ATTN: iPad users! If this post doesn’t display properly, with all its nifty graphic and text links, try here. Stuart’s workshop on Visual Learning and Story Telling in Early Childhood Education will take place on Friday, January 27, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., in Room 192C, West Building, McCormick Place. Hope to see you there!
Archive for the ‘Visual Learning’ Category
Children’s Books and Teaching Ethics: A Conversation with Janet Wong, Betsy Bird and Stuart J. Murphy at NYPL, January 7, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011Making Friends: Emma’s Friendwich (now in Spanish, too!)
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
by J.A. Ginsburg
"Emma's Friendwich" is now in Spanish, too! Como haces tu amigos?
Everything a young child learns—in school and at home—is important, but one of the most important and certainly delightful social skills is learning how to make a friend.
Emma’s Friendwich / Emma hace amigos, part of the Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn series, tells the story of Emma, who is quite literally the new kid on the block.
When Emma’s family moves to See-and-Learn City, Emma loves her new room, her new yard and her new neighborhood. She and Pickle, her exceptionally adorable green bulldog, have fun playing together, but both wish they had some new friends, too.
Pickle spots a pretty pink butterfly (we’ll call her “Pinky”), while Emma gazes wistfully at a little girl (Freda) and a little boy (Percy) playing next door.
The next day Emma saw Freda playing alone, building a great big castle in her backyard. When Freda looked up, Emma smiled. Freda smiled back!
Then Emma asked is she could play, too. “Sure,” said Freda.
Then Emma helped Freda by giving here a block for the castle’s tower. They started to build together.
Then Emma offered to share one of her toys to add to the project.
By the time Percy arrives, not only has Freda decided that they have a new friend, but Freda and Emma are literally on the same page of of the storybook!
Percy loves to make new friends. And when Freda and Percy give Emma a hug, it was the best “friendwich” ever!
As for Pickle and Pinky, it was like they had known each other forever!
The storytelling—as with all Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn books—is kept simple and clear and supported by illustrations designed to provide behavioral models. Free downloadable pdf “Closer Look” posters are available online.
Perfect for classrooms, libraries and refrigerator doors, too!
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FEEDBACK THAT WARMS THE HEART…
from Nicole P., a mom and Early Childhood Special Education Community Teacher in Oregon:
I just wanted to share a story about the books with you. This week a head start teacher I work with that I loaned the whole set to had this to say about the books: “At first I have to be honest with you I thought they would not have an impact on the the kid’s, but the kid’s love these books. They have all memorized the stories after reading them twice for each book and I am now hearing them use the language from the book in their play interactions together. They are saying things like, ‘let’s work together and cooperate.’ I have to admit these books are great.”
One of the students I work with in her classroom asked me to read the books to her. She typically has difficulties with peer interactions and she was explaining to me how she asked a friend in the class to play with her just like Emma and that she remembered to smile and that she made a friend.
That means that so far in one classroom these books have impacted the lives of 20 students. I split the other set up and I have been rotated them between three different sites and the kids response has been positive as well. We are definitely seeing an improvement in social interactions but the books are only have of it I think they also give the adults an opening to model interactions that the children see in the books and it gives everyone a frame of reference and makes that dialog easy.
Thanks again,
Nicole
Now that’s a friendwich! Thanks, Nicole!
We love hearing from readers! Our email address is: feedback@stuartjmurphy.com
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MISS CATHY RECOMMENDS:
- Children’s Books on Making Friends / Compiled by NAEYC Stuart always says—and I agree—that if a child enjoys learning by reading books (or having books read to her), then get more books!
- Why Friends are Important / by Carol Sjostrom Miller, Parents magazine Great tips! I especially like 5 year old Joshua’s “pick up line”: “Hi, my name is Joshua!” It’s simple, friendly and engaging. I would want to be Joshua’s friend, wouldn’t you?
- Benefits of SEL / Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL): Good social and emotional learning skills improve “young people’s academic success, health, and well-being…(and prevent)…a variety of problems such as alcohol and drug use, violence, truancy, and bullying.” Count me in!
Be sure to check out all of Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn books, including titles in Spanish! Stuart’s Level 1 MathStart books are perfect for Pre-K. You can follow us on twitter and Facebook. Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter, too! (sample)
Yay! Freda is Found!
