A WRAD-i-cal Week: The final day

We've been celebrating World Read Aloud Day all week long. Here is the awesomeness of our final day.

We connected with Peter H. Reynolds, author and illustrator of The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color amongst many others. There could not have been a better way to finish this incredible week of connecting and sharing stories. Peter started off the visit by getting to know the students.

How many people like to draw?

How many people like to draw and to read?

After taking a sip of his creativi-tea (He is a punny guy!), he proceeded to draw a character that was reading a book for World Read Aloud Day. 

Now, sign it.

The students had many questions, two of which were about the ages of Ramon and Marisol (characters from the Creatrilogy), which I think is interesting because it tells me that they are identifying with the characters. We are holding onto our other questions for a later date. It was time to read Sky Color.

After a discussion about the color of apples, Peter then gave some wonderful advice to the students, "Your first answer may be right, but your second answer may be more interesting."  I love this advice, it puts an emphasis on deeper thinking. The students have now been charged with illustrating a word.  When the project is finished we'll come back to Peter with our creations.

Other amazing happenings of the day included:

A class of second grade students connecting with some kindergartners from Connecticut and read aloud from You Read To Me, I'll Read To You by Mary Ann Hoberman.

A class of second graders read 

The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman

with some first graders in Wisconsin.

A class of fifth graders connected with students in another town in Massachusetts and read aloud from 

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman.

Another fifth grade class connected with students in another town in Massachusetts are read aloud from 

Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer.

A third fifth grade class connected with some third graders in 

Berlin, Germany and read aloud from 

Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer.

This was a great day of sharing stories 

with those both nearby and far away.

We've raised out voices in support of global literacy, have you?