Cultivating & Integrating Literacy Across the Curriculum: Recent Episodes
Howard Slepkov
Literacy and its cultivation is the key to education in the 21st Century. We say that THOSE WHO READ, SUCCEED and that has never been more important than it is today. From the earliest grades, we need to encourage literacy which today means more than just being able to read and write. It means being able to understand and apply what we read to our own lives and the world around us. We live in an increasingly global, technologically driven world and our young people need to be able to make sense of that world through all variety of reading, online and off. I hope to contribute to your successful literacy program and to the advancement of literacy not just in the classroom but out of it as well, in the homes of our students. Therefore, there will the oral reading of books for children to listen to and think about. There will be ideas for how parents and teachers can use the books I read as well as many other, to advance knowledge of the world. Plus there will be ideas on how to enrich your literacy program and help your students indeed make applicable, those who read, will succeed.
When I first began school, the timetable was artificially divided up into segments of time oriented around specific subject areas. By the time I was finished teaching pre-service students, we were no longer talking about subject areas but integration across them. Literacy is the key way to begin to think about integration because we always begin with one of the language modalities when we are teaching and then branch out from there. So we can use reading as a spring board to think about how WHAT we are reading relates to WHERE it fits Into the greater body of knowledge. Our minds do not think about channels but rather pictures that tie things together and make sense of the world. Integration is how that process works. We integrate the new into what is already there.
Literacy enhancement beyond the skills involved in reading comprehension begins with basic curiosity about the world. As we explore the world around us, we create concepts in our minds about the objects in our environment and the people and places we visit and meet. Through experiences we move from concrete ideas about those things to the ability to think abstractly about them. Once we can think abstractly, we can read about those same things and add or change or evolve our concepts and apply them in different environments. Only through reading can we continue to evolve our understanding of the world around us and apply what we learn to new and different situations.
To help our students develop a real love of reading and to enhance literacy skill growth, we need to lead them to books in which they will find something of themselves either in the characters or the situations or their passions and interests. My generation was not lucky that way to go into a library and find books that we could identify with on a very personal level. That might be one reason why few ever went beyond high school. But today, there are books like the one I speak about in this podcast that present characters and situations that a reader like myself could have identified with way back when. I explore why in this podcast.
Last week, I posted about the banning of books and how I reacted to what happened in the Deep South recently. Since then, an old friend approached me about my thoughts on different approaches to dealing with book banning and what I thought might be done to combat it. I decided, in thinking about it, that we needed to work hard to educate teacher and parents about how reading aloud and reading programs through the years in school had to be focussed on making reading creating change in how students see and understand the world. Only by cultivating deep learning which I explore in this podcast, will children become adults who do not see reading as threatening but as a way to understand better what the world is all about and how to understand and respond to the diversity of humanity in the world.
In order to effectively reach an increasingly diverse student population, teachers need to understand where their students have come from and what their lives must have been like at an earlier time. We are no longer on the same wave length as our students. Teachers need to read books like this to try and be able to see the world through the eyes of their students so that they can reach them and help them learn. Teachers cannot advocate and preach about reading unless they read themselves and this gives them a place to begin their reading.
The banning of books in elementary schools comes from stakeholders who prefer not to enable their students to learn about the world for sure. But more importantly, it prevents from students acquiring and building on what we would refer to as empathy - an ability to see the world of others through our own eyes and therefore respond to others from a place of understanding, not hate or rejection or intolerance. Not every student wants to usually read books that have been pulled from shelves but those who do are prevented from understanding something which they want to understand and when they do not understand, they cannot in any way help to repair the world of its ills and intolerance.
In this podcast, I explain how I got turned on to the reading of Children's and Young People's Fiction, why I continue with selections from this field even today and how I come to learn about new books to seek out even though I am not in the classroom any more. I use the book In the Wild Light by Jeffrey Zentner to explore how we can help young people delve into issues like faith, friendship, loss, addiction and planning for the future while enhancing a love of reading for its own sake. Jeffrey Zentner is a good choice for this because he was a musician first and played backup for some major stars before he turned to writing books for young people. That's the kind of author a lot of young people can identify with.
Today's and tomorrow's classrooms will be increasingly organized around BIG IDEAS which enable students to look at the issues in their world from a variety of different perspectives. The BIG IDEAS become the springboards for new deep learning around interests that the students themselves are captivated by rather than knowledge, skills and affect chosen by some curriculum written by professionals far removed from any classroom. Often times, great literature for children can be the springboard to exploration by students of the world around them in a meaningful way. In this podcast I explore this idea and give some examples of just how this might happen.
I used to have a poster hanging in my classroom that said THOSE WHO READ, SUCCEED! I used that challenge to my students for the second half of my career, all the way into teaching young people how to teach and what it meant to encourage literacy in the classroom. But there are things we have to do to set the individual student on the path to a love of learning and the WE begins with not just the school environment but the home environment as well. Each of us must do our parts to take our students on an individual journey into the world of books and help them find themselves in the page of what they read often enough that they become hooked for life.
Homecoming is the first book in a seven-book series of books written by Cynthia Voigt about the Tillerman family. The four Tillerman children are deserted by their mother in a car in a parking lot and the book deals with how the four children survive until they find a new home with their grandmother. This is an important series of books because it deals with issues that are so terribly important today. Homelessness, family dysfunction, mental illness, all are things we need to bring to the attention of our students if we want them to develop emotional intelligence and help us to try and deal with one of the central problems affecting society today.
This podcast follows up on my reading of Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. I say a bit about the author, outline the main idea and supporting events of the story and then give the teacher or the parent ideas for following up with students or children on their reading of or hearing the story. I try to indicate in sufficient detail just what can be done with this book to extend and deepen learning. This is the essence of literacy development.
In this, the last chapter, Jess wakes up to a bright sunny day and goes to Terabithia to lay flowers out for Leslie, which was his way of saying goodbye. He had to cross further away from the usual crossing and there was a stump of a tree that he was able to use. He was no sooner done than he heard May Belle calling for help. She wanted to join him but was stuck on the wooden tree. Jess helped her find the courage as he had been helped to find the courage by Leslie. On Monday, he was surprised by the response of his teacher who he had mocked who tried to comfort him and talked about when her husband had died and the fear that he would not be remembered. His last shock was coming home and finding Leslie's parents readying to leave in a U-Haul. They were taking P. T. and apologized for that. Bill Burke's did encourage Jess to use any of the wood out the back that he wanted. That is what Jess did. He took the wood and built a bridge to Terabithia and said he wanted May Belle to feel safe crossing and maybe even Joyce Ann.
Jesse goes down the lane with his parents to the old Perkins place. He is met at the door by P. T. and by Leslie's grandparents. Who know who he is because of the dog's response and then Bill, Leslie's father, comes and hugs Jesse. He tells Jesse that Leslie was cremated and they are taking her ashes to Pennsylvania for spreading the next day. Jess is angered by this because no one came to him and told him what was happening. He felt it was as if he was nothing to Leslie. He ran out of the house, home, where he smacked May Belle and ran to his room. His father came home and took him into his arms and comforted him and convinced Jess that Leslie was going to heaven, not to worry. This comforted Jess and, when there next day, Mr. Aarons asked if he could look after the dog, his mother never said a word and so P. T. slept with Jess all night.
