We've launched into our learning journey on PLANET KINDERGARTEN

The kindergarten students and I met for the first time this week. What better way to launch our learning journey than by reading Planet Kindergarten, written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore, and published by Chronicle Books.

You can read more about the book on this post:A First Read Aloud for First Graders.  Planet Kindergarten is a perfect book for beginning kindergarten students and those who are young enough to remember the experience of showing up at kindergarten on the first day. Don't be mislead, this story is enjoyable for all readers - humor abounds in this celebration of one child's imagination - but my first graders last week, and now kindergartners this week, loved this book.

Both text and illustrations engaged this young crowd. (Not once did I need to help a student re-center him or herself.) The kindergarten students were four days into their school year -- close enough to remember that first day, but far enough away to be past some of the jitters. They completely got the analogy and connected with this young boy.

After reading the story and engaging in a brief conversation, I told the students how excited I was to blast off on a new learning journey with them. I asked them to draw a picture of themselves to add to our rocket ship.  Oh.My.Word. I love these little people and I have just begun getting to know them.

Watch out, we're blasting off to 

Planet Kindergarten 

and a year of learning!

"I read in my bed or on my beanbag with my feet on my swirly chair"

Hearing from 467 students about their summer reading experiences is tricky, especially when classes are only thirty minutes long. With the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, we had a brief conversation and then they shared a bit via a Google Form. The first two questions were intended to help me understand them as readers and to help them begin to understand themselves as readers.

Question One:

Where did you read most this summer?

(When explaining the question, I gave them an example from my summer reading experience. I asked them to think about their summer reading and where they pictured themselves.)

Question Two:

Describe your summer reading experience.

(Again, I gave an example from my own summer reading experience and had students brainstorm other examples.)

Question Three:

Is there a book that stands out from the other books you read? Please share the title here:

The One and Only Ivan (5)
Wonder (4)
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp (4)
Gum Girl (2)
Sisters (2)
Warriors series (3)
Harry Potter (8)
Geronimo Stilton (2)
The Mysterious Benedict Society (3)
The Giver (5)
The Fourth Stall (4)
The Babysitters Club (3)
Smile (4)
Lions of Little Rock (2)
Phantom Tollbooth (2)
Out of My Mind (3)
Big Nate (3)
Hunger Games (3)
Flora and Ulysses (3)
A Snicker of Magic (5)
Mysterious Benedict Society (3)
Magic Tree House (2)
Starry River of the Sky (2)
Percy Jackson (3)

The Story of Babe Ruth
Who was Bill Gates
Dork Diaries
Masterpiece
The dragon in the sock drawer
Anne of Green Gables
Fancy Nancy
Horrible Histories
Hardy Boys
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Vince Lombardy
The Land of Stories
The Immortals
The Great Greene Heist
The 9 Lives of Alexander Baddenfield
The Grimm Legacy
Eragon
Shadow Children series 
Bird, Under the Egg, or Waiting for the Queen
A Mango Shaped Space
The Great Brain
Hatchet
Fortunately the Milk
Charlotte's Web
13th book in the series of Unfortunate events
The Julian Chapter/Wonder
Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism
The Unwanteds book #2 Island Of Silence
Hoot
NERDS
Thea Stilton and the Mystery in Paris
39 Day of Doom
Trumpet of the Swan
Confessions of a So Called Middle Child
Spirit Animals
The Cloak Society
Things Not Seen
Divergent
The 39 Clues series
Holes 
The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had
When Audrey Met Alice 
Because of Mr. Terrupt
The Red Umbrella
The Name of this Book is a Secret (2)
Catching Fire   
Foals in the Field
Witch and Wizard: The Gift
Twelve
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library
Fablehaven volume 1
Lost on a Mountain in Maine
The Long Winter
Shark Wars
The Friendship Fairy
Goddess Girls
The Illiad
Bone
The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Captain Underpants
Bunnicula 
Dorko the Magnificent
Summer of the Gypsy Moths
Saxby Smart
Jake and Lily
The House of Hades
The Red Pyramid
The Stolen Kingdom
The Lost Hero

I am hoping that students will rely on each other more for reader's advisory. This is a step along that journey. We've got a reading list!

"I am a good reader and I am good at working with others."

With one week of school under our belt, we are starting to talk about our library learning community. I decided to try something different this year. In an effort to give every student a voice in our conversation, I created a Google Form with three questions. Their answers to these questions will be a starting point for our discussions this week.

Here is what they told me:

Please finish this sentence: We are a community of...

I dropped their answers into Wordle. It's a bit hard to read the smaller words, but I am pleased to see words like: creators, workers, sharers, thinkers, coders, and dreamers amongst their responses. I hope that these words will be larger when we revisit this question in the spring.

I made the next two questions optional, but explained that their answers would help make our learning environment better and help make me a better teacher and learner.

