Good Night, Good Knight

Thomas, S., & Plecas, J. (2000). Good night, good knight. New York: Dutton.

What a precious, little story! There is no question that my kindergarteners will LOVE this story—about a knight who helps take care of some little dragons at bedtime. One dragon wants the knight to get him a drink of water. The second dragon wants him to read her a story. And the third dragon wants him to sing him a song. Because the knight is kind and good, he takes care of the sweet dragons--helping them go to sleep. 

This is an easy-to-read book, because there is limited text, large font, double-spaced lines, and short sentences. Sometimes, I feel like easy-to-read books lose their quality in an effort to make them more readable for children. That is not the case for this book! It is still a good story that will engage young readers. They will love the repetition, which will also help them to read the story more fluently. I can't wait to read this to my kindergarteners. :)

This story is a modern fantasy, because there are make-believe creatures in the story (dragons). Not to mention, these dragons are wearing pajamas, sleeping in beds, talking, and much more. It does remind me of a folktale, because there are three dragons, which is a common number in many folktales. Additionally, the story starts with “once…” and is set in a forest in a “faraway kingdom.”

The plot of the story is chronological, or progressive, in nature. The author starts the story with a brief background—telling us about the setting and characters. This is followed by the conflict, where the knight is disturbed by a strange sound he’s hearing far off in the forest. Finally, the problem is resolved when the knight gives the dragons a good night kiss. This helps them to finally go to sleep. Even the knight falls asleep—exhausted from taking care of the three, little dragons. 

This story very easily lends itself to sequencing. I would copy five or six pages from this book (ideally in color). Then, I would have students sequence the illustrations from beginning to end. This would allow me to see whether they remembered the order of events. As an extension, I would have my students change the ending in some way. We could pretend that the knight heard ANOTHER sound while sleeping that woke him up. I would have the students share what the dragons wanted this time. Or maybe it was a different sound altogether… I love giving students the opportunity to show their creativity. It's always interesting to hear what they will say! :)

When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry...

Bang, M. (1999). When Sophie gets angry--Really, really angry.... New York: Blue

Sky Press.

This picture book fits within the realistic fiction genre, because it is a story that is easily relatable and could certainly take place. Sophie is a little girl who struggles to keep her anger in control. First, she is forced to share her stuffed animal with her sister. Then, she trips and falls. Her anger escalates and escalates to the point that she runs away, which is the way she best deals with her frustration. She runs outside and finally calms down as she takes in the world around her.

This is a Caldecot Honor book for its incredibly powerful illustrations. The author shows Sophie’s anger with use of jagged lines and warm colors—reds, yellows, and oranges. Short, choppy sentences are also used to represent this intense emotion and disruption of peace. (“She kicks. She screams.”) However, when Sophie begins to calm down as she admires her surroundings, cool colors are used to show that she is beginning to relax. Additionally, horizontal lines are used in the water to show this same sense of tranquility.

In my opinion, the conflict in this story is person-against-person and person-against-self. Sophie gets very angry and upset when her sister takes her stuffed animal (which relates to the person-against-person conflict). Then, though, she struggles to cope with her own anger, which relates to person-against-self. She does, in fact, find a way to calm herself by taking in her surroundings.

This is just an incredible story to use with all children, but especially those who struggle to express their emotions in an appropriate way. Every child needs to understand that it’s okay to feel angry, sad, mad, or frustrated. Everyone experiences these emotions at some point in life. It’s how we deal with these emotions that is important. We must learn to express our emotions in a safe and healthy way—whether it’s through deep breathing, walking, running, even screaming into a pillow. I can think of one student in my classroom that would benefit tremendously from hearing this story and discussing it at length.

To boost comprehension, I would lead a discussion on good ways/bad ways to deal with anger. I found this “Hulk Smash” idea on Pinterest. Students must identify various statements as good ways (thumbs-up) or bad ways (thumbs-down) to deal with anger.

Here are some questions/prompts I would use to facilitate discussion of this story:

1.    Share a time that you felt angry.

2.    How did you deal with that anger?

3.    Did Sophie deal with her anger in a safe, effective way?

4.    What are some other safe ways to deal with anger?

5.    Can you share some unsafe, negative ways to deal with anger?

Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World

Burningham, J. (2006). Edwardo: The horriblest boy in the whole wide world. 1^st

American ed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

As a teacher who interacts with children on a daily basis, this story reminded me just how much my attitude can impact a child’s life. Edwardo is a normal boy who does things he shouldn’t from time to time. Sometimes he’s noisy, messy, dirty, and even mean. The adults in his life tend to be harsh and negative with him, which only makes matters worse. One day, he accidentally does something “right,” which leads to another adult praising him. This continues on and on until Edwardo begins to feel more and more valued and loved. And by the end of the story, he has a smile on his face.

