Friday, April 29, 2011

Insect Lore Brings Nature Alive Inside Your Home!

There's no better way to teach science to preschoolers than to bring science to them - to allow them the hands on experience in learning! The Insect Lore products that I am most familiar with allow children (and adults) of all ages to watch and track the process of metamorphosis of a huge variety of species. Kids are mesmerized - I've been fortunate enough to use the Butterfly Pavilion with my Head Start 4s and 5s and they are absolutely amazed at watching the caterpillars transform to butterflies. Based on the success we've had with the butterfly pavilion (despite the slightly ickiness of preparing the larva, transferring the chrysalis and attempting to clean the blood after the butterflies emerge - gross, but manageable), I will definitely be purchasing some of the other kits available to use with the kids!

However, before we further explore the kits available, I do want to take the time to share two fabulous resources to use in collaboration with two of the Insect Lore kits! The following books are published by Lerner Publishing Group as part of the Animal Close-Ups series.

Dell'Oro, Suzanne Paul.
Let's Look at Earthworms.
August 2010.
Lerner Publishing Group.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.



Waxman, Laura Hamilton.
Let's Look at Monarch Butterflies.
August 2010.
Lerner Publishing Group.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Butterfly
Ladybug
Ants
Earthworms
Praying Mantis
Frogs
Fish
Shrimp
Hissing Cockroach
Millipedes
Pill Bugs
Silkworms
Mealworms

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Get Children Involved in Seasonal Sports!

Sports are a wonderful physical activity in which children of all ages can participate. Not only will children meet a new network of friends - outside of the school and family communities, they will also find an outlet for all that pent up energy they hold! Sports introduce and foster the idea of teamwork in children and help children build important social relation skills that will last a lifetime! Prior to helping your preschooler decide upon a sport in which they might like to participate, check out a this wonderful series of books that introduce children to four basic sports!

Herzog, Brad.
Little Baseball.

April 2010.

Sleeping Bear Press.

Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.


Brad Herzog's Little Baseball introduces the youngest (and older) children to baseball by introducing the basic terms (bat, baseball, pitcher, umpire, baseball glove, home plate, scoreboard, hot dog, baseball cap and bench). Simple rhyming riddles encourage children to become involved with the story using the process of prediction - a great method to engage children in the reading process! If this basic informational book doesn't excite children about baseball, chances are baseball isn't their sport! In that case, be sure to check out some of the other titles in the Little Sports series being released by Sleeping Bear Press!

Other Books in the Little Sports series:
Look for a t-ball or little league team that your child could join. You can find local leagues near you here. If you're not sure if your child is "feeling" the whole baseball thing, perhaps it might be more worth your while to pick up a wiffle ball set and try out the sport in a less structured environment to get your child's take on it! I've purchased a wiffle ball set (similar to this, with a big bat but no tee) for my preschoolers to use - we play both indoors and outside in our fenced in playground area. So far we've only practiced batting (a teacher pitches and the children take turns hitting 3 pitches at a time), as the children aren't quite ready for the "rules" of the game. However, the batting alone is a huge hit and the other children keep busy while awaiting their turn by being "catchers" and chasing after the ball when ends up being hit! They absolutely love this and I have yet to find a child too reluctant to try hitting (an adult is always available to help out and encourage participating by helping a child bat if they so desire)!

Find Local Sporting Leagues for:
If you're still thinking these aren't the right sport for your child, check out some of the following articles about ways to encourage physical activity in your child(ren).
Most importantly - keep in mind! If your child doesn't show an interest in "sports" - don't force the participation! Rather, force the idea of physical movement - find a way to engage your child in physical movement in a fashion that will catch their attention! Physical movement and exercise are very important - encourage your child to be a part of the decision making process about how they choose to engage in physical activity!




If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Scratch Art, Creatures of the Night and Poetry All Wrapped Up in One

This art-integrated literacy activity is appropriate for children of all ages when modified to need the needs of your students. At some point, children have likely had exposure to scratch art, an art experience in which children use scratch art paper (black coated sheets of paper) with a wood stick of some sort to create a picture revealing brilliant multicolors.

This paper can be purchased or homemade. Preschoolers love creating their own art supplies, so I would recommend this simple technique to create scratch art paper of your own and save some money!

Homemade Scratch Art Paper

Materials:
  • white cardstock or copy paper
  • crayons
  • black tempera paint
  • regular dish detergent
  • paint brush/sponge
Directions:
  1. Have your child(ren) color REALLY hard ALL OVER the paper provided - there should be no white showing and this should appear very waxy. This is a wonderful fine and gross motor activity (use of crayons and the force of coloring very hard)!
  2. Mix 2 tablespoons of paint with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of dish detergent (the amounts may need to be increased depending on the size paper you are working with and need to paint).
  3. Using the paint brush/sponge, have your child paint the entire page with the mixture.
  4. Allow to dry (at least one hour). This would be an ideal time to read some of the poems from Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night!
  5. After the paper is completely dry, start scratching away! You can use toothpicks or Popsicle sticks or purchase Wood Drawing Sticks.

Creatures of the Night Activity


Sidman, Joyce.
Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night.

September 2010.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.


Complete with 12 poems featuring the creatures of night, Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is a perfect read for children who are learning about animals that are active at night. While this poetry book is generally geared toward older children who can comprehend more abstract poetry, there is no reason that portions of it can't be shared with preschoolers as well! Bats Wrap Up, Crickets Speak and I Am a Baby Porcupette would all be great pieces to share that are somewhat simpler in nature.

Share these poems and discuss animals that are active at night. Can anyone give you other examples of animals that are active at night? Perhaps you might want to have Night Animals by Susan Meredith and Where Are the Night Animals? by Mary Ann Fraser on hand to refer to and share!

