Amber Crawford 12/18/24 Amber Crawford 12/18/24

December: Your Guide to a Purposeful Holiday Season: A Collection of NAEYC Resources to Support Early Childhood Educators and Families

Holidays in a Diverse World: Applying Anti-Bias Thinking in Curriculum explores how educators can thoughtfully approach holiday celebrations in early learning settings.

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/holiday-season-resources

12/02/2024

Take an intentional approach to the holiday season using a curated collection of resources from Teaching Young Children, NAEYC books, and our blog! Find ideas for creating joyful moments and holding space for diverse traditions in early learning settings and at home. And families can explore ways to approach thoughtful gift-giving and selecting materials for their children.

Creating Joyful Moments and Holding Space for Diverse Traditions

Holidays in a Diverse World: Applying Anti-Bias Thinking in Curriculum explores how educators can thoughtfully approach holiday celebrations in early learning settings. It offers strategies to honor diverse traditions, encourage inclusivity, and challenge stereotypes, helping children develop respect for different cultures while fostering a sense of belonging. Perfect for educators looking to align their holiday activities with anti-bias principles, this resource provides actionable insights for creating a more equitable and inclusive learning environment.

Are you a family member looking for budget-friendly ways to create engaging learning experiences for your children over winter break? Check out the Message in a Backpack™ feature Making STEM Connections with Your Child for creative ideas and low-cost STEM materials to help you get started with making and tinkering at home.

“I Helped Mama Too!” Cooking With a Tiny Helper highlights the joy and learning opportunities of involving children in the kitchen. Cooking together can be a wonderful way to bond, create traditions, and build skills. Whether stirring, measuring, or simply observing, children can feel included and proud of their contributions.

Thoughtful Gift-Giving to Foster Play and Learning

Chapter 5: Play Materials That Help Me Construct Knowledge and Understanding in Infants and Toddlers at Play: Choosing the Right Stuff
Consider materials such as balls, bubbles, finger paint, or fabric pieces to provide sensory stimulation and support cognitive development for infants and toddlers.
Chapter 15: Play Materials That Enhance My Fine Motor Skills in Preschoolers at Play: Choosing the Right Stuff for Learning and Development
Materials like shovels, building toys, playdough, and lacing cards can help preschoolers build wrist flexibility, hand strength, and finger dexterity.
Message in a Backpack™. Big Words for Little Learners: Building Vocabulary While Reading Together
Are you planning to give children’s books as gifts? Follow these tips to help foster vocabulary knowledge while sharing in the joy of reading with children.
Message in a Backpack™ Encouraging Process Art at Home: Reaping the Benefits of Joy and Making
Have your children received art materials as gifts? Help them engage in process art as they explore and experience materials without working toward a particular end product.
Why This Toy?
See this resource for some questions to consider before selecting a toy or children’s product.
Toys as Tools: Everyday Science Experiences
Simple toys and tools can engage children as they explore natural phenomena in ways that will support their later science learning and help children build their problem-solving skills.
Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage
Toys for young children need to match their stages of development and emerging abilities. See suggestions for younger and older infants, toddlers, and 3- to 6-year-olds.

Amber Crawford 12/18/24 Amber Crawford 12/18/24

December: Learning During School Breaks

For the holidays, everything slows, Except for kids when schools are closed. No need to feel stressed. Your library loves guests.

https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/book-life/learning-during-school-breaks

As my family spent some quality time together over the recent long weekend, it was clear that we’d all needed some downtime, play, and rest.

No matter what age your kids are, a break from school is great for recharging everyone’s batteries. As their energy builds back up — sometimes very quickly! — kids need an outlet for it. Though it may seem that the last thing on their minds is learning, I’ve found that activities that spark their curiosity (opens in a new window) often lead to reading and the discovery of new and meaningful things.

With Thanksgiving and winter breaks approaching, extended out-of-school time has been on my mind. Like it might during summer break (opens in a new window), learning can slow down or even stop for many children when schools are closed. Who better to turn to then than an expert in reading and learning outside the classroom — my local children’s librarian, Basheer Kareem!

Basheer is a Youth Services Librarian with Arlington Public Library (opens in a new window). I love getting to chat with him at the Westover branch where he often shares his book recommendations with me or his passion for a particular storytime activity and the enthusiastic reactions of participants. Formerly, he worked as a librarian in the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System and as a librarian at the Applied Technology High School and Secondary Technology School in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

He’s all about helping kids foster a fascination with books. It makes me so happy to welcome Basheer to Book Life to share his ideas for connecting kids to literacy-rich experiences that are great for families whether school is open or closed.

Recharge at the Library by Basheer L. Kareem

For the holidays, everything slows,
Except for kids when schools are closed.
No need to feel stressed.
Your library loves guests.
I promise you’ll never impose!

To some, that may sound like just a silly limerick. But I’m offering it here as an invitation to all parents and caregivers as a great way to keep kids engaged in fun activities that will help keep them learning when school is out. While we all often think of holiday breaks as a time to unwind, kids might get a little restless at home. There are lots of creative ways to answer cries about boredom beyond simply reaching for the remote. And they all start at your library!

Many public libraries offer play-and-learn spaces filled with educational toys and puzzles that are designed to help get young children thinking, moving, and talking. At the Arlington Public Library where I serve as a Youth Services Librarian, we have a playful learning space called Arlingtown (opens in a new window) at each of our eight branch locations. Here, parents and caregivers of preschoolers can participate in a number of fun activities while engaging their little ones in the five early literacy practices (opens in a new window) of talking, writing, reading, playing, and singing.

Public libraries are also the premiere destination for you and your children to enjoy delightful storytime programs that promote literacy through songs, fingerplays, rhymes, and read-alouds. When children come to listen to exciting stories, contemplate fascinating characters, and reply to curious questions about the readings, little do they know that they are expanding their imagination, comprehension, and vocabulary.

Taking your kids to all types of storytimes builds early literacy skills. Programs like my Tunes and Tales Storytime (opens in a new window) use music and singing to help children improve their letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and pronunciation. Participating in programs like our Family Storytime (opens in a new window)can help foster a love of reading in your household, as well as help strengthen your family bonds. By attending various storytime programs at your local library, your children will enter a learning zone unlike anything at school or at home!

They say home is where the heart is. But during the holidays, the library is where the fun is. That’s where you’re likely to discover early elementary book clubs for your beginning readers! Early reader book clubs, such as the Elephant and Piggie Book Club (opens in a new window) offered at my library, help kids in grades K-2 hone their reading skills by practicing in a circle of friends. Such programs also incorporate post-reading questions to build children’s critical thinking skills. But if your child happens to be shy around other kids, then a Paws to Read program might be the perfect fit for them. Paws helps children build confidence in their reading skills by allowing them to practice in front of a friendly, trained dog at the library! Labradors, collies, beagles…no matter the breed, dogs just have a way of making kids want to read.

But one of the best things about going to the library is that you can bring a piece of the fun back home with you! Books abound and your librarian can help you find and check out plenty of fiction and nonfiction titles that appeal to your readers. At my library, we even offer Storytime Kits (opens in a new window) so that you can take home everything you need to hold your own storytime and keep the reading fun going. You can also use great materials like Reading Rockets’ recommended booklists, their Reading Adventure Packs, or the themes at Start with a Book (opens in a new window) to build on resources available at your library and support your family reading activities at home.

Listen, I get it. Having your kids take up reading during their relaxing holiday breaks from school is a herculean task. And the temptation will be there to just let them watch videos for hours on end so that you can conquer the things on your Mount Everest-sized to do list.

So, what is the key to not giving in? I say it is getting out!

Check your local library’s website frequently to find out about all the fantastic activities and resources they have to offer. You’re sure to discover things like reading challenges, writing competitions, book clubs, author talks, craft classes, art contests, puppet and magic performances, maker space workshops, STEM programs, awesome book recommendations, and much, much more.

So, if you want your children to read,
Without having to beg them and plead,
On holiday breaks,
The library’s great,
I promise they won’t want to leave!

Amber Crawford 12/18/24 Amber Crawford 12/18/24

December: Snow Days: Resources to Share With Students and Parents

Is snow in the forecast? Here are some engaging science, reading, and writing resources to share with parents.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/snow-days-resources-share-students-and-parents-matt-davis

Is snow in the forecast? Here are some engaging science, reading, and writing resources to share with parents.

By Matt Davis

December 13, 201

Winter is here, and for parts of the country snow is in the forecast. Although most teachers love a snow day here and there, prolonged closures disrupt the flow of learning and prevent teachers from introducing new material.

So what can educators do? Beyond sending assignments home with students, there are plenty of engaging, interesting winter-themed projects, activities, and exercises to share with students and their families. From winter reading to writing prompts and fun science explorations, these fun lessons and activities offer a great way to keep students engaged during unexpected breaks.

FUN AND FREE SNOW DAY LEARNING RESOURCES

How Do Avalanches Form? Lesson Plan: PBS LearningMedia’s lesson provides students a chance to explore how and why avalanches occur. A short video lesson with accompanying text provides a clear explainer on unsafe snow conditions. Plus, Discovery Education’s Avalanche! lesson lets students simulate an avalanche using around-the-house items, a fun learning activity for a snowy day.

The Science of Snowflakes Lesson: This TEDed video gives kids a brief, insightful overview of how snowflakes form, with accompanying discussion questions. For elementary students, it’s a great way to introduce or reinforce water cycle concepts. PBS LearningMedia’s Physics of Snowflakes lesson provides a fun activity for exploring the fascinating science of how snowflakes form.

Polar Science Reading Resources for Students: Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, an online professional development publication from the Ohio State University, is designed to help elementary teachers teach polar science. The student stories section provides students with a chance to explore a number of polar science concepts, from polar geology to igloo engineering. Each story is designed for K–1, 2–3, or 4–5, and most have accompanying activities.

At-Home Ice Science Projects: In this lesson from Science Kids, a New Zealand–based science learning site, students experiment with how salt affects the temperature of ice. Another great lesson from Science Kids, Will the Ice Melt and Overflow?, encourages kids to test a hypothesis about ice melt.

General Science Mini-Projects From the Exploratorium: “Science Snacks” features exciting science mini-projects and activities students can do at home. All of the teacher-tested ideas use cheap, around-the-house items. A range of topics are covered, and there are lessons for students of all ages.

5 Writing Prompts About Winter: WriteShop has some fun writing prompts for snowy days. From “snow-crostics” to writing about winter memories, this resource offers a quick explanation for each and can help get the creative juices flowing.

Winter and Holiday Reading Passages: ReadWorks offers winter-themed reading passages for K–6 students that test comprehension. All the passages are available for download (but require users to sign up for a free account.) Many of the passages relate to the earth and life sciences.

All About Snow Reading Resources: The National Snow & Ice Data Center’s “All About Snow” section features numerous articles about snow science, winter ecology, and winter weather. This is a wonderful resource to share with curious kids, and it offers a great starting point for exploring many different subjects.

MORE FUN RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

These are just a few winter-themed resources out there. Here’s a list of some additional links that are worth a look.

Parent Guide to Winter via Scholastic
Eight Ways Animals Survive Winter via Science News
Create Your Own Digital Snowflakes via PeteHawkes.com
10 Fun Indoor and Outdoor Ideas via IBTimes
Flaking Out: How Snow Forms via Mother Nature News
Books About Snow Days via ReadingRockets

Deborah Hopkinson

Illustrator:

Don Tate

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography

Amber Crawford 2/3/24 Amber Crawford 2/3/24

February: Connecting Black History to Joy

Black History Month isn’t only about pain—it can be a full-fledged celebration of accomplishments that have shaped America.

By Hedreich Nichols

January 31, 2023

Each February, schools and organizations all over the United States celebrate Black History Month. This is a month when Americans of African descent are celebrated, their historic achievements highlighted. Often, stories of oppression and overcoming are centered, with heroes like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and other civil rights icons playing major roles. Other times, students are reminded of the heroic achievements of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and other heroic actors from the period of enslavement. Although these are important parts of the African American experience in the U.S., we rarely connect that history to Black experiences and events that feel joyous and celebratory.

