Curious George: Time for School

Help your little ones adjust to a "back-to-school" routine and prepare for the new school year while introducing the concept of "time."

Platt, Cynthia.
Curious George: Time for School.
July 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

As George heads off to his first visit to Kindergarten with friend, Allie, his day is described through the telling of time - sharing with readers each hour of his school day and the activities in which he participates. From packing his lunch at 7:00 until he heads for home at 2:00, nearly all parts of the typical school day are covered in this unique book that allows children to manipulate the clock and "work" their way through the day.

Perfect for discussing the typical school day with new Kindergarteners or to use as an introduction to exploring the concept of time, Curious George: Time for School is ideal for sharing at the beginning of a new school year!

Reading/Learning Activities:

• Help your child anticipate and work his/her way through the (sometimes difficult) first days of a new school year. Talk with his/her teacher ahead of time and to get an idea of what the classroom "schedule" will consist of. Write out the schedule on a piece of paper and glue some "clocks" - downloaded however many you need here and scale them down to the size of your liking. Include your child in writing the numbers on the clock and then, using the schedule you've gotten from the teacher, have your child use a pencil to draw the hour and minute hand on the clock to represent each time. At the end of the day, add something fun that your child can look forward to coming home from school!
• After several days of school have passed, work with your child to create their own version of Curious _______: Time for School. Using their schedule, create a book unique to their class. Work together to illustrate and draw the clocks, along with writing the text. Allow your child to surprise their "class" by returning with their book to keep in the classroom for the school year after their first weekend home from school!
  

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God Gave Us You

God Gave Us You helps to answer and appease young minds curious about the question, "Where did I come from?"

Bergren, Lisa Tawn.
God Gave Us You.
July 2011.
WaterBrook Press. (a division of Random House, Inc.)
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When a young polar bear, postponing bedtime, questions his mother about where he came from, she very simply, but appropriately answers his questions in a way that children can understand and accept. Just enough details are explained, yet parents will feel as though they've left out the "juicier" details that might leave them feeling uncomfortable in answering this inevitable question. The book is appropriate for children ages 3-7 and this new board book format will ensure stability for it to last for years to come as families relish in treasure of each being.


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How the Moon Regained Her Shape

Introduce child to phases of the moon with this unique tale!

Heller, Janet Ruth.
How the Moon Regained Her Shape.
February 2006.
Sylvan Dell Publishing

Insulted by the sun, the moon shrinks herself, hoping to disappear. However, with much help from those who truly appreciate what the moon does for them, the moon slowly regains self confidence, increasing back to her full size.

The story is sweetly written and would make for a wonderful introduction to teaching children about the phases of the moon. You could easily incorporate this into a unit on Native Americans as well, seeing as it is influenced by Native American folktales! This book could used in numerous ways at middle to upper-elementary grade levels.

Learning Reading Activities:

• In their summer journal, have your child respond to the following journal prompt - "Do you think the sun and the moon can think or feel things like humans?," as posed by Sylvan Dell Publishing's Teaching Activities (which also provides teachers/parents with other wonderful activities). Also encourage your child to explain the reason for the answer they choose.
  

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I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History's Strangest Cures

Discover strange "cures" for everyday maladies!

Beccia, Carlyn.
I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History's Strangest Cures.
October 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

On a near daily basis, people face coughs, colds, sore throats, wounds, stomachaches, fevers, and headaches. In I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History's Strangest Cures, cures are explored to see which actually "helps." For each malady, three strange cures are questioned and then explored further, with the results of either "yes," "no," or "maybe." The results are briefly explained.

Older children will find great delight in learning about the wild "cures" used with common every-day maladies. Being that the book is broken down into category, this makes for a fun, light-hearted read that can be read a few pages at a time without feeling the need to finish it all in one sitting (making it ideal for children who are antsy and less interested in reading for a great deal of time). The book is actually super fun and factual!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• In their summer journal, have your child make up a "strange cure." Allow them to choose a malady of their own, or provide them with one of the following - loose tooth, stubbed toe, bee sting, mosquito bite, or splinter. Encourage and praise their creativity - this is what instills a love of and creativity when writing!
  

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Tallulah's Tutu

Singer, Marilyn.
Tallulah's Tutu.
March 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Tallulah knows she can be the perfect ballerina... all she needs is a tutu (and according to Mom, a few lessons). Eagerly, Tallulah sets out to ballet class, anticipating receiving her tutu at the end of her first lesson, as all she needs to be the perfect ballerina is that tutu. However, Tallulah quickly faces disappointment as the tutu is handed out after that first lesson... or the second... or the third... When Tallulah has a meltdown after one lesson and learns that it takes a long time to earn the tutu, she decides to quit ballet. However, ballet is in her blood and as it turns out, not so easy to give up! Tallulah learns the important lesson that winners never quit and in being less concerned about having that tutu, Tallulah becomes even better at ballet and is surprised with her tutu in the end!

