My Favorite ESL Halloween Picture Book Read Aloud: "Shy Mama's Halloween" by Anne Broyle

Halloween is an exciting time for students, and as ESL teachers, we have the unique opportunity to use this holiday to enrich language skills and cultural awareness. One of my favorite tools for doing just that is picture book read-alouds, which provide a remarkable scaffold for ESL students, especially newcomers of all ages.

The Power of Picture Book Read-Alouds for ESL Students

1. ESL Visual Support:

One of the most significant advantages of picture books is their visual support. ESL students, especially newcomers, often struggle with understanding the context. Pictures in books help them connect words to visuals, making it easier to grasp the narrative. As Dr. Patricia F. Vadasy and Dr. George A. O'Conner found in their study "Picture Books and the Language Development of Young Bilinguals," these visual cues support language development and comprehension.

2. Contextual Learning:

ESL students, especially newcomers, often find themselves in a new culture, surrounded by unfamiliar traditions and practices. Picture books, like the one I'm about to introduce, offer a context for understanding cultural nuances and celebrations, making learning relatable.

3. ESL Vocabulary Enrichment:

Research by Elaine Surbeck and Kathy Harris in "The Power of Picture Books in Teaching Math and Science Vocabulary" highlights that picture books significantly enhance vocabulary learning. They introduce new words in context, allowing students to understand their meanings and usage.

Shy Mama's Halloween by Anne Broyles

In Shy Mama's Halloween, Anne Broyles beautifully captures the essence of Halloween and the immigrant experience. The story revolves around a Russian immigrant family's first encounter with Halloween in the United States. The main characters are Anya, Dasha, Dimitrii, and Irina, who all view Halloween with excitement and curiosity.

However, the heart of the story lies with Mama, who is both scared of Halloween and too shy to venture out onto the streets with her children. It's a story of transformation, courage, and the power of shared experiences. When her husband falls ill and can't take the children trick-or-treating, Mama is left with no choice but to join her children in this special celebration.

Guiding Instruction with Shy Mama's Halloween

I've found this book to be a treasure trove for guiding ESL instruction, particularly for newcomers. Here's how I use it in my classroom:

1. Making Predictions: We begin by predicting what Halloween might be like for the characters in the story. This not only encourages critical thinking but also helps students activate their prior knowledge.

2. Text-to-Self Connections: As the story progresses, we discuss how the characters' experiences relate to their own. This is a crucial step in making the story personal and fostering connections with the narrative.

3. Character Exploration: We dive into identifying the characters, exploring their emotions, and tracking the changes they undergo throughout the book. This not only builds comprehension but also helps students understand the complexity of human emotions.

4. Vocabulary Enrichment: The vivid illustrations in Shy Mama's Halloween provide an excellent opportunity to teach students some crucial vocabulary, especially Halloween-related terms. This contextual learning approach is highly effective.

5. Grammar: Shy Mama's Halloween presents an excellent opportunity to dive into the world of grammar. The story, narrated by the oldest child, Anne, is told in the past tense. This narrative choice offers a golden chance to either introduce the Past Simple tense to ESL students or revisit it with them. During my grammar workshops, I guide students through the concept of regular and irregular verbs in the Past Simple, and we embark on a thrilling hunt to discover them within the book's sentences. This practical application of grammar within a captivating story not only reinforces language skills but also makes grammar more accessible and engaging.

6. Assessing Comprehension Through Fun Activities: While reading, speaking, and engaging in discussions are crucial components of ESL instruction, assessment plays an equally vital role in understanding students' comprehension and progress. To achieve this, I incorporate a differentiated version of the "Color by Number Post Assessment" into our lessons.

This enjoyable activity not only enriches the learning experience but also helps me assess how much students have absorbed from the story. It provides a holistic view of their language development, comprehension of the narrative, and even their understanding of Halloween traditions. It's a win-win, where students enjoy learning about this American holiday tradition, and I can gauge the depth of their learning effectively.

By integrating these elements into ESL instruction using read aloud picture books such as Shy Mama's Halloween, we create a dynamic, engaging, and comprehensive learning experience for our students. The combination of language skills, cultural awareness, grammar exploration, and assessment ensures that ESL students, particularly newcomers, not only cherish the story but also thrive in their language development journey. Happy teaching, and may your students have a spooktacular Halloween reading experience!

If you would like a sample graphic organizer with a task description click on the image below.