Just a Reverse Blink

Being a mom has taught me a couple of things over the years. For example, I now know that warm food, showers and an alone visit to the restroom are luxuries and not to be taken for granted. I also came to understand that sometimes the wisest lessons in life come from some very unexpected places. 

Driving back from school the other day, I heard the following conversation between my two older daughters, Maya (6) and Alissa (9). 

M: I have 176 reading counting points.

A: I have 238.

M: I know somebody in my class that has only 6!

A: Some people in mine have none. Some people just don't like to read Maya.

M: WHAT???!!!! (with the biggest tone of disbelief ever!) Are they CRAZY?!

A: No… they just don't like it.

M (after a few seconds of thinking): Well, I can read with my eyes shut! 

(A few more seconds of thinking and she continues...) 

I guess if they don't like to read then they COULD read with their eyes shut so they wouldn't have to actually read. But then if they blinked then maybe they would HAVE TO read what was on the page and then they might like it. (Mind you that was all said in one single breath)

I looked at the two of them through the rearview mirror. Maya was staring out the window still in deep thought and Alissa was staring right back at me ready to burst out laughing. So we both did and Maya just looked up and said "What? It's true." Then she went on to start laughing herself. 

Later on, while relating the story to my husband, I started to think about Maya's "reverse blinking" logic. So simple, yet, so brilliant. Think about it, what does blinking when you have your eyes closed entail? Opening your eyes! And yes, sometimes all it takes is that one glimpse. That one reverse blink into a book that intrigues you, and your eyes are suddenly wide open. 

I do believe that there is a reader in each of us out there. And yes, I do think that not all readers were created equal. There are the ones who enjoy long historical novels with intricate details about each event, then those who want the quick entertaining comic strips. Some prefer magazines, others, like my crazy husband, math text books. 

When Maya started reading, she was obsessed with the Rainbow Magic fairy books. We came across them by accident while my older daughter was searching the shelves for some of her books. Now, those fairies drove me insane, the same story over and over with a slightly different character, and an oh-so-predictable ending. Yet at 5 she devoured those books, sometimes reading four or five of them in one day. Did it matter that I thought they were not the most mind engaging literacy out there? Not at all, because at the end of the day I had a child who was developing a immense love for reading. Today she reads pretty much anything that falls into her hands, she reads because she loves to, not because she has to. Today I could kiss Daisy Meadows for putting in writing the right words that kept my child engaged and fascinated.  

The point is, every child should be given the chance of a reverse blink into something that is enjoyable to them. The secret is to find out that one thing that really speaks to your child. Whether it is magic and wizardry, robot building or "Animal Grossology" you are sure to find that one writing style and topic that will reach their inner curiosity. Take them to a library, let them browse the aisles aimlessly in search of the one book calling their name. Browse magazine titles, keep an eye out for comic books of their favorite characters, and jump at the chance of finding a book on "the wildest things people eat around the world" next time they crack a joke about eating worms. Once that first spark ignites, keeping the flame going becomes a lot easier. 

One reverse blink at the right paper, that's all it takes. Simple and brilliant, as only a child could put it.

Charades - a literacy secret!

If you know me, you will not be surprised to learn that I enjoy Charades. And if you really know me well, you know that I LOVE charades! Now, I know there are those who are not keen on charades and you are wondering what charades has to do with literacy - DON’T STOP READING. Give me a chance to explain.

My family has been playing charades my entire life. It started out the normal way; two teams generate slips of paper with titles of books, movies, TV shows, etc, each player is timed as they try to get their teammates to guess a title, the team with the smallest amount of minutes wins. This was good, but our game morphed into something so much better. Over the years timing each player was taken out, whispered hints were offered if someone got stuck, an imaginative approach to titles was encouraged, individuals were urged to try again if their first or second approach didn’t work and storytelling was emphasized over speed. We have so much fun!

But you ask, “Okay, that is nice. You had fun. But why is it a literacy secret?” 