Jess is dumbstruck at this news and pushes the reality out of his mind. He runs into his room and then after a bit, jumps up and comes back, having remembered that he forgot to milk the cow. He tells his mother and his siblings but his mother tells him that his father was doing the milking for him. His mother insists he sit down and eat pancakes and he does and seemingly enjoys the food. His older sisters are mocking him and annoyed that he seems to be ignoring the sad event that they are all struggling to deal with. They yell at him and he runs out and runs down the lane. His father comes along in the truck and cuts him off and picks him up and carries him home and then says he and his mother are going to go visit Leslie's parents, but they are not sure where they might be with the body.
At the beginning of the chapter, we hear how Jess thought he might solve the problem of his growing fear of swinging over the creek to get to Terabithia. He knew that Les was not afraid, and he couldn't figure out how to just come out and say he WAS afraid. While he worried about what to do, he received a call from his teacher, Miss Edmunds, who was calling to invite Jess to go with her to Washington, D. C. to visit the National Art Gallery and the Smithsonian. He knew he had to ask permission so he SORT OF woke his mom to ask permission and then told Mae Belle where he was going. He had a wonderful day with his teacher who even insisted on treating him for lunch. When they drove home, he ran down the lane and into the house only to find out that the whole family was worried sick about him because Leslie had drowned and they were sure he had too.
Jess and Leslie spend every day of the week now going to Terabithia and pretending to be king and queen of their realm. They use a rope to swing across the creek which is becoming increasingly swollen due to constant rains that week. Each day, Jess becomes more fearful of the crossing and Leslie just taunts him by pretending to place a curse on the enchanted forest hideout. But Jess finally decides after four days of rain and dangerous banks of the creek that he will just tell Leslie he won't go. He is ashamed of his fear but he knows it is far too dangerous.
Easter is coming and everyone is talking about what they will wear to church. Then, Mr. Aarons comes home and announces he has lost his job. Gone is the idea of new clothes. Leslie asks if she can come to church and Mrs. Aarons agrees to that. In the end, the womenfolk all get something new and. the family piles into the truck and go to church. After the service, Jess Leslie and May Belle are talking about the story and May Belle asks what happens if one of them dies?
Jess begins to be jealous of all the time that Leslie is spending helping her father renovate and fix up their house. Leslie tells him to just ask if he can help. So he does and Leslie's father becomes amazed at how much of a help Jess really is. One day at school, they hear Janice Avery crying in a stall in the washroom and Leslie finds out what the matter is and both of them realize that no one has it easy at home. May Belle admits she knows about Terabithia and Jess threatens to tell everyone that she wets her bed still if she ever tells their secret.
In this chapter, we come to see just how deep the relationship between Jess and Leslie is. We also learn a lot about the character of Jess and how good his nature is. Christmas is coming and he struggles to make decisions about what to give his sisters and how to save something for Leslie. On the bus ride home, one day, though he sees a sign offering free puppies and his problem is solved. Leslie loves her gift and names him Prince Terrien. He manages to please even his sisters Christmas morning.
There is a skillset involved in taking a picture book which you read to a child or a group of children and encouraging them to then think, write, speak, or create. I used to read the Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf to my teachers - in - training and show them how to use the words, pictures and elements of the story to encourage reading and geography and social and emotional learning skills and that was always a big success with my students.
In this chapter, Jess and Leslie have to deal with one of the bullies, Janice Avery, on the schoolyard who has been taking advantage of May Belle, Jess's sister. May Belle is very upset and asks Jess and Leslie to make Janice suffer a consequence for her bullying. Leslie comes up with a plan to fool Janice and embarrass her in front of the rest of the kids and Jess takes dictation and writes a note. The two collaborate on putting the note in Janice's desk and then relish in the suffering that they inflict as payback.
We learn in this chapter of the growing friendship between Jess and Leslie and their common struggles against the bullies in their classroom and the challenges they each face in their family life at home. Together, they seek refuge one day in a special place in the forest near both of them that they call Terabithia, which they see as a magical. The school year advances and we learn more about each of them and their insecurities but they seem to compliment each other. They came to see Terabithia as a secret they shared with no one.
Tae Keller is obviously of Korean background because everything about this book speaks to the richness of her upbringing. The book is a perfect way to introduce students to lessons on diversity and how different backgrounds enrich our understanding of the world. It also enables us to compare the experiences of the main character Lily who is confronted with the terminal illness of her halmoni, her grandmother, and those of others who might have lost a loved grandparent or other relative. So many ways in which this book enables rich and deep classroom or bedroom learning experiences.
Jess begins the school year all dressed up and thinks only about the race to take place at recess. It is his big day. He is going to be the fastest. Except he doesn't bargain on having a competitor. Leslie shows up and after first being told she can't run, Jess agrees to let her run and she joins him in the fourth heat of the race. She wins and so Jess is out before he even could show off his growing skills. He made sure he ignored Leslie on the ride back home on the bus.
I am sure many of you remember the compulsory, obligatory book reports delivered orally in front of the class or to the teacher. That is not at all the same as sitting down with a child and asking the child questions about a book he or she is reading or has finished reading. When we read aloud to a single child, a group of children, or an entire class, stimulating questioning enables the listener(s) to deepen their understanding or what they have heard and talk about or process ideas at the same time.
There is a time and a place and a purpose for reading of materials chosen by the classroom teacher for all the students or some of the students. However, if we want our children or students to develop a love of reading, then we need to provide them with opportunities to choose books for themselves. Visiting a library with a well developed collection of books of all kinds and topics and then allowing students to browse and chose for themselves contributes to a growing independence and developing specific tastes.
There was a time when the only reading materials used in all grades from elementary through to secondary school was essentially fiction. Using non-fiction to practice reading skills was seldom thought to be important. Today we understand that both ought to play its part in the robust reading program. We also understand that not all children enjoy fiction and so they should be encouraged to indulge their passions for whatever topics that interest them. Reading is reading. This also has to imply books, magazines, newspapers, and even cartoons.
In this chapter, we are helped to see the world through the eyes of Jesse, caught between two older and two younger sisters, and the only son in a farming family where the boy is depended upon to do all the chores, pretty much. Jess is not too happy about it, we read, but he hides it behind dreaming of being a famous artist and being in love with the music teacher. After milking the cow, Jess meets the girl from next door who immediately says that they have to be friends.
Many schools have reading buddies programs which pair older elementary grade students with early learners in the younger grades. Whether it is an older student working with a younger student, or two students of the same age, any time one has to read or perform for someone else there is a bit of a raising of the bar which can be very productive for students.
It is hard not to know that the only way we are ever going to help everyone get along in a multi-racial, multi-ethnic world is to begin in the earliest grades by providing examples of books and movies and songs that address all those cultures. When it comes to books, there are so many excellent examples today of authors of all races telling stories about themselves but not necessarily just for people like them. Our students have to hear stories about all kinds of people and written by all manner of peoples.
In an earlier podcast, I addressed the theories advanced by Howard Gardner about multiple intelligences and how each of our students possesses a different combination of these intelligences. If we are going to help each student learn in ways that are best for him, then we have to help him or her find books that address those intelligences. A child that learns through music will be interested in books that tap into those intelligences and can be. used to help advance reading literacy goals. We need to learn how to individualize our programs so that each child has equal opportunity to learn in the ways that suits him or her best with tools that are adapted just for them.
