Hello Book Bums families!
This week in the newsletter we are lifting up libraries. Our local libraries have more to offer than you may imagine, and we are sharing it with you. It's also fun to read books set in or about libraries. The New York Public Library shared these two lists of picture books that celebrate libraries, and adult reading featuring libraries.
Book Bums is also seeking summer volunteers. Read on for all the details.
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Word of the Week
jubilant (joo-bu-lent) adjective/describing word - feeling great joy, elated
The students were jubilant on the last day of school, anticipating the freedom and fun of summer vacation.
Literacy Calendar
- On June 2, 1919, Carl Sandburg won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.
- This American author won three Pulitzers in total.
- If you are traveling in Illinois this summer, you can visit his birthplace.
Languages
by Carl Sandburg
There are no handles upon a language
Whereby men take hold of it
And mark it with signs for its remembrance.
It is a river, this language,
Once in a thousand years
Breaking a new course
Changing its way to the ocean.
It is mountain effluvia
Moving to valleys
And from nation to nation
Crossing borders and mixing.
Languages die like rivers.
Words wrapped round your tongue today
And broken to shape of thought
Between your teeth and lips speaking
Now and today
Shall be faded hieroglyphics
Ten thousand years from now.
Sing—and singing—remember
Your song dies and changes
And is not here to-morrow
Any more than the wind
Blowing ten thousand years ago.
From our Bookshelves
This weekend, I listened to The Measure, by Nikki Erlick, as I was organizing at Book Bums. It reminded me of The Midnight Library and The Names in that the concept was captivating. It’s one of those books that makes you wonder how you’d respond in a particular situation. The writing wasn’t the same caliber of many books I’ve read, but the concept grabs ahold and lingers. It’s definitely a book you can’t wait to talk about.
Here’s the idea: On one random day, everyone on Earth who’s over the age of 21 receives a box and the box has a string inside. Some strings are short while others are long—and the string represents how much time you have left to live. (Don’t worry. That’s what it says in the first few minutes, so I didn’t spoil anything.)
Some people open their boxes and others decide not to. What would you do?
Some discriminate against others because of the length of their strings. Would you marry someone with a short string? Would you elect a president who would not live the whole four years in office?
The story has 4.2 stars on Amazon. Some folks loved it, while others hated it. I liked it because I enjoyed inserting myself into the story and trying to determine how I’d respond to various situations.
I can’t wait to talk about it with my daughter-in-law who recommended it to me.
Tips for Families
It’s officially summertime for most everyone I know, but the weather’s been really rainy in SW Ohio. Are you bored with nothing to do? How about heading to the library?!
We are blessed to have outstanding libraries in our communities. When I looked at all that’s available for families to do, I was blown away!
I hope you’ll check out this link to see a sampling of events hosted at Midpointe Library across all their locations. There’s nothing saying you cannot make the drive to sites outside of the one nearest you. You could do something most every day this summer with the kids—and it’s FREE!
Of course you can get books, movies, and video games. But did you know that they have puzzles, board games, and crafting kits too? They have events like story times, STEM workshops, jugglers, dino digs, book discussions, garden clubs, movie events with snacks, and so much more.
The library also has digital products so you can access e-books, audio books, and learning databases like Libby that can be used at home or use while traveling.
They even have quiet spaces for getting things done—even working remotely!
I hope you’ll visit your local library to see how they can make this your family’s best summer yet!
Tips for Raising Readers and Writers
When I meet with families for assessments, I often offer suggestions for supporting kids’ reading success as a family. Of course, I’d love for parents to read to their kids each day, but there’s so much more you can do to grow your kids’ knowledge about the world, and that absolutely promotes reading comprehension.
It’s true. Kids with limited background knowledge often struggle with reading comprehension. Here are some things you can do that will promote family fun AND reading.
Explore new places. We’re all so busy going the places we have to go that we might lack the motivation and energy to go somewhere new, but put some things on the calendar anyway. Try things you’ve never done before, and your kids will be better able to connect with the texts they’re reading.
- Visit a new restaurant.
- Try a new park.
- Tag along with a neighbor to watch them play an unfamiliar sport.
- Attend a local church event.
- Take advantage of community events.
- Go fishing.
- Hike a new trail.
Watch educational documentaries and nature shows together. You might want to try these: Born to Be Wild (nature), The Mars Generation (STEM), and My Octopus Teacher (empathy).
Read lots of books all having to do with the same topic and then do a fun, culminating activity when you’re through.
Talk with your kids about things you’ve experienced during your workday. Kids learn so much about the world when they talk meaningfully with the adults in their lives.
Practical Grammar
This week, I’m not going to share common grammar errors or tips. Instead, I’m providing a free resource you can use to discover your grammar weak spots! Click this link, and you can be entertained for hours—and you just might learn something you didn’t know before.
Wordology Workshop
- The word grammar goes back to a Greek word that means the art of letters.
- In English we use the root gram, meaning letter or writing.
- I bet you can think of many gram words, including telegram, monogram, and Instagram.
News from Book Bums
Book Bums is hosting The Faith Alliance Summer Literacy Programming at Woodland Elementary School on Tuesdays with one group and on Wednesdays with another group, beginning on June 2nd and June 3rd. We’ll meet with each group for ten weeks, and our sessions will run from 10:45-noon.
We had a very late confirmation from the principal, so we’re very late recruiting volunteers, and I so apologize for any inconvenience! We’ve just sent an email to all our previous volunteers, but if you’re interested in volunteering to help us one day or one day a week for all ten sessions, please email Dr. Christy at christy@bookbums.com, and she’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.
I love this picture of one of our volunteers from many years ago. You don’t have to be a teacher to make a difference for good in a child’s life. You just need to smile, take an interest, and offer encouragement.
Tips for Teachers
Classroom teachers are not qualified to diagnose children with dyslexia, but knowing a child could have dyslexia can help to inform teachers to best meet their students’ needs. Please note that it’s not letter reversals that indicate possible challenges.
My grandson once called me and said, “Grandma! I just bought my scrool skupplies!” (Man, I love that boy…) He has dyslexia, but he just turned six and can read and spell so well! He has been working with me at Book Bums—beginning with our Little Letter Learners lessons, and now he’s learning the sounds for o-w and o-u. This kid is going to be on track for first grade, because we know how to equip him with what he needs to read and spell well.
Don’t be worried about having students with dyslexia. And certainly, don’t count them out for anything. They’re awesome kids, and they’re capable of doing amazing things! They simply need a particular kind of instruction. This kind of instruction is exactly what we do with all our students at Book Bums.
Just for Fun
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