Thursday, August 18th, 2011on getting help when lost: important tips for children, parents, teachers & caregivers
by J. A. Ginsburg
An "I See I Learn" story about how to get help when you are lost, an important Health and Safety skill
Being lost is scary. So is that awful feeling someone in your charge has gone missing. Freda Is Found focuses on skills that can:
- help keep a child from getting lost
- make being lost a little less frightening
- help a child get found
Freda—the Hermione Granger of the I See I Learn set—is the last child you would expect to get lost. Freda follows directions! Freda loves directions! But anyone can get lost, which is important to remember. It takes only a moment to let go of a hand and become separated from the group. Suddenly, nothing looks familiar. Everybody is a stranger. And… it’s…scary!
Still, this is Freda we are talking about. How did this happen? The day started out so brilliantly. During the morning “circle time” at Ready Set Pre-K, Miss Cathy told the class they were going on a field trip to the fire station. Freda loves fire trucks! She could barely contain her excitement as she held hands with Percy, her safety partner, walking with the class over to the station.
Then she saw a toy fire truck in the window of her favorite toy shop. Freda let go of Percy’s hand, thinking he would follow her to get a better look. But she darted away too fast. By the time she turned around, Percy was nowhere to be seen. All her friends had disappeared. Miss Cathy and Mr. D., her assistant, were gone, too!
Uh oh.
Freda knew she had made a serious mistake by letting go of Percy’s hand, but she remembered what she had been taught about how to get found.
While Freda was trying to get help, so was Percy, who immediately told Miss Cathy what had happened.
Mr. D. and Percy went back to look for Freda and boy, was she ever happy to be found! And really REALLY happy when then let her ring the bell at the fire station.
Getting found is way more fun than being lost!
Teachers! Parents! Librarians! Caregivers! Each "I See I Learn" book includes a two-page spread called “A Closer Look," designed to review key points. Also available as FREE pdf posters, perfect for classroom walls & refrigerator doors!
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MISS CATHY RECOMMENDS:
- Keeping Kids from Getting Lost (and What to Do If They Do) by Alyssa Dver / babyzone: Lots of great tips, such as dressing children in eye-catching clothing to make them easier to spot in a crowd. H’mmm. Maybe Mr. D. will help me design some special Ready Set Pre-K t-shirts for field trip days. So you think we should we include a picture of Pickle, Emma’s green bulldog?
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: According to government statistics, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing annually. Most children are reunited with their families quickly, but some find themselves is frightening and dangerous situations. The NCMEC site has lots information and helpful links.
- AMBER Alert Program: This is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, and transportation agencies to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases.
- Boy Scout Jared Ropelato Found in Utah Wilderness / ABC News (print & video): Look at how happy Jared—and his mom—are when he’s found.Freda knows exactly how that feels! Don’t wander off alone! (Really, “an encounter with a moose”?!)
Be sure to check out all of Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn books, including titles in Spanish! Stuart’s Level 1 MathStart books are perfect for Pre-K. You can follow us on twitter and Facebook. Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter, too! (sample)
Write On, Carlos!
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011On the the thrill of learning to write your own name, Percy’s pedal-car diversion, helpful moms, practice, practice, practice & Miss Cathy’s (no longer) secret love of ancient Runes…
by J.A. Ginsburg
A new I See I Learn book about learning to write your name!
Cleaning out old boxes the other day, I came across one of the first books that was mine, all mine, not a hand-me-down from my sister or brother: a Golden Book classic, We Help Mommy. The story line followed the seemingly endless labors of young Martha and Bobby, who helped prepare breakfast, make beds, dust, mop, wash, shop, bake, set the table, and, of course, put away all their toys without even a hint of complaint. Who were these Stepford children?
I don’t blame my mother for trying. Still, I was rather delighted to see I used the book mainly for coloring. Martha and Bobby may not have known the joy of play, but I sure did.
For me, the very best part of the book was the inside cover where I wrote my name. I remember writing it, too, because it was something a “big person” would do. Thrilling.
Write On, Carlos!, a new addition to Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn series, captures that sense accomplishment and triumph.
"'Vroom, vroom!' said Carlos. He drew cars all over his paper until it was time for bed."
