Reasons for using poetryprovides enjoymentexpands knowledge about the worldencourages an appreciation for language, expands vocabularyhelps identify with people and situationsexpresses moods familiar to childrengives insights into themselves and their feelings

Children prefer

rhyme, humorous narrative, and content based on familiar experiencesenthusiasm declines as children get olderfavor contemporary over traditionalleast favorites are complex imagery and subtle emotion

Criteria for selecting poetry

1. Poems that are lively, with exciting meters and rhythms, are most likely to appeal to young children.

2. Poems for young children should emphasize the sounds of language and encourage play with words.

3. Sharply cut visual images and words used in fresh novel manners allow children to expand their imaginations and see or hear the world in a new way.

4. Poems for young children should tell simple stories and introduce stirring scenes of action.

5. The poems selected should not have been written down to children's supposed level.

6. The most effective poems allow children to interpret, to feel, and to put themselves into the poems. They encourage children to extend comparisons, images, and findings.

7. The subject matter should delight children, say something to them, enhance their egos, strike happy recollections, tickle their funny bones, or encourage them to explore.

8. Poems should be good enough to stand up under repeated readings.

Listening to poetry

1. Before reading a poem aloud to a group, read it aloud to yourself several times. Mark the words and phrases that you want to emphasize.

2. Follow the rhythm of the poem, reading it naturally

3. Make pauses that please you, pauses that make sense.4. When reading a poem aloud speak in a natural voice.5. After a poem is read, be quiet.

Developing choral speaking

1. When selecting materials for children who cannot read, choose poems of rhymes that are simple.

2. Choose material of interest to children.3. Select poems or rhythms that use refrains.4. Let children help select and interpret the poetry.5. Let children listen to each other as they try different

interpretations within groups.

Elements of selecting poetry

rhythmrhymerepetitionimagery

shapehttp://homepages.stmartin.edu/fac_staff/belinda/poetry.html

The best way to tell if you have a good poetry book is simply to try it out. Read a few poems. Most poems are relatively short and it doesn't take long to read a few. Don't just read the first couple poems, flip to the middle and the back too. Do you like them? Do they make you smile, laugh, or cry? If you can't answer yes to any of those questions, you probably want to find another book.

Poetry should sound good when it is read aloud. It should have a rhythm to it. It should use language that is interesting and non-repetitive unless the repetition serves a strong and effective purpose. Because poetry can exist for so many reasons, the use of language is hard to define into one set criteria. It might be beautiful, flowing language with impressive words or it might be cute, simple words that are fun.

Illustrations can be a terrific added bonus, but you can find good poetry without illustrations (or with mediocre illustrations).

There is so much freedom with poetry, it doesn't have to be accurate or realistic unless it claims or implies that it is. When you are dealing with real people or places in a realistic way, then poetry has the same obligation that other genres have in providing accurate details. It also has an obligation, as does all literature, to avoid harmful stereotypes (culture, gender, disabilities, etc.).

If you simply don't know where to start, try some of the books I recommend below - or ask a librarian, a teacher, or a friend. Someone will be glad to help get you started. Once you've begun, follow authors you love and seek out more of their work.

[The role of poetryPoetry should have a special place in children's language experience. The heightened and often compressed expression of thought and feeling and the music, rhythm and rhyme in the language can often provide unique and striking glimpses into aspects of human experience. Children's sense of beauty and their enjoyment of language can be fostered through poetry, and their aesthetic response awakened. It is important, then, that they experience and enjoy a rich and varied repertoire of poetry appropriate to their age and stage of development throughout their years in the primary school.

Children's engagement with poetry should be governed by the 'pleasure principle'. Hearing and reading poetry should be an intrinsic element of their language experience and one that is a source of joy and fulfilment. The key to this lies in the variety of poetry they encounter and the ways they are encouraged to respond to it.

The repertoire of poetryIn the early years the emphasis will be on rhymes, riddles, nursery rhymes and jingles. This introduction to poetry is important and should convey the notion that poetry, more than any other form of language, has to do with a very special use of words, their meanings and connotations. The strong rhythmic and rhyming character of this sort of verse makes it very attractive to young children and makes it eminently suitable for class and group recitation. Very often there is an element of repetition and this appeals to them as well.

As they grow older they should become familiar with a wider range of poetry—humourous, narrative (including traditional ballads, modern ballads and folk-songs) and lyric. The content of poems they encounter should not only touch on every area of children's experience but engage their imaginations as well.

