Katie's {Little Ones} Learning Lounge

Guidecraft's Balance Base & Multi Match Sensory Discs: Review & Giveaway Link

2012-01-03T21:10:00.008-05:00

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. This month's selection include the Multi Match Sensory Discs and a Balance Base from Guidecraft's Gross Motor/Sensory line! These two products in particular are wonderful for use indoors, as they are safe and entertaining on those indoor-rainy days.

Why is gross motor development and sensory experience so important for preschoolers?

Gross motor skill development is essential with preschoolers, as the development of these skills helps to foster the development of the fine motor skills which are so essential to the success during school years. Providing children with a variety of activities to develop these skills helps them to find an interest and desire to explore the use of these muscles.

Sensory activities are especially important in preschool settings because children learn through hands-on activities in which they can explore using their senses - sight, touch, taste, hearing, smelling. When there is a tactile object available for children to explore, they are more likely to make a connection with and eventually utilize the information learned.

Guidecraft offers a wide variety of products that focus on both of these developmental areas, assuring ample opportunity to explore and enhance such skills.

Guidecraft's Balance Base

Made of sturdy wood, this balance base provides children with the opportunity to enhance gross motor skills in two different ways. One side of the balance base provides a "step" of sorts, that allows children with less gross motor balance to place their feet and feel as though they are balancing. The other side of the base is smooth finished wood (a bit more of a challenge for children, as they have to strategically place their feet on the base without slipping to create a balance.

I pulled this out of the closet on a day when the children appeared particularly antsy - needing some different and new to explore during "large motor time." Along with it, I also pulled out an older balance base that we had from a different supplier. The second had a lever of sorts in the middle, not the gradual curve like Guidecraft's. The children were eager to try out the Guidecraft model and many tested out both sides (enjoying the smooth curved side more than the side with the "step"). They were more hesitant to try out the other model of balance base, as it looked "harder" from my demonstration of how to use them.

The use of the balance bases was definitely much loved. The children really enjoyed trying out the two different models. I was thoroughly impressed with their ability to use the bases (some did require a bit of hand holding to feel at ease, even with the Guidecraft model) and eagerness to attempt their use, even though some did struggle. This activity will definitely help foster a development of gross motor skills!

Multi Match Sensory Discs

These tactile discs can be used in a variety of different ways - matching colors, shapes and/or numbers (cognitive activities), tossing (gross motor), and sensory exploration. The bright colors are definitely eye-catching and interesting to children. On the particular day that I pulled these out to explore with them, the children in my UPK class were in need of some number recognition practice and the discs seemed to provide exactly what I was looking for. Each child was given one of the small round discs that contained a number and the corresponding number word. The larger discs, containing the sensory shapes were placed in the center of the carpet. Children took turns and were asked to name the number on the disc they were holding (many needed help and other children were eager to help them out in naming the number) and then place it on the larger disc that showed that many objects. This was done several times, giving the children different number discs each time and despite what may seem like a simple task, the children were really challenged by this but not to the extent of not being able to enjoy the activity. Overall, it was one of the activities that has kept their attention for quite some time (the game went on for over a half an hour)! It's definitely something to break out of the closet every once in a while and for different purposes!

Both of these activities were greatly enjoyed and would be a welcome addition to early childhood classrooms!

What do other 'Guidecraft Educators' have to say about these gross motor/sensory activities?

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

For a chance to win a set of ALL 3 of these wonderful blocks sets, visit:
Candace at Mamanista!,
the host of the January Guidecraft Educators giveaway!

Or... if you just can't wait or really want to get your hands on this wonderful line of products, they can be purchased online at either Amazon.com or on Guidecraft's Website!

Balance Base - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Multi Match Sensory Discs - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website

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!

New Year... New Look

2012-01-02T01:50:00.003-05:00

The start of 2012 means a blog layout update is in order! Rather than heading off to one of the many wonderful blog template makers, I decided I'd give it a go at creating my own layout! I must say, I think it turned out pretty good for a first timer!

As many of you probably notice (and noticed back in the fall), the name of my blog has been slightly altered. It is now Katie's {Little Ones} Learning Lounge, as opposed to just Katie's Literature Lounge. This change was deemed necessary by me, as I am now reviewing products to use with early childhood education as well as the books like always! It is also my intent to share some of the activities that I use with my Head Start/UPK group with all of my readers, so you have that to look forward to in 2012.

Hope the new year brings everyone the best and I look forward to continue hearing from all of my avid readers/followers!

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!

Celebrate/Recognize Hanukkah

2011-12-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

Christmas isn't the only holiday currently being celebrated... the celebration of Hanukkah began on December 20 - share the celebration with your children!

Howland, Naomi.
Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat: A Chanukah Story (It's a Book! It's a Card!).
October 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Children will learn the very basics about the Hanukkah celebration in this Send a Story, Share a Story. The story is of interesting nature and will likely capture the attention of children easily and the note provided at the back of the book allows children to gain a better understanding of the celebration of lights and the symbols representative of it - the latkes, the dreidel and the menorah.

This book is a wonderful, inexpensive way to help children understand that different cultures celebrate different ways than their own and can help them gain an appreciation for these cultural differences.

Cohen, Deborah Bodin.
Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap.
September 2011.
Lerner Publishing Group.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Another wonderful Hanukkah story is shared with children here. Each of the symbols discussed above is also referenced in this book, in more detail than in Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat. There are also additional symbols mentioned. Being that the book is a bit more detailed, it would likely be most appropriate for older children (ages 8-12), or younger, if children are showing an interest!

Reading Activity:

Spend a day during your child's holiday break learning about the festival of lights (Hanukkah). There are crafts, recipes and activities that can be explored to gain an understanding of this cultural celebration!

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!

Day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas:The Snowman's Revenge

2011-12-20T21:16:00.004-05:00

Another great choice for a winter break read... at least if you have snow in your area and could have some snowman fun!

Smythe, Mark.
The Snowman's Revenge.
May 2009.
Mark Smythe.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

A snow day leads the children of the family to head outside and brave the elements. Once outdoors, they quickly set to work building a snowman. But, as the frigid weather reaches their bones, the children head inside out of the storm to warm up with Mom's hot chocolate and then some playing with toys. As the snowman watches from outside in the storm, he becomes angry and seeks revenge. Determined to scare the children, the snowman sneaks into the house to make a drastic discovery and quickly hides in the freezer. As the night goes on, his determination to scare the children builds and sets forth from the freezer to doing some scaring. Again, he notices that drastic discovery, and before long, all that's left of the snowman is his hat, scarf and jacket. When the children find that laying in the hallway in the middle of the night or come morning, they're sure to be a bit startled!

This book is great for a variety of age ranges - the youngest of children (~3's) would be able to possibly make the connection that the snowman is melting because he's indoors where it is too warm for snow to stay snow. Older children will enjoy the humor provided throughout the story. All around, I'd say it's a hit!

Reading Activity:

With younger children (those that I'd work with), experiment with snow. Bring some in the house and leave it on the counter. Put some on in the refrigerator. Put some on the stove and turn a burner on low. Watch what happens. Discuss with your child what is happening and the reasons for that observation.

Day 11 of the 12 Days of Christmas: Martha Speaks: A Winter's Tail

2011-12-19T22:19:00.004-05:00

Winter's here... embrace it!

Barss, Karen.
Martha Speaks: A Winter's Tail
October 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Skits, Martha's much-loved dog heads out for a winter adventure with Martha and her friends. While out being active during the wintertime, the group decides to play a game of hockey on a local lake. Despite the safety prep talk, Skits heads to close to the stream and the thin ice, facing danger as the ice begins to crack beneath him. Even though he is rescued, Skits is now fearful of hockey pucks, as the hockey puck is what ultimately led him towards the thin ice and danger. The fear of hockey pucks leads the family to an interesting discovery - a resourceful way to keep Skits away from the garbage can!

As the long winter months approach, it's going to be difficult to keep kids busy and active! This book provides just one suggestion of an activity that will get out some energy. Hockey (or even just skating) is very active and a great way to burn some energy. It also provides children with a way to use motor skills in a variety of different ways - always a plus!

Giving this book as a gift this holiday season will hopefully spark an interest in outdoor winter activities! The familiar character will likely inspire children to quick the book up faster than they might another, as "series" seem to be quite popular these days with children!

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!

