I Teach PreK! July 10, July 13, 2017

Transcription

1 I Teach PreK! July 10, July 13, C-433 Choosing & Using Nonfiction Text in PreK Alison Schmerler All resource materials not specifically identified as being reprinted from another source is copyright 2018 by Alison Schmerler You may not distribute, copy, or otherwise reproduce any of this material for sale or for commercial use without written permission from the author. Bring SDE training to your school! Partner with SDE to bring sustained, job-embedded training to your school. Contact SDE s Educational Partnerships Team today!

2 Choosing and Using Nonfiction Text in PreK Presented by: Alison Schmerler New Standards Call for a Balance of Fiction and Nonfiction Text Fiction Nonfiction High Quality Nonfiction Texts Are Substantive Meaningfully linked to content areas Allow for more exposure to academic vocabulary and content Choosing Informational Text Format & Visual Appeal Engaging Writing Style Accuracy 1

3 Format and Visual Appeal Are the front and back covers, title page, etc. appealing? Is the letter size and type, particularly for young children, large and simple? Are the illustrations colorful and appealing? Do the illustrations explain and enhance the content? Does the text layout serve to highlight key information? Are there headings, sidebars, and other visual features? Are labels and captions simple yet sufficient? Engaging Writing Style Does the author draw the reader in with an engaging lead? Is background knowledge of the reader considered? Are new ideas connected to what children already know? Are there any interactive elements that involve the reader? Is the language appropriate for children? Does the author explain difficult concepts clearly and simply? Are new terms explained, highlighted, or defined? Accuracy Is the information still current? Do illustrations accurately depict the text? Can facts be verified with other sources? Are animals depicted accurately without being given human characteristics? Are statements of opinion clearly stated as such? 2

4 Lesson Plan Template Prepare to listen Guide listening Explicitly teach from the text Facilitate connections Step One: Prepare to Listen Which concepts and vocabulary need to be developed? How can I build excitement for listening? What s the overall purpose for reading this book and how can I share that with the children? Step Two: Guide Listening How do we make high quality informational text of appropriate complexity accessible to all listeners? How do we help children navigate informational texts? Step Three: Explicitly Teaching from the Text Do we need to teach a concept, new content-related vocabulary, or a particular text structure to the children? Step Four: Facilitate Connections How do we help children to expand their exploration of this topic to other curricular areas? 3

5 Checklist for Evaluating Informational Literature Evaluating Format and Visual Appeal Is the format visually appealing? Yes No Is there an attractive cover? Are the font, letter size, and type large, simple, and easy to read? Are there high-quality, appealing photographs and/or illustrations in which appropriate media have been used? Do illustrations contribute to the visual appeal of the book? Are the illustrations clear and large but not overly crowded? Do the illustrations appropriately explain and enhance the content? Do illustrations depict accurate size relationships? Are labels and captions simple yet sufficient? Is there a wide variety of illustrative materials (maps, charts, and graphs) that serve to clarify and extend the text? Does the text layout (headings, sidebars, and/or other visual features, such as special fonts or letter size) serve to highlight key information for readers? Is there an appropriate amount of text and illustrations on each page? Is there a table of contents, index, and/or glossary? 4

6 Evaluating Accuracy and Authenticity Is the book accurate? Is information about the authors qualifications or process for research of the topic included? Does the book have a recent copyright date and/or is the information based on up-to-date research? Do illustrations accurately depict the text? Can facts presented in the text be verified with other authoritative sources? Are animals depicted accurately without being given human characteristics? Do authors refrain from making value-laden statements and/or statements of opinion, rather than fact? Are statements of opinion clearly stated as such? If the book is a blend of fact and fiction, is it clear which parts are fact and which are fiction? Evaluating Writing Style and Appropriateness Is the writing style engaging? Does the author draw the reader in with an engaging lead? Are ideas logically ordered? Is the background knowledge of the reader considered? Are new ideas presented in a way that helps children make connections to what they already know? Is the language appropriate for the children? 5

7 Does the author explain difficult concepts clearly and simply? Are there any interactive elements that involve the reader? Are new terms explained, highlighted, or defined? Do the sound and meaning devices employed by the author enhance the rhythm and flow of the language and the child s understanding of the content? Is the author s choice of text structure appropriate for presenting the content? Evaluating Potential Content and Curricular Connections Does the text lend itself to both content and curricular connections? Is the text is aligned to standards and curricular components? Can the text be used across the curriculum in conjunction with other content areas? Does the text relate to topics and themes that serve to build children s knowledge base? 6