My first answer, “Charades lets you play with words!” It is an awesome way to look at words closely without the drudgery of a lesson. Charades helps you learn to separate sounds, see compound words, count syllables, see incomplete and complete words within other words, realize words have more than one meaning and identify words that sound alike. (See the example below.)

My second answer, “Charades improves your ability to tell a story.” In charades you act out phrases or whole books or movies. This reinforces the performer's ability to move from the beginning to the middle to the end of a story or to identify and highlight important moments. Those who are guessing improve their ability to see a story unfold, to find connections (context clues) that help the guessers understand and identify a story. (See the example below.)

My third answer, “Charades gives you confidence and lets you be silly.” Standing in front of crowd always takes some getting used to. In classrooms, it can be difficult to raise your hand or present a book report if you have never been in front of anyone before. Let charades help your children gain confidence as a presenter. Let them see that they can mess up and keep going until they get it right. Being silly is helpful because we learn to laugh at ourselves and laugh with others. Every once in a while, we all need what charades gives us - the chance to be a quacking duck or a ninja or a cooking rat.

My fourth and final answer, “Charades brings you together as a family!” Okay, yes this is not strictly a literacy advantage. But it is such a nice by product. Spending time together as a family, laughing together, working as a team together, learning together is charades' gift to the world. Mmm, that was a bit dramatic. Sorry.

So, did I convince you? I hope so! Thanksgiving is only a few days away and while the family is all-together, I hope you will give charades a try! Regardless, I am hoping you and yours have a wonderful joy-filled day of thanks!

There are many ways to approach any given title. Here are two examples:

Word play example for the movie Silver Linings Playbook. Show silver has 2 syllables. 1^st syllable - give the gesture for a sounds-a-like word; act out a duck, point to your bill; have the guessers work through the alphabet until they get to sil. 2^nd syllable - give the sounds-a-like gesture, act cold until they guess brrrr. Let them work through the alphabet to ver. Show that linings has 2 syllables. 1^st syllable - act out a person standing in a line. 2^nd syllable – Pretend to sing. Show the gesture to expand a word until they guess sings; show the chopping gesture to shorten a word until they guess ings. Show that playbook has 2 syllables. 1^st syllable – pretend to play or pretend to be in a play (maybe act some Shakespeare). 2^nd syllable – pretend to open and read a book.

Storytelling example for the book The Road by Cormac McCarthy. To successfully use the storytelling approach, it is very helpful if one of the guessers has read the book, seen the movie, etc. Although this book could be done by acting like you are driving a car then pointing down to a road, a storytelling approach is much more interesting. Gesture that you will do the “whole concept”. Gesture “man”; act out being dirty, hungry, alone, pushing a cart. Gesture short “man” next to you until they guess boy. Act out going into a house, looking in a basement door, being horrified, closing the door and leaving quickly.

This website http://www.fun-stuff-to-do.com/charades.html has some helpful charade rules and ideas. But remember, this is your game. Use the rules and ideas you like, throw out the rest. ENJOY!

Fun with Eric Carle books

"By helping children get hooked on books today, we are working to prevent illiteracy in the future." This statement by Dave Page, reading expert for Family Literacy of Frontier College is undeniably true. But how do we get kids hooked on books? How do we make reading fun and engaging?

Here is a wonderful interactive activity for The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, published in 1969. Prepare the story by (1) cutting large apple shapes (approx. 8"x 5") from red felt or thick paper, orange shapes from orange felt, etc. continuing with the other foods as described in the book. (2) Cut a circle in each food shape large enough for a hand to pass through. (3) Die a sock green, add google eyes, pipe cleaner antennas, etc. for a caterpillar puppet. (4) Use form core or poster board to cut butterfly wings. (5) Color with markers or decorate the wings with tissue paper art inspired by Eric Carle's illustrations. (6) Cut a hole in the center big enough for a hand to pass through.