While using Black history lessons to fill in the gaps in civics and general curriculum is necessary, so is providing access to stories that do not see the Black experience as one rooted only in oppression and enslavement.

EXPLORE EXPANSIVE BLACK HISTORY ORIGINS

It’s paramount that we use Black History Month to remind us all that the origins of Black American society did not start with colonization. Just as U.S. history books recognize America’s ties to Great Britain, African American history is anchored in traditions of great and powerful nations that long predate the transatlantic slave trade.

For example, most of your students will not know that the Great Wall of Benin (in the geographic region of modern-day Nigeria) was estimated to be four times longer than the Great Wall of China. Even teachers and language specialists may not know that Ge’ez (ግዕዝ ), a living language developed in the kingdom of Aksum (near modern-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia) is one of the great literary languages of the ancient world.

Similarly, neither teachers nor students are likely to know that the way we refrigerate food, treat blindness, use computers, ride trains, and safely use elevators are all things we owe to Black inventors.

Every educator and every student should be able to do the following:

Name five Black history figures unrelated to the Civil Rights Movement
Name at least one Black community tradition
Name at least one Black historical music pioneer or genre
Name one pop culture trend from the Black community that has gone mainstream (e.g., high-fiving)
Name at least one Black millionaire

While researching and learning from one another, see if you and your class can put a list together of at least 10 modern Black firsts. Through this student-led, research-centered approach, stories unrelated to oppression can find their way into the spotlight, alongside the legendary stories of sit-ins and the Underground Railroad.

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TAP INTO #BLACKJOY

Equally important to whom we celebrate is how we celebrate. Highlighting joyous events and the contributions of Black Americans to America’s success brings a sense of lightness to the month. In the online Black community, “Black Joy” has its own hashtag.

What fun could it be to have students bring in examples of joyous events or Black firsts for a class billboard: Amanda Gorman’s National Youth Poet Laureate designation and presidential inaugural poem; Zaila Avant-garde’s Spelling Beewin; and even Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles’s engagement to Texans safety Jonathan Owens—because February is also the month we celebrate love. Celebrating Black joy sets the tone for, well, celebration!

SET A CELEBRATORY TONE IN YOUR LESSONS

Black History Month can feel heavy because of the constant reminders of the traumatic enslavement and Jim Crow eras, but it doesn’t have to be. To be sure, 250 years of enslavement and the struggle for liberation is a big part of the African American experience. The consequences of that time cast long shadows over communities, still. But music, dance, laughter, and love–the moments that have allowed the Black community to thrive—are also mixed in with every tear that has been shed.

A good place to start setting a celebratory tone would be with music and dance. Explore hip-hop culture for bridge-building activities in English language arts or with apps like Flocabulary, which has already cut a path. Sounds and rhythms that have grown out of the African American experience touch virtually every modern musical art form. Explore with your students with activities like these:

Learn how to dance bachata or salsa, honoring Afro-Latinx communities
Copy simple djembe beats with desk drumming
Learn a gospel song, or clap and move to the rhythm of one

Gospel is cultural as well as religious, but be sure to discuss this with your administrators and offer an alternative to any students who may feel uncomfortable taking part.

TAKE A VIRTUAL TRIP

One additional way to add joy to Black History Month celebrations is to virtually traverse the countless cultural and architectural African American landmarks throughout the country.

Visit sites and interactive links like African American Heritage Sites, a searchable database that features almost 2,000 historical sites, museums, and trails to visit online, or you can even plan a field trip to visit. After all, Black history is American history, so any month is a good time to see these cultural assets that have survived time.

Finally, if you want to continue highlighting achievement and the joy this month brings, check out this Edutopia article I wrote, which has a plethora of resources.

This month is an important time for our country, providing us with the opportunity to reflect on our past and to celebrate the diverse flavor that Americans of African descent bring to the fabric of America. Together with your students, as you intentionally seek out opportunities to add lightness and joy to your celebrations, hopefully you’ll be making some history of your own.

Amber Crawford 2/3/24 Amber Crawford 2/3/24

February: Now Read This! Books that Promote Race, Identity, Agency, and Voice

explores promoting children’s identity, agency, and voice regarding race through picture books

BRIAN L. WRIGHT

Editors’ Note: This is the first article in a two-part series that explores promoting children’s identity, agency, and voice regarding race through picture books. Included in this article are three exemplary books that early childhood educators can use to foster critical conversations and to address children’s developing and unknown biases.

It’s the first day of preschool. The class is getting ready for their morning meeting, and Niles, a 4-year-old Black boy, and Rachel, a 4-year-old White girl, sit next to each other on the carpet after playing together in the dramatic play area. Mr. Hawkins (a White male and first-year teacher) rings a chime to get the children’s attention and announces, “Boys and girls, the letter of the day is B. It makes the sound buh, and it’s the first letter in boy, bat, baseball, bright, balloon, and ball.” Without raising his hand, Niles blurts out, “And, and BLACK!” Upon hearing Niles’s outburst, the other children begin laughing. Arie says, “Black, yuck!” and Noah comments, “I hate that color.” Olivia says, “Eww, you’re Black, Niles!” Cody (a 4-year-old White boy) then shouts, “My Dad said Black people get shot a lot!”

Feeling embarrassed and sad by these reactions, Niles pushes back from the group and puts his head in his lap. With a look of shock on his face, Mr. Hawkins immediately says to the class, “We don’t treat our classmates that way,” and, one by one, he asks the children who commented on Niles’s statement to apologize to him. As they each apologize, Niles, barely looking up from his lap and with tears in his eyes, feels Rachel’s hand on his back comforting him.

Uneasy and unprepared to move forward, Mr. Hawkins asks the students to return to their seats and draw, and he requests that Niles come talk to him outside the classroom door.

Frequently, first-year teachers like Mr. Hawkins enter classrooms unprepared to appropriately address topics related to race. They also may lack cultural competence (in terms of their knowledge, skills, and dispositions) to engage children in complex matters about race and cultural differences—especially differences that depart from the White-centered ways of knowing and being that are usually unacknowledged and are operating in educational settings (and beyond). Even teachers who have been teaching for many years can be uncomfortable talking about matters of race(ism) and discrimination in their classrooms.

Because most early childhood educators are White and female, their ability to engage young children in honest and developmentally appropriate conversations about race(ism) and discrimination is vital. It is especially critical in light of the recent racist events involving the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks and countless others.

How can teachers like Mr. Hawkins help children move beyond mere apologies when they make hurtful comments involving race and other “isms”? How can they prepare to go beyond surface-level statements like “We don’t treat our classmates that way” to get to the heart of the matter? Cases like the opening vignette, which involves race, the policing of Black bodies, and stereotypes that center on anti-Blackness, require much more than swift admonishments and apologies.

Reading and discussing carefully selected picture books is one way to address matters of race(ism) and discrimination and to promote self-identity, agency, and voice in young children. Using multicultural children’s books that focus on sensitive topics requires consideration of children’s ages to determine developmentally appropriate ways to present the content. Defaulting to the belief that a child is too young is not an option; racial bias can start as early as 2 1/2 to 3 years of age.

Reading and discussing carefully selected picture books is one way to address matters of race(ism) and discrimination.

Therefore, teachers are encouraged to engage with multicultural children’s books in various formats, such as through a read aloud followed by a small group or one-on-one instruction to explore and talk about a book’s pictures, setting, characters, key problems or events, and solution. There is also an opportunity to vary (based on the ages of the children involved) the rigor of and exposure to new vocabulary and concepts such as race, racism, discrimination, inequality, and social justice. Doing so encourages children to challenge and disrupt their own racial biases and those that manifest in classrooms and society.

Here are three exemplary books that early childhood teachers can use to do just that.

BLACK is a Rainbow Color

by Angela Joy, provides an authentic celebration of Blackness and offers all children—Black children in particular—with an opportunity to develop racial pride in the color of their skin. In the vignette, Niles’s confidence in sharing his association of the letter B to Black implies he has learned positive things about what it means to be Black, but some of his classmates have not.

Try this! Teachers can proactively engage children with positive depictions of the color black, as portrayed in Joy’s book. They can also challenge widely held anti-Black sentiments used in everyday expressions, such as “the black sheep of the family,” and stereotypical attitudes and beliefs that “black is bad” and/or “dirty.” Also, teachers can celebrate Black people’s contributions beyond a “tourist approach” (e.g., as an add-on in February for Black History Month) to fully integrate the experiences and contributions of Black people throughout the school year. In doing so, children are exposed to the concept of curriculum as windows and mirrors, which encourages positive self-identity and positive perceptions and representations of others in the minds of all children.

Something Happened In Our Town:
A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice

by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, invites children to participate in a candid discussion about the many ways they are exposed to race(ism). The book deals with the sensitive topics of race(ism) and police brutality as understood from different perspectives. The two youngest characters, Emma (a White girl) and Josh (a Black boy), learn from their families about matters of race(ism) and discrimination. The book concludes with an extensive “Note to Parents and Caregivers” that provides general guidance for addressing racism with children.

Try this! This book could have helped Mr. Hawkins respond to Cody’s comment about Black people and their interactions with police officers. It is important to note that police officers regularly come up in early childhood classrooms as community helpers. Teachers like Mr. Hawkins must understand that modeling open and honest developmentally appropriate conversations with young children about racial, ethnic, and cultural differences—including during a study of community helpers—is the foundation for talking about racism and discrimination. Children can be encouraged to identify injustice and take action (e.g., design a campaign to demonstrate for equality) in their community.

You Matter

by Christian Robinson, invites young children to see their cultural worlds in new and different ways and conveys to children what it means to matter, to have a sense of belonging, and to become whatever they believe is possible for themselves.

Try this! Teachers can emphasize the different ways we are connected and why and how everyone matters. Mr. Hawkins could use this book to approach and join local and national discussions about the #BlackLivesMatter movement. In addition to saying, “We don’t treat our classmates that way,” he and his students could discuss the experience of being made to feel like you don’t matter because of the way you think, speak, or act. Such reflections can help children understand how people like Niles may feel when negative comments are made about the color of their skin.

Finally, it’s okay to let your students know in the moment that you will not always know or have the answers. Resources such as the books presented in this article can help teachers and children have meaningful conversations about matters of race(ism), identity, and culture. Educating children about the world in which they live serves to promote a healthy self-identity, agency, and voice that prepares and empowers our youngest citizens to advance equity in society.

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Amber Crawford 1/5/24 Amber Crawford 1/5/24

January: Teaching ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’

The open letter by Martin Luther King Jr. is an excellent resource for teaching persuasive writing and much more.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-letter-birmingham-jail

The open letter by Martin Luther King Jr. is an excellent resource for teaching persuasive writing and much more.

By Renee Moore

September 22, 2021

If I could teach only one text, it would be Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (LBJ).

What first draws students is the author. Most have heard excerpts from “I Have a Dream,” but few of them know that King was also a powerful writer. My rural Southern students’ respect for King’s reputation is enough to pique their curiosity, but they are usually intimidated by the length of the piece (“This is a letter!”). To encourage them, I highlight that he wrote the letter while he was in solitary confinement. This fact creates another point of connection, especially for the African American males, many of whom have already had their own conflicts with law enforcement or almost certainly know someone who has.

This reading comes as the centerpiece of a unit on persuasive writing. LBJ is one of two great examples of persuasive writing, the other being the Declaration of Independence, which we read first. Like Thomas Jefferson, King uses classical logic, including a well-structured categorical syllogism, to defend his ideas.

The letter is divided into 10 sections, each either responding to a charge or making a challenge. Using the jigsaw reading technique, one or more students analyze each section of the letter, identifying the rhetorical techniques used and evaluating how successful that section might have been with the target audience. Then, putting our evaluations together, we look at what we have learned from King about earning respectful consideration for one’s ideas.

