Hopping | What to Read | Traci Shupert Photography

My brain is swimming with all kinds of ideas and thoughts on reading today. One of my coworkers let me borrow her Educational Leadership magazine, and it just so happened to be all about reading. Reading a few of the articles reignited my passion for what I believe about reading and the teaching of reading. When I came home, I fired up Google Reader (which if you don't have, you must get), and was greeted by a blog post from one of my friends on reading. Please go check it out before continuing because it will build your background knowledge (or as I like to call it - schema) for what will be coming next. Here's the link: http://keepingoftime.blogspot.com/
Make sure you read Part 1 and Part 2.
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You really should because you might not understand what is coming next.
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OK, so here it goes...I'm completely intrigued by the book Angie talked about - Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt. I've decided to buy one for myself and another for one of you. If you'd like a chance at winning this sweet book, here's what you need to do:

*Become a fan of Traci Shupert Photography on Facebook and and then tell your friends..{Come be a fan of Traci Shupert Photography, and you might just win a sweet book!}

*If you're already a fan, post about the giveaway and a link to this blog post in your status...http://www.tracishupertphotography.com/2010/03/hopping-what-to-read-traci-shupert.html

*Post on your blog or spread the word about the giveaway on your favorite forums...just paste the link...http://www.tracishupertphotography.com

Then come back here and leave a comment telling me what you've done to enter the giveaway (feel free to leave any other kind words too!) by Friday, March 5th at 7:00 p.m. (EST). Happy Reading!

Owl Moon | What to Read Wednesday | Traci Shupert Photography

Today was a different sort of a day...school was canceled due to snow. So, I got to catch up on a few things around the house. Mainly cleaning and organizing. Now let's just hope I can keep it up!

I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be at school today, so before I left on Tuesday, I grabbed the book I wanted to highlight on the blog today - Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. Written in Jane's poetic voice, this books is about a father who takes his child owling on a cold, winter night. This book has won many awards, and has been translated into 9 different languages. Grab some hot chocolate, a blanket, and curl up with your child for a memorable winter's read. Happy reading!

Walk On | What to Read Wednesday | Traci Shupert Photography

I was in a local toy store this weekend, and ran across the book, Walk On by Marla Frazee. Several years ago, I was at a workshop about teaching reading, and the presenter read this gem of a book to us. To borrow the words of Publisher's Weekly, "It's a pep talk for those ready to leave crawling behind (and for those who may need a refresher). " I love the simplicity of this book. Whenever we face obstacles and challenges, it really is about putting one foot in front of the other no matter our age.





Have you heard about Reading Rockets? It's a great website for nearly everything reading under the sun. I ran across several interviews with author Marla Frazee on their website. In this interview, she talks about her long road into the publishing industry. She had to do a lot of walking before she made it!

Kinda Sorta What to Read | Traci Shupert Photography

I'm taking a stretch here on What to Read Wednesday, but I could not stand waiting any longer to share something I think is pretty cool. So, I'm calling this blog post my recommended reading for the week. (Shameless, I know!) :)

Let me take you on a journey back to my childhood. My parents had these friends they would get together with nearly every weekend to play cards. On one particular Sunday when I was probably around the age of 8, I was playing a game by myself in an adjacent room to where the adults were playing cards. My parents and their friends were unaware of my close proximity. I don't recall exactly what was said, but the words that entered my ears and mind were completely inappropriate for someone of my age to be hearing. 99.9% of the time as I child, I was a rule follower (and still am today). I knew that my parents should be alerted to my presence in the next room, and that I had heard every word. With my eight year old indignant voice, I said, "THERE'S KIDS IN HERE!" The words are now infamous, and will often come up in conversation when we're reflecting on my childhood.

What is the point of this little story? It's serves as background knowledge into my extraordinary ability to overhear conversations.

Fall 2009. I'm waiting in line at the post office which had recently been remodeled, but somehow is still unable to hold more than 10 people at a time. That bothers me. I digress. Back to the story. I've reached the front of the line, when I hear a conversation begin several people behind me. My radar ears immediately picked up on it. Here's how it went:

"You've got a lot of things you're mailing."
"Yes, I knit hats for newborns to sell."

