My daughter Molly loves words — she always has. Her latest “game” (which is driving Anna crazy) is so much like the procedure for vocabulary development recommended in Bringing Words to Life that I wonder if she hasn’t read the book herself!
I walked into the kitchen last night to hear this conversation between Molly and Anna:
Molly: Your jump rope is on the sidewalk. Is that awkward?
Anna: No, I don’t think so. Um….yes? (sounding unsure)
Molly: Your teacher has toilet paper stuck to her shoe. Is that awkward?
Anna: Gross, Molly! I don’t know….yes?
Molly: Yes! That would be awkward because you would feel weird telling her. Right?
And so it goes. They covered awkward, mist, and glisten(spurred by “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”).
Vocabulary is fun. Really fun! And helping kids become lovers of words is great too. Although I haven’t read Miss Alaineus yet, I plan too. The author and illustrator has a terrific web page that includes fun ideas for teachers: vocabulary parade, word games, and art projects.
I know there are tons of other books for kids that encourage discussions about words…care to share your favorites?
About the Author
Along with her background as a professor, researcher, writer, and teacher, Joanne Meier is a mom. Join Joanne as she shares her experiences raising her own young readers, and guides parents and teachers on the best practices in reading.
Publication Date
December 13, 2007