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April 2012
- In Focus: Poetry
- Books & Authors: Interview with Kate and Jules Feiffer | New booklist: Spring's Bounty | The grapes of math | ¡Celebrate Día!
- Ideas for Educators: STEM and our planet | Top 10 tips for teaching with new media | Cognitive strategy instruction | Supporting literacy development in students with autism
- Ideas for Parents: Think like an inventor! | Family literacy bag: bees | Science at home | Reading tips for parents of children with autism
- Research, Reports & News: Bringing up an e-reader | Aligning literacy instruction with Common Core Standards
In Focus: Poetry
Poets on Poetry 
Poetry is a wonderful way for kids to explore language. Listen in as acclaimed children's writers like Marilyn Singer, Ashley Bryan, Mary Ann Hoberman, and Janet Wong talk about the pure pleasure of reading poetry out loud, as well as introducing children to the idea that they, too, can be poets. Why is poetry great? Pleasing rhymes, an economy of words, a mix of the familiar and the mysterious, and lots of emotion in a small space, says Marilyn Singer. She says it's time to "knock poetry off the pedestal." And check out Janet Wong's "poetry suitcase" idea — a fun, easy way for sharing poems.
Watch video >
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Poetry Walk
Looking for a way to jumpstart poetry writing in your class? Poetry walks give students a way to "write about what they know." Before heading outdoors, read aloud a few poems that are rich in descriptive language. Then, take your class on a walk around the neighborhood to observe and collect sensory images from their direct experience with nature. Students can bring a poetry journal with them to write down descriptive words as they observe, listen, smell, and touch things outside the classroom.
Read article >
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Related article
Recording Observations: Journals and Field Notes (in English and Spanish)
Read article >
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Nursery Rhymes: Not Just for Babies!
Nursery rhymes are important for young children because they help develop an ear for our language. Both rhyme and rhythm help kids hear the sounds and syllables in words, which helps kids learn to read! Here are some activities and recommended poetry books to aid your child's developing poetry, rhyming, and rhythm skills. (In English and Spanish)
Read article >
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Find many more resources in our Poetry section
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Books & Authors
Whose Side of the Car? Our Video Interview with Kate and Jules Feiffer
Meet the Feiffers! Jules, well-known for his Pulitzer Prize winning cartoons, also writes and illustrates books for kids. So does his daughter, Kate. Whether working alone or in collaboration, Jules and Kate Feiffer's books are funny and observant, with stories drawn from very real and familiar family situations.
Watch interview >
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Spring's Bounty
Poetry, gardens, and our environment are celebrated throughout the month of April. Watch gardens grow, see the color green with new eyes, explore life in the sea, learn new outdoor games, and lots more in the pages of these Spring-fresh books. From A Stick Is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play to Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems, you'll find delightful words and pictures within.
See new booklist >
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The Grapes of Math
Math is serious business, right? Not in the hands of children's author Greg Tang. Not only does Tang play with language, he makes playing with math fun using riddles and rhymes. So crack open a book and let the games begin!
See booklist >
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¡Celebrate Día on April 30th!
Borrowing from a traditional Mexican holiday, el día de los niños/ el día de los libros is a day to celebrate children, literacy, and culture — and a reminder that sharing the joy of reading is important everyday.
Go to Día section >
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Ideas for Educators
STEM and Our Planet
National Environmental Education Week (April 15-21) inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students by connecting educators with quality classroom resources. A recent webinar shared information about how to plan, conduct, and evaluate a field laboratory. Dig into resources about water, energy, the ocean, and more. You'll also find service learning opportunities, a nature journaling blog, nature center listings, and booklists for teachers and kids.
Find resources >
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Related resource
Introduction to Nature Journals
Download PDF guide from the Smithsonian Institution >
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Top 10 Tips for Teaching with New Media
Whether you're new to teaching or a classroom veteran, this resource-packed collection of 10 new media tips from Edutopia provides fresh ideas and easy-to-use tools to engage your students and make learning more collaborative.
Download PDF >
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Cognitive Strategy Instruction
Strategy instruction is one of the most effective ways of improving academic performance for children with learning difficulties. This site from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows you how integrate strategy instruction, provides many examples of specific reading and writing strategies, and offers a forum where teachers can share experiences and ask questions.
Browse website >
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Supporting the Literacy Development of Students with Autism
Many students identified with autism can participate successfully in whole-class rich literacy experiences with the right kind of support. Learn how to design lessons that are appropriate, engaging, and challenging for every learner in the inclusive classroom.
Read article >
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Related resource
Helping children with autism connect with what they read
Watch "From Emotion to Comprehension" >
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Ideas for Parents
Think Like an Inventor!
Inventors, scientists, and mathematicians are all creative problem solvers. Discover simple ways to nurture creativity and flexible thinking in your young child. Encourage your child to be curious about the world around him — and not to be afraid of making mistakes. Many cool inventions (Silly Putty, for example) followed what seemed like "failures" at the time. (In English and Spanish).
Go to article >
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For related STEM activities, visit Literacy in the Sciences >
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Get the latest literacy tips and activities for parents. (In English and Spanish)
Subscribe to our parent e-newsletter, Growing Readers >
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What's the Buzz? Our Newest Family Literacy Bag All About Bees
Learn all about the amazing life and work of the industrious honeybee with our newest set of family activities centered around paired fiction and nonfiction books. Design a pollinating robot, learn why we should "bee thankful" for all that goes into a fresh fruit smoothie, or publish your own Daily Bee newspaper.
See family literacy bag >
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Science at Home
A love of science can begin at an early age. We've identified a short list of excellent science-focused websites for you and your child to explore together. Over at Family Science (their tagline is "Use your parents in a science experiment!"), you'll discover lots of hands-on activities — like "Charge It," a racing activity that explores the 'push and pull' properties of static electricity. Peep and the Big Wide World offers videos, interactive games, and activity ideas perfect for preschoolers. There's more…
Read blog post >
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Reading Together: Tips for Parents of Children with Autism
Whether your child has mild or severe Autism Spectrum Disorder, making reading a fun activity can help your child's language, listening, and social skills. Sharing books together can be a good way to connect more deeply with your child. Recommended books for parents and kids are also included.
Read article >
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Research, Reports & News
Bringing Up an E-Reader
[Excerpted from The New York Times] Julianna Huth, a second grader at Green Primary School, in Green, Ohio, is a convert to the digital word. The 8-year-old uses both an iPad and a Nook, and she enjoys e-books at home and at school. "It's just cool that you can read on your iPad," said Julianna, who started using e-books when she was 6. "It's more fun and you learn more from it." Children would say that. Books on iPads and some e-readers like the Nook Color or the Kindle Fire are fun. They include music, animation and other interactive elements that make reading a book feel like playing a video game. But is it better than a book? It may take a generation to ever know for sure, and even 10 or 20 years from now it will be debated as the effects of television or video games are still discussed today.
Read full article >
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Aligning Literacy Instruction with the Common Core Standards
This guide from the Center on Instruction helps reading specialists, reading coaches, and teachers develop differentiated reading instruction for their K-5 students. You'll find crosswalks that map the relationship between each Student Center Activity and the corresponding grade-specific Common Core State Standards. The guide contains three crosswalks: phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency; vocabulary; and comprehension activities.
Download guide >
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To make a garden all you need
Is just a single simple seed,
A patch of earth, a sheltered spot
That's not too cold, but not too hot,
A little rain, a lot of sun,
That's all you need;
And when you're done,
In some strange way your seed will know
Just how to sprout and how to grow
— An excerpt from To Make a Garden, a poem by Mary Ann Hoberman
