For as long as I can remember, the school where I teach has celebrated February as I Love to Read Month, and this year was no exception. I don’t think I have to sell the readers of this blog very hard on how important it is to get young kids interested in reading, so I’d imagine you’d all be on board with this.
Our calendar fills up with events and activities taking place throughout the month, all somehow related to reading. Each week features some kind of a dress-up day. Sometimes the connections to reading seem like a bit of a stretch, but the kids still love them. Read a Shirt Day, Read a Button Day, Read a Hat Day have all come up in the rotation over the years, and are good inclusive ways to get students participating. We’ve even had a few “Dress Like a Book Character” Days before, which often end up with debates about whether or not SpongeBob can be counted as a book character on the same level as Pippi Longstocking just because he has his own joke book (and someone was super excited about repurposing their Halloween costume in the name of school spirit). This year the events included “Slip Into a Good Book Day,” when the kids, and adults, all had the chance to wear and show off their favorite slippers. “Sports Team Day” made the calendar because...well, I guess athletes read? “Sweat it Out With a Good Book Day” is also known as “Mr. Mulroy’s Favorite Day of the Year” because I can wear sweatpants to school and nobody will even think twice about it. A few times during the month we’ll take a building-wide pause for a “Drop Everything and Read” break, and yes, that includes the staff. I promise you there are few on-the-job moments that get much better than a reading break that is not only sanctioned, but required. If we ever see Drop Everything and Read fall on a Sweatpants Day some year, my life will pretty much be complete.
This year the students can fill out paper Book Circles when they finish reading a new book (or complete a chapter, depending on their grade and reading level). Each circle puts them in a weekly drawing for a Barnes & Noble gift card, along with the potential thrill of hearing their name announced over the intercom as one of the winners. As the month progresses, the completed circles are displayed in the school’s main hallway in an overlapping chain that looks like a comically long rainbow-colored worm crawling along the walls and the ceiling. The whispers and giggles that my students are always trying to sneak under the radar all but die out when we down the hallway now as each each of them scans the circles to find the ones they turned in. In another hallway display, a collection of photos shows staff members posing with some of their favorite books from elementary school, holding open the book and hiding most of their face with the cover. If you ever found yourself in our hallway, you’d see my eyes peeking up from behind a copy of my definitive childhood book, A Wrinkle in Time.
The headlining event of the month is I Love to Read Night, which could best be described as a combination of a family information night and a reading carnival. There’s a book fair, and catered food brought in from our local Buffalo Wild Wings (yes, I had some). Bingo games, technology explorations, story time, family word games, crafts, and a wide assortment of standard carnival games keep everyone busy. All of the activities are run by staff members, school parents, community volunteers, and even National Honor Society members from the nearby high school. I assume the night was a big success this year, but since I spent my two-hour shift chasing down taped-up rolls of toilet paper at the T.P. Toss, I didn’t get out to see much else.
Last Friday every student in the school had a chance to play Bango For Books, which is very much like a perpendicular version of a similar game, but in this one everyone eventually wins and the prize is a brand new book of their choice. Unfortunately one of my students was sick that day and didn’t get to play, but the announcement was made at the start of the game that all teachers should select books for any absent students to make sure each child got one. As the announcement was made, I looked at one of my girls sitting at a nearby table. She read my expression and anticipated the question I was about to ask, saying: “She likes books about pets.” First of all, this was such a perfect third grade kind of thing to say I had no choice but to smile. And I loved that she knew this about her friend. I’d like to think that knowing what kinds of books you like should be near the top of any friendship checklist.
We still have one more week before I Love to Read Month closes, as well as a few more special days and fun events. From there we continue on, and hopefully the students are ready to move through the rest of the year with a renewed appreciation or a new discovery of the joys of reading.