Definitely a wonderful book for dance/ballet lovers. The story will inspire young dancers to put for their best effort if they really love the sport and to worry less about their dance attire. The book is well written and will even allow young children to pick up a few dance moves, even without any prior knowledge of ballet!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Click on the link here and save the file. Print it full size on paper. Give it to your little one and break out the craft supplies, encouraging her to "design a tutu" that she'd like to have! Then, paste/tape it into her summer journal and have her use some descriptive language to describe the tutu and why she designed it as she did!
  

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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!

Guidecraft Nordic Rocker Giveaway Winner!!!

Congratulations to Yaya's Mommy, winner of the August Guidecraft Educators giveaway - Nordic Rocker! Yaya's Mommy was selected at random with the help of Random.org. I've sent you an email, but if you happen to see this post first, please email me: kateh12783@Hotmail.com with your shipping address by 11:59PM EST on Thursday, August 11, so I can pass it along to our Guidecraft contact so he can get the rocker on its way to you! If I do not hear from you by Thursday evening, a new winner will be selected by random.org.

Thank you all for entering the giveaway, and be sure to follow the blogs of all us "Guidecraft Educators" for more monthly reviews and giveaways.

Candace at Mamanista!
Maureen at Simply Stacie
Andrea at MommyPR
Deborah at Teach Preschool
Carrie from Huppie Mama
Jody from Mommy Moment

For those of you who didn't win, the Guidecraft Nordic Rocker can be purchased from Guidecraft.com or at Amazon.com.



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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!

Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems

Help big sisters celebrate the dilemmas of little sisters!

George, Kristine O'Connell.
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems.
February 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Big sister Jessica shares with readers, through poems, the dilemmas she faces on a daily basis in her life with little sister, Emma "Dilemma." The poems are sweet, honest and share the true feelings that sisters likely experience when trying to find their own identity with the tag-along little sister - relishing the feeling of being a role model and the guilt that can encompass one when a little sibling is hurt (even when it isn't really your fault).

The poems are simple to read and very easy to understand. Older sisters will relish having this book in their hands and being able to relate so closely to all of the emotions experienced by Jessica!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• In their summer journal, have your child(ren) write a poem about what being a sibling means to them. Be prepared! The poems might not be all that you were hoping to be, but remember to encourage your child's creativity and honesty in their writing!
  

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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!

Giveaway Update

The giveaway for Guidecraft's Nordic Rocker is open to Canada residents!!! If you're a Canadian and would like to enter, follow the link below!



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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!

Adventures at Walnut Grove: A Lesson about Teasing

Treat others as you would like to be treated!

Lehman, Dana.
Adventures at Walnut Grove: A Lesson about Teasing.
June 2007.
Lehman Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Young children learn the important lesson of "treat others as you would like to be treated" with the help of author Dana Lehman and her characters, Sammy, Bucky, Rocky and Pokey. A simple game of baseball become heartbreaking for Sammy as he is called names by one of the other players. However, Sammy holds his voice and does not retaliate, rather choosing to remember the lesson he was previously taught. However, later on, when Bucky, the name caller, is on the receiving end of the teasing, he suddenly has an awakening of how Sammy must have felt to be called raccoon eyes and learns that ever so important lesson for himself, opting to apologize for the pain he inflicted upon Sammy and the pair learns to become friends and vow never to call anyone names again.

The story is incredibly well written and would be appropriate with young children, as it is simple, yet allows children to really connect through the text. At the end of the book, Lehman poses the reader with a set of questions to use when sharing the story with children. These questions will help ensure that the most is taken away from the story! This is definitely a story I will try to incorporate in my Head Start classroom this year, as though the children are young and don't often understand the feelings they inflict with their words, there is certainly an abundance of name calling... perhaps this will help them to understand how they would feel, as well as how others on the receiving end feel when called a name.

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Have your child choose one of the topics below to journal about:
  * Pick a time you were teased or called a name. Describe that time and write about how that made you feel.
  * Create a poster that teaches the lesson "treat others as you wish to be treated."
  * What would you do if you saw someone being teased or called a name by another person?
  

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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!

Big Bouffant

Encourage the act of individuality and even turn the act of it "fun!"

Horsford, Kate.
Big Bouffant.
March 2011.
Lerner Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Annabelle is excited about the first day of school and has to withhold her under-enthusiasm when she walks into class to discover that the class is full of braids and pigtails. Longing to be different that the other girls, Annabelle twirls her way home desperate to find a new hairdo for the next day. After tirelessly trying to style a "big bouffant" just like her grandmother's, Annabelle finally gets it right and heads to bed, excited to show off her new hairdo. After a few days, everyone is begging for a bouffant style and Annabelle quickly tires of sharing a similar hairstyle, longing to be different once again.

