Today in Literacy:
This Afternoon we read the book “No David” by David Shannon
This is a very popular book with our students and this is why I wanted to read it aloud to our class. We read it on the document camera and LCD projector. As my mandate to the was looking and exploring different perspectives we felt we should read it from a different physical perspective. After explaining my intentions to others, Mrs. Karen Lynch suggested projecting the book on the ceiling. As per her recommendation, I projected the book on the ceiling and the students listened, read and were involved in the book while laying down. This new way of engaging with this text was to demonstrate to our class that we can read texts in many different ways and in different body positioning, even at school.
This picture book’s premise is that David is told repeatedly “No” throughout the book for things that he is doing….spilling water, reaching for a cookie jar, looking at a fish bowl etc. We shared stories where we might have gotten in trouble for something when we didn’t have a chance to explain ourselves, some examples were jumping on the bed, fighting with a sibling etc. The assumptions by the images in the book is that David is deliberately trying top create mischief. We discussed and dialogued what David was doing in the book.
Students said in response to the front page (see below) of the book that depicted David tipping over a fish bowl were that “he was knocking over the bowl on purpose”, “he’s mad”, “he’s trying to spill water” etc. Only one student stated that “maybe he just wants to look at the them (the fish) and put it back”. We briefly talked about who has the power in the story and a few students stated that the mom (main character) had all the power to make decisions.
Due to this last statement, We began to explore and give David “a voice” or provide an alternative perspective to the book. David doesn’t get a chance to speak and explain his intentions. So as a reader we left wondering what he was trying to do in each picture.
With the help of a colleague/ teacher, Maggie Smylie, we had students choose a picture from the book and record their voice explaining from the perspective from David and enter their text in the App “Book Creator”. Students discussed why they chose that particular image from the book. As we recorded their voice explaining what David really wanted. This in-directly gave David a voice to his own story. Thanks Maggie for all your help here.
We will are still in the process of the finished product, but I think all of you will love your child’s work, their thinking and how we can do things in new and interesting ways even with early learners.