The rich historical allusions in “Letter from Birmingham Jail” entice and reward additional study. For example, King cites the long global tradition of civil disobedience, from Socrates to the Boston Tea Party. He also references a thoughtful blend of biblical and classical literature. He introduces my students to some of the great thinkers of the ages, including T. S. Elliot and Reinhold Niebuhr. Using these sources as markers, King places the civil rights struggle in its context as part of a longer, larger human story.

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A LESSON IN CIVIL RIGHTS

LBJ is a primer on the civil rights movement, specifically 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama, which was a critical point in the struggle for human rights. King methodically outlines the four steps taken by the civil rights activists during a campaign: collecting information, negotiations, self-purification, and direct action. The letter animates historical terms such as interposition, states’ rights, and nullification by showing the human cost of social change. Students marvel that after failing to achieve change through talks, the activists spent days or even weeks training themselves not to respond violently to brutal treatment.

Since the events of 1963 are ancient history to today’s students, I usually preface the study of the letter with a discussion of the documentary Mighty Times: The Children’s March, which is available from Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance). The documentary highlights the role of school-age children in the fight against segregation in Birmingham. Along with King, thousands of students volunteered to violate the city’s segregation laws and be jailed, some for up to two weeks. My students are particularly impressed that teenagers like themselves played such key and sacrificial roles in the fight for equality.

EXEMPLARY WRITING

As a writing text, LBJ is elegant and passionate. It contains a challenging range of vocabulary, grammatical structures, stylistic elements, and ideas. For instance, in response to the charge that the Black people of Birmingham were being premature and impatient in their use of demonstrations to end segregation, King vividly transports the readers into the daily life of a Black father in the Jim Crow South using a stream-of-consciousness technique:

Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, ‘Wait.’ But… when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people…

In passages such as this, I show students the value of detailed evidence and appeal to empathy in support of a persuasive point.

Likewise, answering the charge that he is a political extremist, King first redefines himself as “stand[ing] in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community.” Then, with rhetorical deftness, he realigns himself and the civil rights movement alongside some of history’s most celebrated extremists, including Martin Luther and Thomas Jefferson.

One of the most difficult concepts to teach novice writers about persuasion is the importance of writing for a specific audience. King writes to an ecumenical group of fellow clergymen, who had written a public letter deploring the use of direct, nonviolent actions. He establishes both his connection and credibility with his readers, while also chiding them for their own hypocrisy to the mission of the Christian church (with a nod to Greek mythology).

I appreciate that “Letter from Birmingham Jail” easily lends itself to many teaching approaches, to integrated subject content, and to student creativity. As a literary work, it can be a launching point, a bridge, or a culminating piece. There always seems to be more to discover and never enough time, which is why I continue to revisit it alongside my students.

Amber Crawford 1/5/24 Amber Crawford 1/5/24

January: Books for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

he titles below include children’s books about Dr. King, fiction and nonfiction books about ordinary people who stand up for what’s right, and stories about helping others and giving back.

https://www.readingrockets.org/books-and-authors/booklists/black-history-and-culture/books-martin-luther-king-jr-day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrates the life and civil rights work of Dr. King. In 1994, the holiday was officially recognized as a National Day of Service where volunteers across the country work together to make a difference in their communities. The titles below include children’s books about Dr. King, fiction and nonfiction books about ordinary people who stand up for what’s right, and stories about helping others and giving back.

I Am Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks, James Haskins

Illustrator:

Wil Clay

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

THROUGH MY EYES BOOK INFO

Through My Eyes

Ruby Bridges

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

MARTIN’S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. BOOK INFO

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Doreen Rappaport

Illustrator:

Bryan Collier

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman

Alan Schroeder

Illustrator:

Jerry Pinkney

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

ROSA BOOK INFO

Rosa

Nikki Giovanni

Illustrator:

Bryan Collier

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING BOOK INFO

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King

Jean Marzollo

Illustrator:

Brian Pinkney

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Nonfiction, Biography

PLANTING THE TREES OF KENYA: THE STORY OF WANGARA MAATHAI BOOK INFO

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangara Maathai

Claire Nivola

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

DEAR MR. ROSENWALD BOOK INFO

Dear Mr. Rosenwald

Carole Boston Weatherford

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Historical Fiction, Fiction

Barbara Cooney

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Fiction, Historical Fiction

CITY GREEN BOOK INFO

City Green

DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Fiction

THE GARDENER BOOK INFO

The Gardener

Sarah Stewart

Illustrator:

David Small

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Historical Fiction, Fiction

Patricia Polacco

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction, Historical Fiction

SIDE BY SIDE: THE STORY OF DOLORES HUERTA AND CÉSAR CHÁVEZ/LADO A LADO: LA HISTORIA DE DOLORES HUERTA Y CESAR CHÁVEZ BOOK INFO

Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and César Chávez/Lado a Lado: La Historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar Chávez

Monica Brown

Illustrator:

Joe Cepeda

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

GENERATION FIX: YOUNG IDEAS FOR A BETTER WORLD BOOK INFO

Generation Fix: Young Ideas for a Better World

Elizabeth Rusch

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Nonfiction, Biography

SEEDS OF FREEDOM: THE PEACEFUL INTEGRATION OF HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA BOOK INFO

Seeds of Freedom: The Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama

Hester Bass

Illustrator:

E.B. Lewis

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Nonfiction

BECAUSE THEY MARCHED BOOK INFO

Because They Marched

Russell Freedman

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Nonfiction

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A LIFE OF DISCOVERY BOOK INFO

(opens in a new window)

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery

Russell Freedman

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Nonfiction, Biography

LUNA AND ME: THE TRUE STORY OF A GIRL WHO LIVED IN A TREE TO SAVE A FOREST BOOK INFO

Luna and Me: The True Story of a Girl Who Lived in a Tree to Save a Forest

Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Nonfiction, Biography

Joanne Robertson

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Nonfiction

THANKS TO FRANCES PERKINS: FIGHTER FOR WORKERS’ RIGHTS BOOK INFO

Thanks to Frances Perkins: Fighter for Workers’ Rights

Deborah Hopkinson

Illustrator:

Kristy Caldwell

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

WILLIAM STILL AND HIS FREEDOM STORIES BOOK INFO

William Still and His Freedom Stories

Don Tate

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

FINISH THE FIGHT BOOK INFO

Finish the Fight

Veronica Chambers

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Nonfiction

SHE PERSISTED: CLAUDETTE COLVIN BOOK INFO

She Persisted: Claudette Colvin

Lesa Cline-Ransome

Age Level:

6-9

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

TWENTY-TWO CENTS: MUHAMMAD YUNUS AND THE VILLAGE BANK BOOK INFO

Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank

Paula Yoo

Illustrator:

Jamel Akib

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Biography, Nonfiction

Alice Faye Duncan

Illustrator:

Charly Palmer

Age Level:

9-12

Genre:

Nonfiction

Amber Crawford 1/5/24 Amber Crawford 1/5/24

January: “What About People Like Me?" Teaching Preschoolers About Segregation and “Peace Heroes”

As part of the anti-bias curriculum at the preschool where I teach, we study the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Learning about Dr. King’s life provides us with a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the principles he stood for.

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/books/excerpt-from-each-and-every-child

NADIA JABONETA

The following article is an excerpt from Each and Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens.

These are ideas my colleagues and I believe are very appropriate for preschoolers to explore and revisit often.

We focus on Dr. King’s desire for all people to be treated fairly regardless of the color of their skin. Solving problems with words; being fair, kind, and inclusive; appreciating similarities and differences among people—these are all ideas we include during morning meetings, small group activities, read-alouds, and regular conversations.

In October 2018, I began by reading a book to the 4- and 5-year-olds in my classroom that was written by a former teacher at our school. Titled Martin Luther King, Jr. and You, the book begins by describing Dr. King and his family, his work as a pastor, and his role in the community. One page introduces his work with Rosa Parks and states that the bus company had an unfair rule: “Their rule was that only some people could sit at the front of the bus.” The next page then shares how the community boycotted the bus company. The book does not explain segregation.

When I read this part of the book, I noticed that many of the children looked confused. I paused the read-aloud and asked them to share their questions. Elena asked, “Who could sit at the front?” Then Jane wondered, “Why couldn’t Rosa Parks sit at the front of the bus?”

I wasn’t sure how to respond. I thought to myself, “Is it age appropriate to introduce them to segregation? How would I explain it?” I decided to respond by telling the children, “Our country has had a lot of unfair rules based on the color of people’s skin. There used to be a bus rule that said only White people could sit in the front. Black people had to sit in the back. Rosa Parks was a Black woman and she had to sit in the back.”

Many of the children looked shocked. Several shouted out, “That’s not fair!” and “That’s not okay!” One child put her hands over her ears and said, “This is scary. I don’t want to hear about it.”

Marie, a White child, then announced, “Oh, phew! That wouldn’t happen to me. I’m White!” Before I had time to think about how to reply to this statement, Elena, a multiracial child, exclaimed, “What about people like me? Like Sofia? That is not fair! We are your friends!”

I first responded by agreeing with the children that this was not a fair rule. I reminded them that the rule changed because Rosa Parks worked closely with Dr. King and their community to make it better. “They worked together, just like we do in our classroom community,” I told them. “If something unfair happens to someone in our community, it is all of our responsibility to help make change. People of all skin colors work together to make things fair.” Marie really listened. She then added, “I want to help my friends! I want to help change unfair rules!”

Reflections, Questions, and a Passion for Developing Leaders

As I reflected on our conversation later that day, I felt unsure about what I said and the role I should have played in this discussion. Had I given the children too little information? Too much?

Marie’s remark, “Oh, phew! That wouldn’t happen to me. I’m White!” really stood out. It reminded me that educators have lots of work to do in helping young children (and many adults) see that just because something may not directly affect us, that does not mean we should not care or should not do something about it.

I also thought about Elena’s response. She immediately shared her thoughts, standing up for herself and others as a leader. She helped Marie think about what she was saying and prompted the whole class to understand that working to increase fairness is about all of us and is everyone’s responsibility. As her teacher, it was wonderful for me to see her confident self-identity. In a moment in which I hesitated, she was willing to take a risk to speak up about unfairness. She was showing her competence—and she answered my inner question showing that, yes, these are topics children can handle.

Using the Thinking Lens to reflect further on my role with the children, families, and colleagues, I thought about the following:

What is my role as the children’s teacher? I would like to learn alongside the children as well as be a leader in helping to guide their critical thinking and problem solving around social justice issues. I want them to be well prepared for their future history and civics classes and, as an essential part of that preparation, I want them to develop their power to make the world better.
What do children want to know? What do children already know and understand? Children have questions about what is happening in the world today and about history. I planned to observe, listen, and think deeper with the children about these questions.
What is developmentally appropriate and socially and emotionally appropriate for young children? As I listened to the children’s questions, I thought about the best way to answer. How much should children know about past and present injustices? How much background knowledge did I need to provide for them to think meaningfully about social justice issues? Was I telling them enough? Was I going too far? I planned to do research and collaborate with my colleagues and the children’s families to agree on what is appropriate for the different age groups.
How can I help children feel safe with all the scary things going on in our world? Often children come to school and share knowledge they have learned at home about our current political climate or about violence in their communities or other places. What is my role when these conversations emerge? How can I help them develop their sense of safety?
How can I introduce powerful “Peace Heroes” in a positive way? An important part of my anti-bias teaching is exposing children to a diverse group of leaders we call Peace Heroes from history and from today. I purposefully select Peace Heroes from around the world, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malala Yousafzai, and Mahatma Gandhi, and also from our community, such as Harvey Milk (California’s first openly gay elected official). I know I have to provide context to explain these leaders’ accomplishments, but should I include information about the violence that was often a part of these people’s stories? If yes, how might I do that?

