover

Chapter #3 Reading Aloud

- perfect for a listening centre during “Literacy Centre” time

Chapter #4 For Parents and Teachers

- a series of interesting articles written by Mem Fox regarding learning, literature and reading

- read one - it just might jar you onto a new path or thought

Chapter #5 For Writers and Potential Writers

- perfect for viewing with children, “The Stages of Writing”

- guidelines for writing the perfect picture book

Chapter #6 Mem’s Guestbook

- another purpose children will have to write after viewing this site

Click book to go back to Author Choices

 ABOUT THE SITE

Phoebe Gilman's Place - Welcome!

“Hello and welcome to my place. I wanted to have a place where people could come and find out more about me and my books as well as do some fun things. To find your way around, you can use the pig buttons at the bottom of every page. Just click them”

- perfect for children - where else can you click on pigs to get around?

“Book” Pig Link

- this is perfect for an overview of the author’s specific books along with ideas and suggestions and links to go with each book...what a resource!

- there are some “Behind the Scenes” insights into her stories and illustrations

- there are some "Can You Find?" activities, which are quests for children to find specific items in specific books by the author

- a great resource for teachers and librarians

“Kids!” Pig Link

- have the students enter the “Activity Book” as this would be a great language centre

- the “Activity Book” includes crossword puzzles based on the author’s books, crafts related to her books, colouring pages and bookmarks

- the author provides her address and she really does respond

- I’ve done it and the children were thrilled to get mail from a real author

“Teachers” Pig Link

- here the author provides suggestions on how to use her books in the classroom

- be sure to check this out!

“Phoebe” Pig Link

- all about the author and her life

- great background material when introducing the author to the class

“The Play” Pig Link

- if you need some drama in your program then head here

- this includes the script, cast, costume, characters, scenery and prop ideas

OTHER MEANINGFUL LINKS FOR PHOEBE GILMAN

http://www.canscaip.org/bios/gilmanp.html

- this site has been included as it has a listing of the Phoebe Gilman books that are published in French

http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/1phoebe.htm

- this site provides a comprehensive list of links for Phoebe Gilman

WEBQUESTS

http://www.edu.pe.ca/elmstreet/phoebe.htm

- this site is great as a follow-up to a unit on the author and her books.

http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~wellsl/author.html

- this is an “Author Study” created by teachers

- there are some good ideas worth checking

Click book to go back to Author Choices

Arnold Lobel’s claim to fame is the “Frog and Toad” Series. His stories are extremely conducive to turning into plays and for discussing dialogue, conversations and quotation marks.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/lobel.html

ABOUT THE SITE

- simple language

- simple approach to autobiography genre

- provides a list of other books by the author (bibliography)

- provides a picture of the author

http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/ieo/bibs/lobel.html

ABOUT THE SITE

- best thing is the listing for Internet sites related to Arnold Lobel and the Frog and Toad series

- frustrating, some of the links are no longer available

- definitely worth the visit though

- spans other portions of the curriculum as well (Science and Social Studies)

http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/dcorley/authors/Lobel.htm

ABOUT THE SITE

- definitely click on the “Author’s Page” button at the bottom of this web page

- fantastic for finding out about other children's’ authors

- large, bright, simple text about the author

- provides a link to a bibliography for Arnold Lobel

- be sure to click on the “Go To Writing Workshop” link at the bottom of this web page

- takes you to "Every Author Needs A Plan", "Write Every Day", "Edit", "Publish", "Illustrations Are Important"

- these discuss editing, publishing and illustrations at a primary level

- be sure to check this out!

OTHER MEANINGFUL LINKS FOR ARNOLD LOBEL

WELCOME TO FROG LAND

http://allaboutfrogs.org/

It's all about frogs, and then some, including a frog of the month, frog art, frog jokes, care sheets, and a frog doctor forum.

- there’s probably more here than you need to know about frogs but what a great way to teach some research skills and tie it in with an author study

- be sure to check out “The Teacher’s Corner” - THIS IS A MUST SEE!

