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Close reading - bringing the U.S. and Australian research together

January 18, 2015, 9:16 pm
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I am so excited about my latest project.  I have been dabbling at linking the U.S. research on close reading with the Australian research by Freebody and Luke (1990) on the Four Resource Model.  Find out more about the Four Resource Model here.

After reading, "Falling in Love with Close Reading" (Lehman & Roberts, 2014) these are the links I have made:
I am flying up north to work with a school this week around the teaching of reading.  I will be focusing on reciprocal teaching and you can read about my innovations on that in English and Mathematics here. 

My colleagues and I are also working with another couple of schools around improving their student data in reading, so I am very blessed that the poet Angela Yardy (click on her name to see her great website) has allowed me to use two of her works to develop a resource that focuses on close reading and figurative language.

In Australia, our national assessment program is NAPLAN and I wanted to be able to show the teachers that if, for example, figurative language was an area wanting in the data analysis, that close reading could be used, using the Four Resource Model as a lens, so that rather than drilling kids with past tests and practice tests, we can actually teach them explicitly in the areas where gaps have been identified for a cohort.

I will be sharing both resources I have created via TPT, so please make sure you are following me on TPT (Ripper Reading Resources) to be updated as new resources are posted.
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Close reading and the Four Resources Model (con't)

January 24, 2015, 4:21 pm
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Last week I posted about a new project I was working on, linking the U.S. research on close reading with the Australian research around the Four Resources Model (Freebody & Luke, 1990).

I created three resources to use with a school I was working with this week.  The first one is based on the picture book, "Blossom Possum - The Sky is Falling Down-Under" (see below):
This resource was designed for students in the early years (up to Year 3).
The second resource is based on two original poems by Angela Yardy - Seaside Senses and The Shell. 

Each resource includes purposeful reasons for the students to re-read the text and engage with it in different ways to deepen their comprehension.
Please click on the images above to find out more.

My third resource is based on figurative language, using a poem called "The Snake" from the NAPLAN (Australian National Testing) Year 5 magazine.  I am just waiting for copyright clearance on that one before I post it to TPT.  

Both of the resources based on poetry are quite challenging for students in Year 5 and above.

By linking close reading to the Four Resource Model prompts, students engage multiple times with the text for different purposes.  To me, this is much more rigorous NAPLAN preparation than practising past tests.

If you would like to win a free copy of one of these resources, please make sure you are following my blog.  You can do this for free by clicking on the "follow me by bloglovin'" button, or via email.  Please leave a comment below with your email address and which resource interests you the most.  I will choose 3 winners randomly over the next week.

A very big shout out to all the Australian teachers who follow my blog - enjoy your first week of the new school year, next week :)
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Close reading and the Four Resources Model for NAPLAN preparation

April 5, 2015, 6:03 pm
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Happy Easter everyone!  Back in January I blogged about my work linking the Australian research on the Four Resources Model with the U.S. research around close reading.  You can read those blog posts here and here.



Today I would like to share with you another resource that links the Four Resources Model and close reading, but is specifically designed for NAPLAN preparation (NAPLAN is Australia's National Testing in Literacy and Numeracy).   The focus text is a poem which comes from a previous Year 5 NAPLAN reading magazine and has been reproduced with permission.  

Instead of practising past tests, this resource provides prompts for each of the four resources, to support multiple re-readings of the text for different purposes and higher order thinking.  The resource also includes graphic organisers to scaffold students' thinking and QR codes for inferring vocabulary.  Other vocabulary and figurative language activities are also included.

You can find out more here or my clicking on the image above.

References:

Freebody, P. & Luke, A. (1990). Literacies programs: Debates and demands in cultural context. Prospect: Australian Journal of TESOL, 5(7), 7-16. 

Lehman, C., & Roberts, K. (2014). Falling in love with close reading: Lessons for analysing texts - and life. Portsmouth, NH.: Heinemann.

NAPLAN Year 5 Reading Magazine 2010 https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/p_10/naplan_year5_lit_read_mag_10.pdf

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ANZAC Day reading comprehension bundle based on 3 picture books - on sale

April 19, 2015, 4:47 pm
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For your chance to win a copy of my latest resource (59 pages) with higher order reading comprehension activities for three picture books about dogs in World War 1, please follow me on blog lovin' (button on the right) and leave a comment with your email address below, and I will chose three winners at random. 



I had a lot of fun putting this resource together and it's the largest one I have made so far.  
I have discounted it from $9 to $7.50 in honour of the 100th year of ANZAC Day.

