Posts Tagged reading

The Case for Audio Books and Virtual Teaching

By on March 23, 2020   /   Articles, For Teachers, Teacher Tips  

Welcome to Virtual Teaching!

by Robyn Gioia, MEd

The COVID-19 virus is ravaging S. Korea. We were in school one day and told to stay home the next. Classes would be taught virtually until further notice. Students didn’t have their text books, reading books, or school supplies.

My team and I decided to assign our 240 fifth-grade students audio books for reading. Fortunately, we are living in the age of digital text and audio. There are many resources and books available online. And there is YouTube, with its sea of readers bringing books to life.

Why Audio Books?

Remote learning is enhanced through the use of audio books. Audio books build listening and comprehension skills while teaching fluency. Students develop their imaginations. It helps many students make sense of the story because they can hear the emotion in the reader’s voice. I’m always delighted to hear them recall the smallest detail from previous chapters.

Virtual Activities That Work Well With Audio Books

  1. Summaries. I have my students look through the eyes of the protagonist when they write their summaries. This helps them to zero in on main events, and tap into the characters feelings and actions. It also reinforces their knowledge of the first-person point of view.
  2. Assign comprehension questions. This can also be tiered to the different levels of readers.
  3. Have students use graphic organizers to organize events and characters.
  4. Write a diary entry of specific events.
  5. Research interesting topics in the story. When we listened to The Cay students were intrigued by the German U-Boats and how they hunted like wolf packs.
  6. Make collectible trading cards. Students researched the tropical animals surrounding the island in The Cay. The collectible cards display an illustration of the topic on one side and lists eight detailed facts on the backside.
  7. Meet with small groups in an Internet Chat to discuss the story. Let students come with their own questions to ask. I generally ask them to bring one factual question and one higher level thinking question. I have also been successful with students discussing books on Google Docs.
  8. Make Slideshows with small groups collaborating in Google Docs.
  9. Give students the opportunity to design quizzes.

While nothing can really replace face-to-face learning, virtual teaching offers unlimited opportunities in a whole different field.

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Perfect Podcasts for Middle-Grade Fans

By on February 19, 2020   /   For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers  

I am convinced that there is no possible way I will ever be able to consume all the information that’s available to me as an author, reader, and champion of middle-grade literature.  Every day, I add to my “saved” file another article, blog post, Twitter thread, interview, or You Tube video pertaining to topics of interest centering around reading, writing, sharing, and understanding middle-grade fiction and nonfiction. And that doesn’t even include the always-growing list of actual BOOKS I intend to read this week. month. year. before the heat death of the universe.

I also know that my work as an author puts me on the road a lot. I’m not sure why it took me until 2020 to realize that one of the most efficient ways to spend “road hours” might be listening to podcasts. Yes, podcasts. They are still there, despite fact that some people are sure the world has outgrown this audio-only form of information dissemination. I’ve really enjoyed listening to several podcasts recently, so I’m going to share a few below.

(To go the webpage associated with each podcast, just CLICK ON THE PICTURE.)

A podcast about reading and writing middle grade novels utilizing ninja stealth and skill. Rob Kent interviews fellow authors and various publishing professionals to discuss the craft and business of producing middle grade and young adult novels.

Upcoming episodes (subject to change) include:

February 22 – Episode 61 Author Barbara Shoup Returns
February 29 – Episode 62 Author Kaela Noel
March 7 – Episode 63 Author Sayantani DasGupta
March 14 – Episode 64 Author Avi
March 21– Episode 65 Author Mitali Perkins
March 28– Episode 66 Author Anna Meriano

Tune in as Julie Anne Grasso and Pamela Ueckerman chat about middle-grade books – that is, books for primary-aged children or thereabouts… it’s a grey area but who’s counting? What we love, why we love it and who we believe it would suit.If you’re a lover of middle-grade books, a librarian, a parent seeking book recommendations, or perhaps an author wading your way through the world of middle-grade fiction, then Middle Grade Mavens is the podcast for you.

Who doesn’t love great word play?  Literary agent Jennifer Laughran has a website called “Literaticat.”  So, when it came time to name a podcast, what else would she call it but “Literaticast?” That’s some word-bending genius right there, people.

