Session 1
September 15, 2022 4:30-5:30 ET -
Picture It Today, Try It Tomorrow: Getting to Know Students and Build a Community
At the beginning of the year, picture books invite readers to use important foundational and interpretive skills. Picture books also have the power to build communities, inspiring students to share important parts of their identities, creating connections and fostering relationships. In this first session, we identify a collection of texts you’ll love sharing with students at the beginning of the year. We’ll explore ways to use these books for getting to know and grow a classroom of students – as readers, as writers, and as people. Come with a notebook and be ready to think, write, and reflect.
Session 2
October 20, 2022 4:30-5:30 ET
Picture It Today, Try It Tomorrow: Mentor Texts for Writing
How did the author do that? This question invites powerful thinking since in order to answer it, students must first notice their own reaction as readers, identify the source of the reaction, analyze the craft of someone else, and then attempt to emulate it. In this session, we’ll have texts for demonstration, exploration, analysis, and inspiration. Come with your own writing, or use a piece that we will provide, and be ready to think about ways to level up how students choose and use mentor texts in your own classroom.
Session 3
December 1, 2022 4:30-5:30 ET
Picture It Today, Try It Tomorrow: Mentor Texts for Reading Comprehension
What is the author trying to say? This question invites deep understanding because in order to answer it, students must be able to first make connections to what they are reading and then use skills and strategies to make meaning of, or comprehend, the text. In this session, we’ll share picture books and short texts that showcase activating and using background knowledge, questioning, and visualizing in order to better understand the text. Come with your favorite picture book, or use one we’ll provide, and be ready to think about ways to level up how you can use them in your own classroom to bolster students’ comprehension.