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Hop on a summer reading safari!

One of my favorite parts of summer is the freedom this season offers.

While it’s wonderful to explore literature through a structured curriculum, there’s a different kind of wonder in meandering through the literary jungle on your own, going wherever the wind and your whims take you. So what better time to traverse genres and worlds and stories than during this upcoming summer? Put on your safari hat and jump in the Jeep; it’s time to explore.

To get inspiration for which books to crack open as I lay at the beach, I asked Blackbird & Company teachers for recommendations. Take a look at these books and see if any strike a spark within your soul—personally, I can’t wait to bushwack  through these new worlds!

Ms. Cathi: The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter

When I was young, I used to spend the night with my great-grandma in her tiny apartment. She had a wonderful collection of Reader’s Digest hardcover anthologies that was an early delight because I could devour an entire story in just one night, quietly snuggled in the bed next to her while she slept. She also had a collection of Gene Stratton-Porter books that eventually attracted my attention and kept me engaged for much longer than just one night of reading.

My favorite in the collection is The Keeper Of The Bees. Full of beautiful descriptions of nature, both human and botanical, I was drawn into the story of human tragedy, passion, heroic self-sacrifice, pure virtue, and devoted love on display amongst vibrant colors of flowers, trees, stormy clouds, and of course, bees.

I pull this favorite from my shelf once per year for a reminder of my Memaw’s legacy of rich reading she placed into my hands. I always read with tears and finish with a full heart as I am reminded of how wonderful life can be when not just lived, but shared lovingly with others around us.

          ~ Ms. Cathi

Ms. Lori: Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit

One of my all-time favorite romantic comedies is You’ve Got Mail. A great truth is revealed in this movie by the main character, Kathleen Kelly when she says, “When you read a book as a child it becomes a part of your identity in a way no other reading in your whole life does.” I was an avid reader as a child and each one of those books is not only seared in my memory, but they also molded my future literary tastes. I enjoy all genres—historical fiction, adventure, mystery—but fantasy/science fiction is my absolute favorite. I escaped into the world of Narnia through a wardrobe with C.S. Lewis, walked Middle Earth with J.R.R. Tolkien, and flew into outer space do battle against an alien race with Orson Scott Card. 

But what started it all was a book my librarian aunt read to me as a 4-year-old, Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit. This delightful, magical fantasy revolves around five siblings who come upon a sand-fairy buried in a gravel-pit. Now, don’t be thinking Tinkerbell, this sand-fairy is ugly and grumpy, and grants wishes grudgingly, and all wishes turn to stone at sunset. As you can imagine the children become involved in a series of adventures with unintended consequences. It is all great fun, so much so that the future author Edgar Eager was inspired to write a book for children based on it called Half Magic. His book is wonderful, but I highly recommend that you read the book that started it all, Five Children and It.

          ~ Ms. Lori

Ms. Clare: Wonder by R. J. Palacio

My favorite summer reads are the books you can read over and over again and still uncover something new in, be moved to tears by, remember something lost, and be reminded of the kind of person you want to be in the world. That is what the story of Wonder does for me. Mr. Tushman, the principal in the story, reminds us in his end of the year speech, to be “kinder than is necessary”—that we can make the world a little better and maybe, just maybe someone may recognize in us the face of God glimmering in human form.

Download your Summer Bingo for free on Printshop HERE and submit a picture of your completed bingo sheet below to enter the raffles. Bingo will run June 1st through August 31st—so print out your bingo sheet and get to crossing off squares!


Summer Bingo!


Summer Bingo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let the summer inspiration begin!

~ Claire S.

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Did someone say summer fun? Bingo!

If you enjoy reading, summer, and fun, then you’re in for a treat: summer bingo is here! But this isn’t any old bingo—this is Blackbird & Company Summer Bingo!

For the months of June, July, and August, we have a unique challenge for you to conquer. Take a look at these 24 squares, featuring activities that range from the arts (like “Write a summer haiku” or “Read a Blackbird book”) to just pure summer fun (like “Make a smoothie” or “Draw on the sidewalk with chalk”). Over the next few months, you’ll have time to chip away at these activities.