The poems chosen should range widely in terms of cultural and historical origin but in senior classes, at any rate, there should be a particular emphasis on 20th-century Irish writing appropriate to their age. Many suitable poems can be found in the work of Irish writers and these should be supplemented with others from the main body of literature in English. They should also experience the work of some of the large number of contemporary writers who write mainly for children. Much of this is lighthearted in tone and gives an opportunity to introduce children to the fun that is to be had from poetry.

The classroom library should contain a wide selection of poetry collections and anthologies. These, coupled with the teacher's knowledge of what is available from the vast field of what might be appropriate to the children's stage of development, will form the basis for choosing poems. Children should, of course, be encouraged to read poems themselves and suggest poems to be read and discussed by the class but the teacher will be the principal influence in the choice of poetry for whole-class or group use.

Choosing poemsThe choice of poems can be influenced by many factors:

time of year weather children's preoccupations and interests other areas of the curriculum a concern for broadening and deepening children's tastes events in the world at large.

Children should have frequent opportunities to write their own poetry

 However, the selection of poetry should be governed by one overriding concern. The repertoire of poetry the children experience should be of the highest quality. Although poetry can be a difficult medium it would be a mistake to underestimate the potential of children's response to it by choosing a selection that is less than challenging. It is important to remember that the child's experience of a poem, or of any work of art indeed, may be much more than he/she can express about it. In a very important sense, part of the experience is not expressible at all since each poem is a unique statement that cannot be paraphrased.

The poems that are chosen and the variety of ways in which children are encouraged to respond to them should help develop their sense of taste and discrimination and foster a conviction that poetry is a great source of pleasure.

Poetry also lends itself to integration with many areas of the curriculum, for example with visual arts (as already mentioned), history, geography, mathematics, PE. It is important to remember, however, that even if a poem does arise from activity in some other area of the curriculum it should be treated as a poem and not as a mere appendage to or illustration of another piece of learning.

http://www.curriculumonline.ie/en/primary_school_curriculum/language/english/english_teacher_guidelines/approaches_and_methodologies/approaches_to_poetry/

Have you ever thought of encouraging reluctant readers to read poetry? It is an excellent genre for children who have limited reading ability, or who simply do not like to read. The minimal amount of print on each page of poetry is not as overwhelming as a page of prose. Poet Janet S. Wong explains that "when they look at a poem of mine, a short poem, they see all that white space around it, and it's not intimidating. It doesn't scare them. They look at it and say, `That's only ten lines. I can read that' " (Yokota & Sanderson, 2000, p. 58). Wong tells of a thirteen-year-old girl who read one of her books of poetry in an hour. The girl's grandmother said it was the first time she had ever read a whole book.

In selecting poems for all children, look for those that involve a universal experience or message, written both on the emotional level and on the intellectual level of the listeners. As for the forms of poetry, children often say they prefer poems that rhyme. In particular, they like limericks, narrative poems, and lyric poems that are funny or about familiar experiences. It has been my experience that their least popular forms of poetry are unrhymed poems and haiku, as well as poems that are overly sentimental or abstract.

http://www.education.com/reference/article/ways-encourage-kids-poetry/

How to choose the poems Start with humorous poems that rhyme. The humor will hook your students and the rhythm of

the rhyme helps with the choral reading. Choosing poems that go with other subjects can be effective. You can often find poems in theme

resource books or maybe even in your teacher's manual. There are some teacher resource books that have poems to use with content areas. That way you have permission to reproduce the poem for classroom use. For instance, when I did a spider unit in science in the fall, I used The Spider and the Fly, by Mary Howitt. This poem, an old classic, is in the Spiders book of the Creative Teaching Press Theme Series. It remained a favorite old poem and mini-Readers Theater all year long.

Find poems that have conversational parts that can be turned into a mini-Readers Theater. Find poems that have definite parts where the children can be divided into groups. For example,

using Shel Silverstein's The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt from A Light in the Attic, which is a take-off on a knock-knock joke, you could divide the class in half and have them chorally read the two parts.

Always be looking for a good poem. You can never be sure where a really good one will turn up.http://www.readingrockets.org/article/35/

The Tortoise and the Hare is one of the most well-known fables attributed to the author Aesop. In the story, a tortoise challenges a speedy rabbit (a hare) to a race. The hare speeds ahead and, sure of its victory, takes a nap while the tortoise slowly but steadily wins the race. There are many lesson plans you can create based on this important moral about pride and hard work.

