What Did My Child Learn By Doing That At School?
We have a ten-to-twenty-minute period in our classroom every day devoted to read aloud. It is often one of the favorite times of the school day for the students and teachers alike. It is a fun, shared experience that encourages conversation, auditory processing, language development, a love of books, and so much more.
Over the course of the school year, we have read a series of books written by Karma Wilson and starring “Bear.” Bear is a lovable character who embodies characteristics of real bears, but with enough human qualities that we can enjoy his funny tales and discuss the differences between fiction and non-fiction, elements of stories like personification, and themes such as friendship.
In the fall we spent time exploring the changing seasons and how nature, animals, and humans adapt to these changes. We read Bear Wakes Up, met Bear, and learned a little bit about hibernation. The rhyme and repetition in this book invites students to chime in and help the teacher read, while making predictions, learning about story structure, and, for those ready, matching written language to spoken words.
In the spring we read Bear Wants More, and saw how hungry Bear was after all of that time sleeping in his den. Again, we talked about the changing seasons and had fun reading about Bear’s escapades with his friends, who helped him find more food. One follow up activity to this reading allowed students to connect the story to their own lives. We asked students how they felt when they woke up. We wrote the words for them and the students were excited to see their thoughts and feelings expressed in writing. Of course, we made a bear to add to this exercise. We provided the shapes and a sample, if they so desired to peek at it, to recreate or reimagine Bear. There’s a lot of discussion during these craft sessions, like what shape might you use first? What comes next? How many circles will you need? What helps you feel less grumpy when you wake up? While working we are also encouraging students to use the materials creatively, teaching them how to use other materials effectively, practicing fine motor skills by picking up little pieces, and strengthening hand muscles by squeezing out glue. And, at the end of the project just putting tops back on glue sticks or on markers and sorting pieces into the right bins helps with hand-eye coordination, motor planning, bi-lateral coordination, cooperation. So many things from such a simple project!
By the way, we finished the series with Bear’s Loose Tooth, which we read during our community helpers unit of study. Using a Weekly Reader early in the day, we learned all about good healthy dental care and we brushed our yellow cardstock teeth white with paint and toothbrushes, flossed with yarn and playdough between egg carton teeth and ended our day reading about Bear and how he handled his loose tooth. You can imagine the conversation after Bear’s tooth popped out!
