Carmela Dutra's Blog - Posts Tagged "summer"
summer time reading
Summer is just around the corner! I cannot believe it! Where has the year gone !? What comes to mind when you think about summer with your children? Swimming? Barbecues? Family Vacation? This year, why not make sharing books part of your family’s summer fun?
I know what you're thinking: "summer is a time for play, imagination, rest and relaxing. I'm not going to make my kids read when they are supposed to be on vacation enjoying themselves." Most of that is true! Summer is a time to jump and skip about.
There is a commercial that I have seen many times for a learning center, in the commercial there is a boy who has just gone swimming and starts shaking water out of his ear. Well more than just water comes out! You see visual images of everything he’s learned falling out of his ear from mathematics, to social studies. While this is a little farfetched to believe that what your child learned in school will fall out of his or her ears after swimming, the point remains the same. When you don’t practice what you learned, you lose it! So, how can you keep your child from forgetting what they have read or learned throughout this past school year?
Studies have proven that that children of all ages need to be read to or to read by themselves and to talk about books over the summer. When you read or talk to your young child about books, they develop important language skills, understandings about books and print, and knowledge about how stories are constructed that will help them to become a strong reader and writer. Your school-aged child’s summer reading and book discussions will help them maintain their reading skills, improve their reading fluency, and learn new vocabulary and concepts. Reading will NOT keep your child from forgetting all they learned. BUT, it will help, A LOT! Most importantly, when parents and children enjoy summer reading together, children develop a love of books and reading that lasts a lifetime.
Again I know what you are thinking: “This is great! In theory! How can this accomplished? I work, they have summer activities, how or where can we find the time?” Here are three ways to do so:
Set aside a consistent time each day for reading. Depending on your family’s schedule, reading time might be in the morning, afternoon or before bed. Whatever time you choose, stick to it, but also remember that flexibility around trips and special family events is OK. Connect read-aloud choices to summer activities. When you read and discuss books about things your child has experienced, you help them extend their understanding of experiences. Take books along on outings. Pack books in your beach bag or picnic basket, and bring a stack on long car rides. You and your child can enjoy books together anywhere you go this summer.
Just as true with anything you do in life, where there’s a will, there’s a way! If you want your children to read this summer, it will happen! I wish you all the best summer yet!
Have an Adventurous summer!
Carmela Dutra
Author of: The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear Encounter at Jellyfish Cove
www.lorenzothebear.com
facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!!)
twitter.com/lorenzothebear
@lorenzothebear
I know what you're thinking: "summer is a time for play, imagination, rest and relaxing. I'm not going to make my kids read when they are supposed to be on vacation enjoying themselves." Most of that is true! Summer is a time to jump and skip about.
There is a commercial that I have seen many times for a learning center, in the commercial there is a boy who has just gone swimming and starts shaking water out of his ear. Well more than just water comes out! You see visual images of everything he’s learned falling out of his ear from mathematics, to social studies. While this is a little farfetched to believe that what your child learned in school will fall out of his or her ears after swimming, the point remains the same. When you don’t practice what you learned, you lose it! So, how can you keep your child from forgetting what they have read or learned throughout this past school year?
Studies have proven that that children of all ages need to be read to or to read by themselves and to talk about books over the summer. When you read or talk to your young child about books, they develop important language skills, understandings about books and print, and knowledge about how stories are constructed that will help them to become a strong reader and writer. Your school-aged child’s summer reading and book discussions will help them maintain their reading skills, improve their reading fluency, and learn new vocabulary and concepts. Reading will NOT keep your child from forgetting all they learned. BUT, it will help, A LOT! Most importantly, when parents and children enjoy summer reading together, children develop a love of books and reading that lasts a lifetime.
Again I know what you are thinking: “This is great! In theory! How can this accomplished? I work, they have summer activities, how or where can we find the time?” Here are three ways to do so:
Set aside a consistent time each day for reading. Depending on your family’s schedule, reading time might be in the morning, afternoon or before bed. Whatever time you choose, stick to it, but also remember that flexibility around trips and special family events is OK. Connect read-aloud choices to summer activities. When you read and discuss books about things your child has experienced, you help them extend their understanding of experiences. Take books along on outings. Pack books in your beach bag or picnic basket, and bring a stack on long car rides. You and your child can enjoy books together anywhere you go this summer.
Just as true with anything you do in life, where there’s a will, there’s a way! If you want your children to read this summer, it will happen! I wish you all the best summer yet!
Have an Adventurous summer!
