K-2 Voted for their favourite shortlist book

K-2 Votes

K-2 Votes for their favourite CBCA Shortlist Book

Over the past five weeks I have read one of the CBCA Early Childhood Shortlist books to classes in K-2. The excitement increased as the weeks moved on and a new story was shared. I loved watching the children’s expressions when I took out the next book from the Story Suitcase that was carried around the Library and down some very long corridors for lessons in classrooms. Early on I explained to the classes that when we have finished all the books everyone will be able to vote for their favourite book and we will learn what book becomes the Book of the Year and which books are special at our school. A student commented that ‘Book Week is like the Olympics for books as the books get a Gold, Silver or Bronze award’ this is true and the children related well to this observation. It quickly became obvious which book was the favourite at school and the children made many comments on the number of stars Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas received.

All classes K-2 will be doing creative activities for the shortlist books. I am sure that the experiences and memories will stay with the children as we have devoted time and attention to an amazing selection of Australian picture books.

Story Suitcase

Story Suitcase

Look Inside!

 

Year 2 – Book Week Shortlist Story Elements

Early Childhood Books

Early Childhood Shortlist 2016

Over the past weeks, Year 2 has been exploring the Early Childhood Shortlist Picture Books during their Library lesson.
It has been wonderful reading the six shortlist books to Year 2, in fact I read so many books in one week (23 classes a week K-5) that my voice stopped working. Lucky for me and the children we were able to enjoy Mr Huff by Anna Walker on Story Box Library.

Using the first book Perfect by Danny Parker, the children reflected as a whole class to the following questions and their responses were recorded.

Story Element Questions:

  • Who is the main character? Are they human, an animal or an imagined character?
  • Are there supporting characters? Are they human, an animal or imagined characters?
  • Where is the story set? Is the setting realistic, magical, set in the past, present time or future?
  • The message or a lesson from the story is…
  • A symbol (object, action, or expression) in the story is…
  • The story made me think about…

For the additional shortlist books, once the story had been shared the children worked in small groups, each group being allocated one question. The responses were shared and then complied onto one page for later use. What became evident was that as the children revised the routine and became familiar with the questions they were able to reflect and reposed more thoroughly.

Samples of work for the Early Childhood Shortlist Picture Books:

Perferct Yr 2 sample

Perfect by Danny Parker Year 2 whole class responses

Mr Huff by Anna Walker Small group responses to questions.

Mr Huff by Anna Walker
Small group responses to questions.

Once the six books were read each student voted for their favourite book by placing a star on the Years K-2 2016 Book Week voting chart.

In the coming lessons the students will work in small groups to create dioramas of the shortlist books. I am really looking forward to the creative designs and displaying the story dioramas in the Library.

Continue reading →

Year 1 Book Week – Step Inside the Character

Book Week Voting Chart

Book Week Voting Chart

From the start of Term 3, Year 1 has had one of the Early Childhood Picture Books read to them during their Library lesson. As a class group we have been thinking about the main character in each book and doing the Thinking Routine Step Inside – what does the main character see, what does the main character know, what does the main character care about? Once the six books have been read each student will vote for their favourite book by placing a star on the Years K-2 Book Week voting chart.

For the activity, each student will choose a favourite main character from one of the books and illustrate them using a crayon resist art technique. Reflecting on the Step Inside activity students will also write about the character. Art work will be displayed for all to enjoy.

For more about The Step Inside: Perceive, Know about, Care about routine visit Visible Thinking.

Kindergarten Book Week Bunting

Kindergarten – Early Childhood Shortlistimage.php?hash=51d4660098139a6375c3e46cc

From the start of Term 3, Kindergarten has had one of the Early Childhood Picture Books read to them during their Library visit. Once the six books have been read each student will vote for their favourite book by placing a star on the K-2 2016 Book Week voting chart.

For the activity each student will choose a favourite main character from one of the books and illustrate them. All drawings will be assembled into Book Week Bunting to hang in the Library for all to enjoy.

EC Shortlist 2016

Early Childhood Shortlist