8 Recommended Books for PreK Arena, Jen. (2016). Marta! Big and Small. New York: Roaring Brook Press. Aston, Dianna Hutts. (2014). A Seed Is Sleepy. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. Dahl, Michael. (2004). One Big Building. Mankato, MN: Picture Window Books. Loewen, Nancy. (2005). Garden Wrigglers.Mankato, MN: Picture Window Books. Miller, Margaret. (1998). My Five Senses. New York: Aladdin Picture Books. Rocco, John. (2011). Blackout. New York: Disney-Hyperion Books. Simon, Norma. (1999). All Kinds of Children. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman & Co. Taft, Jean. (2015). Worm Weather. New York: Grossett & Dunlap. Tafuri, Nancy. (1995). What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees. New York: Green Willow Books. Thong, Roseanne. (2015). Round Is a Tortilla. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. PreK Extension Activities for Recommended Books Marta! Big and Small picture of child; picture of something smaller and something larger than the child. Label accordingly. Have children compare items in the classroom and make comparative statements about them. A Seed Is Sleepy pre-soak lima beans overnight, then dissect them and discuss seed parts keep a few unsoaked beans to compare; seed sorts; seed mosaic pictures; seed experiments; plant scavenger hunt. One Big Building Count It Up various items from classroom in various amounts; Ziploc bags; cards with a picture of one of the items and a numeral on each one. Children bag up the correct number of items on each card in each bag. Numeral Shake egg carton with numerals written out of order in egg cups. One small item to place in egg carton. Close carton and shake it. Open and name the numeral the small item has landed on. Garden Wrigglers Make a worm farm and explore earthworms using magnifying lenses; Make charts: Worms: Can..; Have ; Are and My worm My Five Senses Can You Hear It? 2 spoons and a length of string. Tie the string around one spoon. Two children wind each end of string around their finger and place it in their ear. Third child gently bangs the spoon with the other spoon. Can You See It? place a piece of construction paper over a large magazine picture of an item. Cut out several small windows in the top sheet of paper. Attach the papers at the top. Children look in the windows and guess the picture. Tasting activity; smelling activity; feely bag; sound canisters. 7

9 Blackout Make a class book with each child drawing and writing about how they would feel without their technology. Create a wall mural depicting your town and how it would look during a blackout. All Kinds of Children Make a list of how we are different from children from other places and then make a list of how we are the same as children from other places. Worm Weather How Does It Rain? get a wide-mouth glass jar, a coffee filter, and a dropper. Place the coffee filter inside the jar so part of it is down in the jar and part of it is outside the jar. Slowly drop water into the jar though the coffee filter to simulate rain dropping from a cloud. Experiment with water using droppers and various types of surfaces and paper types. What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees Sun or Moon? give each child a paper cutout of a sun and a moon. Ask questions like When do you go to bed? and have children hold up the appropriate cutout. Divide a sheet of drawing paper in half. Have children depict what the sun sees on one side of the paper and what the moon sees on the other. Round Is a Tortilla Let s Fish for Shapes Place plastic shapes in a small tub with or without water. Using a small fish net, have children catch shapes and name the ones they catch. On drawing paper, write Round Is a. and have children cut out or draw pictures of round items. LIST OF RELATED CITATIONS CHOOSING AND USING NONFICTION TEXT IN PREK PRESENTED BY STAFF DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS (SDE) ALISON SCHMERLER The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects. (2010). National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. Baines, Becky.(2016). What s in that Egg? Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Children s Books. Barclay, Kathy and Stewart, Laura. (2014).The Everything Guide to Informational Text K-2, Best Texts, Best Practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Literacy. 8

10 Beck, Isabel, McKeown, Margaret, and Kucan, Linda. (2013). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York: The Guilford Press. Callery, Sean. (2011). Life Cycles: Ocean. New York :Kingfisher. Editors at Kingfisher. (2011). Baby Animals Pets. New York: Kignfisher. Esbaum, Jill.(2009). Apples for Everyone. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Chidren s Books. Falconer, Ian. (2004). Olivia. New York:Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Huber, Raymond. (2015) Flight of the Honey Bee. Somerville, MA:Candlewick. Hulbert, Laura. (2011) Who Has These Feet? New York:Henry Holt & Company. Jenkins, Steve. (2014) Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World. New York:HMH Books for Young Readers. Keiser, Frances. (2006) The Adventures of Pelican Pete: Annie the River Otter. Sag Harbor, NY: Sagaponack Books. Lawler, Janet and Laman, Tim. (2014) Rainforest Colors.Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Children s Books. Loewen, Nancy. (2005). Garden Wigglers: Earthworms in Your Backyard.North Mankato, MN: Picture Window Books. Macken, JoAnn Early and Clidas, Jeanne.(2009) Pigs.White Plains, NY: Weekly Reader Early Learner Library. Pfeffer, Wendy.(2003). Wiggling Worms at Work.New York: Harper Collins. Pinterest: apresschoolactivities.tumblr.com; littlecatskindergarten.blogspot.com; mamabeefromthehive.blogspot.com Rowland, Pleasant T. (2002). Happily Ever After. Middleton, WI: Rowland Reading Foundation. Rowland, Pleasant T. (2017). Meet the Superkids. Superkids Club. (SuperSmarts: Get Ready for the Weather; Information About Insects). Columbus, OH: Zaner-Bloser. Rowland, Pleasant T. (2017). Adventures of the Superkids. More Adventures of the Superkids. (Super-Duper Magazine; Decodable Books: A Visit to a Coral Reef; Insect Pets; It s a Robot; Swimming, Springing, Splashing, Singing Humpbacks). Columbus, OH: Zaner-Bloser. Rowland, Pleasant T. (2017). The Superkids Hit Second Grade. The Superkids Take Off. (Super Magazine). Columbus, OH: Zaner-Bloser. Simon, Seymour. (2006) Whales. New York:Collins. Stewart, Melissa. (2014). Feathers Not Just for Flying. Waltham, MA:Charlesbridge. Waters, Kate. (2008). Sarah Morton s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl. New York:Scholastic Paperbacks. 9