Carmela Dutra
Author of: The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear Encounter at Jellyfish Cove
www.lorenzothebear.com
facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!!)
twitter.com/lorenzothebear
@lorenzothebear
Summer reading
Summer reading is awesome! How can you take something that is already great on its own and make it even better? Why not make your own story!!
Summer is a time when families have barbecues, enjoy fireworks, go camping etc. So, why not use that time to stories? It can be any kind of story! Scary stories, love stories, family stories, get creative! The whole family can even have a share; you can even make a game out of it. Every person in the family has to add to the story. This way not only does it get everyone involved, but it helps kids to use their imagination too; who knows, your story might just be the next big hit!
Have an Adventurous summer!
Carmela Dutra
Author of: The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear Encounter at Jellyfish Cove
www.lorenzothebear.com
facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!!)
twitter.com/lorenzothebear @lorenzothebear
Summer is a time when families have barbecues, enjoy fireworks, go camping etc. So, why not use that time to stories? It can be any kind of story! Scary stories, love stories, family stories, get creative! The whole family can even have a share; you can even make a game out of it. Every person in the family has to add to the story. This way not only does it get everyone involved, but it helps kids to use their imagination too; who knows, your story might just be the next big hit!
Have an Adventurous summer!
Carmela Dutra
Author of: The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear Encounter at Jellyfish Cove
www.lorenzothebear.com
facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!!)
twitter.com/lorenzothebear @lorenzothebear
Summer reading (2)
Summer is just around the corner! One of things that teachers encourage over the summer vacation is to READ, READ, and READ! What can be done to help ensure that happens?
One thing my mother did every summer was, enrolling me in a reading contest at the local library. The goal was to out read everyone else in the program, and the top three winners would win a medal (resembled an Olympic medal). Each week we would go to the library and fill out sheet of how many books we read that week; and what they were about. At the end of the two months everyone gathered together to the top three winners were announced. It was a healthy competition, and if I made it into one of the top three spots my mom would give me an extra prize. I would get to pick where the family went to dinner that night to celebrate, being a typical kid I always picked Chuck E Cheese.
Why not check and see if your local library offers a program similar to the one that my mother enrolled me in. 20years later and I still remember it well, I bet your child will too.
Have an Adventurous Summer!
Carmela Dutra
Author of The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear
www.lorenzothebear.com
facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!)
twitter.com/lorenzothebear @lorenzothebear
One thing my mother did every summer was, enrolling me in a reading contest at the local library. The goal was to out read everyone else in the program, and the top three winners would win a medal (resembled an Olympic medal). Each week we would go to the library and fill out sheet of how many books we read that week; and what they were about. At the end of the two months everyone gathered together to the top three winners were announced. It was a healthy competition, and if I made it into one of the top three spots my mom would give me an extra prize. I would get to pick where the family went to dinner that night to celebrate, being a typical kid I always picked Chuck E Cheese.
Why not check and see if your local library offers a program similar to the one that my mother enrolled me in. 20years later and I still remember it well, I bet your child will too.
Have an Adventurous Summer!
Carmela Dutra
Author of The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear
www.lorenzothebear.com
facebook.com/lorenzothebear (like me!)
twitter.com/lorenzothebear @lorenzothebear
Behind the scenes of an Author Visit
Well it’s that time of year again folks! School is coming to an end, or at some schools it has already ended. Summer is just around the corner and the adventures are soon to begin! This past school year has been a blur! It feels like just yesterday I was watching commercials for school supplies at the local Target. I’m sure all of you parent’s reading this are nodding your heads in agreement.
While this school year feels like it just started, it’s already coming to a close! For me, it was a very different type of school year. It wasn’t the normal collecting box tops for education to send to my niece and nephew, or even sending them notebooks and pencils. This year I was privileged to visit a variety of classrooms.
Each visit was a different experience, the grades ranged between first and third. There were English and bilingual students. I had a few combo classes, I was even working with a few special needs students. Each class came with its own challenges, some of which were the various sizes of the classes. Some school have the 20 -1- rule, and others did not. In the end, all of them were filled with a buzz of energy! I enjoyed every second I had with the students, and I cannot wait for the new school to begin so I can start them all over again!
Lately I have been getting several messages/e-mails that look something like this.
“I just got invited for my very first author visit, and I wanted to see if you had any advice since you have done these types of visits before. I will be reading to (insert grade level), what advice do you have regarding handouts, activities, selling books, etc.?”
I thought this would be a fantastic blog opportunity, to break down what goes into a classroom visits. Everything I discuss will be in reference to my series The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear.
