National Family Literacy Month
November 2022
STEM Family Literacy Night
Booths include:
- Reading with Shannon the Therapy Dog
- ECISD/Educational Foundation Booth
- ECISD Little Library Booth
- UTPB First Five Booth
- Odessa Public Library
- Read-Alouds with Take home activity
- Readers Theater with a take home activity
- "How to Catch a Turkey" Read-aloud with STEM activity.
- *First 50 families receive a free gift
- Reading resource table- Grab resources to use at home
- Register for door prizes and freebies
- Used Book Blowout Sale (Proceeds benefit STEM Library and Literacy Activities)
- Popcorn, pickles, and water will be sold (Proceeds benefit STEM Library and Literacy Activities)
Get the family together and join us for a fun evening!
All STEM students attending will receive a ticket to drop the lowest formative grade.
Shannon the therapy dog loves children to read to her.
NATIONAL FAMILY LITERACY MONTH
What is National Family Literacy Month?
National Family Literacy Month is a month when families are encouraged to read together. Educational statistics show that one in four American children will grow up without learning to read. Similar statistics demonstrate that children in the third grade without a proficient reading level are four times more likely to drop out of school. So how can caregivers help? The answer: it’s time to get reading! Whether snuggled up together reading a fantastical tale as a family or hearing your child read their book every night before bed, reading together is vital for your children’s development.
- Studies show that children who read with a caregiver typically gain literacy skills quicker - reading with a family member allows children to ask questions, learn the meaning of new words, and strengthen their understanding of different texts. Studies also show that reading benefits children’s writing skills, memory capacity, and attention span, meaning that tons of different skills are being targeted when you get comfy with a good book!
When is National Family Literacy Month 2022?
National Family Literacy Month 2022 is held during the entire month of November - that’s 30 whole days (and 30 chances) to dive into new and exciting literary worlds!
- This month, get the whole family snuggled up on the couch and open up a good book. Studies show that reading aloud with mom or dad is the most important activity when it comes to preparing children to read on their own. And if you raise a good reader… Pretty much anything is possible! Reading helps with vocabulary, writing skills, attention span, memory, and teaches us about other times and places. Even if your child is just a baby, you should still sit down and read with them every once in a while. An infant can look at pictures and listen to your voice as you read stories to them… And believe it or not, studies show that that alone can have a profound effect on your child when it comes to learning later on in life. Grab a few books, gather the fam, snuggle up, and let a book take you all to another place together.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Get the whole family together and enjoy some reading. Use #FamilyLiteracyMonth to post on social media. If you are reading to toddlers or other young children, try to remember when you were young, and the way you liked listening to your parents or teachers read with excitement in their voice, and when they gave you enough time to look at the pictures as well as listening to the words. Here are a few things you can do this month (and hopefully every month to follow) to participate in National Family Literacy Month.
- Set aside a little time for reading every day, even if it’s only for 15 or so minutes.
- Go through both old and new books, and set some of your favorites around the house. They make cute decorations, and maybe one of the kids will pick one up and start reading!
- Take a few trips to the library.
- Read your child the book version of their favorite movie. If they can read on their own, encourage them to read it!
- Start a book club with friends and family.
- Participate in a book drive and donate old or used books you no longer need. This will help families in need read to their kids.
“children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”- emilie buchwald
Celebrating Our Exemplary STEM K-2 Reading Educators
Our Spectacular Second Grade Team
Bianca Borunda
Julia Carrasco
Patricia Gayton
My name is Patricia Gaytan. I am currently in my first year as a classroom teacher! I am excited and blessed, that I have the opportunity to start off my first year in such an amazing school as the Stem Academy. I have a background experience of 8 going into 9 years, working in a school setting as a teacher assistant. In 2020, I started at UTPB Stem Academy. I have loved and have really enjoyed every moment of my experience of working with students.
Our Fabulous First Grade Team
Lara Bow
Sarah Griffin
Bethani King
Our Extraordinary Kindergarten Team
Melody Greathouse
Alexis Machuca
🧡 🧡 🧡 Happy Thanksgiving!
