A Review of Anthill for Sale by Johnny Ray Moore

I had the pleasure of sharing Anthill for Sale by Johnny Ray Moore with my students. They loved it, but more importantly as a teacher with so many books to choose from I immediately thought of ways this could enhance a number of lessons throughout a school curriculum.  

Alvin, the ant, is reluctantly putting his home up for sale. The ordeal ends as a charming lesson about life, family, and, memories. Besides being a heart warming tale, this book lends itself to opportunities for learning. To start, it rhymes, which is crucial to language development. It also contains complex vocabulary words. This is an opportunity while reading to expose young students to. After reading my wheels started turning about all the different writing prompts that could be used in conjunction with this story. So many possibilities! 

Lastly, Johnny Ray Moore (Author) chooses to use a wide variety of insects as potential buyers. As a science teacher, you could use this as chance to get students thinking about types of insects and characteristics of insects. 

Anthill For Sale would make an excellent addition to any class library. 

Here's is what some of my students have to say. 

          

Check back for more book reviews from my students!

Learning can be Messy

Thanks to a colleague putting in a grant request, the second grade was granted RootVue planters. They are planters that have a clear wall in order for students to see the roots as their plants grow. As I was opening the boxes and reviewing the directions, It dawned on me that the directions were pretty student friendly and students putting it together would be possible. I decided that my students were going to do this project from the very start to finish, including putting the RootVue together.

1. I sat them in predetermined science groups. I made these groups with a mix of abilities. My hope was that I would have a variety of thinkers to help this project be successful.   

2. I gave them just the directions to read and understand. I emphasized that they were not just reading to read. They were reading to understand because they were expected to following these directions to put together their RootVue.

3. Once a group finished reading, I would ask them a few questions about the directions to be sure they read them.

4 I gave them what they need for the first 5 steps, and let them have at it. I should mention that I told them each group was getting only one kit. Since there was measuring and cutting string, I suggested marking it first and double checking their measurements before cutting. There wasn't any extra wick, so they had to make sure they were doing it correctly.

5. Once those steps were done, it was time to expand the dirt disks. I asked students as they were ready how much water it said they needed. The answer was 7 cups. I told them that a water bottle was 2 cups, and then they needed to figure out how many water bottles filled with water they needed.

6. We stopped at the dirt on day one. Then the following day we continued with steps 7 through 14. For some reason, it took a little while to get in the groove. Students spent time exploring the dirt, and figuring out the next step. This step involved putting the dirt in the planter and holding the wicks upright so that the wick would keep the soil moist. This step took a lot of understanding and team work. Dirt went everywhere, and I had to remind myself that we could clean it up. Learning can be Messy.

7. Once seeds were planted, we were ready to wait for seeds to sprout.

I thoroughly enjoyed students working through directions together. I think they really took ownership of this project because they built it, and I was really impressed with how well they were able to problem solve. I think too often we assume we need to do things for them to speed up the project. I think there was plenty of value in reading, applying, and thinking during the build. They needed to apply math  measuring skills.

Our plants have begun to sprout. Hopefully we see some root vegetables begin to grow.   

The Power of the Read Aloud

This isn't news. You have all heard this before, but as I sit here thinking of a topic to write about- reading out loud to my students stands out.

As a student teacher, my cooperating teacher loved to read picture books to her students. And she was good at it.. the inflection and the voices. When she read, the books came to life. Her students' eyes fixed on her as she moved through the pages. Often the books went with some lesson, but sometimes the reading was for pure enjoyment. She made reading to her students a priority. In doing so, she introduced me to many of the books I continue to read aloud today. Reading to my students is and always will be a priority.

Now, my love of Read Alouds actually goes much farther back than 2005. I really fell in love with the Read Aloud in 5th grade. You see, I was not a strong reader, and I would even go as far as saying I hated to read. BUT each day in fifth grade my teacher read a couple chapters of a book to us after lunch. Now as a teacher, the thought of taking twenty-ish minutes to read to students in fifth grade might sound insane. What was she thinking? There are tests to prep for, and standards to get in. What was the purpose of reading to us each day? As one of her students, this is what I remember most. It was my favorite time of the day. So, a student who hated reading looked forward to the read aloud each and every day. This was almost the only time I would get to know some of those stories. It planted a tiny seed, and although I didn't instantly love to read, that seed grew. I know those students still exist.

Today, I read everyday to my class. We are currently reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.  It was chosen as one of the books for the Global Read Aloud this year. I knew it would be a hit with my students, and I was right. They never want me to stop, and it was inspired some of my reluctant writers to write blog post about Roz, the robot. The text is a bit above grade level, so listening to it is the only access some of my students would ever have to this text. Not to sound cheesy, but a read aloud is a gift to those students who otherwise could not read the book.

SO read the books out loud... plant the seeds... watch them grow...