Read more: Tortoise & Hare Teaching Ideas |

eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6615130_tortoise-hare-teaching-ideas.html#ixzz22pRBIt2S

1. Tortoise and Hare Craftso There are many different craft projects that you can create to connect with the

fable. Create finger puppets by cutting up white and green gloves and gluing pieces of construction paper to act as ears or shells. A black marker can be used to make the smaller details. Set up a race course on a bulletin board. Divide up the class into groups and have one group draw a forest and a crowd watching, another group can draw a finish line and medal stand and the last can create a paper tortoise and hare. Give younger students tortoise and hare coloring pages to color in if the other activities are too involved.

Tortoise and Hare Comico For students who are just learning how the sequence of a story works, you can

create a comic to place on a bulletin board that shows the correct order of events. Discuss in class the seven to 10 main events of the story and write them on the board. Divide the class into groups of three or four. Assign one main event on a blank sheet of paper to each group. Once the drawings for the comic are completed, figure out the order that the panels should go in as a class. This will help to solidify the story in your students' minds and it will help them to learn sequencing.

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Dramatic Reenactmento If your students enjoy acting things out, this dramatic reenactment of the story

is an enjoyable activity for both you and them. Divide the class into groups of five and tell them that they will be doing a replay of the story with complete freedom to add whatever they want to the story. They can add other characters, other plot lines and new events, but they must keep the moral and the outcome of the story the same. Groups will add all sorts of wacky stuff to the story and some of the versions will inevitably lose their meaning to goofiness. Use this as a teaching opportunity to show that some stories are meant to be simple and concise.

Writing a Lettero Give your students an opportunity to continue the story by writing a letter to

either the tortoise or the hare. You can use this opportunity to introduce them to letter writing. Students can write the letter about whatever they would like and you can give them a few prompts to get them started. An idea from the Scholastic website is that the hare has been challenged by a snail in a race and

that your student must advise the hare on how to win. Another idea is to ask the tortoise for advice on how to stop a bully (like the hare) in real life.

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Read more: Tortoise & Hare Teaching Ideas | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6615130_tortoise-hare-teaching-ideas.html#ixzz22pRQcbG6

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Has a reread ever sparked a new meaning to a story, or moral of a fable? His happened

to me, while reading the The Tortoise and the Hare to my five year old. The moral

seemed so obvious, but it wasn't what I thought prior to that read, where if asked I

would have stated the morals were, "Slow and steady wins the race", and "Don't be

overconfident in your abilities."

There are lessons to be learned from each, however slow and steady is only triumphant

in longer races where pacing is important. Despite a hazy recollection of Bugs Bunny

heaving to exhaustion and eventual slumber, written fables typically do not depict the

race as a marathon. Overconfidence fits the hare well, as he was very certain of victory

from the start and purposely rested shy of the finish line. It seems an act of arrogance

that the hare could wait until the tortoise was in sight, and then race off to victory. Of

course he fell asleep and lost.

But just because a description fits doesn't make it the moral.

After reading my current version, a more pressing moral has come to light. The hare

did stop, not to rest, not to humiliate the tortoise, but so the other forest animals, his

friends and spectators, could catch up and witness his victory, as if it would mean

nothing without the fanfare. This fable above all else is teaching about the importance

of self worth and the pitfalls of relying upon others praise to validate your actions.

Could the hare not have finished and waited to greet the pack as they arrived, even as

a braggart? No, it would not have been as satisfying or feeding of his psyche.

Conversely, the tortoise had high self esteem, caring not of the other animals chides

upon taking the challenge or at his gate throughout. In the end, the tortoise cared less

about any future ridicule from finishing last than the hare cared about future praise

when finishing first.

http://www.speakaboos.com/downloads/assets/worksheets/lesson-plans/the-tortoise-and-the-hare-lesson-plans.pdf

taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tortoise_and_the_Hare

The Tortoise and the HareFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the fable. For the board game, see Hare and Tortoise. For the cartoon,

see The Tortoise and the Hare (film).

"The Tortoise and the Hare", from an edition of Aesop's Fables illustrated by Arthur Rackham, 1912

The Tortoise and the Hare (also known as The Hare and the Tortoise) is

a fable attributed to Aesop and is number 226 in the Perry Index. The story concerns

a hare who ridicules a slow-moving tortoise and is challenged by him to a race. The hare

soon leaves the tortoise behind and, confident of winning, decides to take a nap midway

through the course. When he awakes, however, he finds that his competitor, crawling slowly

but steadily, has arrived before him. The meaning is morally problematic and the story has

been interpreted in a variety of ways over the centuries.