In this first chapter of one of my favourite books, we are introduced to the Owens family. Jesse is the only son and he has two older sisters and two younger sisters and we find them arguing about chores and learn that Jesse wants to be the fastest runner at the school. At the end of the chapter, we learn that a new family has moved in to the property next year which we are told is pretty run down. Our curiosity is whetted.
There has long been an ongoing debate about how to address writing accuracy in the classroom. For sure, we want to encourage fluency when writing which means that we don't stop and insist on perfect spelling and grammar and punctuation every time a student writes. There is this fine balance between fluency and understanding that different standards adhere for different audiences. Sometimes it is important to be accurate in every way and to labour over our writing and other times rules are meant to be broken,. The trick is to ensure students are learning that and working to address the difference in their writing.
In an earlier podcast, I addressed the necessity for a balanced reading program. One of the components of such a program has to be opportunities to hear and use good language. We write what we hear and if we don't hear good language at least some of the time, we won't recognize the error of using poor vocabulary or grammatical usage when we speak ourselves. That is one reason why hearing books read aloud is so important. It presents good models of usage for the student to copy.
Sadly, there is a huge discrepancy. among and between the U. S. states and their educational standards, money invested, and student literacy rates. There are too many states where mediocrity is reflected in the assessment results on standardized tests. This lack of accomplishment can be one very big reason for the acceptance of vaccination pleas by the medical profession and federal politicians. If you are poorly educated then you are more likely to be unable to tell the difference between fact and fiction and pick up.on bias in media presentations. Those who read succeed because they can and do.
In order to develop literacy in our students, our programs have to be a balance between the act of reading in general and the development of the skills required to be able to read successfully. Just like athletes and musicians, readers need to have the skills in place when they pull them all together to read for pleasure. A balanced reading program aspires to find that balance between skills and affect.
It is important to understand how literacy is enhanced and supported through writing in the classroom. Our writing program has to include opportunities to write for others, for ourselves and for academic purposes. Each audience requires specific approaches and styles of writing and developing those skills assists in the over-all goal of literacy development.
Teachers need to be readers too. WE have to be role models as we pursue literacy goals with our students. In order to Illustrate this, I am going to use an excellent book on one of the American tribes and their struggle to maintain their identity as told through the voices and eyes of the natives themselves. It's an excellent read and is an eye opener for the non-Native person on their struggle to reclaim their own identities and control over their lives.
We now know that our goal as teachers must always be to aspire to develop a love of reading for its own sake in our students, Only be enjoying reading for the pleasure it brings and the insights it provides on the world will our students be prepared to success in the world of the 21st century,. We can no more constantly pull reading apart into a variety of skills than coaches can constantly push athletes to burnish their skills without enabling play just for play's sake,
If we are to enhance the goals of literacy with every student in every classroom, all the. time, we need to ensure there is access to a wide variety of reading materials appealing to every reading interest, by students of variable reading abilities and perhaps even in a variety of languages. Only when students find books on shelves that interest them and that they can read, will they be enticed to pick it up. off the shelf and spend time with it,
At one time, literacy development was seen as belonging to the subject domain of Language Arts or English. We now know based upon our understanding of the new kinds of literacy, that developing literacy means partly enhancing ability if the four domains of communication - Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening. As a result, it is imperative to understand that literacy underlies everything we do in and out of the classroom every day and so we must be aware of the need to address the four modalities throughout the school day and at home as well.
There was a time when assessment meant giving a single letter grade or a percentage to some piece of work or project based upon the finished product or end result. We now know that while that sort of summative assessment has its place, most often we ought to be assessing for growth, or conducting formative assessment, based upon the work in progress and assessing for growth over time.
The family members are at Halmoni's bedside as she passes away. When they return home, there is a flood in the basement which they have to clean up and then Lily remembers that there is a special fund-raiser at the library the next day and the three of them agree to make rice cakes to sell. The mother realizes she never really asked about how to make rice cakes which she regrets but they make the rice cakes. The next day, they are a success and everyone talks about how sad they are that Halmoni is no longer with them.
Lily and Sam Rush into the hospital and a kind nurse takes them to Halmoni's room. Needless to say, Halmoni is dying, and first she wants to talk to Sam. Lily goes out where she sees the tiger and the tiger talks to her about ends and beginnings and making one's own stories and that the power is Lily's, not hers. Lily goes back up to the room and it is Lily's turn but instead of talking to Halmoni alone, Lily makes up a story like the one that the tiger told her about the two sisters and the escape to the heavens. It is really about what will happen to Halmoni when she passes away and what will happen to her family after she is gone. Lily finds inner strength she never thought she had.
Sam is afraid to drive the car because she thinks about the accident that took away her father's life. She. has been carrying around guilt because she didn't tell Lily all the stories about their father and now she is wavering over believing in the Korean magic of Halmoni. Lily knows she has to get help so she rushes to the library and breaks in because she believes the tiger will be there. He is and he agrees to help Lily. So Lily returns to the car and Sam starts to drive with the tiger, who Sam CANNOT see, leading the way.
Because Lily is making so much noice smashing the star jars, their mom comes in to the room and then Halmoni enters but immediately collapses. Sam dials 911 and an ambulance comes to take Halmoni and their mother to the hospital. After the ambulance leaves, the girls decide they have to go too. Sam says she is calling Jensen to pick them up but Jensen is not answering and Sam admits she is probably out driving around scattering rice to ward off evil spirits.
Lily wakes up in the middle of the night again hoping to find the tiger, but it is not there. Instead she hears her Halmoni in the bathroom and Lily expresses her frustration to Halmoni who confesses her own frustration with life and holds Lily telling her she knows it is her time to go. Lily refuses to listen and goes up to her room to find Sam climbing in. Again Sam tries to apologize but Lily expresses her anger again. Sam just doesn't seem to care.
Lily creeps into her room and finds Sam there. Lily gets into bed or tries to and Sam first tries to apologize but Lily ignores her and then Sam pesters Lily about the cold shoulder. Eventually both fall asleep without Sam being able to say what she wants to say. In the morning, Lily and her mom drive over to Ricky's house so Lily can apologize. Lily and Ricky are left alone and end up becoming even better friends by talking about what happened and talking about the problems they have with life in general. Ricky confesses he feels very badly that his mother just went away and indicates that he feels it. was partially his fault. At the end though, the two youngsters are excited about trying to find. a way to trap the tiger.
Lily wants to get back at Connor and Ricky for insulting Halmoni, so she takes a pudding container and replaces some of the pudding with mud. Then she goes back into the library and gives Ricky the pudding container and he proceeds to eat it and notices it is off. Connor also tries it and agrees. Then Lily tells them she put mud in it and runs off, shame and anger in her tears. At home, Halmoni is not doing very well but Sam tells their mother what happened and Lily feels betrayed. She gets really angry and Sam is sent to check on Haloni while Lily sits with her mother and they talk about what was done that was so bad and how she too feels badly about how she has treated Halmoni.
At the beginning of the last century and well into the '60s, teaching meant standing in front of an entire class and delivering lessons in every subject. As the baby boomers began to enter the teaching profession, the move was to sort students in subjects like mathematics and language arts into ability-based groups.and go from there. However, now, especially in the 21st century, educators realize that, to be effective, lessons must be individualized and aimed at the needs and abilities of each student. This podcast covers that change.