This picture book fits within the realistic fiction genre, because it is could certainly take place. Though the illustrations are very minimalistic, they still impact the story tremendously. The illustrator used incomplete, sketch-like lines and soft watercolors to create his illustrations. When the adults in the story are criticizing Edwardo, they are dramatically bigger in size—showing their emotional power over Edwardo. When interacting with adults who are more positive with him, the characters are more proportionate in size, which shows that he is feeling of worth. The illustrator also uses blank space to represent the loneliness and isolation Edwardo feels.

The conflict in this story is person-against-person, because Edwardo is dealing with the criticism of others—the adults in his life. And as unfortunate as it is, many of our students come from homes where they do not have positive, adult role models. They may have encountered adults who are demeaning in the way the adults in this story are. So, this may be a story that is relatable for them. At the same time, this story shows that positivity can have a tremendous impact on a child. So, as teachers, we must CONSTANTLY be showing patience, love, support, and encouragement for all kids.

In regard to comprehension, I would show students the following illustration. I would ask them to INFER how Edwardo is feeling. The author never tells us how Edwardo felt about all the criticism and negativity, but he doesn’t have to tell us… His illustrations speak volumes! As a class, we could compile a list to describe how Edwardo must feel at this point in the story. Here are some questions that could facilitate this conversation:

1.    How do you think Edwardo feels here? Why do you think so?

2.    Why do you think the adults in this picture are so much bigger than Edwardo? Why would the illustrator do this?

3.    How would you feel if someone called you “the horriblest boy/girl in the whole wide world?”

Sheila Rae, The Brave

Henkes, K. (1987). Sheila Rae, the brave. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Kevin Henkes is one of my favorite author/illustrators. I love his characters like Chrysanthemum, Owen, and Julius. I just discovered Sheila Rae through this story… I’m sure glad I did! This picture book is a modern fantasy, because the animals are living human-like lifestyles—talking, going to school, wearing clothing, etc.

This is a touching story about a mouse that isn’t afraid of anything—until she gets lost on her way home. Sheila Rae decides to take a new route home, which leads to her getting lost and feeling scared and lonely. Thankfully, her little sister, Louise, was following her and reveals herself to Sheila. They are happily reunited, and Sheila feels much better. 

In regard to the illustrations, Henkes uses a variety of colors but in softer hues, which suggests contentment. Additionally, his style is realistic, because the illustrations look very natural. In terms of his writing style, I feel that his sentences flow together very nicely—making it easier for students to follow along with the story. Above all, his characters are so incredibly relatable. I have no doubt that my students will be able to share instances where they’ve felt brave—or even the opposite, scared and lonely. Because this book was written in third person, we were able to see right into Sheila Rae’s mind—understanding how she felt throughout the story.

With this story, I would integrate Social Studies by discussing the importance and purpose of maps. (If Sheila Rae had a map, she probably could have found her way home.) I would point out key features of a map and allow students the opportunity to create a map of their own—showing how they get from one part of the school (our classroom) to another (the cafeteria). This would be a great way to integrate Social Studies into reading.

 

In terms of comprehension, I would have students compare/contrast Sheila Rae to another Kevin Henkes character—possibly Wemberly (the worrier). This would allow students to make text-to-text connections, which boosts their comprehension. Here is an example of a Venn Diagram that could be completed as a whole group, in small groups, or individually depending on students’ ability.

Here are some questions/prompts that could guide discussion of this story: 

1.    Tell me about a time you were brave.

2.    Tell me about a time when you felt scared or loney—as Sheila Rae did when she was lost on her way home from school. 

3.    How is Sheila Rae like Wemberly? How is she different?

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type

Cronin, D., & Lewin, B. (2000). Click, clack, moo: Cows that type. New York: Simon &

Schuster Books for Young Readers.

What a fabulous book for children of all ages! This picture book fits within the modern fantasy genre. The characters (farm animals) in the story are living outside the realm of reality—as they are reading and typing. This is obviously not realistic!

In regard to the illustrations, this book is a Caldecott Honor book. It is full of rich illustrations that tell the story of a group of cows that are determined to have their way. They are tired of being cold in the barn, so they refuse Farm Brown milk until they receive electric blankets. Eventually, the hens get on board and begin refusing the farmer eggs. 

One important aspect of this book is the typeface, which is shown on the title page. This gives the readers a look at the type of print that will be used throughout the book. Because the farm animals are using a typewriter throughout the story, it is only fitting that the font resembles that of a typewriter. It is important to note that two main fonts are used throughout the book. The typewriter font is used to show that the animals are typing, but it’s also used when their letters are revealed to the reader. The remainder of the book uses a different font.