The three picture books are:
  • "The ANZAC Puppy" 
  •    by Peter Miller

  • "The Red Poppy"
  •     by David Hill

  • "Caesar the ANZAC Dog"    by Patricia Stroud 

          

This bundle includes:
  • Synonym snap game
  • Adjectives cut & paste activity
  • Character traits
  • Story mapping
  • de Bono's thinking hats
  • Philosophy for children reflection - empathy, courage & enemies
  • The Four Resources Model & close reading teaching notes
  • Figurative language (personification & similes)
  • Song lyrics
  • How to make a poppy pin
  • Compare & contrast Venn diagrams (including a triple Venn)
  • QR code comprehension questions
  • Mapping
  • Close reading - Dogs at War
  • Research & information report scaffold and links.
It showcases some of my approaches in my other resources on TPT that support higher order thinking and intellectual demand in the teaching of reading, all together in the one resource.

Some of these links show the important role that dogs had during World War 1:







I have pinned other ideas for ANZAC Day on my pinterest board here:

You can find out more about my ANZAC Day higher order thinking reading comprehension bundle in my TPT store or by clicking on the images above.  Just print and teach :)  

These truly are some of my favourite picture book titles for ANZAC Day

Don't forget to leave a comment below with your email address if you would like to win a copy of this huge bundle for studying dogs in WW1, as part of ANZAC Day studies.

Kylie

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Squirrels Bundle - Higher order thinking reading comprehension activities for three narrative picture books featuring squirrels

May 1, 2015, 6:15 am
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I am so excited to share my new bundle with you based on three picture books - terrific for studying narrative texts - "Scaredy Squirrel", "Those Darn Squirrels" and "Errol".  I have discounted the price of this brand new resource in my TPT Store.


Click on the image above to find out more.  A preview of what is included is in the images below:



Contents of the bundle:

“Those Darn Squirrels”
• Making connections
• Character traits
• Vocabulary – word work (inferring and synonyms)
• Narrative text structure - retell
• 4H reading strategy – posters, bookmarks and questions sort
• Visualising – drawing the birds
• Designing a device to protect the bird seed from the squirrels
• Procedural text
• Plot profile
• QR codes – multiple choice comprehension questions
• Compare and contrast Venn diagrams


“Scaredy Squirrel”
• Making connections
• Character traits
• Narrative text structure - retell
• 4H reading strategy - posters, bookmarks and questions sort
• de Bono’s thinking hats
• Story Map
• Listing
• Advantages/disadvantages of avoiding the unknown
• Time sequencing, recording analogue times, sequencing 
events.

“Erroll”
• Making connections
• Character traits
• Vocabulary – word work (inferring and synonyms)
• Close reading and inferring
• Narrative text structure - retell
• 4H reading strategy - posters, bookmarks and questions sort
• QR codes – multiple choice comprehension questions
• Compare and contrast Venn diagrams
• Triple Venn

U.S. & Australian spelling included.

Have a terrific week!





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NAPLAN - higher order thinking narrative preparation

May 3, 2015, 7:56 am
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NAPLAN is the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy in Australia and I am happy to introduce my latest resource for comprehending and composing narratives (Years 3 to 7).  52 pages of higher order thinking reading comprehension and composing activities are included, based on two narrative texts that have morals or messages.  

I have seriously discounted the price of this new resource, as a way of sharing my work with you and also to support rigorous, explicit teaching, instead of the mindless practising of past test papers.

The resource links the U.S. research on close reading with the Australian research on the Four Resources model (Freebody & Luke, 1990), as well as accountable talk prompts and philosophical inquiry discussion starters.  You can find out more about the links between close reading and the Four Resources model through my previous blog posts here.
You can find out more about my new narrative resource for Years 3 to 7 (pictured above) here or by clicking on the product overview image above.

This is a summary of the contents of the Year 3 to 7 narrative resource, although it was difficult to summarise all 52 pages (I couldn't fit all the pages in the preview overview either):


•  “The Best Teacher” (author unknown)
•  “Nails in the Fence” (author unknown)
•  Higher order thinking reading comprehension activities including graphic organisers and reading response activities, with plenty of inferring and using text evidence to justify responses
•  The Four Resource Model prompts and close reading
•  Making connections, character traits, summarising, problem/solution structure
•  Word work (vocabulary)
•  Writing scaffold for a narrative (fable) - "Show, Don't Tell" prompts, including suggestions for writing leads, themes and character conflicts
•  Accountable talk prompts
•  Book talk discussion prompts

There are other units in this series too that I have recently produced.  There is one for Year 5 using the poem "The Snake" from a previous Year 5 NAPLAN reading magazine (reproduced with permission) which focuses on the comprehension of figurative language which is a priority with NAPLAN narrative preparation:
It is also discounted for a limited time.  You can find out more about this resource here.