The next morning, Lily heads into the kitchen where there has been a flurry of activity. Halmoni has cooked up a storm of Korean food and everyone is excitedly interacting. But Halmoni suddenly looses awareness of where she is and who Lily is and this upsets Lily. Lily also ponders the significance of the pendant and realizes the maybe Halmoni is the character in the story the tiger has been telling her. Halmoni's sudden memory loss upsets Sam and Lily and they go to the library where everyone is preparing for the fundraiser. Everyone is chatting and then someone refers to Halmoni as a witch and a crazy lady. Instead of ignoring this, Lily decides to take action.
Lily goes into the basement with the star jar and the rice cakes. The tiger eats the rice cakes and doesn't object to them not being exactly as they should be. She then tells Lily another story about another Halmoni and stories and tigers who are angry. Lily struggles to understand. Bu the Tiger leaves her dangling and tells her to return the next night. Lily insists she just wants her harmoni to get better. Lily creeps upstairs and her mother is up and she asks why Lily is up and Lily makes an excuse about being hungry. So her mother opens up the fridge and takes out a container of Kimchi. The two share a moment and Lily's mother says she knows how hard it is for the two girls to deal with what has been going on. Then she notices the jar and tries to remember where and when she saw it. Lily says she just found it among Halmoni's things. They saw good night.
Alice Oseman's book is a book for teens stuck between the world of high school and post-secondary education or work. It deals with all the issues confronting that age today through the lens of the technology. that is so much a part of their lives. It is an excellent book to recommend to teen readers exploring issues of identity of all kinds and definitely has a place not the shelf of any library. It begs for discussions with teens but only if they are open to it. It sheds light on the social and emotional and sexual ennui of adolescence.
Lily's mother agrees to take her to Ricky's. Ricky lives in a very big house because his father has a very big business. Lily is dropped off and then Ricky and Lily try to make Rice Cakes. Lily is not happy at first but Ricky persuades her that they will be just fine and they do taste good. Lily goes home and her alarm wakes her up at 2:00 in the morning. But Lily wakes to find Sam getting ready to leave using a rope and we are reminded that their mother also escaped from the house. Lily warns Sam to be careful and then she prepares herself to meet the Lion in the basement.
Lily's mother agrees to take her to Ricky's. Ricky lives in a very big house because his father has a very big business. Lily is dropped off and then Ricky and Lily try to make Rice Cakes. Lily is not happy at first but Ricky persuades her that they will be just fine and they do taste good. Lily goes home and her alarm wakes her up at 2:00 in the morning. But Lily wakes to find Sam getting ready to leave using a rope and we are reminded that their mother also escaped from the house. Lily warns Sam to be careful and then she prepares herself to meet the Lion in the basement.
Roald Dahl's books have been printed 250 million times and he has been considered by The London Times as one of the best authors of children's books of the 20th Century. James and the Giant Peach was one of his earliest books. It tells the fantastical tale of a magic peach grown from magic seeds and inhabited by anthropomorphic insect characters. James and these characters meet and strange events take them across the Atlantic to New York City. Read or listen to the wonderful story and then engage in some of the activities I have outlined in this podcast.
Lily tells her family in the morning that she wants to make rice cakes and asks about it being a family activity. Halmoni promised to help Lily but Sam has other ideas. She wants to go out and Sam suggests they go to a favorite Korean restaurant. They argue but Sam wins out. When they get to the restaurant, Halmoni orders her favourite sweet and sour dishes but then forgets where she is and causes a stir and they have to leave in a hurry without eating. Lily is sent into the restaurant from the car to pay for their food and gets a bag of take out to go home. At home, she phones Ricky and asks if she can go over to his house.
Lily takes one of the star jars down into the basement and puts it in the trap. She falls asleep and when she wakes up, the jar has gone and the tiger is with her but not in the trap. She and the tiger talk about what she is trying to accomplish and the tiger bargains with Lily and tells her that if she listens to a story, it will make things better. The tiger begins to tell her a story about a little girl born with two skins, one human and one animal. But the tiger only tells her part of the story and tells Lily she needs to come to the basement again in the middle of the next night. Lily agrees because the tiger tells her that is the only way she can help her halmoni.
Lily explains to Ricky what the jars are and what they contain. She tries to explain without making Ricky laugh at her so she hides some of the details. The two talk about actually capturing the tiger and using bait to lure it into the trap they have created. Lily desperately wants to keep Ricky as a friend without him believing she is totally crazy. Ricky leaves but Lily realizes the bait to. lure the tiger can be the jars. Sam wants to know more about Ricky and what he means to Lily and why he was there and Lily tries to explain yet again and they talk about the stories that Halomi told them were actually real.
Lily is embarrassed by the presence of Sam and Jensen and doesn't quite know what to say or do. After Lily and Sam dodge those two, they talk about making a trap for the tiger. Ricky comes over to Lily's house to build the trap but doesn't let Sam understand what they are really doing. When they move some boxes around, the stumble upon a box filled with bubble wrapped jars and Lily knows immediately what they are!
In the morning, Lily and her mother talk and Lily learns that her grandmother has brain cancer and that the cancer causes her to hallucinate. Lily's mother tries to tell Lily not to worry, but of course Lily does. She knows she can help Halmoni by trapping and getting rid of the tiger. The question is how to. Lily goes to the library and talks with Ricky or tries to, without telling Ricky why she wants to trap the tiger for real. The two of them talk about making a trap to catch the tiger..
Halmoni, Sam and Lily are driving home from the grocery store when Halmoni and Lily see the tiger in the road and Halmoni has to stop the car and vomits and then the girls have to call their mother to come to help them get Halmoni home. Once they are home, Lily's mother tells Lily that Halmoni is sick and they put their grandmother to bed. In the middle of there night, Lily wakens and meets the tiger and the tiger tells Lily she can help her grandmother by giving the stories back to the tiger. Lily struggles in her mind trying to decide how to help Halmoni.
Lily doesn't find a tiger in the aisle of the library. She meets Ricky who is a boy her age. Ricky is there being tutored by Jensen. Lily and Ricky become acquainted and Jensen tells Ricky that Lily is interested in tigers but not much else. Lily goes home and finds Halmoni is sleeping through lunch. But Lily is worried so she goes to get into bed with her Halmoni and tells her about the tiger appearing again. Halmoni talks to Lily about protection and gives her mugwort to keep in her pocket and her special pendant to wear. Later Halmoni tells Sam and Lily they are going to the store to buy special ingredients to warm off the tigers. At the store, Lily and Sam find that everyone knows Halmoni and everyone just loves her. Lily overhears a fight between Ricky and his father and Halmoni apparently heard something as well because she says something to Ricky's father about helping one another.
In the morning, Lily wakes up and has some breakfast with her mom or at least Mom tries to get Lily to eat. But Lily feels her mother really doesn't know what she likes to eat. Her mom goes off to a job interview but tells Lily to go to the library or something because she likes to read and likes libraries. Once again, Lily thinks her mom really doesn't know her. She does go to the library though because she wants to find information about the Korean tiger and stories from stars in jars. In the library she meets the librarian who shows her around and talks about how wonderful her harmonize is. Then she is introduced to Jensen, a girl who helps in the library and Jensen also talks about how wonderful Halmoni is. Jensen tries to help her find books on tigers. At the end of the chapter, Lily thinks she has just seen the tiger again, in the library.