The story is wonderful! The rhymes are almost sing-songy and seem to be sung to a certain tune (although which is beyond me) - if anyone can figure it out, please enlighten me! I was pleasantly surprised with the ending when Annabelle longed for uniqueness after sharing her hairstyle with classmates... it wasn't at all how I imagined she'd become unique once again, but it definitely worked and showed off Annabelle's creativity! This would be a great light-hearted read to share with your child(ren) before sending them off to a new year at school!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Spend some time helping your child experiment with a new hairdo before heading back to school. Encourage their individualism and allow your child to express his/herself! Deem it a crazy hair day and partake in the activity yourself - if nothing else, it will make for a great summertime memory!
• In their summer journal, have your child create a list of ways they could express their individuality. If you need help getting them started with the list, check out the ideas found here!
  

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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!

Fellow Guidecraft Educator Reviews

Check out the raving reviews of Guidecraft's Nordic Rocker, thanks to my fellow Guidecraft Educators!

Candace at Mamanista!
Maureen at Simply Stacie
Andrea at MommyPR
Deborah at Teach Preschool
Carrie from Huppie Mama
Jody from Mommy Moment

And... if you haven't yet, don't forget to sign up for a chance to win your own Nordic Rocker, courtesy of Guidecraft! Click below for details!

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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!

Nordic Rocker {A Guidecraft Educator Review & Giveaway}

For educators, August often marks the beginning of the "end" of summer, as it's time to start preparing for a new school year. For those of you who haven't yet read my bio, I'm the lead teacher in a 4-year old Head Start classroom in Upstate NY. I've been blogging about children's books for just over two years and have recently decided to expand my blog from children's literature to children's products and all things learning related! Along with this decision, I was presented with the opportunity to participate as a "Guidecraft Educator." Each month, the Guidecraft Educators will share our honest feelings about a Guidecraft product(s) and how these products would fare in an early childhood classroom.

Our feature product this month is the Nordic Rocker.

About the Nordic Rocker

The Nordic Rocker is a part of Guidecraft's Table & Chairs collection. There are several pieces of furniture in this collection, ranging from your basic rocker (Nordic Rocker) to a Kiddie Couch to a Jr. Roll Top Desk with Chair. The Nordic Rocker is currently available only with a red cushion, however, after putting the chair together, if you're at all handy with a sewing machine, it would be simple to make a different colored cover to suit your decoration needs!

As for the assembly of the rocker, I was a bit overwhelmed when I opened the packaging, wondering how I'd figure it out... However, I was pleasantly surprised! The frame consisted of 4 wooden pieces and one metal piece. There were 20 pieces of hardware and one Allyn wrench included for the assembly. The assembly instructions were incredibly easy to understand and I was able to have the rocker assembled in less than 15 minutes! Definitely doable for a busy teacher!

What Do We Think?

Unfortunately, for the month of August, the "we" has become an "I," as school is out for the summer and I have no 4-year old friends to share their thoughts and uses for the Nordic Rocker. The completed, assembled rocker seems extremely durable and will (hopefully, spare any mistreatment by my little friends) last for many years in my classroom. I have spent a large amount of time this summer "redoing" my Quiet Area (not pictured - that's my porch where the rocker has made its home for the summer) to make it a more welcoming area for children to enjoy during their "work time" - exploratory play. I really think this rocker will make for a welcome addition, although I am seriously considering attempting to sew a different colored cover to help it fit in with the Quiet Area's pond theme a bit more! At some point, if I could secure some funding for it on my wish list, it would be really nice to add to the collection one of the Kiddie Couches!

As the Nordic Rocker awaits arrival in its new home, the pooch has found it to be a rather ideal perch for squirrel watching and just hanging out on a cool day!

Find Out More

You can find the entire line of Kids Table and Chair sets that Guidecraft offers on their website. The Nordic Rocker is available for purchase at Amazon.com and also through the Guidecraft website.

The Giveaway

Guidecraft is generously offering ONE Nordic Rocker to a reader of the Guidecraft Educators blogs!!!!

Here’s How To Win:

MANDATORY first entry:

• Visit the Guidecraft Website, then come back and leave a comment here telling me which is your favorite product.

Optional additional entries (leave in a SEPARATE comment):

• Become a fan of Guidecraft on Facebook.
• "Like" Katie's {Little Ones} Learning Lounge on Facebook.
  
• Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway; @kateh12783 is giving away a Nordic Rocker from @guidecraft ~ http://katiesliteraturelounge.blogspot.com/2011/08/nordic-rocker-guidecraft-educator.html . Giveaway ends 8/8.
• Become a follower of Katie's {Little Ones} Learning Lounge, unless of course you already are. :) Just let me know!
• Blog about this giveaway and share the link here.

Giveaway Information:

• The give-away will be open until 11:59PM EST on Monday, August 8, 2011. The winner will be notified by Wednesday, August 10, 2011.
• Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry, winner will be chosen at random!
• Please leave a way for me to contact you in your entry otherwise another winner will be chosen.
• NOTE: This giveaway is offered to US and Canada residents only.

Want it NOW? If you can’t wait to win, the Nordic Rocker is available for purchase at Amazon.com and also through the Guidecraft website.

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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!