Contents

[hide]

1 Ambiguity

2 Applications

3 Illustrations of the fable

4 Film adaptations

5 Musical versions

6 See also

7 References

8 External links

[edit]Ambiguity

As in several other fables by Aesop, there is a moral ambiguity about the lesson it is

teaching. Later interpreters have asserted that it is the proverbial 'the more haste, the worse

speed' (Samuel Croxall) or have applied to it the Biblical observation that 'the race is not to

the swift' (Ecclesiastes 9.11). In Classical times it was not the Tortoise’s plucky conduct in

taking on a bully that was emphasised but the Hare’s foolish over-confidence. He really is

the faster, but should not have assumed he could win the race without trying.[1]

Lord Dunsany brings out another view in his satirical "The True History of the Tortoise and

the Hare". In it the hare realises the stupidity of the challenge and refuses to proceed any

further. The obstinate Tortoise continues to the finishing line and is proclaimed the swiftest

by his backers. But, continues Dunsany, the reason that this version of the race is not

widely known is that very few of those that witnessed it survived the great forest-fire that

happened shortly after. It came up over the weald by night with a great wind. The Hare and

the Tortoise and a very few of the beasts saw it far off from a high bare hill that was at the

edge of the trees, and they hurriedly called a meeting to decide what messenger they

should send to warn the beasts in the forest. They sent the Tortoise.[2]

Wikisource has original text

related to this article:

The Hare and the Tortoise

(Aesop)

The version of the story in La Fontaine's Fables (VI.10), while more long-winded, differs

hardly at all from the Aesop version.[3] There are, however, many other variants in the oral

folk tradition that appear worldwide and are classed as Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 275.[4] In all of these there is a race between unequal partners but most often brain is matched

against brawn and the race is won by means of trickery. Broadly this is of two types: either

the slower animal jumps on the other's back or tail and hops off at the end when the

creature turns round to see where his challenger has got to, or else he is deceived by look-

alikes substituting themselves along the course.

[edit]Applications

Even in Classical times the dubious story was annexed to a philosophical problem by Zeno

of Elea in one of many demonstrations that movement is impossible to define satisfactorily.

The second of Zeno's paradoxes is that of Achilles and the Tortoise, in which the hero gives

the Tortoise a head start in a race. The argument attempts to show that even though

Achilles runs faster than the Tortoise, he will never catch up with her because, when

Achilles reaches the point at which the Tortoise started, the Tortoise has advanced some

distance beyond; when Achilles arrives at the point where the Tortoise was when Achilles

arrived at the point where the Tortoise started, the Tortoise has again moved forward.

Hence Achilles can never catch the Tortoise, no matter how fast he runs, since the Tortoise

will always be moving ahead.[5]

The only satisfactory refutation has been mathematical and since then the name of the fable

has been applied to the function described in Zeno's paradox. In mathematics and

computer science, the tortoise and the hare algorithm is an alternate name for Floyd's cycle-

finding algorithm.

heme Focus

Students will explore the world of insects to expand their knowledge of ants, bees, butterflies, caterpillars and ladybugs.

Objectives :

Identify the characteristics of an insect. Identify habitats of insects.

Describe the process of metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. Identify the various roles of bees such as queen, workers, robbers, etc. in making honey.

Identify the parts of an ant's anatomy and the roles within an ant colony. Identify the characteristics of a ladybug.

Warm Up: (Pre-activities)

Insect Library : Prepare your classroom for a unit on insects by collecting books, magazines and pamphlets on insects, entomology, etc. (Refer to Related Literature.)

Brainstorm : Brainstorm to see how much students know about insects by putting an idea web on the board and letting the students give their ideas while you write them down. Have them copy the web into their journals. At the end of the unit, have them complete and contrast what they've learned.

Independent Reading : Introduce a time for silent independent reading. Plan periodic 15-20 minute slots for this activity and have a student read a book or article about insects. Give 15 minutes of reading homework and set a date for books to be finished. Have students take notes in their journals to be shared during the culminating activity.

Research Teams: Pair the students up and have them draw the name of an insect out of a jar. Have the teams conduct research on each insect throughout the unit to be shared at the end of a unit in a five-minute oral presentation. An insect book will be turned in by each team to be used on an interactive bulletin board. (See Bulletin Board Ideas.)

Discussion: Discuss the characteristics of an insect using a diagram to illustrate. All insects share the following characteristics:

3 body parts:o Head; contains a mouth, eyes, and a brain

o Thorax: the locomotion center, full of muscles that move the wings and legs

o Abdomen: contains the heart, digestive organs, and breathing organs

6 jointed legs attached to the thorax No internal skeleton A tough outer covering called an exoskeleton 2 antennae for smell, touch and sometimes hearing attached to the head Holes in the thorax and abdomen called spiracles to breathe air Mouthparts that pierce, suck, sponge or chew Many insects have 2 pairs of wings.

