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    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
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just 1 book: author guest post–erica perl

home / Uncategorized / just 1 book: author guest post–erica perl
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I’m thrilled to share our first just 1 book feature, author guest post by Erica Perl!

And the icing on the cake is that Erica has offered to give away one signed copy of her book, Dotty, to a lucky teach mama reader. A signed copy! For one reader! Woo-hoo!

I’m over the moon excited to kick off the just 1 book post today with a post written by a woman I can now call my friend:

Erica Perl is an award-winning author and mother of two, who works for a ‘groudbreaking’ literacy-focused non-profit here in the DC area. Erica has won the Reuben Award and a writing fellowship from the Virginia Center of Creative Arts. She has presented numerous conferences and has conducted workshops for children and adults at libraries, schools, and bookstores around the country. She’s an all-around talented and totally cool person, in my humble opinion.

  • just 1 book: author guest post

About ‘Dotty’, by Erica Perl

At the risk of being labeled a shameless self-promoter (too late!), please allow me to submit ‘just one book’ that is near and dear to my heart for the simple reason that it is my own story. The book is DOTTY and it is my most recent picture book, illustrated by the wonderful Julia Denos. I am also the author of other books, including Chicken Butt!, which no three-to-six year old boy has yet been able to resist. The girls love it too, I hasten to add, but the boysโ€ฆ well, it is a whole other thing entirely. But I digress. This is supposed to be ‘just one book’ and that book is NOT you-know-what (Chicken Butt!). That book is: Dotty.

I wrote Dotty because I wanted to tell the story of a girl and her imaginary friend. I was that girl and I had a pair of imaginary friends. Their names were Sahti and Dahti and they were twins but they were not the same age (Iโ€™ll pause while you adults snicker, but kids know why this was perfectly plausible and appealing). I had them for a long time, and they were a great source of comfort to me. Later, I added one more imaginary friend โ€“ a sheep โ€“ though this time I kept her private because in the time that had passed, I had learned that such things were babyish. Ida, the girl whose imaginary friend is Dotty, finds herself in this very situation, where she wants to put aside childish things but finds sheโ€™s not entirely ready. Ida desperately wants Dotty to leave, like everybody elseโ€™s imaginary friends, but Dotty has no interest in being anywhere but where sheโ€™s always been: with Ida.

I often describe Dotty as a book about the enduring power of friendship โ€“ Idaโ€™s and Dottyโ€™s โ€“ and imagination, and I say that because there is another relationship at the heart of Dotty. Idaโ€™s teacher, Ms. Raymond, sees something of herself in Ida. And for this reason, she is able to share something about herself with Ida. Something that shows Ida that there is no rush to โ€œgrow upโ€ and that maybe, just maybe, growing up doesnโ€™t have to mean getting rid of your imagination and your sense of magic. I wanted to put this other kind of friendship โ€“ between teacher and student, or parent and child โ€“ in the book as a way of emphasizing how important I believe it is for adults to show children that their imaginations are alive and well. The fact that your blog embodies this spirit is one more reason I am thrilled to be hear, sharing Dotty with your readers… I know she will definitely be among friends here.

Thanks so much for inviting me over to share ‘just one book’. Please let New York friends I will be at Books of Wonder on Saturday, October 16th. I am a very interactive reader/presenter, so families with kids won’t be disappointed!

Best,

Erica

Thank you, Erica, for your kind words and for sharing your reason for writing Dotty. Having had an imaginary friend under this roof for quite some time, it’s nice to know how common it really is for kiddos!

Please check out Erica’s Events Page regularly to make sure you don’t miss her when she comes to your area, or feel free to contact her to request that she presents at your school or literacy event. Or just check out her blog because that way you can stay on top of everything Erica Perl-cool.

Do you want to win a signed copy of Dotty for your home library? For that favorite teacher or student in your life? Here’s how:

  • Leave a comment here (along with your email address) explaining why Dotty holds a special spot in your heart. (Has an imaginary friend spent time in your house? Has a teacher made a special connection with you or your kiddos?)

OR:

  • Visit Erica Perl’s site and share your favorite Erica Perl book.

For extra entries, you can do both. Just let me know! And please leave your email so I can contact you if you win.

