Collaborative Class Journals Produce Oodles of Reading and Writing.

I belong to a wonderful group of writers and authors with a common interest, that is, encouraging kids to learn to read through new and interesting children's literature. This month we have a theme to post suggestions on book making with kids. Mine was all about collaborative class journals that produce oodles of opportunities for kids to both read and write. What more could you want from a making books together? The project encourages reading and writing for all students from the most basic level, that includes those beginning Kindergarten in the earliest pre-writing stage up to independent writers in classrooms in years 2 or 3. As the year progresses, the journal entries develop and intrigue each student who participates, consequently encouraging them to share their stories and adventures. Students are eager to open the pages of the journal each day to read the next anticipated entry.

Kids writing a class journal was a project I worked on several years ago when I was teaching kindergarten, however as mentioned above it can be used in classes ideally from K-2. It encourages both learning to read and write. The premise begins with introducing a new member to the class, (or a class pet), someone that the students have to learn to take care of. The animal in question is a soft stuffed toy that they can cuddle and take anywhere. In our case, our class was given a soft cuddly lion cub which we named Caesar.

To introduce our class pet I wrote a book about his adventures on our property trying to search for kangaroos. The kids loved the story. I made it into a laminated spiral bound book and a power point presentation to read on the smartboard.

I then showed them the cover of the journal with the class pet's photo on the front with plenty of blank pages for each class member to take turns in writing something about the pet that they did with him when it was their turn to take him home. Each night the students wrote in the journal, read the previous entries and read my story. At the beginning the students had help from their parents who would take photos and write a sentence or two as dictated by their son or daughter. The kids loved the part of the day in class when we read each new entry in the journal. As the year progressed they drew pictures and as their confidence in writing grew , they began writing their own entries. To encourage their imagination I took our class pet on other adventures throughout the year and wrote several other books too. Some students wrote about their trips to the snow with him, sharing family meals and celebrations, while others about adventures on their bikes together or simply laying on the floor reading together.

The journal gradually became a much loved piece of writing that even some years later when I taught the same students again, they asked me if I still had Caesar and if I still kept the journal so that they could re-read some of their favourite entries. I have recently had the suggestion made that I should have made copies of the journal at the time to be placed in the school library. This is a wonderful idea especially as the journal was so loved it became very dog-eared from over-use. I would recommend perhaps making a copy for the library once a month rather than waiting for the end of the year. Perhaps laminating the library copy as well.

Collaborative class journals are a brilliant tool for engaging young students with the reading and writing process as the expectation to write may be as simple as one line under a photo or drawing or up to a whole page depending on each individual's ability level. As the entries are all from class members they are all keen to read too. With the new school year due to start next month here in Australia why not consider introducing a class pet and journal in your classroom? I guarantee it will bring oodles of fun and imagination to your students days and they will learn all about sharing, caring and co-operation. It really is a win-win opportunity.

Consider a Different Gingerbread Man this Christmas

The Christmas season is almost upon us and with that comes plenty of opportunities for baking with the kids. Reading recipes can mean a lot of fun in the kitchen especially when the cooking ties in with a story as well. This Christmas instead of baking the usual gingerbread man why not consider a different kind of gingerbread man this Christmas? Think about the alternative fun baking Gingerbread Aliens instead while reading about the mischievous antics of three young boys as they cook a Gingerbread Alien and all the possibly antics that can go so unexpectedly wrong. This is just one suggestion in my post on "Batch of Books" for more information read the link below.

http://batchofbooks.com/2015/11/baking-for-kids-gingerbread-aliens/

A Dream Thirty Years in the Making.

Earlier this year I entered "Emma the Eager Emu" into a picture book competition only for Indie authors. The closing date for submissions is only days away. Avivia Gittle, the owner of the Gittle List has kindly interviewed me and written a press release regarding my writing journey from my hopeful beginnings as a teenager when I first won the National ANZAC day poetry competition to when I finally achieved my dream of publishing children's books. You can read both my story and all about the Gittle List at the link below.

http://www.prlog.org/12509013-dream-30-years-in-the-making.html

Spreading a Helping Hand

The majority of us go through life lending a helping hand wherever we can, not really planning to try to save the world in any huge way. Most of us don't have the ability to make a huge difference in the lives of great numbers of people at any one time but in general we do attempt to make a difference in whatever small way we can. Whether that be by volunteering at a hospital, helping the homeless, reading in a classroom on a regular basis, or simply raising our own children to the best of our capabalitiies, we all hopefully make a difference in at least one other persons life during our lifetime. Although not everyone has the time to volunteer or the ability to provide their services somewhere, even a smile as we pass by a stranger can brighten someone elses day, a kind word to a child or a moment taken to listen to a friend's problems can change their outlook and make a problem that seemed insurmountable suddenly manageable.