- it covers an incredible number of topics regarding frogs including mini reports, life stages, environmental issues, fables and myths, endangered species, rainforest studies, water studies, conservation activities and most importantly, links to related web quests

WEBQUESTS

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/frog/frogtg.html

- excellent for Venn diagrams, origami, asking clarifying questions, describing a friend

- great for frog and toad comparison

- focuses on the “friendly” letter

- numerous science links related to frogs and toads as well

Click book to go back to Author Choices

"Sarah, Plain and Tall is a wonderful "early" novel as it has short chapters and appropriate vocabulary for the grade three level. It is perfect for the Pioneer study that is also required in the grade three Social Studies program.

WEBQUEST SITE

http://fiat.gslis.utexas.edu/~schapa/page.html

- this webquest provides many diverse and fantastic follow-up activities for this novel

- all of the social studies and science extensions in this webquest are tied in directly to the novel

- the extensions cater to a variety of abilities and interests

WEBQUEST SITE

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading3/sarah.htm

- this webquest is set up for vocabulary, questions and activities for every chapter in the novel

- it provides more links to the author and other webquests so check it out

WEBQUEST SITE

http://www.pls.uni.edu/nielsen/nielsen/spatintro.htm

- this webquest covers the usual webquest pattern of introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion and teacher page.

- this webquest covers vocabulary and definitions and usage

- it has a fantastic link to Dictionary.com

- all aspects of the webquest are neat, organized and clearly stated for the students

- the evaluation is in a rubric/table format which is easy for students to follow and understand

- the “Teacher Page” describes in depth the purpose and curriculum requirements that the webquest fulfills

- be careful teachers, it is an American site

- it provides numerous “other” links

- after reading every chapter there are a variety of activities for the children to do

- this is a “MUST SEE" site

Click book to go back to Author Choices

 ABOUT THE SITE

- provides a complete book list of the books in the series

- author and book information is available in a question and answer format as submitted by children

- the “Teacher’s Treehouse” provides research guides and activity kits for teachers

- exposes children to research and non-fiction materials

- the “Activities” section provides valuable and meaningful worksheets for teachers

- there are some valuable web links provided to support the novels

Click book to go back to Author Choices

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetwit

ABOUT THE SITE

Meet the Author

- this site is detailed and informative

- it is done through questions asked by children

My Poem

- a way for children to hear the poet read his own poetry

- this is perfect for a Literacy Centre

Brainstorming

- provides word warm-up games needed to help children think about writing poetry

- check out the ten writing hints geared to children (excellent and simple, told in a fun way)

Write Your Poem

- what a novel idea...poem starters instead of story starters...be sure to take a look

- the poet provides fantastic revising guidelines

- be sure to check them out and definitely share them with your class

Publish Online

- after following the guidelines the students can have a sense of accomplishment by actually publishing on-line

- once again, a purpose to write using a different genre

Teacher’s Guide

- be sure to check this out teachers

- this section includes: project descriptions and components, assessments, rubrics, learning objectives, lesson planning suggestions, cross-currirular extensions and resources

- definitely a “pot of gold” for teachers looking for help with the poetry genre

http://www.teachingk-8.com/archives/html/prelutsky.html

ABOUT THE SITE

- this site provides a fantastic biography about Jack Prelutsky

- samples of his poems can also be found

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/prelutsky.htm

ABOUT THE SITE

- this site provides further links to biography information, lesson plans and on-line poems related to Jack Prelutsky

- don’t be too disappointed because one drawack of such a find is that some of the links are no longer valid

Click book to go back to Author Choices

ABOUT THE SITE

- you know you are in for an interesting web site when the title says:

“The Most Powerful Nation in the World is Imagi-nation”

- there is a comprehensive book list for teachers

- the biography is great for demonstrating the use of paragraphs

- this is not a “fantastic” site but he is an author worth sharing with your students

Click book to go back to Author Choices