A Story Before Bed

Week 11
Digital Reading App
A Story Before Bed

A Story Before Bed is an application that can be used on any portable device with a camera. This one is my favorite app that I learned about this week because it has an incredibly unique feature. This program allows the user to record themselves with audio and video while reading the book so that it can be watched over and over again. This videos are shown along with the text and illustrations from the book that is being read. That way children can follow along with the text as they hear and watch a loved one read them a book. They have a wide range of titles available and more are being added every day. 

While this might not be a application I will use directly in my classroom, it is one I would encourage parents and guardians to use with their children. While many parents might not be able to read to their children each night before bed, they can record themselves reading a book in advance for their children to listen to and read along with. This would allow the children to gain the exposure to proper reading skills like fluency and expression. It is also an excellent bonding point for families. 

A Story Before Bed might not be free, but it is relatively cheap at $3/month. It would definitely be a great investment for busy families. A teacher could also use it to record themselves reading books for students to watch if they do not get this exposure at home. I will probably invest in a membership to this application at some point in the near future. 

Tales2Go

Week 11

Reading Apps
Tales2Go

Reading Apps outside of iBooks and Kindle were uncharted territory to me prior to this week. I had not realized what I had been missing out on! Parents, teachers, and students are all raving about Tales2Go. According to their website, "Tales2go makes it easy and cost-effective to surround students with spoken sophisticated words, in school and at home, by streaming over six thousand audio book titles from leading publishers to school-owned and BYOD devices". They feature a wide range of stories to support struggling readers, strong readers, and everybody in between. Through this application, students can develop stronger fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary skills all with a few taps of the screen.

The one downside of this program is that it is not a free application. You are able to test it out with a tree trial, but once that period of time is up, you must choose a paid subscription in order to continue. Tales2Go offers multiple different types of subscription packages to cater to their different audiences. They provide bulk order discounts for districts, schools, and parent groups as well as a subscription cost for an individual. It is a pricy investment, but you really are getting the best bang for your buck with this program. Once subscribed, you have access to thousands of audiobooks for a wide range of ages and interests. 

While I personally probably would not invest in this program as an individual, if my school or district had invested in the program I would utilize it. Students can listen to their favorite titles as often as they want and whenever they want. Unlike many other applications, there is no limit on the number of students who can listen to the same title at the same time. For students who are struggling with fluency, it is always great to provide them with models of how to read smoothly and expressively.

Storyline Online

Week 11
Online Reading Website
Storyline Online

The SAG Foundation and Entertainment Industry Foundation have come together to create an online resource for readers of all ages to utilize called Storyline Online. They have recordings of different adults reading different picture books using expressive voices. Many of the videos show the illustrations from the books as the story progresses. They do not provide a copy of the text, but they do include a link to a website where the text can be purchased.

Storyline Online provides a large range of options. They have recorded readings of classics like A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon and Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes. They also feature newer publications like I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll. A wide range of genres and age levels are also included in their virtual library of videos.

I personally am not a fan of using virtual reading in the classroom. I feel like it is impersonal and it is easier for the students to become disengaged. I recently saw a teacher use a virtual read aloud to her class, and she did not receive a positive outcome. The students quickly lost interest in the video because the person narrating was reading at a very slow pace. The class probably would have responded better to a Storyline Online reading, as they are more engaging and expressive. While this might be true, I still think that online read alouds should be used in moderation, as they are not nearly as impactful as them being done live and in person. 

The Very Inappropriate Word

Week 9
The Very Inappropriate Word
Written By: Jim Tobin
Illustrated by: Dave Coverly
Published: 2013

Michael LOVES words. He sees words everywhere and collects them in a box under his bed. He loves hard words for soft things, small words for big things, and easy words for hard things. Overall, I loved the concept of this book. I loved that it showed a physical representation of a child who is intrigued by words. I loved how it made each word "look" like what the word meant. I loved how the "very inappropriate word" looks hairy and nasty. Each time it appeared on the page, it made my toes curl a bit! 

The Very Inappropriate Word is a great book to keep on hand in a classroom, especially in elementary school. Kids have a tendency to just repeat what their parents say or phrases they pick up from movies or TV. These terms aren't always appropriate, but often children don't realize exactly what the word means. This book is an excellent way to show students why certain words are inappropriate, while also giving them alternative words to use. I personally don't think that it would be an issue to have this book in a classroom. Most kids are being exposed to inappropriate language all of the time, so it's not like they are hearing about the concept of naughty words for the first time in this book. If it were to include various inappropriate words in the book, then I would completely understand people being apprehensive towards this book.