Asking Big Questions and Developing Powerful Knowledge

After our initial conversation about segregation, we embarked on a 7-month journey learning about important Peace Heroes in our world and what our role could be in making this world a better place. Several weeks in, I realized that our investigation was about so much more. The children had big questions. They wanted to have real conversations and understand why things happen in our world. They asked about life, death, fairness, skin color, and race.

Recently, I was asked by a colleague, “What’s your favorite thing about your work with young children?” I answered, “The spontaneous conversations we have about how the world works.” As I continue my journey as an anti-bias educator, I think often about what is hard and what is rewarding about this work. Although I love engaging in real conversations with the young children in my classroom, it is challenging. I don’t know when these conversations will arise or what children will say or ask. My hope is that I can be as prepared as possible and answer children in a way that is honest, is developmentally appropriate, respects their competence and point of view, helps them feel safe, and shows them their power to change the world.

The rest of the school year, the children, my colleagues, and I thought together about what our roles are and what we can do as Peace Heroes in our communities to make this world a better place. We often sang the song “What Can One Little Person Do?,” by Sally Rogers (which is available for free at https://childrensmusic.org/songs/peace/16/what-can-one-little-person-doand includes several Peace Heroes for the children to learn about). The children answered that question with many ideas that give me hope for the future.

People should sit wherever they want on public transportation! I want to help change unfair rules.

Amber Crawford 11/6/23 Amber Crawford 11/6/23

November: How to Involve Early Elementary Students in Data Collection

Tracking information related to their learning teaches students useful data skills and guides them to work on goal-setting.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/data-collection-elementary-students

Tracking information related to their learning teaches students useful data skills and guides them to work on goal-setting.

By Michelle Hart Bram

October 20, 2023

Jedi Noordegraaf / Ikon Images

At the beginning of the school year, it can feel like we’re endlessly assessing students. Especially with our youngest learners, we want to monitor their progress in phonological awareness, letter names, letter sounds, sight words, blending, etc. Trying to manage all of this data collection can feel overwhelming.

But imagine how process monitoring can change when students are engaged in data reviews and goal setting. Changing my mindset around data transformed data collection from a monotonous task to the best part of my day. The impact of thesemetacognitive strategies extended far beyond simply monitoring academic progress.

INITIATE DISCUSSION OF METACOGNITION AND GROWTH MINDSET

When I first identified the change I wanted to make in my classroom, I wondered where to begin. I found read-alouds to be the perfect place to start to discuss the “power of yet.” There are so many amazing growth mindset texts. I chose to read and discuss two texts with my class: Giraffes Can’t Dance and Jabari Jumps. After discussing what these characters couldn’t do “yet,” I read The Magical Yetto my students. We shared how we all have things we can’t do “yet.” To grow, we have to identify those things and work on them to get better.

The read-aloud discussions sparked a natural conversation about how to identify skills you’re not good at yet. This created a natural bridge into discussing the why of assessments with my students.

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ENGAGE STUDENTS IN THE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

I started talking to my students about exactly what skill we were assessing during tests, how it would be measured, and what the results meant. We discussed the reason behind progress monitoring so that it wasn’t a scary experience but instead an informative one for them and me. I found that this mitigated some of the stress or anxiety around testing because my students understood what the data meant. They also understood assessments as a formative way to see what they could and couldn’t do yet.

To bring my students into the data-review process in an engaging way, I used graphs as a student-facing assessment tracker. When I was assessing sight-word fluency, I created a graph with 25 sections and had students color in how many phrases they read correctly. This allowed students to visualize the results of their assessment and better understand the skill they were working toward. This same technique could also be done with phonological awareness, reading comprehension, or fluency by simply adjusting the graph or visual to reflect the data collected.

SET PERSONALIZED CHILD-CENTERED GOALS

After creating the visual representation of the data, I worked with my students in small groups to set SMART goals. I allowed them to analyze their own results and choose one goal they were interested in tracking. Although you may have multiple goals for your students, I found it was helpful to start by tracking one goal in a student-facing way so as to not overwhelm these young learners. If your students need a scaffold, you can provide them with a bank of options for goals or establish group goals based upon the data.

MAKE DATA VISIBLE IN CHILD-CENTERED WAYS

After students set their goals, you’ll want to keep them motivated. Just like teachers have data meetings, you can have data meetings with your students. Think about the schedule for when you will reassess and how you will have students track their progress. In my classroom, I created data folders for each student where they could track their individual goals without the pressure of sharing them with others. Every Friday, we had goal-setting sessions where I would conference with students individually or in small groups. These meetings would last just a few minutes if one-on-one or about 15 minutes if in small groups. During these data meetings, we would either have a discussion about their progress or complete a reassessment to add new data to their tracker.

I found that these data sessions were most effective when we created a digital data-collection calendar so that my students could count down to their next progress-monitoring session. This helped prepare them for what to expect and also promoted authentic calendar skills as they identified how many days or weeks they had to practice before the next check-in.

CELEBRATE SUCCESS

The most important part of data monitoring and goal setting is celebrating successes. Students need to see their hard work paying off and recognize the feeling of pride within themselves. As students make progress toward their goals, provide them with opportunities to celebrate. One way we celebrated was by sending postcards home to students’ families whenever they met a goal. This was a motivating way to bridge home-school communication, and it extended the celebration as students waited for the mailed postcards to arrive at their homes.

In addition to sending postcards home, students shared their progress during the fall and spring conferences. During student-led conferences, students shared the goals they worked on and explained their graphs or work samples that showed progress toward their goals. To prepare for this kind of data sharing, we practiced creating an agenda for the conference, using sentence starters about goals, and practicing with peers before presenting to families. This meaningful presentation of their data allowed students to develop the language to discuss their progress and future goals.

TAKEAWAYS

Turn boring data into advocacy opportunities: Instead of viewing assessments as simply a checklist of tests you have to complete, try framing assessments as an opportunity to promote natural discussions about feedback with students. I believe that goal setting is a metacognitive skill that needs to be taught, practiced, and discussed just as much as the academic skills that students are required to master. These techniques encourage perseverance, self-monitoring, and self-reflection. Transforming your current data-collection process will allow you to experience the joys of progress monitoring to make your students advocates in their own educational journey.

Amber Crawford 11/6/23 Amber Crawford 11/6/23

November: Reading with Your Child

Discover the many reasons why reading aloud with your child has such a big impact on their literacy development and social-emotional growth

Discover the many reasons why reading aloud with your child has such a big impact on their literacy development and social-emotional growth. And get tips on how to read aloud (make it fun and interactive), plus links to finding great read-aloud books.

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Reading aloud is one of the most important things parents can do with their children. Make your read alouds interactive and fun — a conversation between you, your child, and the story. You’ll be introducing rich new words, providing a model of fluent, expressive reading, and letting your child know how wonderful books and reading can be. Reading aloud everyday can become a cherished family tradition.

Benefits of reading aloud

Boosts early literacy skills

Studies have shown that children who are read to regularly are more likely to develop early literacy skills, such as rhyming, letter recognition, and phonemic awareness (hearing the sounds in spoken words). These skills are essential for becoming a skilled reader and success in school.

Helps children develop language and literacy skills

Books provide rich language experiences, and expose kids to vocabulary not used as often in everyday spoken conversation. When children hear new words and phrases, it helps them expand their “word bank” and learn how to use language effectively. Reading aloud helps kids understand text structure — how a narrative story is pieced together, with a beginning, middle, and end. Reading aloud also helps children develop other comprehension skills, such as inferencing, predicting, and understanding characters’ actions and motivations.

Builds background knowledgeWhen you read all different kinds of books with your child — fiction, poetry, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, biography, narrative nonfiction, and informational texts — you help them develop a better understanding of the world around them. As you read, keep the dialogue around the books open and lively, and encourage kids to ask questions. If you don’t know the answer to question, explore more together — through more books, web resources, hands-on activities, and local field trips. It’s a great model for being a lifelong learner!Offers “windows and mirrors” Books that reflect different cultures and family experiences give all kids a window into the diverse world we live in. Exposure to a wide range of books helps build both empathy and background knowledge — introducing children to different cultures, time periods, and ways of thinking, and help them develop a broader understanding of the world around them. Other books give kids a chance to see someone who looks like them as an empathetic character, hero, or important historical figure, contributing to a sense of self-esteem.Reading is a journey. It’s a way to explore new worlds and meet new people. It’s a way to learn about different cultures and ways of life. And it’s a way to expand your imagination.” Children’s author Kate DiCamilloNurtures a love of reading When children are exposed to books and stories from a young age, they are more likely to develop a love of reading as they get older. That’s because reading aloud helps kids associate books with the joy of spending time with their parents and being read to in a warm and loving environment. And reading takes you places and teaches you things — you’re dipping in and out of real and imagined worlds, meeting interesting characters, learning something new, or deepening an understanding of something you’re already fascinated by. Promotes social-emotional developmentReading aloud can help children develop social-emotional skills, such as empathy, understanding big emotions, and problem-solving. Many children’s books explore topics such as friendship, conflict resolution, and dealing with difficult emotions. Sharing stories with children can help them learn how to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as how to interact with others in a positive and productive way. This is where conversations around shared stories are so important!Strengthens family bonds Reading aloud is a great way to bond with your child. It’s a time when you can relax together, snuggle up, and share a story. It is also a great opportunity for parents and children to talk about the book, share their thoughts and feelings, and ask questions.

Tips on reading aloud

Choose books that are appropriate for your child’s age and interests
It’s also important to allow your child to choose books that interest them — especially as they get older
Make your read alouds interactive and fun
Talk about the pictures as you read
Build vocabulary by focusing on and talking about new words
Connect the story to your child’s world
Ask questions about the story and encourage your child to ask what they are wondering about
Make reading aloud a regular part of your routine — just 15 minutes each day can make a big difference in raising a reader

Amber Crawford 11/6/23 Amber Crawford 11/6/23

November: Promoting Preschoolers’ Emergent Writing

Emergent writing is young children’s first attempts at the writing process.

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2017/emergent-writing
TERESA A. BYINGTON, YAEBIN KIM

Emergent writing is young children’s first attempts at the writing process. Children as young as 2 years old begin to imitate the act of writing by creating drawings and symbolic markings that represent their thoughts and ideas (Rowe & Neitzel 2010; Dennis & Votteler 2013). This is the beginning of a series of stages that children progress through as they learn to write (see “Stages of Emergent Writing”). Emergent writing skills, such as the development of namewriting proficiency, are important predictors of children’s future reading and writing skills (National Center for Family & Literacy 2008; Puranik & Lonigan 2012).

Teachers play an important role in the development of 3- to 5-year-olds’ emergent writing by encouraging children to communicate their thoughts and record their ideas (Hall et al. 2015). In some early childhood classrooms, however, emergent writing experiences are almost nonexistent. One recent study, which is in accord with earlier research, found that 4- and 5-year-olds (spread across 81 classrooms) averaged just two minutes a day either writing or being taught writing (Pelatti et al. 2014). This article shares a framework for understanding emergent writing and ties the framework to differentiating young children’s emergent writing experiences.

Understanding emergent writing

Researchers and educators often use the term emergent literacy to define a broad set of language and literacy skills focused primarily on the development and significance of emergent reading skills. To better understand writing development—and to support teachers’ work with young children—researchers have proposed a framework to explain emergent writing practices (Puranik & Lonigan 2014). The framework is composed of three domains: conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and generative knowledge.

Conceptual knowledge includes learning the function of writing. In this domain, young children learn that writing has a purpose and that print is meaningful (i.e., it communicates ideas, stories, and facts). For example, young children become aware that the red street sign says Stop and the letters under the yellow arch spell McDonald’s. They recognize that certain symbols, logos, and markings have specific meanings (Wu 2009).

Procedural knowledge is the mechanics of letter and word writing (e.g., name writing) and includes spelling and gaining alphabet knowledge. Learning the alphabetic code (including how to form letters and the sounds associated with each letter) is an essential component of gaining procedural knowledge. Children benefit from having multiple opportunities throughout the day to develop fine motor skills and finger dexterity using a variety of manipulatives (e.g., magnetic letters, pegboards) and writing implements.

