Hispanic Heritage Month Picture Book Recommendations

Representation matters!

  You may feel like you have heard that phrase a lot this past summer, especially with the 2020 Census going on.  However, it really does.  When I think back to my childhood as a Mexican-American kid going to school in a predominately white neighborhood, it was hard for me to see people that looked like me achieving success.   With Hispanic Heritage Month starting this week, I am going to share some of my favorite classroom read alouds that celebrate my culture!

Aside from my parents, the working Hispanic adults around me during my elementary days were often seen as the landscaping and janitorial staff at my school.  Despite the fact that I went to a Spanish-named elementary school, I did not feel represented much except for the Friday mornings we all danced the Macarena (part of growing up in the 90s)!

It is amazing to me that the only Hispanic person I read about or learned about as being successful and making a difference in our country was Cesar Chavez (probably because he was born in my home state of Arizona).  The reading book list did offered diversity by exposing me to African Americans and their plight through slavery, but I didn't feel connected to my ancestors or read about people like me.  To help your Hispanic students feel represented, I encourage you to make time to incorporate Hispanic Heritage Month into your instructional day.  Just share about the life of one Hispanic leader a day, and in 10 minutes or less,you can build character education, classroom community, teach tolerance & embrace diversity! (I wish one of my teachers had done this when I was in elementary school.)

So, as an undergrad I earned my elementary ed degree with an emphasis in multiculturalism and began to build up a library with bilingual books.  First, I added in titles from people I knew: Gloria Estefan wrote a picture book about her dog, The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog (so cute - I cherish this story because its theme is all about being true to yourself!)  

Then, my crush growing up, Oscar de la Hoya, wrote an inspiring bilingual picture book called Super Oscar (another win!)  

Later, I discovered Monica Brown and even attended some of her book signings when she was in town at the local bookstore for Me llamo Celia / My name is Celia. 

Of course, I had to own a copy of Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez which tells more about the life of Cesar Chavez.  I feel connected to him because he looks an awful lot like my paternal tios (uncles) and he died on my birthday, along with the AZ connection.  In my opinion, this book is a classic!

 This year, I've been adding to my collection again: Sebi and the Land of Cha Cha Cha (written by actress/singer, Roselyn Sanchez for her daughter), it is filled with beautiful, vivid illustrations that depict her island of Puerto Rico.

Dreamers is written by the amazing Yuyi Morales, so there's enough said.  It was hard for me to get through that one and keep a dry eye.  I recommend this when you want to share an inspiring read!

My latest addition is Selena: Queen of Tejano Music which I knew I had to have as soon as I knew it existed.  The text is very detailed and lengthy, it almost reminds me of a modern-day My Family by Sandra Cisneros.  However, it is all about the life of our beloved Selena Quintanilla!  

For the older students who want a novel to read independently, anything by Pam Munoz Ryan is great.  

-Esperanza Rising

-Becoming Naomi Leon

-Mañanaland is on my wishlist (it just came out in the spring of 2020) 

In case you missed it, I would like to share my Hispanic Heritage Month teaching slides with you.  I've already done the difficult planning and researching for you!  Each school day showcases a new Hispanic leader (wide variety of influencers from all walks of life: athletes, civil rights activists, entertainers, and intellects).  Not to mention, each Hispanic leader comes to life with a kid-friendly video clip for student engagement!  Click the image below if you are interested:

Respectfully representing,

3 Tips to Make Distance Learning Accessible

As an educator, I'm always considering the needs of how to make the curriculum accessible for my struggling readers.  Now more than ever, it is important these students get the help they need in the form of these technical tricks:

#1 - Share This Google Chrome Extension with Families

You may already be familiar with Read&Write Gold from your school's access to these amazing text-to-speech tools!  Click this link to access a free 30-day subscription to Read&Write. 

