A Book Just for Teachers!

For the last two months that the The Storm has been in the publication phase, I have been working steadily on a Study Guide to go with it. I have said more than a few times that I believe that fiction books have a lot to offer to classroom study. It offers an enhancement of the reading process, builds vocabulary and teaches the children about different genres of fiction; for example The Storm is a sample of a picture book with a circular text - it begins and ends the same way.

In The Storm, the main character, Oliver, is extremely interested in castles. This fact alone, can be a gateway for a new avenue of study. So, I did just that. I built a whole manual of Lesson Plans for use in the classroom to expand the learning found in The Storm. Not only that, castles invite the reader to explore more books about them and even branch off to study Myths such as Merlin, The Knights of the Round Table, etc.

My Study Guide of Lesson Plans for use with The Storm is a compendium of different avenues of study. Language Arts and Literature make up most of the lessons but also included are lessons in Science, Art, Physical Education and Spirituality. All are optional, of course. The children complete many activities including graphic organizers, wordsearch and crossword puzzles and even the making of a model castle with playdough, as Oliver did. It even has a sample letter to the parents about the unit of study and recipes of playdough to be made at home.

Teachers will be able to uses these plans with very little preparation before hand, maybe to gather adjunct books from the library about castles and novels to be read to the classroom before home time. It is perfect for home schooling parents, too. If a teacher needs some emergency plans in case of a sudden Leave of Absence, they are ready for a substitute teacher to use that first day. And it's all based on Canadian Curriculum!

This is what I do best, to create a wholistic environment of learning that will appeal to many modes of learning, visual or hands-on. If you are a teacher or know one who teaches in grades Kindergarten to 6, please consider this valuable resource. I'm almost done; it will be available by the end of June if all progresses well. I expect it will.

Kudos to my wonderful daughter, Meaghan, who is a graphic designer and web developer, who did up all the visual lessons for me. She's doing a superb job of making my Study Guide come to life. Thank you, dear one!