Book Week 2015: Fire

Book Week 2015

Fire by Jackie French is shortlisted by CBCA for the Picture Book of the Year.

This fictional book and a follow-up to her book Flood. This is a powerful story of the very real threat a bushfire poses in Australia. Through rhyming verses she explores the feelings of just how it feels to be confronted by such an imposing force.

Japanese: Family Trees

This is my first post in regards to a language other than English (more commonly referred to as L.O.T.E.).

Teaching English to students (when it is their native tongue) can be tricky enough on its own but then throwing another language at them can be confronting, scary, a little exciting...but normally just daunting.

Book Week 2015: One Minute's Silence

Teach your students about what the happened during the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915 with the book "One Minute's Silence" and these teaching activities.

Spelling: Trying Before Helping

I'm Not Afraid of my Words
spelling chart

In my first year of teaching I became a little frustrated with students thinking that I was a walking dictionary. At the time I taught several classes so I wasn't able to implement strategies I had been taught about at university, such as "have-a-go" books (otherwise I would be drowning in books).

In the end I found a novel little idea on Pinterest. A chart in the classroom to get them to have a go first.

I have searched my Pinterest boards for the original pin and also on the Internet but haven't managed to find it again. The idea though may have be based on Lisa Cleaveland's idea which is featured in a book. I believe the book is entitled About the Authors: Writing Workshop and Our Youngest Writers  written by both Lisa Cleaveland and Katie Wood Ray. An excerpt featuring Chapter 4 of the book (which includes the aforementioned chart) is included and available to download for free from Heinemann's website.

Feelings: Being Scared

If you live in South Australia, like I do, and work as a teacher then by now you should have heard of the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum (KS:CPC). Every teacher who has this as a subject (usually incorporated into Health lessons) is required to have undertaken training first. In theory this is what DECD state but we all know that in the world of teaching not everything goes to plan.

The training is a one-day workshop. It doesn't tax the brain at all and is straight-forward. If you are a teaching graduate you will find that much of the content was covered at university (or is just common sense). Once you have completed the necessary training you will have access to the documentation available at the RAN website.

Book Week 2015: A-Z of Convicts in Van Diemen's Land

Book Week 2015

A-Z of Convicts in Van Diemen's Land by Simon Barnard is shortlisted by CBCA for the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books.

This information book focuses on the 73,000 convicts that landed and lived on Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania) after being transported there by the British. It investigates how they lived, what they wore and other experiences.

Pig the Pug: Teaching Ideas

The story is about a selfish pug dog named Pig. He shares an apartment with a sausage dog called Trevor who sadly is always on the receiving end of Pig's bad temper. All Trevor wants is one toy of his own but Pig is determined that they are all his.

Snail and Turtle are Friends: Teaching Ideas

As August draws near teachers and librarians will have Book Week at the back of their minds. This is the first in a series of posts that will hopefully relieve the idea thinking and stress to have a starting point.

Grug Meets Literacy and Art

Most Australian children (including myself) grew up reading and loving the Grug series by Australian author, Ted Prior. The lovable top of Burrawang tree his adventures are engaging for all young children.

As these books have simple illustrations and limited text they are not intimidating to struggling readers. The following activity was actually done first by the teacher in the classroom next door to me a few years ago. She had the children first draw Grug and then draw a space background (as it coincided with the Book Week theme for that year) before the children cut out and glued on their Grug.

A Monster Wrote Me A Letter: Book Review

If a monster writes you letter out of the blue...what exactly should you do?
It's the only polite thing to do today...invite the monster over to play!

Yuko-Chan and the Daruma Doll: Book Review

Title: Yuko-Chan and the Daruma Doll

Author: Sunny Seki

ISBN: 97811741697094

Classification: Fiction
Themes: Japan, history, legends, courage, perseverance, adversity