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Bryan Collier

Award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier began creating art at the age of 15. Using his signature style, a vibrant mix of watercolor and collage, he brings stories to life. He’s already lent his talents to such books as Visiting Langston, Rosa, and his own book, Uptown. Collier is the winner of numerous Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards: Trombone Shorty (2016), Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me (2014), I, Too, Am America (2013), Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (2011), Rosa (2006) and Uptown (2001). Reading Rockets sat down with the artist for an exclusive interview.

Ace Lacewing Bug Detective

Bugs

They wiggle, squirm, scutter, creep, and crawl. What are these creatures who have lived since the time of the dinosaurs? Bugs! Read about these fascinating creatures in this selection of books.

Bats: Biggest! Littlest!

Bugs, Birds, and Animals

They fly, crawl, run or slither; some are spotted, others striped; many are adored while others make us wary — but they are all part of the fascinating world of nature.

Building Background Knowledge

Building Background Knowledge

To comprehend a story or text, young readers need a threshold of knowledge about the topic, and tougher state standards place increasing demands on children’s prior knowledge. This article offers practical classroom strategies to build background knowledge such as using contrasts and comparisons and encouraging topic-focused wide reading.

Young girl looking at camera with blackboard full of science chalk drawings behind her

Building Background Knowledge

Get the basics on why background knowledge is key to comprehension, and how we can support children’s acquisition of knowledge about the world.

Superhero Dad and young son fly into the sky to help a bird

Building Confidence and Following My Dreams

Self-awareness is the ability to identify your emotions and thoughts, recognize your strengths and limitations, and know your own interests and values. The books here can help children build confidence as they become more aware of their own feelings, inner compass, and dreams. This booklist is part of our Social-Emotional Learning series.

Building Literacy Rich Environments

Building Literacy Rich Environments

First Book in collaboration Dr. Susan Neuman, an early childhood literacy expert and researcher, surveyed more than 1,000 educators, most of whom work in Title I classrooms. Survey results were used in developing metrics to define literacy rich environment in order to answer the question: What does a literacy rich environment look like? The resulting tool, the Literacy Rich Classroom Library Checklist, is designed to guide the development and evaluation of classroom libraries, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.

Building Reading Stamina

Building Reading Stamina

Reading stamina is a child’s ability to focus and read independently for long-ish periods of time without being distracted or without distracting others. Find out how you can help your child develop reading stamina.

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