Hello Book Bums families!
This week in the newsletter we're all about family time, particularly family reading time. We have ideas for outdoor reading, indoor reading, physical books, electronic books, and library books. We'd love to hear about your family's favorite books or how you read together. You can always reply to this email to share your thoughts and ideas with us!
Read on and enjoy!
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Word of the Week
ubiquitous (you-bick-wit-us) adjective/describing word - existing everywhere at the same time, widespread
Dandelions are ubiquitous in the spring, appearing in every yard and field.
Literacy Calendar
- September 12, 1846, poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett eloped in defiance of the bride's Victorian father.
- You can read more about their romance and marriage here.
- Elizabeth became the more famous writer of the two, particularly for her love poems.
Pause for Poetry
Sonnets from the Portuguese #43
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
From our Bookshelves
One day, I couldn’t download any new titles (due to having no internet access), so I had to choose a book to read that was already in our family’s downloaded books.
That’s how I came to read the devastating book, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. (When I did a quick check of the book reviews, I found that someone else used that exact word I’d used in my first draft of this newsletter: devastating.)
Even though I continue to feel that palpable ache in my chest, I am glad I read this book. It’s no wonder it’s a Pulitzer Prize winning novel; for it shines light upon some of the darkest times in American history, while also reminding us of extraordinary resilience, and shares the truth without overdramatizing.
Tips for Families
Tips for Raising Readers and Writers
Sure, we have to teach kids how our written language works. And we need to help them when reading is difficult. But we must also surround them with wonderful language, fascinating books, laughter, stories, conversation, and the freedom to choose what they love.
One of the trickiest things about raising readers is always having tempting books on hand. We simply must have the next books ready for our kids, and it is not easy to do unless you take your kids to the library every week or two.
In the classroom, I worked very hard to inspire and honor my students’ desires for new books. The deal was, if a student read a book and saw another desired book in the same series or by the same author or by the same publisher, all they had to do was jot their name and the name of the book they wanted onto a sticky note, and I purchased it for our classroom library. (And now you know how I acquired my incredible library.) I actually ordered the first handful of requested books each year in front of my students in order to fuel their excitement and to show that I really meant what I said. I kept the sticky notes on my desk so that when the book came in, I remembered to whom I’d present it to read first.
I also had a Recommendation Time where kids could say things like, “I think ___ would love this book because she ____, and this book ___, too.”
At home, it looks a little different. When your kids show interest in something (bears, cars, soccer), get them books about those topics. Share books you’ve heard great things about from other kids’ parents. Ask the local librarians and bookstore employees. Email us at Book Bums!
I’d love to see our families have at least four book stations in your home. Have some titles 1) in the car, 2) in the bathroom, 3) by their beds, and 4) in another community space where they have a chance of catching your kids’ eyes.
You know, fewer teachers are hosting “free choice reading” in their classrooms, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a “free choice reading family date night” where everyone lounges in a cozy spot—all together—to read.
Practical Grammar
Did you know that a c/s switch up changed the word prophecy from a noun to prophesy—a verb? It’s one of those things that I’m not sure I knew until I saw this. I believe I could have spelled them correctly without knowing that I knew the difference between the two.
It’s astounding how good we can be at learning things without being explicitly taught!
News from Book Bums
We are placing our Handwriting Workshop product online to sell to teachers who may be out of the classroom but would still like to work with kids and make some extra money on their own terms. Some full-time teachers may want to purchase the product too! Teachers can host Handwriting Workshops during after-school programs in their buildings or on their own at a local coffee shop or library.
Once we have a group of teachers hosting Handwriting Workshops, they may want to grow into a tutoring business, and we’ll be ready to help with that too!
If you happen to see any of our ads on social media, would you please like them, share them, or make a positive comment for us? We so appreciate it!
Tips for Teachers
There are many folks who hate testing. Admittedly, not all testing is great. But I am grateful for nationally-normed data regarding how kids are faring in their classrooms. At Book Bums, we love to see assessment results from our parents. It’s information showing how well our care (tutoring) is working. Of course, I love to hear parents share the great improvements in their kids’ assessment scores, but until our students have finished the entire lesson progression, they are simply not equipped to show excellent growth. Do not be concerned when kids who are just learning about bossy r are not scoring well. There are still too many words on the pages that those students cannot sufficiently decode! They simply need more time learning how our code-based language works.
Just for Fun
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