There is also a poetry unit that develops students' sensory approaches to writing, to introduce the idea of writing using the senses (which underpins "Show, Don't Tell).  This resource again features figurative language and is based on two original poems by Angela Yardy (reproduced with permission).  I would probably use this narrative resource with Years 3 to 5.  You can find out more about this resource here or by clicking on the images below.
This NAPLAN season, why not try some higher order thinking NAPLAN preparation for narrative texts? Even though we don't know what the genre is going to be this year, in a balanced literacy program, we explicitly teach a range of genres, so these resources can be used well beyond the NAPLAN season :)

The seaside poetry resource also focuses on figurative language and the link between close reading and the Four Resources Model.  It is also discounted for a limited time.

These resources are not based on 'teaching to the test', they are based on rigorous pedagogies, higher order thinking and explicit teaching (not 'skill and drill', or what I often call, 'skill and kill'!).

All the best to my teaching colleagues in Australia for the upcoming NAPLAN season.  I hope you and your students have some fun and authentic, quality learning with these new resources :)

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May 21, 2015, 5:27 pm
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Hi everyone! Thanks so much Kylie for inviting me to pop over the ditch for a quick visit :-)

I’m a teacher, Mumma and kids gardening/nature club enthusiast who lives on the fringes of Auckland, NZ, with my amazing hubby and beautiful wee toddler.  I enjoyed teaching full time for 10 years (mostly years 2-4) and loved setting up and organising our schools lunchtime garden club – The Green Grubs! I now teach part time, which has allowed me to watch the amazing leaps in learning that my little Grub makes daily. It also gives me the time to indulge my passion and enthusiasm for all things green, grubby - this includes creating specialised resources to support nature based education.

I pride myself on creating practical and creative resources that get children involved in the wonder that is our natural world, and have a wide range of free nature based resources... whether you have 10 minutes to spare with your class outside with your class or a whole block, I'm sure you'll find something useful below!
There's nothing better to mark the changing seasons than a quick nature walk. Follow up your outdoor stroll with the sheet on the left ~ you can find the free worksheet portion of this Autumn resource in my TpT store here, and the coloured header on my blog here! (*The nature walk writing templates are also available in other seasonal variations (for free!) in my TpT store, so have a good rummage around while you're there).

If you're looking for a way to squeeze a little more nature into your classroom routine, you might be interested in this free set of 'Nature Snacks cards' (below) - 36 cards with prompts that encourage engagement with the natural world…some of the cards can be used inside the classroom by looking out the window, others can be used while moving as a class from one part of the school to the other, and some are best used outside in the playground!


The cut and fold worksheet below is a fun, fast, hands-on version of the traditional nature walk scavenger hunt!  Children cut and assemble the Nature Grab Box template, and then race to fill their boxes with the 12 things listed on the outside…(a small rock or pebble, 2 different flowers, a twig with 3 branches, a leaf with rough edges etc) Click here to grab this FREEBIE! 


For a great introductory activity to a nature based or environmental topic...get silly with this FREE Nature themed Fortune-Teller-Cootie-Catcher! There are 8 challenges inside the Cootie Catcher (e.g. take nine steps backwards, drop to the ground and freeze until you see an insect! Can you name the insect? Name one thing you could do to help the environment - you can't say pick up rubbish...)

Thank goodness here in our part of the world we still maintain strong connections with the great outdoors...and long may it continue!  Respect your class's need for a few minutes here and there to just burn off some energy, run bare feet and feel the wind in their hair....... in fact, why not take your shoes off and join them?


Fresh air, bare feet + grubby hands = active learning!

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Using music to support early readers

June 23, 2015, 6:19 pm
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I love picture books that feature rhyme, rhythm and song and come with backing CDs.  I find them highly engaging and wonderful for young emergent readers, as they encourage the children to join in with the reading and singing of the lyrics, or words in the picture book.

I recently shared some favourite titles from Craig Smith that come with backing CDs.  You can read that blog post here or by clicking on the image below.


Since then, I have found a couple of other new titles that are totally engaging - you can't help but join in with the reading/singing!

"She'll be Coming Round the Mountain"

Listen to a segment of the song here.  Scholastic provides free resources to support this text, including a cloze activity and teaching notes.  The lyrics are sung by The Topp Twins from New Zealand and this title is the latest in a series that includes "There's a Hole in My Bucket" (song teaser) and "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" (song teaser).




