As you start to think of the upcoming school year and ALL of the things that need to be done, think about how you can incorporate an author study into your schedule. We incorporated this great hands-on activity with the Reading Academy during the month of June. Students get excited to make a edible craft that goes with the books that the author wrote.
What do we do?
Every Friday we introduced a different author that the students might not know about. We all gathered together as a group to read the special book for Friday. The students would also get the opportunity to hear about the author's background and why they decided to write children's books. After reading the book, students were split into four different groups and rotated through various stations. Each station included a book by the author and an activity that went with the book. We had four stations the kids rotated through: game, craft, snack, and directed drawing.
How will I do this in my classroom?
I’ve been spending some time thinking about how I can make this work in my first grade students this upcoming year. I will be introducing one author on the last Friday of each month. This way students will be introduced to 10 different authors. By doing this, I will be able to have students enjoy each of the four stations. I am fortunate to teach with 3 other first grade teachers who get excited about reading as much as I do.
Where do we find the books?
My first stop is the school’s library and I clear the shelves of the author’s books that I want to read to my students. Then I head to the local library and fill my Thirty-One tote with the books my school did not have on hand. Typically I have some books by the author we are learning about, but the majority come from the libraries!
Authors We LOVE
Mo Willems
Ryan T. Higgins
Keiko Kasza
Oliver Jeffers
Mac Barnett
Jory John
Laura Numeroff
Dan Santat
Hopefully you can find a way to spark some love of reading by getting some kids hooked on an author's books this upcoming year. Feel free to check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store for some free craft downloads on a few authors.
~Heidi and Michelle~
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