Halmoni is indeed sick but she tells Lily it is only a little bug. and then to distract her, tells Lily she has a story to tell about how she stole something. Lily goes with Halmoni into her bedroom and crawls into bed with her, but only after noticing all the pill bottles beside the bed. Halmoni tells her how when she was a girl, in Korea, she stole stories from her own Halmoni and put them into jars. She sealed the jars shut tight and brought them with her to this new land called America. She stole the stories from a tiger and now the tigers are hunting for her.
Halmoni tells Lily about a tiger who was chasing two little girls and they escape by one taking the stairs up to the sky and the other taking the stairs down below the earth. The tiger is left on the earth frustrated because he lost the search. Then Halmoni goes to bed. When Lily wakes in the morning, she finds that the boxes blocking the path to the basement have been moved. Lily goes into the basement only to discover that it is empty and there couldn't have been a flood. She is left wondering why the basement is dry but when she comes up Halmoni is in the bathroom.
Standing in the rain, at the front door of their Halumi, Lilly and Sam watch as their mother sneaks in through a window and realize that this is something their mother must have done as a kid. When they get inside, they get silk pajamas from their grandmother's cupboard and notice the pile of boxes blocking the path to the basement. Soon enough Halumi comes home and castigates everyone for worrying about her. It is obvious that Lilly and Halumi have a very special relationship and understand each other completely. They spend time getting things ready for dinner and Lilly notices that all is not just as it should be with her grandmother. WE are made aware of the fact that she is very old-fashioned and very traditional in her ways in some ways but not in others.
Sam & Lilly, two Korean sisters, are headed to stay at the home of their Halmoni, or grandmother in a car with their mother. Sam is busy on her phone and arguing. Lilly is hiding and talking to herself and their mother is struggling with the driving in the rainy weather. Lilly it watching the houses go by and then all of a sudden she sees bright orange and black instead of the grey of the rainy day and she knows it is a tiger. She tries to get her mother to stop but she doesn't. She thinks they will hit the tiger but all of a sudden it disappears. Lilly can't figure it out but she knows her Halmoni will understand. When they get to their grandmother's house, the rain is pouring down and they make a run for the house up the stairs but their mother knocks but no one is there.
Wilbur has indeed been saved from slaughter and spends a quiet winter watching over the egg sac. In the spring, as the weather warms up, the spiders hatch one by one and take off. Wilbur begs them to stay and be his friends. He persuades three to stay and they do. Year after year he makes new friends with each generation and always two or three stay to keep him company and be his friends. And they live happily ever after in the barn like that.
Everyone is packing up and getting ready to go home. Wilbur notices that Charlotte is very quiet and asks why. Charlotte tells him she is dying and Wilbur is upset he has never done anything for Charlotte. He decides he will take her egg sac with them back to the barn knowing that his is going to live there. Templeton is recruited to take the egg sac down in exchange for a promise to let him eat first from the pig's trough. Mission is accomplished.
In which Wilbur is taken into the stadium and to the judges' table where he is given a special prize for his appearance and personality. He faints when he realizes what is happening and then the family has to get him up or else he won't keep the prize. The members of the family try dousing him with water, but it is a bite from Templeton that revives him. Everyone is happy at last.
Whenever students are collaborating on problem based learning, they are using the modalities of language - reading, writing, speaking, listening - automatically. They become a part of the process in a natural way and that involves all aspects of the process. From beginning to end, they are communicating to themselves, to each other and to others in the class including the teacher. Practice does indeed make perfect and it helps to be practicing without even trying.
When students are asked to work together on Problem Based Learning Tasks, they are given an opportunity to ponder and solve challenges using the knowledge, skills and affect they already possess and integrate those with what they have taken from their reading of a book for instance. They are therefore deepening learning and mastering new skills as they progress. If you have any questions about this, just ask yourself what happens to you when you set about attempting something you have never done before. It is exactly the same process.
One of the single most often asked questions about novel read aloud, problem based learning and culminating performance tasks is how to assess them accurately. This podcast will explore the issue of assessment of products generated in problem based learning.
When we read books aloud or facilitate novel reading by students in front of us, in order to cultivate learning, we need to question students. Only when we prompt deep learning do students process the novel and its elements. Bloom's six - stage Taxonomy helps us understand how to progress from knowledge and comprehension to evaluating and creating. At the lower order thinking skills, students are not challenged to process as much as they are at the higher order skill levels. This podcast walks the listener through these stages and what they mean.
In this podcast, I try to address how I have used a novel read to a class aloud over a period of time to cultivate problem based learning which is integrated with more than two or three school subject areas. By involving problem based learning centred around issues raised in a novel, students deepen their new learning and extend their conceptual development while tackling tasks that in themselves enable formative assessment on student progress.
There are some topics that may be uncomfortable to read about or talk about, but still need to be put on the table for some specific students or groups of students to read about and talk about. It has to be seen as part of social and emotional development as well as literacy. Such a book is Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. It deals with sexual and physical abuse and the power of sisterhood and friendship as a path to recovery. This podcast deals with the outline of this book.
When I say, as I do repeatedly, that those who read succeed, what does that really mean to imply? What does it have to do with Literacy? Why is this so important as an end goal in our educational system?
First of all, everyone gets up and returns to the Fair. Wilbur wakes up and sees the egg sac which Charlotte has weaved during the night. Everyone else sees the word HUMBLE in the Web. They also see the blue ribbon that Uncle has hanging on the side of his stye, But then the loudspeaker announces that Wilbur is to receive a special award and everyone hustles to get to the grandstand for the special event,
We learn that Templeton, in the evening, goes foraging for food and a word for Charlotte. Charlotte weaves the word HUMBLE into her web and then goes into a new corner to work on her masterpiece. Wilbur worries about the competition tomorrow and is thankful he has Charlotte with him. The humans in the story go home, have dessert and go to bed.
In which the two families and their cargo arrive at the fair and everyone gets settled. Fern and Avery get some money and get cautions about what to do and not to do. Charlotte and Wilbur chat in the new stall. Charlotte declares she is getting very tired. Charlotte and Wilbur meet Uncle, another pig who is much bigger than Wilbur and they see that he is going to be a threat. Everyone meets at the truck for lunch and a bit of a nap.
The day before the fair has arrived and it is agreed that Mrs. Zuckerman is going to give Wilbur a buttermilk bath to make his as shiny as possible. The animals talk about the trip and it is agreed that Templeton and Charlotte will each go along to help Wilbur. The morning arrives and although there are some problems getting Wilbur into the crate and on his way, everything sorts itself out and off they go.
Charlotte and everyone else begin to hear the crickets singing which is a sign of fall coming. Talk begins about the country fair and making sure Wilbur is the best pig there. Wilbur wants Charlotte to come with him to the fair but she tells him she can't. She has to stay to lay eggs and get herself ready for the change of seasons too.
Fern tells her mother she is going to the barn to visit with her friends. It's a Saturday and Mrs. Arable is more than a bit annoyed by the things Fern says about animals talking. So Mrs. Arable lets Fern go to Zuckerman's and she visits Dr. Dorian to talk about Fern. Dr. Dorian suggests that it sounds like Fern is perfectly okay!