Around Your Neighborhood: Identify the most common insects local to your city or state.

Field Trip: Natural History Museum or nature center.

Bug Club: Make a chart of activities to be completed during the unit and each student's name. Have each student mark off each activity as they complete it. Certificates will be given during the culminating activity.

Nature Station: Have the students create an observation center in your classroom by taking a nature walk to collect various insects. Assemble garden creature habitats for display (Instructions below). Provide a magnifying glass, ruler, and insect viewing jar. Keep a journal nearby for students to record information such as the size of the largest pill bug, the date when babies are first discovered, the number of bugs in each container.

Caterpillar Bug Jug: Prepare a caterpillar home is a small fish tank, a shoebox or milk carton with a hole cut for viewing. Cover the hole with hosiery. Place a small twig or two in the home for it to use during the pupation phase of its life. Take the children on a caterpillar hunt. Look for caterpillars on the leaves and stems of plants. For food, take a supply of leaves from the plant on which you found the caterpillar. Sprinkle the leaves with a little water and keep them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Or take several small branches of the leaves and place them in water.

Cricket Bug Jug: Purchase crickets from a pet store or bait and tackle shop. Prepare a terrarium in a jar including: potato halves, potting soil, pebbles or gravel, plants, and a screen or cheesecloth to cover. Add moss so where babies can hide so the adults won't eat them. Feed them bits of fruit, vegetables and dry rabbit food. Keep a small container (jar lid) filled with water in the habitat. Create a section on crickets in their insect journals and make entries.

Pill Bug (Roly-polies) Jug: Have the students collect pill bugs, sticks and rocks. Place in a terrarium or jar layered with gravel (bottom), charcoal and potting soil. Place potato halves and plants inside for food. Place a screen or cheesecloth over the top. Mist daily with a spray bottle. The pill bugs will thrive if kept moist and out of direct sunlight.

Firefly Bug Jug: Have each child catch fireflies at home at night. Put a bright flashlight inside a white pillowcase and place it outside in the dark. When an insect lands, place the mouth of a jar over it. Slide an index card underneath the opening and turn the jar right side up. Replace the card with a clear plastic cover and use a pencil to punch small holes in the top for air. Have students bring the fireflies to class. Materials: Terrariums or jugs, cheesecloth, gravel, pebbles, potatoes, moss, leaves, magnifying glass, ruler, and insect viewing jar.

Centipede Incentive for Reading : Have children trace one of their hands on brightly colored paper and cut it out. With the fingers pointed downward, create a centipede by connecting the handprints as segments and adding a fanciful head to the first one. As you read books about garden creatures and bugs, write the titles on the hand shapes for a reading list display.

Materials: Construction paper or bright, heavy weight paper, scissors.

 Caterpillars and Butterflies

Cocoon Collecting

Take a nature walk as a class to find cocoons. Collect a cocoon and bring it back to the classroom to be placed in the nature station for observation. Have the students note any changes in their insect journals.

Discussion: What is a cocoon? What happens to a caterpillar when it leaves the cocoon?

Evaluation: Observation of participation in nature walk and insect journal entries.

Sequencing Lesson

Do a sequencing lesson of the life cycle of a butterfly beginning with eggs on a leaf, caterpillar stage, pupa or chrysalis stage to adult butterfly.

Discussion: What are the stages of the lifecycle of a butterfly? Describe each stage.

Evaluation: Observation of participation in the sequencing of the lifecycle of a butterfly.

Related Literature/ Discussion

Read Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom Deluise and The Butterfly Collector by Naomi Lewis and discuss the two.

Create a Venn Diagram showing the similarities and differences of butterflies and moths. Learn the difference between a caterpillar and a moth. (i.e. A butterfly spins a chrysalis,

has straight antennae with knobby ends, is awake during the day and asleep at night and rests with its wings straight up versus a moth that spins a cocoon, has feathery antennae without knobs, is asleep during the day, and only comes out at night and rests with its wings flat.)

Compare different kinds of butterflies such as monarch, red admiral, tiger swallowtail, common sulphur and painted lady

Discussion:

1. What is the difference between a caterpillar and a moth?2. What are the similarities between a caterpillar and a moth?3. Name some different types of butterflies. How are they alike? How are they different?

Evaluation: Observation of participation in the completion of a Venn diagram.

