Despite the radio silence, I'm still here and busy learning, teaching, and just doing! Today I am finally able to carve out a little time to share with you some great resources for Reader's and Writer's Workshop that I've picked up in my substituting travels. With the (tiny) bit of extra time I have right now without a classroom to call my own, I've been searching out some great resources to add to my repertoire. In January, I was lucky enough to make it to a fantastic workshop held by the West Jersey Reading Council which introduced me to some great new winter books and I couldn't wait to share them here on my blog.
A way to combat the classroom winter blahs is to inject some snazzy read alouds into your everyday routine. Some of my old favorites for winter read alouds are Snow Day by Jack Ezra Keats, a great one for demonstrating small moments, and The Mitten by Jan Brett, a no-brainer for tons of imaginative writing and craft projects or to kick off a primary classroom author study. Here are some new books that sound just perfect for incorporating into your winter read aloud library:
A Perfect Day by Carin Berger: A great way to get kids to start writing a personal narrative about their snow days (hey New England and Midwestern teachers!)
Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed: I can't count how many times I've taught a lesson on descriptive words, from getting my kindergartners to stop say "nice" and "good" and with my fourth graders to use more figurative language in their NJ ASK practice essays. I was so excited to hear about this book which gives very illustrative and imaginative descriptions of the different types of ice you encounter over the winter months.
Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli: Brrr, it's cold outside! This fun and engaging read aloud talks about the winter's bitter cold and a creative idea to beat the chill. This would be a fun way to discuss or review problem/solution in a story and might spark some great writing for "If it were very cold in my town, I would..."
Don't you just love new books and new lessons?