While not solely middle-grade, this podcast covers a wide variety of children’s literature topics and Jennifer frequently interviews amazing middle-grade authors. It’s also a twist to hear it all from the perspective on one of the industry’s top agents.

Hosted by Matthew Winner, elementary school librarian and co-founder of All The Wonders. The Children’s Book Podcast features insightful and sincere interviews with authors, illustrators, and everyone involved in taking a book from drawing board to bookshelf. 

Beyond booklists and author interviews, this podcast takes a deep dive into some very interesting topics in children’s literature. Recent podcasts include Redefining the Boy Hero and Readers’ Thoughts on Reading.

Hosted by Travis Jonker and Colby Sharp, the Yarn aims to tell the inside story of children’s literature. According to the website, there are a few things you should know about The Yarn:

  • The Yarn debuted in August 2015.
  • Travis calls it a podcast, Colby calls it an audio show. They both mean the same thing.
  • All interviews for The Yarn are conducted in person.
  • One definition of “yarn” is “A narrative of adventures” – Travis and Colby like how that sounds.
  • It was all Colby’s idea.

 

These are a few of the podcasts that have captured my attention recently. Can you add to the list of children’s lit podcasts that offer something wonderful to those who read, write, and teach middle-grade literature?  If so, please do in the comments below.

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Query Cowbells, Yard Art, and Other Ways Authors Celebrate (and Why)

By on July 10, 2019   /   For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Writers, Publishing & Promotion, Writing  

I’ve been reminded lately that celebration is something we should do more often. In the writing world, we are happy when we get to make big announcements – book deals, releases, signing with an agent. Those announcements almost always lead to a celebratory dinner, a launch party, a champagne toast, or a hearty round of “Huzzah!” on social media.

But those BIG announcements can be a long time coming. Some writers are still waiting and working toward them.

That’s why I was so excited when critique partner and illustrator Jane Dippold presented our critique group members with Query Cowbells.

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According to Jane’s detailed instructions for use, one should:

  • Ring the Query Cowbell once with extreme exuberance upon hitting “send” on any email query. Twirl in a circle like a puppy and settle into your favorite spot. You did it!
  • Shake the Query Cowbell vigorously two times upon receiving any form rejection: once for perseverance and once for your amazing, but not yet accepted, manuscript.
  • Upon receiving a personal rejection with vague but important revision suggestions, put the Query Cowbell down and REVISE!  Ring the Query Cowbell softly, once, when you finally go to bed at 3 A.M.
  • There are many more Query Cowbell instructions, but you get the idea. If you are submitting, you have reasons to celebrate! 

soup

Author Sarah Aronson has one of my favorite reasons for celebrating. “Every time I get to page 100 of a draft, I make this soup,” she says.  100-Page Party Soup. Why not? Click here for her recipe and you can make it yourself.

Author/Illustrator Lita Judge celebrates in really BIG way. She explains, “I have always felt a strong connection to Stonehenge and other ancient rock circles. I fell upon the idea that I would erect my own stones, adding a pillar each time I finish a book. When I step into the yard or look out my windows the pillars remind me of all the projects I have been fortunate enough to create. Each one is hard won and will stand for my lifetime. They are my special way of celebrating this rich life of creating.” 

Lita’s husband Dave sets an 800-pound stone in their yard.

Lita poses with three of her celebratory monuments.

Author Nancy Roe Pimm also celebrates each book with an addition to her garden.  “I always loved concrete lawn ornaments, even before the well-dressed geese began making appearances on lawns throughout the country. I would never buy a lawn statue for myself, because let’s face it- it’s not a real “need.” When I found the winged fairy reading a book, it suddenly felt like a need. I had two books out that year, Colo’s Story and the Daytona 500 book. I decided to celebrate and treat myself to the book reading fairy.”
There are so many reasons to celebrate.
You finished a draft.
You started a draft!
You conquered that revision.
You found a critique partner.
You’ve signed up for your first writing conference.
Don’t wait for the big stuff. Celebrate every step along the way.
This has me thinking. I’ve just completed a blog post!
Champagne, anyone?
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