Chapter+4+Teaching+an+Essential+Habit+of+Mind

=Chapter 4 Teaching an Essential Habit of Mind: Reading Like Writers in the Context of Illustration Study=


 * Katie uses the metaphor of building a house to explain what it means to see with an insider's eyes. Think about other times in your own life when you've developed insider's eyes for something.
 * What language might you use with your students to talk about reading like a writer, both as a writer or words and pictures?
 * Think about a common read-aloud book you use with your class. How can you direct your students' attention to the decisions the illustrator made?

So much in this chapter! I like the way Katie hypothesizes about what decisions a writer made, but stresses that is doesn't matter if you hypothesize correctly- it's the habit of mind of making a hypothesis because you are a writer, and all writing is a result of decisions, so if you are a writer, you will need to make some! Last year before we wrote animal reports we read lots of National Geographic articles from our magazine subscription. We discovered they are very formulaic, particularly the beginning. They all started with a"put you in the moment" beginning. "//The jungle heat beats down on my head as I make my way toward the muddy river. Suddenly- swish- something large, black and hairy swings through the branches overhead."// As a result, most of the reports began this way. I wish we had done something similar with illustration to go with it- but then we would have done nothing but write animal books all year! Doing the study before you actually ask kids to do it themselves makes sense. What crafts have illustrators used in nonfiction about animals? I am trying to pay attention to the language Katie uses when talking with the kids. When observing something she says "Look what (illustrator) did here!" She also talks about the kids knowing what the illustrators look like, making them real people just like all of us. She states that the goal of teaching writing is purposefulness. I like that as a constant background thought. If I can keep that, it may bring me back when I start to get too "Do it like this" ish. They need to decide for themselves. I'm thinking about picture books we have used as mentor text tin the past that do interesting things with illustration. In __The Napping House__ the perspective changes as if the person with the camera is gradually rising up the wall, eventually looking down on the scene. There is also a little mouse in every scene. In __Hey, Little Ant__ something similar happens, where you are the ant looking up at the boy on one page. In __Eloise__, the part that she is imagining is shown in pink or red, while reality is black and white. Wow-I suddenly see that as a metaphor on life. OK- too deep. Here's my biggest fear with all of this- I can't draw! How will I show them how to get the thinking onto the paper if I can't???? Kathy C

Katie's big idea of helping students read as a writer and recognize the decisions made by the writer is possible even at the lowest grades if we include illustration study. When I think of these discussions occurring across grade levels, I can imagine students so used to talking about why an author/illustrator might have written or illustrated in a certain way, or how the author's/illustrator's decision created a certain quality. From there the discussion would include what decisions //students// made or why they chose to compose ( with words or pictures) as they did. This is all such "big thinking" but very appropriate when students are engaged in the study and conversations that Katie suggests. I see the use of illustration study as a very natural fit for young students. I am always amazed at what students **notice** in the illustrations, things I've looked past even though I may have read the book many times. I like the way Katie goes on to include not just **noticing**, but becoming articulate about what we **notice** and then imaging new possibilities in our own composing based on what we've **noticed**. It's been my experience that sometimes there are students who really step up in this area of noticing and hypothesizing and these conversations bring those students into a more prominent role in the classroom. I've included these students as I have a conference with a classmate who may need some suggestions to help them think about what else they could do. Katie suggests using a predictable question, "What do you notice about the illustrations in this book?" I also like to include, "Why do you think --- made it look like this?" or "Have we ever seen something like this in another book?" And my favorite line while pointing to an illustration, "This did not happen by accident.(pause) I think ___really wanted you to notice something interesting in this illustration." Kathy, I share your fear! My answer is mentor text (including students') and what Katie describes as thinking imaginatively in front of the children, describing how you can picture a student using a technique in one of their own books. Kathy D.

Taking what you notice other illustrators doing - seeing it as a decision - and then showing how to use it in a different topic was an important idea. Students really do notice so much more than I do. I need to given them the time to explore and share. Is everyone sensing a theme with me about time! Kim

I am also reflecting on time...what have I spent all my time doing, since it WASN"T talking about illustrations???? I have decided that I spend most of my time talking and thinking about what the author does. The kids were really used to thinking about why the author did something, or how they interpreted a character's feelings/actions, or noticing patterns in text. This year, I really want to extend their great thoughts into illustration study. I am confident they will make different observations than I do, and that will lead our discussions further! ~Sue

I'm recognizing, in reading this book, that I, too, focus the majority of conversations when discussing picture books on techniques/decisions the author makes while haphazardly including observations about illustrations. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on some of my favorite books and taking a close look at the illustrations now. In thinking of past students, particularly ones who struggle with reading and writing but are artistic and creative, I imagine they would have lots to add to class discussions about technique. ~Paula