Art/Music : Make butterflies to hang in the classroom

Materials: Butterfly shape metallic curling ribbon heavy paper 

Wooden chopsticks fishing line tapeGlitter Optional: Tempera paint Optional: coat hangers and yarn

Instructions:

1. Reproduce pattern on bright, heavy paper.2. Color and cut out.3. Attach a 12" length of fishing line near the center to balance.4. Decorate with glitter and ribbon. (Optional: Fold the butterfly. Have the children

drop blobs of paint on one side of the crease and fold, rubbing it with their hands.)

5. When dry, slip the butterflies between pairs of wooden chopsticks and tape the ends together. (Note: make sure the center of the butterfly is one to two inches shorter than the chopsticks.)

6. Use with music, swinging the insects in circles and figure eights.7. Optional: Make mobiles with several butterflies hanging from each.

Discussion:

1. What is migration?2. Where does the monarch butterfly migrate?3. What do you think it would feel like to fly like a butterfly?4. What does a butterfly see as it flies in the city? In the country? Over the ocean? In the

mountains?

Drama : Metamorphosis Play

Create a play to act out the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly using the following characters to be presented at the culminating activity. Cast:

Nathan the narrator-a naturalist Betty butterfly-adult female butterfly Carlos the Caterpillar-a bright yellow and black caterpillar Iris Imago-beautiful, fully-grown butterfly

Discussion: What is metamorphosis? How does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly?

Evaluation: Participation in play during the culminating activity.

Writing: Create a butterfly shaped poetry book

Materials: construction paper, heavy paper, crayons, colored pencils or markers, pencil, scissors, stapler

Read the poems "The Caterpillar" by Christina G. Rossetti and "Caterpillars" by Aileen Fisher.

Create a butterfly shaped book. Have students trace enough copies of the butterfly pattern to use as book pages. Provide each student with a copy of the pattern for the cover. Have students create their own caterpillar and butterfly poems and do illustrations on each book page. Combine the finished pages and staple them together along one edge.

Share the poems with the class. 

"The Caterpillar" by Christina G. Rossetti Brown

Furry Caterpillar in a hurry; Take your walk To the shady leaf or stalk. May no toad spy you, May the little birds pass by you; Spin and die, To live again a butterfly.

"Caterpillars" by Aileen Fisher

What do caterpillars do? Nothing much but chew and chew. What do caterpillars know? Nothing much but how to grow. They just eat what by and by Will make them be a butterfly, But that is more than I can do However much I chew and chew.

Discussion:1. How are the two poems similar? How are the two poems different? 2. What does a caterpillar look like? 3. What does a caterpillar like to eat? 4. What does a butterfly look like? 5. What does a butterfly like to eat?

Evaluation : Participation in discussion and individual poetry books.

Characters:NarratorFoxStorkSCRIPT:Narrator:Once upon a time there was a Fox and a Stork who were very good friends.One day the Fox invited the Stork to dinner.Fox:Would you like to come to dinner?Stork:Sure.What will you cook?Fox:It will be a surprise!Stork:When and at what time shall I come?Fox:How about tomorrow night at seven?Stork:Sounds good for me.See you tomorrow.Fox:See you… and be on time!Stork:I will!Narrator:Next day the Stork arrived on time at the Fox`s house.

Fox:Hello!Come and sit down… dinner is ready.Stork:Tell me…what did you cook?Fox:I cooked a delicious soup…I`m sure you will like it!Narrator:But when the Stork sat down at the table, the fox served the soup in a very shallow dish.Fox:What`s wrong?Stork:It`s just that I can`t eat it with my long beak.Fox:Oh, really? Well at least you can wet the end of your long bill in it, right?Stork:Well… yes, but… never mind…anyway I hope you will return this visit, and come and dine with me soon.Fox:Of course I will.Stork:How about tomorrow night?Fox:I`ll be there!Narrator:So that night the Stork went home hungry.Next day the Fox showed up on time at the Stork´s home.Stork:Come in, my good friend… I was expecting you.Fox:What did you cook?Stork:Since you are my special host, I cooked your favorite food… a delicious soup!Fox:Oh, really?Stork:Sure… come and sit down… dinner is served.Narrator:But the Fox was surprised to see that the soup was served in a very long-necked jar with a narrow mouth.Fox:The soup indeed looks delicious, but my good friend… I can`t even insert my snout in this jar!Stork:Oh, really? Well at least you can lick the outside of the jar, right?Fox:Well… yes… but… never mind.Stork:Listen, my good friend, I am not sorry to say this… but one bad turn deserves another.The EndAuthor:AESOP FableAdapted by K I D S I N C O

Taken from: http://www.kidsinco.com/2009/05/the-fox-and-the-stork/

and grown-ups to enjoy!

