Reading Aloud Across the Curriculum - Heinemann

31 Pages·2015·0.23 MB·English

Reading Aloud Across
the Curriculum
How to Build Bridges in Language Arts,
Math, Science, and Social Studies
Lester L. Laminack
Reba M. Wadsworth
HEINEMANN
Portsmouth,NH
Heinemann
AdivisionofReedElsevierInc.
361HanoverStreet
Portsmouth,NH03801–3912
www.heinemann.com
Officesandagentsthroughouttheworld
©2006byLesterL.LaminackandRebaM.Wadsworth
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinany
formorbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformation
storageandretrievalsystems,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthe
publisher,exceptbyareviewer,whomayquotebriefpassagesina
review.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Laminack,LesterL.,1956–
Readingaloudacrossthecurriculum:howtobuildbridgesin
languagearts,math,science,andsocialstudies/LesterL.Laminack,
RebaM.Wadsworth.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-0-325-00982-7
ISBN-10:0-325-00982-1
1.Oralreading. 2.Languagearts(Elementary).
3.Contentareareading. 4.Picturebooksforchildren.
I.Wadsworth,RebaM. II.Title.
LB1573.5.L3472006
372.45(cid:2)2—dc22 2006012287
Editor:LoisBridges
Production:ElizabethValway
Coverandinteriordesign:JoyceWeston
Coverimage:©WilliamJames/Images.com
Composition:Technologies’NTypography,Inc.
Manufacturing:LouiseRichardson
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaonacid-freepaper
10 09 08 07 06 RRD 1 2 3 4 5
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction ix
1. PictureBooksandRead-AloudstoSupporttheLanguageArts
Curriculum 1
WhenDialogueMatters 7
TheStudyof LanguageandWords 8
BooksThatIllustratetheFeaturesof Writing 19
BuildingaReaderandaWriter 34
2. PictureBooksandRead-AloudstoSupporttheMathematics
Curriculum 40
StandardOne:NumberandOperations 44
StandardTwo:Algebra 67
StandardThree:Geometry 70
StandardFour:Measurement 77
StandardFive:DataAnalysisandProbability 90
3. PictureBooksandRead-AloudstoSupporttheScienceCurriculum 92
LifeScience 97
EarthScience 116
SpaceScience 134
4. PictureBooksandRead-AloudstoSupporttheSocialStudies
Curriculum 139
BuildingBackgroundforaStudyof CivilRights 140
BuildingBackgroundforaStudyof theHolocaust 153
v
Contents
vi
BuildingBackgroundforaStudyof ImmigrationtotheUnitedStates 161
BuildingBackgroundforaStudyof theUnitedStates 164
BuildingBackgroundforaStudyof LivingThroughConflict,Working
TowardPeace 195
AClosingWord 208
WorksCited 210
Index 211
Acknowledgments
egratefullyacknowledgeoureditorandfriend,LoisBridges,whose
keen insight and vision led us to make this book a reality. In addition,
wewishtoacknowledgethewisdomandguidanceofElizabethValwaywhoseday-
to-day communications kept us on track. And finally we wish to acknowledge
Joyce Weston’s talents as she created for us yet another stunning cover that em-
bracedourworkwithdignityandgrace.
vii
Introduction
ostofuswouldbeshockedbythewealthofresourcesbeingoverlooked
if wehadthetimetocarefullyandthoroughlyexaminethepicturebook
collections in school and classroom libraries. Many well-written and tightly fo-
cusedbooksareavailabletohelplayerchildren’sunderstandingof mostanytopic
in the curriculum. Yet, picture books continue to be greatly underutilized in our
teaching,so we have revisited our personal libraries with a lens focused on weav-
ingpicturebooksintolessonsthroughoutthedayandacrossthecurriculum.
In Learning Under the Influence of Language and Literature (2006), we de-
lineated six opportunities for reading aloud across the day.The fifth of those op-
portunities, described in Chapter 6 of that book, is to use reading aloud as a
curriculum bridge. That chapter suggested using read-alouds as an instructional
actdesignedtohelpstudentsbuildbackgroundforaunitof studythroughacon-
ceptual framework of thought, language, and image. The specific example pro-
vided there was for a study of the civil rights movement in the United States.We
developedarationaleforusingread-aloudsasameansofexploringthetopicwith
a thorough collection of picture books that are listed in the chapter’s annotated
bibliography.
