February 19

The SAN Script – Friday, February 19


We all have rough days and sometimes you just need to dance—like this guy—on a dock in Hoonah, Alaska – maybe a good DPA

Hello everyone – we have been looking for a good reading resource – this may be it – please take a look, I will add information about the site below the Globe article

EDUCATION – Globe&Mail

TeachKidsNews.com brings the world to the classroom

teaching kids news

Offering all the news that’s fit for the classroom, two Toronto teachers have developed a new current affairs website for elementary school students that is attracting readers around the globe.

Young students are often aware of the news events parents and teachers are talking about, including the recent earthquake in Japan and uprisings in the Middle East, but age-appropriate materials are hard to come by.

In an effort to fill this need for material, Jonathan Ophek, a Grade 3 and 4 teacher at Hillcrest Public School, and his wife, Kathleen Tilly, a Grade 3 teacher at Eglinton Public School, launched their Teaching Kids the News website that explains events in a language their students can understand.

In just three months TeachKidsNews.com has attracted web traffic and thank-you e-mails from teachers in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the United States and Canada.

“I find that the kids really want to know what’s going on in the world, but a lot of the time they can’t access it, the language is just too difficult either on the television or in the newspaper,” said Ms. Tilly. “[Since the site launched]we’ve been getting e-mails from all over the world, probably because there’s nothing else like it.”

The teachers collaborated with a freelance journalist, Joyce Grant, who has helped generate content for the site. Mr. Ophek and Ms. Tilly have tied the stories back to the curriculum by adding teaching prompts, including topics for discussion and grammar lessons. Their growing archive includes features about everything from the federal election to sacred turtles, and short stories tailored to ESL students.

A recent post, Death of the Whopper, explains a decision by Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children to close the Burger King outlet in its food court. A discussion prompt asks students to debate whether in light of growing childhood obesity rates, their school should ban pizza lunches and bake sales. A grammar feature instructs them to search the text for conjunctions.

The content is tailored toward children in Grades 2 through 6, and is meant to be a tool for both teachers and parents looking for reading material to use at home. The Toronto District School Board is promoting the site to its staff.

“It’s really interesting and you learn a lot,” said eight-year-old Mia Miric, one of Ms. Tilly’s Grade 3 students. “I’ve been reading about what’s happening in Libya, like the war that’s started there, and there’s lot of interesting things about polar bears and how they live and what they eat.”

Mia said that her parents have been impressed by her knowledge of current events, and that she’s even been able to teach them a few things.

 Teaching Kids News - 2

How to Use This Site (Grades 2-8)

On TKN you’ll find original news articles on topics that are timely, relevant and intriguing. They are written for an elementary and intermediate school audience (grades 2-8) and can be used easily by kids, parents, and teachers.

How to use the articles

Teachers
TKN was born from the desire to teach balanced literacy in a meaningful way. We provide teachers with a current events resource ideal for shared, guided, and independent reading lessons. Our Curriculum Connections section at the bottom of each article includes Writing/Discussion Prompts, Grammar Features, and a Reading Prompt (inspired by the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum) that will allow you to connect with your students and problem solve real life issues without hours of planning!

Print them off or use them online, or on your class’s projector or smart board. The articles work well in a classroom setting, in small groups or for individual students who have finished their work and are looking for something to keep them engaged. They’re also a boon for substitute teachers and homeschool educators, since each article acts as a nearly complete lesson plan unto itself.

Parents
You have at your fingertips an astonishing tool that will support your child’s literacy. See for yourself how quickly your child gets excited to read TKN’s simple and informative articles. Then, extend their learning by discussing with them the thoughtful questions and highlighted grammatical features included in our Curriculum Connections section. In reading just one article, you and your child will have bolstered important literacy skills that will help them every day of their lives.

Kids
TKN is an online newspaper written for you! You’ll find all kinds of stories that will fascinate you. Do you want to know about what’s happening with your favourite sports team? Maybe you’re curious about science and nature. No matter what your interest, TKN has stories that will keep you up-to-date with the world around you. Explore the site, read about your favourite subjects, and make sure to visit us again and again.

Note to teachers:
Always read the articles ahead of time to ensure they’re appropriate for everyone in your classroom. While they are generally levelled for elementary students, no two classrooms are alike and only you know what’s best for your students.

Join the conversation!
Teachers, parents and kids can discuss these articles and how they’re using them in the classroom and at home on ourFacebook page. Please also follow our Twitter feed for regular updates and relevant information.

Thank you for using TKN. Please bookmark this site and visit it frequently to help you get – and keep – your kids reading!

TKN is a companion to Getting Kids Reading, a non-profit children’s literacy resource for parents and educators.

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Posted February 19, 2016 by mcguirp in category SAN Today

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