Now here’s where the prizes come in. 

With every bingo you get (which means you’ve completed five activities in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), you’re entered into a raffle to win the Corduroy book and stuffed animal set or the Matilda book and pencil pouch. The more bingos you submit, the more entries you have!


 

 

But that’s not all: If you get a blackout (which means you’ve completed every activity on the bingo square), you’ll be entered into a raffle to win a ANOTHER Solo Stove—this one being a Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit. With a blackout also comes a 20% off coupon code for one item!

Download your Summer Bingo for free on Print Shop HERE and submit a picture of your completed bingo sheet HERE to enter the raffles. Bingo will run June 1st through August 31st—so print out your bingo sheet and get to crossing off squares!


Summer Bingo!




Let’s live summer to the fullest.

~ Claire S.

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Writing a Personal Reflection

Imagine you are smack dab in the middle of the Middle Ages. It’s fall. September of 1290 to be exact.

Your mother wants you to be lady-like.

Your father wants you to get married for money.

One of the exceptional skills our high school materials endeavor to instill in students, is the art of writing a true reflection.

Often teachers drill into their young writers to never, NEVER  E V E R, write personally from the first person POV. Each week we challenge students to do just that! Writing a reflection of what is read, allows the writer to solidify ideas and opinions about what is being read. This writing helps writers glean personally from the story action. 

As we are so close to summer break, I want to share some of the best reflection I’ve read this school year. Tied to our Level 4, Catherine Called Birdy, Integrated Reading and Writing unit, I am certain Catherine impressed Kate. And a little part of me believes that this fictional character would find Kate equally impressive.

ONE.

The first three chapters of Catherine, Called Birdy, begin with Catherine introducing herself. Birdy, as she is called, is stubborn and loves to play pranks on people and be outdoors. I get the feeling she might be a tomboy from learning about her interests. Soon enough, as I started reading, she is indeed a tomboy who lives in the country, Stonebridge, England: “I, trapped inside, spent two hours embroidering a cloth for the church and three hours picking out my stitches after my mother saw it. I wish I were a villager” (1). Birdy doesn’t enjoy lady-like chores and would much rather be outside in the dirt, “I could be enjoying were I not in here sewing” (3). I love getting to know people on a more intimate level, so I particularly enjoyed the section where Birdy describes her family life. I became more attached to the characters, which brought more understanding of her personality. Birdy lives with her mother, father, and their nurse, Aelis. Catherine’s mother always seems to be pregnant, “Here in my prison my mother works and gossips with her women as if she didn’t mind being chained to needle and spindle” (4). Her father is quite strict and demands that Birdy marry into money, but Birdy really doesn’t want to grow up and be pressured to marry! She hisses in her journal: “When there is money involved, my father can be quite well spoken” (5). With their family nurse being supportive of Birdy and are quite similar, sharing the love of journaling. Birdy enjoys writing about her feelings, daily life, and, of course, commenting sarcastically about the people around her. I also journal about my day-to-day life and find it comforting to see the similarities. The first few chapters have intrigued me, and I am eager to get to know more about her lifestyle and how her relationship deepens with her family.

TWO.

