It took them weeks to create these nonfiction Big Books, and it all began with a Skype call with "Dr. Goodgrace."

She asked the Magical Minds to help her plan for a zoo she is opening.  She asked them to research a rare animal to help her design the exhibits, and prepare for the habitats and diets of the different animals.  Jazzed to be part of such a ambitious plan, the Magical Minds were eager to jump right in.  The next day we introduced them to Nicole, our FABULOUS neighborhood librarian at the Portola Branch. 

Bursting with enthusiasm, Nicole helped the students locate books on their chosen topics, guiding them through the nonfiction section of the library and demonstrating how to use the computers to locate resources.

With their books in hand, they began a week's worth of research. 

The Magical Minds painstakingly recorded the facts they found on notecards, keeping in mind three or four important subtopics: habitat, diet, anatomy and life cycle.  Once they had written a healthy collection of notes, they began to organize them according to topic, preparing to write what would be their rough drafts.

Rough drafts became final drafts.  The kids photocopied as well as drew pictures, diagrams and maps, and put all their information together into one giant book.  As we got closer to the presentation date, they created notecards to read from and practiced in front of their peers and teachers.

Finally, the day arrived!  Nicole, our local librarian, came to visit and Dr. Goodgrace Skyped in.  Each team of researchers did an amazing job of presenting their findings.

Research shows that good readers have certain habits that help them understand and enjoy what they are reading.  One of the most important things good readers do is THINK.  Yes, they read for pleasure, but their thinking makes their reading more enjoyable and memorable.

What do good readers think about?  
A common thought is, “That reminds me of…”  Good readers connect what they already know to what they are reading.  

The brain doesn’t remember facts – it remembers connections.  Information is only meaningful to the brain when it is connected to something else.  In this way new information is contextualized, and the more thoughts an idea is associated with – the more value it has in the brain.

All that knowledge in your brain is called SCHEMA.  Schema, or background knowledge, is everything you have experienced, seen, smelled, felt…  It is the collection of thoughts and ideas inside your mind.  When readers make connections between their schema and a book, their comprehension improves. Their brains are hard at work trying to make sense of the text by associating it with their memories.

In Reader's Workshop, we talk about three different kinds of connections that readers make to the text:

• text-to-self (connecting the book to events in our own lives)
• text-to-text (connecting the book to other books, movies, articles…)
• text-to-world (connecting the book to world events)
  
  

This week the Magical Minds are focusing on making text-to-self connections.  Not only are they practicing making connections, they are also learning how to talk about their thinking.

In the top picture, you can see some of the language we are using:

“When I read the words…it reminded me of…”

I modeled for this skills while reading aloud from Cynthia Rylant’s The Relatives Came.  I shared my own memories of my family gatherings.  Afterwards, I asked the kids to write down their own personal connections.

For homework, the children are asked to use the language we are learning to write the connections they make while reading their own books.

What are some of the most memorable books you have read?

When introducing the classroom library, I emphasize that it is OUR library, not my library.  I want the children to feel a sense of ownership.  Thus, the first official lesson in reading begins with naming our library. 

"But, it's hard to name something you don't know," I say.  Thus we begin with an exploration of books.  I point out that because of the move, our library has little organization, and I need their help to figure out how to best group the books.  Partners are given baskets of books and asked,  "How would you sort these?"

As they sift through their books, the Magical Minds are slowly familiarizing themselves with parts of our library.  This exercise also serves as a pre-assessment on how to organize books.  Mr. H and I scan the room, noting how some partners sort them alphabetically by title, while anothers group them by size or by difficulty.   

During a moment of reflection they share with each other how they organized their books and why they chose that system, as well as any books they noticed that they were eager to read.

After familiarizing ourselves with the books and the library, we came together and brainstormed possible library names.  Of course Mr. H and I had our favorites, but ultimately the kids must choose; it is their library.

The final decision...

Make reading fun this summer!  We know that you were asked to read three books this summer, but we also know that you probably read more than three books.

Play the Summer Reading Game and celebrate the diverse range of books you read on your vacation. All you need is a die (single dice), game sheet (below) and some great books.

Recommended book lists:

http://www.greatschools.org/cgi-bin/showarticle/624

http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/birchwood/recrdng2.html

Looking forward to hearing about your summer reading. 
HAVE FUN!

Ms. M and Mr. H

I hate finishing a book.  

It can take days sometimes for that melancholic feeling to pass.  After I finishing mourning my last read, I enter into the paralysis of indecision: What will I read next? My problem is there are so many good books to read.  

For my students, they suffer from not knowing what's out there.  There have been times when a student and I spend an entire class period roaming through the library, exploring different authors and themes until we finally rest upon that one book he/she is excited to read.

But, now there is help from YourNextRead.com 

Search for a book that you have read, and YourNextRead creates a web of similar books that you might enjoy.  The related books are chosen based on input from other users, which as an educator I would love to have connected to reading level. But, the bonus to this method is your book maps change according to your likes and dislikes.  Notice the thumbs up and down - those allow you to (like Pandora) customize your map.  

What book will you read next?