Yee haw! Author, illustrator, motivational speaker, Chris Rumble, rocked Reading Council. He visited children at three local elementary schools as well as a fun family night and a presentation for Black Hills Reading Council. He was a natural and the students enjoyed his caring spirit and enthusiasm. He inspired students to read and write and use their imagination. As teachers, Chris provided us with the priceless gift of inspiration to make it through the remainder of the school year. Visit www.chrisrumble.com for more information. There are fun video chats from Chris and information about his books. You can also hear several of his energetic songs about reading. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed. Add Comment Black Hills Reading Council hosted Library Live at the Northside Public Library Tuesday, March 27, 2012. Several book characters were present to sign autographs and interact with the students. The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1, and Thing 2 were found having fun. Abraham Lincoln made a guest appearance. Mrs. Frizzle parked The Magic School Bus and dropped by for a visit. Strega Nona and Mrs. Wishy Washy were also part of the excitement. All families that attended received a free 2012 Read to Me All Year Long! calendar. The calendars feature beautiful artwork from nationally known children’s book illustrators as well as read-aloud tips and activities. Check out www.familyreading.org for more information on these cool calendars. Students and parents tested their book knowledge by answering riddles and taking a Guess the Book Character quiz. Thank you to everyone who helped celebrate the joy of literacy!
Check out the following link for information on Pizza Hut’s Book It Program and America’s Biggest Storytime. Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow will read his favorite childhood book, Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss on February 15. The webcast will air at 8:00 am CST and will run all week. http://www.bookitprogram.com/biggeststorytime/default.htm Our January meeting was a very engaging one. Even though the weather was absolutely beautiful, we still had 19 members present. Once again, great snacks were provided by BHRC members. We also offered some fun door prizes- journals and pens as well as two gift cards to Mitzi’s Bookstore downtown. If you haven’t been there yet, we suggest you check it out. It’s a book lover’s dream. If you have been there, don’t you wish our classroom libraries were that inviting? Karin Merkle was our guest presenter. Karin is a teacher with the Rapid City Area Schools. She also owns Rapid City Dyslexia Care. Karin was such a wealth of information we could have listened to her all night. You can find Karin online on Facebook or www.RCdyslexiacare.com. People often misunderstand what dyslexia really is. Dyslexia is an unexpected difference in language despite intelligence, motivation, and education. Karin shared the warning signs with us. She also discussed the many strengths of people with dyslexia and how people with dyslexia are often very bright. Many were surprised to hear the long list of famous and successful people who have dyslexia including a wide range of authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Hans Christian Andersen, Dav Pilkey, and Patricia Polacco. Karin shared with us what we can do as caring educators. She really focused on respecting their intelligence, nurturing their strength, and seeing their potential. There is nothing quite like a book! What do you love about books? Please share your love of books with us. Guaranteed you'll love this video. Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey. Here are the results.
A fun time was had by all who attended our December meeting. We started with treats brought by council members and then it was time for our book exchange. We played a fun holiday trivia game to see the order of the book selection. Members unwrapped holiday themed books, picture books, and nonprofessional books for adults. They also got to chose a dozen cookies or bars to bring home. Yummy! After the merriment, we had our first ever BHRC Idea Swap. Our topic was MOTIVATING READERS. Council members shared concerns, frustrations, and ideas to get students excited about reading. Here are a few: * Use of the power of self selection - Book choice- introduce 4 or 5 books and let students pick - Walk through the school library or literacy library and let students chose their own book - Provide a class recommendation chart for students to suggest other books to classmates-put the suggested books in a tub for easy assess - Do research when kids select their own books and pay attention to why a particular book is picked * Spend time discussing different books- expose students to a variety of authors, genres, and titles- they might get hooked on a genre they never knew existed * Tap into the influence of novelty- use whisper phones (can be purchased or made out of 3 parts of PVC pipe) * Connect to writing- have students write the text to wordless picture books (try David Wiesner’s books) * Give book talks- capture students’ attention and make them want more - Can be a simple oral talk or an advanced book trailer created on the computer - Given by the teacher or students - Go around the room, have students introduce the book they are currently reading with the title and author, they shake a snow globe, and pass it to the next person (can be adapted for different times of the year) * Hook them in with lots of engaging nonfiction * Use story bits- build enthusiasm by using concrete items that hold memories of a book which students can use to retell and share what was read (A circle of foil for Rainbow Fish or a seed for How a Seed Grows) * Use Mystery Bags- gift bag with objects tied to a story - Can be adapted for younger kids- use a basket with items inside and ask which book the items represent * “Get Caught Reading” board - Take and display photos of your students reading - Better yet, add