"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini"

This picture book is just gorgeous.  Kerry Argent has captured the hippo's emotions so perfectly in the gorgeous illustrations and  Deborah Mailman sings the lyrics in the accompanying CD.  Have a listen to the song teaser here.

Jennifer from Stories and Songs in Second, recently blogged about using songs to build strong readers and movement and reading on the Adventures in Literacy Land blog.  Bex also blogged about using music to teach reading in another blog post for Adventures in Literacy Land.  Those blog posts are well worth the read!

I hope some of the titles shared today help to build up your collection :)

Have a great week!

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*New* Reciprocal teaching mega bundle - on sale for a limited time!

June 27, 2015, 9:10 pm
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I am so excited to share with you my latest version of reciprocal teaching for guided reading groups.  36 pages of posters, bookmarks, role cards and graphic organisers!

You can read my research behind this innovation on reciprocal teaching in English and Mathematics here.  

Meyer, Kylie (2010) “Diving into reading” : revisiting reciprocal teaching in the middle years. Literacy Learning: the middle years, 18(1), pp. 41-52.  

Meyer, Kylie (2014) Making meaning in mathematics problem solving using the Reciprocal Teaching approach. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 22(2), pp. 7-14. 



The resource includes 8 role cards with prompts for students to lead reciprocal teaching groups.  There are five questioning options for the teacher to select, depending on his/her instructional purpose.  The questioning options to support higher order thinking include:
  • 4W and 1H
  • Question, Answer, Relationships (QAR)
  • Thick and Thin Questions
  • 4H reading strategy
  • Question Creator
You can read more about my approach to reciprocal teaching in my blog post here.

My reciprocal teaching resources are my best sellers on TPT (Ripper Reading Resources) and this has to be my very best version yet, which I have discounted for a limited time.  
Grab it while it's on sale :)


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Shark Week -vs- Shark Fest - There's commotion in the ocean

July 9, 2015, 12:08 am
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I have been reading lots of blog posts about Shark Week in the U.S. so I decided to investigate more about it.  To be honest, I had never heard of it before and I certainly can't see it taking off in Australia...how wrong was I?!!!

Shark Week was established by the Discovery Channel in the U.S. and is a week devoted to TV viewing about sharks, sometime in July.  Shark Fest is also a series in the U.S. that apparently is competing with Discovery Channel's Shark Week - you can read about the controversy here.

Now there is also Shark Week in Australia, again via Discovery Channel, but it starts on 1 December apparently.  Click on the links to find out more.

I started thinking about my favourite picture books that feature sharks as main characters and two of these are "Nugget and Fang" by Tammi Sauer and "The Three Little Fish and the Big, Bad Shark" by Ken Geist.  


"The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark” is an innovation on “The Three Little Pigs.”

“Nugget and Fang” has parallels to “Finding Nemo” so these are both excellent texts for explicitly teaching text-to-text connections.

Here are some links to resources for each:

"Nugget and Fang"
"The Three Little Fish and the Big, Bad Shark"
So, to avoid studying, I created a resource for these two picture books that focuses on higher order thinking and reading comprehension.  Click on the image below to find out more.

Here are some other resources you may find useful:

Facts about sharks for kids- YouTube clip (some interesting facts that I didn't know!)

Global shark tracker - interesting...

I still can't see this taking off in Australia, because of all the shark attacks we have over here, however these two picture books are adorable for any time of the year.

"Nugget and Fang" is terrific for individual differences and friendship.  "The Three Little Fish and the Big, Bad Shark" is terrific for fractured fairytales or innovating on texts.

Enjoy!

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Helping Your Students Compare and Contrast Fiction with Non-Fiction Text

July 22, 2015, 5:30 pm
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I am delighted to have Jill Richardson along as a guest blogger today...her work is amazing!!!

It is so exciting to be able to share with you today.  My name is Jill Richardson.

Do you need another way to build excitement and enjoyment of learning for your students?  Try pairing fiction and non-fiction texts.  Most of my career has been in teaching reading in the primary grades.  This year I am teaching English as a Second Language and loving it! 

Pairing fiction and nonfiction texts is an authentic way to integrate Language Arts, Science and Social Studies.  It can provide the bridge our ELL’s need as well as benefiting all students. It is a great way to build vocabulary and show children the same words in different genres.  It helps the children to make connections with the world and themselves.

I participated in a Book Study this year on Rigor is Not a Four-Letter Word. In the book, Barbara Blackburn talked about how pairing the two builds rigor.  I thought I would incorporate it more with my students.  Wow, my students and I loved it!  It helped to build my excitement because I could pick some of my favorite classic books to experiment with and the children loved connecting the two because of their natural curiosity.  We had so much fun!