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A Mama Lisa Book...Irish Kid Songs & Rhymes

Over 60 Irish children's songs and rhymes, with translations and commentary. Available in paperback, eBook, & PDF starting at just$2.99! More...« What’s a lagniappe you ask?6 Weeks Old – A Poem »

The Caterpillar – A Poem by Christina RossettiAugust 9th, 2011

Brown and furry Caterpillar in a hurry, 

Take your walk To the shady leaf, or stalk, 

Or what not, Which may be the chosen spot. 

No toad spy you, Hovering bird of prey pass by you; 

Spin and die, To live again  

A butterfly.

-Christina Georgina Rossetti

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A Mama Lisa Book...Irish Kid Songs & RhymesOver 60 Irish children's songs and rhymes, with translations and commentary. Available in paperback, eBook, & PDF starting at just$2.99! More...« What’s a lagniappe you ask?6 Weeks Old – A Poem »

The Caterpillar – A Poem by Christina RossettiAugust 9th, 2011

Brown and furry Caterpillar in a hurry, 

Take your walk To the shady leaf, or stalk, 

Or what not, Which may be the chosen spot. 

No toad spy you, Hovering bird of prey pass by you; 

Spin and die, To live again  

A butterfly.

-Christina Georgina Rossetti-

The incorporation of age- and language-appropriate thematic literature into the early childhood curriculum can stimulate content-based academic learning for English language learners (ELLs). This systematic approach is particularly beneficial to young ELLs ages 3 through 8 because it provides background knowledge and cultural information along with opportunities to hear, speak, and interact with carefully crafted language in thematic and story contexts. It also develops literacy in an engaging and playful context (Ghosn, 2002). For example, a well-chosen picture book can provide a meaningful focus for developing reading skills such as vocabulary and comprehension, as well as an awareness of sounds and sound-letter relationships (Smallwood, 1998). While this careful introduction to reading is important for all children in Grades preK-3 (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998), it is critical for the growing population of young ELLs. Almost half (47%) of the K-12 ELL school population reported by grade (1999-2000) is enrolled in Grades K-3, representing about 1.3 million children (Kindler, 2002). Many of these children are interacting socially beyond the home and family for the first time, hearing extensive English, being exposed to books and read aloud to, and functioning as part of a learning community. 

This digest provides early childhood educators with book selection criteria, literature-based teaching strategies, curricular topics, and book lists for representative topics appropriate for use with ELLs in early childhood settings. 

BOOK SELECTION CRITERIA

Book selection is critical because not all books are equally effective with ELLs (Smallwood, 1991; Tabors, 1997). Most book lists do not carefully weigh the particular learning needs of ELLs, and even fewer address young ELLs. Teachers should consider the following questions when evaluating a book's appropriateness for this population: 

* Does the book help meet curricular objectives or enhance the thematic units being studied? Dickson's (2001) research confirms that preschool teachers often select stories that are connected to classroom themes. This connection is especially important for ELLs, who benefit from reinforcement of a topic. 

* Is the book's content appropriate to the children's age and intellectual level? Books should be developmentally and content appropriate for young ELLs, many of whom have had limited exposure to books or to English. 

* Does the book use language that is at or slightly above the level of the learners? Both the amount of text and the level of complexity should be considered, and the level of grammatical difficulty should increase in alignment with the students' level of aural comprehension. 

* Does the book contain repeated, predictable language patterns? Such patterns include rhyming and repetition of sounds, words, refrains, or entire sentences. 

* Are there clear illustrations that help tell the story? Teachers depend on pictures to explain new vocabulary and to hold the attention of the young learners. Photographs can capture hard-to-explain emotions, such as curiosity and excitement. When the teacher and student do not share a language, illustrations are often the most critical book selection criterion. 

* Will the book add to the collection of bilingual and multicultural books in the classroom that represent the diverse languages and cultures of the children? Hearing their native language or about their home culture boosts ELLs' self-esteem and provides opportunities for enhancing literacy skills in both the native language and English. 

TEACHING STRATEGIES

Many effective strategies for reading aloud with young children apply to ELLs (e.g., predicting from the book cover before reading, pointing to illustrations during reading, checking for comprehension upon completion). The strategies suggested below are especially useful for developing oral language and beginning literacy with students learning English as an additional language (Smallwood, 1998). 

Prereading. Before reading a story aloud, preview the story, highlight key vocabulary, and make a clear connection to the curriculum topic being studied. Encourage students to express key words or concepts in their native language, using a bilingual staff member, parent, or other student, if available, to help interpret. Vocabulary can be introduced and later reinforced through a picture dictionary organized by topics

(e.g., The Oxford Picture Dictionary for Kids, Keyes, 1998; Oxford University Press). If the students are able, have them share related background experiences from their home or culture, in either their native language or English. Pose a specific listening objective to help the children focus, such as asking them to think about three feelings described in the book Everybody Has Feelings (Avery, 1992; Open Hand). 