Days 8, 9, and 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas: Books for Children of ALL Ages

2011-12-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

Looking for a Christmas book for a young child? Middle reader? Older readers who may question their belief? There's choices for all here!

Dunrea, Olivier.
Merry Christmas, Ollie!
September 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Ollie is very excited about Christmas and the impending visit from Father Christmas Goose... excited and impatient, just as young children are, awaiting their visit from Santa Claus. The excitement and enthusiasm displayed by young children is mimicked in Merry Christmas, Ollie!, making it an appropriate read while counting down the days until Christmas! The story is short and sweet, so even the youngest of children can appreciate the tale!

Reading Activity:

Create a countdown calendar with your child to help them visualize and comprehend how many days are left until Santa visits.

Primavera, Elise.
Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas.
September 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Auntie Claus is back! In this sequel to the original Auntie Claus, a growing older young boy is beginning to have doubts about the existence of Santa Claus. Even though it is revealed to him by his older sister that their great-aunt is Auntie Claus is Santa's sister, Chris puts himself up to a little mischief to get on the bad boys and girls list to test the revelation. However, his aunt is out to prove to Chris about Santa and hands him the magical key, which ultimately helps Chris to really believe, by allowing him to see for himself all there is to the "family business."

This book is perfect for children who are just beginning to "question." It might allow you the chance to relish a couple more years out of their beliefs!

Moss, Kelly.
The Santa Club.
July 2011.
Palmary Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

There comes a time when children begin to ask two questions that can potentially make or break Christmas for them and their loved ones - Is there a Santa? or Is Santa real? When your child poses this question to you, especially if there are other children in the household who are still firm believers, this can be a difficult topic to handle delicately. The Santa Club is a perfect gift and discussion starter to help children understand what Christmas is really all about and to help them embrace it. The book is wonderful and a perfect way to help your child continue to enjoy the Christmas 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!

Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas: The Christmas Tree Ship

2011-12-15T21:47:00.003-05:00

Share with children a story of selfless giving this holiday season.

Crane, Carol.
The Christmas Tree Ship.
September 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy courtesy of publisher.

Based on newspaper accounts and other sources, Carol Crane tells the story of one man's ultimate sacrifice to provide the children of Chicago with Christmas trees.

"Captain Santa" has made it his mission to deliver Christmas trees from Michigan's upper peninsula to Chicago to provide the less fortunate children with a form of Christmas. This has been a tradition for years. When suddenly, one year, the ship is overcome by a winter storm and Captain Santa and his trees perish, it is worrisome that Chicago's children will suffer the misfortune of no trees. However, realizing the importance of giving, Captain Santa's wife and daughters decide to carry on the tradition.

This is definitely a heart-wrenching story but well-worthy of sharing this holiday season. It's not your typical Christmas-y story, which makes it all the more special, as the deeper meaning will really encourage older children to take a new look at the true meaning of Christmas!

Reading Activity:

As a family, after reading and discussing the story, think of something (however small) that you could do for a family or child less fortunate that your own.

Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas: Where, Oh Where, Is Santa Claus?

2011-12-14T22:49:00.005-05:00

Where is Santa Claus?!?!

Wheeler, Lisa.
Where, Oh Where, Is Santa Claus?
September 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

In a humorous, rhyming hunt, children are on the search to find out where Santa has disappeared to. With the help of a variety of polar animals and footprints Santa is eventually found and sent on his way... AWAY to make sure Christmas goes on!

This is a simple, short read, perfect for a pre-Christmas bedtime story! Children will love the sing-song nature of the story. This would also be an ideal time to help younger readers form an understanding of rhyming words, as the book is full of them! Definitely a great story to check out this holiday season!

Reading Activity:

Create a Santa treasure hunt of your own. Write up some rhyming clues and send your child(ren) on a scavenger hunt! Perhaps the reward at the end could be a new book or a chocolate Santa!

Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas: Curious George: Curious About Christmas

2011-12-13T22:54:00.002-05:00

Expose the youngest of children to symbols of Christmas with this touch-and-feel book.

Pala, Anjali.
Curious George: Curious About Christmas.
September 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The real importance of Christmas is referred to at the end of this Curious George tale, exposing children to the true meaning of Christmas from a very young age. The story also exposes children to traditional symbols of Christmas - stars, stockings, ribbons, reindeer, snow, Santa's beard... and of course, Curious George's present - a sled.

The touch-and-feel aspect of this story allows children to become engaged in the story in a sensory way, allowing them the opportunity to really make a connection between the text and their prior knowledge of Christmas symbols. Definitely a book to pass along to the little ones in your life this Christmas season.

Reading Activity:

Help your child to really make a connection to the objects explored in this book. Set out to "experience" all of the textures in the book - visit a petting zoo to touch a reindeer, check out the stockings for sale in your local Walmart (or similar), make cookies together, play in the snow, go sledding, check out Santa's beard @ your local Santa display and feel and discuss the textures of the ornaments on your Christmas tree. Make this a linguistic experience for your child - use lots of descriptive vocabulary in your explorations to help build your child's language development!

Day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas: A Christmas Spider's Miracle

2011-12-10T22:15:00.001-05:00

A peasant, a spider and a year's worth of good fortune are shared in this Ukraine tale.

Noble, Trinka Hakes.
A Christmas Spider's Miracle.
September 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

It's a mother's instinct to want the best for her children and to do everything in her power to provided that to them. No less can be expected in the Ukraine tale told by Trinka Hakes Noble.

One Christmas Eve, a spider nestles deep into a pine tree, trying to keep her spiderlings safe from the dangers that a warm home might pose. Not far away, a peasant mother longs to provide her children with the Christmas they deserve. Unable to provide them with gifts, she decides to at least present them with a Christmas tree, full of homemade ornaments. When she struggles to create the ornaments and ultimately falls asleep on the table while trying, the mother spider takes note of her efforts and realize that they both are just seeking the best for their children, as the spiderlings have been left safely alone in their pockets. She sets to work, thankful for the warm, safe home to sleep - weaving a web of homemade ornaments as a thanks for the warm place to sleep.

But both mothers felt richly blessed; one by the safety of a warm house and the other by a small spider's Christmas miracle.

Even to this day, in the land of Ukraine, if you see a spider on Christmas Day, it will bring you good fortune for the whole year. But just to be sure, Christmas trees across the land all have one very special ornament... a sparkling jeweled spider.

This story is eloquently shared through Noble's text and Costanza's illustrations. It is however, a bit complex for younger children, but would most likely be appropriate for children ages 8-12. Children's books are a wonderful way to share the traditions and tales of other cultures and this book is no exception - it's definitely worth sharing this holiday season!

Reading Activity:

Add a bit of Ukraine tradition to this year's Christmas tree! After reading, work with your child to create a sparkling jeweled spider of your own to ensure a year's work of good fortune!

Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas: It's a Book!, It's a Card! - Send a Story/Share a Story

2011-12-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

Start a new tradition come this year's Christmas Eve!

Moore, Clement C.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Send a Story).
October 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The traditional poetic telling of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" is passed along to children to enjoy in the form of a book AND a card in this wonderful edition! It's a classic that all children are sure to love, despite the sparse illustrations. The story alone is enough to capture their attention!

This has been a tradition in my house on Christmas Eve. For as long as I can remember, the story was shared on Christmas Eve, albeit a different version, A Hallmark Pop Up Book, also written by Clement C. Moore! 20+ years later, the book still holds a place on my bookshelf and I pull it out to enjoy on Christmas Eve!

Start a new tradition this Christmas Eve for the children in your lives by sending this special "It's a Book! It's a Card!" edition of the traditional retelling.

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!

Day 2 of the 12 Days of Christmas: It's a Book!, It's a Card! - Send a Story/Share a Story

2011-12-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

Who knew Santa could be a kid expert, a toy expert, and a gift expert?

Frazee, Marla.
Santa Claus The World's Number One Toy Expert (Send a Story).
October 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Very simply put, Santa Claus is the World's number one toy expert - from making sure the toys are perfectly constructed to making sure that each child is matched with the exactly right toy (99.9% of the time), Santa would definitely be considered an expert in his field! Children will love the almost comic-like illustrations and simple text that accompany this new holiday title! If you know of a young child who is just starting to show an interest in Santa Claus, this is definitely a book/card to pass along their way this holiday 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!

Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas: It's a Book! It's a Card! Send a Story/Share a Story

2011-12-06T10:00:00.004-05:00

Send a story instead of a card this holiday season!

Brett, Jan.
Annie and the Wild Animals (Send a Story).
October 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

As the winter drags on, Annie notices changes taking place with her cat, Taffy. She's stopped playing, eats more than usual, and sleeps all day long, curled up in strange places. After Annie notices that Taffy has disappeared, the loneliness sets in and Annie is desperate to find a new friend. Just when Annie decides all the corn cakes in the world will fail to bring her a new pet, the south wind sets in, sending winter on it's way... and Taffy back home... with a surprise of her own!

The "Send a Story, Share a Story" aspect of this card and book make it an ideal Christmas present to be sent to children this holiday season from a relative that won't be able to be with the child on Christmas, as it kind of gives off the message that despite absence, they are always remembed. What's awesome about this book is that although it seems to be a Christmas-y story, it would even be ideal during the late winter months, when a case of the winter blues seems to have set in and children need a sense of hope about the impending arrival of spring!

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's Rainbow, Sand and Crystal Bead Blocks: Review & Giveaway Link

2011-12-04T21:11:00.012-05:00

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. This month's selection is a variety of blocks from puzzles from Guidecraft's "Block Play" line!

Block play, as you will see from the photographs below, allows children the opportunity to develop and use their imaginations in a variety of educational ways, from the very basic (great for toddlers & preschoolers) to more complex (appropriate for middle elementary schoolers, age 8-11). In any event, chances are, you know someone who would love the blocks in the Guidecraft "Block Play" line! The use of blocks in early childhood education promotes eye-hand coordination, visual perception, patterning (color/size), measurement, scientific exploration (levers and inclined planes), vocabulary usage, and dramatization and role play. The rainbow, sand and crystal bead blocks only make all of this exploration that much more engaging and fun!

I added these blocks to our shelf on a Friday afternoon, after the children had left for the weekend. I watched excitedly come Monday morning to see what their response was. I was surprised to discover that they all immediately noticed new blocks in the "block area" and almost immediately began exploring them. However, NOT ONE actually used language to share with friends that these block were "new." The blocks were quickly put to use - as castle toppers, "garbage" on dump trucks, and as "wood" for new dinosaur houses. Another interesting observation that was noticed by the children was that if they held the rainbow blocks up to their eye and looked through, they saw objects take on a different color (red, yellow, blue). "Miss Katie, you're red now!"

The blocks have definitely been a hit in the classroom and welcome addition to the "Block Area." It is evident that the blocks are a favorite and would be a well-loved, put-to-use Christmas present this holiday season!

What do other 'Guidecraft Educators' have to say about these blocks?
Maureen at Simply Stacie
Andrea at MommyPR
Deborah at Teach Preschool
Carrie from Huppie Mama
Jody from Mommy Moment
Candace at Mamanista!

For a chance to win a set of ALL 3 of these wonderful blocks sets, visit:
Carrie at HuppieMama,
the host of the DecemberGuidecraft Educators giveaway!

Or... if you just can't wait or really want to get your hands on this wonderful line of products, they can be purchased online at either Amazon.com or on Guidecraft's Website!

Rainbow Blocks (10 pieces) - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Rainbow Blocks (30 pieces) - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Deluxe Rainbow Blocks (42 pieces) - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Crystal Bead Blocks (8 pieces) - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Sand Blocks (8 pieces) - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website

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!

Exploring Fall with Children's Books

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Explore fall with Cloverleaf Books new series, Fall's Here!

Rustad, Martha E.H.
Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter.
September 2011.
Millbrook Press (a division of Lerner Publishing).
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Children are simply introduced to the ways in which animals prepare for winter in this book - migrating, hibernating and changing for their winter needs. The book is very basic and to the point, allowing the youngest of children to keep focused and understand the changes that animals go through in preparation of the winter months. Definitely a hit for exploring the fall season or to introduce the concept of "Animal in Winter" as a thematic unit!

Learning Activity:

The last few pages of the book contain a glossary, other books on the topic, websites to explore and an activity that allows children to "experience" how a gray whale's blubber works.

Rustad, Martha E.H.
Fall Apples: Crisp and Juicy.
September 2011.
Millbrook Press (a division of Lerner Publishing).
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Introducing children to the process of growing apples, this book is slightly more complex than Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter and will likely be more harder to use with younger children. However, I would imagine that some parts of the story could be modified for use with the younger ones as well! The process shared will likely catch the attention of many children, as many have probably had some kind of experience with apple picking and likely enjoy apple cider. The book is definitely a good one to use as part of a thematic unit on the fall season!

Learning Activity:

The last few pages of the book contain a glossary, other books on the topic, websites to explore and a recipe that involves children in making "Upside-Down, Inside-Out Apple Crisp."

There are 4 other books in the series, also by Martha E.H. Rustad, that I am excited to check out at some point!

Guidecraft's Little Lectern Review & Giveaway Link

2011-11-04T23:20:00.008-04:00

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. This month's selection is the Little Lectern, a piece of furniture that promotes public speaking and group presentation skills.

What did I think of the construction/durability?

The unit was pretty easy to put together, although by the time I got to putting this piece together my hands were a bit tired and I struggled a bit with the screws on the carpeted riser (no fault of anyone other than myself)! It was not too heavy and relatively easy for one person to move (a plus considering all the "things" I take to my classroom also have to be removed before year's end as there's no guarantee I'll end up in the same room). The piece seems very steady and appears that it will hold up for some time to come!

How did we use this in the classroom?

My classroom consists of twenty Head Start/UPK children, many of whom are still only three-years old. The lectern required some introduction as none of them had any clue what it was. I got lots of "oohs" and "ahhs" initially and then lots of ants-in-the-pants while children waited for their turn. I chose to introduce this during our "planning time," a time in which children "plan" for which area of the room they will use during their "work time" AKA exploratory center play. I explained to the children that the "podium" (incorrect terminology on my part) is used by people when they have something important to share with others and that they would all be a part of sharing something important (their plan for work time). I started off by giving an example - "I am Miss Katie and I'm going to work in the block area with the cars." The children were then each given a turn sharing their plan at the podium. (Typically, after the children plan, they immediately go to the area where they intend to "work." However, because I wanted to stress the importance of the lectern as a "public speaking" piece, I did have the children stay and listen as their friends planned.)

While the children planned, my aide took their picture at the lectern and wrote down their plans, as we thought this might make a nice "book" to add to our classroom library - "The Planning Podium." The responses were great - some of the children took the opportunity to be very serious, while others decided to have fun with the new planning activity. This one little guy in particular told me he was "Michael Jackson!"

I then opted to leave the lectern out during "work time" for any of the children who might want to explore. One little guy surprised me tremendously! I noticed him very seriously standing at the lectern and decided to join him in his activity.

"T, what are you doing?" I asked.
"I not T, I Judge Judy." (He takes his fist and bangs it as though it's a gavel on the lectern). He responded.
"Who is Judge Judy?" I asked (this little guy receives speech therapy mainly for receptive language, so getting him to respond to questions is a big part of his IEP).
"I watch Judge Judy with my mommy and my S. She send T to jail." He told me.
"She does? How come?" I prompted.
Again, he pretends he has a gavel, "T go to jail for flushing the toilet in my mommy's bafroom when T have accident."
"How long will T go to jail for?" I asked him.
"Two hours." ("Judge Judy" ended at that point because another child came over and tried to join in at the lectern, upsetting T and causing a slight outburst!)

I was pleasantly surprised at the connection this little guy made with the lectern to a television show he obviously watches with his mother and sister. This went on to show me that the lectern, which I had thought would be "too old" of an activity for my preschoolers, encourages the use of their imagination and helps to build the use of language skills tremendously! This is definitely a piece of furniture that preschool classrooms could use in promoting language use!

Find Out More:

You can find out more about the Little Lectern on the Guidecraft website. The Little Lectern is available for purchase at Amazon.com and also through the Guidecraft website.

For a chance to win your own Little Lectern unit, visit:

Maureen at Simply Stacie,

the host of the October Guidecraft Educators giveaway!

You can also check out the reviews of the Universal Book Display & Storage unit from the other Guidecraft Educators:

Candace at Mamanista!
Andrea at MommyPR
Deborah at Teach Preschool
Carrie from Huppie Mama, now Busy 'Lil Hands
Jody from Mommy Moment

Mouse and Mole: A Perfect Halloween

2011-10-25T10:00:00.002-04:00

Participate in Halloween activities Mouse and Mole style!