Carlos wants to learn how to write his name, just like is friend Ajay. He knows the alphabet, so is off to a good start (the alphabet runs along the bottom border each double-page spread as a reference). His mom is a big help, too, spelling out the first three letters—C-a-r.
At the park the next day, Carlos and some of his friends from Ready, Set Pre-K—Freda, Percy and Ajay—are playing in the sandbox, writing their names in the sand. Percy, of course, being Percy, draws a self-portrait. When Carlos spells “C-a-r,” Percy (oh that Percy!), jumps into his pedal-car and leads everyone for quick spin around the playground.
That night, Carlos works on the last three letters of his name next: “l-o-s.” His mom gives him lots of paper and he practices and practices and practices!
A few days later, he joins his friends who are writing their names in chalk on the sidewalk (except, of course, for Percy, who, being Percy, has drawn a self-portrait). C-a-r. Percy is off in his pedal-car again, but Carlos keeps writing: l-o-s. Freda and Ajay stop to watch. Even Percy pedals over.
“‘Carlos. That’s ME!,’ shouted Carlos.”
Yes it is!
Being able to write one’s name is a cognitive skill: letter recognition is stepping stone to reading. It also boosts self confidence. A child who can write his own name knows he can write anything. All it takes is practice!
Free poster! Perfect for classrooms, libraries and refrigerator doors!
The storytelling, as with all I See I Learn books, is kept simple and clear, supported by illustrations designed to provide behavioral models.
TEACHERS! PARENTS! CARE-GIVERS!
Each I See I Learn book includes a two-page spread called “A Closer Look,” designed to review key points:
- How do you write your name?
- Can you write the names of other members of your family?
- Can you write the names of any of your friends, or pets?
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MISS CATHY RECOMMENDS:
- Writing Paper to Practice Handwriting for Preschool and Kindergarten: Free printables (website)
- Learn to Write…Free Tracing Paper: What a fun program from “My Moondrops!” Type your child’s name in a box and it generates a printable page with traceable letters. (website)
- Message in a Backpack: Supporting writing at home / NAEYC’s “Teaching Young Children” magazine: Teachers: TIY’s aptly named “Message in a Backpack” pdf’s are full of useful suggestions for parents. Great writers write all the time—at school and at home, too!
- Your Name In Runes / PBS Can I tell you a secret? I adore old alphabets! Type your child’s name in the box on the website and you can see what it looks like in 15th century Viking letters. Now that’s Write On!
Be sure to check out all of Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn books! His Level 1 MathStart books are perfect for Pre-K. You can follow us on twitter and Facebook. Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter, too! (sample)
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Our New Favorite Blog: “Happy Birthday, Author!”
Monday, April 25th, 2011by J. A. Ginsburg
"Happy Birthday, Author" - a blog that celebrates children's authors; Illustration by Kevin O' Malley from Stuart's book, "Too Many Kangaroo Things To Do!"
April 25 is always a pretty darn happy day around here: It’s Stuart’s birthday and he loves a good party—even when it’s not for a birthday! In fact, he loves planning parties sooooo much, it has become a recurring theme in many of his books:
- Mighty Maddie (comparing weights)
- Just Enough Carrots (comparing amounts)
- Freda Plans a Picnic (sequencing)
- One…Two…Three…Sassafras! (number order)
- Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do! (multiplying)
- Monster Musical Chairs (subtracting one & fun party game)
This year’s birthday, though, was made extra special by a fabulous post on the Happy Birthday, Author! blog. The brainchild of Eric Van Raepenbusch, a former teacher turned stay-at-home dad to three children (a five year-old, a three year-old and the baby, now 10 months), HPA celebrates the work of various children’s authors on their birthdays. It certainly is a present to the authors, but a present to readers as well. Eric’s archives are a filled with treasure:
- March 25: Kate DiCamillo
- April 3: Sandra Boynton
- May 3: Pete Seeger
HPA is also a great way to learn about authors with which you may be less familiar.
Clearly, the blog is a labor of joy for the entire Van Raepenbusch family. Stuart and I were absolutely delighted that Eric’s wife, an early elementary special education school teacher, wanted to try some I See Learn books with her class.
