April 2023

Literacy for Earth Day, Joyful Poetry, Autism Acceptance … and More!

In this issue: Literacy for Earth Day / Children’s Books & Authors  /  Autism Acceptance / In the Classroom  / Literacy and Learning at Home /  News

Literacy in the Sciences: Earth Day and Our Environment

Nature: Our Green World

Do you know any outdoorsy kids who are happiest dipping their toes in a freshwater pond, searching for animal tracks, listening for birds, or hiking to a waterfall? Explore our natural world through books, home-based activities, apps, and kid-friendly websites. Browse our nature-themed collections at Start with a Book.

Explore more:

• Bird Buddies: DIY Science Camp!
• River Rangers: DIY Science Camp!
• Reading Adventure Pack: Bees (in English and Spanish)
• Reading Adventure Pack: Gardening (in English and Spanish)

An Earth Day Story  

“That quiet summer without the frogs was on my mind when I started to write One Small Hop, a climate fiction book set in the not-so distant future.” Children's author Madelyn Rosenberg recalls the inspiration for her newest picture book, and shares some simple things you can do to celebrate Earth Day, with kids in mind.

Outdoor Explorations  

Stepping outside is a simple way to set foot into nature’s laboratory. Backyards and neighborhood walks can lead to interesting conversations, new vocabulary words, observations, predictions, and investigations. (In English and Spanish)

Patterns and Categorizing  

Children begin using their senses to recognize patterns in nature and categorize things at a young age — skills that play an important role in early learning. This tip sheet provides some simple activities, as well as recommended books, that parents can use to help their kids build pattern recognition and categorization skills in science and math. (In English and Spanish)

Children’s Books & Authors

A Poetry Suitcase 

Children’s author and poet Janet Wong tells you how to pack a poetry suitcase — as a fun way to bring more poetry into children’s lives. Try it at home!

Watch our video interview with Janet Wong where she talks about the power of poetry, being the child of immigrants, writing poetry, and her Poetry Friday Anthology series (co-created with children’s literature professor Sylvia Vardell). 

Explore more:

• Janet Wong’s Earth Day pocket poems

Out of Wonder: Our Interview with Kwame Alexander

Alexander, an award-winning poet and author, writes picture books for children and books for teens like the novel-in-verse The Crossover. In his 2023 book, How to Write a Poem, Alexander and his co-author Deanna Nikaido celebrate the magic of discovering your very own poetry in the world around you. “Begin / with a question / like an acorn / waiting for spring.” In his book, Out of Wonder, featuring original poems that echo the work of well-known poets, Alexander writes, “A poem is a small but powerful thing…”

Mirror Mirror: Our Interview with Marilyn Singer 

Singer has written all kinds of books for children and young adults — picture books, fairy tales, mysteries, nonfiction, and novels — but poetry is her favorite. Singer is on a mission to “knock poetry off its pedestal” and to introduce kids to the pleasing rhythms and powerful emotion of poems, but also to encourage kids to express themselves through verse.

More Poets on Poetry! 

Listen in as acclaimed children’s writers and poets like Ashley Bryan, Jack Prelutsky, Mary Ann Hoberman, and J. Patrick Lewis talk about reading poetry aloud and writing poetry. For additional resources, browse our National Poetry Month section.

Nature-Themed Booklists

• Celebrating Poetry and Nature
• Bountiful Spring
• Signs of Spring
• Spring’s Bounty

Autism Acceptance

Every day, we celebrate neurodiverse kids — and their creativity, persistence, and individuality. Check out our ASD resources for educators and parents, and share widely!

The Human Brain Is a Storytelling Brain 

Award-winning author of acclaimed middle-grade novels Sally J. Pla (The Someday Birds) talks about how her own autism informs the characters and stories she writes.

Children’s Books Featuring Characters with ASD 

Understanding autism can begin with stories about a child, sibling, friend, and classmate (and even a kid detective!) with autism or Asperger syndrome.

In the Classroom

Poetry Walk 

Jumpstart poetry writing in your class! Outdoor poetry walks give students a way to write about what they know. Before heading outdoors, read aloud a few poems that are rich in descriptive language. Then, take your class on a walk around the neighborhood to observe and collect sensory images from their direct experience with nature. Students can bring a poetry journal with them to write down descriptive words as they observe, listen, smell, and touch things outside the classroom. See also: 10 Great Ways to Use Poetry in Your Classroom.

Looking at Reading Interventions: Reading Multisyllable Words 

Reading expert Linda Farrell shows third grader Xavier how to read and spell unfamiliar multisyllable words. To figure out how many syllables are in a word, Ms. Farrell teaches Xavier to ask two questions: How many vowels are in the word? Are the vowels together or apart? In a separate video, Ms. Farrell listens to Xavier read aloud to help him read with accuracy.

Watch other episodes in our Looking at Reading Interventions series. You’ll also find our free viewer’s and facilitator’s guides, to support professional development in your school or district. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association)

How Do You Know If It Really Is the Science of Reading?

In this recent blog post, literacy expert Tim Shanahan says, “If we are serious about improving reading achievement for all children, we are only likely to get there if we hold ourselves to the highest standards of professional practice. Having a sound definition for what constitutes a “science of reading” is more than a game of semantics. Employing instructional approaches that have repeatedly benefited learners in rigorously implemented and analyzed studies is likely to be the most productive way to progress.”

Literacy and Learning at Home

What’s the most important writing skill to encourage in my child?  

Ideas, organization, and clarifying, rich details are all important in writing, but literacy specialist Kyley Pulphus emphasizes voice when working with young writers. She encourages kids to write in their own unique voice, and shares “mentor texts” by writers from different backgrounds — authors like Jason Reynolds. Kyley talks about how writers use slang and dialect or mix languages to give their writing a natural, authentic voice. (From our Writing SOS series)

See all Writing SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association)

Poetry at Home  

Exploring poetry out loud with your kids is a great way to have fun with language. Poems include humor, interesting words, tongue twisters, and alliteration. Find out how to plan a lively and fun family poetry jam! Start with playful, rhyming poetry about topics that are familiar to your child like animals, food and bedtime. Once a poem is familiar to your child, take turns reading. (In English and Spanish)

Observing Nature: Easy Journals

Science and math explorations give your growing reader a chance to strengthen observation and writing skills by keeping a special journal to fill with sketches, notes, and graphs. Try these ideas to get your child started. (In English and Spanish)

News

Using a Curriculum Rich in Arts, History, and Science Led to Big Reading Improvements
Education Week

It’s Autism Acceptance Month! Here’s what autistic advocates want you to know, and do.
USA Today

Autistic Isn’t a Bad Word: The Case for Rethinking Your Language
Education Week

Teaching SEL Skills Through Stories and Poetry
Edutopia

Brian Selznick on How to Make a Hopeful Children’s Book About Our Environmental Crisis
Literary Hub

A Reading Teacher Makes a Case for Early Dyslexia Screening
Education Week

The Role of SEL in Developing Reading Skills
Edutopia

Documentary film asks: Do all children have 'The Right to Read?'
EdSource

How to Make the Science of Reading Work for Teachers
Education Week

Creating Quick Poetry Lessons for Early Elementary Students
Edutopia