The last few chapters intrigued me with the weird feelings of tension and stress. Chapters four through six, include the winter months from December through March. Birdy continues to write in her private journal about her day-to-day life, believing that girls are raised for chores around the house while boys have it so much easier, This quote is expresses her feelings: “The sun looked likely to shine yestermorn, so Gerd miller’s son and I left our chores undone and went to Wooton village where they were to hand two thieves” (47). In this moment, I knew Birdy and Gerd running off to Wooton to witness a couple of 17-year-old bandits get hung in front of the town was NOT an intelligent idea, “Never having seen a hanging, I could only imagine the huge hairy bandits with cruel scared faces, snarling and growling fearsome curses, whole we onlookers shrieked and shrank back in fears” (47). Birdy and Gerd couldn’t manage the witnessing.  Throwing up their breakfast, they sprinted back home. My breakfast coming up as well, feeling they needed to go home before any drama started! Birdy had never see someone get hung so she thought today would be the day but turns out not. I discover Birdy feels the tension of her father’s stress over money. As I read, I get a bit worked up, feeling the stress from her father. She worries even more that he may try to arrange a marriage for Birdy had to help with the family’s financial situation, but she rightfully expressed she doesn’t want to grow up and get married. Birdy realizes she needs to find something independent to decrease the family drama. She finds that the only independence she has is writing in her journal. My hope is that in the next few chapters, Birdy starts to feel less pressure while feeling a bit supported. Oh! how Birdy needs to feel supported in life.

THREE.

Section three brings hope. I feel like Birdy is turning a corner towards the end of spring, looking toward her future. As she journals that she can’t run away from all her responsibilities, I can relate to Birdy. In this part of the story, looking into the future with all the responsibilities that come along with getting older, I can relate, and this stresses me. A personal example is the thought of going to college. Experiencing big life changes like not living at home, and, of course, money. Birdy’s father continues to search for her a husband. Birdy’s true love isn’t finding a husband, but living free outside, playing in the dirt, with nothing to do with a husband. I wish Birdy’s father would stop pushing her to get married because she already confessed to him that she does not want a husband, “I pray the new year brings us joy and wealth, that George comes back for Easter and that Robert does not, and that God assists me in this marriage matter” (100). I find that as I read towards the end of the book, the mother isn’t as involved as the father. It bothers me. Is it because she is pregnant, over and over, or is it that the father, being the ruler, is the one in control, as Catherine’s mother is in the background completing womanly duties? The more I read, the more these thoughts come to mind. As the story goes on, Birdy confides in her journal, “Fought again with my father, God gave me the big mouth, so I think it can be so sin to use it. Even so, I plan to resume sulking instead of arguing- it is much easier on my face” (117). My hope is Birdy finds peace.

FOUR.

My moods were all over the place in the final chapters of Catherine, Called Birdy. First, I was sad. Then, I was worried. Thankfully, the story ended with a happy ending for Birdy which made me quite relieved! I was devastated, along with Birdy, that her father was making her marry a man with a shaggy beard, “I have been thinking about my own marriage. Once I dreamed of a handsome prince on a white horse decked in skills and bells. Now I am offered a smelly, broken-tooth old man who drinks too much” (136). Birdy didn’t know what to do in this situation so she runs to her uncle’s house, escaping her father. I start to get worried for Birdy and what will happen next with marriage. Birdy knew, “The northern shaggy-bearded pig has sent me betrothal gifts, which I, of course, refused since I will not consent to marry him” (140). I was worried for Birdy but knew she could make a good decision about what’s best for her. After thinking about what she wants in her future, feeling free, marriage, and becoming the woman she wants to be, Birdy soon realizes she can’t control everything in her life. What she can control is what kind of woman she becomes. Later, when her uncle brings her home and she discovers the shaggy bearded man had died from a fight while out drinking, my jaw dropped! Literally dropped! Birdy doesn’t have to marry him anymore! Instead, she is called to marry the old man’s son, Stephen. Stephen turns out to be an educated young man who she gets to know and realizes is very kind. She finally sees a bright future for herself where she learns her future won’t be perfect. Still, she knows she can carry her spirit. After so many struggles for Birdy, the ending of contentment was so comforting for me. I recognize her struggles. When we take the time for self-reflection, learning life isn’t always perfect and in a certain order, we can still be joyful and content with life.

Yes indeed, Kate! Your thoughts are well written and received!

 

~Kimberly

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Puzzle in Some Summer Writing

Write a puzzle and do some math!

To begin, hop on over to Red Hen Toys and pick up the Powers of Two puzzle. Of course, this Montessori / Froebel inspired material is designed to prepare students for more complex instruction down the line—area, fractions, exponential models and more. But for our summer activity, the goal is to integrate the activity into the art of writing.