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2015
Monday, November 10, 2014
Connecting the Dots
When I’m starting the first draft of a new project, I tend get caught up in the world building. If I’ve reached a point where I know my settings so well they become almost tangible to me, I’ll usually start out with far more description than would ever be necessary. I just give in to the keyboard frenzy, convinced that each insignificant detail I add will be the perfect touch of color needed to make that whole world come to life, precisely the way I want the reader to imagine it.
Luckily I eventually remember that it’s more my job to just shut up and get the story rolling.
A creative writing professor of mine once compared effective descriptive writing to creating a connect-the-dots drawing, explaining how the writer only needs to provide a few sensory touchstones in description, allowing the reader to fill the spaces in between on their own and build whatever version of that world they’ll inhabit while engaged in the story.
A few years back I was working with an eleven-year-old student who showed some real aptitude for writing. She often fell victim to overdone descriptive passages much in the same way I did (and sometimes still do). I brought up the whole dot-to-dot idea with her once, to try and break her of the habit. Since she was one of those kids who was always neck-deep in extra-curricular activities that required traveling, I stayed in her wheelhouse and told her to visualize a hotel room.
“You walk in and you can hear the shower dripping,” I said. “Then you see a hole from a cigarette burn on the carpeting, and an old water stain on the wall just below the air conditioner. So what would you say about this room?”
She gave me a look of mild revulsion. “I’d say it’s a pretty crappy room.”
“How did you decide that so quickly?” I asked. “I only told you three things.” She thought about that, then I got to have one of those joyous teacher moments when you get to be there and see the wheels actually turn as the student begins to understand.
Handing over control of story elements you feel strongly about can be a hard thing about writing, but it’s essential to remember. No matter what you do to tell your story the best you can, it will eventually belong to the readers you wrote it for. Will their version be exactly the same as how you see it? Probably not. But do you think you, as a reader, have ever precisely realized an author’s vision as she or he intended? Not likely. But that’s okay. When kids get their hands on a dot-to-dot picture or a coloring sheet, they see it as just a starting point. They could bring that picture to life with a palette of vivid colors, or complete it with some fantastical background, or turn it into such a carefully crafted bit of art it simply demands your attention.
Kids read the same way they color. All you need to do is provide enough description to start them in the direction you’d like them to explore. After that, just give them room to find a pathway there all by themselves, and see where their discoveries take them.
Luckily I eventually remember that it’s more my job to just shut up and get the story rolling.
A creative writing professor of mine once compared effective descriptive writing to creating a connect-the-dots drawing, explaining how the writer only needs to provide a few sensory touchstones in description, allowing the reader to fill the spaces in between on their own and build whatever version of that world they’ll inhabit while engaged in the story.
A few years back I was working with an eleven-year-old student who showed some real aptitude for writing. She often fell victim to overdone descriptive passages much in the same way I did (and sometimes still do). I brought up the whole dot-to-dot idea with her once, to try and break her of the habit. Since she was one of those kids who was always neck-deep in extra-curricular activities that required traveling, I stayed in her wheelhouse and told her to visualize a hotel room.
“You walk in and you can hear the shower dripping,” I said. “Then you see a hole from a cigarette burn on the carpeting, and an old water stain on the wall just below the air conditioner. So what would you say about this room?”
She gave me a look of mild revulsion. “I’d say it’s a pretty crappy room.”
“How did you decide that so quickly?” I asked. “I only told you three things.” She thought about that, then I got to have one of those joyous teacher moments when you get to be there and see the wheels actually turn as the student begins to understand.
Handing over control of story elements you feel strongly about can be a hard thing about writing, but it’s essential to remember. No matter what you do to tell your story the best you can, it will eventually belong to the readers you wrote it for. Will their version be exactly the same as how you see it? Probably not. But do you think you, as a reader, have ever precisely realized an author’s vision as she or he intended? Not likely. But that’s okay. When kids get their hands on a dot-to-dot picture or a coloring sheet, they see it as just a starting point. They could bring that picture to life with a palette of vivid colors, or complete it with some fantastical background, or turn it into such a carefully crafted bit of art it simply demands your attention.