I used what I had in my room as my first pairing. One of my groups was reading at a guided reading level H so I chose, The Goat in the Chile Patch by Lada Josefa Kratky and Goats are Great by Alyse Sweeney (a Reading A to Z book).  I would suggest you pick a fiction book that you enjoy and look for a non-fiction pairing.

Here is a list of Pairings that Scholastic suggests and others that I added.

Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss

Nic Bishop Spidersby Nic Bishop

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss

Wonderful Wormsby Linda Glaser

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague

Dinosaurs by Gail Gibbons


Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Bats by Gail Gibbons

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman

Police Officers on the Go by Alyse Sweeney

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Snowy Weather Days by Katie Marsico

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Recycle That!by Fay Robinson

Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold

A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman by David A. Adler

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordecai Gerstein

New York City by David F. Marx

Make Way for Ducklingsby Robert McCloskey
Ducks! by Gail Gibbons

Verdiby Janell Cannon
Pythons: Fun Facts & Pictures For Kidsby Lilly Carle

Here are a few tips to help you get started. I have included photographs from my classroom for visual support.



1.Pre-teach vocabulary words.  (3-5 words)

Choose words that are in both the fiction and nonfiction texts.

Review 1-2 Tier One Words. (Basic words that are commonly spoken.)

Teach 2-4 Tier Two Words (High frequency words used in many contexts)

Teach 1-2 Tier Three Words (Words that are content related or applicable to a specific subject.)

2. Complete a  KWL anchor chart or KWL printable on the subject in which the children are reading.
For example Ducks
What do you know?
What do you want to find out?
What did you learn?


3.  Have the students read the texts. You may choose what best meets the needs of your students.

Interactive Read Aloud
Partner Reading
Guided Reading


4. Have the children complete a story map or plot summary of the fiction book.

5. Have the children fill in the KWL after reading the non-fiction text.

6. Complete a venn diagram or graphic organizer comparing the two texts.


7.  Compare and contrast in writing how the two are alike and different. Our English Language Learners may need to be supported by using sentence frames.

Pairing fiction and nonfiction provides rigor in your classroom!  It enhances your students reading comprehension, expands their vocabulary, knowledge and interests and builds great excitement for learning!  It is effective no matter what grade you teach.  You might want to give it a try.

Please enjoy for free: Verdi!  Compare and Contrast Verdi with a real Python! (Paired Reading!)



https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Jill-Richardson-5016
Jill is an ESL teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Her love is teaching reading in the primary grades.  She has been teaching for over twenty five years in both private and public schools.  She has been a literacy teacher for grades K-5, early education director, literacy facilitator, and classroom teacher of Kindergarten, first and second grades.

Jill Richardson TPT   Jill Richardson Facebook Page  


Many thanks Jill.  Click on the links above, beside Jill's photo (Jill Richardson TPT or Jill Richardson Facebook Page) to check out other awesome resources and ideas from Jill or to follow her to find out about future projects !

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Newspaper Hats

August 10, 2015, 6:30 pm
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A new title has crossed my desk and I love it!  It would be a great companion text to "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge".

"Newspaper Hats" is written by Phil Cummings and illustrated by Owen Swan.  You can read a review of it here.

This story is about a young girl whose grandfather has lost his memory and cannot remember her, but can remember making newspaper hats.

Here are some links on how to make newspaper hats:

Tutorial on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_tDKdXhv0g \

Another tutorial on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M_bH5AeQDE

This is such an awesome picture book that links so well with Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Patridge...I made a resource for Wilfrid to introduce the 4H reading strategy.  You can find more info about that here:

Click on the image above to find out more.  Actually, I will discount this resource even further for my blog followers :)
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"Every Second Friday" - a wonderful picture book for Father's Day

August 23, 2015, 6:13 pm
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I love this picture book by Kiri Lightfoot and Ben Galbraith.  It would make an excellent addition to support children of separated or divorced parents.  

Every second Friday Margi (aged six and a half) and her brother Totty (aged four and three quarters) spend the weekend at their Dad's house and get up to all sorts of adventures. This is a light-hearted story full of imagination.

You can read a review of the book here or find teaching ideas here.  

Click on the image below or hereto find out more ideas to support this picture book.


Do you know of any other terrific picture books that can be used around Father's Day?  If so, please leave a message in the comments section below.

Have a terrific week!

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Father's Day - children's literature

September 1, 2015, 1:47 am
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Want something new and fresh for Father's Day?  The titles below are recently published.

You can browse through "Demolition Dad" by Phil Earle at Amazon or read reviews here and here.  You can read reviews on the other new titles which are more for younger readers here.  Free teachign notes for "My Dad is a Giraffe" are available here.