Charlotte spends the night weaving the word TERRIFIC into her web, which of course attracts a lot of attention. But she is not happy with that word; She sends Templeton back to the dump looking for a new word and for a while they settle on RADIANT.
Charlotte calls a meeting of all the barn animals because she wants suggestions for a new word about Wilbur in her web. The only word that comes up is TERRIFIC and Charlotte will use that. However she also charges Templeton to bring back some articles from magazines from the dump so they can look for new words.
In the last episode, I spelled out the idea of the Zone of Proximal Development and how each child has his or her own Zone and this will vary from subject to subject, skill to skill. That there is this variance is attributed today to the idea of Multiple Intelligences, that every child has his or her own unique combination of abilities based on broad intelligence areas that determine the actual zone of proximal development. A child who is gifted verbalizing has fewer challenges when asked to prepare a speech for instance or report to the class on research conducted, compared to someone without that highly developed intelligence.
When we were first taught to read in the '50s, nobody worried about whether it was easy or hard for the individual; learner. It was assumed that either they got it or they didn't and if they didn't, it was assumed they were problem learners of one kind of another. They were branded as PROBLEMS. Today, it is assumed that each of us has our own zone of proximal development, or an area where new learning is neither challenging or boring. This podcast explains what this means and how it should play out in the classroom.
I have tried to set before ou the idea that by reading and talking and discussing and thinking about we are developing concepts of what we have read and putting the ideas together with concepts that we already have. So we are developing and deepening concepts that already are partially formed in our heads.
There was a time when we held classes in Language Arts. As a teacher, my daybook had Language Arts and each day I would have some other aspect of that subject. But today, in order to cultivate literacy in a group of individuals, we have to understand that our daily approach has to change. I explore the difference between Language Arts and Literacy in this podcast episode.
Since we have already determined that the goal of literacy education in the 21st century has to be to be able read and apply new ideas, concepts, information into already existing hierarchies of knowledge, then the only way we can do that is to individualize classroom instruction. No longer can we do reading the way it used to be done. It cannot be whole class or levelled groups but it must be individualized as much as possible.
If our understanding of what Literacy implies in the 21st century and we know how and why classrooms have changed, then we need to put this all together and understand our long-range goal has to be educating individuals who are able to understand the barrage of information coming at them and use new learning to further enhance concepts going forward. Only when new learning contributes to a better understanding of the world will we be members of a society that can succeed going forward.
We learn that Charlotte had spent the whole night creating a message in her web and when the family learned about the message, they believed that they had a special pig not a special spider. The minister spoke about the miracle in church but before that, everyone in the community was coming to watch Wilbur in his pigpen. Nothing else mattered.
Fern and Avery are visiting their uncle and aunt and Avery brings a frog which causes havoc in the kitchen. Then they go to the barn and are swinging and cause an egg Templeton, the rat, had been saving. That caused a huge commotion with Lurvy who hated rats and he filled in Temptelon's hole. After an active day, everyone but Charlotte went to sleep. She stayed up and was busy with her web.
In this chapter, Wilbur watches as Charlotte builds a web and then he insists he can do the same thing and tries several times, without success, and then gives up. His thoughts turn to why he is being fattened up and he tells Charlotte that he does not want to die and they talk about how Charlotte hopes to save him. She insists he look after himself and not worry at all.
At one time, the classrooms in most schools were very homogeneous as were their schools. But over the last quarter century especially, school communities have drastically changed. Most classrooms reflect the diversity in society - ethnically, religiously, sexually, sociologically, and so forth. This podcast addresses how this affects what we do in the classroom.
Fern tells her parents all about the events in the barn at her uncle's and about all the things the animals said. This worried Mrs. Arable although she didn't tell Fern this. She couldn't believe her daughter was talking about animals and insects speaking and being understood.
In which Wilbur and Fern visit with an old sheep that points out to Wilbur the the farmer is fattening him up so that they can slaughter him at Christmas time. Wilbur gets very upset and Charlotte promises to save him, somehow.
As we have moved from whole class instruction to individualized learning, there have been a multitude of changes required. This podcast episode will focus on what the physical classroom changes have been and why they are meant to contribute to individualized learning.
Our understanding of the the concept of Literacy has evolved from several centuries ago. At one time, it only referred to the ability to be able to read and write. Once an individual could do that, the goal had been achieved. Now we understand that is only the beginning of the process. Literacy today implies being able to read anything and understand what one is reading so that the individual can apply the new knowledge or insights gained to other circumstances or situations. The literate person is able to take what he or she reads and use it to help him or her make better sense of the world around us.
Summer has arrived and with it a new set of hatched eggs by the goose and the gander. Everyone in the barn is abuzz with the new arrivals but we are left hanging at the end of the chapter because there is the threat of danger to the little goslings.
In this episode I talk about the recent flurry of press about Dr. Seuss and its link to cancel culture and then explain how I view what is acceptable and what is not acceptable depending upon the age doing the listening and the reading. I delve into why some books become unacceptable and question why this is actually valid or not valid.
In which I try to set out just why it is so important to read aloud to our students, whatever their age, and the skills that are developed and enhanced through reading aloud to them. How do students grow as learners and in literacy by reading good books to them?
I dedicate this introductory podcast to tell you a little bit about myself and why I am creating this podcast series. I talk about how I fell in love with reading and how I can still see the books in the Boys and Girls Room in the St. Catharines Public Library from over 65 years ago. I talk about my early experiences in reading aloud and then how I became an advocate for reading aloud. I talk about my years teaching literacy to prospective Elementary School teachers and what I hope this podcast will lead to.
Wilbur wakes up in the morning and after breakfast he meets Charlotte who is a spider. He can see her in her web and she shows him how she catches flies to eat. But Charlotte can't really see him.
Wilbur woke up knowing precisely what he wanted to do but it was a rainy day. So he had to change his plans. He tried to find someone to play with him but no-one was interested in joining him. He spent most of the day listless and uninterested in everything. Lurvey, the hired man, thought he might be sick. Wilbur lay in his spot in the bar and heard a strange new voice who said they would meet in the morning.
Wilbur is egged on by the other animals in the barnyard, especially the goose. He gets out of his pen and then the Zukermans and their helper chase Wilbur around until he goes back to the pen on his own. So much for escape and excitement.
In Chapter Two, Charlotte nurtures Wilbur and he begins to thrive and to bond with her. But he has to be sold. Her father refuses to keep her but he suggests that Fern ask her uncle and aunt to buy Wilbur and then foster him. They agree and Wilbur moves to their farm nearby.
In Chapter 1, we meet the Arable family. Mr. Arable has just helped deliver a litter of piglets and one of them is a runt. He's going to kill the runt because they usually don't thrive. But his daughter Fern interferes with this and insists she be allowed to help the runt grow. Her father agrees and brings the runt to the house and Fern begins to nurture Wilbur, the name she gives the piglet.
In this podcast, I first expound on the link between reading aloud and literacy and then briefly explore how completing activities after reading a book helps the student deepen learning and expand their knowledge and skills to a greater level of literacy. Then I tell you a bit about E. B. White, briefly expound on the plot a bit and finally give you some ideas about how to take the reading of the book and extend and deepen learning with a variety of different activities.
