Teaching Ideas from Across America

Say It with Music (and Art, Too)

I love teaching language arts with the benefits of art and music. By designing art-related assignments, I'm able to "draw" out students who are good with their hands or feet or voice and can explain artistically the impact of a piece of literature on them.

Having the kids construct a board game to review a unit, create and perform a rap on a character, illustrate a favorite scene, or create a parable using a peer's personality produces some wonderfully creative and artistic reflections.

An event I hold twice a year is our Camden Coffee House, where I provide refreshments and the students share the artistic accomplishments which make our class and life so enjoyable.

Joanne D. Reinhart, Eighth Grade English Teacher, Caesar Rodney Junior High, Camden, DE

Milkweed with monarch butterfly eggs is put in water and displayed on our science shelf. Magnifying glasses are provided so children can observe each stage.

The stages can be the basis of an art activity. Divide a paper plate into four sections. In the first section, children color milkweed leaves and stems and then glue one grain of rice to represent a monarch egg. In the second section, they glue spiral pasta, painted yellow, black and white, to represent a caterpillar.

In the third section, they paint shell macaroni green to show the chrysalis. In the final section, they paint butterfly macaroni orange and black. Punch holes in the sides of the plate and thread yarn through the holes so you can hang the plate on the wall.

Jan Ortner, Kindergarten Teacher, Longfellow School, Alameda, CA

As I embark on a new challenge in reading recovery, I am constantly reminded of students who ask, upon receiving praise for a job well done, "What are you going to give me?"

I learned long ago that success linked only to the materialistic world fades quickly and has little to do with future accomplishments. On the other hand, helping students see their value as responsible decision-makers who are worthy of our time and interactions gives them pride and confidence.

Material rewards should be used sparingly for special occasions and appreciated as rare gifts. Rewards such as student artwork and writings displayed in the hall, shared student-published books, being "Star of the Week," and so forth, are far better investments of our energies and send powerful messages to students. Teaching children to find contentment through the excellence of their successes will foster independence and help them form lifetime habits that are priceless.

Brenda W. Lee, Reading Recovery Teacher, Griggs Road Elementary School, Clover, SC

To encourage reading in my classroom, I use several different strategies. The reading corner in the back of the room includes magazines and library books, which I change periodically. I also include some books I order through the school's book clubs. In addition, there's a sustained silent reading time daily throughout the school.

Furthermore, to correspond with our school's accelerated reading program, I have a chart with which I keep track of the number of books the students read. When a student passes an accelerated reader test, he or she can choose a ticket. Some examples of tickets include being first in line, helping me teach a lesson, sitting in a different seat for one day, and being excused from one homework assignment.

Christiane Loyer Gonzalez, Fifth Grade Teacher, Bob Harding Shawmut Elementary School, Valley, AL

Every teacher has reluctant readers, but as a Title 1 reading teacher I have many "don't-have-time-to-read" readers. In order to get my students to read, I need to convince them that my books are more exciting than Nintendo, MTV, and the Internet. Here are some of the turn-ons I've used:

Read to the group. This is simple and it works. If there's a slow part, paraphrase it or omit it; stop at the good part and leave them hanging.

Give book talks. It helps some kids understand the story line. Your enthusiasm can sell a lot.

Give "silent" book talks. I do these during sustained silent reading time. While they're reading, you interrupt and say aloud, "I can't believe this part; listen to this!" or you start laughing aloud and say, "You'll need to read this. It's sooo funny." Sometimes students will be so excited about a book that I'll stop everything and let them share immediately. Students are wonderful PR sources.

Tell them that they're too young. "You're not old enough to read this," or "You can't read this until you're in second grade." Nothing makes books more enticing.

Use the "bad word" hook. All you need to do is mention that this book might have a questionable word in it and it will become very popular --­ especially among upper elementary students.

Make it a forbidden book. This is great with upper elementary students. I tell them that they can't read this book until I have a note from their parents giving me permission to let them have it.

Harriet Harris, Title 1 Coordinator, USD 261 Haysville, Haysville, KS

I use novels to teach reading to my fifth-graders. We do a variety of journal activities with each novel and alternate these activities with discussion group activities in which we work on taking turns and so on.

In order to keep the conversation flowing in these discussion groups, I have the children come to each group with a prepared sheet of questions and vocabulary to discuss. I teach the children the differences between "yes" and "no" questions, factual questions, and thinking questions. I model each type in the fall, and we analyze what makes a good thinking question. The children soon learn how to start a question so that it is a thinking question.

Here are some examples from E. L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (Atheneum, 1970): Would you rather have Claudia or Jamie for a friend? Give reasons. How would you try to solve the mystery of who made the angel? Why do you think the author made Mrs. Frankweiler sound like a snob in the beginning and nice at the end? What do you think Jamie and Claudia will do with the sketch?

You'll be surprised at the quality of the questions children write once they know a variety of leads that will enable them to write thinking questions.

Sharon Byrne, Fifth Grade Teacher, Countryside School, Edina, MN

At the beginning of the year, I create a poster-size, blank jigsaw puzzle with 30 pieces. Each student is given a piece of the puzzle to decorate. After the pieces have been decorated, I put magnetic tape on the back of each piece. The puzzle is then put together.

The puzzle represents unity, togetherness, and wholeness. When a student misbehaves or does not meet class expectations, his or her piece is removed from the puzzle. This illustrates that not only does the behavior affect the child who is misbehaving, it also affects the class. The class is not whole unless the class is all together.

Each student records his or her behavior in his or her day planner. The purpose is twofold: Students have a record of their behavior, and parents know about their child's behavior.

Janet K. Crossley, Third Grade Teacher, David Cox Road Elementary School, Charlotte, NC

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