Read&Write for Google Chrome™ provides personalized support to make documents, web pages, and common file types in Google Drive (including: Google Docs, PDF & ePub) more accessible.  It's designed to help everyone engage with digital content in a way that suits his/her abilities and learning styles.  Here are some of the accessibility features:

• text-to-speech to hear words, passages or entire documents read aloud (with easy-to-follow colored highlights)
• text and picture dictionaries to see the meaning of words explained
• speech-to-text to allow dictated writing
• word prediction to help with spelling

As you can see, these features work wonders to help your English language learners, dyslexic, and below-level readers access a grade-level text passage!

#2 - Insert Audio Recordings into Google Slides Presentations



When teaching a reading lesson, I typically help scaffold my students to digest and comprehend the text to apply the new information learned.  Well, when no longer in a face-to-face classroom, students have to decipher through a lot of text on screens.  One way to make the information more accessible (as many educators use in classroom) is through showing an engaging video clip or tutorial on the concept.  As a 4th grade teacher, my students really enjoyed watching video clips from BrainPop or Flocabulary to bring the content to life!





However, there are certain teacher tidbits I like to share with my students based on my years of experience.  So I found that using the voice recorder app on my phone, then uploading the files to my GoogleDrive I was able to add my words of wisdom to the presentations I share on Google Classroom.



After you have uploaded your voice recording onto your Drive, then go to the desired slide in your Google Slide presentation and click INSERT -> AUDIO.



See this in action on my interactive Text Structure lesson.










#3 - Use Screencastify for Tutorials & Oral Presentations



Another Google Chrome extension that comes in handy for inserting audio into your Google Slide presentation is Screencastify.  Click here to download the extension to CHROME from your Google Educator / work account.



I watched the video linked above and used a Screencastify recording I made  in my Text Structure lesson to explain how the interactive features work on my presentation (requiring students to toggle back and forth between edit and present mode).



You can also have your students use Screencastify to narrate a presentation they created with Google Slides and turn it in via Google Classroom for you to grade as you would an oral presentation in person.  Just share a quick tutorial video with your students and families like the one linked above!

Summer Slide Reading & Math Activities

Stop the summer slide. If you are an educator or parent concerned about the loss in academic levels in your student, then it's important to take a proactive approach for your student's well-being.

What is the summer slide? It’s the loss of about 2 months of a child’s reading level and 2.5 months in math.  According to the experts, the summer slide is a decline in reading ability and other academic skills that can occur over the summer months while school is not in session. Watch this video my district created to educate parents about this topic!

It seems to most teachers that not reading over summer is unthinkable! How often do teachers write,"Don’t forget to read this summer," in their end of year report card comments?  Even though we may know it’s a given, we also realize the kids who need it the most are often not involved in continued learning over the summer.

Sadly, not every kid has someone at home helping to foster a love of reading who will take the time to bring their child to the library. The benefit is, once you're there, most public libraries and bookstores offer incentives for students to complete a summer reading challenge! Typically, you just have to fill out a quick reading log, get it signed and then return it to the front counter - SIMPLE!

As a kid, I remember reading the entire Winnie the Pooh series so I could pick my own free book from Barnes & Noble! I was so EXCITED to win a freebie! Then a couple years later, Harry Potter was released and I never had a problem reading the newest epic novel in the series. I devoured 700+ pages in 3 days. It was glorious!!!

I recommend doing a quick Google search to see of any participating summer reading challenges in your area. Or, ask the librarian! www.maricopacountyreads.org is the website my public library is partnered with to have readers of all ages participate in the summer reading challenge. What's changed from my experience as a kid? The log is now digital instead of a paper/pencil form. However, I'm sure there are still printable forms available depending on your need.

They even offer these FREE DIGITAL reading resources so there's no access barrier as long as you have a wifi connection!

• KidLit TV
• Storyline Online
• Reading Pioneers
• Library of Congress' Exquisite Corpse Adventure
• Universe of Stories (a learn & listen podcast made for elementary school kids)

Another AMAZING WAY to stop the summer slide is to participate in activites that naturally promote learning!  Summer is a great time to find educational apps to exercise your mind, explore Pinterest for fun DIY crafts, recipes &/or science experiments, and be creative!  

A FUN way to boost math skills over summer is to sharpen math facts!  If you have a deck of playing cards around, you can easily teach your child how to play Addition Battle, Subtraction Battle, or Multiplication Battle.  