Ding, ding, ding! I have got to talk to this lady, but it is now my turn to present myself to the postal worker to send my package on it's merry way. The postal worker asks the standard questions, "Is there anything hazardous, yada, yada, yada, in this package." But I'm not really paying attention because I'd much rather talk to the lady who knits hats for babies. As I'm paying for my postage, I gather up some boldness, turn around, and begin speaking to the knitter (I think I may have made up that name, but is there a technical name for people who knit? Let me know if you know.)

"I take photos of newborns and babies. Do you have a store in the area or a website I could go to?"


And that's the story of how I met Debi of Debi's Creations. This weekend I had the opportunity to take photos of her adorable work. She has a shop on Etsy (love that place!). Head on over and check it out.

The Bible | What to Read Wednesday | Traci Shupert Photography

Come on in for another installment of What to Read Wednesday! At the beginning of the year, one of my church friends started a group on Facebook where we would support one another in reading through the Bible following the One Year Bible Chronological plan. This particular schedule for reading the Bible has scripture arranged as it chronologically happened.

I'm a reading teacher (as you might have already figured out previously), so everything I do is supported by the belief that every child deserves to be a reader. Everything I do is to help them accomplish that goal. If they are able to successfully read and comprehend, they will be able to read and understand the most important book in the history of the world. Happy reading!

Olive, the Other Reindeer | What to Read Wednesday | Traci Shupert Photography

Let me just tell you about one of my fav books to read every Christmas due to its high entertainment value. Introducing Olive, the Other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh. In this tale of the misunderstood, Olive (a little doggy) hears a song on the radio that says, "All of the other reindeer..."

Olive believes she heard, "Olive, the other reindeer." Thinking she must be a reindeer because that's what she heard in the song, she embarks on a trip to the North Pole to help save Christmas.

This book was also turned into a movie several years ago. The book and movie have the same basic premise, but the movie takes quite a few different twists and turns. Between the two, the book is my favorite. I'm trying to convince my husband to watch the movie with me right now, but I'm not having much luck (maybe if we had some kids he'd watch it). Happy reading!

The Legend of the Candy Cane | What to Read Wednesday | Traci Shupert Photography

Winter has arrived around my neck of the woods. I'm not a big fan of winter, so my goal this year is to be positive and find the joy in winter. Afterall, winter is beyond my control. What can I control? My attitude.

So, it's What to Read Wednesday around here on the blog. This week, I'm suggesting a favorite Christmas book of mine - The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg VandenBosch. This is a wonderful tale explaining the meaning behind the classic Christmas treat - the candy cane.

In the last week, I've experienced tremendous loss. The father of my friend, and my great uncle passed away within a week of one another. At times like these, I am struck by the brevity of our time here on Earth. Despite the sorrow and difficulty, I am overwhelmed by the HOPE we have when we believe in the Lord and his son, Jesus. God has promised eternal life with Him in Heaven to all those who believe and accept his Son as their Lord and Savior. I am beyond thankful that both of these men believed that Jesus experienced life here on Earth in order for all humanity to be saved, and they are now with Jesus in Heaven. As we begin our celebration of Christmas, let's allow ourselves to experience the HOPE that is found in birth of the Christ.

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life."
-John 3:16 from The Message

If You Give a Pig a Party | What to Read

If You Give a Pig a Party comes from the series of "If" books that Laura Numeroff has written. I chose this book to highlight today because you can get your very own (hardcover and all) at Kohl's right now for 5 buckaroos. These books would make excellent stocking stuffers for your little ones.

One of my favorite movies at this time of year is Christmas Vacation. I often like to quote the wise Cousin Eddy. "It's the gift that keeps on giving." Books don't require all that lovely packaging that you have to get through in order to get to the toy. Unwrap a book, and the gift is ready to go. And Cousin Eddy was right - it keeps on giving, and giving, and giving. Now, I know as adults, it can become drudgery to read a book for the (what seems like) millionth time. But it is a sacrifice of love that we do that for our children. It's what they need!

