Creative Prompt - Start with One Word

My article today is the eighth in a series of prompts that I hope might spark some creative expression in your kids, and maybe you too. Our first prompt was a general one, where we looked for something else to innovate on; our second took a poem as a model; the third used video as a prompt; the fourth started with something we liked; the fifth started with what if; the sixth looked to nature; and the seventh started with some story elements. Guest author, Sandy Fussell, had many more wonderful ideas in her post, Becoming a Story Detective. I hope you and your kids will join me again today so we can all challenge ourselves to be more creative. 


A single word can be amazingly powerful. When you throw a pebble into a pond, the ripples extend way out to the edges. It's the same with a word - its influence grows as more and more people use it. With the right word or words, we can move mountains, open caves filled with treasure, and make the gaoler set us free.


One of my favourite language activities to do with kids has always been to ask them for their favourite words. Getting kids to collect words, enjoy them and share them with others is a great way to extend their literacy skills. Today, we're going to choose a word to use as a prompt for some creative activity.


The word can stand for an object, a creature, a feeling or an action. It can be any part of speech. You can decide to choose it deliberately, or let a random word adopt you. Random words might arrive via a an opened page and stabbing finger, or you could try a website like Save the Words.


Once you have a word, open yourself to its possibilities. Play with the word. Write/type it in different fonts and colours, say it, sing it and savour it. That one word might prompt a poem, a story, or a song. It might be the star of a poster or a collage. You could carve it, colour it, write it on a cake, or make it with play-dough.


What I did


I set myself two challenges this time. The first was to make a poster about my word, "garden". It's spring here in Australia and my garden tells me I spend way too much time at the computer. So I grabbed some photos and made a poster with Comic Life, adding my word in a couple of different font styles and colours. You can see that poster at the top. Comic Life makes it too easy to call it a true challenge, but it was an enjoyable creative few moments.

My second challenge was truly a challenge, however. I wanted to see if I could make letters transparent and fill them with another image. How exciting when I managed it! You can see the result in my lower image. I used Pages, Mac software I am growing to love.


Another powerful activity to do with older students is to ask them to choose one word that reflects what they want for themselves that year. They could make that word part of a collage of their dreams and goals, or just spend time thinking about why the word is important to them.


What one word do you choose?


{If you and/or your kids respond to this prompt and you'd like me to showcase it on my blog, I would be thrilled to do that. If you post it on your own blog, please let me know (in comments or email, via the Contact Me tab), and I'll add your link to the relevant post.}

Tips for Reading Aloud with Toddlers

Yesterday, I shared some Book Chook tips on reading aloud. Today I have some special tips for the parents of toddlers.


Parents of toddlers have wonderful opportunities to develop literate kids. So much of the play we do naturally with babies - finger plays, nursery rhymes, chat, naming things - grows into extended play that we enjoy with our toddlers. But we can also introduce other elements as our little ones develop the ability to listen, observe, learn and become more aware of their surroundings.

• Surround your child with print. Print means words on flash cards, labels, books for babies and toddlers and all ages, letters, word games, flyers, comics, magnet letters, magazines - you get the picture!
• Read aloud at least every day. Reading aloud to your child is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. Sharing stories shapes kids futures. It also gives us a time to cuddle with and be close to our children, something that's vital in our busy lives.
• Let your child see you reading and writing. It’s important to be a model for your child. The great things is, that doesn’t mean eating celery and strutting a cakewalk! It means having your child see you read and write for pleasure and purpose.
• Make it a family affair. When everyone joins in family reading, it’s more fun and becomes a habit. Take your books on picnics, read to Grandma, make sure Dad gets to share what he’s reading too.
• Play with words. Sharing the joy of language is such fun. Toddlers love songs and rhymes. Talk to them about everything you see and listen to what they have to say.

(Image credit: crimfants on Flickr)

Tips for Reading Aloud

Parents who want the best for their kids, read aloud to them every day. Here are some Book Chook tips to get the most from your story sharing time:

• Make sure your child is comfortable, not hungry or thirsty or too tired. A great place for sharing a story is snuggled together in a big armchair. That feeling of love and closeness makes the read-aloud experience even more special.
• If I’m reading a print book aloud, I like to hold the book where my child can see the text while he listens, imagines, and gazes at the pictures. I believe this is an important step in pre-reading, helping kids make connections with what they hear and the print they see.
• Sometimes children find it difficult to sit still for a story. Encourage them to play quietly while you read, or to move around while you both listen to an audio book.
• Whenever you’re reading aloud each day - at bed time, or during lunch, or maybe while you’re in a waiting room - remember to make the experience fun. Encourage kids to join in whenever there’s an opportunity: maybe they can make an animal noise, or be a giant stomping about.
• If the book is new to you, try to scan it before a read-aloud session. It helps the flow if you know what's coming next. You won’t stumble, trying to work out an unusual font or the meter of a rhyme.
• I like to use different voices for different characters, and vary my tone. If I’m creeping up to a dark, scary cave, I lower my voice, read slowly and draw out the suspense. If I’m doing dialogue between a mouse and a lion, I vary my voice accordingly. Sometimes I get my voices and characters muddled, but it doesn’t matter. Kids usually point it out, we giggle and move on.
• It’s important to be comfortable and develop your own style of reading aloud. Start reading to babies, they are very accepting, and absorb a lot about language by listening to the rhythm of your words. Check out story times at libraries or schools to get an idea of what works for others.

There are thousands, probably millions of wonderful books for children. Borrow from your local library or buy from markets and stores, but make sure there are many, many books in your home for your child to choose from. Sharing great books daily will give all kids a head start into happiness and success in life, and help their dreams come true.

If you're interested in more ideas for family read alouds, you might like Ten Ways to Involve the Whole Family in Reading Aloud, Fourteen Fantastic Hints on Reading Aloud by Mem Fox Queen of Read Aloud, When Should We Start Reading to Kids?, Encouraging Young Readers, or Rhyme Helps Reading.}

Is Your Life Overfull?

Sometimes our lives are so hectic, so full of shoulds and musts, that we lose track of our priorities and go into a tail spin. That happened to me recently. Next day, I received one of those forwarded email stories from a friend. I started to skim before deleting, but stopped when I realized what it was saying. I'm posting it here because I think we can all use a mayonnaise jar in our lives.


A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

Next, the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things- family, children, health, friends, and passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else - the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

(Image credit, zaveqna on Flickr)

Review, 3 Bags Full Finger Puppet Pouch

I was just delighted to receive a 3 Bags Full Finger Puppet Pouch recently. Don't you agree that this is adorable? The pouch is a knit bag, painted with a scene, and it holds finger puppets. The puppets can also attach to the outside of the bag, adding a three-dimensional loveliness to the scene. My pouch is the farm one, so it contained a cow, dog, duck, horse, pig, rabbit, sheep and a gorgeous rooster.


The pouch comes with a leaflet suggesting books that would make a good match for the theme you choose. Suggestions for the books are also on the website.


3 Bags Full Finger Puppets are part of the Indigenous Crafts from Bolivia website, a company selling fair trade crafts from Bolivia. They sell online or through stores.


The pouches would make a great gift of course. I think they'd be ideal for plane or car travel. They are robust, and the idea of storing the puppets inside the bag is a good one. There's enough room for other indispensable bits and pieces too. Pairing a pouch with a book or two encourages both reading, imaginative play and creative self- expression. What a wonderful gift!


Kelly Burstow has a review of the pouches too. She loved the arctic pouch and puppets and has a short video showing its versatility on her blog. I also found a review by Nicole at Planning with Kids, who loved the garden pouch and puppets.


I love finding toys that are the perfect match with literacy. 3 Bags Full Finger Puppet Pouches also encourage creative expression, and purchasing supports Fair Trade. Win-Win-Win!


In conjunction with my review of the 3 Bags Full Finger Puppet Pouch, Sue Berlove is offering 20% off the regular price of one pouch for Book Chook readers. The offer holds until November 15, and applies to any 3 Bags Full Finger Puppet Pouch. Just send an e-mail to sue@craftsfrombolivia.com and mention BookChook25 in the subject line.

Creative Prompt - Start with Some Story Elements

My article today is the seventh in a series of prompts that I hope might spark some creative expression in your kids, and maybe you too. Our first prompt was a general one, where we looked for something to innovate on; our second took a poem as a model; the third used video as a prompt; the fourth started with something we liked; the fifth started with what if; and the sixth looked to nature.


This idea for a prompt has been used by drama and writing teachers for years. Just because it's been around a while doesn't mean we should turn up our noses at it. I found that setting parameters the way this activity does almost forces us to be creative. At the very least, it gets our imagination started and gives it a direction to go in.


We start by developing lists of characters, settings and events. I've done this by writing single elements on cards, having the cards in three separate boxes or hats, and have people choose one from each. Another way is to get your group to partner up and give each other a character, setting and scene. I've given another example in table format above.


Once you've chosen one character, one setting and one event, it's up to you to generate a story based on them. The story could be an oral one (fun for long car trips), a written narrative, a comic, the kernel of a complete adventure in book form, a painting, or an improvised scene acted out by a small group. There's no need to stick closely to your elements, the idea is to get started. But it always amazes me how powerful our imaginations are once we're presented with random ideas and asked to tie them together.


What I did


I closed my eyes and pointed to my elements, receiving hungry monster, pink cloud and a big fight. I had very little time so I zipped over to Kerpoof and created my version of a hungry chookish monster with their drawing pad. Pink cloud was easy. Big fight to come!

{If you and/or your kids respond to this prompt and you'd like me to showcase it on my blog, I would be thrilled to do that. If you post it on your own blog, please let me know (in comments or email, via the Contact Me tab), and I'll add your link to the relevant post.}

KidsCanHaveFun

KidsCanHaveFun is a website I found via Twitter recently.


KidsCanHaveFun:
offer kids a way to express their ideas through Printable Activities for kids such as simple paper crafts, coloring, educational worksheets, fun games, kid puzzles and so many more fun kids activities.


The different sections include Crafts, Coloring, Puzzles, Games, Party and SchoolZone. In SchoolZone, there are many educational activities for kids such as printable school papers, educational crosswords and word searches. Coloring includes pictures perfect for Bible Study, as well as more secular ones, and mini-coloring books.


I liked the little pdf booklets with art work for kids to colour, and lines for a short story or description. Themes like Construction, Fairy, Wild Animals and Pets are sure to attract the younger crowd. There are also booklets in pdf format - All About My Pet - where kids are encouraged to finish sentences and add details about their pet bunny, dog or cat.


Printables can save parents and teachers time. KidsCanHaveFun is well-laid out and makes it easy for you to find a certificate or activity you need and saves you re-inventing the wheel. I love their art-work, which you can get an idea of in the cute Noah's Ark picture above. (Used with permission.)


(A couple of the links didn't work in my browser, Safari, but worked fine in Firefox. Site owners say the site works best in IE.)

Review, Boggle Flash

I was delighted to receive the game, Electronic Boggle Flash (Hasbro) to review recently. You know how much The Book Chook loves word games! I describe a couple of old favourites in The Book Chook Bag of Tricks, above. The idea of Boggle with a cool new electronic aspect had me flapping my wings up and down impatiently. I think we actually looked at the invention that enabled this toy in my February article, Siftables.


The object of Boggle Flash is to slide, swap and shuffle tiles to make words fast. There are five tiles, so you can make five letter words (or less). Each tile is about the area of a book of matches, but chunkier. To play, you need to sort the letters out so they make a word, joining them end to end in a row. If it's a true word, the game beeps and flashes up a new set of letters. You can play an online version of one Boggle Flash game at the Hasbro Family Game Night website. 


Features I liked:

• Number one for me was the electronic aspect. To have tiny computers sensing that I have made or not made a word like this "boggles" my mind. Kids, of course, will take it in their stride, but they'll love it too.
• I love games that actually get my mind working and have me exercising my thinking muscles. Boggle Flash isn't easy. Confession: I sometimes got groups of letters that had me scratching my feathers and then slapping the table when I saw the answer at last. But it's a great mental workout.
• The game play was simple enough to pick up readily, but complicated enough to hold my interest. Working against a timer, random letter generation and another player added extra dimensions.
• The game came with batteries provided and they all worked!
• Although it comes carefully packaged in a cardboard box about A4 sized, the game tiles and instructions can be packed into the extra, compact and sturdy, plastic box provided. This makes it easily portable and keeps the tiles safe.

I think Boggle Flash would be ideal for play on a fold down tray in a plane, a stable table in the back of a car, on the floor of a bedroom or around the dining table at home. It's a game that involves kids in developing literacy skills and engages them in word play, while providing fun and the opportunity for interaction with other players.


The company recommends the game for ages 8 and up. I see no reason a bright six-year-old couldn't play by looking for two or three letter words. It would make an excellent game for the whole family, as it has versions for one, two and more players. If you're in the US, try looking for Scrabble Flash - same game, different name. Joyce Grant also reviewed it on Get Kids Reading where you can check out her opinion. Now all we need is another online version so Canada can play Australia!

Becoming a Story Detective - Guest Post

Encouraging kids to become story detectives is a great way to get them focussed on writing. Here are some fantastic ideas from Australian author, Sandy Fussell, that will help your kids turn into story detectives and look beyond the obvious in a picture prompt. Sandy was kind enough to share one of her favourite story writing resources for when she's working with kids. It's a pdf booklet by author, Rosanne Hawke, called Picture This, available free at Rosanne's website. 


Sandy is a computer programmer by day and a children’s author at night. Much to her surprise the two jobs go together very well. She has never been to Japan, the Arctic or the jungles of Mexico but she has a wild imagination and a passion for unusual research including pretending to be a samurai trainee at swordsmanship lessons, learning the shakuhachi flute, imprisoning herself in a box and sitting in a bath tub of ice to see what it felt like to be really, really cold. Sandy is the author of the Samurai Kids series, with the fifth title Fire Lizard released in September 2010. Her historical adventure novel Polar Boy was shortlisted for the 2009 CBCA Book of the Year Younger Readers. Another novel recently reviewed by The Book Chook is Jaguar Warrior. You can find her at www.samuraikids.com.au and  www.sandyfussell.com, or blogging at www.readwritezone.blogspot.com and www.sandyfussell.blogspot.com 


Becoming a Story Detective


It's fun to find stories in pictures. In fact, it’s all about being a story detective and looking for clues. So how do you find clues in a picture? You start by asking questions. But here's a top secret tip - think of the less obvious answer. The one that doesn’t jump out first. The one everyone else won’t think of. You don’t have to write about what you see in the picture, you can also write about what the picture suggests.

Here are some questions to ask: How does the picture make you feel? Ask yourself who, what, where, when and why. But the most powerful question of all is: what if?

Have a really close look at the picture. Is there something unusual about it? It might be the colour, or perspective. It might be an object in the picture. Or a person. Unusual features suggest story ideas.

You need to decide who the narrator is. Are you telling the story? Try putting yourself in the picture. Your own memories and experiences can help you find a story. Perhaps the narrator is someone you can see in the picture or someone looking at the scene the picture contains. Or maybe the narrator is not a person at all. Animals and even inanimate objects can tell a story.

Look at the story elements the picture suggests – are there clues about the setting, the character, dialogue, action or plot? When looking at the setting, where the story is taking place, don’t forget to use all five senses – touch, taste, see, hear and smell. Imagine the picture has a volume control. Turn it up and have a listen. What sounds can you hear? Is anyone (or anything) speaking? Dialogue will give the picture a voice, by letting it talk.

What is happening in the picture? Now look outside the picture. What happened before? What is going to happen next? The answers to these questions will suggest a plot, storyline or action.

One of my favourite techniques is one I call “putting your other glasses on”. By this I mean take another look at the picture in a different way. If you think it looks happy, try and imagine a way it could be sad. If you think it looks like a horror scene, turn it into a romance.

Still stuck? A good way to jump start your story is to make lists. Write down ten words the picture suggests. Write down five sounds in the picture – onomatopoeias, dialogue, noises. Write down five things about each character. Write a list of who, what, where, when and why.

Choose a picture. What story does it suggest to you?


Thanks Sandy! Such great questions and suggestions to help kids find their way into a story!


(If you're interested in more ideas for encouraging kids to express themselves creatively, whether in writing, art, or using other media, you might like to read some of The Book Chook's Creative Prompt Series, which you can find in the archived posts at right.)

Image credits, top to bottom:

1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanhayes/1319672999/in/photostream/

2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/21745851@N00/382031318/

3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/39025971@N00/3947002940/

4. http://morguefile.com/archive/display/15597# 

5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/22707445@N00/4202169880/

6. http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielproulx/3474414230/

7. http://www.flickr.com/photos/27382987@N00/2820034015/

8. http://www.flickr.com/photos/26304233@N00/2621194666/

Book Review, Fur and Feathers

Recently I had the opportunity to read a children's picture book online. It is Fur and Feathers, written by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein, and published by Sylvan Dell. I was able to read the book on my computer screen, pause as long as I wanted on each page, or read along while I listened to the story being read aloud - a great help to emergent readers. (If you'd like a glimpse, check out this preview.) In my ideal world, all children's books will be published both in print and as e-Books, because both answer definite needs.


I've read Halfmann's Little Skink's Tail and very much enjoyed it. Fur and Feathers didn't disappoint. It's a deceptively simple story, but written with lots of opportunities for young readers to giggle and learn:


When Sophia dreams that howling winds whisk the fur and feathers right off her animal friends, she shares some of her clothes with them. But her clothing doesn’t work well for the animals. Seeing their disappointment, she offers to sew each one the “right” coat. Animals line up to explain what they need and why. Polar Bear needs white fur to stay warm and hide in the snow. Fish needs scales, but with slime. Snake needs scales too, but dry ones. And how will Sophia make a prickly coat for Porcupine?


Klein's illustrations are gorgeous. She walks the fine line between realism and entertainment with her animal characters and gives us plenty of both. My favourite double page spread is the one where Sophie helps the animals squash themselves into her clothes - delightful!


The back of the book has a section, For Creative Minds, which has a simple introduction to the classification of species. This is such a boon to home schoolers and other parents who want to extend the literature they share with their children to other subjects and learning activities.


I love the idea of children's books that are classified as fiction and tell a story, but also enable children to learn about the world around them. Sylvan Dell are one of my favourite US publishers. To me, they are a fine model of how value can be added to a book purchase by providing supplementary material for it. Take time to explore their website. It's generously packed with resources parents and teachers can use. I was also impressed by what they offer public schools and libraries: one- year, free access to all 55 of their eBooks through their School and Library Resource Grant program. (This is for US schools, but International schools and homeschool groups are encouraged to contact them and discuss. Wonderful opportunity!)


If you'd like to know more about Fur and Feathers, check out the trailer below.

Creative Prompt - Look to Nature

My article today is the sixth in a series of prompts that I hope might spark some creative expression in your kids, and maybe you too. Our first prompt was a general one, where we looked for something else to innovate on, our second took a poem as a model; the third used video as a prompt; the fourth simply focused on things we like; the fifth used those two magical words, what and if. I hope you and your kids will join me today so we can all challenge ourselves to be more creative. 


Going outdoors to look for a prompt for creative expression can be liberating. I often find if I'm stuck on a story, I am more successful getting unblocked if I go for a walk, have a change of scenery and pace. It's a great way to combine creativity and imagination with fresh air and physical activity. And it can help kids get in touch with their natural environment.


