This week (May 1st-May 7th) is Children’s Book Week! As an adult, I’m a tad bit obsessed with children’s books, which I know sounds weird. However, read the right ones and you’ll realize how amazing they can be. They hold important messages in sweet little packages, and are a key to our children’s future success and learning. So, how do we equip our young readers with the right strategies to enjoy and comprehend the books intended for them? One way is through story retelling or summarizing. Retelling a story is an important reading strategy and measure of comprehension. It lays the foundation for students to be able to summarize effectively, discuss important concepts and overallContinue reading
Tag: book
Yasmine’s Belly Button Book Review and Lesson Ideas
Summary Yasmine’s Belly Button is an endearing story is about a young girl named Yasmine, as she gets ready for her first day of school. As she feels butterflies in her stomach about her first day, Yasmine notices her belly button. She begins to wonder why it’s there and embarks on a series of discoveries about the significance of her belly button. Yasmine’s mom tells her all about their connection as mother and daughter, and soon Yasmine realizes that everyone has a belly button in common! Thoughts This book is as much of a tale for mothers as it is for young kids. It will definitely pull on any parent’s heartstrings as it recounts much ofContinue reading
Book Review: Ish by Peter Reynolds (with Activity Ideas)
*This post contains affiliate links for convenient viewing* If you’re looking for a book to uplift and inspire young students, then Ish by: Peter Reynolds will do just that! Summary: Ish is a story about a boy named Ramon who loves to draw. One day his brother catches a glimpse of one of his sketches and mocks his work. This causes Ramon to feel a sort of dread, which eventually causes him to give up on artistry! But, all of his self-doubt comes to an end when he notices that his little sister has created a gallery of all his crumpled up art papers. He realizes that his work is a unique representation of the world aroundContinue reading
Book Review: Bismillah Soup (with Lesson Ideas!)
I recently had the pleasure of reading “Bismillah Soup” the first of two books to be released by emerging children’s author Asmaa Hussein of Ruqaya’s Bookshelf. Bismillah Soup is a book with many dimensions. It tells the tale of a young Somali boy named Hasan, who lives a humble life in a rural town. His family is struggling to put food on the table, so Hasan dotes an optimistic attitude and takes matters into his own hands! He promises his mom a fantastic dinner. Hasan can’t do it alone though, so he gets some much needed help from his local Imam and community members. Everyone chips in and contributes to what becomes a town feast.Continue reading
My Mouth Is A Volcano – Activity Ideas
*This post contains affiliate links for convenient viewing* There are some books out there that are worth the time and attention of your class. My Mouth Is A Volcano is one of them! It has some wonderful lessons for your students, which will set them up for future success. Take a look at some of these My Mouth Is A Volcano activities: Art – Word Depiction: If you’ve read the book, you’ll know that it is filled with wonderful words, that come alive on the page. Wouldn’t it be great to use this as an art lesson for your students? Show students how they can bring their creative artistry to portray words and their meaningsContinue reading