Thisbookextendsthefocustootherareasof thecurriculumandstrengthens
the connections between well-chosen picture books and learning in the content
areas.Youwillfindlistingsof booksanddescriptionsheretosupportmanyunits
of study; lines of inquiry; and individual research in language arts,mathematics,
science, and social studies. The collections included are not intended to be ex-
haustive lists;no single book has space to do that.Instead,we have examined the
national standards as described by the leading professional organizations in each
areaof thecurriculumandusedthoseasthelensforchoosingwhichbookstoin-
clude.Everycollectioncontainsasetof “bookshelves”thatwethinkof as“starter
sets.”Each set is intended as a springboard of sorts—an introduction to authors
and topics in picture-book format that will help you launch or extend your
teaching.
Our hope is that these starter sets can be the beginning of a growing collec-
tionof titlesyoucanrelyonagainandagain.Thesizeof ourpersonalcollections
certainlyhasincreasedasaresultof thesearchfortitlestoincludeoneachof the
ix
Introduction
x
shelves in this book.While there are current titles,you will also note that several
of ourfavoritesarebooksthathavebeenaroundawhile,soitislikelytheyareal-
readyinlocalschool,community,and/orclassroomlibraries.
As you locate the books on our shelves and begin to weave them into your
curriculum and teaching,the emphasis can clearly remain on the power of read-
ingaloudasadeliberateandthoughtfulactof instruction.However,wehopethe
informationhereonthecollectionof booksisadequateandbroadenough—that
is, represents a variety of genres, topics, formats, and illustration styles—to help
you find titles to extend your instruction and support students in their personal
inquiriesaswell.
We suggest that you create a small text set from each collection of books to
support a study you have planned.Consider the following as a thoughtful way to
usesuchasettolayerinconceptsandvocabularyrelatedtoatopic.
• Previewthetitlesincludedineachset.
• Identifyconceptsthatcouldbedevelopedand/orextendedby
usingaparticularsetof books.
• Identifyessentialvocabularyrelatedtotheunitof studytobe
undertaken.
• Identifythecoreunderstandingsneededtoconnecttothenew
information.
• Noticehowthewriterdevelopstheconcepts—thatis,through
theuseof language,illustrations,captions,labels,andsoon.
Next,foreachsetofbooks,placethetitlesinorderfromsimpletocomplex.Then,
selectoneforanopeningread-aloud.
• Beginwithalaunchingtitlefromtheset.Thisshouldbeabook
youfeelhasthepotentialtointroducethenecessaryconcepts
andvocabulary.
• Readthetitleandthenamesof theauthorandillustrator.
• Speaktotheconnectionyouhopethebookyouareusingwill
establish.Forexample:
“Readers,we have been learning about slavery in American
history.TodayasIreadthisbook,Ihopeyouwillnoticethat
many people in that time believed that slavery was wrong.
Payattentiontohowcourageousindividualslavesriskedev-
erything to gain freedom. Notice too how others who were
freeriskedeverythingtohelpslavesgainfreedom.Whenwe
Introduction
xi
reach the end of the book, I will ask you to turn and talk
withyourpartnersaboutit.”
• Asyouread,occasionallyspeaktoyourinsights—theonesyou
areleadingstudentstoward—bycommentingonwhatyou’ve
noticedandwonderaboutandtheconnectionsyouhavemade.
Beverycautious;don’toverdothis.Toomuchcommentarymaytakeawaythe
needforreadersandlistenerstothinkindependentlyandmayevenreducetheex-
tenttowhichtheyareabletoengagewiththestory.Forsomebooks,thiswillnot
benecessary.Inanycase,itshouldnotoverpowerthelanguageofthetextandthe
interplay between the mind of the writer and the mind of the reader or listener.
Rememberyourgoalistoslowlymovestudentstowardindependenceandthatthis
work is instructional. Your role is to serve as the one who is demonstrating the
thinking,notthinkingforthem.
Let this first story serve as a foundation—a common ground of sorts.As you
reachtheend,askstudentstoturnandtalkwiththeirpartners;thiscouldalsobe
doneinagroupofthreeorfour.Remindthemofyouropeningstatementandin-
vite students to reflect on that before they begin: “I hope you noticed how cou-
rageous individuals risked everything to gain freedom or to help others gain
freedom.”Astheybegintheirconversations,movearoundtheroomandlistenin.