I would love to get this book for my classroom. It might be a good idea to keep it on the "teacher shelf" at first, but once it has been introduced to the class through a read aloud, then it can be placed in the classroom library for rereading. I quite enjoyed The Very Inappropriate Word and look forward to using it in my future classroom. I give it 3.5 stars. 

Science Verse

Week 10
Science Verse
Written By: Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Illustrated by: Lane Smith
Published: 2007

Well, it had officially happened. Somebody has taken the two subjects I hated more than anything in Elementary School and turned it into one of the best things since sliced bread. My goodness, bring the tissues when you read Science Verse for the first time, as it will leave you in tears and stitches from all of the laughter you will be doing. Let's face it. Science can be dull, dry, and terrifying sometimes. I mean, come on! Half the time you're learning about organisms and concepts that you can't even see because they are either so large that they engulf you or so small that you engulf them. Science Verse has taken just about every topic covered in elementary school and middle school science and turned it into a silly poem. Many of the poems are incredibly informative, while others are just silly and could be used to help explain the general ideas and functions of a certain topic.

The poetry is absolutely wonderful and could definitely stand on it's own, but the illustrations really kick it up a notch. They are comical and slightly outlandish sometimes, but they also do a great job of showing the reader exactly what happens in each topic in a vivid and engaging way. The illustrations are incredibly detailed, which makes pairing a poem with a science lesson easy and beneficial. 

I am now obsessed with book and it is currently en-route to my mailbox. I cannot wait to use this when I teach science with my new third grade class next semester, as I know they will absolutely love it! Science Verse should be an essential staple in every classroom as it makes obscure and broad science concepts just a bit more accessible. Students will find themselves interested and ready to learn more about these previously yawn-inducing concepts. 5 stars for Science Verse!!

The President's Stuck in the Bathtub

Week 10
The President's Stuck in the Bathtub
Written By: Susan Katz
Illustrated by: Robert Neubecker
Published: 2012

If you are going to write a political book for children, then you need to ensure that there is no bias. This book had the potential to be wonderful. I mean, short, biographical poems about each president? It really couldn't get more convenient than that! I knew it was too good to be true when I found it. A book that had the potential to be this helpful and this entertaining had to have some flaw. Unfortunately, it was a huge one. 

As previously stated, The President's Stuck in The Bathtub is an anthology of biographical poems about all of the past presidents of the United States of America, all the way down to Obama. Well, the first poem really set the tone for the rest of the book. Instead of focusing on the many accomplishments of George Washington, the poem informed the reader of all the different places where he slept. It gave no detail or explanation, just stated that he slept just about everywhere, but the White House. The poems started going down hill from there. Some of the presidents were made out to be blithering idiots by having satirical poems and hyperbolic illustrations. While others were made out to be heroes with grand photographs and poems highlighting how wonderful they are. 

This book should not be used in any classroom. It was completely wrong of the author to force her own political agenda upon readers who chose this book to assist them in learning more about the Presidents of the United States. The authors bias completely ruined the entire book, making it impossible for me to finish. I give The President's Stuck in The Bathtub two extremely generous stars.

Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems

Week 10
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems
Written By: Kristine O'Connell George
Illustrated by: Nancy Carpenter
Published: 2011

Emma Dilemma is one of those books that is somewhere in the middle. I can't say that I loved it, but I  also cannot say that I disliked it. It tells the cutest story that many girls can relate to; growing up with an older or younger sister. The poems were very short and sweet, making the book easy to use with young readers. It also covers moments that many people will be able to relate to such as being embarrassed by a younger siblings actions or crawling into bed with an older sibling when the nightmares come.

The illustrations, while cute, don't make or break the story. The text is strong enough to stand on it's own, but the illustrations make it accessible for younger readers. The pictures are vibrant and detailed, making the story easy to follow, even if the reader cannot read the text on their own. Emma Dilemma also does a great job displaying various positive and negative emotions. With a younger group of students, this would be a great way to demonstrate positive and negative forms of expression. The students could discuss different ways to react to various emotions in both positive and negative manners.

This book was not my favorite of the week, nor was it my least favorite. Emma Dilemma is a great book to get reluctant students into poetry by allowing them to relate to the silly moments that Emma and her sister share. I could see myself recommending this book to a student as a mentor text if they are interested in writing poetry memoirs. I give Emma Dilemma 3.5 stars.