Kids read the same way they color. All you need to do is provide enough description to start them in the direction you’d like them to explore. After that, just give them room to find a pathway there all by themselves, and see where their discoveries take them.
Friday, July 18, 2014
If You Love the Water
Last summer, when my son Fulton was just a baby, we went swimming a few times each week. Every time his skin would hit the pool he would smile and and giggle. I would put his belly on the surface and fly him over the pool like he was a super hero. Some of my kids haven't taken to water in quite the same way, but Fulton? He loved it.
But this summer was a whole new experience for my now toddler because Fulton doesn't remember last summer. To him, this was like his first time. The first day we went out, I took him with the other kids to one of those big city pools, the ones that have the zero depth entrance for the little kids. As soon as I set him down on the concrete, he checked out all the other kids running around, people jumping off the sides and splashing. As summertime chaos raged around him, his eyes grew huge with wonder- and probably more than a little fear.
I led him to a little yellow slide, the kind where small kids go up two or three steps and slide down into about a foot of water. He didn't want to go. He was freaked out. But I finally got him to the steps, and he hugged the side of the wall, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to figure out exactly what the other kids were doing.
You could see the wheels turning. He simply didn't know what to do. He watched others, he got a little more comfortable and finally he made those last two steps and slid down into the water. He promptly fell backwards, gulped a huge amount of water and started to cough. I helped him turn over, get upright, and then I led him back to the slide. This time, he was a little more confident and when he made his way down the slide, he hit the water, kept himself upright and smiled the world's largest smile.
I don't know how many times Fulton went down the slide that day (it felt like a thousand). But I know this, no kid in the history of the world has ever had as much fun as he had that day. And you know what? Of course he did...because...well, he loves the water.
Writing is kind of like that. At the beginning, we don't know what the hell we are doing. We look around, see how other people do it, we bump into things, and we fall. And to a lot of people this is all discouraging. And once you get through the initial discouragement, there is more to come. Rejections, bad reviews, your mom hates it, whatever. And if you got into writing for the money or for the wrong reasons, then plenty of this might derail you.
But of course you didn't. Presumably, you got into writing because you love it.
Remember that, never forget it. Yes, along the way, there are things you need to do that you won't love but....BUT...never forget to find a way to write, and to write about the things, that continue to make you love it. That's where your true voice will shine.
And when you bump into things, have bad days, and generally don't feel like you have a clue, just remember this....if you truly love the water then everything will work out...eventually.
But this summer was a whole new experience for my now toddler because Fulton doesn't remember last summer. To him, this was like his first time. The first day we went out, I took him with the other kids to one of those big city pools, the ones that have the zero depth entrance for the little kids. As soon as I set him down on the concrete, he checked out all the other kids running around, people jumping off the sides and splashing. As summertime chaos raged around him, his eyes grew huge with wonder- and probably more than a little fear.
I led him to a little yellow slide, the kind where small kids go up two or three steps and slide down into about a foot of water. He didn't want to go. He was freaked out. But I finally got him to the steps, and he hugged the side of the wall, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to figure out exactly what the other kids were doing.
You could see the wheels turning. He simply didn't know what to do. He watched others, he got a little more comfortable and finally he made those last two steps and slid down into the water. He promptly fell backwards, gulped a huge amount of water and started to cough. I helped him turn over, get upright, and then I led him back to the slide. This time, he was a little more confident and when he made his way down the slide, he hit the water, kept himself upright and smiled the world's largest smile.
I don't know how many times Fulton went down the slide that day (it felt like a thousand). But I know this, no kid in the history of the world has ever had as much fun as he had that day. And you know what? Of course he did...because...well, he loves the water.