Generative knowledge describes children’s abilities to write phrases and sentences that convey meaning. It is the ability to translate thoughts into writing that goes beyond the word level (Puranik & Lonigan 2014). During early childhood, teachers are laying the foundation for generative knowledge as children learn to express themselves orally and experiment with different forms of written communication, such as composing a story, writing notes, creating lists, and taking messages. Children can dictate words, phrases, or sentences that an adult can record on paper, or they can share ideas for group writing.

Developing conceptual, procedural, and generative knowledge of writing

Children gain knowledge of and interest in writing as they are continually exposed to print and writing in their environment. There are multiple strategies teachers can use to scaffold children’s writing, such as verbally reminding children to use writing in their classroom activities and providing appropriate writing instructions (Gerde, Bingham, & Wasik 2012). By being aware of children’s current fine motor abilities and their progress in emergent writing, teachers can use a mix of strategies to foster growth in each child’s zone of proximal development (Vygotsky 1978).

Practicing name writing

One of the first words children usually learn to write is their first name (Both-de Vries & Bus 2008). Name writing increases children’s conceptual and procedural knowledge. Names are meaningful to children, and preschoolers typically are interested in learning to write the letters in their name, especially the first letter (Both-de Vries & Bus 2008). Namewriting proficiency provides a foundation for other literacy knowledge and skills; it is associated with alphabet knowledge, letter writing, print concepts, and spelling (Cabell et al. 2009; Drouin & Harmon 2009; Puranik & Lonigan 2012).

Preschoolers benefit from daily writing experiences, so it is helpful to embed writing in the daily routine, such as having children write (or attempt to write) their names at sign-in and during choice times. Be sensitive to preschoolers’ varying levels of fine motor skills and promote the joy of experimenting with the art of writing, regardless of a child’s current skill level. Encourage invented spelling (Ouellette & Sénéchal 2017) and attempts at writing letters or letter-like symbols.

As Ms. Han’s preschoolers enter the classroom, they sign in, with parental support, by writing their names on a whiteboard at the classroom entrance. Children in Ms. Noel’s classroom go to a special table and sign in as they enter the room. Ms. Patel instructs her preschoolers to answer the question of the day by writing their names under their chosen answers. Today, the children write their names to answer the question “What are your favorite small animals—piglets, ducklings, or kittens?” Juan and Maria help their friends read the question and write their names under the appropriate headings. Pedro writes Pdr under the piglets heading, Anthony writes his complete name under ducklings, and Tess writes the letter T under kittens. In Mr. Ryan’s class, children write their names during different activities. Today, children sign in as they pretend to visit the doctor in one learning center and sign for a package delivery in another. Meanwhile, Tommy walks around the room asking other preschoolers to sign their names in the autograph book he created in the writing center.

Tips for teachers

Develop a sign-in or sign-out routine that allows children to write, or attempt to write, their names each day. In some classrooms, or for some children, the routine may begin with writing the first letter instead of the whole name or with scribbling letterlike symbols.
Use peer helpers to aid children with the name-writing process.
Model writing your name and promote name-writing activities in several centers through the day, such as having children sign their name as they write a prescription or when they complete a painting.

Learning from teacher modeling

Children benefit from teachers modeling writing and from opportunities to interact with others on writing projects. Teachers can connect writing to topics of interest, think aloud about the process of composing a message (Dennis & Votteler 2013), and explain how to plan what to write (e.g., choosing words and topics, along with the mechanics of writing, such as punctuation). Children struggling to attain early writing skills benefit from explicit teaching (Hall et al. 2015). Teach children that letters create words and words create sentences. Use environmental print (e.g., labels, charts, signs, toy packaging, clothing, and billboards) to help children realize that print is meaningful and functional (Neumann, Hood, & Ford 2013). These types of activities build both conceptual and procedural knowledge.

When Ms. Noel sits with the children during snack, she talks with them about the different foods they like to eat. Ben tells her he likes chicken. She writes on a small whiteboard, “Ben likes chicken.” She asks Ben to read the phrase to a friend. Later, Ben writes the phrase himself.

Mr. Ryan conducts a sticky note poll. He creates a giant spiderweb and writes the question, “Are you afraid of spiders? Yes or no.” He gives the children sticky notes so each can write either yes or no and then place it on the giant web. This activity is followed by a discussion of spiders.

Tips for teachers

Explicitly model writing by showing the writing process to children and thinking aloud while writing. Instead of writing the question of the day or the morning message before the children arrive, write it in front of them.
Label specific items in the room, and draw children’s attention to the written words. Write out functional phrases on signs related to routines, such as “Take three crackers” or “Wash hands before eating,” then read and display the signs.
Have the children paint large classroom signs related to themes being explored, such as the National Weather Station, Snack Bar, Public Library, or Entomology Center.

Writing throughout the day

Preschoolers enjoy experimenting with the writing process. Emergent writing experiences can include spontaneous writing during center time and teacherguided writing activities. Writing can become an important component of every learning center in the preschool classroom (Pool & Carter 2011), especially if teachers strategically place a variety of writing materials throughout the classroom and offer specific guidance on using the materials (Mayer 2007). (See “Learning Centers: Adding Meaningful Writing Materials and Literacy Props.”)

Teachers can intentionally promote peer-to-peer scaffolding by having children participate in collaborative writing experiences. Read-alouds are also a wonderful means of promoting writing; there are a number of stories that feature characters in books writing letters, stories, messages, and lists (see “Books That Promote Writing”). Model writing stories, making lists, or labeling objects, and then encourage your preschoolers to write a response letter to a character in a story, create their own storybook, or write a wish list or a shopping list. Such a variety of writing experiences will also build their generative knowledge of writing.

Ms. Han has strategically placed a variety of writing materials throughout the classroom—a scientific journal in the discovery area so children can record their observations and ideas; a graph paper notebook in the block area for drafting blueprints with designs and words; and a receipt book, paper, and markers in the dramatic play area. Savannah sits at the discovery center looking at a classroom experiment. Ms. Han asks, “Savannah, could you write about your observations in our science journal?” Savannah begins writing in the journal.

Three boys are playing in the block area. Ms. Han asks, “What are you building?” Marcus replies, “We are going to build a rocket ship.” Ms. Han says, “Could you create a blueprint of your rocket and then build it?” The boys eagerly begin drawing a plan. Several children in the dramatic play center are drawing different types of flowers for a flower market. Ms. Han says, “In a flower market, signs tell customers what is for sale and how much it costs. Would you like to create some signs?” The children readily agree and start to create signs.

Tips for teachers

Strategically place writing materials, such as sticky notes, small chalkboards, whiteboards, envelopes, clipboards, journals, stencils, golf pencils, markers, and various types, sizes, and colors of paper throughout the classroom.
Provide specific teacher guidance to scaffold children’s writing. While some children may be off and running with an open-ended question, others might be better supported if the teacher helps write their ideas—at least to get them started.
Create writing opportunities connected to your current classroom themes or topics of interest. Involve the children in collaborative writing projects, such as creating a diorama after a farm visit and making labels for the different animals and the barn. With teacher support, the class could also develop a narrative to describe their farm visit.

Home–school connection

Both preschool writing instruction and home writing experiences are essential components of helping children develop writing skills. A major advantage of the home– school connection is that children see the value of what they learn in school when parents actively participate in the same type of activities at home. Teachers can encourage parents to display photos of their child engaged in writing activities at home and to share samples of their child’s writing or drawings from home to inform instruction (Schickedanz & Casbergue 2009). To maximize parental involvement and support, teachers should be sensitive to the diversity of the families in their programs and be inclusive by promoting writing in children’s home languages. These experiences can help promote children’s conceptual, procedural, and generative knowledge.

Ms. Noel wants to strengthen home–school connections with the families in her program. She decides to introduce the children to Chester (a stuffed teddy bear). She tells the children that Chester wants to learn more about what the children do at home and to go on some weekend adventures. She says, “Each weekend, Chester will travel home with a child in our class. During the time Chester stays at your house, take pictures of the activities you do with Chester and write about them in the Chester Weekend Adventures journal. At the beginning of the week, bring Chester and the journal back to school to share what you did. We will put Chester and the journal in the classroom library when he is not on a visit, so everyone can see where he has been.” The children are excited about taking Chester home and writing about their adventures.

Tips for teachers

Find writing opportunities that strengthen home–school connections. For example, encourage families to create books at home related to a particular theme or a specific topic. Invite children to share their books with the class and then add them to the library.
Invite families to share the types of writing activities their children engage in at home. Encourage parents to establish routines that include writing lists, messages, stories, and letters.
Give families postcards to mail to friends in other states and countries. Have them ask their friends to mail a reply to the preschool class. Create a display of the return messages and postcards.

Summary

Teachers play an important role in promoting emergent writing development by scaffolding writing activities that engage young children in building their conceptual, procedural, and generative knowledge. Writing can easily be embedded in daily routines as children write their names, engage in learning centers, practice writing for a purpose based on teacher and peer models, and contribute to group writing activities. Be intentional during interactions with children and incorporate best practices. Promote the development of emergent writing—and emergent literacy—by implementing purposeful strategies that encourage writing in the classroom and at home. Teachers who provide young children with a diverse array of early writing experiences lay the foundation for kindergarten readiness.

Amber Crawford 10/4/23 Amber Crawford 10/4/23

October: Setting Students With ADHD Up for Success

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder benefit from these easy-to-implement strategies—and so do their peers.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/setting-students-adhd-success/

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder benefit from these easy-to-implement strategies—and so do their peers.

By Nina Parrish

April 27, 2018

Teachers often come to the classroom with an unclear understanding of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and they are rarely provided with strategies that detail how to work with students who have been diagnosed with ADHD, even though such students make up an increasingly large number of their students—11 percent and growing as of 2011, according to data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As a special education teacher and tutor who coaches struggling students (many with ADHD), I have found several classroom strategies to be effective.

CREATE URGENCY

I often hear parents or other advocates urge teachers to accommodate students with ADHD by giving them a lengthy or indefinite amount of time to turn in assignments. This creates a situation where deadlines are unclear, yet most of the students with ADHD that I have worked with need a clear deadline to create the urgency and adrenaline necessary to complete the task.

Provide deadlines: I teach students time management skills by breaking projects into chunks, each with a detailed description, rubric, and due date. For example, a research paper might have a separate due date for a topic, completed research, outline, rough draft, and final paper. I grade each step in the process, and each grade contributes to the final grade. This teaches students how to break up large projects to ensure timely completion.

Time tasks: Timing tasks that could be rote and boring—like learning math facts and letter sounds, increasing reading fluency, and memorizing vocabulary—turns what could potentially be a tedious task into a game or competition with oneself. Timing is used not to create anxiety but to increase performance over time—students are never graded on timed activities and don’t share their scores. Instead they’re challenged to beat the clock and to do better than they did last time. Graphing scores as a visual reminder of progress helps students learn about goal setting and develop a growth mindset.

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ACTIVATE INTEREST

Students with ADHD are often capable of focusing intensely on something they’re interested in. They can play video games or make their own YouTube videos for hours, but they need help connecting class content with their interests to achieve that focus.

Engage students’ passions: My students are more engaged when they see that I’m passionate about a subject. We all want to know why we should learn something. Providing a hook to each lesson in the form of a story, game, or question gets students excited to figure out a problem.

For example, when we learn about making inferences, I bring in an assortment of strange looking objects or pictures of objects viewed from strange angles. Students do a gallery walk and write down observations about the objects—facts like, “it is metal,” or “it is green.” They also list any prior knowledge they have. They use the facts and their prior knowledge to make inferences about what the objects are.

This activity helps students have a more concrete basis for understanding how to make an inference when they’re reading. It also usually leads to interesting discussions on how prior knowledge can greatly impact understanding.

Give students choices: Giving kids a choice in the books they read, activities they complete for a grade (visual art display, paper, slide or video presentation, blog, skit, podcast, etc.), and the ways they learn a skill encourages participation.