To be completely honest, as a reading teacher I feel like I'm fighting a war. The War for Reading. Way too many children spend hours in front of electronics. I recently read a study that showed that our brain's activities while watching TV are actually slower than when we are sleeping! So, when you're talking to a child (or adult), and they're not answering it's because they literally are in a comatose state. I've never done a study on it (maybe someday I will), but it wouldn't take a very long conversation with a student to figure out how much they've read or been read to in their lives.

Just like anything that's good for us in life (eating healthy, exercising, praying, reading the Bible), we must make reading a priority in our lives. It must be intentionally done. It doesn't magically happen.

If you give a kid a book, they will ask you to read it with them. If you read it with them, they will become readers. Happy Reading!

And the Winner is... | What to Read Wednesday

{Imagine the sound of a drum roll in your mind}

And the winner of Actual Size by Steven Jenkins is....Ryan Miller

Thanks to everyone who shared what they're reading right now. Ryan, the book will be on it's way this week! Happy Reading!

Freebie | What to Read Wednesday

As I opened up my blogger account to post for What to Read Wednesday today, I realized that this would be my 101st post! So, to celebrate reaching the century mark, I thought it would be fun to host a giveaway! Who doesn't love free stuff?

This week I'm highlighting the book Actual Size by Steve Jenkins. I was introduced to this book at teacher workshop I recently attended. The author takes animals like the giant squid and uses an illustration that is the actual size of a giant squid's eye. It is enormous - literally! Along with the amazing illustrations, Steve gives the reader interesting facts about that animal's body part. You will be shocked and awed by this book!

Now, to the giveaway. There are 2 ways to enter to win the book, Actual Size.
#1 - Head on over to my Facebook page (become a fan if you'd like) and leave a comment under this photo telling me what you're reading right now or what you want to be reading right now.

#2 - Leave a comment right here on the blog telling me what you're reading right now or what you want to be reading right now.

Feel free to spread the news of the free book giveaway. The winner will be drawn on Sunday, November 15th at 9:00 p.m. EST. Happy reading! :)

Outliers | What to Read Wednesday

This week's spotlight falls on a book about success. With students, we talk about having a balanced reading diet, just like it is important to have a balanced diet when eating to stay healthy. Studies have found that women read more fiction, whereas men read more of the opposite - nonfiction. (That's a shocker, isn't it?!) So, this book fulfills my dose of nonfiction to keep my reading diet balanced.

Outliers, written by Malcolm Gladwell, is a book that challenges our beliefs about success. Malcolm proposes that success is much more complex then we think. I have to say I am totally fascinated with this book and what Malcolm has found. One of the early chapters delves into the "10,000 Hour Rule". By looking at people who are considered experts in their fields of work, Malcolm has found a commonality - 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert.

As I read and lived with this "10, 000 Hour Rule" idea, my teacher mind went to children and reading. What do we want our children to be successful at? Is that what they're practicing? I believe this question is essential to what we (teachers & parents) believe about children, reading, and learning.

Magic | What to Read Wednesday

This week's What to Read Wednesday is not so much about a book, but about what happens when we gather around a book. This photo is of my 87 year old grandpa and my 6 year old niece. 79 years apart, but closer than ever in this picture. There is something magical that happens during the shared experience of reading.

This might be my most favorite photo taken to date. Technically, it's not that great. But emotionally perfect! I'm sitting here looking at this photo and tears are blurring my vision. Tears filled with many emotions. My grandfather is an amazing man with an amazing memory! He can remember events from when he was as young as one. That's crazy?! I can barely remember what I did yesterday. He is internet and technology savvy - not afraid to try new things. And he is a reader through and through.

My grandparents, sister, and niece were over at our house last night for dinner. As we were sitting around the table listening to my grandparents share stories of their childhood, my niece found this book in my bookcase and brought it out for someone to read to her. Grandpa willingly volunteered to read the book, and the magic quickly spread its sweet aroma. I hope that one day my niece will tell her family about the time she was over at my house and read with her great-grandfather. That reading draws us together in a shared experience that lasts a lifetime.