What strengths do you bring to our learning community? How can you contribute?

"writing and reading and lots of courage"

"I am good at reading"


"I am good at using the technology"

"my nerdyness."

"computers"

"honest questions"

"I will listen to everyone and to their ideas."

"I read fast and work well with groups."

"I am very good at using the computers at library."

"I think I am a great thinker"

"my ideas and use of words"

"I think I am a great reader"

"reading"

"I am a good learner. I also am good at brainstorming."

"I can listen to other peoples ideas"

"by being quiet and not talking when not supposed to"

"sharing"

"Listening and raising my hand"

"keeping the shelves neat" 

"I help when others need help"

"by being quiet"


"helping others"

"suggesting books to other readers"

"I like to read"

"I like writing"

"Reading"

"I am a good reader"

"working"

"I LOVE to read"

"reading"


"I bring good reading strengths."

"I love reading and am a good listener"

"I'm a great reader."

"I love to read a lot"

"I Love to read"

"I am a good reader and I am good at working with others."

"I can help describe books and what they mean"

"I can contribute by helping around the room and to help others when needed."

"keeping the library full."

"I am a good listener"

"working together"

"reading and  technology"

"I can bring strength in reading lots of books"

"I try to bring strength to everyone when it comes to reading."

"I can help with technology"

"I am good at reading."

"reading"

"I am good at reading"

"I am a good reader"

"I am good at using the technology"

"my nerdyness."

"computers"

"honest questions"

"my ideas and use of words"

"I can listen to other peoples ideas"

"I will listen to everyone and to their ideas."

"laughter"

"By helping others"

"I think i am really good at technology and figuring technology out like fixing  
iPads, computers for example if a iPad does not work i can make it work or save battery."

"I am good at reading."

"reading aloud and independently"

"Reading"

"arts and crafts and reading"

"One of my strengths is I am a very good reader"

"good at coding and a good at reading"

"I am good with computers.I can help / cx;.lQ"

"I think I'm good at art, math(though i don't like it!), and reading."

How can our library learning community support you as a learner?

"listening when the teacher is talking"

"being nice"

"when we cooperate."

"by raising our hands"

"being quiet"

"if people raise their hands"

"to listen"

"more books"

"It can help me learn words"

"It inspires me"

"Easier to find books"

"More browsing and borrowing time instead of all the talking."

"everyone contributes"

"explain what we are doing"

"People can be quiet so everyone can learn"

"They can be patient and be supportive of my ideas."

"minimize rug time unless read aloud"

"not tease me and go at your own pace"

There is plenty of good information for me to digest here.  As I have said in the past, children impress me with their honesty and willingness to share.  I am looking forward to our conversations this week.

Celebrate: Beginnings

Call me crazy, but the students and I are a bit like laundry that has been hung on the line to dry and spent the day swaying gently as the mountain breeze travels over the ridge. It's still the same laundry that you had before you hung it out to dry, but it has been altered by this experience. Like the laundry, which has dried and taken on the scent of the mountain air, we are also altered by our experiences. We're like that laundry -- familiar, but fresh, the same, but different.

(Okay, this is likely a bit far-fetched for everyone else, but all my life I have spent my summers on a mountain in New Hampshire. There is nothing like pulling the dry sheets off the line and inhaling their fresh scent.)

So, here we all are, back at school, familiar, yet fresh and new. I know these students (except for the kindergartners), but they return with new experiences and are now in a higher grade and we have new curriculum to explore. 

There is one thing that remains the same though: we are all still readers.