Yee, Wong Herbert.
Mouse and Mole: A Perfect Halloween.
September 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

In this latest edition of the Mouse and Mole tales, Mouse and Mole partake in four Halloween adventures - decorating for Halloween, carving pumpkins, a jack-o-lantern contest, and dressing up in costumes for trick-or-treating. As they prepare for all these fun Halloween adventures, the duo have a lot of fun, but not without scaring each other a little along the way!

This book is perfect for beginning readers, or for younger children, if the "chapters" are broken down over four nights to make the story shorter and easier to comprehend, as it would appear to be quite choppy for little ears that aren't used to the way chapter books are written. Definitely a fun read this Halloween season!

Reading Activities:

Decorating - spend some time as a family making (or using store bought) decorations to spruce up the house for Halloween. You might even be able to find a relatively cheap CD of Halloween music to help bring about the spirit!
Head to the pumpkin patch and choose the perfect pumpkins for each member of your family. Have your child(ren) use descriptive words to tell about their pumpkin!
Ask a neighbor to "judge" the jack-o-lanterns. Be sure to have as many categories as you do jack-o-lanterns, so everyone will win a 1st place prize!
Rather than heading out to buy Halloween costumes, be resourceful! Use things you have at home or head to the local thrift store to see what kind of creative costumes your family can come up with!

Halloween Mice

2011-10-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

Halloween isn't always about the candy - much of it is about the act of warding off roaming ghosts, so why not experiment with moonlight shadows this Halloween and see if you can't scare some of those ghosts away!

Roberts, Bethany.
Halloween Mice!
September 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The infamous holiday Mice return in Bethany Roberts' board book edition of Halloween Mice! The mice are out having a party in the pumpkin patch, enjoying their friskiness when they suddenly stumble upon the Halloween Cat. Needing to outwit the cat, the mice quickly come up with a plan to save their Halloween that involves scaring the cat away by making scary moonlight shadows. When they finally frighten away the cat, they head back out for more Halloween adventure before heading home to receive a fright of their own!

Reading Activity:

After reading Halloween Mice!, break out the flashlights and head into a dark room. Take turns holding the flashlight to see who can make the scariest "moonlight" shadow to scare away any roaming ghosts!

Little Football

2011-10-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Delight your sports lover with these rhyming riddles about all things football!

Herzog, Brad.
Little Football.
Sleeping Bear Press.
February 2011.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Through the use of rhyming riddles, children will learn about the vocabulary related to the game of football. The book introduces basic vocabulary and in a sense, gives child friendly definitions of all the terminology.

The book is a wonderful springboard to introduce children to football, as well as the act of listening to language as a means of discovery and thought. This book would be a delight for little ones longing to join "Dad" for Sunday football and to help them gain and understanding of the sport!

Learning/Reading Activities:

Encourage your child to develop a love of the sport if he/she is showing an interest! Any of the following products would be wonderful to encourage playing football!
* Youth Football Goal Posts Set
* Diggin Jr. Squish Football
Some Other Football Books to Enjoy:
* Gunner, Football Hero by James Ransome
* Footballs and Falling Leaves: A Fall Counting Book by Rebecca F. Davis
* Football Feet by Sandra Brug
* The Football that Won... by Michael Sampson

Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band

2011-10-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

Expose children to a new musical genre with the help of Kwame Alexander's Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band.

Alexander, Kwame.
Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band.
August 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Wishing to enter and hopefully to win the Barnyard Talent Show, Acoustic Rooster has been practicing strumming his bass guitar all summer long. Unable to join one of the other teams, Acoustic Rooster opts to start his own jazz band and calls upon Duck Ellington (pianist), Bee Holiday (singer), Poncho Ernesto Cruz aka Pork Chop (percussion) to help him claim a title at the talent show. While Acoustic Rooster's band doesn't win first place, compliments from one of their competitors leaves Acoustic Rooster feeling proud that he's got the world's best band!

With "rollicking, rhyming and rhythmic" text, this story is sure to appeal to children and capture their interest! Parents will take delight in the humor and takes on names that make the story fun for children, yet allow them to relate to the musicians just a bit more personally. The additional information provided at the back of the book (jazz glossary, musical vocabulary, and information about the musicians, characters and music, and jazz timeline) will help children to better understand the genre and how it came to be.

Reading/Learning Activity:

Use this book as a springboard to introduce children to jazz music.
CDs/Music for Children: Jazz for Kids: Sing, Clap, Wiggle and Shake or Jazz Chants for Children: Teacher's Edition.
Other Jazz-themed books for children ages 3-5: The Jazz Fly by Matthew Golub or Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler
For children ages 6-8: Jazz by Walter Dean Myers or The Sound that Jazz Makes by Carole Boston Weatherford
And for older children (9-12): Sophisticated Ladies: The Great Women of Jazz by Leslie Gourse or Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits with Art Print by Wynton Marsalis

Guidecraft's Universal Book Display & Storage Review & Giveaway Link

2011-10-05T22:34:00.006-04:00

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. This month's selection is the Universal Book Display & Storage, a display unit for traditional sized children's books on one side and a storage unit for big books on the other! I was super excited to see this, as I've been looking for a good way to store big books to get them off the closet floor.

What Did We Think?

The unit itself was fairly simple to put together, as the directions were easy to follow. I did have a problem with the last step, as according to the directions received in my unit, had me putting in a piece between the two side pieces that contained pegs. I had to unscrew the top several screws on one side of the unit in order to get that piece in. It wasn't a huge ordeal, but it did consume a bit more of my time than I had anticipated!

The unit is quite big in depth, but definitely ideal for the dual usage! My only wish was that the big book display contained slings that the books could rest in as they would on the traditional display side, so that children would have easier access to the titles available for browsing, whereas it is a bit difficult to display the books easily when they are slung over the bars.

When the unit finally made it's way into the classroom, it immediately caught the childrens' eyes, as it was new furniture that hadn't been there at the beginning of the school year! And they were super excited to see the big books find a place in the classroom where they would be accessible to little hands! As for displaying the traditional sized children's books, we (my team and I) decided to put a twist on this usage. The books we have out for the children have taken a beating, as we've discovered the children need a bit of an education in book handling! So... we decided to dedicate this shelving unit to store classroom-created books (books featuring pictures of the children in the room, engaged in a variety of activities, as well as books that we created together focusing on educational concepts - colors, shapes, numbers, etc). We thought the children might take more pride in these books that were created by themselves, while at the same time exposing them to books to gain an appreciation for appropriate treatment of books! So far, it is working! The children are enjoying seeing themselves in the books and they are readily accessible at many points throughout the day.

Find Out More:

You can find out more about the Universal Book Display & Storage on the Guidecraft website. The Universal Book Display & Storage is available for purchase at Amazon.com and also through the Guidecraft website.

For a chance to win your own Universal Book Display & Storage unit, visit:
Andrea at MommyPR,
the host of the October Guidecraft Educators giveaway!

You can also check out the reviews of the Universal Book Display & Storage unit from the other Guidecraft Educators:

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

Wanna Get "Ooey-Gooey"????

2011-10-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

We're going to get "Ooey-Gooey" in UPK this year!

At the very end of August, I attended a mandatory training for work - Ooey Gooey - presented by Lisa Murphy. It was by far the best pre-service training this year! The lively, personalized presentation easily held the attention of all that attended and there was so much shared that is going to be useful in the classroom this year - ESPECIALLY with this active group! Many suggestions that were made throughout the training have already been implemented in our classroom (although not necessarily obvious to the children at this point) and I have plans to incorporate many more throughout the year.

After the training, I decided to spend some of my hard-earned money to purchase 2 of the resource books authored by Lisa Murphy.

With over 65 hands-on art, science and outside play activity ideas for creating engaging environments both at home and at school The Ooey Gooey® Handbook is a MUST READ for anyone who spends time with children. This is the best book to start with if you are just getting exposed to the Ooey Gooey® way. It has a nice overview of how it all started followed by many activities to get your gooey juices flowing.

Each activity includes the "wolf" words (concept words) to explain to the skeptic in your midst what the children are learning.

