amyrjoy Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 In particular...second and fourth graders who are well beyond those and you are more classical eclectic mix. I don't mean FIAR usage or a particular curriculum but maybe for science or even poetry or lit or anything else. What do your children think? Is it good or beneficial to throw something like that in your studies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I think picture books are timeless. My 10yo & 8yo read quite well, but that doesn't mean they are beyond picture books. We have picture books that I read every year, and I find my 10yo curled up with her favorites when she's looking for nostalogic (sp?) reading. I will be using picture books for literature ala Ready Readers from the Center for Lit. I use picture books to introduce history or science topics. My rising 3rd grader will be independently reading the Let's Read and Find Out science series this next year, and he will have historical picture books to round out his history reading for the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Oh yes. My oldest was reading novels by the end of K. In 2nd she picked and read Dicken's unabridged A Christmas Carol for her December book. I still teach from picture books often to her in 4th grade :) You can't get better than a picture biography by Demi for a story of Muhammed or anyone from history. The science ones like Let's Read and Find Out are not really deep enough, but she will listen in and look at them with me and my ydd. Then she will read something deeper in her encyclopedia or in a science magazine or online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edeemarie Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 We just started using a lot more picture books, for science in particular, this summer. We pick a theme for the week, get several picture books on the topic (fiction and nonfiction), and read the books throughout the week. Some they read independently, some are read-alouds. The kids have learned so much from science this way! They like that they get to help pick the topics too. I try to end out the week with either a little experiment, a video (like Bill Nye or Magic School BUs), or a little field trip (like we did when we were studying owls-my mom just happens to have some owls in her neighborhood right now). I am really debating continuing this throughout the year because they love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Picture books are the way to go, especially when introducing a topic in science or history....it gets the mental juices flowing. If I begin with a picture book, it's easier win their interest in the topic. I learn from them, so I know the kids are too. Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I plan to always incorporate picture books. I remember a high school teacher of mine who would read one a month to us. All the kids would joke about it like we were children but we all secretly loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 All. the. time. I have 4th, 2nd, and K boys who are strong readers. We use picture books all the time for science, history, math, fine arts, literature...everything, really. I also use picture books for our literary analysis book club. There are so many excellent fiction and non-fiction picture books. We love them for quality writing, beautiful and creative artwork, and as great introductions to various stories, ideas, events, or people. We don't have time to read a chapter book on every single topic we study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicMom Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 My boys, ages 9 and almost-8 still LOVE picture books and I like to use them when it makes sense. Someone recommended a really neat set by an author named Maestro and they are about America. The pictures are SOO nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillehei Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 We have a few of my dad's old books, especially three from Holling C Holling, that are words on the left page and these beautiful full page illustrations on the right (and signed by the author!). We love them. He also had some cute history books and a book on magic tricks for kids. I love seeing the kids in their 50s clothes and styles and the gender differences (girls sew, boys woodwork). We like to talk about how things were different from today. I think illustrations in science and history are great, but for novels, I like to have my kids use their imagination. My daughter thought what she imagined in her head in the Hunger Games series was better than the movie :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 We love picture books! Good ones really are timeless. We started using "Using Picture Story Books to Teach Literary Devices" recently and I love that I can just pick a quality picture book and do a quick literary lesson in 15 or so minutes. (There are several volumes, newer ones being quite a bit more expensive. I bought older, used volumes for super-cheap. Some of the books are out-of-print, but I have found enough to make the older ones valuable.) We did a small study on Impressionist painters earlier this year and used almost entirely picture books. Katie Meets the Impressionist by Mayhew Marie in Fourth Position (about Degas) by Littlesugar Degas by Venezia Degas and the Dance by Rubin A Blue Butterfly (Monet) by LeTord The Magician of Color (Monet) by Prestel Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies by Kelley Renoir: Paintings that smile by Kelley Just to name a few... There really are so many wonderful art, science and history picture books out there. Oh, and poetry! Love picture books for poetry. Two picture books on Medieval history that we discovered and fell in love with this year: The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane by Millen The Duke and the Peasant by Beckett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Absolutely! DS1 just finished reading The Hobbit this week, and he still loves picture books too. In fact, all the books I get to read to his baby brothers, he usually grabs first and reads himself. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Yes, definitely! Both girls are excellent readers and I have tons of picture books for their book basket for 2nd and 4th grades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Yep. There are so many pro's to including them for me. - I have kids in pre-k. Since I include them in most of the core subjects, it provides a way for them to have adequate stimulation, enough to sit still, be quiet and listen to the story. It also allows for the younger ones to ask questions, based on the pictures, and gives them ideas that would elsewise go over there head. - There are a lot of good picture books, that if I just cut those out, I think I would miss out on some wonderful stories - We use the picture books to incorporate interest into other subjects, we may be reading a book for history, but then they will ask about the paint medium used for the pictures, or about how to re-create certain details. - It provides a "base" for interest. Many books have gotten my kids interested in certain subjects, enough for them to listen to chapter books, that have line or no drawings, and still be enthralled through the readings of said chapter books. - Sometimes brain down-time is needed. For my eldest, listening to chapter books (which stir up her imagination) can be tiring, a simple picture book, with nice illustrations, and a good story, can give her those few minutes of downtimes enough to be able to go on to struggle with her geography worksheets or LA afterwards ;) - Even as kids get