Reading Aloud. Read slowly and clearly with a lot of dramatic expression. Plan fairly short read-aloud sessions; 10 minutes of listening is about all that students new to a language can productively absorb. Allow young children to hold and quietly play with something, such as a ball or doll, to help focus their attention, if necessary. If there is an aide or other adult available during book reading time, seat them near ELLs to help them remain focused or to quietly reinforce the story. If a book is beyond the students' language, content, or developmental level but meets other selection criteria, edit the story as you read or retell it through the pictures. For example, simplify I'm New Here (Howlett, 1993; Houghton Mifflin), which describes in first-person narrative and photos the first school experiences and emotions of a 9-year-old girl from El Salvador. Pause regularly to do an informal check of students' comprehension and to allow them to discuss the pictures or story, while not losing track of the reading focus. 

Discussion, Review, and Extension Activities. Encourage ELLs to talk about the story by having them point out their favorite parts, in English or their home language (if an aide or parent is available to interpret). After a comprehension check, follow with some literacy skill development. For example, with Miss Mary Mack (Westcott, 1998; Little, Brown), children repeat by chanting the three initial m sounds in the title and three rhyming words--Mack, back, and black--that practice initial sounds and a difficult-to-pronounce final blend. This is a natural, contextualized way to develop an awareness of different speech sounds. ELLs also need follow up time to reinforce the connection between the book and the curricular theme. For example, after reading aloud Bread, Bread, Bread (Morris, 1989; Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard), with its photographs of delicious bread from around the world, bring in different kinds of bread for the children to experience and have them draw, label, and write a description of their favorite. Other possible reinforcement activities include making a graph that tallies students' favorite breads, making a collage of bread pictures, or taking a class field trip to a bakery. 

Arrange for ELLs to listen to the book again, ideally in a smaller group, and provide them with additional opportunities to interact with and learn the vocabulary, structures, and information. Encourage them to retell the story to others and to take the book home, if permitted. If there is a bilingual edition of the book, invite a bilingual staff member or parent to read it and make it available for the families.

Another way to provide repeated exposure to a book is for the teacher or parent volunteer to record it on tape and put it in the listening center along with the book. 

CURRICULUM TOPICS

Once a hare was roaming near a lake in a forest. Suddenly he saw a tortoise and mocked at him saying - "Hurry up, you slow coach! Don't you find life very dull taking so long to cover a few yards? I could have run to the other side of the lake by now."

The tortoise felt teased and dared the hare to a race. The race was to be through the wood to a fixed goal.

The hare agreed laughingly. In a few minutes he was away and out of sight.

"What a funny race it is!" he said to himself, "I am already half-way through. But it is too-too cold; why not have a nap in the warm sunshine?"

The tortoise walked steadily on and on. In a short time, he passed by the sleeping hare.

The hare slept far longer then he had intended. When he woke up at last, he looked around in surprise and said to himself," Not even a sigh of the poor tortoise anywhere so far; I had better trot along and finish the race."

The hare ran to the goal. He was amazed to see all the animal scheering the tortoise who had arrived just a minute earlier. how ashamed he felt indeed!

MORAL : Slow and steady wins the race.

Read more athttp://www.kidsgen.com/moral_stories/hare_and_tortoise.htm#Bp2Z7dsYuAPXCq4w.99

THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE

Once upon a time, a hare went to a pool to quench his thirst. As a matter of chance, he saw

a slow-moving tortoise over there and mocked at him. The tortoise felt pinched and

challenged the hare for a race.

The hare accepted the challenge with a smile. The next morning, they both met at the

starting point and the race began. As expected, the hare went far ahead of the tortoise.

After covering more than half of the distance, he started feeling bored. As the tortoise was

quite far behind, the hare thought of taking some rest. So he stopped and began eating

blades of green grass. Having his had fill, he felt asleep. Nearby, he saw a shady bush and

laid down under it.

As for the tortoise, he constantly moved along at his slow pace and overtook the sleeping

hare. He reached the destination point and won the race.

When the hare awoke, it was fairly late. He feared that the tortoise might have passed by

him. So he ran at a break-neck speed but reaching the destination point, was highly

disappointed to find his rival already there as a winner.

This story, therefore, teaches us that, one who moves steadily though slow, is never a

looser. That's why we say, "Slow and steady, wins the race."

The End..