In which, the children go to the Castle at Cair Paravel, sit on the thrones and reign happily for many years and become adults. They forget about where they came from. Then someone brings them word of a White Stag and they go hunting and follow him to where they first entered Narnia, except they don't remember that. They follow until they are back in the wardrobe and return just as they had left without any time having passed. The professor tells them that they will some day return to Narnia, but from a different route.
In which Aslan and the girls go through the caste and Aslan's breathe on the statues breaks the spell and so everyone is revived. Then Aslan gathers his troops and they race to find where the battle is going on. But first, they need the giant to break down the doors of the castle which he does. Then they race to the battle where Peter is fighting the White Witch. Aslan saves the day and the battle is won.
The girls spend the night mourning the death of Aslan and take his muzzle off and then try to remove the bindings tying him down. They couldn't but little field mice came and nibbled them off so they could remove them. Then Aslan disappears for a short time and returns as good as ever. Deep magic had helped restore him and they take off for the castle of the White Witch.
Although the children and everyone else thought Aslan had won, the mood in the camp was not happy. Aslan was very sad and he was seen by the girls to sneak off into the woods. They followed him and eventually he allowed them to accompany him on part of his journey. But then he made them hide and they could see as he proceeded to the camp of the Witch and her followers who proceeded to tie Aslan up, humiliate him and the Witch seemed to slay him but the girls covered their eyes.
After Peter's triumph, the children went back to the camp and in the morning, Edmund was back. He'd be stolen from the Witch. She came to the camp and was allowed to enter and she claimed Edmund as a traitor. But Aslan and the Witch had a conference and hatched a way to save Edmund.
As the children advance on their way to Cair Paravel and the meeting with Aslan, they are overwhelmed by the signs of Spring. However, that does not mean there is danger ahead. They meet Aslan and he speaks to Peter while the girls go off with some of the animals and creatures assembled. Peter is given a sword and has to defend Lucy who has been chased up a tree by a wolf who is one of the White Witch's foot soldiers.
The story turns back to Edmund and follows him as he is taken without a coat into the cold snowy night in the sledge with the White Witch. However, as time passes, the night warms up considerably and the weather changes dramatically from Winter to Spring and all around are signs that the Queen Is losing her grip on Narnia.
The children and the beavers seek refuge in a special hiding place known to the beavers, where they know that they won't be discovered. They sleep and then they are visited by Father Christmas, whose presence in Narnia means that the power of the White Witch is already diminishing. Each of the children gets special gifts that they will need in the coming battle.
Edmund, we learn, snuck gradually out of the beavers' little house, with thoughts of the Turkish Delight in his head. He leaves into a storm which slowly departs and the clearing night shows him where to go to the castle. He finds in the castle all the statues the beavers had spoken of and then climbs stairs to an open door to meet the Queen who immediately prepares to leave.
The beavers explain to the children what it means to have the four children in Narnia and how it has been foretold that they will come and sit on the thrones with the help of Aslan. But they find out that Edmund has disappeared and that means that the White Witch will try and take them captive and prevent the future from happening.
In which the children seem to have been deserted by the robin who was leading them, but then they come upon a beaver who tells them to be quiet and follow him to his den for some dinner and to tell them what is happening in Narnia.
In which the children go deeper into the woods and find out that Edmund had already been there and discover that Tumnus has been taken capture and so they decide they have to try and save him and so the adventure begins and the plot thickens.
In which the two older children talk over the fight between the two youngest children about whether or not Narnia could be real and the professor sides with Lucy. Then they run away from the housekeeper taking tourists on a tour of the big old house and go right into the wardrobe in hiding, so they think.
Edmund meets the White Witch, who proceeds to lure him by offering him Turkish delight with a magic spell put on it. She sends him back to the other place and tells him he needs to return with his siblings and bring them all to the castle. He is escorted to the lamppost where he meets Lucy again and they return through the wardrobe.
After much teasing because the children don't believe Lucy, the next rainy day, first Lucy, then Edmund goes through the wardrobe. Edmund believes he is following Lucy but she is no where to be found. Instead he meets the White Witch being pulled in a. sleight,
Lucy meets the faun Mr. Tumnus in the woods beside the lamp post and goes with him to his home for tea. Afterwards Mr. Tumnus admits that he is supposed to turn any human in to the White Witch and Lucy says she wants to go home and will forgive Mr. Tumnus since he didn't do that anyways. So Lucy goes back through the wardrobe.
In which the four children are intr0duced, why they are in this big country home with the professor is explained, and we follow Lucy as she goes through a wardrobe she has stumbled upon.,
I explain a bit about the series, C. S. Lewis the author and how you can deepen the learning of the students beyond the plain reading of the text. I give the listener six or seven ideas for meaningful projects that students can engage themselves with after reading the book so as to deepen learning and enhance the objectective of literacy development.
Mary Poppins, of course, is an all-time favourite book because of the famous movie and the songs that go with it. But there is great pleasure to be derived from hearing the book before seeing the movie for one who has not seen the movie first. It is very imaginative and students can have endless fun learning the songs, imitating the characters in the book through drama and coming up with new ways to go on with the story. Some students might even have some fun pretending to interview P. L. Travers and ask her where she got the ideas for her books. Some however would not find this book appropriate for any age and this podcast explores some of the ways in which older students could explore the world of P. L. Travers and Mary Poppins.
In which Ramona stays away from school because she thinks her teacher doesn't like her anymore and everything is resolved by a letter.
In which Ramona begins her day thinking she is so grown up but ends it after a day at school in which she is literally out in the cold because she has a lot of lessons about life to learn still.
In which Ramona gets her costume for Halloween and is so excited to be marching with all the rest of the school but doesn't like it when no one knows it is her behind the mask. But she learns something about herself.
In which Ramona deals with rain on the way to school, the need for new boots, getting stuck in the mud and using a worm to make an engagement ring.
In which Ramona arrives at school to learn that her teacher is away and so she hides and won't go into the classroom because she doesn't want any other teacher. She is eventually found though and is taken to the Principal's office.
In which Ramona tries to tell everyone how to do their work while the teacher tries to teach her how to sit and follow instructions properly.
In which Ramona tries to be just like Beezus and bring something for Show & Tell but along the way, she gets her friend Howie Kemp to to bring something as well, as then Ramona finds Howie causing her problems when she wants to be the centre of attention.
Ever since her older sister Beezus started school, Ramona has waited impatiently to begin kindergarten. Today's her big day but it does't go exactly as she anticipated.
Ramona the Pest is the second in a series of books written by Beverly Cleary. The series as a whole could be considered dated because this book was written in 1968. BUT, there is much that a teacher can do to help her students learn about the past and have fun at the same time. Ramona is beginning Kindergarten and her older sister Beezus is already in Grade 3, Listen to the trials and tribulations of a little girl starting school and trying to be just like her big sister. Ramona is a very active child, to be sure, but the book represents a moment in time that would enable us to talk with our students about how different life and school is today from 40 years ago.
In which the family of frogs believes the Frog Pin was eaten by the Hag and then they realize that was not so but still can't find him. Then Jimmy is picked up by a princess and at the last minute, Pin pushes Jimmy off and takes his place in the palm of the princess who is just about to ........and you should know the rest of this story. Suffice it to say that the princess is confronted by a naked male prince.