In regard to the composition of the book, it is a hardcover book with a dust jacket that provides information about the story, the author, and illustrator. The binding is sewn, which is obvious when opening the book to the midpoint; the stitches can easily be seen. This makes for a longer-lasting book, which typically impacts the price as well.

This could easily lend itself to a discussion about authors’ purpose. In the story, the cows wrote Farmer Brown to PERSUADE him to meet their needs. Authors write for a variety of other reasons, too. As books are read to the class throughout the school year, discuss what the author’s purpose may have been (to entertain, to teach, to persuade, etc.). These purposes could be added to a chart to be posted in the classroom. This is an example I found from Pinterest. (What a great site! I must admit, I use it all the time... It has positively impacted my teaching.)

Here are some questions I feel would help in guiding this discussion of authors' purposes for writing:

1. Why did the cows write letters to Farmer Brown? 
2. Have you ever tried to convince someone of something?
3. The cows in this story wrote letters to PERSUADE. That was their PURPOSE for writing them. Why do you think these authors wrote these books? (Refer students to books they've previously read in the classroom.) Record their responses on a poster/chart.

David Gets in Trouble

Shannon, D. (2002). David gets in trouble. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

What a delightful book—especially for young children! This picture book fits within the realistic fiction genre. The story is relatable and could certainly happen. It uses both words and illustrations to tell the story. With very little text in the book, the illustrations are essential in telling the story. The story would make little sense without the support of the very detailed, colorful illustrations.

In regard to the illustrations, David Shannon uses bright and intense colors to reflect the chaotic world of this young boy—the main character, David. Additionally, his lines go in all different directions to further support the disarray. The objects within the illustrations are also large and a bit oversized. All these elements combined show just how much “trouble” David is causing to the world around him—from skateboarding in the house to breaking a window with a baseball to pulling his cat’s tail. In the end, though, David says that he is sorry—with a doublespread illustration of his face. Additionally, the background is blue, which reminds me of tears and sorrow. This shows that David is truly sorry for what he’s done.

While I’m familiar with David Goes to School, this is my first time encountering this particular story by David Shannon. My kindergarten students could very easily to relate to this boy, because they’ve all had similar experiences. When reading with young children, it’s helpful to use books that allow students to draw from their own experiences (their schema). For this reason, I would encourage students to make text-to-self connections after reading this story—asking them to share a time when they’d gotten in trouble. At the beginning of the year, I would just ask them to share their connections orally—as this is most developmentally appropriate. Later, you could have them draw a picture of a time they’d gotten in trouble and possibly even write a sentence to describe the event. I feel that this book makes a great starting point for teaching terms like schema and text-to-self connections, because all students have experienced something like this in their lives. The following photograph (found on Pinterest) clearly shows that making text-to-self connections provides a link between the book and an individual.

Here are some questions/prompts I'd ask to facilitate students as they make text-to-self connections:

1. Tell me about a time that you've gotten in trouble. What were you doing? What should you have been doing? 
2. How did it make you feel when you were corrected? 
3. What did you do to make it better? (Did you say "sorry" like David?)
4. Did you learn from your mistakes?

Introduction

My name is Lindsey Roberts, and I am a 4th year kindergarten teacher in Owensboro, Kentucky (my hometown). I attended Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky and loved every second of it. After graduating, though, I knew I was ready to head back home to be near family and friends. They mean the absolute world to me! At my school, I grew particularly close to a kindergarten instructional assistant in the room next door to me. Occasionally, she would talk about her son named Reed. I thought he sounded like such a kind person, and it appeared that we had a lot in common. We were later set up by a mutual friend... A year and a half later, we were married. :) And now we are in the process of renovating our home, which is keeping us quite busy. I feel quite blessed!

In regard to teaching, I love kindergarten! I love how their minds are like little sponges--absorbing just about everything. I love how eager they are to learn. I love that they still need you and want to please you. I love that I get to start with the very basics in math and reading--helping to build the foundation they'll need for the rest of their lives. Teaching is definitely a challenge and incredibly exhausting, but it is also rewarding beyond belief. I'm not sure where my career will lead me. I would love to experience other grade levels, but I'm very content in kindergarten for the time being. Above all, I look forward to having kids of my own (even though my students feel like they are). One day... 

Between teaching, taking classes, moving, and renovating my new home, life is busy to say the least--a lot busier than I'd really like it to be. I'm ready for things to slow down a bit. It seems that life goes 100 miles an hour. When I do have the time, I love spending time with my family--bonding with my nephews, going to my cousins' sporting events, shopping, vacationing in Florida. I enjoy reading the Bible and learning more about God's Word. I recently read Water for Elephants and loved it, because it was different than anything I'd ever read. I will be honest, I'm sort of a sucker for romance novels by Nicholas Sparks. :)

That's me in a nutshell. I'm totally new to the blogging world, so I'm not even sure if I'm doing this correctly. We'll see...