ALLOW FOR BREAKS AND MOVEMENT

I’ve found that taking breaks results in more focus for all of my students, but especially those with ADHD.

Use brain breaks: Students will take breaks anyway, so making breaks a reward is an easy way to keep them on task. I try to help them increase their focus to 15 to 25 minutes of working time, and after periods of concentration, they receive a short break. During the break, students can stretch, sharpen their pencils, get supplies, talk quietly to a friend, or rest. This timing method, sometimes called the Pomodoro Technique, helps students increase focus over time.

Let students move: I find that I get more out of students if I give them a chance to dance, stretch, or exercise before they have to sit down and work quietly. This can be led by the teacher, a short video, or a student. Usually it’s brief and structured, like a game of Simon Says or a set of 10 jumping jacks and a few standing toe touches.

It’s important to plan for transitions back to work—I flip the lights and use a hand signal. When I do this, students know to immediately return to their seats, mirror the hand signal, and be silent. Occasionally, I give out a reward to the first two students who are sitting attentively.

PROVIDE STRUCTURE

I believe all students thrive when they know what to expect. For students with ADHD, having an orderly environment is essential.

Have clear expectations: Establishing a routine that stays the same even when activities change makes children feel secure. Rules can be taught through an activity with an example and non-example or by acting them out. This strategy is also useful for highlighting age-appropriate social skills like how to listen when someone is presenting or how to determine the appropriate amount of personal space.

Teach study skills explicitly: Students know they can Google facts, but teaching them how to learn creates relevance. Regardless of what subject is being taught, it’s possible to incorporate study skills lessons—how to take notes, read a textbook, or study. Students will need these skills in the future when they’re required to learn on their own.

You may have noticed that these strategies will help not just students with ADHD—they’re useful for all students because they encourage the development of executive functions such as self-regulation.

We rarely look at ADHD as an advantage, but I’ve found that having students with ADHD in my classroom challenges me to update the way I teach so that my curriculum is more versatile, interesting, and compatible with the skills all students will need in an increasingly fast-paced world.

Amber Crawford 10/4/23 Amber Crawford 10/4/23

October: Reading Together: Tips for Parents of Children with ADHD

If your child has ADHD, paying attention for long periods of time can be a challenge. So, meet the challenge head-on — make reading time fun time for you and your child.

By:

Reach Out and Read

If your child has ADHD, paying attention for long periods of time can be a challenge. So, meet the challenge head-on — make reading time fun time for you and your child.

Infants and toddlers

Helping your child love books

You’ll find sharing books together is a great way to bond with your son or daughter and help your child’s development at the same time. Give your child a great gift that will last for life — the love of books.

Some parents suspect ADHD early on when their toddler is far more active than other children his age. Yet, the disorder often becomes more obvious when the child enters school. Often the child with ADHD may act on impulse and may have trouble following directions or sitting still. How do you know if your child is just very active or has ADHD? It is best to get an evaluation from a trained health professional.

If your child has ADHD, paying attention for long periods of time can be a challenge. So, meet the challenge head-on — make reading time fun time for you and your child. First, pick a quiet spot away from TV, radio, and video game noise. Read for short periods at a time and put the book away if your child loses interest. Pick up the book later and read for another short time period.

Although ADHD is diagnosed later in childhood, adding reading to your child’s daily routine is very beneficial. Reading time can help your highly energetic child get ready for naps and bedtime. And remember — reading together for 10 minutes in the morning is a nice way to get the day started on a positive note.

Tips for reading with your infant or toddler

Try reading for a few minutes at a time at first. Then build up the time you read together. Your child will soon see reading time as fun time!

Here are some things you can try:

Buy books or borrow books from the library. Sing along with the book to hold your baby’s interest. Your baby doesn’t care if you can sing on key!
Read aloud. Talk about the pictures and read the text. Help your toddler point to objects you name in the book. Ask questions about the story as a way to hold your child’s interest.
Break up short periods of reading time with play time to give your toddler a chance to move about.
Continue to read for a few more minutes even if your child squirms off your lap. He may still be listening to the story even though he is playing near you.

Suggested books for your infant

Goodnight Moon (opens in a new window), by Margaret Wise Brown
Books by Rosemary Wells, such as Itsy Bitsy Spider (opens in a new window) or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (opens in a new window)

Suggested books for your toddler

Books by Annie Kubler, such as If You’re Happy and You Know It (opens in a new window), Ring Around the Rosie (opens in a new window), or Row, Row, Row Your Boat (opens in a new window)

Preschool and school-age children

Helping your preschooler or school-age child love books

Remember, when you read to your child often and combine reading time with cuddle and play time, your child will link books with fun times together.

Here are some things you can try:

Turn off the TV and radio and find a quiet spot to read without distraction.
Choose books that interest your child, such as books on animals or sports.
Read aloud and talk about the pictures. Allow your child to pick books too, and ask your child to read aloud.
Praise your child’s efforts at reading!

Suggested books for your preschooler or school-age child

The Adventures of Taxi Dog (opens in a new window), by Debra Barracca
Maybe A Bear Ate It (opens in a new window), by Robie Harris
The Day the Teacher Went Bananas (opens in a new window), by James Howe

Books to help children and parents learn more about ADHD

For children

All Dogs Have ADHD (opens in a new window), by Kathy Hoopmann (Ages 4–9)
My Friend Has ADHD (opens in a new window), by Kristin Sorra (Ages 4–10)
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (opens in a new window), by Jack Gantos (Ages 9–12)

For parents

Parent Therapy: A Relational Alternative to Working with Children (opens in a new window), by Linda Jacobs and Carol Wachs
Parenting Children with ADHD: 10 Lessons that Medicine Cannot Teach (opens in a new window), by Vincent J. Monastra, PhD.
The ADD & ADHD Answer Book: Professional Answers to 275 of the Top Questions Parents Ask (opens in a new window), by Susan Ashley

For more information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (opens in a new window): (800) CDC-INFO
CHADD National Resource Center (opens in a new window): (800) 233-4050
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) (opens in a new window): (800) 233-4050
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (opens in a new window): (800) 695-0285

Amber Crawford 10/4/23 Amber Crawford 10/4/23

October: Planning for Positive Guidance: Powerful Interactions Make a Difference

You guide behavior by establishing predictable routines, setting clear rules with children, and modeling kindness and respect.

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/dec2012/planning-for-positive-guidance

DANIELLE DEGEL SANCHEZ, DEBORAH STEECE-DORAN, JUDY JABLON

Guiding children’s behavior is something done throughout the day, not just when a child acts in a way that is unsafe or unacceptable. You guide behavior by establishing predictable routines, setting clear rules with children, and modeling kindness and respect. You are also attentive and aware of what is going on. Together, these actions help children feel noticed, confident, and secure. Children experience your attention and guidance as a caring embrace holding everything together. They know you’re on their team. (Dombro, Jablon, & Stetson 2011, 58)

This excerpt shapes our thinking as we plan for positive guidance in our classroom at a preschool in Pahoa, Hawaii. Using the three steps of a Powerful Interaction—Be Present, Connect, and Extend Learning—helps us be more successful at building strong, caring relationships with children and families. Powerful Interactions are interactions in which a teacher intentionally connects with a child to extend his or her learning. We also actively plan for guidance, which keeps a positive climate in our classroom. This boosts how we feel at the end of the day and enhances each child’s success as a learner.

Here are some strategies we use to plan for positive guidance, keeping a Powerful Interactions approach in mind.

Teamwork makes positive guidance more effective and Powerful Interactions possible!

It took time for us to become an effective teaching team. We had never worked together and had to become acquainted with each other’s teaching style. However, we wanted to be a seamless team because children tune in to their significant adults. We strive to coordinate our messages to children and make them clear and consistent. By staying present (step one of a Powerful Interaction) with each other and connected with our eyes, words, laughter, and other cues, we extend children’s learning during group times and transitions. Our teamwork has positive effects on children’s behavior and the classroom climate. It also gives us more energy to guide children in positive ways and enjoy each day. Three tips help us ensure seamless teamwork:

1. Be clear about roles. When we plan together, we clarify who will do what and when. Our goal is to be predictable about our roles during routines so that the children can anticipate what’s going to happen and who to look to for directions. This reduces challenging behaviors significantly. For example, at arrival time, Deborah greets children in our lending library and talks with them about books. At the same time, Danielle greets children and families at the classroom door and then moves around the room to support them as they do morning activities.

2. Make two voices one, literally and figuratively. This helps us deliver clear and cohesive messages to children. Too often children check with one adult and if they don’t like the answer, ask the other one. When children hear our voices from different areas of the room, they are more relaxed. We’re playful and sometimes silly about how we make our two voices one. We might echo each other’s voices melodically, complete each other’s sentences when giving directions, or finish each other’s rhymes. Danielle says, “There was one little bat in one big cave,” while looking over at Deborah who immediately chimes in, “He was so alone and not so brave.” The children enjoy the predictability of listening for our voices bouncing back and forth. Sometimes they look at the other adult to see what she’ll say.

3. Use frequent check-ins. We continually check in with each other throughout the day about what children are doing and how they are responding to activities and other children. We give each other signals about how things are going. The more we stay present, the easier it is to connect with each other. The result is a calmer classroom and fewer episodes of challenging behaviors. These tips have worked for us:

Be on opposite sides of the room during indoor time to keep things running smoothly.
Scan the room frequently, looking at what children are doing and at one another. Quickly read each other’s cues, such as a thumbs-up, smile, nod, or lift of an eyebrow.
Update each other after an interaction with a child or family member. A quick summary or saying “Remind me to tell you about _____ later today” ensures consistency with each other, the children, and their families.
Tune in to those children who need a little more attention. This can prevent challenging situations by catching them before they start.

Use daily arrival time to set the tone for positive guidance.

At the beginning of the year, teachers get to know children and their families through home visits and an orientation period (when a few children come for a few hours each day). During the orientation we introduce our arrival time routines. Our goal is for parents to have positive interactions with their children and for us to have Powerful Interactions with children and family members. Our routine and roles allow us to be present and connect with each child and her family for at least a few minutes. We plan activities that address positive guidance as well as language and literacy and math learning. When the day begins well, most children stay engaged and focused. Our predictable routine has three parts:

1. Offer specific activities in learning centers. We display simple written directions for activities parents and children can do together. While completing the activities is not required, parents and children often do them because they are engaging and they spark ideas to use at home.

2. Write an interactive morning message. The daily message is for families to read to their child as the child points to each word. Part of the message specifically relates to positive guidance. In Hawaiian culture and in our program, we emphasize the values of aloha (kindness), malama (caring), and kuleana (responsibility). To engage families and children in discussion, one question invites reflection about one of these three values. For example, the message might ask, What’s one way that you will show malama today? A family member helps the child answer the question, records his answer on a Post-it note, and adds it to a message chart that is on display for the week. Additional messages might ask, “How many letters are in your name?” or “Who brought you to school today?” We discuss the daily message when we gather for group time later in the morning.

3. Create a library. To encourage Powerful Interactions at home, we set up a lending library. Books are arranged in categories (that change periodically) so children can return their book in the morning and make a new selection. Children enjoy talking with Deborah about the books they return and hearing her recommendations for new selections.

Ensure smooth transitions.

As a team, we sustain a warm and friendly classroom climate by planning for and using teamwork to ensure smooth transitions. Over time we have established a repertoire of successful strategies in three main categories:

1. Humor. A light tone gives us energy and invites positive responses from children. Whether it is simply laughing aloud, making up a silly rhyme to give a direction, or singing funny words to a familiar song, we keep our transition times light and engaging. Sometimes we’re laughing at each other and our own silliness, which makes the children laugh, too.

2. Puppets. When we gather on the rug between activities, we each wear a finger puppet. The puppets talk about what will happen next, what they observed about cleanup, or the behaviors expected in the next activity. The children know these puppets well and seem completely invested in listening to them. Daisy: Hey Fuzzy, I used my walking feet when I came over to large group. Fuzzy: Me too. We know our kuleana (responsibilities), don’t we!