In which, first the male and female frog and their froglet start to relate as a family and explore what it means to be husband, wife, mother and father, and then have a son. Then in which Jimmy, the son froglet is captured by the Hag and then Prin and Jade try to save Jimmy and are helped by the other froglet brothers and sisters.
In which, first Pin gets lessons on how to mate and make tadpoles and then he worries about keeping them safe from harm and shows the female where they will begin to grow and then they are crowded in the well and get moved to a pond. After those get eaten, Pin returns with the female frog to the well where 50 are safe and watched with amazement as they metamorphose. Eventually they all get back into the big pond.
In which Pin the Fawg learns to eat and what he can and cannot eat and amazes his female friend with the things he says he can eat. Then the two pond frogs talk about tadpoles and how they come about. In the next chapter, they continue becoming closer and then Pin saves the female from a Water Snake proving that friendship is becoming something more.
In which Pin and the narrator of the story, a female pond frog, learn a bit more about each other and the female is finding all the nice things about the male frog, Pin, but he's very unhappy with himself. The female begins to teach him how to really be a. frog. Then they meet a sow bug and the male frog talks about eating lobster and the female frog finds it very funny and doesn't believe him. He calls himself the Fawg Pin and then they meet a snapping turtle that thinks he can eat Pin but Pin outsmarts him.
In which we listen to the voice of a female frog talk about her encounter with a very strange male frog and what happens when they are threatened by a hag.
Reading The Prince in the Pond: Otherwise Known as the Fawg Prin is a very clever and funny story that children in the Primary Grades will enjoy especially since it introduces to them the world of chapter books. There is so much you can do with a class around this book with your class or your children. Listen to this podcast to hear what exactly and how,
In which Mr. Alden comes to stay with the Moores so they can get to know him before he declares he is their grandfather. But Henry figures it out on his own and so the children realize their grandfather is kind and generous and they are invited to stay and live with him. But they miss their boxcar home so Mr. Alden moves the boxcar to his property. And everyone lives happily ever after again.
In which James is taken to a free Field Day sponsored by his grandfather, but he doesn't know that is who it is. He is invited to run in the Open Race and ends up winning it and the grand prize of $25 dollars. Then he and his siblings feast on potatoes but Violet gets sick and so Henry runs to get the doctor and they all go to the Moore home for the night while the doctor tends to Violet. In the morning, their grandfather shows up but they don't know that is who he is yet.
In which the children use their new cart to haul stones and build a dam so they can have a pool for swimming and washing in and then they find a wild hen and her nest which has eggs for dinner. Then Henry returns to the Moore home and brings his siblings because they can help pick cherries and the Moore family falls in love with these mysterious children and feed them a wonderful lunch. Dr. Moore reads an advertisement in the paper indicating someone is looking for these same four children,
In which Henry goes to work for Dr. Moore again and is rewarded not only with money but treasures he and his siblings can use to build things with and vegetables that he picked in the garden and were extras. After a wonderful dinner of stew, they made a cart to use to stones for making a pool with.
In which the children gather items to make their lives in the boxcar easier and more normal and then Henry goes into the town and gets a job working for a doctor doing odd jobs and he earns money to buy real food to eat. Then they pass an almost normal day until during the night they are awakened by the dog barking and are sure someone or something is out there but they still feel safe.
In which, first the children stumble upon the perfect home and hiding place - a deserted boxcar seemingly right in the middle of. the woods. It is close to fresh water, and as they discover also a blueberry patch that they harvest for the supper. Then they meet up with a stray wounded dog that Jessie nurses and they adopt. Henry goes off into the town to buy milk and cheese and bread for supper and then the children, satisfied, they go to sleep safe and sound.
An introduction to Gertrude Chandler Warner, the author of The Boxcar Children series of books begins this podcast.The style of writing was purposefully simple and easy to read because she wanted her readers to love reading books as much as her and she was very successful at this. The book is one of the all-time favourite read aloud books for young children. A brief summary of the book and then six ideas of how to use the book as a teaching and learning tool.
In which the four children, who are orphans, come upon a bakery where they buy bread and then are offered a place to sleep overnight and then work the next morning. Then, they run off because the baker and his wife are going to take the youngest to the orphanage and his siblings won't allow that. So they walk during the night and sleep in haystack close to fresh water.
In which James introduces all his friends to the citizens of New York after they realized all those "monsters" included a little boy. Then the book ends with a ticker tape parade and a telling of how all the Peach Passengers made out in their new lives.
In which first the centipede bites the silk strings attached to the seagulls and the peach starts to fall and THEN the peach started to fall right to the city of New York and finally came to rest on the top of the Empire State Building and then caused a riot of fear in the citizenry and so the Chiefs of the Police and the Fire Departments were called to do something and everyone only became more afraid.
In which, now that the centipede was freed by the rain storm, the travellers admire all the sites as they float above the ocean until, as the sun came up in the west, they realized they were floating over New York City BUT now the residents of the city below begin to prepare themselves for the dropping of a giant bomb, since that is what they think the peach is.
In which they interrupted Cloud-Men as they were painting a giant rainbow and then in which, next, the Cloud-Men fought back by throwing cans of paint at the peach, hitting the centipede who ended up stuck solidly to the peach, and then, next they went through a terrible rain storm, which sounds like it might have even been a hurricane.
In which, having saved themselves from the sharks in the ocean below, they tell James in turn why they are valuable to men and what makes them special and THEN the Centipede falls off the top of the Peach and James has to rescue him from the ocean using string that the silkworm spun and THEN they meet little cloud-men making hailstones and the cloud-men start aiming at them at the peach,.
In which they harness enough birds to achieve lift-off and then they start sailing under the clouds and are sighted by an ocean liner and then they have a party and are entertained by the grasshopper who makes beautiful music.
In which James and his friends see sharks circling the giant peach in search of food and in which the alarm is sounded that they have to do something to save themselves and then in which James devises a brilliant scheme involved spiders and silkworms and harnessing sea gulls to the stem of the peach.
In which the peach falls from the stem holding it to the tree and rolls down the hill until it flies off the cliffs of Dover into the sea and then James and friends recover from their trip and go outside by climbing using ladders the spider has spun for them and then they decide that they can eat the peach because they are hungry and talk about all the foods that they love.
In which Spider spins hammocks for each of James's new friends and then James meets one more friend, the Glowworm who has to turn out her light so everyone can sleep. In the morning, the Giant Peach begins to move down the hill and then the aunts have to run away but don't quite make it and go SPLAT!
In which James explores a cave opening into the peach and goes through a door opening and then he meets creatures that are. just as large proportionately as the peach (including an earthworm, a grasshopper, a spider, a centipede, and a ladybug ) and then they get to know each other.
In which the peach on the tree grows and grows and next the oddity attracts so much attention that they sell tickets to the spectators and next James is pushed out after dark to clean up the mess left behind.
In which James is given specific instructions on what to do to invoke the magic, then in which he has an accident and fate takes over, then the peach tree in the yard begins to grow miraculously and the aunts plan to eat the whole thing themselves, THEN
In which we meet James, then he becomes and orphan, then he is adopted by his horrid aunts, and then he meets up with something that will change his life, THEN