A teacher reads to a group of children using dialogic reading practices. (running time: 4 min. 14 sec.)
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Teacher:
Alright this is Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman. Who do you think this is on the front?
Child:
Grandpa!
Teacher:
Grandpa. [laughs] And a little boy. Let’s see. The little boy whose name was Joseph. “When Joseph was a baby, his grandfather made him a wonderful blanket.”
Child:
It’s broken.
Teacher:
Not yet, remember it’s brand new. He just made it. “One day, his mother said to him, Joseph look at your blanket, it’s frazzled, it’s worn, it’s unsightly, it’s torn. It’s time to…” Children: Throw it away. No!
Teacher:
No! Do you think he wants to throw his blanket away? Children: No.
Teacher:
No. But his mom said “It’s frazzled” which means the edges might be a little frizzy. “It’s worn” which means parts of it are almost worn out and “it’s torn” so oh no, she wants to throw it away. But not Joseph.
Child:
Torn means it’s like ripped.
Teacher:
It’s ripped. Mmmhmm. Children: [all talking at once, unclear]
Teacher:
Who can fix it? “Grandpa can fix it, Joseph said.” ‘There’s just enough material here to make…”? Children: [all talking]
Teacher:
Oh let’s see do you remember what’s next? Children: Tie!
Teacher:
Oh you think the tie is next? Let’s see. “A wonderful jacket” which is another name for a coat. “There’s just enough material here to make a…” Children: Vest!
Teacher:
Yes. And a vest is like a little jacket without sleeves on it. “Hmm he said, and his scissors went…” Children: snip snap snip snap
Teacher:
And his needle went… Children: In and out, in and out, in and out
Teacher:
Yeah. “There’s just enough material here to make…” Children: Tie!
Teacher:
You think a tie is next? “A wonderful tie” that goes around his what?
Child:
Neck.
Teacher:
His neck.
Child:
It’s like a scarf.
Teacher:
It’s kind of like a scarf.
Child:
He’s swimming with his clothes on.
Teacher:
He is swimming with his clothes on. I think they’re doing, what are they doing, Luke? They’re doing laundry, that’s right. “There’s just enough material here to make…” Children: A handkerchief.
Teacher:
“A wonderful handkerchief” Does anybody remember what a handkerchief is?
Child:
You blow your nose in it.
Child:
Clean it.
Teacher:
And then you have to what?
Teacher:
Wash it, right. It’s kind of like a Kleenex you don’t throw away. But Joseph uses his to keep his pebble collection safe. “But as Joseph grew older, his handkerchief grew older too.”
Child:
Wonderful.
Teacher:
His wonderful handkerchief, thank you Zoe. “One day his mother said, Joseph, look at your handkerchief, it’s been used till it’s tattered, it’s splotched and it’s splattered, it’s time to…” Teacher and children: “Throw it out!”
Child:
No way!
Teacher:
No way. That’s right.
Child:
No!
Teacher:
I think she’s had enough. Look. See these big words mean she’s getting loud, she’s like “Ugh, throw it out!” So even though he had no material left,
Child:
Only he makes something from nothing.
Teacher:
He made something from nothing, didn’t he? He made a story.
Child:
Look at the mouse!
Teacher:
Looks like the mice are wearing jackets, the same material, aren’t they?
Child:
Yeah.
Teacher:
Alright.
Child:
I think the mice got it.
Teacher:
You think the mice took his material? So he did, he made something from nothing. He wrote a story.
Child:
Yeah, the mice did it.
Teacher:
Yeah. You think the mice took his stuff? I think you’re probably right.