Contest closes next Monday, 10/11/10 at midnight. Winner will be chosen by random.org.

Do you want to share a book that moved you? ‘Just 1 book’ guest writers are invited to share how one book moved him or her. Contact me ([email protected]) and I’ll give you the skinny on how you can share yours!

‘all it took was just 1 book’. . . to get you thinking, get you moving, get you arts-and-crafting, get you talking, get you writing, get you counting, get you traveling, get you thinking, get you cookin‘, dancin’ or dreamin‘.

Thanks for subscribing to teachmama! Have a good one!

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

Previous Post:new for us friday: national book festival gala
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Oh HEEEEEYYY, @luvvie โ€” did you see that @littletroublemaker made our hallway bulletin board? ๐Ÿ˜‰โ™ฅ๏ธ

(Itโ€™s what Rusty the ๐ŸฆŠ is currently reading.) 

Find it at your favorite bookstore or order here: https://amzn.to/3Pu3tWs

(This is my affiliate link, so when you use it, I will earn a small percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using my link and supporting my small business!)

#readingteacher #raiseareader #kidlit #bestbooks #linkinbio
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How can people with dyslexia learn to read? ๐Ÿค”

Here are the 3๏ธโƒฃ elements that reading instruction should contain in order to be most effective for students with dyslexiaโ€”

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #readingteacher #teachreading #dyslexiaawareness
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Lately when I find four leaf clovers, Iโ€™ve been leaving them. ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

So if youโ€™re in Maryland, and you happen upon a lonely, little 4-leafer with very little grass, weeds, or leaves around it, I donโ€™t know WHO tried to set you up for success.

#yougotthis #keepyoureyesopen #itsthelittlethings #kilpattyluck
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Okayโ€”how do we know if someone has dyslexia? 

Which professionas are able to make that important determination? 

โ–ถ๏ธ Watch to find out. 

Hit me with the questions you still have about dyslexiaโ€”and know we have a few more posts to go!

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #teachreading #readingteachersofig
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Watch to learn and find out!

#demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading #dyslexia
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True โœ… or false โŒ?

#demystifyingdyslexia #dyslexiaeducation #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading
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What do you know about dyslexia? 

What questions do you have about dyslexia? 

For the next few weeks leading up to my own start to the school year I am sharing a new series called โ€œDe-Mystifying Dyslexiaโ€ and I would love for you to join me! 

Follow in my stories or on the highlight above!

#dyslexia #teading  #readingteacher #raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia
View
Open
(Part 2) 

The series will be shared on IG stories, on tiktok, on the teachmama facebook page, and in the Take 5 newsletter. 

Look for the logo on social, and if you want to receive the whole thing via email, then sign up for Take5 on the link below. 

Iโ€™m really excited about this. Itโ€™s taken a long, long time to create, and the only thing I ask is that you, once viewing it all, could take 2 minutes to give me some feedback. There will be a google form on the last of the slides, at the end of the series. I thank you, I appreciate you, and I look forward to learning along with you.

Join the Take 5 list if you want this series to land in your inbox: 
https://take5.teachmama.com/

#raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher teachersofIG dyslexia teachreading
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Hi and thank you for your interest in watching my โ€˜de-mystifying dyslexiaโ€™ series. 

My name is Amy Mascott, and Iโ€™m a reading specialist and former high school English teacher. Iโ€™m also the creator of teachmama.com  where since 2008, Iโ€™ve helped families make meaningful connections with their kids and build bridges between home and school. 

As an educator, Iโ€™m always trying to share important informationโ€”bc I really think that when we know better, we do better. This series is part of my final project for a course Iโ€™m taking through Advancement Courses called โ€˜understanding dyslexiaโ€™. 

And as a reading teacher, I need to know all I can about this condition. What I realized is that I had a lot to learnโ€”maybe you, as a parent or teacher yourself, can also stand to learn a little bit. 

Maybe, like me, youโ€™ve grown up thinking that dyslexia was a condition where people read letters backwardsโ€”b for d or p for g? Maybe you thought, like I did, that if a person was dyslexic, they saw all of the letters jumbled together on the page? Iโ€™m here to tell you that both of those things are untrue. 

So if you would like to learn a little about dyslexiaโ€”if you would like for me to โ€˜de-mystify dyslexiaโ€™ for you, then follow along! 