As the holiday season approaches, we give thanks for STEM Families, students, and educators . We are grateful for you.
Wishing you a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
celebrate thanksgiving with these literacy activities
As we prepare to go on Thanksgiving break in 3 weeks, it can be difficult to keep children busy amidst the excitement. The break presents a perfect opportunity to think about values such as gratitude, charity, friendship, and community. Below are a few ways to celebrate the holiday while improving literacy skills!
- Have children make an “I Am Thankful for…” book, where they write and illustrate what they are most thankful for. This encourages kids to demonstrate gratitude while also strengthening their reading and writing skills.
- Create your own Feed the Turkey game to help tone reading skills. Using an interactive game keeps students interested and constantly learning throughout.
- Construct felt depictions of traditional Thanksgiving characters, such as turkeys and vegetables. These can be used to retell fun Thanksgiving stories or to invent your own!
- See how many different words your child can build by rearranging the letters in Thanksgiving-themed words, such as “thankful,” “turkey,” and “pilgrim.”
- Play the Gobble Gobble Game. This is a fun, competitive way to practice the alphabet.
- Help students create Thanksgiving dinner menus. This will give them a chance to show off their writing skills to dinner guests!
the easiest ever thanksgiving craft
Thanksgiving is coming soon! It might be a little different this year, but enjoy a long weekend of fun, food, and lots of family time! Here’s an easy and fun craft for the whole family:
LET’S GO!
Thanksgiving is coming soon! It might be a little different this year, but enjoy a long weekend of fun, food, and lots of family time! Here’s an easy and fun craft for the whole family:
LET’S GO!
What you need:
- Paper
- Crayons
- Optional: felt tip marker
What to do:
- Trace your hand or your child’s with a marker or crayon
- Use crayons or markers to draw in and colour a turkey
- Have fun with it!
You and your child can make just one, or make a turkey for each person at Thanksgiving dinner! Place them on each plate, not only for decoration but for conversation too!
WHY?
Making crafts together is a good way to bond with your child, and the talking that comes from working together is building an important literacy skill. A bonus is the hand coordination that comes from drawing, which will help with writing skills in the future.
the best thanksgiving books- picks for grades k–12
1. Thank You, Bees by Toni Yuly (K–1)
Simple and sweet, the narrator thanks nature for all it provides. This one begs to be followed by making a class thank-you book with the same text pattern.
2. Around the Table that Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill (Pre-K–1)
A diverse group of family and friends gathers for a meal, and each person brings a contribution with special meaning. It’s not specifically a Thanksgiving gathering, but this tale captures the spirit of the holiday in a lovely way.
3. Giving Thanks: More Than 100 Ways to Say Thank You by Ellen Surrey ( K–1)
This ode to the many people, things, and experiences for which a young boy is grateful is a perfect way to kick off conversations about gratitude. It includes directions for creating a gratitude jar and creative ideas for writing thank-you notes.
4. Thanksgiving in the Woods by Phyllis Alsdurf (K–2)
Demonstrate how holiday traditions come in all shapes and sizes with this true story of a group of family and friends who treks into the woods every year to set up an outdoor Thanksgiving. It’s also a perfect holiday-themed mentor text for writing personal narratives.
5. The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Mark Fearing (K–2)
Whether or not your students celebrate Thanksgiving, they’ll likely relate to this hilarious look at what it means to be a kid at a large family gathering. The underlying message is, if you can make it through the kissing, cheek-pinching “Hall of Aunts,” there is fun to be had.
6. Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell (K–2)
Step outside the Thanksgiving box with this story of a bountiful harvest and a family soup-making day. Catchy rhyming text and joyful illustrations make this a great read aloud.
7. Over the River and Through the Wood: The New England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day by L. Maria Child (K–3)
There are many book versions of this classic song. Choose this one, illustrated by Matt Tavares, for its lush illustrations that portray a family of color enjoying Thanksgiving.