Ooey Gooey® Tooey is the highly anticipated sequel to The Ooey Gooey® Handbook. No matter what age group you work with, this book will be a valuable addition to your resource shelf. With 140 activities for you to do with children, Ooey Gooey® Tooey is chock full of art ideas and sensory tub concoctions, and is sure to become an early childhood classic!

Sooo, to make a long story short... during the first full week of UPK, just as I was beginning to feel frazzled and as if there was no hope of getting the children into a routine, I decided I'd break out one of my new resources and give one of the recipes a try...

The Best Playdough Ever

Combine in a bowl: 3 cups flour, 1 ½ cups salt, 6 tsp cream of tartar, 6 TBS oil, 3 Cups water (color optional). Mix together. Cook over low heat until a ball forms. Cool. Knead. Store in Ziploc bag.

Having never made playdough before, I was a bit skeptical heading into this adventure. I'm not a fan of cleaning up big messes and I feared this was going to be just that... I must say, I was pleasantly surprised! The mixture came together very easily and cooked way faster than I had even begun to expect. Clean-up was fairly easy, as only a small amount of the concoction remained on the bottom of the pan. Hot water and Dawn detergent soaking for a few minutes cleaned what was left very easily!

AND... It just so happens I was able to catch the attention and pull my students into their "small groups," helping them settle into the program "routine" and me feeling a bit more at ease with the impending group of students that I'll be spending LOTS of time with over the next nine months! The playdough seems to be the hit of the different areas during "work time" and on any given day, there are at least 12 children crowded around the table mixing it and working it with the playdough toys. In their first exposure to the playdough this year, the little guy on the left built a "snowman", where as the little girl on the right opted to make a "frog in a nest"! Gotta love little imaginations at work!

I'm definitely looking forward to experimenting with the other playdough recipes this year (my next recipe of choice is likely going to be the pumpkin bread playdough)!!!

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!

Ten For Me

2011-09-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

Lots of scientific and mathematical information is written into the pages of Ten For Me!

Mariconda, Barbara.
Ten For Me.
August 2011.
Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Rose and her friend Ed race to see who can catch the most butterflies. While they're out on the hunt, they find themselves caught in a mathematical problem, having to solve numerous addition problems to see who ultimately ends up catching the most. The results (and reasons for them) may surprise you!

The story provides useful in more aspect than one! Children are introduced to simple additions (0-10), determining different ways to get a sum of 10, tallying totals and also learning useful information about butterflies! While the immediate educational aspects of the story will likely require some explanation to children, the information is all very easy to understand and will probably help them to catch on to the ideas rather quickly! This book could be used in so many wonderful ways!

Learning/Reading Activities:

Check out the amazing Teaching Guide provided by Sylvan Dell Publishing! There are lots of wonderful activities to use with children in collaboration with this story that will make it a hit among your curriculum or just as a resource when sharing the story with your own children!

Ten Rules You ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT BREAK if You Want to Survive the School Bus

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Lighten the mood surrounding your child(ren)s return to school with this funny, lighthearted school bus tale... (not recommended for first time riders who take things very literally)!

Grandits, John.
Ten Rules You ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT BREAK if You Want to Survive the School Bus.
July 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

As Kyle's first morning of riding the bus to school begins, his older brother James decides to give him some brotherly advice. He starts out with the basics... Don't get to the bus stop too early. Or too late! And then, the rules become a little more complex!

Rule #1: Never sit in the first row.
Rule #2: Never sit in the last row.
Rule #3: Never, ever make yourself stand out in any way.
Rule #4: Never make eye contact.
Rule #5: Never touch anyone's stuff.
Rule #6: Never talk to big kids.
Rule #7: Never talk to girls.
Rule #8: Never mess with the bully.
Rule #9: Never be the last one on the bus.
Rule #10: Never, absolutely never, mess with the bus driver.

Unintentionally, Kyle breaks every single one of the rules by the time his first day of riding the bus is over! However, by the time he arrives home to find James waiting for him, Kyle has learned an 11th rule that he never expected to -

Rule Eleven:
Never, absolutely never,
pay attention to your
big brother's list of
Ten Rules You Absolutely
Must Not Break
if You Want to Survive
the School Bus!

This story is just what middle elementary children will find welcoming as they head back to start a new school year! I advise against sharing this book with the younger children unless they have developed a sense of humor and can distinguish humor from reality, as so many take things literally at a young age. I'd hate for a kindergartener to be sent off on the bus fearing for their life! All in all, it's a funny story that will likely be enjoyed!

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 Wooden Educational Puzzles

2011-09-04T22:27:00.002-04:00

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. This month's selection is a variety of puzzles from Guidecraft's eco-friendly product line (made with eco-friendly rubberwood and stained with low VOC aniline dyes), all of which are safe and non-toxic for children!

The puzzles, as you will see from the photographs below, focus on a variety of concepts, from the very basic (great for toddlers & preschoolers) to more complex (appropriate for middle elementary schoolers, age 8-11). In any event, chances are, you know someone who would love this product line! All of these puzzles also promote fine motor development and eye-hand coordination.

Unfortunately, I have not yet had the opportunity use these wonderful products with preschoolers, as my Head Start/UPK children do not return to class until the 7th... I do have many plans for their use this year, though (in addition to free exploration by the children during "Work Time!"

One to Four Sorter - $25.00
My Anticipated Use: Counting and Visual Discrimination

While many of the children (ages 3, 4, & 5) enter my room counting, there are still some that struggle with that concept. This simple activity will reinforce counting objects (in this case, the holes on the puzzle pieces) and then matching them to place them correctly on the puzzle board. This puzzle also features 4 basic shapes (circle, diamond, triangle, square) and four basic colors (green, red, yellow, blue) which will prove useful in children who need some practice and reinforcements in both of those cognitive areas. Children could verbally name each shape, color and number of holes on each piece as they correctly place it on the "puzzle board."

Gradient Sorter - $30.00
My Anticipated Use: Sorting Objects in a Graduated Series

I can see this product being used in a variety of different ways in my classroom. 1st and foremost, I see the children taking the pieces apart and stacking them in a variety of ways to see who can created the "tallest" castle. I also see the children sorting the pieces into group (all the small, all the medium and all the big pieces). When dumped into a pile, they'll also likely sort them according to color AND as their sorting skills develop, I'm sure I'll find them sorting them into a graduated series (most likely lining them up horizontally across the table from biggest to smallest or smallest to biggest prior to stacking them vertically from biggest to smallest or smallest to biggest. Needless to say, it will be very interesting to see how the children choose to manipulate the pieces of this puzzle!

Shape and Color Sorter - $25.00
My Anticipated Use: Teaching/Assessing Shapes and Colors

I can definitely see this puzzle being a hit with the children who enjoy doing puzzles but who struggle with putting together the traditional puzzle. The "single" pieces are ideal for little ones just beginning to "match" but also make for a more than ideal assessment of childrens' knowledge of both colors and shapes. We hope that our Head Start/UPK children enter kindergarten knowing 8 basic shapes (square, circle, triangle, rectangle, heart, diamond, oval and star) and 9 basic colors (red, blue, green, orange, brown, black, white, pink, purple). This particular eco-friendly puzzle is near perfect to use as a fun, meaningful assessment of their familiarity with shapes and colors. I only wish more of the basic colors we assess on were incorporated into this puzzle (although, I'm not eliminating the possibility of picking up some low VOC paint in the colors not represented and changing a few of the colors to make is ABSOLUTELY perfect for this use)!

Top Row - Fraction Cups - $25.00
Bottom Left - Fraction Pairs - $25.00
Bottom Right - Fraction Action Board - $25.00
My Anticipated Use - Identifying Parts of a Whole, Sorting/Classifying

These three puzzles in particular will likely be the most difficult for the group of children I work with. Some will likely take on the challenge, while I can see others dumping and becoming frustrated with. I envision children trying to put the puzzles together by sorting the pieces according to their color and since many of them will probably not quite have a handle on the parts of a whole concept, I can really see them struggling. However, there will be those few who surprise me and who really need a challenge and I will keep these in mind for those children! If nothing else, children can take the puzzles (especially the Fraction Action Board) apart and using the pieces to be "creative" and see what they can make!