Encourage students to freely explore, beginning with questions, questions they will write in a journal:

How many blue pieces are needed to cover the red? or How many pieces like the blue are needed to cover the red?

Here they will discover there is more than one way to communicate a very simple question. But more importantly, they will be engaging in active learning—reflection and problem solving instead of passive direct instruction.

They will discover as they explore and document questions, that each piece is half the size of the previous piece—a limited series! This is actually calculus. And the student who enters into the activity of journalling and puzzling, will be setting the stage not only for more advanced math, but also more advanced writing. This activity of slowing down and observing relationships between the puzzle pieces, will strengthen observational skills.

After all the questions have been asked and documented in the student journal, remove all the pieces in the frame and begin the activity of writing instructions for filling the frame:

Take the red piece and place it into the frame vertically flush with the right of the frame. or Take the red piece and place it into the frame horizontally flush with the bottom of the frame. This activity, you see, provides many iterations for crafting imperative sentences.

So pick up a puzzle, a summer journal, and pencil. Let summer writing begin!

 

~Kimberly

 

During the month of May we will hosting another Giveaway! A wonderful set of Just Right Readers by Kate di Camillo. Enter below daily to increase your chances of winning!


Just Right Readers Giveaway

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Print Shop for Summer

Back in January Blackbird & Company soft launched Print Shop! We are so happy about the shape our new offering is taking. In our collection of downloadable Discovery activities, designed to engage students, Kindergarten through 8th Grade, and beyond. Downloads will be FREE through the end of May, so take a peak and download some activities for summer.

ABCedarian Crafts

From D is for Dandelion to P is for Pumpkin, these multi-sensory activities are sure to engage and enrich learning. Primary students from kindergartem through 2nd grade will benefit from these activities that will enrich the fund of knowledge, engage the senses, and grow skills that will transfer to all areas of learning.

Writing Mentor Activities

Designed to support students with pithy activities as they work to create exceptional sentences, to engage in supplemental practice to enhance Tools of Style, or to dive into a study of words and where they come from. Writing Mentor activities will also provide longer activities tied to our CORE Integrated Literature and Writing units. Stone Fox is the very first Writing Mentor 5-week downloadable packet where each week students will explore the use of similes in the novel and practice creating similes in their own unique sentences.

This summer is time to create happy habits through independent work pinpointed on specific academic skills with opportunities to build your student’s fund of knowledge.

Head over to Print Shop and download activities for FREE through the end of June. Simply click through, print, and let the Discovery begin!

 

~Kimberly

 

P.S. Dont miss out! During the month of May we are hosting another Giveaway! A wonderful set of Just Right Readers by Kate di Camillo. Enter below daily to increase your chances of winning!


Just Right Readers Giveaway

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What is a Habit of Being?

Students engaging in their important work is simply delightful. Back in 2011, I collected my observations into a little memoir. My goal was simple, demonstrate that at the heart of learning is caring—actually caring about the task at hand. When students care, they become cognitively present. They become active participants, engaging curiosity, creativity, and ultimately, building confidence.

What do students who care gain? Habits. They gain habits of being.

This summer, my personal project will be to edit my little book and set a second edition in print by fall to support the launch of our introductory neuroscience unit for upper elementary and middle school students.

Looking back, the skill of observation is where it all began. With my own children, and all of my students over the years, observation activities anchored the development of healthy habits—habits of being. To observe and then to document the observation with a lifelike drawing and well constructed words, requires slowing down, taking information in via the senses, doing a bit of research, and looking some more. Ultimately, over the years, my experience is that Da Vinci was right:

“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.”

And this brings me back to summer. Now’s the time to develop a habit of being.

The habit of observing is habit worth developing—a habit of being.

