6-B's current discovery unit celebrates Black History Month.  Today we read the story, "The Skin You Live In" written by Michael Tyler and illustrated by David Lee Csicsko.  I love the vibrant, engaging illustrations in the story paired with the positive, cheerful look it takes on diversity.  Below see a small excerpt from the story:

This story allowed us to revisit age appropriate topics regarding diversity.  We discussed human skin and enjoyed a fun kinesthetic experience.  We felt our skin and described it to one another.  Did you know that our skin feels different in different areas? Ask your child to describe how their forearm feels compared to their elbow.  We also felt our skin with our eyes closed.  I asked the class if you could tell the color of someones skin by the way that it feels.  The answer is no! Our skin is actually quite similar in many ways.  Drawing on our prior knowledge from celebrating MLK day we had a wonderful discussion about how everyone should be treated equally. Afterwards I introduced our new poem to the class. It is prominently featured on our white wall written in marker. After practicing, a few 6-B students asked me to place it on the blog so that they can share the poem with you at home. Please feel free to read this poem with your child:

Unity Poem
I have a dream, said Martin Luther King 
We're gonna make that dream come true.
Let freedom ring, said Martin Luther King, 
It's up to me and you.
It's not the color of your hair,
It's not the color of your skin, 
It doesn't matter what you wear, 
It's the character within.

The Months of the Year Macarena!

Watch above as we learn the months of the year by singing and dancing to the tune of the Macarena!  The mathematicians have done a fabulous job learning this skill!

In 1947, Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play Major League baseball.  To prepare for our discussion on Jackie Robinson, we read the story "The Bat Boy & His Violin" by Gavin Curtis.  This allowed us to explore the idea of segregation in an age appropriate manner.

We then moved onto discuss Jackie Robinson playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Not only was Jackie the first African American to play Major League baseball but he was also named Rookie of the Year! Two years later he was honored by being named the National League's Most Valuable Player.  Robinson went on to be the first African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Jackie Robinson was not only a great baseball player, but also an important person in American history.

6-B enjoyed learning about the first African American woman in space today. The video above taught us many interesting facts about Dr. Mae Jemison.  We were inspired to learn that Dr. Jemison followed her dreams and was not only a doctor, but also a dancer, an astronaut and a chemical engineer.
We completed a portfolio page, and loved learning about such an inspiring woman.

Valentines Day Celebrations in 6-B

We had a class card exchange!

A class party!

Even a special Valentine's activity with our fifth grade buddies!

In an effort to support the development of your child's love of reading there are a few things you can try:

-Have your son or daughter preview a book first by looking at the pictures. This will give them clues as to what the story is about. In class I ask the children to take a “picture walk” before we read new material. This is helpful not only with comprehension, but also has a positive effect on students comfort level.
-Have your son or daughter read aloud to younger siblings or a favorite stuffed animal. This creates a low key environment free from judgment. Additionally, it promotes independence and creativity.
-Share the job of reading aloud. If your child becomes overwhelmed by the idea of sitting down to read an entire book alone, you can partner read. Partner reading is when you both read aloud at the same time. This method helps to avoid a pause in the sentence as you read. After a difficult sentence has been completed, you can then review and reread any tricky words. Be sure to have your son or daughter track the words being read with their finger.
-Take turns reading aloud (alternate pages, or even sentences).
-Have your son or daughter explore alternative reading experiences. Any type of reading is great! Perhaps you could cook together. Your child will have the job of reading the ingredients. (Something easy, brownies etc.)
-Help your child become more aware of environmental print. An easy way to do this is when your driving. Read words on signs, billboards, stores etc.
-Allow your child's interests to dictate reading selections. Often a lack of interest in the subject matter can hinder reading. Go online (Amazon, Barnes&Noble) or take a special trip to the library and find books that your child is excited about!
Enjoy, and please keep me posted.

Directional Tracking can be fun!

Tracking the words from left to right as you read is very important. Physically using your finger to follow under the words you are reading helps students keep their place. Additionally, it encourages the child to notice all of the sounds in each individual word. Tracking was fun during our first 1-1 story because we were able to use witch fingers! As we read aloud everyone was able to follow (whether it was their turn to read aloud, or to follow along).  Feel free to model this method as you read aloud to your child each evening at home.