How to Play Math Facts Battle:

For example, if Player A sets an 8 face up and Player B sets a 7 face up...

1. Deal the deck as you would normally when playing War.  
2. Then, after each opponent reveals a card face up, depending on which operation you are looking to practice, you'd want to be the first to say the answer.

• Addition Battle (winner is the first to say 15... because 8+7=15 - you just sum the values)

• Subtraction Battle (winner is the first to say 1... because 8-7=1 - you subtract the values)

• Multiplication Battle (winner is the first to say 56... because 8x7=56)

So, what do you do with the face cards?  You can choose to set those aside or agree on a predetermined value.  I normally play Jacks as 11s, Queens as 12s, Kings as 20s, Jokers/Aces as 100s.)  This is an excellent game to include in your math stations in the classroom as well - (make sure to set some parameters on volume because students get really competitive with this game!) 

If you happen to be in need of some printable material to prevent the Summer Slide for those entering/exiting 4th grade, grab my Summer Slide Reading Packets.  

ELA Homework to Boost Rigor & Reading Stamina

Do you know what's MISSING from the "newly adopted" ELA curriculum my district bought last year?  A LOT!! If you're struggling with supplementing resources to align what your students practice with to how they will be assessed on ELA standards, then changing up your homework routine may be the answer like it was for me!

I began using this weekly homework format with my 4th grade class at a Title 1 school, and the parents loved the consistency.  Compared to other years, I saw an increase in oral reading fluency (ORF) progress, and confidence while taking computerized reading tests.  My students also showed WAY MORE stamina when it came to the LOOOOONNNNGG reading passages they were assigned!

First of all, I assign my weekly homework by passing out the new packet on Monday and making it due on Friday.  If there's a holiday at the beginning of the week, I just send it home on the first school day of the week.  There are several families who appreciate having the flexibility of getting homework done around their schedule and not tied down to such a tight deadline.  As a result, I've experienced a higher completion rate of homework when it's checked on a weekly vs. nightly basis.

Here's HOW It Works:

The front cover page serves as a checklist for students to complete throughout the week.

• Fluency : Repeated Readings  If you're a fan of close reading, then you know the importance of having repeated reads.  Each weekly homework pack requires students to read the high interest text three times during the week.  After the student has read on 3 separate occasions, then they get to check off the Fluency box.  The parent initials/comments box is helpful for me to see which words the student may have struggled with and holds the student more accountable for reading the text aloud to a family member or guardian. 
• WIDE Reading Choices  This part of the weekly homework routine allows for student choice.  There are 9 reading activities a student may choose which range from independent reading to writing a letter from the point of view of the main character in the assigned text, or even researching some new information.  Typically I just have students staple any of their WIDE reading choices to the back of the packet.  Like before, the student has to complete 3 of the activities to check off the WIDE reading box.

• Comprehension Check  I typically recommend for my students to respond to the questions only AFTER they have read the text for a second time.  This will have helped them to gain a better understanding before attempting the questions.  Similar to the ELA tests my students take in the spring, there are trick questions and they are text-dependent, so they must refer back to the passage to verify they have chosen the BEST answer!  I created the layout to position the text page next to the questions page because it bothers me when I have to flip the page in order to respond to questions. #theSTRUGGLEisREAL Fortunately, it just takes away one more barrier to success and gives students a bit more consideration.  With practice, students become really good at the test prep strategies involved when answering the 5 multiple choice questions.   After, students must respond in complete sentences to the FIVE "Get the Gist" prompts provided.  There's even a column for students to record the paragraph #s in which they located their answer.  This helps to train them to show their work even in ELA!

• Focus Skill Enrichment Page  I like to sprinkle in heavy-hitter RL, RI and L standards as a way to spiral in the ELA curriculum.   There's normally an example given so students have a greater level of support to be successful, especially if completing the assignment independently without an adult nearby.  As a kid, I recall my working parents busily prepping dinner, cleaning the house, and/or relaxing on the couch from an exhausting day.  They were never doting on me to help me complete my homework because that was MY responsibility.  Overall, the rule of thumb I share with families is each separate page shouldn't take more than 15 minutes for their child to complete as long as they are working without distraction.