Observation of simple objects is the best way to begin your Observation Journal—think shell, spoon, marshmallow,  apple. Begin this activity in kindergarten and continue through 12th grade! Create an annual binder of student observations—The Observation Journal. These will become terrific keepsakes.

And getting started is easy as 1, 2, 3…

One.

Trace the edges with your pencil follow along with your eyes.

Two.

Begin your sketch, following the outline edges (very  s l o w l y). Let your hand “see” all the curves and bumps that your eye sees as you look back and forth from your drawing to the apple. Don’t rush. Making a connection between the eyes and the hand is a slow motion exercise.

Three.

Simple observational drawings can be embellished with a wash of watercolor.  Always paint from a puddle, never directly from the pigment tiles. When creating a wash of color for a red apple, Sara reminds us that the red is not the red directly from the tile. “Red in nature is complex. Make a puddle of red and add a tiny drop of green.” It’s the same process for an orange pumpkin, add drops of the complimentary color of the object into the prominent color—a splash of blue— to achieve the natural complexity of the object’s color. Here is an advanced observation where the pinecone color is actually a blend of yellow with a touch of purple:

A good way to get your students ready for a complex observation like this pinecone, is to engage them with simple hand held objects from the kitchen to the natural world. It is also a good idea to engage students with already flattened objects as demonstrated in the photos below:

 

Once the observational drawing is complete, encourage your students to do some research on the object that was observed, date the entry and add it to the Observation Journal.

As students  complete observations, encourage them to engage in clean-up—putting away materials and washing brushes and paint trays. Encourage them to reflect on what was gleaned. It’s likely that what was gained is far more than art, far more than science.

Developing the skill of observing is a habit of being that invites us to imagine possibility. Click through to learn about our Observation Journal: Leonardo da Vinci kit. Pick one up and let the observing begin.

 

~Kimberly


During the month of May we will hosting another Giveaway! A wonderful set of Just Right Readers by Kate di Camillo. Enter below daily to increase your chances of winning!


Just Right Readers Giveaway

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Counting Down to Summer

As the sun begins to set on the 2025/26 school year, I’m remembering May at my little hybrid school, Waterhouse Guild. For nearly 30 years, we would display culminating work  beautifully and invite families and friends to attend our annual Salon des Artistes. The idea was to elevate the “open house” concept to an event akin to the French Salons des Artistes that began in the 19th century.

Painting began to change in response to the invention of the camera. The likes of Claude Monet, August Renoir, and Edgar Degas were not considered great artists because they were not painting classically, but impressionistically. They were rejected from exhibiting.  So did they give up? NO! They created an alternative event—a Salon to exhibit their unique works.

Since Waterhouse Guild was named after the artist guilds of the Renaissance, it seemed fitting to name our end of year event after the event spearheaded by the Impressionists.

For our first Salon, when my eldest was in 2nd grade, we had a 10 students. We reserved an event room  at our local library and let each student lay out their culminating work on a table of their own. And the idea grew and morphed from there.

Here is some inspration from bygone Salons:

Butterfly Poetry inspired by The Blue Butterfly: A Story of Claud Money by Bijou Le Tourd.

We displayed scientific observations.

We displayed student art inspired by great artists form history.

Plus some original art from imagination.

And, last but not least, we always displayed work connected to great literature.

 

It’s May.

I do hope you will carry on the tradition of celebrating student accomplishment.

It’s Salon season!

 

~Kimberly


During the month of May we will hosting another Giveaway! A wonderful set of Just Right Readers by Kate di Camillo. Enter below daily to increase your chances of winning!


Just Right Readers Giveaway

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Write a Letter to Your Future Self

We’ve worked hard for a long time—a whole school year, in fact. Work and perseverance and learning changes a person, which is why I’m guessing that who you are now is a little different than you were last May. And the person you will be next May is different from the self reading this blog right now. 

So let’s take a moment to think about where we’re going. In fact, let’s write a letter to our self of the future (of May 2027, perhaps). Write your letter, seal it in an envelope, and then a year from now, open it up and see how you’ve grown. This would be a wonderful activity to do side by side with your students. Set the example of self-reflection!

