Category: Litropolis

Taking notes is a foundational skill that will accompany your student through their entire educational journey and beyond. Even though there is no right way of taking notes, it is important to learn how to extract relevant and pertinent information from a text in a neatly organized, concise manner. This takes practice. As students are encouraged to practice over time the art of capturing the most important details from their reading, they will begin to recognize how the intricacies of a story fit into a larger picture. This is precisely how a Habit of Being is established.

When readers take note of character development, trace a setting, and watch a plot thicken, they are learning more than just the skill of recording facts, they are actually beginning to realize the potential of storytelling. Teaching students to dig into a story, to do the work of reading for meaning, enables them to discover how language has the power to communicate significance. Learning to take notes helps to lay the foundation for rich, clear, and organized writing.

Some might argue, when faced with a classroom of 30 students, or even when faced with one student sitting at a kitchen table stubbornly refusing to write, that teaching from a textbook that tells the student what to learn is an easier method than pulling teeth trying to nurture the independent skill of note taking. We would argue that learning to extract information from a story trains students to do the hard work of, not only attending to the details of reading, but more importantly to develop the skill of integrating knowledge into life outside of the book. As students discover the details and framework that make a story great, they will apply this new-found knowledge to broader academic pursuits in all subject areas.

-Kim

Nothing fosters the higher-order Critical Creative Thinking that allows students to form ideas and opinions about real life, more than hashing through a story in a discussion circle. What begins as an imagining in the mind of the writer is translated to story, and in turn, transferred to real life through group discussion.

Blackbird & Company literature guides have discussion questions built into every section, providing the framework for weekly interaction between you and your students. These questions are designed to spark student’s memories, trigger their interpretations, and get them thinking beyond the page about how a story can relate to their actual lives. Add to this the opportunity to cultivate a cozy book-minded community and share original ideas during the fifth week of culminating projects and you will have a crafted a literary tradition. In time, students who celebrate books regularly will become excited and amazed about the potential of the written word.

Consider the following when putting a group together:

COMFORT & SIZE
Gathering in a comfortable area, whether in chairs or sitting on the floor, helps set discussion time aside as special and relaxed. Groups of 6-8 work best for allowing everyone to participate.

READING ABILITY
Clustering students with similar reading skills alows the group to coalesce. As students begin to feel comfortable with their group even reluctant speakers will share what’s on their mind.

CONSISTENCY
Having a regular scheduled time each week helps students pace through their reading and builds anticipation.

DIRECTION
Be inspired by student responses and guide the discussion where it wants to go naturally. Don’t worry if things get a little off track as long as students are thinking creatively.

FLEXIBILTY
Feel free to use the questions creatively. For example, assign each question to a different student for presentation to the group; allow two groups to take sides and debate the pros and cons of a particular question; use the questions as writing prompts for paragraphs or essays; allow students to role play their response to a question. Use your imagination. The possibilities are endless.

-Kim

During the fifth week of Discovery, Section 5 encourages each reader to develop a creative culminating project with options that provide a variety of ways to demonstrate deep understanding of the book. Your students will not only have a chance to demonstrate their originality, organization, clarity of purpose, and critical thinking skills, more importantly this culminating endeavor will allow them to show off what they have learned in their own, uniquely creative way.

Students really love sharing their culminating thoughts about great stories. Encouraging readers to create Section 5 projects with a high level of execution teaches them that their ideas are valuable and builds integrity into their work.

This sweet and yummy final project was sparked by our Robert McCloskey Earlybird literature discovery guide. After reading Blueberries for Sal, this student was inspired to do a little research on blueberries and bake muffins for his friends! Learning over great books is so rich!

Take a look at our Flickr page for some great examples of culminating activities. We’d love for you to share your ideas.

-Tracey

I must admit that I am not an animal lover.  To all of my friends whose families are complete because of their furry friends – please don’t misunderstand me.  While I love our family bunny (sweetly named Comfy Cozy by my youngest son), I believe it is quite a different relationship than is shared by people who are dog-lovers.

In the heartwarming yet complex story of Opal and her dog Winn-Dixie, I was drawn into the relationship between these two characters – a girl and her dog – and their parallel desire to feel loved and needed, in spite of their histories of abandonment and loss, and the surprising opportunities for redemption through such difficult experiences.

Each week, our group of fifth and sixth graders would gather to share their insights into this young girl’s life.  I was concerned about some of the life themes that my 11-year-old would be exposed to through this story, but what I realized is this was an opportunity for my daughter to: empathize with others’ pain, find meaning in some of her own painful experiences, and have a safe place to discuss and explore these difficult life circumstances that are sometimes easier to shelter her from.

Because of Winn-Dixie, our cooperative homeschool Guild (comprised of four wonderful families with eleven children between us) decided that we would throw a party – not just any  party, but a potluck lunch.  And not just any potluck, but an array of food specially chosen to mimic the one specially planned by Opal.

Dump punch, dump cake, and a jar of pickles are only a few of the fancy items we put out for our big event.  But we didn’t stop there.  The TV room was specially decorated with pink twisted crepe paper in preparation for our great party, and we all watched this movie with grand anticipation. It was the great culminating experience after having walked through the story hand-in-hand together.

I’m still not an animal lover.  But this sweet dog helped tell a story of unexpected redemption and hope in a way that speaks to all—children and adults alike.

-Christian

Now go read this book and have your own celebration – and please don’t forget to share your potluck pictures with us!

Readers really love sharing their culminating thoughts about great stories in creative ways. Some of the fondest memories for Sara and me are the projects our children created inspired by great stories. There was the blue-striped papier-mâché dragon after reading My Father’s Dragon, the claymation stop action video after Perloo the Bold, handcrafted bonnets and stacked pancakes after reading Farmer Boy, and the spaceship constructed from empty soup cans, cardboard, and foil after The Wonderful Flight to Mushroom Planet.

During the fifth week, Section 5 of our Blackbird & Company Literature Discovery Guides, children are encouraged to reflect and respond creatively to the great story they read. They are provided with a variety of project options to spark ideas. Children not only have a chance to demonstrate their originality, organization, clarity of purpose, and critical thinking skills, more importantly this culminating endeavor will allow them to show off what they have learned in their own, uniquely creative way.

This week, as Sara and I sat around the table constructing multiple twin Lolly Dolls for a matching game (thanks Tea Wagon Tales for the adorable idea), Sara looked at our fashionista girls lined up on the table and exclaimed, “How cute would these be for a project tied to The Hundred Dresses?”

“So cute? Right?”

And, by the way, if you haven’t read The Hundred Dresses with your children, please read it soon! This is a terrific story to begin the school year. No spoiler alerts, but Wanda’s courage has been a topic of discussion in our home for years.

So with fall, fast approaching, make the most of Section 5. Remember that imagination connects to books.