Wondering Before, During, and After we READ

Wondering... How do we link wondering about our world with the power of wondering before, during and after we read?

We have to make these links for our children.  So we model it.  How?  We wonder out loud as we read with our children so they will begin to do the same.

Why?  The bottom line is that it will increase a child's comprehension.  This is a good time of the year to begin to do these 3 steps with your little reader.

1. BEFORE READING...WONDER! Stop and wonder about the front cover. (This is so often is skipped!) Wonder about both the picture and the title. This leads to predicting about what is to come in the story. This engages a reader from the start. Setting the scene and anticipating what's to come!

2. DURING THE READING...WONDER! Stop after each page and wonder about how the character's are feeling and what might happen on the next page.  Wonder about the problem and how it will get solved. Wonder what you would do if you were the character. Wonder if the story will end well.

3.  AFTER THE READING...WONDER!  Stop and wonder about how the author ended the book.  Could you come up with a different ending or wonder what might happen next?

Did the author do a good job wrapping up the story?  Could you write the next part of the book together? What was the main idea?

Enjoy the beauty of wondering!

Wonderland...Creating minds of Inquiry

Date should be 2017 and my kids let me know it! 

WONDERING is WONDERFUL...and PURPOSEFUL!

What troubles me as an educator in 2017?

Among the many things that keep me awake at night is the realization that America's children struggle to WONDER and IMAGINE...

They are at a loss to make up imaginary games to play on the playground.  When given the opportunity to go and learn about something that fascinates them, only a few of my students know what they want to study and have the drive to go for it... 

SO WHAT?  Well...Guess What?  Good readers use it all of the time and those who can compose stories do as well...

Am I asking too much of 6 and 7 year olds?  I think not.

Because I'm a mom and an educator for close to 25 years and I KNOW they are capable of this...and the ones who are best at it are often NOT MY BRIGHTEST STUDENTS. 

So what's this all about?  Why am I so passionate about this topic?  

Besides the pure beauty of wondering and it's use in literacy, life-long learners who are successful in today's marketplace wonder and go after their learning. And they are hungry to share their knowledge, making them successful. 

We both want your child to be happy and successful in their adult work lives.  This is what drives me to create days like the one we had yesterday.

Here is a peek inside our day.  Welcome to Wonderland!

First, we discussed the who, what, why's and how's of wondering and watched a short clip from the old Sesame Street series. Ernie wondered lots of things that helped to kick start our thinking! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwAd8QZb9Ok

 Next, we decorated our "Wonder
Journals".  Here we will write down our wonderings and things we want to explore for the rest of the year.

During Read/Write/Explore time the children can research these questions they have on our kid friendly search engine Kid Rex.
Or at the library.

 Mr. Brandon and I sprinkled "wonder dust" on their journal pages as they wrote their first entries to help inspire them!
And yes, it did lead to sprinkling this dust in their hair! 
We enjoyed this immensely!

 Finally it was time to create some wonder mobiles.  With lots of crafting tools each child created something to hang on the branches for our mobiles that now hang from the ceiling of our room, to remind us to wonder every day.  I don't have a picture of the final product yet but will send that soon. 

Are you WONDERING how to help your child become better at wondering.  I hope you are...stay posted for the next blog.