When I began teaching primary school I believed my way of helping society was through increasing literacy skills in our youngest generation of readers. However as the years progressed I hoped to achieve this through writing children's books and spreading a love of reading with fun and laughter instead.

Imagine my surprise when just last week I discovereed I was also lending a helping hand in a completely different way with my books than I ever expected or planned.

I always enjoy spreading a helping hand by encouraging home reading through my facebook group "Raising Awesome Readers" as well as giving away many of my children's books to people in need. Earlier in the year I gave a copy of each of my books to a fellow who lives a somewhat difficult family life. He happens to be a "fly in/fly out" dad to three kids, one of which is severly Autistic and another with Aspergers Syndrome. You can imagine the difficulty and frustration not only for him livng away from his family three weeks at a time as well as his wife trying to manage while he is away. So I gave him copies of Gingerbread Aliens, Aliens Shenanigans and Emma the Eager Emu to take home on his R&R to read with the kids. He was so grateful to be given a simple opportunity to read aloud and share a few precious moments with his children.

I hadn't heard anything from him, nor did I expect to, until I ran into him just last week. I was delighted to learn that not only did his family enjoy all the books very much but his wife, who is a psychologist, found the stories were so good for her children she began taking the books to work.

Her clients are mostly children of parents going through break ups mainly from the rigors of the fly in/fly out life style. She is using my books on a regular basis with the children as they find the characters real and relatable. My stories are spreading a helping hand to help chidren overcome anxieties, fear, tension, sibling rivalry. lack of self-confidence and helping them to learn to face conseequences for their actions all in an entertaining and light-hearted manner. The use of the books have become so successful, she is now lending them to her colleagues.

It is not only nice to know that in my own small way I am making an imapct in childrens lives different to that which I had ever anticipated. It is also rather overwhelming to know that children that need love and understanding are gaining so much more than just a simple smile from reading the pages of my children's books.

What are you doing in your small way to spread a helping hand in your community?

Frazzled Freya is Coming!

The Australian Outback is a harsh and dry place.Not the ideal environment for a game or race. Freya is too frightened to go out and play. So she hides in the shadows to watch all day.

Her friends are all out in the heat of the sun. But Freya is too frazzled to join in their fun. Can Freya face what frightens her so? Or will she forever hide and say no!

Frazzled Freya is my second pictured book beautifully illustrated by Dianna Budd. If you adored her images of Emma the Eager Emu and her other Australian bird friends, you will equally enjoy the delightful designs Dianna has brought to the pages of my latest story.

While Emma has the tenacity to chase her dreams and try to learn to fly, Freya is a rather timid frill-neck lizard who, once again with the help of her friends, (this time desert dwelling animals) must learn to have courage. Will she come to the realisation that the only thing to fear is fear itself?

What are you afraid of? Come on a journey of self-discovery with Frazzled Freya and see if you can face your inner monsters too!

Copyright Sandra Bennett and Dianna Budd

Curious Creatures, Quirky Caricatures.

This review is from: Larry Potty's Animal Rhymes (Kindle Edition) Larry Potty's Animal Rhymes is a cleverly written children's picture book of delightful poems and humorous illustrations that go hand in hand beautifully. This is only a brief book with six short poems in total. However, for its target audience of 3-6 year old children I feel it is ample in length.Just long enough to hold the youngest one in the family's attention and enough length for the eldest ones beginning reading ability to try to read for themselves. It is also perfect for classroom read aloud activities and discussions. Each poem being a lesson in itself.There is an Armadillo from South America, an Asian Tiger, an African Meerkat and even a Short-Nosed Echidna from Australia, some strange creatures indeed! Each poem provides opportunities for lessons including, uniqueness, recycling and even personal hygiene, (who smells worse, a skunk or you?). Some of the vocabulary may appear to be a bit beyond your average five year old, as Larry finds words to rhyme. You could argue that this makes some of the rhyming somewhat strained, but I don't have a real problem with it as it provides opportunities for children to learn. The more we read together and extend our children's vocabulary , the greater readers they become. The illustrations are as humorous as the poems. Bright, colourful, sure to delight any child. I invite you to come along on a fun filled adventure through the pages of this wonderful rhyming picture book and laugh along with Larry Potty and his friends, Mr Frog and Scotty Dog. I promise you won't be disappointed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XWT95L6?ref_=cm_rdp_product

I received a free pdf copy in exchange for an honest review.