When she saw the videos on the I See I Learn series she was ecstatic. She thought,”Finally, an off the shelf, specific, visually-based way to teach social and behavioral skills.” My wife teaches with the philosophy that children sometimes need to be explicitly taught skills that we as adults take for granted like sharing, dealing with frustration, and handling emotions. The I See I Learn series breaks down these skills in a kid-friendly, visually-based format that can easily be used with any child. (The I See I Learn Resources Page show many of the visuals used in the books.) My wife was also excited to see these concepts are not being specifically targeted for students with disabilities but to all children.
On behalf of Stuart (who is celebrating Italian-style this year—read the post for details…), Happy Every Day Van Raepenbusch family! Thank you!
You can follow Happy Birthday, Author on Facebook and on Twitter, too!
Project Noah: Taking Attendance on the Ark
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011by J. A. Ginsburg
on the inspirations of childhood, why many heads are better than one; the nature / tech connection; & visual learning and science
- a crowdsourced nature guide
When Project Noah’s, “Chief Leaf,” Yassar Ansari was a boy, he was fascinated by reptiles and amphibians, keeping many in his room—much to his mom’s dismay. “It kept her out,” he recalls with a laugh. Although wise enough to humor her nature-loving son’s penchant for the scaled, spined, slimy and cold-blooded, she never could have guessed where his interests would eventually lead.
Fast-forward a few decades and Ansari, now armed with degrees in molecular biology and bioinformatics, finds himself at a career crossroads after stints the Salk Institute’s genome analysis lab and at telcos Qualcomm and Kyocera (where he worked on everything from hand-held radiation detectors to mobile gaming apps). So it’s off to the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, a.k.a.,“an Alice in Wonderland version of graduate school. It is the kind of place where Photocell 200K light sensors are stocked in the vending machine along with more traditional geek gorp. It is where techies go to dream.
“I took a class called ‘Social Activism Using Mobile Technology,’ where we were asked, ‘What are our causes?’ I really wanted to use mobile technology for a more meaningful purpose. I wanted to build something that was based on impact. Impact as the bottom line,” says Ansari.
His “big hairy audacious goal”? Creating a “common platform for recording all the world’s organisms.” Project Noah (Networked Organism and Habitats), the world’s biggest crowdsourced nature guide, was born. He had come full circle, determined to spark in others the same kind of wonder that his bedroom menagerie had sparked in him.
What began as a glimmer in Ansari’s eye in early 2010 is now available as a free app for smart phone (iPhone and Android), which has been downloaded over 100,000 times. While many use the site as a resource, nearly 24,000 photos have been uploaded by “citizen scientists” —including some from a class of second grader beta testers in Maine. And no less a “wow!” than National Geographic has come on board as an investor. Even more of a “wow!,” staff from the National Geographic regularly peruse the sight and about once a week choose a photograph to hare with five and half million Facebook fans.
Project Noah is still very much in its early stages (the search function on the website will, no doubt, improve), but the rallying cry of “No Child Left Inside!” is a siren song. This isn’t just about the world beyond the classroom: This is the world as a classroom. This is students as scientists, making observations in the field and sharing them in ways that simply weren’t possible before. Now, anyone anywhere can contribute data points of genuine value to researchers.
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(credit: PopTech / summer 2010)_____________________
Although envisioned as a mobile app, you actually don’t need a smart phone to contribute to Project Noah. Just sign on to the website and you can upload photos from computer files. You don’t even to know the name of what you’re looking at to contribute. Experts surf the site to help fill in the blanks. Just do your best to describe what something looks like, where it’s located, the time of day, the weather: Every details helps.
Also, unlike traditional field guides that focus solely on plant / animal identification, Project Noah can be used to analyze changes over time for specific species or areas. For example, a class could document all kinds of details about what’s “growing on” in a school garden or nearby park. Plants, of course, but also insects, worms, squirrels, rabbits, dogs and cats, too. When did the first bloom appear? When did the last leaf fall? Even in the middle of a city, it is possible to nurture a deep and textured relationships with Nature. Who knows? The next E.O. Wilson could be one of your students!
Select "Local" in the Field Guide section and see everything that's been tagged in your area. I uploaded a description of a daffodil near Northwestern University. Click on the photo and you can view a close-up. That's a LOT of data in your pocket!