photos of families reading - Post photos of staff members reading * Focus on students’ interests- find out what they are into and get books centered on those interests * Tempt them with books they can’t refuse- there is so much quality literature out there There were several members that were unable to attend our December meeting. We are looking forward to hearing from you. What ideas do you have for motivating readers? Have you ever attended one of Black Hills Reading Council’s monthly meetings? If not, you’re missing out! If you have, you know that we give out some fabulous door prizes. Four lucky members won a hardcover copy of Big Brown Bat by Rick Chrustowski at the November meeting. The books were donated by Joel Tigner of the South Dakota Bat Working Group. The SDBWG is involved in many educational efforts. One part of that effort is the Books for Schools Progam. The group works to get sets of twelve wonderful nonfiction books into schools across the state. Has your school been a recipient? Another effort is the multimedia presentations available to classrooms in the Black Hills area. Programs are available for all age groups. They are provided as a community service and are free of charge. Contact Joel at 605-390-2061 or joeltigner.gmail.com for more information or to schedule a program. To learn more about the South Dakota Bat Working Group, please visit http://sdbwg.org/. You can also sign up for Echoes, an e-newsletter devoted to bat issues in South Dakota. Subscriptions are free- just email [email protected]. One section of the newsletter is devoted to poems and artwork related to bats. If you have submissions for future editions, please send them to [email protected]. You may also send them to Cary through snail mail, C/O Knollwood Elementary, 1701 Downing Street, Rapid City, SD 57701. Please state how you would like to be published (for example, first name and school or first and last name). We can only accept original pieces of work, not work copyrighted by someone else. The following is a guest post by one of our BHRC members: South Dakota Festival of Books: “Where Readers and Writers Rendezvous” Colby Christensen Instructional Support Teacher, RCAS High Schools Black Hills Reading Council Member On Saturday, October 8th, I attended the Festival of Books in Deadwood, South Dakota. Though the weather was rainy and chilly, the inspiring presentations given by many passionate and talented authors and artists made the experience well worth the trip! Following are a few highlights of the sessions and presenters that I observed. My first session of the day was facilitated by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, a local author, who shared her recently-published children’s book entitled The Christmas Coat: Memories of My Sioux Childhood. As she read, Virginia, who was born and raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, took time to relate a few personal memories of her family and childhood that were not included in the book. Though she stated that there were inaccuracies in a couple of the book’s illustrations, she indicated that she was pleased overall with the result of her book. The book is written for elementary children, but would be a valuable learning experience about Lakota culture and tradition and an enjoyable read for people of all ages. Virginia’s first book was released in 1972. Since then, she has published twenty-six books, and numerous short stories, articles, and poems. Later in the morning, I attended a session entitled “Native Voice: A Female Perspective.” During the session, noted female authors Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, Diane Glancy (www.dianeglancy.com ), Larissa Fast Horse (www.hoganhorsestudio.com ), Allison Hedge Coke (www.hedgecoke.com ), Susan Power, and Delphine Red Shirt each shared powerfully moving stories or samples of work from their professional journeys. World-renowned artist and illustrator Don Montileaux, whose work has received nearly twenty awards and commissions, reflected on his personal journey in becoming an artist. He shared about the significant impact that a personal mentor had on his life as a youth. He also spoke candidly about two works of which he is most proud: Tatanka and the Lakota People: A Creation Story, and The Enchanted Buffalo. Not only is Don a talented artist, but he is a very engaging storyteller! The festival’s main event was a conversation with noted Lakota author and South Dakota native Joseph Marshall III, who spoke about the 2011 One Book South Dakota, The Journey of Crazy Horse. Though I was not able to attend this event, I did have the opportunity to listen to the author speak about his book earlier in the week in Rapid City. During his presentation, he spoke with heartfelt sincerity about the importance of knowing one’s identity and family history. He shared a story about long walks he took as a youth with his grandfather along the Little White River on the Rosebud Reservation. During the walks, his grandfather would occasionally stop, ask Joseph to look back at the path they had just traveled, and exhort him to “always remember where he came from.” Joseph also indicated that he writes to dispel myths/falsehoods that are “out there,” and to give a different perspective on significant historical events. Though Crazy Horse is widely known for his strong leadership qualities and battlefield exploits, Joseph Marshall reveals a much different (and lesser-known) perspective of the great Oglala chief as a gentle, humble man who loved his people and made many personal sacrifices for their benefit. In addition to the many breakout sessions, participants could meet the authors, have books signed, and browse books at the Deadwood Pavilion. Though this was my first chance to participate in the annual event, I look forward with great anticipation to return visits! If you have not yet had a chance to visit the Festival of Books, (or even if you have), I highly recommend that you make plans to do so in the future! |