Topic: Information Texts in Elementary Reading Programs

10-second review: Increase number of informational texts in elementary reading instruction.

Summary: Too much emphasis is placed on narrative (stories) in elementary reading programs.

Quote: “…limiting children’s contact with informational text may leave them ill-prepared for the demands of standardized tests and subject area textbooks…as well as those placed on them as citizens in an information age.” P. 149.

Title: “The Role of Content Literacy In An Effective RIT Program.” WG Brozo. Reading Teacher (October 2010), 147 - 150.

Comment: Especially when they grow older, students will spend more time reading informational books (biographies, autobiographies, and other nonfiction materials) than they will spend reading novels and short stories. RayS.

Topic: Vocabulary Instruction for ELLs

10-second review: A method for teaching vocabulary to English Language Learners (ELLs, i.e., students whose native language is not English).

Summary: MCVIP stands for Multifaceted, Comprehensive Vocabulary Instructional Program. Based on Graves’s (2006) framework for vocabulary instruction.

Quote: “…the MCVIP team selected two instructional strategies that promote and enhance the reading and discussion of narrative and expository texts. Vocabulary Visits (Blachowicz and Obrochta, 2005) and Character Trait Vocabulary (Manyak 2007). Vocabulary Visits represent virtual field trips that use books to develop students’ content area vocabulary. Character Trait Vocabulary creates an environment for students to learn character trait words and to use these words to analyze characters.” P. 143.

Quote: “…begins with an introduction to the word that includes presenting the word in a meaningful context, providing a student-friendly definition and several examples of the word’s use, and prompting the students to create additional examples using the word.” P. 143.

Quote: “Word-learning strategy instruction in MCVIP has focused on the use of context, word parts, and Spanish-English cognate knowledge to infer word meanings.” P. 144.

Title: “Vocabulary Instruction for English Learners: Lessons from MCVIP.” PC  Manyak. Reading Teacher (October 2010). 143-146.

Comment: I think the ideas of Vocabulary Visits and Character Trait vocabulary are interesting. So are the “student-friendly” definition (putting the definition in the students’ own informal language) and the Spanish-English cognate knowledge.) RayS.

Topic: Children's Choices, 2010, Grades 5 - 6

About Children’s Choices: “Each ear 12,500 school children from different regions of the United States read newly published children’s and young adults’ trade books and vote for the ones they like best. These Children’s Choices, selected from more than 500 titles, can be counted on as books children really enjoy reading. This list, a project of a joint committee supported by IRA (International Reading Association) and The Children’s Book Council (CBC), is designed for use not only by teachers, librarians, administrators, and booksellers but also by parents, grandparents, caregivers, and everyone who wishes to encourage young people to read for pleasure.”

Title: “Children’s Choices, 2010.” Reading Teacher (October 2010), C1-C10.

Advanced Readers (Grades 5 – 6)

Note: I am listing only the titles, authors, and publishers. The list comes with annotations, which will be found in this section of Reading Teacher. You can also find annotations on the Internet listed under the publisher.

10 Inventors Who Changed the World. C Gifford. New York: Kingfisher.

The Adventures of Benny. S Shreve. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.

Animals. M Smith. New York: Kingfisher.

Ask Me anything: Every Fact You Ever Wanted to Know. C Scott, D Dixon, C Watts, J Pipe, R Walker and S Kennedy. New York: DK.

Astronomy: Out of This World. S Basher and D Green. New York: Kingfisher.

Autism and Me: Sibling Stories. O Shapiro. Photographs by S Vote. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman.

The Dog Days of Charlotte Hayes. M Kennedy. New York: Greenwillow.

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life. RR Russell. New York: Aladdin, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s.

Dragonbreath. U Vernon. New York: Dial.

Extra Credit. A Clements. Ill. M. Elliott. New York: Atheneum, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s.

Football Champ. T Green. New York: HarperCollins Children’s.

Gifted: Out of Sight, Out of Mind. M Kaye. New York: Kingfisher.

Hero.com: Rise of the Heroes. A Briggs. New York: Walker Books for Young Readers.

Knights of the Lunch Table #2: The Dragon Players. F Cammuso. New York: Graphix.

Max Disaster #1: Alien Eraser to the Rescue. M Moss. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11. B Floca. New York: Atheneum/Richard Jackson, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children’s.

Mudshark. G Paulsen. New York: Wendy Lam, an imprint of Random House Children’s.

Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood. T Lee. Ills. S Hart and A Fujita. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

Persephone. SP Clayton. Ill. V Lee. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

Runaway Twin. P Kehret. New York: Dutton.

Scat. C Hiaasen. New York: Knopf.

