Resources working together - love when that happens!

MLK Jr. book from A-Z Reading

I've mentioned A-Z Reading in earlier posts (here, for example), but it's quite a good resource that it's worthy of another mention.  My class is currently reading Felipe Alou: Desde las valles a las montañas by TPRS Publishing, Inc.  It's the first time I've read this with my students and I am relying heavily on the Teacher's Guide, written by Kristy Placido.  One of my favorite things to find in a Teacher's Guide is additional readings in the TL on related topics and this teacher's guide delivers that.

Even better is when one resource (the Felipe Alou Teacher's Guide) relates well to another resource (A-Z Reading). 

Felipe Alou Teacher's Guide: Reading on Rosa Parks
A-Z Reading: Story on Martin Luther King. It mentions Rosa Parks and Martin's role in helping to organize the bus boicott after Rosa's arrest for not giving up her seat to a white male.

I highly recommend both resources.
1. Felipe Alou: A true story. Students improve their language skills WHILE learning about America's past in relation to segregation and the obstacles facing Felipe and others during this period in America's history.

book from A-Z Reading - great site

2. A-Z Reading: This resource has children's books in English, with a huge selection of those books also available in Spanish, and some available in French.  It has both fiction and non-fiction, (and we all know how important it is to include non-fiction in our teaching).  The yearly subscription is $95 (I think that is correct).  With that subscription you have access to HUNDREDS of books that you can project or download to make copies.  Imagine how quickly your class library can grow with this resource!

I am somewhat biased toward the Felipe Alou novel because the story begins in the Dominican Republic, a country that I've traveled to 3 times, and each time I go I find it a little bit harder to leave than the previous time.  The people of the Dominican Republic have huge hearts,  beautiful smiles, and a welcoming spirit.  I look forward to returning there some day.

Another interesting tidbit:  last week one of my students in the class that is reading Felipe Alou, came into class and told me that his baseball coach, the baseball coach at our high school, was coached by Felipe Alou when he (our coach) was a player in the minor leagues.  I verified that today from a good friend of his.  How cool is that - to be reading a book about Felipe Alou and find out your high school coach knew him at one point in time? Very cool.

My Pinterest board on Felipe Alou, the Dominican Republic, and schools/education in general, can be found HERE.