8. Yum! MMMM! Que Rico! by Pat Mora (K–5)
America harvests cranberries, pumpkins, and potatoes, but also so much more, according to this creatively illustrated collection of haiku about different crops. Each poem has an accompanying informational blurb.
9. We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell (K–5)
Thanksgiving is a particularly great time to share books written by indigenous authors and about indigenous people. This reflection on the Cherokee tradition of gratitude is both fascinating and moving.
10. Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard (K–5)
This story sparks relevant conversations about the relationship between food, family, tradition, and culture. A modern-day family prepares a food that’s steeped in Native American history.
11. Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Thanksgiving With Turkey, Family, and Counting Blessings by Deborah Heiligman (Grades K–5)
Use this one-stop-shopping text to introduce an accurate history of the holiday, its connection to the National Day of Mourning, and how families celebrate today.
12. Auntie Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic by Ginnie Lo (2–5)
Present a different look at typical Thanksgiving elements, like a family road trip; a gaggle of aunts, uncles, and cousins; and a big family meal. Talk about how new traditions can be created, even if they go against the norms of mainstream culture.
13. Not This Turkey! by Jessica Steinberg (2–5)
When a Jewish immigrant wins a turkey in a raffle at work, his family dreams of having an “American Thanksgiving” like all their neighbors. The prize doesn’t turn out as expected, but they end up creating their own traditions instead.
14. 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving
by Catherine O’Neill Grace (2–8)
Published over a decade ago, it’s no longer “new,” but it’s still the best picture book out there for discussing the first Thanksgiving in a comprehensive and accurate way. Check out the many additional resources Plimoth Plantation offers for even more curriculum ideas.
15. The Boy Who Fell off the Mayflower, or John Howland’s Good Fortune by P.J. Lynch (3–8)
Use this first-person narrative to help your students imagine what it would have been like to be a teenage indentured servant aboard the Mayflower and during the Pilgrims’ first year in Plymouth.
16. Native American History for Kids
by Karen Bush Gibson (5–8)
Use the whole book over the course of the month—November is also Native American Heritage Month, after all—or focus on the sections related to New England, the first Thanksgiving, and what followed.
17. Thanksgiving at the Inn by Tim Whitney (5–8)
Moving to a country inn complicates Heath’s already-difficult relationship with his alcoholic father, but also introduces him to a cast of unlikely new characters. As Thanksgiving rolls around, Heath has a lot on which to reflect.
18. Refugee by Alan Gratz (5–8)
Refugees are often referred to as modern-day pilgrims. Connect the Pilgrims’ departure from England with Gratz’s stories of a German Jewish boy during World War II, a Cuban girl in 1994, and a Syrian boy in 2015.
19. Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick (9–12)
This historical account of the Pilgrims’ arrival tells the good, bad, and ugly that followed. Painstakingly researched and told, this one goes far beyond questioning whether the first Thanksgiving meal actually included turkey.
20. They Came for Freedom: The Forgotten, Epic Adventure of the Pilgrims by Jay Milbrandt (9–12)
This detailed historical account chronicles the Pilgrims’ experiences, beginning with their fleeing from religious persecution in England. Invite classroom discussion with this decidedly pro-Pilgrim viewpoint.
21. Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience by Melanie Kirkpatrick (9–12)
GREAT READERS...
As you read with your child at home, think about what great readers do. Help your child to use these strategies when he/she reads to you:
1. Great Readers read the title of the book and THINK about what they are going to read.
2. Great Readers take a “picture walk” which helps to “put the story in your head”.
3. Great Readers always read for MEANING. Your reading must make sense.
4. Great Readers REREAD when they come to a tricky word.
5. Great Readers say the beginning sound of the tricky word and look through the word for
chunks (parts) they know.
6. Great Readers read on to the end of the sentence for more information about the tricky word.
Bonnie Villarreal
Dyslexia Interventionist
Reading Specialist
Email: bonnie.villarreal@ectorcountyisd.org
Website: https://www.ectorcountyisd.org/STEM
Phone: (432) 552-2580