Your letter can take any shape—you’re both the author and the audience, after all. But here are some ideas to get your thoughts flowing:

  • What are you most proud of at this point in your life?
  • What do you think you will be most proud of next year?
  • How would you describe your progress as a writer at this point?
  • How would you like to change as a writer?
  • What is your current favorite book?
  • List three goals you would like to accomplish by this time next year. What specific steps can you take to accomplish these goals?

Set a reminder on your calendar or phone to remind you to open this letter. Let’s get writing!

Dear future self…

 

~Claire S.

During the month of May we will hosting another Giveaway! A wonderful set of Just Right Readers by Kate di Camillo. Enter below daily to increase your chances of winning!


Just Right Readers Giveaway

 

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Happy Mother’s Day

Growing up, we had a Monday tradition. Each Monday in elementary school, after my brother and I received our weekly homework packets, my mom would take us to Starbucks to knock out as much of the work as possible. But this wasn’t any old coffee shop visit; this was called “Homework Party,” and it invariably involved a petite vanilla bean scone for each of us (they came in packs of three) and conversations with the baristas who knew us by name. Sometimes our friends would even join the party to do their homework with us. 

My mom is a master in framing learning as fun—that’s what being a math teacher will get you. (Math teachers must master the art of teaching from an angle, springing learning on kids instead of coming at it head on, much like how you approach a wild animal from the side to avoid getting snapped at.) Hence, she encouraged us to see homework, the bane of childhood, as something communal, a tradition to look forward to. 

I look back fondly on these memories. Mothers possess a power often unsung. They hold their children’s hands as they first experience the unknown and slowly, slowly let them venture off into the wide world by themselves, serving as a refuge to retreat to when life goes sideways. 

If you’re fortunate enough to have a mom like this, take a moment to remind her of her influence on your life. Don’t underestimate the power of saying thank you. Write her a card and point out the specific ways she has shown up for you. 

So happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who do the steady work of showing up for their children week after week. Who relearn algebra to sit at the kitchen table with a child on the verge of a meltdown. Who comfort those little ones who scrape their knees and suffer unkind words and ask big questions. Your work matters. 

 

~Claire S.

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Just Right Readers Giveaway

 Books for primary readers are categorized into levels of difficulty—Just Right Readers.

Some of these books are categorized by grade level (GRL), some  by a developmental readiness assessment (DRA), and others still are categorized by a Lexile measure. The purpose of these readers is to provide opportunities for children to read as they are mastering the patterns of phonics.

“Phonics is a method of teaching students to read and write by helping them HEAR.”

In the English language, there are 44 sounds that make up every single spoken word.  These sound bites are called phonemes. The 26 letters of the alphabet are combined in various ways to replicate the sounds we hear. These are called graphemes. There are around 250 graphemes to write the 44 phonemes! Phenomenal, right? This is the heart of phonics.

During kindergarten and 1st grade, students using our Hatchling curriculum are introduced to over 150 of these graphemes setting them firmly on their way to reading and writing well. As students are introduced to phonics, it is important to practice both reading and writing. Early on, during kindergarten, students will have limited skills. At first, once the consonant and short vowel sounds are mastered, they will be able to read and write “can” or “fun” or “let” with ease. However, they might write “pepl” for “people” because those are the sounds they have mastered. As more complex graphemes are introduced (consonant blends, digraphs, long vowel patterns and so on), the reading and writing lexicon increases. Phonics is the science of reading and writing

This is where Just Right Readers enter the scene.

Just Right Readers are just right for primary readers. So fill a basket with wonderful stories for your Kindergartener, 1st, or 2nd grader. I promise Amelia Bedelia will make them chuckle! I promise she will stand the test of time.

 

During the month of May we will hosting another Giveaway! A wonderful set of Just Right Readers by Kate di Camillo. Enter below daily to increase your chances of winning!


Just Right Readers Giveaway

~Kimberly