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FISH, SCHOOLS, CROWDS & NETWORKS
One after another, the educator / presenters at TEDxNYED last month hammered home three messages about modern education:
- To succeed, indeed survive, in the 21st century, students must learn how to collaborate and network, and to sift through, sort and connect-the-dots from gushers of information.
- It is no longer about teaching children how to be taught, but teaching them how to be learners
- Technology is not a gee-whiz add-on—digital frosting to the analog cake of basic learning—but part and parcel of daily life for nearly all 7 billion people on the planet, rich and poor, urban and rural. It is how we function, almost as basic as breathing.
They could just as well have been talking about scientists. Social network tools are not only changing the way they work, but in many cases turbocharging it.
When a team from the Smithsonian recently found themselves at the Guyana border with an urgent need to identify 5,000 specimen fish quickly in order to secure an export permit, they uploaded thousands of photographs and called on their ichthyologist Facebook friends for help:
In less than 24 hours, this approach identified approximately 90 percent of the posted specimens to at least the level of genus, revealed the presence of at least two likely undescribed species, indicated two new records for Guyana and generated several loan requests. The majority of people commenting held a Ph.D. in ichthyology or a related field, and hailed from a great diversity of countries including the United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil.
Now there is even a special network, a “Facebook for scientists,” called ResearchGate. Boasting nearly a million users so far, it promises a new way to reach out beyond the lab cubicle to others working on similar issues around the globe. Scientists can post research papers and send out inquiries. Although it doesn’t replace the richness of conferences with old fashioned in-person networking, panel discussions and poster sessions, it makes it easier for researchers to connect with colleagues outside their fields. Biologists can reach out to chemists, and geologists to structural engineers. New paths for collaboration are possible.
To paraphrase Ratatouille’s wise if ghostly chef Gusteau: Anyone can do science. Observe. Recognize. Interpret. Perceive. Express Ideas. Again and again and again. Visual learning skills are science skills (which delights us no end here at vizlearning…). The collective power of millions of new smart phone and digital camera “eyes,” connected by new digital platforms and social networks, means we can know more about more and faster than ever before.
So what are you waiting for? It’s Spring. Earth Day week, in fact. Go out there and pay attention!
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RELATED READING / VIEWING
“Earth Day—Hooray!” / vizlearning archives
“Eco-Comedy / Eco-Tragedy” / J.A. Ginsburg, TrackerNews editor’s blog
“What the hell is that?” / Steve Martin & Bill Murray, Saturday Night Live (video)
NCTM 2011: Teacher Mathfest in Indy!
Monday, April 11th, 2011
by J. A. Ginsburg
Spring is in the air and if you happen to be of a math teacher, that is particularly welcome news. Yes, flowers, sun and warmth, but also the season of NCTM, a.k.a. math teacher heaven!
From April 13 though 16, thousands will gather for the annual National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference held this year in Indianapolis. The toughest problem? How to fit in as many of the 650+ presentations as possible.
We, of course, hope you can make it Stuart’s talk on Thursday, April 14: See the Math! Sharpening the Definition of Visual Learning Practice (Convention Center Hall F/G).
I have long defined visual learning as how students acquire information from graphs, charts, diagrams and other visual stimuli. That definition still holds. But after years of practical application and ongoing research, the time has come to redefine visual learning according to the benefits that it provides.
High quality visual learning practices support:
- Mathematical Practices of Common Core State Standards
- Development of critical intervention strategies
- Differentiating classroom instruction
Visual learning is a powerful teaching tool!
And what better way to demonstrate than to feature real classroom projects? We will look at several wonderful and creative examples provided by teachers Cindy Cliche, Cathy Kuhns, Marrie Lassater and Dr. Kim Mueller; and by librarian Debbie Diaz from the Beijing City International School. (MathStart in China? Yes!... )
Stuart will also be signing books:
- at the EAI Education booth on Thursday morning, 4/14, from 10 to 11 a.m., and Friday morning, 4/15, from 9:30 to 10: 30 a.m.
- at the Pearson Education booth Friday afternoon, 4/15, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
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Recently, we updated the MathStart website. Now there are pdf activity pages for all 63 books!
Check out the “MathStart Book of the Day!” feature on Stuart’s new Facebook page and Twitter updates @vizlearning.
We also revamped our free e-newsletter and are rebuilding the mailing list from scratch. Please sign up and spread the word! Thanks!
