Teaching with Text Sets at the Carle

Mary Ann (L) and Erika (R) in front of an Eric Carle original.

Here are a few pictures from the workshop that we did at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art last Saturday. 

Teaching with Text Sets for sale at the museum bookstore!

The event was sponsored by the Carle, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Lesley University, where we teach, and the "Classroom Bookshelf" blog that we co-author with our teaching colleague Grace Enriquez.

Erika's panel on picture book biographies with illustrator Holly Meade and authors Leda Shubert and Tonya Lee Stone.

It was a really exciting day, with wonderful conversations about the different roles children's books of all genres can play in the classroom.

There's Still Time to Attend: Saturday, March 23rd at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

There is still time to attend the workshop we are sponsoring tomorrow at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. Join the authors of "The Classroom Bookshelf" blog and authors and illustrators of recently published fiction and nonfiction picture and chapter books as we discuss "From the Creative Process to Curriculum Connections." It is only $25 for this daylong workshop for teachers and librarians. To register, and to obtain copies of the handouts after the event, go to: http://www.march23rdhandout.blogspot.com/.

Snapshots of Authentic Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking

Are you trying to provide more of a range of authentic reading, writing, listening, and speaking experiences for your students? Follow the link below to read more about using text sets towards that end in Julie Casaro's interview with Mary Ann for Novelist. 

http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist-blog/novelist-article/common-core-authentic-reading-writing-listening-speaking

Wondering How You Can Teach Using More Children's Literature?

Would you like to incorporate authentic children's literature in language arts and the content areas? This short article we coauthored with our blogging and teaching colleague Grace Enriquez for Lesley University's webpage can give you some way to start:

http://www.lesley.edu/classroom-bookshelf-article/

What Can You Learn About Teaching from Nonfiction Authors?

With the Common Core State Standards' new emphasis on nonfiction literature and reading and writing across a range of texts, we think there is much that teachers can learn from authors and illustrators of nonfiction picture books and chapter books. One place to start might be this article about the School Library Journal Leadership Summit panel, “Nonfiction at the Forefront of the Common Core," that Mary Ann led in October.

http://www.slj.com/2012/11/events/slj-summit-2012-nonfiction-authors-address-the-common-core/

You can still sign-up for and listen to the School Library Journal webinar from January 2013, which recreated the panel in order to read a wider audience. You can register for "on-demand" access through April.

https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=516874&sessionid=1&key=32F628F6AEAED0FE51A438B0462AF2D7&partnerref=sljcommoncorelandingpage01172013&sourcepage=register

How Can You Help Your School Learn More About Nonfiction Trade Books?

Feeling overwhelmed about the new expectations the Common Core State Standards place on reading nonfiction? Are you and your colleagues struggling with how to incorporate more authentic, trade book nonfiction written for children and young adults into your curriculum and instruction?

This school year, Mary Ann has been coauthoring articles for the "Curriculum Connections" newsletter for School Library Journal. Here is a round-up of previously-written articles that may be helpful to you as you consider transitioning to text sets and using nonfiction trade books across the curriculum: 

September: Cultivating Collaboration

http://www.slj.com/2012/09/curriculum-connections/on-common-core-cultivating-collaboration/

October: Creating Community 

http://www.slj.com/2012/09/curriculum-connections/on-common-core-creating-community/

November: Content Over Coverage

http://www.slj.com/2012/11/standards/common-core/on-common-core-content-over-coverage/

December: Clustering and the Common Core

http://www.slj.com/2012/12/standards/common-core/clustering-and-the-common-core/

January: Deconstructing Nonfiction

http://www.slj.com/2013/01/standards/common-core/deconstructing-nonfiction-on-common-core/

February: Talking About Nonfiction

http://www.slj.com/2013/02/curriculum-connections/on-common-core-talking-about-nonfiction/

March: Inquiry and Nonfiction

http://www.slj.com/2013/03/standards/common-core/inquiry-and-nonfiction-on-common-core/