Hello Book Bums families!
We hope you have been staying warm and well-supplied with books during this snowy, cold winter. Whether you're ready to start thinking of summer or stay on a cozy couch with your kiddos, we have ideas for you this week. Dr. Christy also shares a classroom success story to warm your heart. Read on and enjoy!
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Word of the Week
exasperation (ex-as-per-a-shun) noun/person, place, or thing - the state of being irritated or annoyed
Lindsay felt exasperation when she missed the bus and had to wait in the rain for the next one.
Literary Calendar
- January 31 is the birthday of American author Zane Grey.
- Working in the late 1800s he wrote adventure stories and westerns.
- Grey was born in Zanesville, OH, but the town is not named for him. Rather, it was founded by his mother's ancestors; and Zane was a family name.
- There is a Zane Gray museum near Zanesville. You can learn more about the museum and the author here.
From our Bookshelves
My husband was recently listening to A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson for the second time, and he’d read his own copy of the book before that. He likes it because it’s really funny, and deep inside he has this dream of walking at least part of the Appalachian Trail. He shared a few excerpts with me, and I found myself truly laughing out loud. It wasn’t long before I began listening to A Walk in the Woods from start to finish on my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had watched the movie long ago, and it’s pretty good—but it’s not even close to as good as the book.
You’re likely stuck inside due to cold, snowy weather. Why not begin planning a few hikes for yourself this summer. Half the fun is the planning and the visits to the local sporting goods store to see all the cool stuff you never knew you needed. As a rule, I hate to shop, but I love planning for an outdoor adventure!
Read the book and then . . . Let’s get out there!
Tips for Families
A recent study found that up to 33% of high school graduates never read another book after graduating. I find that to be a stunning loss for them and for us as a nation.
I saw this quote from C. S. Lewis, and it struck a chord.
I know I owe a lot to authors who’ve devoted themselves to the very difficult job of writing books.
Do you believe that “the man who is contented to be only himself” is a less a self? Is he in a prison?
I’m considering that idea, but I’ve yet to determine where I stand. Regardless, I find myself called to promote reading in my community and beyond.
Here are fifteen ways you can promote reading in your family:
- Read great books (and magazines, and cookbooks, and newspapers) in front of your kids.
- Talk about your books.
- Share them with friends and family members.
- Keep them within reach all around your house.
- Create cozy spaces devoted to reading books—no screen zones.
- Visit the library frequently.
- Pair books with experiences.
- Buy or borrow books that feature your family members’ interests.
- Praise your kids’ interest in reading. Don’t focus on their skills—just praise fact that they’re reading.
- Host book clubs with your kids’ friends.
- Listen to audio books in the car.
- Read aloud to your kids—even if it’s just at bedtime.
- Explore books your kids are interested in.
- Allow kids to read what they want but encourage them to read other books too.
Encourage your kids to consider what kind of book they would like to write.
Tips for Raising Readers and Writers
My middle son, when he was an art major attending Miami University, hosted a handful of art lessons in my first-grade classroom because he’d had to do some art-focused community service. For one of the lessons, Taylor taught my students how to do some Warhol-style portraits.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Most of all, I loved the moments conveyed in these pictures (below) of one of my students. They show the time I won this guy over to my side. What side is that you might ask? The side that says, “You’re capable of great things.”
Until this lesson, where he received SO MUCH praise for his gorgeous artwork, he didn’t really have much hope for himself. He could read, but he wasn’t great at it; and he wasn’t excited about it. He smiled now and then, but he wasn’t fully engaging in much I was doing in our classroom. That can be very defeating for the educator AND for the student.
Then we did this art project, and though every student did really well, this guy was absolutely shining; and he could feel that he was shining. You can tell, can’t you?
With these few words, “You worked so hard, and just LOOK at what you accomplished! You know, when you devote yourself to something, you can do really amazing things!”
This success spilled over into his whole day. And then his whole week. Before I knew it, he’d devoted himself to reading all of the Magic Treehouse book series. This kid was on fire!
And this one art project was the match to the wick.
It doesn’t have to be art, but we do have to find a way to show our kids what they’re capable of.
Wordology Workshop
- The word devote includes the Latin root vot.
- This root means a promise or a vow.
- You can find it in all the words related to vote, and you can see the link between voting and making a promise.
- Vot is also the root in devote and devout. Someone who is devoted or devout gives themselves to something; their actions are a kind of vow.
Practical Grammar
A friend shared something on social media that I did not know. (Thanks, Patty!)
She shared that an alumnus is a male graduate, alumna is a female graduate, and alumni is used for more than one graduate. One person cannot be an alumni. The term alum may be used for one person.
If all of that seems a bit too much, you can always use the term graduate.
News from Book Bums
We’ve had a couple of snow days, and it’s been a bit challenging to keep everyone happy when deciding whether to remain open or to close. Some folks like to burrow deep in their cozy blankets during winter storms and want nothing more than to stay in their jammies all day long. Others want to keep things rolling along, and they shake their heads in exasperation at all the closings.
On Tuesday, I actually used ChatGPT to decide whether to open or not. I laid out all the information I had and let AI decide. They even suggested the wording—which I used. “Out of an abundance of caution . . .” Ha!
I take very seriously the commitment I make when it comes to getting our students on track just as quickly as possible. I also know that I couldn’t bear it if someone had an accident on their way to a tutoring session or in the parking lot. I know our tutors count on the income, and I know I must pay the bills each month; but there are more important things than money. I know some kids need every single session to meet grade level expectations by the spring, but I don’t want people to begrudgingly make their way in for a session when they’d rather be making snow cream with their kids. What’s a business owner to do?
I’m not sure it was the right decision, but I was glad to have help making it. Thanks, ChatGPT.
Tips for Teachers
Teacher: “I’ve got this.”
When you are working with a young child who’s a bit behind, do you know what to do to move him forward?
Can you confidently say, “He’s still struggling with ____, and he needs to master that, so we’ll be working on____. Don’t worry. I’m certain we can get him back on track. If you’d like to, you can help at home by ___, but I’ll provide the needed instruction here at school.”
Teachers, if you do not know what a child needs to move forward, ask someone (who knows the reading science) who does. There’s no shame in that. But please do not place that burden on the child’s parents.
We’re the professionals who’ve dedicated ourselves to teaching kids to read and spell well. We cannot thrust the ownership onto parents (who have chosen other professions) to know what to do to help their kids learn to read and spell well.
If you’re a teacher and you don’t know what to do, how are they supposed to know?
In truth, many baffled families make their way into Book Bums. I see lots of tears from family members who’ve been praying for someone to say, “I’ve got this. Don’t worry. We help kids like yours all the time. We’re good at it, and we even make it fun!”
Teachers, if you have a student who’s just not making progress with the instruction you’re providing, we’d be proud to help. We can share with you what we do if you’re interested. And, of course, you can refer your students to Book Bums if you believe they would benefit from our one-on-one tutoring.
Here’s a link to share to get families started with a free assessment at Book Bums: https://bookbums.com/assessment/
If you’d like some support, email me at christy@bookbums.com. I can help.
Just for Fun
I read that if you do not know this word, you cannot claim to be a language nerd.
I did not know.
It’s bookkeeper or bookkeeping.
That looks weird, huh?
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