And be sure to check out the fabulous new show, The Main Street Kids’ Club: A MathStart Musical! It was adapted by director Scott (“School House Rock Live!”) Ferguson through a workshop class at Northwestern University. Perfect for school tours and regional theatre productions—so get out your dancing shoes!
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ALSO AT NCTM:
- Movies and math: always a good combo. Jeffrey Travis, director of the new IMAX 3-D movie Flatland: The Movie, will show clips at the opening session, Wednesday, April 13, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in Convention Center Hall F:
Just One of Those Days: Percy Gets Upset…and How We Can Help Him!
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011by J. A. Ginsburg
a story about the emotional skill of dealing with frustration Stuart J. Murphy's I See I Lean series
Who hasn’t been there? Percy is hurrying to get dressed. He wants to go have fun! And everything is going perfectly until a shoe goes missing. Sure, he finds a toy truck parked under a blanket, but it just isn’t fair! “Where is is my shoe? I can’t find it! I can’t find it!”
Percy Gets Upset, a new addition to Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn series, focuses on the emotional skill of dealing with frustration.
Percy, an otherwise sweet little boy who loves to go to Ready Set Pre-K and play with his friends, is having a rough day. First he can’t find his shoe. Then his mommy wants him to come home for dinner—right when he’s in the middle of playing a game of hide-and-seek with his very best friend, Freda. Then his daddy wants him to eat the dinner. Then both his parents want him to go to bed! Grmph!
Percy is beside himself. Stamping his feet. Scowling. Feeling cranky. It’s no fun to feel this bad. In fact, it’s just awful.
Throughout the story, his ever-patient mommy and daddy try to help Percy by suggesting things he can do to calm down: Take a deep breath. Stop and think. Talk about it. Count to ten.
The storytelling—as with all the I See I Learn books—is kept simple and clear, supported by illustrations designed to provide behavioral models that teach an important life skill. Children who are better able to manage their emotions can work through feelings of frustration and anger faster. They can move on to something that’s a lot more interesting and fun.
H’mmm…such as reading Percy Gets Upset, over and over again?
Blogger and mother Shara Lawrence-Weiss writes:
Have they met my daughter? Sheesh. As we read Percy Gets Upset together, Mini Human #2 (my 4 year old) said, “Mom. Percy is just like me.” Ahhh…yep. Percy gets MAD at things and at people and has a tendency to react rather than respond. My daughter asked me to read the Percy book to her three times in a row, until she had it memorized. Then she went to her father and told him what the book was about.
She was quite impressed by the idea that a story had explained her own personality so well…
And just like Percy, we hope “Mini Human #2″ woke up the next day in her cute little pajamas, her favorite stuffed-animal buddy in hand, and came running into the kitchen, with a big smile and a shout, “Guess what? I’m not upset any more! I want to have fun!”
Click for free pdf poster! Perfect for classrooms & refrigerator doors!
Click for free pdf poster! Perfect for classrooms & refrigerator doors!
TEACHERS! PARENTS! CARE-GIVERS!
Each I See I Learn book includes a two-page spread called “A Closer Look,” designed to review key points of the story with an illustrated recap and a series of questions:
- What do you do when you’re upset?
- What helps you feel better when you’re frustrated or angry?
- Draw a picture of how you feel when you’re grumpy.
- Draw a picture of how you like to feel.
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MISS CATHY RECOMMENDS:
Anger Management for Kids by Michele Borba / “Realty Check” (blog)
Building Emotional Intelligence by Linda Lantieri and Daniel Goleman (book website)
Children and Coping with Transitions by Nicole Grant / “The Fun Mum” (blog)
Kids are very visual learners. From a very young age, they can recognise symbols and attach meaning to pictures. Create a visual schedule that shows them what their routine will be for that day…
—Nicole Grant
A Puppy Named Pickle
Thursday, December 16th, 2010by Stuart J. Murphy
On happier, healthier, more confident children, being inspired by children, imaginary dogs, fancy doghouses, map games and the wonderful Pre-K class at Snyder-Girotti Elementary!
What would you name your puppy if he happened to be green? “Why he looks just like a pickle!” said Emma’s grandfather. So Pickle he became.