I recently blogged about another title, "Every Second Friday" that is great for children of divorced or separated parents here.
 
"A Day with Dad" is similar in that Tim doesn't live with his Dad.  His dad lives in another town and Tim doesn't see him very often, so spending a day with his dad is very special.  You can browse inside this title here or read a reviewhere.  You can view a read aloud of this title here.

Some other fabulous picture books for Father's Day are included below:

"My Daddy Ate an Apple" is another classic from Craig Smith that is full of humour and comes with a CD for the story in song.  You can read a review of this title here and here.  You can view a review of this funny picture book with such a catchy tune here.  

"Every Friday" is the story of a boy and his father who spend every Friday doing special things together that illustrates the unique bond between fathers and sons.  A trailer for the picture book for early readers can be viewed here.

"Two Old Potatoes and Me" is the story of a daughter and her father.  This is another picture book featuring a family who are separated. At her father's house she finds two old potatoes in the back of the cupboard that have sprouts growing from them.  This is a terrific picture book for integrating backyard science into Father's Day studies, by studying gardening, plants and propagation.  You can read a review of this picture book here and here.

There are some terrific ideas here for a Dads' and Kids' Book Club using "Two Old Potatoes and Me".  Free teaching notes are available hereand here and here.   

"Crocodaddy" is a fun rhyming story for early readers.  You can look inside the book here, view a synopsis of the story here or access free teaching notes here.

"A Wild Father's Day" is such a fun title which is also great for introducing similes.  You can look inside the title here.  I was thinking it would work well with "From Head to Toe" by Eric Carle.  You can preview the story by viewing a father reading it to his young baby here.


"My Dad" is a classic by Anthony Browne.  You can view a read aloud of this picture book here or here or you can look inside the bookhere.  You can read book reviews here and here.

What are your favourite picture books for Father's Day in Australia?  Please leave a comment below if you have a favourite.

Have a wonderful week everyone and Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.
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Not-so scary Halloween ideas and resources with freebies

September 1, 2015, 8:35 pm
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Looking for some fresh ideas for Halloween?  

"Scary Night" by Lesley Gibbes received an Honours Award through the Children's Book Council Awards in Australia.  It is not scary at all and would be a terrific companion text for other picture books like "Rosie's Walk" (directional language) and "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" (repetition of location language).  You can read a review of it by clicking on the image below.

Or, you can read a guest post from the author Lesley Gibbs here.  Two Year 6 girls from Covenant Christian School in Sydney, Australia, have posted a book trailerfor this new picture book on YouTube.

Free teaching notes for "Scary Night" are available here and here.  There are some terrific ideas for free story props here.  You can also find free interactive activities for this picture book here.  In fact, that site has free interactive activities for all of the shortlisted books in this year's Australian Children's Book Council Awards.

These other sites have free resources and ideas for each of the shortlisted books as well:

Mrs Mac's Library

Mrs B's Interactive Literacy

Dr Jennie Bales

This website has ideas for early years children exploring emotions:
The Little Big Book Club

I put together a mini reading comprehension resource for a friend who was using this title during Book Week.  You can pick up your own freebie copyby clicking on the image below.  If you do download it, I would really appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave feedback in my TPT store.
You can check out my previous blog posts related to picture books for a not-so-scary Halloween, with other freebies, here:
Halloween Treat

Two newly published picture books with a freebie and resource links

"Monster Chef" with freebies

"Monster Chef" by Nick Bland - terrific for a not-so-scary Halloween

Creepy Comparisons with a freebie

"Creepy Carrots" new resource

I have pinned lots of other ideas for Halloween here.

Enjoy all the freebies for a not-so-scary Halloween :)
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Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Congratulations to the CBCA picture book award winners for 2015!

October 6, 2015, 9:23 pm
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I am loving this new picture book which has won the 2015 picture book award through the Children's Book Council of Australia awards.
Written by Irena Kobald and illustrated by Freya Blackwood, this title has so much relevance to many different curriculum areas.

It is a wonderful title for any studies around refugees, immigration, cultural diversity, change, story quilts and/or multiculturalism. 
It is also terrific for inspiring students to develop a love of words and new vocabulary.

You can view a read aloud of this picture book on YouTube.  

Free teaching notes are available here, here and here.

It's also a terrific picture book for themes on friendship and belonging.  You can read more about this title and view some of the stunning illustrations on Freya Blackwood's webpage here.