Sky Tree by Thomas Locker | What to Read Wednesday

Time for another installment of What to Read Wednesday. I borrowed this book from one of my colleague's classrooms (just in case you're new around here, I'm also a teacher of reading). She has a display of books relating to fall, and I was immediately drawn to this book because I {heart} this author - Thomas Locker. Let me introduce you to Sky Tree.

I attended a workshop last week (I'm training to be a mentor for new teachers), and one of the sessions was on making the most of your read-aloud time. The teacher talked about literary nonfiction books - nonfiction that acts like a story. That's exactly what Sky Tree, and all of Thomas Locker's books are like. He is a multi-faceted artist. In addition to writing these lyrical informational books, he also creates the paintings. His work is truly magical! Sky Tree takes you on a journey through the seasons as experienced by a tree.

I have to give a few shout outs for this post. First, to my friend's sweet little girl who let me take her picture while reading the pictures in Sky Tree. Secondly, to the owner of the book and first grade teacher at my school, Chanelle Blucker. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll see a link for "The Blucker's". Click on over and leave Chanelle, some blog love. Feel free to tell her she's a great teacher! :) Happy Reading!

Ish | What to Read Wednesday

I was first introduced to Ish by Peter H. Reynolds at a reading workshop I attended quite some time ago. Several weeks ago, I was searching for a book at Barnes and Noble to bring to a family session (click here), and rediscovered this little gem. I'm really connecting to this book as I travel along the photography road. This is what the author wrote on his website about Ish, "This is the sequel to The Dot and a tribute to an approach to thinking – and relaxing — about your art, your writing, your craft. Your life." What do you feel ish about these days? Happy reading! :)

Captivating | What to Read Wednesday

This week I thought I'd mix it up a little by highlighting a book for us big kids. I read this book several years ago, and it came up in conversation recently as I was talking to one of my friends (who is near and dear to my heart because she introduced me to my husband). Here's what the book jacket has to say about Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge:
"Why do little girls love to dress up in twirling skirts? Why do they dream of a day their prince will come and together they will live in a great adventure? Because that is the heart God set within every woman. That is the role she as created to play - to be a valiant and beautiful woman whose life changes the world."

I won't give away too much, but one of the ideas that resonated within the depths of my soul is that God created man and woman in his image and we each are endowed with different qualities of God. God created woman to display His beauty, and as a result, woman sets about making her world beautiful. As I look through the viewfinder on this new passion of mine, I know that with every click I'm trying to capture that beauty.

(By the way, I decided on my way home from school that I wanted to highlight this book. It was either me or my husband for this picture. Call me crazy, but I just didn't feel right asking my hubby to pose with this book!)

First Steps | What to Read Wednesday

No book this week for What to Read Wednesday, but I have something that I think is very important to highlight. Early Intervention. As the saying goes - the sooner the better. A child's school education begins long before they enter any classroom. I am a STRONG advocate for early intervention, especially after working day in and day out with students who need extra support to be successful.

I was perusing the children's section at my local library recently, and I came across the postcard pictured above. First Steps is a resource to helps children ages birth to 3 years old who are experiencing developmental delays or have a diagnosed condition that may lead to developmental delays. As the postcard says - Trust Your Instincts. Here's a link to their website: www.indianafirststeps.org Please, please, please share this information with anyone you know who you think may benefit from it. Many of these developmental delays can have an impact on reading, and we know that reading is a vital ingredient in experiencing success in school and in life.

Poems & Flare

This week, I decided to have the book take center stage. I wanted to showcase one of my favorite poets that writes for children - Valerie Worth. There is just something about the deep simplicity of the poems in all the small poems and fourteen more by Valerie Worth. I decided to capture this book with some flare from the sun after reading the poem entitled sun in this book. Here's a taste of that poem:
The sun
Is a leaping fire
Too hot
To go near...

Poems are the perfect size to practice reading with fluency. To be fluent is to be able to speak or write smoothly, easily, or readily. Or as I like to put it, "To read so it sounds like you're talking." We know from the current body of reading research that being able to read fluently enables the reader to focus on comprehension. If the reader has to spend all of her brain power on decoding words, little is left for her to remember or understand what she read. One strategy to practice reading fluently is to read the same text several times (around 4 repeated readings). When asking a child to read a poem more than once, it is helpful to have a purpose for each reading. Here are some purposes: to read/perform the poem for someone else, to understand what you read, to figure out what the author wants you to learn or understand, to learn what a certain word means...