Pickle is Emma’s oldest friend. When she was very little and just learning how to walk, Pickle was right there, wagging his tail, cheering her on. When they moved to See-and-Learn City, he stayed by her side, helping her unpack and settle into their new room. My story, “Emma’s Friendwich,” is about how they learn to make new friends. After a while, Emma had lots of friends. Pickle did, too.
In “Freda Plans a Picnic,” Pickle get to tag along with Emma and play with Percy and Ajay, some of her schoolmates from Ready Set Pre-K. They even bring him a special treat!
These are two of the first books in the I See I Learn ® series (Charlesbridge). Each book focuses on a different skill—for example, how to make a friend, or planning and sequencing— which are important not only for school, but as life skills. “For happier, healthier, more confident children” is our tagline, and our mission.
ON PETS, PROPS, GRANDCHILDREN & INSPIRATION
Children (and I count myself among them) love to read about pets and make up stories about pets. This past summer, our two granddaughters, Maddie and Camille, took pet storytelling to a whole new level. They really really want a dog, and had even picked out a name: Clementine!
Camille and Maddie and Clemetine's dog house
One day, Maddie and Camille saw me unpack a large dehumidifier. Maddie immediately asked, “Can I have the box, Grandpa? It would make a nice house for Clementine.” A few days later, the house had windows with a window box for flowers, a door and a sign over the door that read “Clementine.” The walls were painted beautiful colors and there was a mailbox on the side.
Over the next few weeks, Clementine received mail almost every day. She had letters from neighborhood dogs telling her how they couldn’t wait to meet her. She even received a postcard from a dog on vacation. There was also an invitation to a doggy birthday party! Maybe one day the tale of Clementine will become a book.
I get most of my story ideas from children. While watching one of my grandson Jack’s baseball games, I noticed some younger children nearby trying to learn how to throw a ball. That’s how I got the idea to write “Good Job, Ajay!,” a story about a boy who learns about confidence as he tries and tries again to throw a ball well.
Children also like to read about playing—at the beach, at school, at the park—anywhere!. It is really important, though, that they learn how to play safely, so no one gets hurt accidentally. That’s why I wrote “Percy Plays It Safe.”
VISUAL LEARNING
Each of the first four titles in the I See I Learn ® series focuses on different learning domain—Social, Emotional, Health and Safety and Cognitive— but they all use visual learning strategies to help teach specific skills. Most of the young children for whom the books are intended are pre-readers, but they are accomplished visual learners.
I have spent my entire career working in the field of visual learning and education, studying how information is effectively conveyed and received using charts, graphs, models, and pictures. The visual learning strategies used in I See I Learn™ include symbolic icons, picture diagrams, visual sequences, and graphic models. Each book also includes a special two-page section at the end of the story called “A Closer Look,” which features a graphic recap of the story’s key point and a series of “higher order” questions to reinforce the learning (no simple “yes” or “no” answers!).
Camille, Ajay, Pickle, Emma, Carlos, Freda & Percy
THE GANG’S ALL HERE
In addition to Freda, Percy, Ajay and Emma, and, of course, Pickle, Carlos and Camille round out the Ready Set Pre-K friends.
Yes, this Camille is named after my youngest granddaughter! My older grandchildren have books “starring” a namesake character from my first series, MathStart: “Jack the Builder” and “Mighty Maddie.” Then along came Camille… Sometimes being last has its perks. Camille doesn’t just have one book, but is part of a whole series. Lucky Camille!
All of the I See I Learn ® children live in See-and-Learn-City. The love to play at Stay and Play Park and build sand castles at Friendly Waves Beach. Story time at Read-a-lot library is so much fun! And they adore Miss Cathy, their wonderful teacher.
See-and-Learn City: Each book includes a map, which is lots of fun for games: Where does Freda live? Can you find Duck Duck Goose Pond? Who lives just up the street from Carlos? Where's Ready Set Pre-K?
Now, back to Pickle! I was thinking that maybe Pickle should send a note to Clementine. But Maddie and Camille now have a real dog…named Bella! I bet Pickle would share some picnic treats.
Reading "I See I Learn" books to Pre-K class at Snyder-Girotti Elementary in Pennsylvania - Fun!
*An earlier version of this post first appeared on Charlesbridge Publishers’ “Unabridged” blog