3. Music. Songs and melodies add to the positive climate. When interacting with one child at a time, we use natural, authentic voices. However, when we want to engage the whole group, we find that singing directions captures their attention more than our normal voices. These strategies work for us:

Give verbal directions in a melodic voice.
Use call-and-response or rhymes or something that allows voices to alternate. When we sing songs that have an echo pattern—like “Down by the Bay”—the children know to expect our voices to alternate.
Give directions as lyrics to a familiar song and alternate voices. For example, as it gets close to cleanup, Deborah starts singing to Danielle to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

Deborah: Kumu (teacher) Danielle, are you ready to ring the chimes? (2x)

Danielle chimes in,

Yes I am and I’m walking over now

and I am ready to ring the chimes.

Deborah then begins the next verse as she guides the children in cleaning up, and Danielle moves toward the rug to help settle children.

Remember what to do when you hear the chimes . . . (2x)

We clean up our activity,

and walk over to our name,

and sit right down and show Kumu Danielle that you’re ready.

We have shared the ways we plan for positive guidance and use Powerful Interactions in our classroom to create a positive climate that prevents many challenging behaviors. The result is an enjoyable, effective, and productive learning environment. We hope you find the suggestions effective and that they spark more ideas for helping children and families.

Photo courtesy of the authors

Reference

Dombro, A.L., J. Jablon, & C. Stetson. 2011. Powerful Interactions: How to Connect with Children to Extend Their Learning. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Amber Crawford 9/7/23 Amber Crawford 9/7/23

September: How to Prepare Your Child for a New School

As parents and caretakers, we can support our children as they enter the new school year.

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-prepare-your-child-for-a-new-school

Jul 12, 2022Author: Samantha Gratton

This year my son will go from the preschool he’s known his entire life to kindergarten at a new elementary school. Months ago, he was excited. But as the reality set in, he became nervous and scared.

In “Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum,” Yadina is anxious about moving from kindergarten to first grade. Instead of cubbies and play stations, the first grade room is much bigger with hooks and desks. Her older brother, Xavier, and friend, Brad, encourage her with a trip to the secret museum. There they meet Alexander Hamilton, who is about to embark on a big adventure — including going to school for the first time ever!

Whether your child is changing schools, getting a new teacher, or simply switching from a summer routine to a school year routine, school changes can bring out a lot of emotions for both of you!

As parents and caretakers, we can support our children as they enter the new school year.

Here are 10 ways to make the school transition a good one:

Embrace the adventure. A positive perspective can help your kids take on the opportunities ahead of them. “Talk about what’s exciting, what they feel uncertain or unsure about, and set little goals each day so they can be proud when they fulfill those goals,” said Cam Ellis, senior administrator for transition to kindergarten and family engagement for the Office of Early Learning of Wake County in North Carolina. This could include things like learning one person’s name, trying a new game for the first time, or being brave when saying goodbye and walking into the classroom.
Acknowledge their feelings. Affirm that your child feels seen and heard. Instead of skipping over their fears, validate how they feel while continuing to encourage them. Elementary school counselor Bill Reaume in Pennsylvania tells students, “You don’t have to stop being nervous to do the thing you’re nervous about. We all do things while we’re nervous about doing them.”
Ask questions. Let your kids express their concerns. My son is extroverted, so I assumed making new friends would be easy for him. After asking about why he felt scared about going to a new school, I learned his main concern wasn’t making new friends, but losing the friendships he already had. I was then able to reassure him that we would stay connected with his preschool friends through play dates.
Share with the school. Teachers want to work together with you to better support your student. Communication is key. Relaying what your child is interested in, what they are struggling with, how your child likes to be celebrated, and who lives at home can lead to a more meaningful connection. “If a child is moving schools because there is a big change at home, the teacher should be given a heads up about that big change,” said Ellis. “They can provide emotional support much better if they know.”
Practice ahead of time. Find ways to practice what your child will be doing during the new school year. “Drive by the school. Stop in at the playground. If you know other kids, set up a playdate or two. That really can go a long way,” Reaume said. If your child has a hard time with separation anxiety and doesn’t want to leave you, practice time away by dropping your child off for a play date or trying new things like a music class or sports activity. Each new experience builds confidence and independence.
Establish routines in advance. Kids thrive when they have healthy routines. If you aren’t in the habit of regular routines for meals, taking baths, and brushing teeth, try to start them a few weeks before school starts.
Talk to someone who can relate. Do you have a friend, neighbor, or older sibling your child can talk to about going to school? Talking to someone who might have similar feelings can remind kids that they are not alone in their fears, anxieties, and questions. In “Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum,” Yadina asks Alexander Hamilton if he’s nervous to go to a new place with new people for the very first time. He’s a little nervous, but mostly excited because “new adventures are exciting!”
Draw or write out what to expect. Facing unknowns can be scary. Help your child focus on what they do know. At preschool, my son had a schedule with what was happening each day. Consider making a visual calendar with pictures of eating breakfast, getting dressed, driving to school, reading a book, eating lunch, playing on the playground, and getting picked up afterwards.
Lead by example. Young children can pick up on their parents’ emotions. “If you’re anxious about your child going to school (which is normal), work that out with your partner or others, not your child,” said Reaume. When talking about the new school year, focus on the positive and ask your child open-ended questions.
Make it special. Celebrate! Make the first week of school special by leaving an encouraging note in their lunch box, taking a picture to mark the occasion, or letting your child pick out their favorite shirt. After, enjoy their favorite meal together or eat a special treat.

Here’s to a new school year full of exciting adventures!

Amber Crawford 9/7/23 Amber Crawford 9/7/23

September: Readiness: Not a State of Knowledge, but a State of Mind

Readiness doesn’t mean just knowing the academic basics. It means a child has a willing attitude and confidence in the process of learning: a healthy state of mind.

https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/readiness-not-state-knowledge-state-mind

By Dr. Dan Gartrell

People used to think children were ready for kindergarten if they could say the ABC’s, count, identify colors, and write their first name. Readiness was always more complicated than that, and new brain research is helping us understand what readiness really is. Readiness doesn’t mean just knowing the academic basics. It means a child has a willing attitude and confidence in the process of learning: a healthy state of mind.

How do families help their children gain this state of mind? By being responsive to all areas of their children’s development—physical, emotional, social, cultural, language, and cognitive (thinking). Children are born with a great ability to learn and grow—different kinds of abilities, to be sure, but abilities that individually and together constitute the miracle of humanity.

Adults do best for their children when they nurture this unexpressed potential rather than ignore, reject, or try to train it. Healthy development, and with it school readiness, is the result of secure, responsive adult–child relationships. Here are eight parenting practices that nurture children’s untold potential and readiness to learn.

1. Have contact talks with your child each day. A contact talk is a few moments of shared time between adult and child. Contact talks can happen anytime, day or night—often while reading together, but also while giving a bath, changing diapers (really), taking a walk, riding in a car, or when your child approaches you. When you decide that a contact talk will happen, stop what you are doing. Listen, encourage, and support. Don’t “teach, preach, or screech.” Learn more about this little person and help that child learn more about you, as adult and child together in the family you share.

Contact talks build healthy attachment between an adult and child like nothing else can. They support the development of a child’s self-esteem, social skills, thinking skills, and language abilities (key capacities for school success). If contact talks take place during physical activities, they enhance physical development.

Preschool child in car at night: “The moon is following us!”
Adult (quietly smiling): “I wonder where it’s going.”
Child: “To our house, of course. Moon likes it at our house.”
Adult: “It’s nice to have a home that’s liked.”
Child: “Yep.” (Smiling, continues looking at the moon).

In a few years, this same child will understand that the moon just looks like it is following the car. But no correction of this perception is needed now. What is important is a shared quality moment around the child’s beginning interpretations of the world and the people in it. Contact talks don’t have to be long, but they do have to happen, every day. They tell your child you value her and what she has to say is worthwhile.

2. Recognize that children's reasoning skills are just beginning to develop. Problem-solving and reasoning skills, what some call executive function, start to develop in the brain at about age 3. These abilities, including the capacity to understand complex situations, accommodate others’ viewpoints, and stay on task, are a work in progress into early adulthood.

It is important to understand that young children don't think the same ways adults do. Young children do not have the same grasp of reality as adults, and they see things from their own (often charming) viewpoints. Recall the young child who said, “The moon is following us.” The adult’s supportive response was to comment, “I wonder why,” and enjoy the child’s creative thinking. Helping the child make connections, and not fact-checking, builds brains. An older child considers the idea of the moon following the car pretty lame. But in the meantime, “Good night, Moon.”

3. Think of young children's conflicts as mistaken behaviors, not misbehaviors. A 3-year-old has 36 months of life experience. A 5-year-old has only 60 months. It is an error for adults to think that children misbehave because they “know better” and chosen to do wrong. They are not bad. They are only months old!

Heck, we adults don't always know how to “behave better.” We work on expressing strong emotions in nonhurting ways our entire lives. Young children are just beginning to learn this complex skill. Children have conflicts and strong disagreements with others, because their incomplete brain development and limited experience means they haven't learned yet how to behave more maturely.

Think of behaviors usually considered to be misbehaviors as mistaken behaviors. One way to think about a mistake is as an error in judgment that may cause or contribute to a conflict. Like all of us, children make mistakes. Young children make more of them because they are beginners in the learning process. They have yet to develop the personal resources they need to prevent, resolve, and forgive the conflicts all of us tend to fall into.

4. When children have strong conflicts, adults work to teach rather than punish. Research shows that punishment—infliction of pain and suffering as a consequence for something a person has done—harms healthy brain development. Punishment results in the release of stress hormones, in particular cortisol and adrenaline, which then “slosh around” in children’s brains.

Especially when stress reactions continue over time, they cause children to feel threatened even in nonthreatening situations. In reaction to perceived threats, children resort to patterns of fight-or-flight behavior. In such situations, children often show aggression (to their minds, they are defending themselves) and get into even more trouble. Children who bully are showing aggression to assert their wills in the face of life circumstances they have come to see as challenging.

Thus, the effect of punishment is to make it harder for children to learn the very social skills we want all children to learn. A cycle of stress, acting out, punishment, and more stress, starting early in childhood, can cause problems for an individual throughout life.

5. Teach, don't punish. Conflicts do have consequences. There are consequences for children when they make mistakes and cause big conflicts, and there are consequences for the adult as well. The consequence for an adult is to teach the child another way to behave—how to express strong emotions in ways that aren’t harmful. The consequence for a child is to understand the adult’s expectation that he or she learn a better way to behave.

The goal is to move children from hitting and yelling to using more acceptable methods, like saying, “I am angry!” (Just don't expect your child to learn this skill overnight. Expressing strong emotions in nonhurting ways is an ongoing task even for us adults.)

Always, the first step when children have conflicts is to tend to anyone who is hurt, then calm everyone down, including yourself. Time away from the situation may be important in helping to calm young (and older) family members. This is not time-out, but a cooling-off time so all can calm down, talk about what happened as soon as time can be made, and learn a better way to deal with the situation next time.

It takes hard work for adults to consistently teach rather than punish. Efforts don’t have to be perfect, but they do need to be honest and well intentioned. Adults who use guidance are firm when they need to be—but firm and friendly, not harsh or wishy-washy. To the best of our abilities, we need to model the reasoning and perspective-taking skills we want our children to learn. If children know we love them, even imperfect efforts at guidance can—and do—work. Guidance establishes a foundation children continue to build on, learning how to get along and solve problems as they grow—a foundation for building a healthy state of mind.

6. Use guidance talks. Different from the age-old lecture, a guidance talk is talking with (not at) a child about a conflict. In a guidance talk, the adult acts as a firm but friendly leader, talking with children after all parties have calmed down.