Writing is kind of like that. At the beginning, we don't know what the hell we are doing. We look around, see how other people do it, we bump into things, and we fall. And to a lot of people this is all discouraging. And once you get through the initial discouragement, there is more to come. Rejections, bad reviews, your mom hates it, whatever. And if you got into writing for the money or for the wrong reasons, then plenty of this might derail you.
But of course you didn't. Presumably, you got into writing because you love it.
Remember that, never forget it. Yes, along the way, there are things you need to do that you won't love but....BUT...never forget to find a way to write, and to write about the things, that continue to make you love it. That's where your true voice will shine.
And when you bump into things, have bad days, and generally don't feel like you have a clue, just remember this....if you truly love the water then everything will work out...eventually.
Monday, April 21, 2014
My Child, My Book
I watched my oldest five children on the trampoline the other day, and I kept thinking "Who's going to the ER tonight?"
Thankfully, no one did. But I noticed how I let my younger children do things that I would not have let my older children try when they were young. Mostly, this was due to my growth and learning as a parent, and not a function of the childrens' behaviors.
That got me thinking about how learning to write a novel is much like learning to raise a child. I was working on a new manuscript at the time, and couldn't help drawing some obvious comparisons.
(I'm sure many people have noted this, but since I've never read a post about it before, I'll give it my spin.)
1. Committing to the idea of my first child is exciting and maybe a little bit scary - but mostly fun.
2. Pregnancy can be difficult, or not. (Like a first draft, no?)
3. Once that baby's born, I'm all "LOOK AT THIS WONDERFUL PIECE OF PERFECTION WHICH I CREATED!"
4. I discover that the baby poops, burps, spits up and requires frequent feedings and cleanings.
5. As the baby matures, so I grow and learn about parenting.
6. I want to show off my kid too soon.
7. I want other people to give me positive feedback when my child is good.
8. When my child makes mistakes, I want to know why. I want to help my child improve.
9. I want my child to be polite, well spoken, intelligent, strong, and kind.
10. I ask other parents for advice and tips, especially when encountering problems with my child.
11. Each of my children will be different, but should share common principles.
12. Each child is part of me, but different.
13. I will do everything I can to prepare each of my children for release into the world.
Although I become a more experienced parent the more children I have, I still must apply what I've learned if I'm going to do them justice.
I owe my children love, discipline, and overall, my best effort as a parent.
As you "raise your children", ask lots of questions, seek all the answers, but let your children be themselves.
Thankfully, no one did. But I noticed how I let my younger children do things that I would not have let my older children try when they were young. Mostly, this was due to my growth and learning as a parent, and not a function of the childrens' behaviors.
That got me thinking about how learning to write a novel is much like learning to raise a child. I was working on a new manuscript at the time, and couldn't help drawing some obvious comparisons.
(I'm sure many people have noted this, but since I've never read a post about it before, I'll give it my spin.)
My Child, My Book.
1. Committing to the idea of my first child is exciting and maybe a little bit scary - but mostly fun.
2. Pregnancy can be difficult, or not. (Like a first draft, no?)
3. Once that baby's born, I'm all "LOOK AT THIS WONDERFUL PIECE OF PERFECTION WHICH I CREATED!"
4. I discover that the baby poops, burps, spits up and requires frequent feedings and cleanings.
5. As the baby matures, so I grow and learn about parenting.
6. I want to show off my kid too soon.
7. I want other people to give me positive feedback when my child is good.
8. When my child makes mistakes, I want to know why. I want to help my child improve.
9. I want my child to be polite, well spoken, intelligent, strong, and kind.
10. I ask other parents for advice and tips, especially when encountering problems with my child.
11. Each of my children will be different, but should share common principles.
12. Each child is part of me, but different.
13. I will do everything I can to prepare each of my children for release into the world.
Although I become a more experienced parent the more children I have, I still must apply what I've learned if I'm going to do them justice.
I owe my children love, discipline, and overall, my best effort as a parent.
As you "raise your children", ask lots of questions, seek all the answers, but let your children be themselves.
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