Sun Sorter - $25.00
My Anticipated Use: Using One Basic Shape to be Creative

Children in my Head Start classroom were fortunate enough to be able to explore and spend some time using the Sun Sorter at the end of last school year. This was a HUGE hit and they had so much fun, challenging themselves to recreate the sun, as well as other "things" with the one basic piece in a variety of colors. As you can sort of see from the picture, they took the activity guide away from me and referred to the pictures to create different things. They had a blast and this is definitely a great way to introduce abstract thinking into creative representation activities! You can see more thoughts on the Sun Sorter here.

What do other 'Guidecraft Educators' have to say about these puzzles?
Maureen at Simply Stacie
Andrea at MommyPR
Deborah at Teach Preschool
Carrie from Huppie Mama
Jody from Mommy Moment
Candace at Mamanista!

For a chance to win ALL 7 of these wonderful Guidecraft puzzles, visit:
Deborah at Teach Preschool,
the host of the September Guidecraft Educators giveaway!

Or... if you just can't wait or really want to get your hands on this wonderful line of products, they can be purchased online at either Amazon.com or on Guidecraft's Website!

One to Four Sorter - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Gradient Sorter - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Shape and Color Sorter - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Fraction Cups - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Fraction Pairs - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Fraction Action Board - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website
Sun Sorter - Amazon.com or Guidecraft Website

Curious George: Time for School

2011-08-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

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!

God Gave Us You

2011-08-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

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.

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!

How the Moon Regained Her Shape

2011-08-15T10:00:00.001-04:00

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.

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

2011-08-11T10:00:00.001-04:00

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!

Tallulah's Tutu

2011-08-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

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!

Guidecraft Nordic Rocker Giveaway Winner!!!

2011-08-09T11:55:00.003-04:00

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.

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

2011-08-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

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!

Giveaway Update

2011-08-05T11:44:00.002-04:00

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!

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

2011-08-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

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?

Big Bouffant

2011-08-04T10:00:00.003-04:00

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!

Fellow Guidecraft Educator Reviews

2011-08-03T21:13:00.005-04:00

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!

Nordic Rocker {A Guidecraft Educator Review & Giveaway}

2011-08-01T00:00:00.004-04:00

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.

The Glaciers are Melting

2011-07-26T10:00:00.003-04:00

Melting glaciers affects much wildlife... what can be done to prevent the extinction of these animals?

Love, Donna.
The Glaciers are Melting.
March 2011.
Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Five friends set out to find out an answer as to what can be done to save themselves when the glaciers have melted, after one of them notices a drop of water fall on their head (an imminent sign of melting glaciers in their habitat). As the animals precede to the "Mountain Monarch," we learn a great deal about the animals that habituate on the glaciers and the role the glaciers play in their life.

Unfortunately, none of the five friends wind up with an answer to their question, "What can we do?" The animals are facing the same question as scientists pose to us regarding global warming - the glaciers are melting and that is having an impact on the world. The book really does wonders to get children thinking about what they can do to "save" the world and does so in the form of a simple question, after allowing them to see the impact human actions are having on animals and other forms of wildlife. With a little additional research and exploration, children will quickly discover that it is human action that is leaving this impact on the world (and also help children to realize that it is a real problem/concern)!

Learning/Reading Activities:

In their summer journal, pose the questions to your child, "What is global warming? How is EVERYTHING affected by it? And, what do you think YOU can do to help "save" the Earth?"
You can also check out Sylvan Dell's Teaching Activities, which include "then" and "now" photographs of several different glaciers and information about animal adaptations, as well as lots of other related activities.

Martha Speaks: Pool Party

2011-07-25T10:00:00.004-04:00

Martha, the talking dog, returns to take readers on a pool party adventure!

Barss, Karen.
Martha Speaks: Pool Party.
April 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Martha the talking dog and her pals reach out to readers to pass along several important lessons about summer sun and skin care. Alice takes great care to keep her skin safe in the heat and sun of summer, tediously applying "sunscreen" to prevent a sunburn. However, as Alice applies more and more of the sunscreen, her skin begins to take on an orange color - the result of using self-tanning sunscreen as opposed to regular old sunscreen that protects against burns.

The book intends to educate children about the importance of taking care of your skin during the summertime. However, Alice's friends all ended up using the self-tanning sunscreen (which contains a chemical dye) to ensure Alice doesn't feel out of place at the pool party and I wonder if that might not be giving children the wrong message! While it's great that the children are concerned about each other, using a chemical to ensure someone else doesn't stand out doesn't seem to give the right message to me. The book is a great story and is meant to act as a reminder about summer safety... provided parents share AND discuss all this with children during reading, it's a great summer book! Thoughts anyone?

Learning/Reading Activity:

After reading Martha Speaks: Pool Party, talk with your children about the importance of using sunscreen to protect against sunburns. Be sure also, to discuss how sunscreen is similar to a "medicine" and should be used only with adult supervision and permission. It's not something to be messed with!
Have your child(ren), in their summer reading journal create a list of 10 Summer Safety Tips. After they have created their list, ask them to share it with you. Discuss their ideas and don't forget to add in tips of your own (sun safety, bicycle safety, stranger danger, pool safety, etc).

Mudkin

2011-07-21T10:00:00.002-04:00

Mud attracts kids... in more ways that one!

Gammell, Stephen.
Mudkin.
March 2011.
Lerner Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When the rain finally breaks, rainy day boredom turns into so much more for one little girl who doesn't hesitate to get down and dirty! As she heads outside for some fresh air after a rain fall, she imagination leads her on the adventure of lifetime, when she meets Mudkin, a creature made of what else, but mud! Together, the two embark on a variety of activities, in which the little girl is crowned Queen and made a robe of Mudkin's signature fabric - MUD! While the journey of "Queen" is short-lived (only until the next rainfall, when the mud is washed away), the little girl enjoys every minute of it!

This mostly wordless picture book is ideal for young children with active imaginations. Just enough text is provided to allow readers to see what is "going on," yet leave room for their own imaginations to run wild. The limited text is perfect for parents/teachers looking to actively engage children in story telling and the art of "writing" stories of their own, as the text that is provided seems to be prompting in nature. Definitely a fun, creative story that's well worth exploring this summer... perhaps on a rainy day when boredom has gotten the best of your little ones!

Learning/Reading Activities:

Put on some old bathing suits and flip flops or a raincoat over top of some shorts and a tee with some rain boots and head out to make the most of a rainy day - enjoy some good old-fashioned fun in the mud!
In your child's summer journal, break out some brown paint and splatter it on their next clean sheet of paper. Once the paint dries, have your child use a black marker to create some distinguishable features for their own "Mudkin." Encourage your child to give their "Mudkin" a name or just go along with the traditional "Mudkin." Then, ask them to write a short piece about what their adventure with Mudkin would look like!

Lily Hates Goodbyes

2011-07-20T10:00:00.004-04:00

Helping children cope with emotions surrounding a deployed parent (or goodbyes, in general).

Marler, Jerilyn.
Lily Hates Goodbyes.
March 2011.
CreateSpace.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When Lily's father is deployed, the four year old isn't quite sure how to handle her emotions and feelings. Lily (in the book) mimics Marler's granddaughter, "real" Lily, who deals with deployment on a somewhat regular basis. As different emotion surface throughout the story, children are presented with coping methods to help them work through the emotions in a safe way. The methods provided prove not only useful to children, but to parents as well, as parents will find new ideas to try out to help a child cope with a family deployment right through the loved ones arrival back home!

The book is very well written and would be extremely meaningful to any family who is facing a military deployment or a "goodbye" in general. Parents will welcome the information provided on the inside of the back cover, which focuses on how to get the most from the book... lots of great ideas!

Learning/Reading Activity:

Even if you are not facing a military deployment in your family, this book can be helpful in helping children to find ways to express and cope with their emotions. In his/her summer journal, have your child answer the following questions:
* Name something that makes you angry. How can you express your anger?
* Name something that makes you happy. How can you express your happiness?
* Name something that makes you feel sad. How can you express your sadness?
* Name something that makes you feel excited. How can you express your excitement?
* Name something that makes you feel scared. How can you express being scared?

Meet the Planets

2011-07-19T10:00:00.004-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls... "Meet the Planets!"

McGranaghan, John.
Meet the Planets.
March 2011.
Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The host of Meet the Planets, Pluto takes readers on a solar system learning "show." Each planet in the solar system is introduced by sharing a variety of facts and trivia about it. Once all eight planets in the Solar System are introduced by their at one-time ninth pal, the readers are then provided with a prompt that requires them to think about all that they have learned about each of the planets, both throughout the reading, as well as, in addition to throughout their educational career.