This title has so much potential in so many areas of the curriculum, or just for the important messages it carries within its plot and text.
Congratulations to both Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood for creating such a beautiful and thoughtful picture book and for winning the CBCA 2015 Australian picture book award :)

I created a resource to support this picture book, which includes higher order thinking reading comprehension activities.  Find out more by clicking on the image above.  It includes my favourite 4H reading strategy, with 45 comprehension questions for the students to sort according to whether they would find the answer to the question in their head, heart, whether the answer is hidden (so they need to think and search) or whether the answer is right here (on the page).  The children can then work individually or in small groups to find the answers to the questions.  Bookmarks and posters are included for each of the 4H reading strategies.

I have also included bibliographies of titles that could work as companion texts alongside "My Two Blankets", including books about story quilts from different cultures, books that stimulate a love of words, and picture books that feature characters from across the world, with interesting names.  You can read more about the resource here.  

While you are there, you may like to read about my new "Read Around Australia" resource and reading challenge, here.

Please note that you will need to have a copy of the picture book "My Two Blankets" to use this reading comprehension resource, but it is well worth purchasing because it can be used for many different purposes (including just reading it for enjoyment) across many different year levels and curriculum areas.  

Happy reading everyone :)
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Lyrics, Life Skills and Kids Who Crumble - How to Teach Writing with a Song

October 11, 2015, 4:42 pm
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I am thrilled to have Lessia Bonn from I am Bullyproof Music guest blogging today. 


Crumble
Ten-year-old Carolina  plops down on my couch and presents her social dilemma. "I could have just crumbled!" she emotes. I can't help but notice this little munchkin appears to be crumbling inside my fluffy couch.
Amused by Carolina's colorful use of language, I smile and realize 'crumble' is a great word. A really great word! *light bulb* My goodness - it could be a song hook!"
I share my thoughts with Carolina. She concurs. She claps her hands joyfully. She giggles. On a scale of one to ten, her reaction is an eleven.
I end up writing a song around the word 'crumble' which, wouldn't you know it, becomes a hit at the local high school. Crumble chorus:


A teen boy walks up to me and requests I write a Crumble song for boys. "We get shy too!" he confesses. "We need a Crumble song also!" A full grown man discovers my song on the internet and writes me, "It takes me back to high school! I love it!"
Be still my heart, I took a full grown man back to high school.
Words are powerful. They initiate feelings, take us back in time, and can make or break our day. I make a habit of pointing this out to all my kiddos. I honestly believe we might save the world with better vocabulary choices.

Scruffy Pirate Rhymes
Teen Rachel and I are not discussing pirates. We're discussing appropriate singing vowels and not-so-appropriate singing vowels. Somehow, the word 'ship' shows up.  A moment passes. One of us points out that 'Depp' and 'ship' rhyme when we sing them. They share the same vowel. We are highly amused.
Teacher and student fall to the ground in stitches. After we recover, we decide there must absolutely be a song written that contains the words Depp and ship. Yet another song is born:


Our new song inspires a homespun music video. We film at the harbor in Santa Barbara. We also film on the steps of the local mission. We use my little photo camera. My girls deadpan intentionally. Why? Because they are serious about what they are singing. Scruffy boyfriends often create social dilemmas. Everyone teenage girl knows that.

We are NOT how we dress
I love how this new little ditty of ours contains a subtle life lesson. It may not one of my deepest songs, but the message is solid; we are not how we dress. We are not how we look. Never assume and never judge!  Our hearts are who we are.


Organic Writing Rocks
I often pen songs on the spot - right in front of the kids who are destined to record them. Whatever shows up in real life becomes our dilemma to be solved with a fresh set of lyrics. I choose key concepts carefully. I then wrap sweet melodies around a student's unique spirit. Our songs are nothing if not organic - penned in the
key of life!

Retta's Own Crew: an Up-date
A gifted teacher named  Retta London (Rainbow City Learning) stumbles upon my material on a teacher website and takes to it. For an entire year, the kids in her fourth grade classroom take to it too. Her students become magically calm, cool, and productive. They begin to behave like little happy Yodas. Why do they begin to behave like little happy Yodas? According to Retta, this happens because my songs had become "the sound track of their lives."
And even better?  For the second year in a row now, Retta and another fabulous forward-thinking teacher run a popular after school program based on Bullyproof songs. Does teaching get any more powerful than that? Yes it does.
Retta and I have joined forces now to create an year-long behavior management program that combines literature, writing prompts, lyric art, and social skills songs provided by yours truly. Quite noteworthy, don't you think?
And please don't be fooled by this light blog post. Our material goes much deeper than the playful songs like Crumble and Johnny Depp shared here. Our lead teaching tunes cover courage, empathy, sticking on task, appreciation, and world peace. And  classroom peace! Bullies don't stand a chance.
Video Lessons
Here is a full page of kids teaching life lessons. Some of these kids are from my side of the woods, some are from Retta's side.