Now,speaktothegroup’swork:
“So readers, as I was walking about, I heard comments like these [give a
few examples and continue]. Now I’m wondering what we have learned
fromthisbook?Thisauthorshowsusthatfreedomwasnoteasytoattain
and came at great risk.Think about the risks involved and how one per-
son made a difference. Think now about how [name individual being
profiled in one of the books—Harriet Tubman, John Parker, Sojourner
Truth, Levi and Katy Coffin] did that. What difference did her [his] ac-
tionsmake?Thinkaboutsomethingwemighttakefromthisbooktoput
into practice in our lives. OK, turn and talk with your partners [group]
aboutthat.”
Let this buzz a bit. Don’t wait too long or the conversation will naturally drift
away from the focus.In fact,we find it builds energy to cut it a bit shorter.When
there is energy and focus about the topic,there is an eagerness to share and con-
tinuethedialogue:“Readers,yourattentionplease.Thankyou.Let’stalkforamo-
mentaboutwhatyouandyourclassmateshavebeenthinkinghere.”
Introduction
xii
As students begin to talk and share, continue to guide the direction of the
discussion:
“Let’sthinkaboutwhatwe’velearnedfromthis.Whatdidyourealize...?
Whendidyourealizethat...?Whatwereyouwondering...?Whatdid
you notice . . . ? Can you identify a place in the book that led you to that
thinking?Canyoutalkabouthowtheauthororillustratorledyoutothat
thinking?”
Each of the preceding questions has the potential to open further dialogue.
You will have to decide which of them to pursue and which to redirect as you
consider time constraints and goals and, most important, students’ growing
understandings.
Beginchartingthemainpointswhenthestudentsbegintotalk.Besuretoin-
clude the language you identified when organizing the set of books you’re using.
Takethisopportunitytodothefollowing.
• Featurethevocabulary
• Introduceorextendtheconceptsyouhopetoscaffoldwiththe
setof books
• Havestudentsusethebook’slanguagetoexpresstheirideas,
insights,andconnections
• Havestudentsarticulateconfusions,wonderings,andlongings
formoreinsight
Thischartshouldbecomeatouchstoneforsubsequentbooksinasetandforde-
signing your instruction to meet the growing understandings of your students.
Now as you read each book in the collection in sequence, make consistent refer-
encestothechartandaddtoittoshowtheconnectionsbetweenindividualbooks
andamongthosewithinthetextset.
As the concepts and/or language become more and more complex in succes-
sive books,you may choose to pause within a book to have children turn to each
other and discuss it. However, use the charting at the conclusion of the book to
bring closure for students. Review the chart before reading the next book as you
andyourstudentscontinuethroughtheset’sremainingtitles.
When you finish a set of books,have students refer to the chart,turn to their
partnersorgroup,andtalkthroughthethreadsofthinkingtheycansee.Withthe
first set, you may need to lead that process and scaffold the thinking required to
arrive at specific generalizations. For later sets, this should become a more and
moreindependentexercise.
Introduction
xiii
Now let’s take a look at one collection of books and see what it looks like
with a focus on The Underground Railroad. Assume that the following is your
collection.
AlmosttoFreedom
WrittenbyVaundaMicheauxNelson
IllustratedbyColinBootman
Scholastic2003,isbn0–439–63156–4
AuntHarriet’sUndergroundRailroadintheSky
WrittenandIllustratedbyFaithRinggold
Dragonfly/Crown1992(Scholastic),1995,isbn0–517–88543–3
EnemiesofSlavery
WrittenbyDavidA.Adler
IllustratedbyDonaldA.Smith
HolidayHouse2004,isbn0–8234–1596–1
FreedomRiver
WrittenbyDoreenRappaport
IllustratedbyBryanCollier
JumpattheSun/Hyperion2000,isbn0–7868–0350–9
AGoodNightforFreedom
WrittenbyBarbaraOlenyikMorrow
IllustratedbyLeonardJenkins
HolidayHouse2004,isbn0–8234–1709–3
...IfYouTraveledonTheUndergroundRailroad
WrittenbyEllenLevine
IllustratedbyLarryJohnson
Scholastic1992,isbn0–590–45156–1
LibertyStreet
WrittenbyCandiceRansom
IllustratedbyEricVelasquez
WalkerBooks2003,isbn0–8027–8869–6