Present the story by (1) passing out the food shapes and sock caterpillar to various students. (2) Read the story as the caterpillar sock puppet walks around the room eating food. (3) As each food is eaten invite the students to say, "munch, munch, munch" and slide their food over the head of the caterpillar and onto the arm. When the caterpillar falls sleep, (4) cover the student's felt food arm in brown paper towels. And finally, (5) as the caterpillar wakes up, slide the wings over the caterpillar head. TaDa! Your story has come to a satisfying and magnificent conclusion. Your students and children will love feeding the caterpillar and revealing the beautiful butterfly wings. Repeat the story, allowing children to change parts, reinforcing the many concepts taught in this book. Once this story has been prepared it can be enjoyed year after year.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of more than 70 children's books written and/or illustrated by Eric Carle. It has many teachable concepts such as the days of the week, the life cycle of a caterpillar, healthy foods and more. Using the above activity, this book also teaches self-confidence, cooperation, improvisation, patience and more. Mr. Carle, born in New York, raised in Germany, currently splits his time between the waters of the Florida Keys and the hills of North Carolina. Now 82, Eric Carle is still at work creating art, writing stories and encouraging others. He says, "I can do it, you can do it." Learn more about Eric Carle, his new books and DVD, on his website http://www.eric-carle.com.

If you live in the Oviedo, Florida area, come to the Barnes and Noble in the Oviedo Mall this Saturday, September 8th, to see another Eric Carle book, The Very Busy Spider, presented as an interactive FREE puppet show. This puppet show is being presented as a part of a Literacy Alliance fundraiser. Shop at any Barnes and Noble (excluding college Barnes and Noble) on September 8th or online September 8-13 and a percentage of your sales will benefit our organization. More information can be found on our website: http://thelitalliance.org/getInvolved.html.

Leave a comment. Describe your favorite Eric Carle story or activity.

Read and Grow, Laugh and Learn

Lawrence Clark Powell, librarian and author, once said, “Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow.” This quote perfectly sums up my favorite local non-profit organization, The Literacy Alliance. Based in Oviedo, Florida, their central mission is to foster a positive relationship between books and today's youth.

The organization draws from a variety of volunteers. They come from many areas of the community, including Boys and Girls Town youth, high school and college students, and professionally trained youth services librarians. The common denominator of these volunteers is a love of reading and learning and a desire to share that love with their community.

The volunteers’ enthusiasm spills over into the many programs that the group offers for local schools, libraries, homeless shelters, and special events like the UCF Book Fair. This past year, The Literacy Alliance held over seventy events, benefiting more than 2200 children and teens.

They don't just focus on reading, either. The Literacy Alliance's programs include improvisational and scripted puppet shows, skits, magic tricks, songs, and science experiment demos -- anything to excite hungry, young minds.

So, what does Diane Keyes, a founder of The Literacy Alliance, say is the key to their programs? “Paraphrasing from the book Secret Science by the inspirational Steve Spangler, ‘my job is not to teach, but to grab the viewer’s attention and show them that learning is fun. Make them laugh and the learning will follow.’”

From browsing the kudos they’ve received on their website, http://thelitalliance.org, it's evident that the group is effective. Teachers applaud their professionalism and middle schoolers go out of their way to procure copies of the books The Alliance features. One quote from a local seventh grader best captures their essential quality, which is to smash preconceived notions about learning: "Thank you for coming to our school and making me laugh. I thought you were going to be boring, but I was way wrong."

Using skill, charm, and an arsenal of silly voices, the group is helping to inspire a new generation of lifetime learners.
-----
Thank you Emily Williams for writing this wonderful article about the Literacy Alliance! Leave us a comment - what is your favorite funny book?

Reading is Not Optional

Walter Dean Myers, author of 104 children's and young adult books, knows that reading is not optional. He knows this from personal experience. He grew up as a foster child in New York City, watched his family disintegrate when an uncle was murdered, and dropped out of high school at age 17. But as Myers tried to deal with his troubles, he found hope in books. The books he read moved him away from his problems because he connected with the characters and their problems. Books allowed him to see situations resolved when life was presenting him with many unresolved issues. Reading helped him see that he could be okay.  

