KidsWrite! – new inspiration
Have you ever thought to use a book as inspiration for your own writing? Wordless picture books are especially great inspiration. I just posted a new video prompt about this. You can find it on the KidsWrite page of QR code prompts, or you can get directly to it here.
A New Brooklyn Resource
My children and I loved the comic book store that used to be on Bergen Street in Park Slope. It was such a special, well-curated place to browse and read and buy special, personal gifts for friends. We were heart-broken when it closed several months ago. What relief I felt to learn that a new book store was going to make its home on that very same block!
Stories Bookshop and Storytelling Lab is a beautiful new shop on Bergen Street in Park Slope, just half a block from the 2/3 Bergen Street subway stop. My children and I visited the store for the first time last weekend in order to check out their Sunday story event (a weekly event at 10:30am). Stories has a small classroom / workspace in the back of the shop in which they hold events such as this, and this blend of classroom and book shop is at the heart of Stories’ mission. A small, family business, Stories’ tagline, “We believe stories can change the world” is realized through their blend of a beautifully curated book shop and a lab space in which they are offering writing and storytelling workshops for children in addition to regularly scheduled story events. Owners, author, Maggie Pouncey, and her husband Matt Miller, have stacked their story hours and their multi-session classes with published (and often local) authors and illustrators.
While the story event we attended was largely attended by families with very young children (a bit of a turn off for my kids), we were lucky enough to watch author/illustrator Christopher Silas Neal demonstrate his techniques for drawing people’s faces. There is something magical about watching an illustrator break down his/her technique for drawing into a simple process. As we were leaving, my daughter asked if we could buy Christopher’s newest book, Everyone. We bought it, and Christopher was kind enough to sign it with words AND pictures:)
How cute is that?!
I’m so eager to see how Stories is able to tap into lovers of books and inspire them to be writers, storytellers, and illustrators as well. There are a series of interesting looking Writing Labs and events on offer for the summer. Check out their facebook page or pop into the store for more details.
KidsWrite Writing Challenge
Are you ready for a little mystery and a little adventure to be a part of your summer writing life? If so, you’ll most definitely want to participate in this Writing Challenge.
Have you ever seen one of these? It’s a QR Code. When you scan them they can take you to documents, audio files, and video files. Your summer writing challenge involves QR Codes!
Here is what you need to do:
1) Download a QR Scanner (They are free and easy to download from app stores)
2) Go to educator, Kathy Sokolowski’s, collection of QR code prompts here or go to my collection of audio & video prompts here.
3) Choose a prompt to scan.
4) Scan the prompt. Read or listen to it.
5) Talk, write or draw in response to the prompt.
6) Share your work! You can email it to me at eringracegordon@gmail.com When you share it, let me know if I have permission to share it on the readwritehome blog.
7) Do you have any ideas for prompts? Send those my way as well!
8) HAVE FUN!
Book Love: It’s Only Stanley
Share a comment or reply with a link to a Book Love of your own. You can also send your Book Love to eringracegordon@gmail.com Please be sure to include your first name, grade level and whether you give permission for me to post your Book Love on this website.
Summer Boost, not Summer Slide
It’s the time of the year when we often hear about the dangers of summer learning slide or loss. This is a real thing. Children can truly lose facility with skills they developed over the school year if they do not continue to use those skills over the summer. But, it really doesn’t have to be that way.
Summer is actually the most perfect time for a boost! Children will have the time and flexibility in their day to use the skills they learned all year long in authentic, fun, and meaningful ways. Summer is a great time to dig into books and projects for which we lack the time during the busy school year. It’s a great time to re-energize our routines, to develop new ones, and to relax into the pleasures of reading, writing, discovering and building both on our own and together.
I feel like I am always reading lately about people starting streaks – trying to run, cook, work out, etc. for a certain number of days in a row. I’m thinking that summer could be an amazing opportunity to start a streak of your own. Can you start a reading streak? A writing streak? A blogging streak?
And, if not a streak, can you set a goal or make a plan and work together to meet the goal?
Summer days are for lots of things – relaxing, playing, camp, friends… but it can also feel really good to have deep thoughts, to dig into interesting ideas and to feel accomplished by meeting a goal or living up to the plan. There are loads of resources in this website to support fun and authentic summer learning plans. Try some out.
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