A little jump-start
The other day, I thought up a 3 word writing prompt unit to inspire colorful word choices. The way I see it, if I can write an entire song around a single word, young writers can certainly come up with something fabulous using three words! Just ask them, please, not to use Depp, ship, or crumble. Those are taken.
To conclude
I hope this little post hands you some fresh ideas as a teacher. Reluctant writers very often just need a new door into their imaginations. Sometimes it really just takes an unusual word to get kids going. Sometimes it just takes a thoughtful and relevant-to-one's-life song.
Song lyrics make excellent writing prompts. They can also help kids ponder more deeply around social situations. Use a song with your kiddos once in a while and you may just end up with a classroom full of little happy Yodas!
Thanks so much, beautiful Kylie, for inviting me to share my thoughts on your wonderful blog.

Lessia Bonn's I am Bullyproof Music studio recordings feature the voices her gifted students. The sweet voice on her popular song Fearless is that of Jessie Bridges - daughter of actor  Jeff. Lessia's "Crew" has many colorful members. A highly trained musician, Lessia finds it easy to create ageless music that speaks to kids of all ages. A counselor at heart, her mission has always been to help young people find their voices, both inside and out. IaBPm teaching material (all grades) covers ELA, critical thinking, and mood management. She lives in the pretty wine town of Sonoma. It's close to the Golden Gate!



 

Thank you Lessia - love your work!
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Purple snow in Australia

November 16, 2015, 9:31 pm
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Hi everyone

Don't forget to hop over to the new Australian Teachers' collaborative blog to pick up some freebies and enter my giveaway.  

“Purple Snow” by Eric Löbbecke is a terrific picture book for this time of the year in Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Did you know that snow is purple in this part of the world?  I will give you a hint:


Many thanks to all my friends for sending their photos through.  It inspired me to make a new 4H reading strategy resource.  Click on the image below to find out more.


Remember to check out the new collaborative Australian Teachers' blog here.  There have been some amazing posts from some very talented teachers :)

Have a terrific week everyone.

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*New* Australian Teachers' Collaborative Blog

December 8, 2015, 6:43 pm
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Have you checked out the new Australian Teachers' Collaborative Blog yet?  If not you can do so by clicking here.

I am very excited to be part of this amazing group of Aussie educators sharing ideas.

You can check out my first post on higher order thinking and the teaching of reading comprehension in the middle years here.

We aim to make the blog posts as practical as possible.

On the main page at the moment you can read:

Paula's post on helping writers to succeed with plenty of practical tips and links.

Jem's post on transition to schooland her showbags for this.

Christie's post on cyberbullying which is a growing concern for many parents and educators.

Check out the archives for other terrific blog posts with many links to practical ideas and tips.

To all my Aussie teaching friends, only two more sleeps until Summer holidays :)
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Giveaways galore - but you had better be quick :)

January 20, 2016, 11:32 pm
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Hi everyone

There are some wonderful savings happening at the moment over at TPT with its store wide sale and also very generous giveaways on a few blogs...

You will need to be quick though as some of these sales and giveaways end soon.

1.  There is a TPT Down Under Back-to-School giveaway where two lucky readers can win one of two $70 TPT gift cards.  All you need to do to enter is to follow one of our TPT stores. My TPT store is Ripper Reading Resources, just like my blog and FaceBook page.  

You had better be quick if you are going to enter this most generous giveaway from a group of Aussie TPT sellers and you can use the gift certificates to purchase any resources at all from TPT, not only from our stores :)
http://www.tptdownunder.com/
You have only 5 hours left to enter this giveaway here.

2.  In my blog post about embedding Australian Indigenous perspectives within the curriculum, there are two giveaways to enter (one is half way down the post and one at the very bottom - both rafflecopters).  Find out more and enter here:  http://australianteachers.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/australian-indigenous-perspectives-and.html  You have 30 hours left to enter!!

3.  Australian Teachers' collaborative blog - up to $80 in TPT resources are being given away to one lucky reader.  Find out more and enter the rafflecopter here: http://australianteachers.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/have-you-entered.html  
You have 2 days left to enter!

4.  Christie (My Mum, the Teacher blog) has a terrific Australia Day giveaway (rafflecopter) and an Australian resources linky on her blog post here:
http://mymumtheteacher.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/australia-day-giveaway-and-link-up.html 
You have 9 days left to enter this giveaway.

Good luck everyone...please come back and leave a comment under this post if you are a lucky winner - 

I would love to know!

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