The story is truly wonderfully written and will certainly be a hit among children in the middle/upper elementary grades. Younger children who are less familiar with the solar system will have a hard time appreciating the story for what it is, but the book could be used as an introduction to learning about the solar system for those who are unfamiliar! It's definitely a great story and would be welcome in many elementary classrooms as well as in homes!

Learning/Reading Activity:

The last page of the books prompts readers:
There you have them. All eight planets dressed in their Solar System best. Let's have a big round of applause.

Girls and boys, earthlings and aliens, I have just been informed that our judges cannot reach a decision. The moons have declined to vote due to a conflict of interest. The Sun loves all the planets and can't pick just one. And all the meteors have left for a shower.

So that means that YOU will decide the favorite planet! That's right. You have studied the planets in school. You have read books and watched TV shows about them. Now it is time to pick YOUR favorite planet!

The winner is... who?
In their summer journals, have your child(ren) choose their winner and write a paragraph or two explaining! Who is their favorite planet? Why? Encourage children to use facts about what they know of each of the planets when they write their response!

Bebe Goes to the Beach

2011-07-18T10:00:00.001-04:00

Explore this bilingual text prior to spending a day at the beach!

Elya, Susan Middleton.
Bebe Goes to the Beach.
May 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

When Mama, donning "her gafas" decides to take Bebe, dressed to the nines in his "gorro with fuzzy jirafas," to the beach on a hot summer day, it's bound to be an adventure as this waddling, toddling proves to be quite the handful! As soon as her "silla" is parked, Bebe takes off to explore the "olas" and all that the beach has to offer. As the duo explore throughout the day, readers are introduced to many beach terms in Spanish, allowing ample opportunity to turn a beach adventure into a learning adventure as well!

The book is fun, well-written and will definitely engage children and encourage them to further explore the Spanish language. The book is also a perfect choice for a summer read, as children love all things beach during the summertime!

Learning/Reading Activity:

Spend a day at the nearest beach with your child(ren). After enjoying a day in the sun, head home and have your child(ren) unwind by spending some time describing their day at the beach. Have your child(ren) use a pencil for this activity and after they are finished, break out a Spanish-English dictionary or use an online translator to translate some of their English nouns to Spanish to continue expanding your child's bilingual lexicon!

A-B-A-B-A- a Book of Pattern Play

2011-07-15T10:00:00.001-04:00

Different ways to look at patterning!

Cleary, Brian P.
A-B-A-B-A - a Book of Pattern Play.
August 2010.
Lerner Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Starting out with the definition of a pattern, Brian P. Cleary works to familiarize children with patterns, specifically different types of patterns while providing samples of what they "look" like. The book starts out with the simplest pattern, ABABA. Most of my Head Start 4 year olds are familiar with and able to make and continue that type of pattern. However, the text that goes along with introducing this pattern seemed to me as something that would be beyond the comprehension level of the same age group. The patterns quickly become more abstract (using numbers and counting by 2s) and would definitely be above the understanding of your typical preschooler who is learning patterns.

I think this book is well written, but most likely appropriate for older children (grades 3-6) who are able to read and explore with patterns on their own. It could also be modified by a parent or teacher to use appropriately with younger children, simply by omitting pages that seem too advanced for younger children!

Learning/Reading Activities:

Break out some household groceries (I'm thinking Fruit Loops cereal, colored gold fish crackers, M&Ms, etc.). Spread them out on the table before snack time and have your child explore making different patterns. If he/she has a hard time getting started, start a pattern and then see if he/she can add on to it.
As for the daily summer journal activity, head out into nature with your camera for a nature walk. Spend some time looking for patterns in nature. When you find a pattern, take a picture. Get the pictures developed or print them after your walk and glue them into your child's summer journal. Have him/her spend time writing about the patterns or sharing with you while you dictate!

Habitat Spy

2011-07-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

I spy... habitats and their wildlife!

Kieber-King, Cynthia.
Habitat Spy.
March 2011.
Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

In Cynthia Kieber-King's Habitat Spy, children are introduced to 13 different habitats - backyard, beach, bog, cave, desert, forest, meadow, mountain, ocean, plains, pond, river and cypress swamp. As they explore alongside the reader, the rhyming text engages children by pointing out different wildlife you would find in each of the habitats, sharing the text through the shape of binocular vision. This encourages children to become spies themselves, looking for each of the items mentioned, while opening the doors for wonderful conversation about the similarities and differences among the different habitats.

This is a wonderful book for children who are interested in nature or for those parents/teachers who are looking to share with children about different habitats!

Learning/Reading Activity:

Break out a pair of binoculars, or make a pretend pair. Head out to a local nature preserve with your binoculars (and your kids) and do some habitat spying! Have the kids take along their summer journal and document the different things they see in this local habitat. Then, after you're done exploring, head home and challenge them to write a poem about the things they saw in the habitat you explored!

Senses at the Seashore

2011-07-12T10:00:00.001-04:00

Encourage active learning through the summer months!

Rotner, Shelley.
Senses at the Seashore.
August 2010.
Lerner Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

"At the seashore, there's so much to see, hear, smell, taste, touch." Simply put by Shelley Rotner, this is quote from Senses at the Seashore is definitely true! Simple, almost repetitious phrases are shared throughout the story, "See the...," "Hear the...," "Smell the...," "Touch the...," "Taste the..." Each time the phrase is repeated, it is accompanied by photograph illustrations that accurately depict the text shared, allowing the youngest of children to participate in shared reading if they are not yet able to read on their own. The book is perfect for reading this time of year before a summer beach adventure!

Reading/Learning Activity:

Plan a day trip to your local beach (or ocean, if possible). While there, encourage your child to explore his or her senses. Take along their summer journal and have them document a list of things they can explore using each of their 5 senses at the beach!
Check out the other books in Shelley Rotner's "Senses" series - Senses at the Farm and Senses in the City. Plan similar day excursions and allow your child to explore his/her senses at each.
After reading each of these 3 books, have your child(ren) create their own "Senses at the..." book... perhaps Senses at the Zoo, Senses at the Amusement Park, Senses at the Ball Game, Senses at the Community Pool or even Senses at the Family Picnic.

Curious George: Rain or Shine

2011-07-11T10:00:00.001-04:00

Teach children the basics of weather watching with Curious George's help!

Zappy, Erica.
Curious George: Rain or Shine.
March 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Curious George becomes frustrated when weather is able to ruin his plans for the day and decides he needs to figure out how to be prepared for each day's weather and that means he has to figure out how to predict the weather. While George learns about weather forecasting, he shares his knowledge with readers, enlightening the youngest of children about how to predict the basics of weather. The knowledge provided is simplistic, yet realistic, making the book very useful with preschoolers when trying to teach them about weather as a part of each day's calendar time. I know I'll definitely be incorporating this one early on in the year with my Head Start children!

Reading/Learning Activities:

Use this book as an introduction to graphing weather each day. Create a graph and help children to fill it in each day. Talk about "reading" the graph - What kind of day did you have the most of each month? The least? Why do you think this is? This could also be useful in discussing weather traits of each season!
Create a list for each type of weather. What kind of things do you notice about sunny days? Rainy days? Cloudy days? See if you can find any patterns. Add to your list activities that could be done on each kind of day.
In their summer journal, have your child(ren) create a "bucket" list of sorts by asking them what they would like to do on each kind of day this summer - rainy, cloudy, sunny, etc. Surprise them by pulling from their list on each type of day you experience!

Follow Me

2011-07-01T10:00:00.001-04:00

Reinforce the idea of learning/recognizing colors in a meaningful way.

Tusa, Tricia.
Follow Me.
April 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

In Follow Me, children are taken on a typical childhood adventure - swinging, and yet the adventure is turned into so much more. The little girl narrating the story has readers literally "following" her as she starts out swinging, and swings higher and higher. As she swings higher, the little girl takes in her surroundings, matching them each with a different color name as she describes them. Ultimately, the child has readers "following" her home after the swinging adventure is complete.

At first, I didn't really understand the story... after my second reading, something just clicked! And the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a unique story this really is. The book really shows children how to make personal connections to their surroundings, while utilizing all the little things they are familiar with! What a great read for a summer evening!

