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Hi, my name is Presley and I am currently a sophomore Early Childhood Education major! We just talked about incorporating picture books in my science methods class so I had to read this blog post 'Finding New Ways to Use Picture Books in the Classroom', and I agree with everything she said! By starting a science lesson by reading your class a book that relates to the lesson, you are encouraging your students to use ELA skills all while teaching science at the same time! One of the things we have talked about in my class is the importance of cross-subject integration and I think adding picture books into your lessons is such an engaging and easy way to do that. 

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Hi Presley!

I am in my last year here at Wartburg College and I am looking forward to getting into the classroom full time. I love reading books to students, especially younger students who love to look at the pictures! I think a lot of the time we forget we can read books and stories in our science classes, but there are so many books which are helpful to elementary science teachers. I will keep picture books in mind when teaching science. Good post! 

Hey Presley!

This is my last year at Wartburg College and I start student teaching next fall. Ready picture books in the classroom helps keep the students engaged and it gives them more of an idea about what the story is about. I have noticed that younger students rely more on the pictures so they can comprehend what is going on. When they try to retell the story they look back on what they remember seeing to retell the story. As I start teaching my own classroom I am for sure going to keep using picture books as a fun way to learn! 

Hi Presley,

I have been teaching for several years, and I have to say there are so many great informational books out there now!! I have been able to make a nice library of science books for my kindergarten students. I have also noticed that my kids actually prefer to hear informational stories over fiction books. Using books that have great illustrations is a huge bonus! Before you read the story, you can take a picture walk and just discuss what is going on in the pictures. They can make predictions, ask and answer questions, and describe what they are seeing. It is also a great way to incorporate new vocabulary words and even tie in writing. 

Hey Presley,

I am a early childhood and special education major. Many of my classes have discussed the benefits of using picture books during lessons. There are so many ways to incorporate books into a lesson plan. We can try to predict what happens next, do a picture walk, and pre group disscussion on the book. And books on science are one of my favorites to read to my students. Science has so many topics you can research. In our class we have to incorporate a science and ELA lesson at once. We don't time to do a science only lesson so that cross subject intgration is a must for our class.

Hi! I am an early childhood education major in my junior year. I think it is very beneficial to use interdisciplinary ideas in lessons. Using the ideas of different subjects within a science lesson will allow students to enhance their skills and understanding in all subjects. Reading a picture book at the beginning of a science lesson will bring these elements into the lesson but also allow students to connect what they will be learning in that science lesson into a story or a real-life type of scenario for them to be able to understand and picture what they will be learning in a more clear way. 

Hey Presley! Good luck on finishing your coursework and beginning a new, exciting career! From my 20 years in the classroom, I have found that all students love to be read to regardless of their age. Cross-curricular activities are definitely more powerful, especially when it cvomes to science and socaial studies. As you will see, science and social studies are not heavily emphasized in elementary (especially K-2) as much as math and reading are. Finding ways to imcorporate science into your literacy block will be the way to go!

Hi Presley,

I am also a student studying Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I love your idea here: using picture books to support a science lesson. In my teaching science methods class, we made interdisciplinary lesson plans in which we focused on a science topic, but also included aspects from other subjects, just like you are talking about. Throughout my clinical hours, I have found that students of all ages love picture books, especially books that can reinforce what is being taught in a lesson. I also feel that using picture books can help to appeal to students with different learning styles, rather than just direct instruction. In my future classroom, I look forward to integrating many subjects together to ensure a diverse understanding of different topics! Thanks for sharing!

Best,

Chloe Lehrfeld

Hello,

I am a senior Elementary Education major. and I am currently in student teaching. I love how your Science methods class spoke on this topic. In this case, I use this same method when teaching. Before teaching a science lesson, I ask frequent questions to my students based on the title page and other pictures throughout the book. I believe that giving the students a sense of critical thinking skills, as used in their ELA classes. This helps students use their skills to sense what they may think the lesson will be about, and engage in their different learning styles. Thank you for sharing this information, and I hope everyone takes the initiative to use this learning style.