History Doesn't Have to be Boring!

As an adult, one of my favorites genres to read is historical non-fiction. I'm particularly fascinated with books about World War II and exploration, like the Shackleton Expedition or the conquering of Mt. Everest.

As a librarian, though, I have a really hard time getting kids to check out books about historical topics. Luckily, many authors are writing books about history that read more like narrative picture books. History is full of fascinating stories and I think these slightly disguised history books are the perfect way to hook kids. They would be especially good for parents and kids to read together. That way, you could have some conversations about the content. The conversations don't have to be heavy and serious even if the subject is. These stories could provide some background for our kids so that when they study the topics in school they're not starting from scratch. Maybe more conversations and a better historical understanding will help us stop repeating the mistakes of the past. It's worth a try, isn't it?

These great books are available in our Cannon library. Come check one out!

The inspiring story of regular people rescuing British servicemen at Dunkirk during World War II

The story of hard-working immigrant boy in New York at the turn of the century

A little boy and his father look for his grandfather's name on the Vietnam Memorial

A colonial boy is determined to sled on Boston Common even if the British troops are camped in the way

The story of young Booker T. Washington who wanted to learn to read more than anything else

A beautiful story of the flight of Apollo 11 and the first moon landing

Until next time, happy reading!

Mrs. Wagner

Got Projects?

Happy Fall!

Even though the weather still feels like summer, we've reached that time of year when school has been in session for several weeks and students are beginning to bring home assignments for projects. The goal of these projects is usually to showcase what has been learned on a particular topic or to allow students an opportunity to share their thinking in a creative way. When the projects arrive back at school, however, teachers can sometimes only see what the parents know about the topic!

As a mom of two college students, I can tell you that there were many times when I did more than my fair share of my kids' projects out of sheer exhaustion on my part and out of a nagging desire to make sure they did well. There was even one time when my daughter woke me at 1:00 in the morning in tears to tell me that she just remembered she had a big research project due the next day. Instead of telling her to go back to bed, we stayed up until 3:30 in the morning researching King Henry VIII! While I would say my daughter and I bonded on that long night as I soothed her type A fears, I'm not sure she learned much of anything about King Henry or responsibility.

There is a big difference, though, in letting your kids do their own thinking and leaving them to do things by themselves. You can still make sure projects get done and even bond with your kids without doing the work for them. Be present. Ask questions. Be a sounding board as your kids tell you what they know and come up with ideas to show it. Be prepared for some resistance at first. I remember my son telling me he didn't know anything about the subject of his project. He was trying to push my buttons and get me to do his thinking for him and he was persistent in his denial of any knowledge whatsoever!  If you keep asking questions, though, and coming at the topic from different angles they will start to think and you'll start to hear what they know. That's the synthesis the teachers are hoping for when they plan the assignments!

Try to avoid expensive trips to the craft store to complete projects. Some of the best thinking is done by coming up with creative ways to show what they know with what you have on hand. It's ok if your child's project doesn't look perfect. 

At Cannon, we have several optional projects coming up that will be perfect opportunities to practice the art of stretching your child's thinking! Hopefully your Cannon scholar will be excited to participate in the Global Cardboard Challenge and the Storybook Character Pumpkin Decorating coming in October.

I know that there will be times when just getting the assignment done is the most important thing for the sanity of everyone involved but hopefully those times will be the exception rather than the rule. If you find yourself side by side with your child at 3:00 in the morning creating a life sized Henry VIII, chalk it up to bonding and laugh about it the next day! There will be plenty of other opportunities to help your child be the skilled problem solver and creative thinker that they are destined to be.

Until next time, happy reading!

Mrs. Wagner

Need Homework Help?

Hello again!

If you have a school age child, you know that homework can be a struggle. Sometimes it is because your young child is resistant to the homework routine or avoids a subject he or she struggles with. Other times, it may be because your older child needs help with a complex content that you simply don't remember how to do! When my son was in fourth and fifth grades, he needed help with writing and, even though I am an English teacher, he wasn't too keen on being tutored by his mom.

