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In this six week, book-making unit study your children will study authors and illustrators
while creating their own books. These books will become lifetime treasures! You
will use this book again and again. Many subject areas are covered.
W E E K - O N E
PRE-WRITING ACTIVITIES
In this chapter you will:
2- Complete Copying And/Or Dictation Exercises
3- Lead The Older Children In More Advanced Activities 1- Selecting And Reading Library Books With Your Children (Sample) During the first week, your children will be reading and observing a number of books. I suggest you visit your local library and select about twenty to twenty-five books that are very different from each other in subject and style. It is also advised that you read a biography or two about one of the authors whose books you have chosen to read during the course of this study. Read some of the library books you have selected with your children. Allow them to read some on their own, and have them read some aloud to you. By performing these simple activities, your children will be utilizing listening comprehension, silent reading, and oral reading skills.
2- Completing Copying And/Or Dictation Exercises (Sample) Throughout the week have your children do copying or dictation exercises, of appropriate length, from passages excerpted from some books you are reading. Choose passages that: contain dialogue; physically describe a character; reveal the true personality of character; create a visual image with words; depict advancement in time; demonstrate what a character is thinking about as expressed by the narrator; display the atmosphere of the story; introduce a conflict, problem, or mystery; offer additional details concerning the conflict, problem, or mystery; express how the conflict, problem, or mystery is resolved; and in some instances indicate historical period. 3- Leading The Older Children In More Advanced Activities (Sample) Have the capable children rewrite a passage they have copied or taken from dictation the day before. Instruct them in using a thesaurus to locate alternative words. As they write their own stories they will find that good thesaurus is a beneficial tool, especially for the editing process, as they seek to find words that are more colorful and to eliminate words that they overuse. 
4-30-02
If there has been one unit study that has had a lasting impact in our writing and
language arts skills, I would say it has been Valerie Bendt’s unit study book called
CREATING BOOKS WITH CHILDREN. – Amy Ringger
Eli’s Book – The Roaming Cat
Gideon’s Book – Pumpkin Patch Surprise
Jasmine’s Book – Little Brother Follows Me
Serenity’s Book – Girl Cat Wanted
The Old Schoolhouse MagazineReviews: http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/ Creating Books with Children Creating Books with Children, by Valerie Bendt, is a six week book- making unit study that will get the whole family involved! Week One covers Pre-Writing Activities such as selecting books, reading books aloud together, and completing copy or dictation exercises. Week Two dives into writing stories, how to decide what you want to write about, assisting our children develop their stories, having children dictate their stories, penmanship and rough drafts. Week Three covers text layout and editing. This is so much fun, making a mock up book, and laying it all out. Week Four covers illustrating your book! This week you study observing other's illustrations, drawing techniques, tracing, borders, making picture books, and more! Week Five is developing the beginning and ending pages and book jackets. Valerie gives a wealth of suggestions for books you can easily locate in the public library, to assist in our book making. Calligraphy, illustrating, writing, sketching, and more! Week Six focuses on assembling our books. Making the book covers, putting sketch pad pages together and sewing the pages together, wrapping them in their custom designed jackets and even ideas for 'commemorating' the books. Valerie has put together a wonderful resource on book making, which is a favorite at our house. It has encouraged writing, illustrating, story telling, and I can't peel my seven year old away from the books she's working on! Valerie makes learning so much FUN, together! -Product Review by: Lisa Barthuly & Family, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Dear Valerie,
Valerie, 
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Creating Books with Children 2-Disc DVD Set