In using guidance talks, first recognize the effort or progress toward emotional restraint your child may have used. For your child to listen to you, you need to convey that you are working with, not against, your child. Work to build your child’s understanding of each person's feelings during the conflict. Discuss what your child could have done instead, what can be done differently next time, and how your child could help the other person feel better.

It is not helpful to force an apology. Instead, when he is ready, ask your child how he can make things better. Most children forgive more easily than adults. They just need a little time to settle themselves and figure out what happened. Restitution and reconciliation are important goals in using guidance. They help us remember that every person is a full and important family member, even when they make mistakes.

7. Hold family meetings to discuss and figure out problems that repeat themselves. The purpose of family meetings is to teach that differences can be discussed in civil (not disagreeable) ways, and that family members can work together to address difficulties and solve problems.

Be the leader. Know your own mind going into a family meeting and be up front about what you're willing to negotiate and what you’re not. (There’s got to be something, though, or else why meet?) A key to successful family meetings is this: Everyone has a right to have and express their own viewpoint, but it is important to do so in respectful ways. As with guidance talks, start and end the meetings with positives—thank folks for participating and acknowledge effort, progress, and the togetherness of the family.

Family meetings are not always popular, but when an adult emphasizes mutual respect as a guideline, the meetings can reduce, prevent, and resolve strong emotional issues, even with young children. Family meetings make family problems something to talk about and work on together, rather than let problems be the elephant in the room.

8. We adults (still) make mistakes. Being a parent who is a caring and positive leader is the hardest job in the world. (Second place is a tie between being a caring and competent early childhood professional and a middle-school substitute teacher!) When we make mistakes in our own behavior, we need to forgive ourselves, forgive the others involved, and learn from the mistakes.

Note, however, when a family member makes a lot of mistakes, has lots of conflicts—consider this a plea for help. Sometimes families need help from outside. This is OK. This difficult step can open the door to a better life for the entire family and help children make progress toward what we all want them to learn and to be.

For me the bottom-line question is this: As our kids get older, what do we want them to do if someone bullies them or pressures them to bully someone else, or (eventually) to experiment with alcohol, drugs, sex, or vandalism? If the answer is to come to us for guidance, then we get it. It’s hard to know how to respond to life’s tough questions, but good relationships with our children, begun when they are infants, will see us through.

Readiness is a State of Mind

Research shows that the best thing we can do to get children ready for school is to form and keep positive relationships with them. Children who are securely attached to their family members accept themselves as worthy individuals. With ongoing family support, they can handle the frustrations, embarrassments, pressures, and successes that come their way. Securely attached children are better able to make friends, work with others, solve problems creatively, learn, and succeed. The best predictor of children's success in school and life is a brain that develops in healthy ways, as a result of their attachments with their family, and especially their parents.

Note: Many of these ideas first appeared in Dan's four books and his column, Guidance Matters, which is published in the magazine Young Children. The five children in Dan and Julie's blended family are between 35 and 46 years old. Their 11 grandchildren range from age 8 to 23. (Dan brings photos to all events.)

Dr. Dan Gartrell, Professor Emeritus, Bemidji State University
dgartrell@bemidjistate.edu

Amber Crawford 9/7/23 Amber Crawford 9/7/23

September: Reading Tips for Parents in Multiple Languages

Our one-page parent tips offer easy ways for parents to support their children’s literacy development. The tips — for babies through grade 3 — are available in English and 12 other languages.

https://triceratops-ray-7tas.squarespace.com/config/pages/62f534a60fdea14cabc3feed

A child’s success as a reader begins much earlier than the first day of school. Reading, and a love for reading, begins at home. Our one-page parent tips offer easy ways for parents to help kids become successful readers. Although we’ve divided these tips by age, many of them can be used with children at various ages and stages — we encourage you to choose the ones that work best for your child.

Reading tips in English

View these parent tips online (and download as a PDF):

Reading tips in other languages

The downloadable tips for parents are available in the following languages:

Amber Crawford 6/5/23 Amber Crawford 6/5/23

June: Celebrating Juneteenth

The federal holiday celebrates the freedom of enslaved people at the end of the Civil War. Here’s how it got its start.

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/celebrating-juneteenth

The federal holiday celebrates the freedom of enslaved people at the end of the Civil War. Here’s how it got its start.

BYLAURA GOERTZEL

On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with an announcement: Enslaved people there were free.

People from Africa had been enslaved in the United States since 1619. By the 1770s, people strongly disagreed over the issue of slavery. Many people in the northern Union states wanted to abolish, or end, slavery. In the southern Confederate states, white people relied on enslaved people to farm their crops and did not want it to end.

By 1861, 11 southern states had decided to secede, or withdraw, from the nation over disagreements over slavery and each state’s right to allow it. This is what started the Civil War in 1861.

When he first announced the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln officially ended the enslavement of people halfway through the Civil War. The declaration called for people to be freed on January 1, 1863. However, the announcement didn’t immediately lead to freedom because the Union army still needed to win the war.

The beginning of the end of slavery

Union leader Gordon Granger told the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas that they were free.

CIVIL WAR PHOTOGRAPHS, 1861-1865, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

On April 9, 1865, the Confederate army surrendered; the Union army was victorious, and the Civil War was over. Because of Lincoln’s earlier declaration ending slavery, that meant enslaved people could claim their freedom. But many slave owners didn’t want to see this change come.

For instance, leaders in Texas still followed the state’s Confederate constitution, which stated that no laws could be passed freeing enslaved people, even though the Confederacy had lost the war. That’s one reason why Granger and his Union army came to Texas more than two months after the end of the war—and over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation—to make sure slave owners were following the new law and letting enslaved people go free.

To spread the word about freedom, Granger and more than 2,000 Union soldiers marched to public buildings and even a church to read the General Order, No. 3., part of which declared:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free."

Later that year, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was passed into law to officially abolish the practice of slavery after nearly 250 years of it in the United States. Even after passage, the law often had to be enforced in many former slave states by federal agents.

Beyond Texas, enslaved people were granted freedom at different times, but it’s still June 19 that many people celebrate as a “second Independence Day.”

From proclamation to celebration

Soon after Granger’s announcement, newly freed Black people around Texas organized and purchased park land for annual celebrations for what was now called “Juneteenth,” a mashup of the month and day of Granger’s news. Owning land was something that enslaved African Americans were never allowed to do, so having a place set aside to celebrate their freedom was a powerful symbol of their new status.

A band plays at a Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas, in 1900.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY

The holiday quickly spread to other Black communities throughout the country. People gathered for church services, concerts, parades, and picnics with traditional tea cakes and bright red hibiscus iced tea. The day has been celebrated by generations of families, and some historians think the modern Juneteenth tradition of having red-colored foods, like strawberry soda, watermelon, and red velvet cake, was inspired by those early celebrations.

Until recently, a few states—including Texas, New York, and Virginia—observed Juneteenth as an official state holiday, and state employees had the day off. But now it's a national holiday for everyone. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making June 19 a federal holiday. It's the first new one since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was declared in 1983.

People across the country celebrate Juneteenth by gathering with family and friends for parties, parades, cookouts, rodeos, and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation.

(Learn more about Juneteenth at National Geographic.)

Amber Crawford 6/5/23 Amber Crawford 6/5/23

June: Books by ThemeFreedom Day: Celebrating Juneteenth

Books by Theme… Freedom Day: Celebrating Juneteenth

The Emancipation Proclamation — that all enslaved people in Confederate states be freed — was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, but it took two and a half years for the news of freedom to reach everywhere. Juneteenth (June 19th) commemorates the day that federal troops finally arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the enslaved people there. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, and families across the country celebrate “Freedom Day” with community gatherings, parades, freedom walks, festivals — and sharing books together. To learn more:

Teaching About Juneteenth with Children’s Books (Lee and Low)
How Juneteenth (and Other Celebrations) Can Be Meaningful For Your Family (PBS Parents)

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom

By: Angela Johnson

Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis

Genre: Poetry, Historical Fiction

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

This story, written in free-verse poetry, begins with one Texas family learning about their freedom, leaving the sweltering cotton fields, and going to celebrate with a whole community on a cool beach at night. Beautiful watercolor illustrations and extra historical information at the end.

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Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem

By: Sojourner Kincaid Rolle

Illustrated by: Alex Bostic

Genre: Poetry

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

Evocative free verse by poet and activist Sojourner Kincaid Rolle traces the solemnity and celebration of Juneteenth from its 1865 origins in Galveston, Texas to contemporary observances all over the United States. This is an ode to the strength of Black Americans and a call to remember and honor a holiday whose importance reverberates far beyond the borders of Texas.

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By: Arlisha Norwood

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

On June 19, 1865, a Union soldier traveled to Texas to tell the enslaved people who lived there that they were free — that slavery was now illegal in every state. The people danced and sang in celebration of their freedom. Today, we pay tribute to this historical day with a special holiday on June 19 called Juneteenth. This colorfully illustrated story takes kids on an exciting journey through all the events that led up to the first Juneteenth, the day itself, and the impact it had on the future of the U.S.

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The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States

By: Alliah Agostini

Illustrated by: Sawyer Cloud

Genre: Nonfiction

Age Level: 6-9

Reading Level: Independent Reader

Juneteenth’s story started long before it was celebrated. The history of this now widely recognized celebration is presented in measured, accessible, and informative text and colorful illustrations. An afterword by the author reveals her connection to Junteenth.

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Creating Joyful Moments and Holding Space for Diverse Traditions

Thoughtful Gift-Giving to Foster Play and Learning

Recharge at the Library by Basheer L. Kareem

FUN AND FREE SNOW DAY LEARNING RESOURCES

MORE FUN RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

EXPLORE EXPANSIVE BLACK HISTORY ORIGINS

Education Research You Can Use

TAP INTO #BLACKJOY

SET A CELEBRATORY TONE IN YOUR LESSONS

TAKE A VIRTUAL TRIP

Here are three exemplary books that early childhood teachers can use to do just that.

BLACK is a Rainbow Color

Something Happened In Our Town:A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice

You Matter

A LESSON IN CIVIL RIGHTS

EXEMPLARY WRITING

Nikki Giovanni

The following article is an excerpt from Each and Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens.

Reflections, Questions, and a Passion for Developing Leaders

Asking Big Questions and Developing Powerful Knowledge

INITIATE DISCUSSION OF METACOGNITION AND GROWTH MINDSET

Get Our Must-Read Weekly Digest

ENGAGE STUDENTS IN THE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

SET PERSONALIZED CHILD-CENTERED GOALS

MAKE DATA VISIBLE IN CHILD-CENTERED WAYS

CELEBRATE SUCCESS

TAKEAWAYS

Breadcrumb

On this page:

Benefits of reading aloud

Boosts early literacy skills

Helps children develop language and literacy skills

Tips on reading aloud

Understanding emergent writing

Developing conceptual, procedural, and generative knowledge of writing

Practicing name writing

Tips for teachers

Learning from teacher modeling

Tips for teachers

Writing throughout the day

Tips for teachers

Home–school connection

Tips for teachers

Summary

CREATE URGENCY

Your Weekly Eureka Moment

ACTIVATE INTEREST

ALLOW FOR BREAKS AND MOVEMENT

PROVIDE STRUCTURE

On this page:

Infants and toddlers

Helping your child love books

Tips for reading with your infant or toddler

Suggested books for your infant

Suggested books for your toddler

Preschool and school-age children

Helping your preschooler or school-age child love books

Suggested books for your preschooler or school-age child

Books to help children and parents learn more about ADHD

For children

For parents

For more information

Teamwork makes positive guidance more effective and Powerful Interactions possible!

Use daily arrival time to set the tone for positive guidance.

Ensure smooth transitions.

Here are 10 ways to make the school transition a good one:

Readiness is a State of Mind

On this page:

Reading tips in English

Reading tips in other languages

The beginning of the end of slavery

From proclamation to celebration

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom

Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem

Juneteenth for Mazie

Juneteenth Jamboree

Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth

The History of Juneteenth: A History Book for New Readers

The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States

Something Happened In Our Town:
A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice