Norah Colvin

Live Love Laugh Learn … Create the possibilities

Category: Early childhood education

  • It’s not what you see

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    This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills is talking about the effect of changing a lens on how things are viewed. She says,

     “No matter what lens we apply, there is something to be seen in each of us that is worthy.

    Perhaps if we focus differently, we might actually achieve peace.”

    This is true too of children. Sadly, I think too often children are seen for what they are not yet, rather than appreciated for what they are. Childhood is all too fleeting, and with the current focus on assessment and teaching-to-the-test in many educational systems, it is becoming almost non-existent. Recess and free-play times are being eroded to cram in more cramming time.

    I recently read an article in the Washington Post that told of children in a US school having to walk laps during a 20-minute recess. The supposed intention was to get the children active. However, most children would be naturally active if allowed the freedom to run and play. The benefits of free-play activities for health, well-being, and social development would be far greater than that of walking laps.

    file1051239031460

    This practice contrasts with one described in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald. Children in Finland have fifteen minutes of mandatory outdoor play every hour, whatever the weather. “Fresh air, nature and regular physical activity breaks are considered engines of learning.”

    Each of these practices recognises the importance of activity, but each has a different way of providing for it, and only one is effective. I wonder why those with the power to make positive changes in education, fail to see the damage being done by didactic and test-driven practices that rob children of any love for or joy in learning. It seems to matter little what lens is used, they are unable to focus clearly on what matters most.

    In this TEDx talk, Nancy Carlsson-Paige explains what happens When Education Goes Wrong: Taking the Creativity and Play out of Learning.

    Towards the end of the talk, beginning at 12:45, Nancy says,

     “The difference between understanding concepts and reciting facts is very important for us to understand right now, because it captures the essence of what is happening in education today. There is a gross misunderstanding of what education is that has swept across the country, and the unfortunate belief is that you can direct teach, and you can measure and you can quantify learning; but the truth is, it is only the most superficial and the most mechanical aspects of learning that can be reduced to numbers. Unfortunately, this mistaken idea about the nature of education has pushed down to our youngest children. “

    She says that when we “drill and grill” kids, we not only lose the power of the learning experience, we lose all the amazing capacities that children bring to us in education:

    • initiative
    • creativity
    • the ability to define and solve their own problems
    • originality of thought
    • invention of new ideas
    • perseverance
    • cooperation.

    She says that when we take those capacities out, we take away the love of and joy in learning, not only from the children but from teachers too.

    These are themes that are familiar to regular readers of my blog, and the most influential when I decided to leave the classroom. More than thirty years ago I wrote a poem to describe the differences between what often is, and what could be.

    © Norah Colvin
    © Norah Colvin

    Sadly, I cannot say that nothing has changed. It has. The differences have become more stark.

    Here is my response to Charli’s prompt to: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story using a lens. It can be literal, like looking at the world through rose-colored lenses or the need for spectacles.

    pink-sunglasses-clipart-1

    Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my rose-coloured glasses.

    What you see

    They saw him for what he wasn’t and what he lacked, not for what he was and what he could be. Their ill-fitting garments failed to clothe, and their unpalatable diet failed to nourish. If only they’d zoomed in upon his potential. Instead the wide-angled lens showed a panorama of disadvantage: an excuse for failure to fulfil his needs or enable his possibilities. A lens in proper focus may have seen a burning curiosity, a rich imagination, a wisdom older than time, and a heart in harmony with the universe. Instead they considered the negatives not worthy of development.

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

  • What’s the procedure?

    This post is republished from the readilearn blog.

    sift

    Reading and following procedures is a part of everyday life. We need to follow a procedure to make a cake, take medicine, repair a bicycle, treat head lice, assemble a DIY bookcase, or install an app on a digital device. The list in inexhaustible.

    Sometimes procedures are presented as text, sometimes as illustrations or diagrams, and sometimes as a combination of both. They work best when each step of the sequence is accurately described and illustrated.

    However, not all procedural texts are created equal. Sometimes the language may be inappropriate and unclear. Sometimes steps are omitted or sequenced incorrectly. Sometimes diagrams have little resemblance to what is required and confuse, rather than clarify, the process.

    Trying to figure out what to do can cause a great deal of frustration in such circumstances.  The more practised we are with following procedures, the more adept we are at interpreting inadequate instructions to achieve a good outcome.

    It is never too soon for children to learn to read and follow procedures. The inclusion of procedural texts in a classroom literacy program has many benefits.

    Following a procedure provides a context and purpose for reading.  It requires children to interpret instructions through a combination of text and visual representation. It generally implies that children are doing or making something, which engages their interest and encourages participation. It develops an essential real-life skill that is transferrable to a range of situations. The sense of achievement in successfully completing a project is both affirming and empowering and often requires no other feedback.

    Procedural texts can be easily incorporated into a class reading program as an independent or group reading activity. An assistant to support, encourage and oversee can be invaluable.

    Features of procedural texts

    The reading of a procedural texts differs from reading fiction or non-fiction texts.

    • The title, and sometimes a short description, tells what will be done or made.
    • There is generally a list of requirements.
    • The body of the procedure is written as a sequential series of commands.
    • The verb, telling the action to be performed, occurs at the beginning of the sentence.
    • The sentence is directed to the reader, and means, “You do this.”
    • Each sentence is generally short with one action to be performed in each step.

    There is a range of readilearn resources to involve children in reading and following procedural texts. Many of the procedures are provided in different formats for use with the whole class or with small groups or by individuals. Some are supported by additional resources, and How to make a paper plate cat face is presented with two levels of text.

    These include:

    How to make a paper plate cat face

    how-to-make-a-paper-plate-cat-face-level-1

    How to make a 2D bus with wheels that move

    how-to-make-a-2d-bus

    How to make a friendship tree

    how-to-make-a-friendship-tree-readilesson

    Make your own paper plate clock face

    make-your-own-paper-plate-clock-face-free-preview

    How to make moon cake

    how-to-make-a-moon-cake-sl

    How to make a book cover

    how-to-make-a-book-cover-readilesson

    How to make a healthy smiley face sandwich

    make-a-healthy-smiley-face-sandwich-readilesson

    I hope you and your children enjoy using these resources. They were always enjoyed in my own classroom, and have been the most popular resources in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

    Please contact me if you have any questions. I welcome your feedback, especially suggestions for improvements to existing resources and ideas for new ones.

    Remember, if you haven’t yet subscribed, an introductory discount of 20% is available to all who subscribe this year. Just use the coupon code welcome2 at the checkout to receive your discount.

    I’ll see you next week. In the meantime, enjoy the weekend.

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading.

    Happy teaching and learning,

    Norah

     

    You can contact me:

    via email hello@readilearn.com.au

    via the Contact page

    on Twitter @readilearn or @NorahColvin

    on Facebook @readilearnteachingresources

    on my other blog NorahColvin.com

    I invite you to rate and review any resources you use, and to share information about readilearn on social media.

     

  • One small step

    Neil Armstrong walks on the moon, NASA
    Neil Armstrong walks on the moon, NASA

    It is no secret that I love having time with young children. Their development constantly amazes me. They are curious learners on a quest to find out as much as they can about the world and how it works. They are scientific researchers making observations, forming hypotheses, and drawing conclusions; always with a plan for the next step if the results aren’t what was expected.

    How many times do they need to release a spoon to be confident that it will always be pulled towards the floor? How early do they laugh when something doesn’t perform as expected; for example, when a balloon floats up instead of falling down?

    Many of a young child’s explorations seek answers to questions they ask of themselves; questions that may never be verbalised.

    childrens-questions

    After they have investigated their immediate environment, and their language begins to develop, they start to look at the wider world, and begin to ask questions about how things work and why things happen.

    Here are a couple my granddaughter asked me recently:

    “Norah, you know about gravity? Why do clouds stay up in the air? Why don’t they fall down?”

    “If babies grow into adults, and adults give birth to babies. Which came first the baby or the mother?”

    questions-children-ask

    The determination and persistence of young children is also almost limitless. Watch them learning to roll, or to sit, or to stand. It is never achieved on the first attempt, but that doesn’t stop them. They don’t give up. They try and try again until they do it. The look of satisfaction on their faces is priceless. No stickers are required. Sometimes, when the result differs from expectation, the look is of surprise. But even then they are quickly deciding what to do next.

    Without formal instruction of any kind, in their first few years, children perform amazing feats. Without the imposition of test requirements or standardised assessment, children are driven to learn. Intrinsic rewards, accompanied by the encouragement of significant others, for example, parents, are sufficient.  Children are driven by a “yet” mindset and a belief that there is no such thing as “can’t”. This ensures they continue to practice until they succeed. Immediately they succeed, they set themselves another challenge. That is, unless they are taught otherwise.

    When they are nurtured in an environment that is encouraging and supportive, with a balance of comfort and challenge, and well-timed feedback, children will thrive physically, emotionally, and mentally. They will learn through their observations and interactions with people and objects. Each question answered will stimulate the next.

    These are just a few of the remarkable achievements made by children before setting foot inside any formal education establishment. They learn to

    • interact
    • roll over
    • sit up
    • crawl
    • clap hands
    • stand
    • walk
    • place things inside, and take things out of, other objects
    • feed oneself
    • talk
    • run
    • undo and do up buttons
    • push buttons (of all sorts)
    • open doors
    • play games
    • …

    Given an encouraging, supportive environment with caring adults who respond to their needs, surround them with language, love them, and model behaviour, children learn amazing things.

    This week at The Carrot Ranch Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about an amazing feat. My response is a tribute to the amazing feats performed by little ones every day.

    One small step

    Everything she had ever done was preparation for this moment. All eyes were on her. The audience’s expectation was palpable, bolstering her determination. She pulled herself up to full height and looked around, smiling. The audience waited. She checked the positioning of her feet, and her balance. She held up one hand, signifying that an attempt was imminent. She put one foot forward; then raised the other hand as she brought her back foot alongside the first. She paused, poised, momentarily. Immediately cameras clicked and cheers erupted. After two more steps, she launched, triumphant, into her father’s waiting arms.

    Here are photos of my two little (now big) ones. While not of their first steps, these photos were taken within the first month each of them walked.

     

    © Norah Colvin
    © Norah Colvin
    bec-walking
    © Norah Colvin

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

     

  • Author Spotlight: Rebecca Johnson

    This post is republished from the readilearn blog.

    Hi, welcome to the readilearn blog and the first in our Author Spotlight series.

    Spring is here and summer is on its way in Australia. The excitement of new life is everywhere as flowers bloom, birds sing, and insects abound. The excitement flows into the classroom as children observe and record the life stages of the amazing minibeasts that inhabit our world.

    There is no better time than spring to introduce you to Brisbane author Rebecca Johnson and her Insect Series which was awarded the 2014 Whitley Certificate of Commendation for Best Educational Series.

    rebecca
    Rebecca Johnson: award-winning author and primary school science teacher

    about-rebecca-johnsons-books

    Rebecca’s Insect Series of ten books focuses on metamorphosis, survival, adaptations, properties of natural materials and the usefulness of insects through fiction stories. The stories are accompanied by stunning close-up photos of insects of all kinds.

    The books, which won the 2014 Whitley Award for Best Educational Series, have strong listed links to the Australian Curriculum for many year levels. They are a great resource for teaching and learning about insects. The fiction stories that accompany the facts make the learning even more fun. Two free blackline masters support the use of each book. The blackline masters can be accessed on the Blake Education Website.

    While the books feature Australian insects and have links to the Australian curriculum, they are loved by children all over the world. I am happy to introduce you to Rebecca and her lovely series of books.

    Welcome to readilearn, Rebecca. We are looking forward to getting to know you a little better.

    Thanks for inviting me!

    When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

    When I was reading a lot of picture books to my very young children and could see how much they loved them.

    Where do you write? Do you like to be by yourself in the quiet, or do you like to write in a noisy space?

    I do most of my ‘writing’ in my head.  I think about my stories for ages and pitch them verbally to victims until I am sure I have it all sorted in my head, then I sit to write in my lovely, quiet study overlooking my garden. I encourage children to tell their stories out loud before they write too, because, in my opinion, it is almost impossible to write a good story if you can’t tell one.

    What do you use to write – pencil and paper or computer?

    Head first. VERY few drafts, then I type it into the computer. I can type a 7000 word novel in a week that is publisher-ready, but I have thought about it and pitched it and sounded it out in my head for weeks beforehand. I hate sitting down all day, and I hate re-doing things over and over even more, so I do heaps of my drafting mentally whilst I do other (fun) stuff like gardening, then by the time I sit down to write, it’s like typing out a movie I know really well. People give you more honest feedback too, when you tell them a story. They feel less nervous about letting you know how they really feel about it. Try it some time.

    When is the best time for you to write?

    I do my best work from 5am when the house is really quiet. I’m always too tired at night (I still teach three days a week) for anything too creative.

    When and where do you get your ideas?

    From my life’s experiences as a mother, teacher, child and my own children. I think you have to write about what you know and love.

    What gave you the idea for this series about insects?

    I am a science teacher and I love insects, and I just couldn’t find the books I needed to succinctly and factually tell kids about the life-cycles and characteristics of insects in a fun way, so I wrote some.

    What do you like best about the series?

    Kids love them because they are funny and a bit silly, but they are still full of facts and information. I think they remember things better if it is presented in more appealing and humorous way.

    What can you tell us about the photographs that illustrate the books?

    My sister (Narinda Sandry) took most of them and it was hilarious. We didn’t want to harm any of the insects, so we had to put some, like the mealworms, in the fridge for a while to slow them down to get the shots. I will always smile as I recall the day we sat around a cow pat in a paddock trying to photograph dung beetles before they re-dug themselves in! The old farmer that had let us into the paddock stood to the side scratching his head in disbelief.

    caterpillar-spread

    How did your feel when you wrote these stories?

    I was really pleased when they came out because the photos are just gorgeous, and they were very well received by schools and parents. Winning the Whitley awards was really lovely recognition too.

    How do you hope readers will feel?

    Hopefully empowered with more information and knowledge, and perhaps inspired to look more closely at the wonderful world of insects and an appreciation of the benefits they bring.

    How would you like teachers to present your books to children?

    I’d love them to make them part of their science lesson, and even team them with some real insects (like mealworms) to make it all so much more engaging. There are two free blackline masters for each one too, that are designed to be able to be used independently by children in reading groups etc. There are heaps of facts inside the covers, and a glossary of terms, so plenty to learn in each one.

    Are there any messages you would like them to discuss?

    The main thing is that insects are so important and not just a good excuse to whack something!

    Do you have any advice for teachers in their role as writing guides?

    As I said earlier….talk before writing as much as you can. It is amazing how hard kids find it to describe something verbally and yet we ask them to do it in the written form all the time with disappointing results.

    Do you have any advice for children as writers?

    Tell, tell, tell, and don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes a long time to get it right. It took me five years to get my first book published.

    What is your favourite picture book? What do you like about it?

    I have so many favourites, but Bob Graham’s Greetings from Sandy Beach always makes me laugh out loud, and humour is really important to me in a book.

    Who is your favourite children’s author? What do you like about his or her work?

    The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis).  He made me see a movie in my head. I could picture every scene, decades before there was a movie.  I remember thinking that one day, I wanted to make a reader feel like that.

    thank-you-authors-and-illustrators

    Thank you Rebecca Johnson for sharing these insights about your Insect Series and your writing process. We wish you success.

    Thank you, and thanks for having me!

    To find out more about Rebecca and her award winning books visit her website at rebeccajohnson.com.au. You can find out about and purchase her Insect Series and other books on her website.

    Look what's new

    This interview and information about Rebecca is available as a printable resource in a new subcategory in readilearn literacy resources: Author Spotlight. The information may be displayed in your classroom or included in a class book about authors and illustrators.

    Check out the readilearn resources My Minibeast ABC and Minibeast Alphabet – A list for teachers which can also be used when learning about minibeasts.

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading.

    Happy teaching and learning.

    Norah

     

    You can contact me:

    via email hello@readilearn.com.au

    via the Contact page

    on Twitter @readilearn or @NorahColvin

    on Facebook @readilearnteachingresources

    on my other blog NorahColvin.com

    I invite you to rate and review any resources you use, and to share information about readilearn on social media.

  • Caps off for maths!

    This post is republished from the readilearn blog.

    Hi, and welcome again to the readilearn blog. I hope you’ve had a good week.

    Rarely, when the costs of education are being calculated, is the contribution made by teachers from their own pockets acknowledged. It is not very well publicised that many teachers spend a lot of their own money resourcing their classrooms, which would be far less interesting places if teachers refused to contribute in this way.

    Today I demonstrate that not all resources need be expensive. A versatile, free, and readily available resource is the humble bottle cap or lid, which  is often discarded, but can fulfill a number of functions in the classroom.

    collection

    It doesn’t take long to gather an extensive collection of lids even on your own. But ask your children to bring in lids from home and the collection builds even quicker.

    Lids have many uses.

    Children can, for example:

    Sort by colour or size

    sort-colour sort-size

    Order according to size – diameter or height

    order-diameter order-height

    Make patterns – repeating or growing

    growing-pattern repeating-ab-pattern

    Count – by ones, twos or fives

    count-in-onescount-in-2s count-in-5s

    Learn to subitise, and discover conservation of number

    conservation

    Compare, add, substract and share

    compare

    Measure length and mass

    measure-length measure-mass

    Use for collage or craft, or as tokens when playing games

    collage snakes-and-ladders

    These are just a few ideas. What other uses have you found for lids? Please share in the comments below.

    Look what's new

    What’s new – Uploaded this week!

    These ideas and others are  now available in a free maths resource Caps off for maths.

    caps-off-for-maths

    have-you-used

    Getting to know readilearn resources

    Snakes and Ladders is a popular game and great for maths groups. With some guidance from an adult, the game can be used to stimulate mathematical thinking alongside practice of computations. The readilearn resource Snakes and Ladders – An activity for maths groups provides suggestions that can be given to an assistant to maximise learning opportunities while playing the game.

    snakes-and-ladders-printable-preview

    Please contact me if you have any questions. I welcome your feedback, especially suggestions for improvements to existing resources and ideas for new ones.

    Remember, if you haven’t yet subscribed, an introductory discount of 20% is available to all who subscribe during 2016. Just use the coupon code welcome1 at the checkout to receive your discount.

    I’ll see you next week. In the meantime, enjoy the weekend.

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading.

    Happy teaching and learning,

    Norah

    You can contact me:

    via email hello@readilearn.com.au

    via the Contact page

    on Twitter @readilearn or @NorahColvin

    on Facebook @readilearnteachingresources

    on my other blog NorahColvin.com

    I invite you to rate and review any resources you use, and to share information about readilearn on social media.

    All images in this post are copyright Norah Colvin.

  • The first goodbye

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    The first goodbye between a parent and a child will elicit a range of emotions from each. The feelings, and responses, of both parent and child, are dependent upon a range of factors including who the child is being left with, how well the child and the substitute carer know each other, the feelings of all parties about each other, the circumstances, the environment, and the list goes on.

    A parent who feels empowered by the decision, and views the child’s new situation positively, will accept and adjust to the change more easily. That’s not to say a parent won’t feel some sense of loss and anxiety as well, but it is important that the child is prepared with reassurance rather than the negativity of anxiety or concerns. A more confident and secure child will view the situation with positive expectations.

    Anne Goodwin, on her blog Annecdotal, often refers to attachment theory, and the responses of children to real or imagined abandonment. In her post Compassion: Something we all need Anne shares the following video, explaining that

    “Research psychologist Mary Ainsworth developed an ingenious method of assessing whether or not an infant has developed secure attachments. In the Strange Situation, babies play in a comfortable room until, at a given signal, the mother leaves. What distinguishes securely from insecurely attached infants, is not how they behave when the mother (or other primary carer) leaves, but whether they are able to settle on her return.”

    She continues

    “Research suggests that about two thirds of the population can be categorised as securely attached. That’s a whopping one third of us who aren’t.”

    The research also suggests that how secure children feel in their infancy influences how secure they feel later in life. A sense of security influences one’s ability to adapt to change and new situations.

    It is not unusual for children, or anyone, to feel a little apprehension in a new situation. A more secure individual generally accepts and adapts more easily.  When carers drop their children at child care, kindy, or school, they may be advised to “drop and go”. Mostly the children are fine once the parents have disappeared and the children have time to settle.

    36

    If children experience more difficulty than most, or if it occurs for a prolonged period, causes may need to be investigated. Sometimes a child may suffer from anxiety. Sometimes the environment may not be welcoming or appropriate to the child’s needs. Happy, secure, confident children will always face new situations better than those who feel anxious and insecure.

    father and child

    Parents can help children prepare for that first day of kindy or school by:

    • Talking about what to expect and the fun things they will do
    • Having special items for the child to take or wear; for example, a back pack or lunch container, hat or shoes
    • Rehearsing the journey
    • Visiting the kindy or school, and meeting the carers or teachers if possible
    • Writing happy messages (in words or pictures) to be found in bags, or lunchboxes
    • Establishing routines, including the goodbye routine

    Hey I love you with quote

    While the routine doesn’t have to be as elaborate or serious as that in Ian Whybrow’s Hey, I Love You!, a signal that the parent is leaving is useful in making the break. It doesn’t have to be immediate. Depending on the practices established, parents may be able to accompany the child to the door, or into the room.

    I always welcomed parents to come in with their children in the morning. The children could show their parents around and discuss work we were doing. Parents could help children organise their belongings, and talk to other parents and children. When it was time for work to begin, I would play music that would signal children to join the song or dance, and parents to take their leave.

    This week at the Carrot Ranch Charli Mills is talking about goodbyes. She is on the move from a place to which she felt attached, to a situation unfamiliar. She is sad at leaving but is able to view with hopefulness the situation to which she is moving. Charli has challenged writers to

    In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a goodbye. It can be the last polka until next time; a farewell without end; a quick see ya later. How does the goodbye inform the story. What is the tone, the character’s mood, the twist? Go where the prompt leads.

    Usually I post my response as the deadline draws close. However, as she is on the move, Charli has extended the submission period. If you would like to join in with a flash fiction “goodbye”, you have another week until September 13 to do so.

    Here is my response to the challenge.

    cartoon-waving-guy
    http://morguefile.com/

    A goodbye clapping song

    (Parent and child chant the verses together or take turns, changing the pronouns to suit. They begin by clapping their own, then each other’s’ hands. On the last three beats of each line, they clap each other’s hands. The pattern for each line is “Own, other’s, own other’s, own, other’s. other’s. other’s. On the last line they smile, wave, blow a kiss, and leave! It’s meant to be a bit of nonsense and a bit of fun establishing a goodbye routine.)

    It’s time for you to go, go, go

    I’ve lots to do and can’t be slow.

    It’s time for me to fly, fly, fly

    Upon my broom into the sky.

    It’s time for you to leave, leave, leave

    I will be happy, do not grieve.

    It’s time for me to run, run, run

    And jump so high I touch the sun

    It’s time to say goodbye, bye, bye

    You’ve work to do and so have I.

    I’ll blow a kiss, and smile, smile, smile

    I’ll see you in a little while.

    Bye. Have a good day. Love you!

     Thank you

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

  • About Bullfrog’s Billabong

    This post is republished from the readilearn blog.

    Hi, and welcome again to the readilearn blog. I hope you’ve had a good week. Thank you for your interest in readilearn. I apologise to those who have experienced difficulty in applying the discount coupon codes at the checkout. Know that I will honour the coupon offer with a PayPal discount refund if your subscription goes through with payment in full. I appreciate your persistence and patience while we improve flow with the payment system. Please contact me if you experience any difficulties.

    Bullfrog's Billabong - cover

    Getting to know readilearn resources

    In this post I discuss the Bullfrog’s Billabong suite of resources.

    Bullfrog’s Billabong is a cumulative story which takes place at a fictitious Australian Billabong. Bullfrog is the first to arrive at the billabong. He decides it would be a great place to live and makes it his home. Each day, more animals arrive at the billabong. They too think it would be a good home and, after asking permission, decide to stay. Unfortunately, as the billabong becomes more and more crowded, the animals have difficulty in getting along. Their racket attracts another visitor who also sees the potential of the billabong as a home.

    The story includes mathematical concepts including counting, growing patterns and days of the week.

    The repetitive structure supports children’s reading and encourages them to make predictions based upon obvious patterns involving counting and days of the week. Their knowledge of narrative structure encourages prediction of possible events and conclusion. The end may surprise some children and they may or may not approve of the author’s choice. A discussion of alternative ways to conclude the story could lead to some interesting writing, and an understanding that what happens in stories is a choice made by the author.

    While the animals will be familiar to Australian children, the story provides a great opportunity for children from other countries to find out about them too.

    I hope you and your children enjoy reading the story and using the resources.

    The suite of existing resources includes:

    Bullfrog’s Billabong – an estory (The story can be displayed on the whiteboard for reading to, with, or by the children.)

    Bullfrog’s Billabong – Covered cloze (This interactive resource for use on the whiteboard is great for teaching effective reading strategies. For best effect, it should be used before any other Bullfrog’s Billabong resources.)

    Bullfrog’s Billabong – Cloze – How to use this resource  (Refer to this resource for suggested use of the covered cloze interactive resource. For more information about covered cloze as a teaching strategy, refer to Covered Cloze – teaching effective reading strategies)

    Bullfrog’s Billabong – Covered cloze Sampler (This is a free one-page sneak peek at how the interactivity works before making a commitment to purchase a subscription.)

     Look what's new

    What’s new – uploaded this week!

    I have been working on new resources to support and complement the existing Bullfrog’s Billabong resources.

    This week I have added three new resources to the collection:

    Bullfrog’s Billabong – The facts (This information sheet explains what a billabong is and verifies that all the story’s animals may live in a billabong, though possibly not the same one.)

    Bullfrog’s Billabong – the next chapter (Children draw and write what they think happens next on this printable sheet.)

    Bullfrog’s Billabong – Days of the week (Use these three sets of printable cards when teaching or revising the days of the week. There are A5 cards for use with the whole class, and smaller cards for use by individuals or small groups.)

    © Norah Colvin
    © Norah Colvin

    I am working on other resources to add to the suite, including presentation of the story as a play. There is also a set of animals to print that can be used to make pop stick puppets for a performance. Watch for these, and others, coming soon.

    I hope you and your children enjoy using these resources. I had fun making them and thinking about the responses of children.

    Please contact me if you have any questions. I welcome your feedback, especially suggestions for improvements to existing resources and ideas for new ones.

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    Remember, if you haven’t yet subscribed, an introductory discount of 20% is available to all who subscribe this year. Just use the coupon code welcome2 at the checkout to receive your discount.

    ncblog welcome2

    I’ll see you next week. In the meantime, enjoy the weekend.

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading.

    Happy teaching and learning,

    Norah

     

    You can contact me:

    via email hello@readilearn.com.au

    via the Contact page

    on Twitter @readilearn or @NorahColvin

    on Facebook @readilearnteachingresources

    on my other blog NorahColvin.com

    I invite you to rate and review any resources you use, and to share information about readilearn on social media.

     

  • Where will the children play?

    This week at the Carrot Ranch Charli Mills is talking about playgrounds. I love playgrounds. Who doesn’t? They are a familiar part of life. Most neighbourhoods have at least one park or playground where children can go to play.

    Playgrounds are great places for children to:

    • Meet other children
    • Learn to socialize, through sharing of equipment and taking turns
    • Develop physical skills such as coordination, balance, strength
    • Develop confidence and persistence, and a willingness to have a go and try out new things
    • Play imaginatively, on one’s own or collaboratively
    • Be outdoors in the fresh air and in nature
    • Be active

    Charli suggested we think about empty playgrounds. I thought about the differences between modern playgrounds and the playgrounds of my childhood.

    So many pieces of play equipment that were common and popular in “my day” are no more. They disappeared over the years, due to changing attitudes to safety and responsibility. So much of the playground equipment I played on as a child would not be allowed in a playground today.

    Alanspeak, A slide for children to play on https://openclipart.org/detail/191139/childrens-slide
    Alanspeak, A slide for children to play on https://openclipart.org/detail/191139/childrens-slide

    It got me thinking about the history of playgrounds and playground equipment, and I was surprised to find that playgrounds are a fairly recent invention, little more than 150 years old. This article about playgrounds on Wikipedia states that playgrounds originated in Germany and were attached to schools. The first “purpose built public-access playground was built in a park in Manchester England in 1859.” The first in the USA appeared in San Francisco in 1887.

    Other articles such as How We Came to Play: The History of Playgrounds, Evolution of American playgrounds, History of playgrounds and The history of playgrounds – past, present and future provide an interesting overview of the changing landscape of playgrounds over the years.

    I was pleased to find that the philosophies of both Froebel and Dewey had been influential in the early days of playground design. I wrote about Froebel, the father of kindergarten, and provided links to information about his works in a previous post Let them Play! My thoughts about education and pedagogy were heavily influenced by the philosophy of progressive educator John Dewey. I previously shared some of his ideas, though not specifically related to play, in  John Dewey’s Dream.

    GDJ, Playful stick figures https://openclipart.org/detail/230070/playful-stick-figure-kids
    GDJ, Playful stick figures https://openclipart.org/detail/230070/playful-stick-figure-kids

    Of course I couldn’t write about playgrounds without including something about school playgrounds. I hope that all schools have somewhere for children to run and play at break times. I recently read This is why Finland has the best schools and was impressed to find that

    ‘schoolchildren in Finland have a mandatory 15-minute outdoor free-play break every hour of every day. Fresh air, nature and regular physical activity breaks are considered engines of learning. According to one Finnish maxim, “There is no bad weather. Only inadequate clothing.””

    The benefits to health, happiness and learning must be enormous.

    Play at break time can be the highlight of a child’s day. Children may love the opportunity to run and play with their friends in a relatively unstructured, but safe environment. However, it is not so for all children. Some children dislike the freedom, the space, the lack of structure, the noise. Some don’t know how to make friends or how to play.

    While it is great for children to have unstructured play time. It is also important to have equipment to support their play, be it imaginative, social, or physical. I have seen many disagreements occur when children have nothing to play with and no ideas for creating games of their own. It seems that many of the games we used to play, before the invention of video games and (cough cough) television, have been lost to subsequent generations. One day I will compile a list!

    For now I will leave you with my response to the flash fiction challenge set by Charli at Carrot Ranch Communications. She challenged writers to

    In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about an empty playground. Is it abandoned or are the children in school? What is it about the emptiness that might hint of deeper social issues. It can be a modern story, apocalyptic or historical. Go where the prompt leads.

    I didn’t find it as easy as I thought I might.

    From empty playground

    She stopped abruptly as her scattered thoughts aligned to focus on the playground gate. As if restrained by an invisible chain, she was motionless. Beyond the gate children called to each other; but never her. She was not welcome, never included. Their taunts stabbed at her emptiness, twisting as they penetrated deep into the chasm within. She’d wait until they’d gone.

    Suddenly a child was there, eying her quizzically; then a mother, appraising her, uncertain.

    “Miss. Miss. Are you all right?”

    “Y-yes,” she said, straightening herself. “J-just reminiscing.” How could a life once empty, be now so full?

    Self-determination.

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

  • Welcome to spring!

    Responses to a previous post on the importance of feedback suggested that I trial republishing readilearn posts here.  As the suggestion came from a number of people I considered it sound advice and worth trying. As always, I will be interested to hear what you think.

    This post is republished from the readilearn blog.

    © Norah Colvin
    © Norah Colvin

    The first day of September marks the first day of spring in Australia. It is also recognised throughout Australia as Wattle Day.  The golden wattle is our national floral emblem. Its colours give the recognisable green and gold to our sporting teams.

    Like the people of our land, it is a plant that shows both diversity and resilience. There are hundreds of species of wattle growing in many different habitats across Australia.  They may be seen growing wild in bush areas and national parks, and cultivated in botanic gardens, on footpaths and in home gardens.

    © Bec Colvin
    © Bec Colvin

    I have three varieties of wattle growing in my garden. Last year, when the plants were one-year-old, they flowered abundantly and were home to ladybirds. It was wonderful to watch each stage of the ladybird’s growth, from egg to adult. This year, the trees were more heavily laden with blossoms, but there were no ladybirds. I was disappointed as I was looking forward to seeing the ladybirds again. However, it has been suggested that the absence of ladybirds may indicate the tree is healthier this year. I don’t know.

    In Australia we generally refer to seasons as occurring in particular months:

    Spring in September, October, and November

    Summer in December, January, and February

    Autumn in March, April, and May

    Winter in June, July, and August.

    However, it is not as simple as that.  Australia is a land of extremes, with different climate zones and types of weather experienced across the country. It can be cooler in the summers of southern areas than it is the months called winter in the north. For example, the average January (summer) daytime temperature in Hobart is 21.7⁰C, and the average July (winter) daytime temperature for Darwin is 30.5⁰C.

    Spring is a great time for exploring the garden and it’s inhabitants. What is spring like where you are?

    Getting to know readilearn resources

    Also coinciding with the beginning of spring is the Australian Father’s Day, celebrated on the first Sunday in September. It is a day not just for dads, but for grandfathers, stepfathers, and other male carers and role models. It is a day to let them know how much they are appreciated.

     

    how to make a book cover - cover

    One great way of providing children with a purpose and targeted audience for writing is to get them to make a book for their father figure. I have provided some ideas to get the writing started in the resource How to make a book cover. The resource itself provides step by step instructions for making a cover for a book using complementary colours. The instructions can be displayed on the white board for children to read and follow.

    Suggestions for writing include:

    • A list of statements about their Dad e.g. My Dad goes to work. My Dad makes my breakfast. My Dad has curly hair and a bushy beard. Children write and illustrate one statement on each page.
    • A recount or memoir about a favourite holiday or activity they do with their Dad.
    • A series of things about fathers e.g. Some fathers ride motorbikes. Some fathers ride horses. Children finish with a statement about their own dads, for example; But my father rides a skateboard.
    • A list of things that Dad likes, one to each page.

    Five Fabulous books to read for Father’s Day

    2015-09-19 10.52.00

    Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram

    My Dad

    My Dad by Anthony Browne

    going on a bear hunt

    We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

    Just Me and My Dad

    Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer

    2015-09-19 10.54.00

    Hey, I Love You by Ian Whybrow, illustrated by Rosie Reeve

    Of course, there are many more too.

    The Ice Cream Shop - estory

    The readilearn estory The Ice Cream Shop also features an outing with Dad. However, before reading it with your children, decide if you wish to use the interactive covered cloze version with them.  If desired, for most effective teaching and learning, the covered cloze should be used prior to any other familiarisation with the story. (You can find information about covered cloze as a teaching strategy here.)

    Please contact me if you have any questions. I welcome your feedback, especially suggestions for improvements to existing resources or ideas for new ones.

    Remember to use your coupon codes at the checkout to activate your discount. If you can’t see where to enter the coupon code, select “View basket“.

    ncblog firstin2

     

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

     

     

  • Digging for dinosaur bones

    Dinosaur Adventure, Norwich © NorahColvin
    Dinosaur Adventure, Norwich
    © NorahColvin

    My family has had a love affair, some might say obsession, certainly a fascination, with dinosaurs for almost forty years. My son initiated the affair when he was about three after being undecided whether to watch or not when dinosaurs burst onto the drive-in screen in One Million Years BC. I’m not sure when I first discovered dinosaurs, but It may have been at the same time.

    By the time Rob was four, like many children, he knew the names of a great number of dinosaurs and could rattle off screeds of information about them. It had been a steep learning curve for all of us, though he remembered far more than I. A travelling encyclopedia salesman was so impressed by his knowledge that he gave him a book about dinosaurs. (I’d already purchased; it wasn’t an incentive.) Later, his little sister Bec shared his interest.

    dinosaurs at museum Jan 91
    © Norah Colvin

    Now the affair continues with Rob’s own children. Six-year-old G1 can name and identify far more dinosaurs than I realised existed.  His younger sister G2 is not far behind. Such is the power of these mighty, and not so mighty, beasts to excite the imagination. The entire family become dinosaur experts in support of the children’s quest for knowledge.

    I recently accompanied the family to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. I have mentioned this previously here. Both were wonderful learning experiences.

    © Norah Colvin
    © Norah Colvin

    La Brea Tar Pits is a museum located at a fossil site where there are ongoing excavations. In the grounds, we saw realistic sculptures of prehistoric woolly mammoths trapped in the tar. Inside, we saw fossilised skeletons removed from the tar pits; including skeletons of animals such as mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, dire wolves, and camels. Yes, camels originated in North America.

    © Norah Colvin
    © Norah Colvin

    Walking the grounds, we had to sidestep the smelly tar that still oozes in puddles around the site. It’s an amazing experience, walking on the same land where these prehistoric creatures walked, their presence almost tangible. In an enclosed area, a group of paleontologists were working with fossils recovered from the site. Scientists use these fossils to help construct our understanding of life before human history began.

    What I find interesting about the understandings derived from these fossils, is that much of it is guesswork; educated guesswork, yes, but fossils tell only part of the story. The rest must be filled in using knowledge of contemporary and recorded life. Sometimes assumptions are made, especially when only partial skeletons are found, that must be altered when, or if, complete skeletons are found.

    American Museum of Natural History © Norah Colvin
    American Museum of Natural History © Norah Colvin

    I was very impressed with the way this aspect of science was dealt with in the American Museum of Natural History. Many signs informed us that scientists don’t know for sure, but that they have substantial evidence for making their assumptions. Other signs told of claims that had been revised as new information was discovered. I appreciated being told, in essence: “This is what we know, this is what we think, and this is the evidence to support our claims.”

    This talk by palaeontologist Jack Horner, which I discovered via a link from Charli Mills’ post, demonstrates the process with some fascinating dinosaur discoveries and assumptions.

    This recent BBC article Meet Nanotyrannus, the dinosaur that never really existed provides additional evidence to support Horner’s claims.

    © Norah Colvin
    © Norah Colvin

    A study of dinosaurs provides many opportunities for learning across the curriculum and what a great way to incorporate children’s natural interests and curiosity when looking at topics such as scientific method, evolution and climate change.

    I’m grateful to Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch for the incentive to write about this topic with her challenge to In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that features a fossil or uses the word in its variant forms (fossilize, dino bones, petrification, gastroliths, ichnofossils, etc.)

    Since “discovering dinosaurs”, so to speak, I’ve always thought how wonderful it must be to unearth a great find. I haven’t made it an ambition, but I appreciate the potential for excitement. Here’s my response to Charli’s challenge. I hope you enjoy it.

    Old Bones

    She scratched at the surface tentatively at first, all senses keened, certain of imminent success. She’d uncovered bones here before. Usually one meant there’d be more. All it required was patience and persistence. Suddenly she contacted something more solid than the surrounding earth. She froze. Then exhaled. Could this be the object of her search? Frantically she scraped away the surrounding soil, exposing her find. She stepped back momentarily, assessing it, assuring herself it was real. Then with one final swoop, she removed the bone as carefully and proudly as any paleontologist would a dinosaur bone. “Woof!”

    Thank you

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.