However, the same idea can be used with any book. I will be applying these same techniques when my new series Little Katie comes out June 3rd. That’s right everyone, The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear will not be my only series! I’m so excited so share Little Katie with everyone! She has been over a year in the making. Eek! So excited!! Okay, back on topic now.
The grade levels that I tend to stick with are between 1-3, this is my target audience, but I do not limit myself to these grades. I have recently been asked to start visiting both fourth and fifth grade as well, so we’ll have to get more creative there. Before each visit there are several, and I mean several phone/e-mail/text and sometimes in person conversations between the teacher(s) and myself. Any parent knows that each of their children are unique, needing things tailored just for them. Same goes for each classroom I visit.
The needs of each school, classroom, teacher, and student’s vary. That is why I spend so much time communicating with the teacher(s) to address the needs of their student’s. I often ask what they are focusing in school? Do they want an activity that will focus on writing, or art? With their feedback, I work with them to create a custom classroom visit. I usually e-mail a few activities for them to choose from, and then we go from there.
There is a basic structure to the visits; I come introduce myself, read my story, Q&A, activities, handouts, and say goodbye. But each visit varies based on the needs of the class. Sadly, some schools I visit had their funding for Arts cut. Since I am also an illustrator, I inform the teacher(s) that I can offer art as an activity to focus on. Sometimes I’ll show a video to the class showing them how Lorenzo the Bear comes together, then I help the students to draw Lorenzo themselves. The steps they learn when drawing Lorenzo the Bear, can be then applied classroom draw any animal they desire.
Other classrooms are wanting to focus on writing, especially plot and character development. Or, writing a story with your audience in mind. In this instance I offer an activity that focuses on writing, usually a story prompt.
For the really little ones simplicity is key! I like to keep it as short and as simple as I can! I aim to keep in them engaged as much as possible. This is where we will usually play a game together, make bear hats, or color.
Sometimes teachers who just want their student’s to have fun! When this is the case we play something like MadLibs, or Word search. Regardless of the activity that is chosen, each one is custom made by myself, and ties in with the book I read to the class. There is always a theme I stick with, and that is my books. Oh and most importantly, I make it a point to personally work with each and every student in the class.
Despite what some of the kids may say, they all LOVE to color! So I am sure to always bring along coloring pages for them. These are kept as a backup to use, if we fly through the planned activity. Otherwise they get these at the end of the visit to use later in class, or to take home.
I really appreciate the enthusiasm of the teachers. They often ask: “How long can we keep you!?” I explain that it depends on how many classrooms I will be visiting that day. Overall my visits are usually 60 min. especially if I have back to back classrooms. Sometimes my visits are a little shorter for first and kindergartner’s, it just depends.
Here is the big question everyone wants to know “If you sell your books, how do you go about it?” I have to give all of the credit to my publishing house here. My editor sent me a flyer they give to all of their children’s authors to help them sell their books in schools. It’s known as a give back program. The students are sent home with a flyer allowing them to purchase the book from me directly at a discount, then a portion from each sale goes back to the school library. This is approved by the principal, and then sent home with the students. This has been very effective in selling books.
In addition to sending home book order flyers, each student receives a parting gift to commemorate our visit. Usually it’s a book marker, but sometimes it’s a printable activity like a bear and or pirate hat. The student’s seem to get most excited over the donation of a book to each classroom I visit, so they will always have it to read over and over again.
So there you have it! A breakdown of an author visit with me, Carmela Dutra. I hope this helps any of you who might be starting off with author visits. Best of luck. You will rock your author visit! Are you an author who has visited a classroom before? Please leave a comment sharing your experiences!
Are you a teacher or Librarian? Would you like to schedule your own author visit? Please, visit the link below to set one up. Do live out of state? Or perhaps out of the country? That’s OK we can schedule a Skype visit too!
Besides being a fun break from the classroom routine, an author or illustrator visit introduces students to the processes of writing, developing characters, and expressing one’s creativity. It gets readers excited about books, and it provides an opportunity to encourage young writers. All of my visits are free, as I believe strongly in giving back to schools. So schedule one for you today!
CarmelaDutra.com
While this school year feels like it just started, it’s already coming to a close! For me, it was a very different type of school year. It wasn’t the normal collecting box tops for education to send to my niece and nephew, or even sending them notebooks and pencils. This year I was privileged to visit a variety of classrooms.
Each visit was a different experience, the grades ranged between first and third. There were English and bilingual students. I had a few combo classes, I was even working with a few special needs students. Each class came with its own challenges, some of which were the various sizes of the classes. Some school have the 20 -1- rule, and others did not. In the end, all of them were filled with a buzz of energy! I enjoyed every second I had with the students, and I cannot wait for the new school to begin so I can start them all over again!
