After the recent event of Hurricane Florence, I began to ponder the use of real life events in a preschool classroom. Many children feel the stress and the fear from their parents without understanding what is going on. A classroom environment is a safe and reassuring place to discuss frightening topics, such as natural disasters, to help a child understand the world around them. Discussing natural disasters is a great way to teach children science and to encourage children to lend a helping-hand, build compassion.
Title: If You Were a Kid Surviving a Hurricane
Author: Josh Gregory
Publisher: Children’s Pr.
Copyright: 2017
Age range: 5-9
Lexile reading level: 660
If You Were a Kid Surviving a Hurricane by Josh Gregory is a fascinating non-fiction book about two children who have survived a hurricane. What would you do if a hurricane was coming toward your house? While the story of the children is fictional, the details and information boxes concerning the science of a hurricane, how scientist track it, and what people do to prepare for a hurricane are highly research. Children will find the cartoon style of illustrations captivating without being scary.
Gregory uses a table of contents, maps, vocabulary list, an index, and an author note as tools to promote accuracy. Even within the description of the book, Gregory warns that this title is partly fiction, in regards to the characters that carry the story. This is important to understand and explain to children before using the book as a read aloud or as an informational book. However, this tale would make an excellent read aloud or an introductory material to the topic of hurricane. The story of the two friends makes the information and facts relevant to the children so that they might understand topics that are typically beyond a fiver year olds grasp of understanding.
Children will learn several vocabulary words in regards to hurricanes. To assist in the learning of these words, Gregory has made the word stand out by using a red font instead of black. He also uses informational boxes to describe a scientific viewpoint or fact on hurricanes. This enables children to learn from a visual and contextual standpoint.
Three titles that would be interesting and helpful companions to If You Were a Kid Surviving a Hurricane are Hurricanes! by Gail Gibbons, The Magic School Bus: Inside a Hurricane by Joanna Cole, and Extreme Weather: Surviving Tornadoes, Sandstorms, Hailstorms, Blizzards, Hurricanes, and More! (National Geographic Kids) by Thomas M. Kostigen. These three titles are all non-fiction books, however they are each different in nature. The Magic School Bus is a narrative about hurricanes and how they are made, similar to Gregory’s book. Extreme Weather on the other hand utilizes gripping photographic wonder to discuss extreme weather patterns, explaining how and why it happens in a way that a child will comprehend.
Not only is it important for children to learn about the environment around them, but also the entire world. In every country around the world weather and events effect children. Children can learn from their own experiences and then assist or empathize with others. It starts with a small community then can grow and spread. It is up to teachers and parents to teach children the importance of compassion, empathy, and action. The world can be a better place if everyone works together and cares for each other. Empathy and compassion are valuable lessons to be learned and every preschooler has had to learn how to share.
Taking it one step further, Reading Rockets has an article that is an excellent resource that discusses the importance of books on natural disasters in regards to children. It focuses on teaching children empathy through children’s books. This resource also includes book lists and websites.
PBS Kids also has a wonderful children’s website page that encourages children to become part of their community and zoom into action. It includes games, activities, printables, and much more.
National Geographic Kids website is another fun resource. Kids will encourage the images and science in any world topic they can think of.
