What I'm Reading

I've been spending a lot of time this summer trying to beef up my classroom strategies. When I started my position as a preschool teacher last year (I was hired only three weeks before school began), I had no idea what best practices looked like at this level. I took four professional development courses throughout the year, plus the classwork I've been doing to get my endorsement, and those efforts got me through last year. Now, I feel like I have the tools to turn my classroom into a fantastic place for learning.

I've especially been looking to the experts for ideas. Here's what I've been reading this summer:

The Creative Curriculum by Diane Trister Dodge, Laura J. Colker, and Cate Heroman

This is the curriculum I've been working to implement in my classroom. I speed-read most of the book before the year began last summer, but I know I missed out on a lot. This summer I have been re-reading to help reorganize my daily schedule and my classroom layout. I've moved around almost all of my interest areas and am currently working to make the areas easier for children to use. There is a newer edition than this, but this is the one I have so I'm making it work for me.

Already Ready: Nurturing Writers in Preschool and Kindergarten by Katie Wood Ray and Matt Glover

This book is phenomenal! Katie and Matt share many ideas about how early childhood teachers can help children see themselves as writers and compose picture books. It is so amazing to see the examples they provide of writing their three and four year-olds created. Of course, those picture books don't look like the ones we look through in the library, but the kids who create them have gone through the writing process and are proud of the stories they have written. I've been working through this book and coming up with many ways to change up how I talk about books with my students and how I to encourage them to spend some time in the writing center.

Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas

I just got this one for my birthday from my fabulous husband. (I know - I'm a nerd. This was the only thing I asked for for my birthday... What can I say? I have a passion for what I do.) I was so excited to see a book about early literacy skills from the literacy gurus, Fountas and Pinnell! There is a great book study going on over at Pre-K Pages, and I've been enjoying hearing everyone's thoughts as they read this book. Another awesome thing about this book (and keep in mind that I'm easily amused) is that it has built in tabs, which makes it easy to peruse. I'm excited to really delve into this book to see what wonderful ideas I can take from it.

And just for fun, I've been reading:

The Nanny Diaries by Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus

This book makes me laugh out loud. It's fabulously light-hearted and would make a great beach read. Now, if only I could find a beach...