Classroom Science Trouble!

National Science Week this week, National Book Week next week, so no other better time than for a school visit and book reading of my chapter book series for early readers. Both Gingerbread Aliens and Alien Shenanigans incorporate plenty of scientific kitchen and classroom experiments that evolve into enough inevitable disaster and trouble to make young readers and their parents laugh along with the mix-up of mischief, mayhem and mishaps. Tomorrow I head in to do a school reading for a group of year 2 students who are looking forward to not only my reading of a chapter of "Alien Shenanigans" but also watching me erupt a paper mache volcano for them as well.

Alien Shenanigans opens with a classroom full of anticipation as the year 6 students prepare to erupt their volcano experiments.As in all good stories nothing goes to plan and our hero is naturally assumed guilty. My volcano tomorrow will not explode in quite the same astonishing manner, but I hope the students will be suitably impressed!

Later in the story the classroom teacher, Mr Haggardy and the boys next door neighbour, Mrs Witherbottom are inadvertently involved in another somewhat unplanned science experiment. Have you ever seen the reaction when mentos mints are added to a bottle of cola? I'd love to demonstrate this one tomorrow as well, however I don't think I would ever be invited back to the school if I made a terrible mess in the library. Instead I will settle for showing them via a youtube video clip where other scientists not only get to make all the mess but have a whole lot of fun doing so.

What is your favourite classroom science experiment?

Fun, laughter, mischief tied together in my two new books!

As most of my readers know by now, one of my goals in life is to help parents improve the literacy skills of their children by providing uniquely fun and imaginative books for them to read together. As I stood beside my former colleague and dear friend Sue LaFlamme and listened to her present the opening speech for my double book launch I realised two things. She really gets me and understands my dreams. I felt so honoured by her wonderful words of praise for both myself and my books, that I wanted to share her speech with all my readers that could not make it on that memorable morning here in Canberra. So, without any further ado, I give you Sue :-

It is with great pleasure that I introduce a fabulous person and author, Sandra Bennett, to you today. I have known Sandy for more than a decade and I have observed some wonderful things about her: - she is fun - she loves to laugh - she enjoys good mischief - she has a great sense of humour - she understands lots of special things about other people and particularly about kids, (big and small)

Most importantly she knows how good a fabulous well planned, researched, well-written and well-read book can be. So, I'm extremely lucky today because I am able to suggest that you dive into the pages of two new books. These are called "Emma the Eager Emu" and "Alien Shenanigans/" The two books are completely different, cleverly illustrating that Sandra Bennett is an adaptable author, knowing that her reading audiences love to read a range of genres and books that emphasise different things.

I think that your toughest decision today will be which one to read first, Emma the Eager Emu or Alien Shenanigans? Flip a coin! Heads. So, it's Emma the Eager Emu.

Actually, I'm not going to read it to you, but I'll introduce Emma to you through my eyes. First of all, Emu's are such big birds, that have big dreams. I'll tell you now, Emma is the same. She dreams big - of something I always wanted to do as a child - and that is to fly. Emma is extraordinary. She has intellect, persistence and the strongest of desires to make dreams real. Emma sets about this. as her creator - Sandra Bennett, sets about tasks - she plans, imagines, deliberates, investigates and keeps on going!

In the end I think you'll discover Emma's amazing feat. I can't tell you more, except that you will really enjoy reading this book. I will add that the illustrations are an absolute delight. Gourmet! Emma the Eager Emu will be well loved and recommended.

Now I turn to "Alien Shenanigans." It has a certain unknown mystery about it. Dad da daa! Are there truly such things as aliens? If so, or not (as the case may be) we can imagine that there are! We can also imagine a melody of mishaps around mischievous full of beans kids, especially when they come into contact with an observant, witty, lovable alien.

I wonder what your favourite part of Alien Shenanigans will be? Will it be foods that fly, the giggles, the serious investigations or the extreme science experiments?

My favourite part is the driving force behind the story - the kids. Sandra Bennett knows that without these characters - the kids - books, life and the universe would be somewhere less special, adventurous, creative and imaginative. True!

So, without further so ons, I'll introduce the lovely, clever and fun Sandra Bennett and her two new reads: "Emma the Eager Emu" and "Alien Shenanigans."

Thank you so much Sue for your faith in me and my books. The time you spent reading and preparing your speech was very much appreciated. I hope the kids in your class enjoyed both books.

Hands up, who believes in aliens? Could there really be lovable, mischievous aliens hiding out there somewhere?