So, let's go outside. We're looking to the world of nature for an idea to get us started in some kind of creative activity. Kids are so good at this. They can see a million potential uses for a single stick, or transform a tree or a cloud with the simple but amazing power of their own imaginations. Let's look for an object, a gift from nature, and see if we can respond to it in some way.


What I did


I went on a bush walk and found a banksia tree. If you're not Australian, you might not know these very large seed pods or cones. One of our wonderful Australian classics is the book, The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs, an author/illustrator who also saw their potential as a prompt!


I found a seed head lying on the ground, and took photos of some still attached to the tree. Taking photographs of what we see and find is a great way to make a digital creation later when the walk is over, and lends itself to cartoons, stories and book making. Because the seed heads had "eyes", I began to see personalities emerge. I decided to use Comic Life (reasonably priced software available for PC and Mac) to create a cartoon about my banksia boys.


First of all, I fooled around with the seed head I brought home, and stuck a chooky hat on him. That gave me the idea the others would be jealous of his finery. A simple story line emerged in the form of a conversation between the banksia boys, each of them bragging about their hats. I quickly added hats with Skitch to each photo I'd taken in the bush, then used Comic Life to add dialogue and speech bubbles. All up, including walk, the project probably took two hours. 


(Because I reduced the file size for the web, I lost quality in the jpeg of my cartoon. Comic Life makes the words crystal clear, unlike the way they appear on this page.) 


You and your child might find an unusual stick that you bring home, dress up, and turn into a dragon or stick princess. Maybe some leaves will inspire you to print leaf people, and add details to give them individual quirks. Perhaps you will lie on your backs and gaze at clouds, inventing adventures for your imaginary cloud creatures. Sharing activities like these with our kids shows them that we play too, and helps us all to exercise our imagination muscles.



{If you and/or your kids respond to this prompt and you'd like me to showcase it on my blog, I'd be thrilled to do that. If you post it on your own blog, please let me know (in comments or email, via the Contact Me tab), and I'll add your link to the relevant post.}

Curriculum Resource Centre for Series Books

Here's some information from TeachingBooks.net about a free online Curriculum Resource Center on popular series books and their authors. If your child loves series, or you're looking for additional resources to extend a book, the website provides links to resources like author websites, and audio and text files. Kids can hear some authors reading excerpts from their books, and read interviews with them. Listening to a book read aloud by an author might "sell" your kids on a new series too. The list of books is mostly US-published, but many are available online or internationally, so it's definitely worth a look. 


"TeachingBooks.net Launches a Free Online Curriculum Resource Center About Series Books and Their Authors


TeachingBooks.net, a K–12 online database that infuses multimedia about books and authors into reading, has just launched a free online digital collection and curriculum resource center featuring popular series books.


"Elementary students love series books. The familiarity and comfort of knowing the characters, the setting, and the plot lines make reading pleasurable for children who devour book after book in a series," reflects Nick Glass, Founder & Executive Director of TeachingBooks.net. "This is especially true for emergent and newly independent readers, whose reading success with one title encourages them to seek similar books."


The newly produced Series Books Curriculum Resource Center includes hours of original audio interviews with popular series authors and hundreds of online resources to support the enjoyment of more than 40 favorite series—including fantasy, mystery, realistic fiction, and biography. The Series Books Curriculum Resource Center helps busy educators find inspiring multimedia resources that can be easily integrated into their literacy activities.


The collection gives educators quick and easy access to discussion questions, activities, and multimedia resources to enrich conversations about series books. It also enables students, teachers, librarians, and families to learn directly from award-winning authors of their favorite series books about how each series came to be written.


"TeachingBooks.net recognizes the power that series books can have in the lives of children relatively new to reading, and is excited to enable all readers to meet and learn from the authors of these great books," continues Glass.


The Series Books Curriculum Resource Center is free for anyone to use or link to."