(Continued on next VIDEO)

#readingteacher #teachersofIG #demystifyingdyslexia

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Oh HEEEEEYYY, @luvvie โ€” did you see that @littletroublemaker made our hallway bulletin board? ๐Ÿ˜‰โ™ฅ๏ธ

(Itโ€™s what Rusty the ๐ŸฆŠ is currently reading.) 

Find it at your favorite bookstore or order here: https://amzn.to/3Pu3tWs

(This is my affiliate link, so when you use it, I will earn a small percentage of the sale, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for using my link and supporting my small business!)

#readingteacher #raiseareader #kidlit #bestbooks #linkinbio
View
Open
How can people with dyslexia learn to read? ๐Ÿค”

Here are the 3๏ธโƒฃ elements that reading instruction should contain in order to be most effective for students with dyslexiaโ€”

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #readingteacher #teachreading #dyslexiaawareness
View
Open
Lately when I find four leaf clovers, Iโ€™ve been leaving them. ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ

So if youโ€™re in Maryland, and you happen upon a lonely, little 4-leafer with very little grass, weeds, or leaves around it, I donโ€™t know WHO tried to set you up for success.

#yougotthis #keepyoureyesopen #itsthelittlethings #kilpattyluck
View
Open
Okayโ€”how do we know if someone has dyslexia? 

Which professionas are able to make that important determination? 

โ–ถ๏ธ Watch to find out. 

Hit me with the questions you still have about dyslexiaโ€”and know we have a few more posts to go!

#demystifyingdyslexia #raiseareader #teachreading #readingteachersofig
View
Open
What are some of the common signs of dyslexia?

Watch to learn and find out!

#demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading #dyslexia
View
Open
True โœ… or false โŒ?

#demystifyingdyslexia #dyslexiaeducation #readingteacher #raiseareader #teachreading
View
Open
What do you know about dyslexia? 

What questions do you have about dyslexia? 

For the next few weeks leading up to my own start to the school year I am sharing a new series called โ€œDe-Mystifying Dyslexiaโ€ and I would love for you to join me! 

Follow in my stories or on the highlight above!

#dyslexia #teading  #readingteacher #raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia
View
Open
(Part 2) 

The series will be shared on IG stories, on tiktok, on the teachmama facebook page, and in the Take 5 newsletter. 

Look for the logo on social, and if you want to receive the whole thing via email, then sign up for Take5 on the link below. 

Iโ€™m really excited about this. Itโ€™s taken a long, long time to create, and the only thing I ask is that you, once viewing it all, could take 2 minutes to give me some feedback. There will be a google form on the last of the slides, at the end of the series. I thank you, I appreciate you, and I look forward to learning along with you.

Join the Take 5 list if you want this series to land in your inbox: 
https://take5.teachmama.com/

#raiseareader #demystifyingdyslexia #readingteacher teachersofIG dyslexia teachreading
View
Open
Hi and thank you for your interest in watching my โ€˜de-mystifying dyslexiaโ€™ series. 

My name is Amy Mascott, and Iโ€™m a reading specialist and former high school English teacher. Iโ€™m also the creator of teachmama.com  where since 2008, Iโ€™ve helped families make meaningful connections with their kids and build bridges between home and school. 

As an educator, Iโ€™m always trying to share important informationโ€”bc I really think that when we know better, we do better. This series is part of my final project for a course Iโ€™m taking through Advancement Courses called โ€˜understanding dyslexiaโ€™. 

And as a reading teacher, I need to know all I can about this condition. What I realized is that I had a lot to learnโ€”maybe you, as a parent or teacher yourself, can also stand to learn a little bit. 

Maybe, like me, youโ€™ve grown up thinking that dyslexia was a condition where people read letters backwardsโ€”b for d or p for g? Maybe you thought, like I did, that if a person was dyslexic, they saw all of the letters jumbled together on the page? Iโ€™m here to tell you that both of those things are untrue. 

So if you would like to learn a little about dyslexiaโ€”if you would like for me to โ€˜de-mystify dyslexiaโ€™ for you, then follow along! 

(Continued on next VIDEO)

#readingteacher #teachersofIG #demystifyingdyslexia

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