The Grapevine Public Library has a solution to this frustrating situation. They offer free online homework help every day from 3 to 10 pm. All you need is a Grapevine Public Library card and you and your child can connect to a live tutor who can help with any content area from kindergarten through 12th grade! The tutors are certified teachers, university professors, graduate school students, or professionals who are experts in their fields.

I certainly wish this service existed when my children were at home! For more information go to http://www.grapevinetexas.gov/306/Live-Homework-Help

Until next time, happy homework and happy reading!

Mrs. Wagner

Celebrate Creativity!

Welcome Back!

September is here and with it comes International Dot Day on September 15. Dot Day is a celebration of creativity and making a positive mark on the world based on the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds. What better time to challenge yourself and your kids to read about creative people or, even better, create something yourselves? There are many ways to show creativity, ingenuity, and flexible thinking so reading about people who have developed these characteristics is a powerful way to start honing your own!

Here are a few titles that changed the way I think and challenged me as an educator and as a parent:

These titles are available in the Cannon library. Encourage your scholar to check them out:

Now you need to capitalize on all this inspiration and create something!

Have fun learning and creating and, as always, happy reading!

Mrs. Wagner

Reading is for EVERYONE!

Hello Everyone,

I hope the start to the new school year has been smooth for all of you!

As we get back into the swing of school routines, one of the most important routines is getting kids to read regularly. I've learned over the years, as a teacher and as a parent, that reading logs and required minutes are not the best way to establish this critical habit. Even kids who enjoy reading will resist these requirements at some time or another. In my opinion, the most powerful motivator to getting kids to read is for the adults in their lives to model reading behavior themselves. Think about it; if we haven't read a book in years and make it known that we hate to read  how can we expect our kids to read, much less like it? If we say we would like to read more but simply can't find the time, how can we expect our kids to find the time? Showing your kids you have a reading habit doesn't have to be time consuming. Who knows, you might even realize how much you've missed reading! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Make a habit of reading the news every morning. It can be a newspaper spread out on the kitchen table or online news on your computer or tablet. As long as your kids see you spending a few minutes every morning reading, the message is clear: Reading helps get your day started.
• Start a family tradition of going to the library or bookstore once a month or once every two weeks as your schedule allows. Everyone in the family should be actively looking for a book. If you have little ones who can't be left unattended, take turns going to different sections so you're not spending the whole time in the kids' section. They will learn that you have a reading life of your own and they will learn to be patient and take turns! Win-Win.
• Pick a chapter book for a bedtime read aloud and then make a habit of reading a little every night with your kids. Maybe a book that you loved as a child would make a good choice. Family bonding at its finest!
• Talk with your child about what kinds of books he or she likes and work together to pick one that you are both interested in. Get two copies and read it independently but during the same time period. Talk about the story regularly and set goals for finishing chapters or sections. A little friendly competition is good for the soul and the reading habit!
• Ease yourself back into the reading habit by selecting a middle grade or young adult title. Books "for kids" are some of the best reading around right now and their deep plots are proving they're not actually just for kids. Not all reading needs to be War and Peace! Here are a few titles I've read recently that I absolutely loved:










So, to get your kids firmly established in the reading habit, you need to read yourself! It's pretty simple and fun!
Until next time, happy reading!
Mrs. Wagner

Welcome to CannonStemReads!

Welcome to a new school year!

I hope you make a habit of stopping by this blog for book recommendations, tips on helping your kids with reading, or happenings in the Cannon Learning Commons. I'm passionate about books and learning and I can't wait to share that passion with all of you. 

As we get back into the swing of school, take a minute to help your Cannon scholar remember what they read over the summer. All the reading that was done during the summer counts for the GCISD reading challenge. In the next couple of weeks your scholar will have access to recording sheets to keep track of their reading throughout the school year. When they decide on a challenge and get their recording sheet it will be easier to add that summer reading if you write it down now while it's fresh in your mind. 

My favorite book from my summer reading was Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart. It's on the Bluebonnet list for this year and I highly recommend it for all ages. If your scholar is too young to read it on their own, it would be a good bedtime read aloud. Check out the book trailer.

Until next time, happy reading!

Mrs. Wagner