Lifestyle 2013: Picture Book Party

Ok, it's the end of the year and it is soooo hard to keep going myself let alone keep the kids growing and learning. The end of the year is the time, above all else, we need to be able to motivate kids with fun, engaging good old-fashioned learning.

Picture books are fabulous tools to get those kids engaged and wanting to be at school these last few weeks. And, if you happened to be a lucky one that's already out of school....well I hate you :0) but you may find this linky the PERFECT way to start your new year..... We've done the work for you! :0)

Do you have a favorite picture book that you always read to your kiddos....or a picture book that your kiddos have fallen in love with and require you to read countless times? I know I do.....too many to count. So, I thought it would be a perfect idea to put them in one place. I hope you add to our linky here :0) This linky contains NO products..... only good teaching ideas and/or a freebie here and there! Enjoy!

Here is one of my many, many favorites. It is my favorite specifically because it captures kids' creativity.......

I use Harold and the Purple Crayon when I am introducing Writer's Workshop at the beginning of the school year and again later when teaching kids how to "visualize".

Prior to even showing or mentioning this story I have kids color a square purple. I have them color it REALLY HARD, but I don't tell them why. It's a surprise and will help you become a better reader.

When I get ready to read Harold and the Purple Crayon, I begin by showing kids ...what else but a PURPLE CRAYON. I ask, "What is this?" and "What could this be used for?" Yes, the answers may seem straightforward. However, there's alot of deep thinking and creativity that can come out of those seemingly simple questions.

At first, I simply read the story and we talk about what the little boy is doing in the story -- those beautifully simple illustrations....how he becomes the author of his story by creating it. Opening up the kids minds to the stories they hold inside their hearts is a powerful thing. This story becomes a mantra for our budding Writer's Workshop - how we can all be the authors of our own glorious stories. I like to revisit this lesson at the end of the year too because I want kids buying into becoming authors not just during the school year, but the summer also. So, it's a great way to re-ignite the love for story telling, illustrating, and writing.

Later on I read the story again. However, this time I do not show the pictures in the book. Instead, the kids lay down with their eyes closed and simply listen to the same story. We talk about creating pictures in our heads -- yes they've seen the pictures but now must create them "in their heads" so their pictures are quite varied by this point.

I then show them how to cover their purple squares with black tempera paint. They still have no idea why.

After the black paint has dried, we talk about how we are going to be like Harold going out into the black night. We are going to become authors of our own stories. I model how to scratch the black paint and reveal the purple underneath.