Teacher Book Club Take-Aways - EL Excellence Every Day

So far these are the take-aways I have from the first section of the book study:

1. The need to differentiate teaching is real in any classroom, whether or not we have English Learners (ELs) in our class.
2. Collaborative conversations benefit everyone every day.
3. ELs need teachers who understand the assets multilingual students bring to their learning and who can build on ELs linguistic, cultural, and academic strengths.
4. One easy and essential way to value students' diverse backgrounds is to pronounce students' names the say way their families pronounce their names.  This is critically important as our names are our identities.  We create a disconnect between family and home and school when we mispronounce a student's name. 
5. Seek to understand culture beyond heroes and holidays.
6. Our diverse students'  knowledge and linguistic abilities are assets that should be integrated into how and what we teach.  
7. Learn what students know and can do in their primary languages(s).
8. Structure collaborative conversations daily in your teaching routines that invite not one right answer but diverse perspectives about texts students read and concepts you teach.
9. With genuine interests in learning the language, without putting students on the spot, create opportunities for ELs to teach words or phrases in their language to you and.or to peers.  
10. Choose enabling texts for your classroom library and teaching.
11. Students rise or fall to the level of teacher expectations.
12. Be specific about your goals for student learning.

A Mighty Girl Website

This is one of the most comprehensive databases for books about empowering girls!  Check it out!

https://www.amightygirl.com/books

16 Feminist Kids’ Books for Dismantling the Patriarchy

Check out this blog post about great books about woman!

http://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-childrens-books-teach-kids-about-feminism.html

After the Fall Read Aloud

Here is a great book about perseverance and resiliency with a familiar character: Humpty Dumpty.  Enjoy!

https://www.amazon.com/After-Fall-Humpty-Dumpty-Again/dp/1626726825/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9HB3QE8OZ506&keywords=after+the+fall+how+humpty+dumpty+got+back+up+again&qid=1551815814&s=gateway&sprefix=after+the+fall%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

Read Aloud Every Day

Every day we should be reading aloud to children of all ages.  Read any book you choose.  Reading to children is so important.  It helps with language development, vocabulary, and listening skills just to name a few.  There is so much research that supports reading to your child and/or students every single day. 

Here are a few of the articles and blog posts that support reading aloud to children of all ages:

1. https://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2017/07/03/happy-read-alouds/
2. https://www.readbrightly.com/importance-of-reading-aloud-to-big-kids/
3. http://www.readingrockets.org/reading-topics/reading-aloud
4. http://www.startwithabook.org/reading-aloud
5. http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2018/05/why-reading-aloud-to-kids-helps-them-thrive/
6. https://www.getsmartoregon.org/strategies-for-reading-aloud-with-children/

Multicultural Authors to Consider When Choosing Author Studies and/or Mentor Texts

If you are choosing books for your classroom check out these authors first to make sure that you are representing all the cultures in your classroom and school.  

• Donald Crews 
• Patricia McKissack 
• Jerry Pinkney 
• Chris Van Allsburg 
• Lois Sachar 
• Maurice Sendak 
• Shel Silverstein 
• Alma Flor Ada 
• Eve Bunting 
• Pam Munoz Ryan 
• Gary Soto 
• Pat Mora 
• Vera Williams 
• Patricia Polacco 
• Tomie dePaola

~~~~This is by no means a comprehensive list but just a sampling of the best multicultural children’s authors to consider.~~~~

Compare and Contrast Mentor Texts

Teaching comparing and contrasting with these books will make it easier and more fun! These are just a few suggestions.  I will post more as we learn more about books.

• The Hat and The Mitten by Jan Brett
• Stellaluna by Janell Cannon and National Geographic Readers: Bats by Elizabeth Carney
• Chester's Way and Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
• The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and  No Good in Art by Miriam Cohen
• When Lightning Comes in a Jar by Patricia Polacco and The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
• The Lorax by Dr. Suess and The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
• The Legend of Bluebonnet and The Legend of Indian Paintbrush by Tomie DePaolo
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Polar Bear, Polar Bear by Bill  Martin, Jr.