After reading the poems selections and discussing the different animals that are active at night, show children the illustrations that coincide with the poems that you read. How do the pictures look? Dark (to depict the night sky) with some color in the animals, etc. Explain that one way that you can get this effect is to use scratch paper - scratching away the black will leave some color, similar to the ways the animals are seen in the poem's illustration.

Allow the children to use their homemade scratch art paper to draw a picture of a "night animal." This could act as an assessment tool to check for comprehension from the reading and discussion you have had. Of course, you wouldn't necessarily want to "assess" their drawing, as preschoolers are still developing their visual and motor skills and being creative with their work! However, talking to them about their scratch art picture will help you to gain an understanding of what they took away from the night animals poems, stories and discussion!

Don't forget to send these printable take-home instructions on how to create the homemade scratch art paper as this is an activity that is very simple and cost-friendly for parents!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

She Loved Baseball

Learn about the Effa Manley, the first woman ever to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame!

Vernick, Audrey.
She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story.
October 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.


Based on a true story, Audrey Vernick shares with baseball fans across the world the truly inspiring story of a woman who refused to take no for an answer! Effa Manley grew up questioning authority from a very young age when she was banned from playing ball with her own siblings at school, due to differences in their skin color. That set Effa on the path to activism that instigated so much change for those involved in the Negro (baseball) Leagues.

This is a wonderful story to teach children about the appreciation of baseball for fans everywhere! The story itself is fun while also incredibly educational! Definitely a hit in my eyes!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Boy in the Garden

Introduce your child(ren) to the Japanese folktale, The Grateful Crane, using a unique story!

Say, Allen.
The Boy in the Garden.
October 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.


A little boy visiting a neighbor's house and garden suddenly becomes lost between the world of reality and dream, visiting the setting of a story his mother had once told him about The Grateful Crane.

This story is wonderful because it encourages the use of childrens' imagination and exploration! The book is definitely for older elementary children however, as the plot is at times confusing. However, for those with the ability to process the difference between reality and imagination, it's definitely appropriate!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

T is for Taj Mahal: An India Alphabet

A new release in the "Discover the World" series!

Bajaj, Varsha.
T is for Taj Mahal: An India Alphabet.
March 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.


From Aryans to Zero (India's gift to math), middle-age children will learn a great deal about Indian culture in this latest release in the "Discover the World" series. From the utmost basic information (larger text written within the illustrations) to the more detailed (descriptive text expanding upon the basic and written in a sidebar), the book can be used with children in a variety of ways! The book is ideal for third through fifth graders who are showing an interest in worldly cultures!

Learning/Reading Activities:
  • Check out the Teacher's Guide provided courtesy of Sleeping Bear Press... there are loads of wonderful activities found within!


If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Monday, April 18, 2011

13 Words

From the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events comes 13 Words.

Snicket, Lemony.
13 Words.
October 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.


Summary from bn.com:
Based on an unlucky number of key words and authored by someone who takes pleasure in unfortunate events, this volume conjures a sense of foreboding. "Word Number 1: Bird" introduces the central character, and the accompanying illustration pictures a royal-blue bird perched on a linen tablecloth, in a yellow-and-pink dining room that might have been painted by Matisse. The bird's eye droops sadly, whereupon readers turn to "Word Number 2: Despondent" and "Word Number 3: Cake," an item that might alleviate a bird's ennui, at least temporarily. Despite ominous beginnings, the proceedings turn upbeat with the arrival of a chic "Word Number 4: Dog," who concocts witty diversions for the gloomy bird. Kalman's eccentric gouaches elevate the wintry mood; the dog, with his sly grin, resembles Kalman's Max, particularly when he tries on hats at "Word Number 9: Haberdashery." Sprinkled with additional vocab words like "spiffy" and featuring surreal landscapes in ice-cream hues, this word-association game recalls Kalman's solo productions. The conclusion, however, belongs to Snicket, because "the bird, to tell you the truth, is still a little despondent."
-Publishers Weekly

I don't typically summarize from Barnes and Noble, but after reading this, I wasn't even quite sure how to write a summary of my own. In being honest in writing my reviews and to sum this one up - I just didn't get it... if anyone has any insights that might enlighten me, I'd love to hear them!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Friday, April 1, 2011

Yesterday was the start of baseball season!

Great new reads for the baseball lovers in your family!

Herzog, Brad.
I Spy with My Little Eye Baseball.
March 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.


Baseball lovers will find great amusement in spying out the differences in these photo pairs with slightly altered scenes! This book is wonderful for encouraging children to become observers. Perhaps they'll enjoy looking at the pictures and trying to discover the differences on their own... and if they do struggle, the lyrical text provides readers with clues to help them hone in on a general area of where to look! Children are sure to be engaged in this book that pulls them into the reading and has them searching throughout! And, coupled with the photographs on each page is details and facts that will intrigue little baseball fans!

Michelson, Richard.
Lipman Pike: America's First Home Run King.
February 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.


In 1845, baseball, the game that always had children hitting, throwing and catching balls, became more widely popular as the New York Knickerbockers Base Ball Club drew up the games first set of official rules. From there, the sport became more widely accepted and popular. Struggling to assimilate in a new country, Lipman Pike looked to baseball as his "grounding" - his way to fit in with the new American culture to which he was being introduced. With the support of his father, Lipman did what he felt necessary to fit in, and in doing so became somewhat of a legend in the world of baseball. This book tells his story in a way that will inspire children to strive to fulfill their dreams and not give up despite hardships they may face. Perhaps what I enjoyed the most about the book was the way in which the immigration experience was brought up and shared in a manner that children will easily connect to! Definitely a great story to share this baseball season.



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!