Lately I have been getting several messages/e-mails that look something like this.
“I just got invited for my very first author visit, and I wanted to see if you had any advice since you have done these types of visits before. I will be reading to (insert grade level), what advice do you have regarding handouts, activities, selling books, etc.?”
I thought this would be a fantastic blog opportunity, to break down what goes into a classroom visits. Everything I discuss will be in reference to my series The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear.
However, the same idea can be used with any book. I will be applying these same techniques when my new series Little Katie comes out June 3rd. That’s right everyone, The Adventures of Lorenzo the Bear will not be my only series! I’m so excited so share Little Katie with everyone! She has been over a year in the making. Eek! So excited!! Okay, back on topic now.The grade levels that I tend to stick with are between 1-3, this is my target audience, but I do not limit myself to these grades. I have recently been asked to start visiting both fourth and fifth grade as well, so we’ll have to get more creative there. Before each visit there are several, and I mean several phone/e-mail/text and sometimes in person conversations between the teacher(s) and myself. Any parent knows that each of their children are unique, needing things tailored just for them. Same goes for each classroom I visit.
The needs of each school, classroom, teacher, and student’s vary. That is why I spend so much time communicating with the teacher(s) to address the needs of their student’s. I often ask what they are focusing in school? Do they want an activity that will focus on writing, or art? With their feedback, I work with them to create a custom classroom visit. I usually e-mail a few activities for them to choose from, and then we go from there.
There is a basic structure to the visits; I come introduce myself, read my story, Q&A, activities, handouts, and say goodbye. But each visit varies based on the needs of the class. Sadly, some schools I visit had their funding for Arts cut. Since I am also an illustrator, I inform the teacher(s) that I can offer art as an activity to focus on. Sometimes I’ll show a video to the class showing them how Lorenzo the Bear comes together, then I help the students to draw Lorenzo themselves. The steps they learn when drawing Lorenzo the Bear, can be then applied classroom draw any animal they desire.
Other classrooms are wanting to focus on writing, especially plot and character development. Or, writing a story with your audience in mind. In this instance I offer an activity that focuses on writing, usually a story prompt.
For the really little ones simplicity is key! I like to keep it as short and as simple as I can! I aim to keep in them engaged as much as possible. This is where we will usually play a game together, make bear hats, or color.
Sometimes teachers who just want their student’s to have fun! When this is the case we play something like MadLibs, or Word search. Regardless of the activity that is chosen, each one is custom made by myself, and ties in with the book I read to the class. There is always a theme I stick with, and that is my books. Oh and most importantly, I make it a point to personally work with each and every student in the class.
Despite what some of the kids may say, they all LOVE to color! So I am sure to always bring along coloring pages for them. These are kept as a backup to use, if we fly through the planned activity. Otherwise they get these at the end of the visit to use later in class, or to take home.
I really appreciate the enthusiasm of the teachers. They often ask: “How long can we keep you!?” I explain that it depends on how many classrooms I will be visiting that day. Overall my visits are usually 60 min. especially if I have back to back classrooms. Sometimes my visits are a little shorter for first and kindergartner’s, it just depends.
Here is the big question everyone wants to know “If you sell your books, how do you go about it?” I have to give all of the credit to my publishing house here. My editor sent me a flyer they give to all of their children’s authors to help them sell their books in schools. It’s known as a give back program. The students are sent home with a flyer allowing them to purchase the book from me directly at a discount, then a portion from each sale goes back to the school library. This is approved by the principal, and then sent home with the students. This has been very effective in selling books.
In addition to sending home book order flyers, each student receives a parting gift to commemorate our visit. Usually it’s a book marker, but sometimes it’s a printable activity like a bear and or pirate hat. The student’s seem to get most excited over the donation of a book to each classroom I visit, so they will always have it to read over and over again.
So there you have it! A breakdown of an author visit with me, Carmela Dutra. I hope this helps any of you who might be starting off with author visits. Best of luck. You will rock your author visit! Are you an author who has visited a classroom before? Please leave a comment sharing your experiences!
Are you a teacher or Librarian? Would you like to schedule your own author visit? Please, visit the link below to set one up. Do live out of state? Or perhaps out of the country? That’s OK we can schedule a Skype visit too!
Besides being a fun break from the classroom routine, an author or illustrator visit introduces students to the processes of writing, developing characters, and expressing one’s creativity. It gets readers excited about books, and it provides an opportunity to encourage young writers. All of my visits are free, as I believe strongly in giving back to schools. So schedule one for you today!
CarmelaDutra.com