The Seven Keys of Balabad. P Haven. Ill. M Zug. New York: Random House.

Show Off: How to Do Absolutely Everything, One Step at a Time. SH Stephens. Ill. B Mann. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

Skeleton Creek #1. P Carman. New York: Scholastic.

Skeleton Creek #2: Ghost in the Machine. P Carman. New York: Scholastic.

Slob. E Potter. New York: Philomel.

Tales from the Crypt #8: Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid. S Petrucha, MK Petrucha, JL Lansdale, and J Salicrup. Ills. R Parker, M Kim, J Romberger and M Van Cook. New York: Papercutz.

Umbrella Summer. L Graff. New York: HarperCollins Children’s.

Wild Girl. PR Giff. New York: Wendy Lamb, an imprint of Random House Children’s.

Zoobreak. G Korman. New York: Scholastic.

Topic: Children's Choices, 2010, Grades 3-4

About Children’s Choices: “Each ear 12,500 school children from different regions of the United States read newly published children’s and young adults’ trade books and vote for the ones they like best. These Children’s Choices, selected from more than 500 titles, can be counted on as books children really enjoy reading. This list, a project of a joint committee supported by IRA (International Reading Association) and The Children’s Book Council (CBC), is designed for use not only by teachers, librarians, administrators, and booksellers but also by parents, grandparents, caregivers, and everyone who wishes to encourage young people to read for pleasure.”

Title: “Children’s Choices, 2010.” Reading Teacher (October 2010), C1-C10.

Young Readers (Grades 3 – 4).

Note: I am listing only the titles, authors, illustrators and publishers. The list comes with annotations, which will be found in this section of Reading Teacher. You can also find annotations on the Internet listed under the publisher.

Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics. J Sturm, A Arnold, and A Frederick-Frost. New York: Roaring Brook/First Second.

America Ferrera: Latina Superstar. Sheila Anderson. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow.

Aye-Aye: An Evil Omen. Miriam Aronin. New York: Bear port.

Babymouse #11: Dragonslayer. JL Holm and M Holm. New York: Random House Books for Young Readers.

Backpack Stories. K O’Malley. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman.

Ben Roethlisberger. M Sandler. New York: Bearport.

Blueberry Girl. N Gaiman. Ill. Charles Vess. New York: HarperCollins Children’s.

The Book That Eats People. J Perry. Ill. Mark Fearing. New York: Tricycle.

Bug-a-licious. M Goldish. New York: Bearport.

Chihuahua: Senor Tiny. N Lunis. New York: Bearport.

Coretta Scott. N Shange. Ill. Kadir Nelson. New Yorki: HarperCollins Children’s.

Crow Call. L Lowry. Ill. Bagram Ibatoulline. New York: Scholastic.

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-new Colors. C Barton. Ill T Persiani. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

The Dunderheads. P Fleischman. Ill. D Roberts. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

Face to Face with Gorillas. M Nichols (with e Carney). Washington, DC:” Nationhal Geographic Children’s Books.

Face to Face with Sharks. D Doubilet and J Hayes. Washington, DC: National Geographic Children’s Books.

Gonzalo Grabs the Good Life. J Levy. Ill. B Slavin. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

The King Who Barked: Real Animals Who Ruled. CF Jones. Ill. Yayo. New York: Holiday House.

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. JJ Krosoczka. New York: Knopf.

Max Goes to Jupiter: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog. J Bennett, N Schneider and E Ellingson. Ill. M Carroll. Boulder, CO: Big Kid Science.

Michael Phelps: Anything Is Possible. M Goldish. New York: Bearport.

My Name is Sangoel. KL Williams and K Mohanned. Ill. C Stock. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

Oceanology: The True Account of the Voyage of the Nautilus. Z de Lesseps. Ed. E Hawkins. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

The Plot Chickens. MJ and H Auch. New York: Holiday House.

A Picture Book of Harry Houdini. DA Adler and MS Adler. Ill. M Collins. New York: Holiday House.

Pug: What a Mug! LH Houran. New York: Bearport.

Sticky Burr #2: The Prickly Peril. J Lechner. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

Stone Rabbit #1: BC Mambo. E Craddock. New York: Random House.

Take It to the Queen: A Tale of Hope. J Nobisso. Ill. K Szegedi. Westhampton Beach, NY: Gingerbread House.

Tickety Tock. JR Brown. Ill. M Grandpre. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

The Trouble with Sisters and Robots. S Gritton. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman.

What’s So Special About Planet Earth? RE Wells. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman.

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! J Winter. Ill. A Carrilho. New York: Schwartz and Wade.

Next Blog: Advanced Readers (Grades 5-6).