AUTHOR STUDY by

MONICA BROWN

bvallerosa — 2024-07-03 23:52:14 UTC

Monica Brown is a Peruvian-American literature professor and writer who writes books for children to teach them about memorable characters in fact and fiction. Monica writes books about mixed race and multicultural families for children of all backgrounds. She has written books about Pablo Picasso, Fida Kahlo, Celia Cruz, and Cesar Chavez. In an interview Monica Brown stated, she enjoys writing books that introduce concepts of magical realism, social justice, and dreaming big to children. The books chosen are appropriate for second grade level because they are fiction and nonfiction books. The books contain illustrations and text that is appropriate for second graders. The books written by Monica support students’ visual literacy.

Answering Questions

bvallerosa — 2024-07-03 23:57:15 UTC

“Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos”

Right There Questions:

What did Frida’s husband make for her animals in the courtyard of the Casa Azul?

Think and Search Questions:

How many animals did Frida have?

Author and You:

How did Frida’s life change when she looked at the world with curious eyes?

On My Own:

Have you ever felt sick or sad before? If so, what makes you feel better?

Repeated Readings

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:02:41 UTC

The teacher models how to read the text and then has students reread the text. Repeated readings enhance student engagement because students practice reading the text. The students become familiar with the words they read, increasing their speed. The students reread the text or book more than once. Every time the student rereads the book the student’s speed and accuracy continue to increase.

BOOK: Frida and Her Animalitos

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:23:34 UTC

Tier One: colorful, bold, sad

Tier Two: mischievous, inspiration, spirited, reflection

Tier Three: easel, indigenous, heritage, microscope,

VIDEO REVIEW OF THE AUTHOR'S WORK

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:25:59 UTC

Using the app "Flip" students will record each other's reviews of the author's work. In the video students will read aloud a passage from the book. Students will first write their review of the book before they start recording. Reviewing an author's book helps support comprehension because students are able to understand the author's message by summarizing the main plot, key characters, and central theme of the story. Reading a passage from the book aloud supports fluency by practicing recognizing words and reading them accurately in a an appropriate speed. Students are able to expand their vocabulary by learning the meaning of the new words they are introduced in the book.

Robust Instruction

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:39:01 UTC

Sentence from book: Like her monkeys, Frida could be mischievous
Say the word and have students repeat the word: mischievous
Definition: Mischievous means bad behavior that is often playful but can be annoying
Example of mischievous: She could almost see the mischievous grin plastered on his face.

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:40:14 UTC

Graphic Organizers: Storyboard/Chain of Events

Describe Celia Cruz’s life by listing the events in chronological order.

Venn-Diagrams: Compare and Contrast Frida and Her Animalitos and My Name is Celia.

Partner Reading

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:40:53 UTC

Students take turns reading aloud to each other. This activity is beneficial for pairing fluent readers with less fluent readers. This activity supports less fluent readers by giving them the opportunity to listen to their partner pronounce words accurately, then practice pronouncing the words. Practicing taking turns reading will support students in increasing their accuracy and speed.

BOOKS BY MONICA BROWN

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:42:09 UTC

Chavela and the Magic Bubble
Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos
My Name is Celia: The life of Celia Cruz
Tito Puente, Mambo King

Text-to-Speech

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:51:23 UTC

Text-to-Speech supports students with comprehension by focusing on understanding the text while they listen to the reading. Students can use text-to-speech to practice reading their passage by following along the reading. This technology supports students who struggle with decoding a text. Text-to-Speech provides students with listening and speaking practice. Students can listen to the reading and hear how the words are pronounced. Text-to-Speech supports students in working independently and is used for repeated readings. This technology is beneficial for students who have a reading disability or students learning English.

Grade-Level Cross-Curricular Content

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:52:43 UTC

Social Studies, Life-Sciences, and Music

Differentiating

bvallerosa — 2024-07-04 00:55:53 UTC

The speed of the text-to-speech can be control and set at a level that is appropriate for the student.
Using highlighters can help students keep track of their understanding.
Students are given the option to create a drawing about review and explain the drawing in their video.
Gifted students will be assign a book that is challenging for them.
Early finishers are given the option to create a second book review.