Are you ready to implement a CONSISTENT homework resource aligned to ELA standards which will allow students the opportunity to grow as readers, and boost rigor along the way?  After implementing this homework system along with tracking student data, my class scored 96% proficient on the end of year ELA test!!

If you still aren't convinced, maybe these ACTUAL TEACHER REVIEWS of how this Common Core Reading Homework bundle improved their class' success & even changed their mindsets about homework may help!

My Dream (A Martin Luther King Inspired Bulletin Board)

We our blessed to enjoy a 3-day weekend in honor of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Some people end up commemorating this day as day to complete acts of community service.  Many cities throw parades.  I am grateful for the people who worked so diligently to open the future to a better society for us through the Civil Rights Movement!

This year, I taught my class about Martin Luther King, Jr. with the following videos:
*Kid President
*Flocabulary
*BrainPop
To teach the concepts of current global injustices the students may not be aware of, I discussed & showed this video on 62 Million Girls aimed at making sure girls without access to education are given the ability to get an education.  Michelle Obama has a program called "Let Girls Learn" and Malala's efforts are called "Girl Rising."

"The time is always right to do what is right." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

After building enough background on this important leader, I used this great & FREE template by Jodi at Fun-in-First for my bulletin board.

 

I teach at a Leader in Me school so I assigned the students a homework assignment in which they were required to teach a parent/guardian about Habit 8 (Find Your Voice and Inspire Others to Find Theirs).  Then, they were to dig deeper and discover a time when their parent/guardian took a stand or stood up for an injustice by using Habit 8.  Finally, the student wrote their own "Dream" to solve an injustice in the world.  I collected the papers and revised/edited before they published onto the free cloud template from Fun-in-First.

After writing their final copies neatly on the reduced size clouds (75% of the original size), they cut it out and glued down on the top left corner of their turquoise signed name background papers.  If you'd like to use this template, click the image above.  Also, make sure you have the font: KG Eyes Wide Open installed.  Lastly, the students cut & glue a picture of themselves to the bottom right corner.

  If you need something to post beside your bulletin board, you may use the photo above if  you are a Habits or Leader in Me school!

Wayne Ford has created an infographic focusing on Martin Luther King Jr and some of his famous quotes.  This is another great visual to share with your students as you help to build background!

Upper Elementary: Read Picture Books to Determine Theme

Want a fun & hands-on way for your students to access theme?  Well, if you're like me, then you have a plethora of quality picture books available in your class library.  (If not, go raid your school library ASAP!)  Why not put that engaging text to good use and in the hands of your students in a meaningful way rather than only utilize it as early finisher silent reading time?  No desire to stand in line at the copy machine?  For me, this activity is a great way to cut down on running copies since the students can easily create their graphic organizer on lined paper!

 

Teaching the literary skill of Determining Theme through picture books is not a new idea, but putting the picture books in the hands of my students is something new I'm trying out this year.  I don't know why I haven't thought of it before.  (Typically, I just read aloud a cherished text, we discussed the theme, and I called it a day and moved on ...)

For this activity, you can choose to have students work in pairs or independently.  My students are social butterflies so they thrive in partner reading!  As we get more practice with the skill, then they will move to more independent work.

Before setting them free with the picture book (predetermined by me), we review the graphic organizer they will be using.  Students will write the title of the book they read.

I teach at a Thinking Maps school, so we use a one-sided multiflow map.  If you want to save on time, consider purchasing my "Determining Theme" pack filled with what you need to teach theme successfully to your students.  A printable graphic organizer is provided, along with a planning sheet for this picture book activity so you can select which students read each text.

Followers of my blog have free access to a similar planning sheet in Google Drive.

To differentiate for my advanced learners who will finish before time is up, I challenge them to consider another theme the text shows.  As always, they will need to justify why, so they just write a couple of sentences explaining how they inferred the second theme.