Calling All Teachers: Support Teachable Moments!

No matter where you come down in the debates about  Common Core State Standards, every one who cares about kids and literacy knows this:

Books matter, 

and the quality of those books matters even more. 

Whether you're new to this blog or a loyal reader, my reasons for creating this blog arose from my deep commitment to helping anyone find and use the best picture books available. I advocated for the use of non-fiction picture books long before this CCSS debate began, and my three years of blog posts feature as many or more non-fiction titles as fiction. I've also spread the word from my tiny little platform about the value of a blog written by a list of award-winning non-fiction picture book authors, I. N. K. - Interesting Nonfiction for Kids. 

It has served the public for several years and continues to offer some of the best archives, links, and resources you'll find anywhere. As times change, though, so have the scope and intent of these authors. Common Core (and its related VERY costly testing demands) have played a role in this change. 

Authors always offered school visits, and I was lucky enough to coordinate visits for my school with INK-authors David M. Schwartz and Vicki Cobb. I'd have invited each and every one of them visit my school, but funds didn't stretch that far. These days, funds for school visits may not even exist, in part due to those testing costs.

How ironic is that? Just when national mandates are  shifting the attention of families and educators to non-fiction content, the funding to generate the excitement and interest of author visits all but disappeared. In addition, time constraints of frequent high-stakes testing and emphasis on "snapshot" scores meant each and every minute in the classroom was tightly scripted, limiting (or removing entirely) the spontaneity of pursuing "teachable moments" in the  school day. 

Several authors launched an alternative approach to sharing quality nonfiction books with kids through an outreach approach, iNK Think Tank!

I'm excited to share their latest news, a daily dose of "Teachable Moments" available in classrooms, beginning this September!

Here's a message about this incredibly important resource directly from Vicki Cobb:

 The Nonfiction Minute is a FREE daily post of original nonfiction pieces--250-400 words long by the award-winning nonfiction authors of iNK Think Tank.  The posts are being edited by Jean Reynolds, founder and former publisher of Millbrook Press.  You can preview them by following the link above.  September 8, is the official launch date. The preview posts, will be returned to the inventory to be repbulished later.and a new post will be published every school day. All published posts from that point on will be archived and easily accessible.

With the current emphasis on reading nonfiction, educators need easy access to high-quality material that they can use right away.  The Nonfiction Minute does this consistently on a daily basis; but it also does more.  It is a source for finding even more high-quality literature by these award-winning authors.  It is a direct link to longer-form books, essential for inquiry-driven learning across the curriculum.  It fosters and feeds curiosity, provides samples of exemplary writing from many voices, presents content and process in many disciplines, and can awaken a love for learning.  It creates the possibility that kids want to follow-up on the openings provided by The Nonfiction Minute for more than the brief time it’s in the spotlight on any school day.

What is newsworthy about this project? Never before have top children's authors organized to work directly with teachers and students to inspire them with the love of learning that drives them. 

Vicki-----------------------

Vicki Cobb
President, iNK Think Tank
www.inkthinktank.com
www.vickicobb.com
http://inkrethink.blogspot.com
www.EducationUpdate.com/VickiCobb
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vicki-cobb/

Back to my own words:

Here's the good news: this project is being crowd-sourced, designed, and delivered by the very people who produce the best non-fiction books you'll find. To make this happen I'm asking you to support their funding. Every single dollar counts. Here's more information about how to proceed:

Yesterday was the launch of their Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign for The Nonfiction Minute.  Click here for the Indiegogo page for their campaign. If you believe in what they're doing, a small contribution is all you need to do to help get the ball rolling. 

This is the first (and probably only) time I'll use this blog to solicit financial support for anything, and this one isn't for me. Please consider participating- with a donation, by spreading the news, and by giving this a try in your own classrooms.

It's for the kids. 

For the teachers. 

For the future.

More Oldies-But-Goodies!

Last week's post shared some memorable out-of-print titles that are worth the hunt to find on library and used-book shelves to share with readers of all ages. (No updates on finds so far, but don't give up, you'll love Edna Miller's classic,  Mousekin's Golden House!)

Houghton Mifflin, 1942

Here's an opportunity to enjoy some other classics that have, indeed, been reissued and continue to be available in print. (Woo-Hoo!) These are a series of similarly designed titles written and illustrated by Holling C. Holling, several of which have won Caldecott and Newbery honors, among many others awards.

TREE IN THE TRAIL was a Caldecott Honor book for 1941, setting the standard for other successful titles that followed. A cottonwood tree sprouts along the Sante Fe trail and stands witness to the unfolding of western American history, from Native American to Spanish expansion to homesteading, including the eventual use of its wood. Left-pages use text and black/white sketches, diagrams, inset charts, and maps providing well-researched information. Right-pages use full-color full-page art.

Houghton Mifflin, 1948 

PADDLE-TO-THE-SEA won the  Caldecott honor for 1948. It continues that layout pattern with a mobile story reference. A carved Indian figure in a canoe begins life in the high waters above Lake Superior and travels through the Great Lakes, into the Atlantic, ending in France. In this case the traveling witness takes the reader through the natural, social, technological, and ecological passages that make the Great Lakes a true Wonder of the World.

There is even a quirky little film/DVD of this one made in Canada.

In MINN OF THE MISSISSIPPI, the 1951winner of Newbery Honors, the traveling witness, a turtle hatchling, carries the reader from the headwaters of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

PAGOO is yet another Holling title which offers a detailed exploration of a tide pool through the experiences of a hermit crab. Pagoo's reliance on his instinct drives his actions and reactions, allowing him to survive and navigate a tricky but beautiful biological habitat.

SEABIRD, 1948 Newbery Honor winner, is a carved figure that is the traveling mascot of four generations of seafarers, accompanying each on progressively more advanced means of transportation.

If you read one of these titles, you're likely to become addicted to the art spreads, the graphics, the text, the central characters, or all of the above. These are books that can be enjoyed by the youngest for their adventures and images, but can (and should) grow in significance with readers throughout school years.

These titles may continue in print because of their presence on the Caldecott and Newbery lists, but they could also have been written today by someone targeting the market for picture books with fiction/non-ficiton parallel text and content that can well-serve the widely adopted common core state standards.

Maybe it's true what they say, everything old is new again, at least if it was of the highest quality, and if it won enough awards to stay in print. Are there any other fans of these classics out there? Chime in with your comments!