Below is an example review from the Literary Book Club. Attention, Teachers: have your students submit their own book reviews! All grade levels welcome! Instructions are on the site.

The Littles, by John Peterson, is an excellent fiction book about little people living in a big world. It takes place in the Biggs house in the country. It is summer vaction. The Biggs go on vacation and the Newcombs come to stay at their house. Trouble starts when the Newcombs leave garbage all over the house. Mice come and the Littles were scared that they would attack. The Newcombs get a cat. Lucy Little jabs the cat when her father was about to get attacked They all ran back to their house between the walls. Tom Little had an idea to talk with the cat and make friends. Tom and the cat became friends and their troubles are OVER! When the Newcombs couldn't find the cat when they went back to the city When the Biggs came back from vacation they found the cat in the cellar. They didn't know where it came from. The author didn't tell us if they decided to keep the cat. We think they did. Why don't you read the book and see what you think?

News from the Talk website

Activities at the TALK website are practical ways to address literacy in various content areas, and include technology.  They have been aligned with The Classroom Literacy Guide.  This guide is a rollup of best practices in literacy, consistent for all grade levels, that is put into a form useful for instructional planning, self-evaluation, peer-mentorship and staff development.  It is the "how to" for a good literacy-based program. 

Harlem Renaissance 

Want a great website to illustrate how headings, illustrations and captions are used to foster comprehension? Want to generate interest about the topic before having students investigate further? This lesson on the Harlem Renaissance does just that! Two optional activities are available for individual follow-up student work. The student may choose to study a particular person of the Renaissance period to share with the class by creating a Power Point presentation or web page. Another option would be for the student to create a poster to advertise a show which might have occurred during this time.

TALK Teacher Lesson: http://teach.fcps.net/talk/activities/voices/default.htm

Student Lesson: http://teach.fcps.net/talk/activities/voices/student.htm

Lesson Website: http://blackhistory.eb.com/study/stud2.htm

We would love to include YOUR classroom activities which use technology in support of literacy in any area of the curriculum. Send us ideas and activities you would like to see included in the TALK website. For information on this, or more information on how to use TALK , contact Cathy Brandt via email or at 381-4124.