Do you have a favorite poet or piece of poetry? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment and let me know what you're reading these days. Happy reading!

What to Read | Goshen Family Photographer

It's Wednesday? Already? You've seen this family and their cute dog crop up several times around the blog {see their session here}. This week's book in the spotlight is What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steven Jenkins & Robin Page. This book is a Caldecott Honor book, which recognizes the book for its illustrations. I love this book because it is written in a question-answer format. So, you can read the page with the question on it AND before turning the page you can think about the answer...

This book is great to practice a strategy that good readers use - inferring. A prediction is a type of inference, but inferring is so much more. Inferring is taking what you've read and using your background knowledge (or schema) to figure out what the author doesn't say. If I had to pick my go to strategy when reading, it would be this one. I love it like I love Diet Coke from McDonald's (my husband would actually call it an addiction, but that's a topic for an entire different post).

Going full circle back to the book. I bought this book at Kohl's for 5 bucks! It is part of their "Kohl's Cares for Kids" campaign that donates 100% of the profits to support children's health and education initiatives nationwide. Every so often they come out with a new set of books, so check them out! Happy Reading!

What to Read

It's time for another installment of What to Read Wednesday. This week, I've chosen to highlight You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman. In October 2008, Mary Ann was asked to serve as the Children's Poet Laureate by the American Poetry Foundation. She has written 3 other books in this series of You Read to Me, I'll Read to You. This book contains short, rhymed stories that are like little plays for two voices. Mary Ann envisions this book being read by a pair of beginning readers, or one beginning and one more-advanced reader (older child or adult).

In my other life, I'm a reading teacher, so I get to work with students who need a little pick me up. I'm thankful to have paraprofessionals to help me in this endeavor and we've been watching some professional development videos on effectively teaching reading. One of the many ideas that stuck out to me is that it is so important for children to have an ear for language. The instructor on the video compared it to being tone deaf in music. Some of us have a tin ear for language, BUT we can help that! How do we develop an ear for language? By playing with it! Listening to reading, having conversations with our children, singing songs, chanting nursery rhymes and poems. Those are just a few ideas. Here's a website that children can go on and play around with language: www.starfall.com
Happy Reading!

What to Read

As promised, I've got a book to spotlight that is sure to appeal to all ages! May I introduce you to the hilarity that is Parts by Tedd Arnold. The boy in this book takes everything he hears people say literally. I'll share just one example because I don't want to ruin the fun. When his dad says, "Give me a hand," he thinks he has to give his dad his hand! There are three books in this series - Parts, More Parts, and Even More Parts. Many laughs guaranteed as you read this book. The little boy's misunderstandings are a result of idioms. In case you don't remember, idioms are sayings that are figurative and cannot be taken literally - like "It's raining cats and dogs." As you're reading this with your loved one, feel free to teach them about the word idiom. If they already know what an idiom is, you could turn this into a fun writing activity. They could make their own book of idioms and illustrate pictures to go with it. I'm sure Tedd Arnold would be proud!

Last week, I shared about how important it is for kids to read books that interest them. In conjunction with interest, it is just as important for kids to spend most of their time reading books that are a good fit for them. By good fit, I mean books that kids can read most of the words and understand what they are reading by themselves. We know that using objects can often make an abstract concept more concrete for children. For example, you can compare finding good fit books to finding shoes that fit. Just because my foot measures as a size 9 does not mean that every size 9 shoe will fit. I have to try different shoes on and on and on until I find one that is a good fit. And that is OK because I don't want to walk around in ill-fitting shoes all day. Therefore, you may be in fourth grade, but that doesn't mean that "fourth grade books" are always going to fit. You have to try the books on for size.

I'm always on the lookout for good books, so feel free to drop me a comment and recommend one of your favorites for me to highlight. Happy reading!