older, learn to read, and can happily read chapter books on their own, they still like that little bit of closeness that mom reading a picture book provides. - Some picture books are short (and other can be surprisingly long) but I have seen quite a few good gems, especially in the history and geography departments, that even if my child was in 5-6th grade, I would probably still read. These books seem to give an insight to that culture and period of time that would be lost elsewise. - Some books, the illustrations by themselves tell the story and are really a true work of art. Some illustrators seem to vividly capture the culture, history, child's life, with such accuracy, you feel you could be transported through the book :) There are a lot of picture books that are underrated simply "because" they have pictures. You can't judge a book by its illustrations :lol: (yes, pathetic joke, *ahem*) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I use picture books ALL the time. I read them fairy tales/ saint stories/ fables in picture book editions. I read plain old good picture books. I've used picture books as my sole science curriculum for the past three years, although we're getting a textbook this year for chemistry. I use them extensively for history and had a two year US history course built around them. We are using SOTW now, but we still spend a LOT of time with picture books, both nonfiction history titles and historical fiction. I read picture books for math (Sir Cumference, How Much Is a Million?, Math Start). Can use them for writing lessons and discussion of literary elements. They rock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Don't let picture books fool you, good ones often have more complicated vocabulary and sentence structures because they assume parents will be reading them to children. The good ones also have wonderful art, which is worthwhile for our children as well. I agree, they really are timeless and are a great addition to curriclum. Who doesn't like to see a picture now and then, even as an adult? I remember as a third grader, realizing that longer chapter books often didn't have pictures, and I couldn't comprehend why anyone in their right mind would make a book without pictures! (LOL, I do understand as an adult...but I still appreciate great artwork or photography in a book!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 My oldest is in first and I plan to use picture books for quite awhile! Books like Akiak and Togo are great picture books for older kids. Also, we will continue to read our mythology, Bible, and world cultures picture books. I love that in Teaching the Classics, he says that you should even use picture books in high school because they are an easier way for a child to analyze a shorter story which can be translated into analyzing a longer story. I have been collecting lots of great picture books and plan to keep using them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 We love picture books!Good ones really are timeless. We started using "Using Picture Story Books to Teach Literary Devices" recently and I love that I can just pick a quality picture book and do a quick literary lesson in 15 or so minutes. (There are several volumes, newer ones being quite a bit more expensive. I bought older, used volumes for super-cheap. Some of the books are out-of-print, but I have found enough to make the older ones valuable.) We did a small study on Impressionist painters earlier this year and used almost entirely picture books. Katie Meets the Impressionist by Mayhew Marie in Fourth Position (about Degas) by Littlesugar Degas by Venezia Degas and the Dance by Rubin A Blue Butterfly (Monet) by LeTord The Magician of Color (Monet) by Prestel Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies by Kelley Renoir: Paintings that smile by Kelley Just to name a few... There really are so many wonderful art, science and history picture books out there. Oh, and poetry! Love picture books for poetry. Two picture books on Medieval history that we discovered and fell in love with this year: The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane by Millen The Duke and the Peasant by Beckett I have a lot of those art books too. I love them!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystie Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I think picture books are timeless. My 10yo & 8yo read quite well, but that doesn't mean they are beyond picture books. We have picture books that I read every year, and I find my 10yo curled up with her favorites when she's looking for nostalogic (sp?) reading. :iagree: Even though my 4th & 2nd grade readers are beyond them in terms of the skills of reading, they still slowly page through any picture book I get from the library, as well as ones we own. They'll also read them to the younger kids and sneak into the room to listen when I read to the younger set, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I use them for history and science. My dd loves to read them so I let her pick a few out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I love picture books, and so does Ariel. I think they are excellent for VSLs, since you can literally picture what you're reading about. I have picture books for math, art, music, science, history, literature, character training, literary devices... Whenever we go to the library or bookstore, DD heads straight for the picture book section. You can learn more than you originally expected from picture books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Are there elementary age homeschoolers who DON'T?!? I used to use picture books even when I taught middle school. Picture books can be beautiful. Many of them are very well-written - better than the independent read books for elementary school kids. They bring a snapshot of a topic or a little personal story about a place that illuminates a topic. They're a way into topics for older kids and they enrich almost any curriculum. I cannot imagine teaching without them - especially for history and science, though we love them for other subjects like math and for their own sake and stories as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegirlwhopaintedtrees Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 When I taught third and fourth graders in public and private schools, I always used picture books. Often, I used them to teach literary elements. I also often used picture books at the beginning of a math lesson to hook the students into being interested. They all loved it and you could actually see them lean forward in their seats awaiting the start of the book. There are great picture books set in the past that have great illustrations that can help VSLs (as a PP stated) visualize what it may have been like back then. Picture books are indispensable in teaching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Picture books are the way to go, especially when introducing a topic in science or history....it gets the mental juices flowing. If I begin with a picture book, it's easier win their interest in the topic. I learn from them, so I know the kids are too. :iagree: Absolutely! I would say picture book planning/reading/using are 10% of what we do. I always try to incorporate one in a lesson when I can. My dh is scheduled to be moved to a new (unknown, so far) location sometime this fall and, in all honesty, a big chunk of my worrying is due to wondering whether or not we will have access to a decent library. So much of what we do (picture books and much more) comes from our awesome library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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