Now, as an author, Myers strives to create characters that young adults can identify with. He wants his stories to reflect their lives, validate their lives and give them hope. This often means that his books are gritty or harsh. In other words, they are real. He has written about teens in jail, in juvenile detention centers, in war. His 1988 award winning novel Fallen Angels, inspired by the death of his younger brother in the Vietnam War, has been banned in some schools because of its language and vivid portrayal of war. But just as Myers looked for hope in books as a teen, he wants his readers to find hope in his characters and in his books.

But regardless of the book (fantasy, science fiction, humor, a Walter Dean Myers book), Myers knows that children and young adults must read. He knows that more and more kids, especially those from poor and minority families, can't read. In fact, 85% of unwed mothers are illiterate,  60% of America's prison inmates are illiterate, and 85% of all juvenile offenders have reading problems. So as the 2012 Library of Congress National Ambassador for young people's literature, Myers is promoting literacy and starting candid conversations about what he describes as "a real crisis." He is encouraging all of us to read and to become reading mentors; reading to children, neighbors, ourselves, pets, and friends. 

The Literacy Alliance also believes in hope for America's teens. Almost of our programs involve teens making a meaningful and fun connection with literature. This past Monday one of our volunteers visited the Seminole County Juvenile Detention Center to engage in a lively discussion of the value of reading aloud to children. The juvenile inmates were interested and opinionated on the subject. The program concluded with booktalks by the Literacy Alliance volunteer encouraging the teens to read an assortment of books which were donated to the detention center. Help us continue our work by participating in our September 8th fundraiser at Barnes & Noble.  Go to our website for more information. And by the way, who have your read to today?

Puppets are Star Motivators!

There are those who have asked, "Puppets!?! What are they good for?" Goodness, so, so much. Let's focus on motivation. Children of all ages who get excited about books and stories are motivated to read. Research shows that motivation is absolutely essential because learning is hard work. The motivation has to be there. Puppets are star motivators. Whenever they are on the scene, it's pure fun and children want more.

Here's an example. Several months ago, in a middle school program, I booktalked Flying Blind by Anna Myers. It was moderately successful. However I reworked the booktalk and added a puppet - Murphy, a macaw and central character in the book. I was thrilled with the reaction to the new booktalk. When I brought Murphy out with a loud, "caw, caw," the students definitely noticed. They smiled, laughed and paid attention. And, in the thank you letters I received after the booktalk, many students mentioned that they were excited to read the bird book.

So dust off those puppets. Retrieve them from storage. Have puppet time in your classroom or home, visit your library and bookstore storytimes, encourage  children to use puppets in their book reviews or booktalks. Bottom line - let puppets help you motivate children to read. Share your favorite puppet story with us!

It's good to be good!

Teen puppeteers provide storytmes!

Are you interested in a sense of purpose that leads to greater life satisfaction, reduced stress, less depression, living longer, higher levels of health and higher cognitive function? Of course you are! Well, according to a December 2011 Consumer Report article, studies show that being involved in the altruistic nature of volunteering will lead to all of the above! Awesome! So much good from being good. Who knew! And then there are the smiles of those you help, their gratitude and laughter, and the warm glow in your heart. Where can you sign up, you say? Look around, you may know someone who currently volunteers, ask them how to get involved. Or check out these online sources - Heart of Florida United Way http://www.hfuw.org/ and Hands on Orlando http://www.handsonorlando.com/. Or help us!

Playing with science!

At the Literacy Alliance we love helping others. Sharing the joy of reading and a curiosity for learning is our pleasure and our passion. You love to read and learn too? Excellent. Join us September 8th at Barnes & Noble Book Stores and we will read and learn together. Your purchase on that day in any Barnes & Noble will help us with funds for needed program supplies. Come to the Barnes & Noble in the Oviedo Mall on September 8th for puppet shows, a puppet read-a-thon and fun science experiment demonstrations. More information will soon be posted on our website, facebook and twitter accounts.