Write a commentNew Haven Elementary’s younger students heard all about the dog Mac in a series of books by author Tamara Cantarano during her recent visit to the school.
What the students didn’t know is the entertaining, interactive event also provided them with the most important tips toward achieving success with the fundamental skill of reading. As students heard stories such as “Mac ‘N Camping” and “Mac-N-Tosh,” Tamara encouraged correct pronunciation of words through decoding techniques, having a connection to characters with similar real-life circumstances and learning lessons such as acceptance of others no matter what.
The youngsters also got their wiggles out when the Cantarano and her husband, Joe, who played music, promoted song and dance which connected to experiences main character Mac had throughout each story. The author visit, made possible thanks to the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation’s Arts-in-Education program, also helped the students practice their listening, fine-motor, letter recognition and letter sound skills learned in the classroom.
The Cantaranos donated a set of the Mac books to the school library so students can follow his adventures throughout the 2017-2018 school year and beyond. The students also learned how to create their own paper book by folding a piece of paper in half a couple of times while maintaining a crease to serve as a book bind.