For helpful tips and tricks to improve your child's reading come and join in the discussion by joining my facebook group Raising Awesome Readers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/847306541974020/855851921119482/?notif_t=like

Double Trouble and Mischief Make a Great Tale.

The other day as I was glancing through one of my Facebook groups I came upon the middle grade children's book "The Rabbit Ate my Homework" by Rachel Elizabeth Cole. I looked at the front cover and read the blurb and was so intrigued I was enticed to offer to read the story and write a review.

Rachel certainly did not disappoint. The book held up to my every expectation. As a former primary school teacher, I absolutely loved this! I read this story thinking all the time how an 8 to 10 year old student would enjoy reading it and felt they would laugh from beginning to end. It is certainly a story to encourage reluctant readers, which is something I am always searching for. Not only were the two main characters, Drew and his little sister Libby, believable, so too were the background characters including the two girls in Drew's class who proved to be a constant torment. The story provided huge doses of humour, a little intrigue and suspense, not to mention a large dollop of cuteness.

It raises many discussion opportunities as the story develops, right from the opening where Drew makes the decision to go against his father and ride his bike in the woods unsupervised. Naturally, mistakes are made and consequences must be faced, or do they? From this one seemingly innocent moment of quick decision things quickly escalate out of control. As I read this I couldn't help thinking about the lessons learned in my own chapter book "Gingerbread Aliens" where the three brothers must also face the consequences of their behaviours. Both books use humour and escalating problems before a resolution is eventually and inevitably reached. Naturally, there is the whole discussion topic of how to keep and take good care of a pet, especially one your parents don't know you have! The topic of bullying is a background issue but covered substantially well and sibling rivalry changes to a form of united understanding and bonding over a common cause.

A thoroughly entertaining story for readers 6 -12 years of age. I recommend it for home and school. Parents and teachers will delight in reading it aloud with their children. I gladly give it 5 stars.

The Importance of Reading Aloud.

The one main take home message I gained from having a stall at our community fair the other month came from discussions with parents as they looked at my books. I realised that parents still don't understand the importance of reading aloud to their child no matter the age. This has also been confirmed during my days working in the gift shop at Cullen Bay Darwin and selling my books during the book launch there as well. "What age is this book appropriate for?

"My child is only in kindergarten, she can't read that herself yet."

Time and time again it has become obvious that parents are still not getting the importance of shared reading aloud with their children.

Teachers can only do so much in the classroom when it comes to teaching reading, the fundamental building blocks of language have to be established in the family home. Reading together from birth stimulates the brain and enables significant connections to be made that develop the foundations for literacy.

Reading out loud to a child during the early pre-school years not only gives you a wonderful opportunity to snuggle with your children and show them how much you love them, it also allows you time to demonstrate a number of pre-reading language skills.

Picture books like "Emma the Eager Emu" provide a wealth of opportunities. 1. You model reading with great enthusiasm and expression. 2. Reading alliteration helps teach that language is made up of individual sounds not just words and syllables. 3. Repetition increases familiarity and produces opportunities for guessing what might happen next? 4. Vibrant illustrations allow for discussions and further language learning. 5. The more often you read, the more they will make the pre-reading connections such as which way up the book should be, front to back, words flow left to right and top to bottom to tell the story. 6. They will also realise the significance of the pictures in the story telling too. A picture truly can be worth a thousand words. 7. Increases empathy and understanding of the world around them. 8. Extends their vocabulary.

Once children reach that early independent reading level, parents seem to think their child needs to do it all alone. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Books like Gingerbread Aliens and Alien Shenanigans might be early independent chapter books but they are still excellent resources for sharing reading out loud together. Your 6 - 10 year old still needs you! 1. They still need to hear modeled reading out loud for expression. 2. It can be fun to share a humorous chapter book with your child. 3. It opens opportunities for discussion when you read together. 4. It provides opportunities to discuss any words they may have difficulty reading or understanding. 5. You can determine through questions whether they have comprehended what they have read. 6. If you read a book just above their level of ability, you extend their comprehension and vocabulary. 7. It builds wonderful memories of special time spent together reading and sharing no matter their age.

If you enjoyed reading this post and are interested in joining a discussion on helping parents, grandparents and other carers with encouraging children to read, please come and join us in my new group forum Raising Awesome Readers https://www.facebook.com/groups/847306541974020/?pnref=story. I'd be happy to see you there, I look forward to more people becoming involved in our chats and spreading the word on the importance of reading aloud.

How often do you read aloud with your child? What are you doing to build fond memories with them no matter what their age? What are you reading with them to help expand their vocabulary?