SCM: Living Books/Video 2

Video 2 living books SCM

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

1:46 PM

What makes a living book living?

Makes subject come alive. Touches emotions, fires imagination, personally involved

• Written by one author w/ a passion for that subject. 
• Autobios--my own life, descriptive...not all are living, but good place.
• Narrative: tell a story
• Conversational: tell about a certain topic, but sounds/tone of sitting across kitchen table from author, just chatting.

• Contains living ideas, not just dry facts. Life lessons interwoven. Easy to picture or run movie in head.
• Well written.  Relative. Not twaddle. Good story.
• Twaddle: short, choppy sentences ,  diluted

• Choosing living books like choosing produce from store.
1. If you are choosing cumquats, look up ripe characteristics, you have to try them to know if they are ripe.
2. Might not be quite right...OK, try again next time.
3. Give a one page test: start reading, draws in, connects, want to keep reading.

• Rating books two scales:   well written or twaddle and contain ideas or facts.
• Nourishes kids and adults of all ages engage.
• Initiates other connections and want to learn more.
• D'Aulaires. 
• It's longer than the others...maybe why these books get left behind. It takes time and more words.  People are in a hurry...not a CM education.
• Short list of places to get living books:  see SCM
• Once you have a stack of books...what to do? How to use?

• CM says:  require the child to narrate a paragraph or chapter after a single attentive reading.
• Narrate: simplest form, tell back in own words, not parroting/reciting, take in story, retaining it, mixing your brain's ideas, putting into sequence, forming coherent sentences. Great effort but natural for children to do.  Tool in their box to educate themselves.
• How much? Paragraph or chapter...start short and you gradually increase.  Aesop's fables are great to begin.  1 story- 1 paragraph.  Customize to fit kids.  How young:  don't require a narration from a child under 6 (they offer). 6-9 read to them.  If using well written living books, they need to listen. Oral narration.  10+ make transition to read silently to themselves and to do written narrations.
• Single attentive reading: insist on this. If kids know they have another chance, they will tend to not pay full attention.  Classrooms with kids: often repeating what is said before. Be done short amount of time and move on.  Motivation to attend.  Require narration also motivates.
• Need to do this ourselves so we know how to help or encourage our kids.
• Sit in buddies
• 1x instructions: read to self silently, close the book, wait for buddy, retell 1st half and then other will finish (not determined before).
• Tips: picture it in your mind's eye. No outlines (baggage). 
• Cardinal rule of narration...do not interrupt person narrating.
• Makes us more compassionate, it's hard.  Hard to start. Hard if you don't understand a word...might need to go over some words and give those words (let them try).  Gives them schema… or give annotated copy for some poems or hymns..if reading on own.
• How did buddy encourage: smile, nodded, helped, patient waiting,--keep in mind. Don't prompt or prod, but give them TIME.
• 33 ways to give narration: picture drawing and explain, lego building and explain, written: 5 questions on material, to give them ability to act on material received.  Learning style is simply what's easiest to get the info in...still have to deal with it once it's in to make it their own.  Not  going in one ear and out the other.

• What to do w/ a blank stare:  look through and pull out key words (names) and write on board (talk briefly before) listen for these and narrate with these thigns...give mental hooks.  Also helps them see how words are spelled for listeners.

• Spread out kids in a group.
• Start with youngest and add...don't use it a lot. 
• You start, you add something...keep doing it to the most experienced narrator--they will have to draw conclusions and thinking. Compare, my opinion and support.
• Narration is oral composition.  90% of composition is mental.  Then just get it down on paper.  Good oral comp helps with written.
• Narration is an art form if done well.  Continue oral but add written with experience.
• If miss a key point.  Red flag that maybe I read too long--if happening often. Matter of attention: apply a natural consequence, you take your own time to read it for self and give narration. If miss just 1 point: key words help proactively..open to other students (add) or mention it yourself and demonstrate or invite kids to tell about something.
• DON'T Ask direct questions on content:  There was a part in there about___, what do you remember about that.
• CM had kids narrate every book.  Some do it once in awhile, and gammit…
• Before reading begins: last time we read...just a little pulling the thread to tie new info on.
• Read/narrate
• At end of term: exams narration questions on books read.--long term recall.