(This is like crop circles - but a reading circle -- these students sat this way of their own accord) 

~~~~~

Thanks to Ruth Ayres, over at Ruth Ayres Writes for the opportunity to share our celebrations!

Wherein 5th Graders Reflect on Their Library Experience....

When you think about the Mason-Rice Library, what is the first word that comes to mind?

When thinking about the library program, please finish this sentence: I discovered that...

"reading can be awesome and librarians aren't all boring because some will even quote Pitch Perfect with you."

"library is not all about being quiet. ;) Also, there are many cool online learning tools!"

"Making Animoto videos is fairly easy"

"you can find out a lot of stuff by reading a book!!"

"how libraries are more than just books on shelves."

"there are helpful tools such as Animoto."

"reading can be fun"

"how (not THAT) to use common crafts and Animoto."

"learning is fun."

"there are many good books"

"books are fun to read"

"the library rocks!"

"you can do lots of stuff with books"

"the books in the library are great! and fun to read"

"you don't only browse and borrow."

"You could find New books in the library, and either check them out or read the first chapter then buy it (what I do)."

"We do more than read books. We do different projects."

"you can use technology in ways I didn't expect."

"I discovered that the library could use tech I never knew about."

"you can share books in many different ways"

"you can search library books on-line"

"I discovered that going to the mason rice library is A LOT of fun because we always have interesting projects to do"

"school libraries are good too! not just public and private libraries!"

"reading can take you on many adventures. Also not only my reading level books are good."

"I like realistic fiction the best."

"I discovered what the Dewey decimal system is"

"books can help with anything"

"we never have enough time to browse and borrow"

"library isn't just books, It has a lot of technology."

"There's a lot of technology"

"library isn't only about reading"

"books are exciting and can take you to new places"

"reading can take you on any adventure whether it's informative or thrilling due to the wide variety of genres."

"destiny is very helpful for finding books"

"You can find so many things"

"books take me in."

"books can take you on journeys"

"I found that there's a lot of good books out there."

"they are books for everyone"

"I discovered that there are so many authors' whose books are amazing but I haven't heard of them."

"there are many different call numbers"

"There are so many more books than I thought!"

"a library is more then just books!"

"there are a lot of good authors that I thought wouldn't be that good but were actually very good."

"there are many, many different ways to find books and study them which makes writing essays etc. easy."

"I discovered that books are more than reading material, they're an adventure."

"not all libraries have to be silent"

"a lot more authors that I have never heard of."

"anything is possible when reading or writing."

"You would borrow a lot of books"

"I like reading A LOT more than I thought."

"books are friends."

"books are more fun to read than before"

"you shouldn't judge a book by its cover"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The end of the school year was a bit too hectic for my taste. So much so, that this blog post got lost in the shuffle. I'm not that upset about it though, it was poignant to look back at what these students said and it makes me excited for what lies ahead for this year's students. 

A first read aloud for first graders

We're blasting off into a new school year!

Just as choosing the last read aloud or lesson of the school year brings plenty of pressure, so, too, does the first read aloud or lesson of the year.  Leaving students with a lasting impression begins with creating a strong bond. This book was a perfect choice to establish our bond.

Today, on the first day with first graders, I chose carefully and I chose well.

Today we read, Planet Kindergarten, written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore, and published by Chronicle Books.

Planet Kindergarten is about a young boy preparing for and experiencing his first day of kindergarten. This book demonstrates the power of good imagination.  This child is not just preparing for kindergarten, he's preparing to explore the unknown like all intrepid space explorers. It's a celebration of creative thinking. 

I asked the first graders to think back to the previous year and their first day of kindergarten and to decide if this would be a good choice to read with this year's kindergarten students. Their vote? A resounding, "Yes!"

Shane Prigmore's illustrations engage the reader right at the end papers. When asked to describe how this child was feeling when his alarm clock went off, the students quickly shared adjectives such as: nervous, anxious, scared, and unsure. 

The space travel theme is carried out through text and illustrations. The writing perfectly captures the mixed emotions of new experiences. The dynamic and whimsical illustrations create a setting that engages the students and enhances the text. 

The students loved applying space language to their school experiences, especially orbiting the base station as above.  I enjoyed working with the students to determine the analogous school/space relationships. (I also happen to know that many of these students had special objects in their pockets last year.)

This book was a fun read aloud experience for both the students and me. We enjoyed being "in" on this child's imagination. Moments like when he ends up in isolation and when he is drawing pictures for his family ensure that students understand and connect with this story.

When I asked the first graders what they thought the kindergarten students would like about the book, here is what they shared:

"I think they will like the boy's imagination."

"I think boys and girls that like space will like the book."

"They will like it because it's funny."

"I like space and I like it."

"I was scared in kindergarten, too."

I see my kindergarten students on Monday and I cannot wait to blast off  to Planet Kindergarten with them.

School Librarian of the Year Award

This is exciting! 

 There is now a 

School Librarian of the Year Award!

"SLJ is pleased to present the first School Librarian of the Year Award, in partnership with sponsor Scholastic Library Publishing. This inaugural award identified one winner and two finalists from a robust pool of 92 applicants."

This article in the September 2014 issue of School Library Journal gives an overview of the award and it's winners.

And the winner is...

Meet Michelle Colte, the worthy winner of the School Librarian of the Year Award.  Michelle does a fabulous job of both creating a program and a community that serves a unique population on one of the Hawaiian Islands. Her story in wonderful.

And the two finalists are...

Meet Andy Plemmons, teacher librarian extraordinaire from Georgia. 

A special congratulations to you, Andy! 
Disclaimer: I have met Andy and he's a really nice person, so I am glad to see him receive this award. My students and I have also connected with Andy and his students for various global literacy initiatives and it is always fun and informative. I am also hoping to connect around some MakerBot projects this year. 

Meet Colleen Graves, teacher librarian extraordinaire from Texas.

I am glad that a middle school librarian has been recognized. This can be a hard population to serve (depending upon school schedules) and it sounds like she has created a learning commons that attracts both teachers and students.

Congratulations to these three school librarians!