Learning/Reading Activities:

Take this book outside, settle on a picnic blanket on the ground at dusk, sharing the story and talking about the colors in the story while watching the same colors as they settle across the sky. Encourage your child to use color words to describe their surroundings and the colors they see in the sky.
Take a walk or even a bike ride at dusk, allowing your child to be the leader, in a sense, allowing them to be the one to say, "Follow me!". Have your child observe the colors they see. Upon returning home, have your child, in his/her summer journal, draw themselves on the walk or bike ride, making sure to have them use details to depict the different colors they saw. See if you child can name something of each color they saw on their walk/ride. (For example, I rode through waves of green grass and pedaled past fields of yellow dandelions, before settling at the blue table for some icy cold pink ice cream.) You'll have to help your child with the actual "story," but try to encourage them to come up with descriptive color words and names of objects they saw.

BIG CAT, Little Kitty

2011-06-30T10:00:00.004-04:00

A lesson in cats for young cat lovers, expands children's knowledge beyond just domestic cats that they are probably most familiar with!

Cohn, Scotti.
BIG CAT, Little Kitty.
March 2011.
Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

While exploring for a week, children will learn about different "cats" - both wild and domestic. Each day of the week has children learning about one domestic cat's habitat and one "big cat's" habitat. Throughout the course of the story, as days of the week are reiterated, children learn about cheetahs in the jungle, tigers in the savannahs, lions and their desert/forest/savannah habitats, the snow leopard's snowy mountain habitat, the cougars (mountain lions, panthers, pumas) in their many habitats, the jaguar's rainforest habitat, and the bobcat's wide range of habitats.

The informative nature of the book is sure to pique the interest of children who are cat lovers, while introducing children to different habitats around the world and the different types of cat they may or may not previously have been familiar with. The text is simple and the illustrations provide a great deal of additional detail that will easily engage children in discussion throughout the reading.

Learning/Reading Activities:

Sylvan Dell has provided teachers with a variety of materials on their website to use in collaboration with the book. Teaching Activities and For Creative Minds activities (also found at the back of the book) can be downloaded by clicking on the colored text.
For their summer journal, have children answer one of the Thinking It Through & Writing Prompts, as found on page 5 of the Teaching Activities. My personal favorite is: If you were a cat, which kind would you want to be? Why?
On a rainy day, have your child spend time at the library or online researching wild and domestic dogs... see if they can come up with a list of different types of both!

Books Read in 2011

2011-06-29T23:24:00.005-04:00

A Shore Thing, Julie Carobini
The Judgement, Beverly Lewis
Beachcombers, Nancy Thayer
The Caregiver, Shelley Shepard Gray
Sarah's Gift, Marta Perry
A Turn in the Road, Debbie Macomber
Big Decisions, Linda Byler
A Hand to Hold, Kathleen Fuller
Something Blue, Emily Giffin
Something Borrowed, Emily Giffin
Night Road, Kristin Hannah
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, Morgan Matson
The Doctor's Wife, Elizabeth Brundage
A Midwife's Story, Penny Armstrong
Sing You Home, Jodi Picoult
Christmas in Cedar Cove, Debbie Macomber
The Things We Do for Love, Kristin Hannah
A Place of Peace, Amy Clipston
When Strawberries Bloom, Linda Byler
Between Friends, Debbie Macomber
Family Affair, Debbie Macomber
On Mystic Lake, Kristin Hannah
Running Around (and Such) Linda Byler
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else, Erin McCahan
The Mailbox, Marybeth Whalen
Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio, Serena B. Miller
A Plain & Simple Christmas, Amy Clipston
A Stranger's Wish, Gayle G. Roper
Don't Cramp My Style: Stories of that Time of the Month,
Love Finds You in Deadwood, South Dakota, Tracey Cross
Who Loves You Best, Tess Stimson
Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa, Melanie Dobson
Get Lucky, Katherine Center
Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe, Anita Higman, Irene Brand
The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times, Jennifer Worth
Above All Things, Deborah Raney
If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now, Claire LaZebnik
Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon, Melody Carlson
Grace, Shelley Shepard Gray
The Sister Wife: Brides of Gabriel, Diane Noble
What Are You Waiting For? The One Thing No One Tells You About Sex, Dannah Gresh
Casting About, Terri DuLong
Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon, Miralee Farrell
Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska, Loree Lough
Leaving, Karen Kingsbury
Summer House, Nancy Thayer
Moon Shell Beach, Nancy Thayer
One Night, Debbie Macomber
Learning, Karen Kingsbury
The Island, Elin Hilderbrand

Martha Speaks: Fireworks for All/Martha Habla: Fuegos artificiales para

2011-06-29T10:00:00.003-04:00

Help your older children celebrate the 4th of July with the latest release in the Martha Speaks series, Fireworks for All/Fuegos artificiales para todos!

Barrs, Karen
Meddaugh, Susan.
Martha Speaks: Fireworks for All/Martha Habla: Fuegos artificiales para todos.
April 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Everyone is looking forward to summer - every that is, except for the dogs. And the culprit for the excitement and hesitation? Fireworks. Most all of the people and families are looking forward to the endless Saturdays of fireworks. However, those same fireworks that spark excitement cause the dogs to feel scared, as the loud noises bother their ears. While one community member works to ban the fireworks, all the dogs join in, until they see how upset their owners are over the cause. Together, the dogs and their owners team up to come up with a compromise that will please both sides.

Written as a bilingual text, Martha Speaks: Fireworks for All/Martha habla: Fuegos artificiales para todos will appeal to many, as it is simple and readable by both English and Spanish speaking children. The Spanish, which nearly matches word for word with the English version, will also foster a curious interest in bilingualism among children. The book is also perfect for the upcoming 4th of July holiday and great for summer reading.

Learning/Reading Activity:

In their summer reading journal, have children write about their favorite firework pattern (shape, color, what it looks like). (I always pick the weeping willows as my favorite!) Then, after they've written about their favorite firework, have them use glitter and glue to create fireworks on the paper by pouring a blob of glue and then tipping and twisting the paper to allow the glue to flow into "firework" shapes. Sprinkle generous amounts of glitter on the glue and allow it to dry, then tip the paper and blow away the loose glitter.

Curious George: Parade Day

2011-06-28T10:00:00.002-04:00

Introduce the youngest of children to the celebrations surrounding Independence Day with Curious George: Parade Day!

Perez, Monica & Cynthia Platt.
Curious George: Parade Day.
May 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Curious George: Parade Day introduces children to the iconic symbols of America and Independence Day. It doesn't get more American than the classic apple pie... or does it? From apple pie to the traditional 4th of July fireworks, families across America will participate in a variety of traditions this Independence Day. The text in Curious George: Parade Day is simplistic and in some cases rhyming... each symbol representative of America's independence has it's own page and significance in the story, making it perfect as a stand alone read (each page a different day) or as a book in it's entirety.

This is definitely a book you'll want to use if you have a little one who is old enough to begin recognizing July 4th as an American holiday! It's simple and fun to read with a much-loved character returning to introduce American traditions and for this $7.99 board book edition, how could you go wrong? It'll last for years to come!

Learning/Reading Activities:

Work together to bake an apple pie.
Pack a picnic.
Head to a local parade.
Enjoy a picnic in the park, and turn it into a "counting picnic" as Curious George does, counting all of the fun things around you... kites, hats, trees, dogs, etc.
Spend some time at a local playground, playing as a family.
Create your own "Lady Liberty" costumes or make patriotic parade wear!
Put on some "jammies" and head out to the local fireworks display!

Diary of an American Kid, Review + GIVEAWAY

2011-06-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Jumpstart your child's creativity this summer with the help of Diary of an American Kid!

Sleeping Bear Editor.
Diary of an American Kid.
June 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

One might expect a story similar to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series or Dork Diaries upon first seeing this book... however, what the reader finds may or may not be even better - to me, I found Diary of an American Kid to be an awesome, inspiring way to start children on the path to using their creativity this summer and to inspire a love of journaling for years to come.

This 128-page book becomes a keepsake for children by allowing them the creativity and freedom to include ideas, daydreams, thoughts and feelings, and doodles over the course of time. Some pages provide fun and creative writing prompts, while others provide room for drawing/doodling, while yet others still have children reflecting about their day. The book would be a perfect way to instill a love of journaling while providing children with just enough structure to get them started!

Learning/Reading Activity:

Provide your child with a notebook or journal book similar to Diary of an American Kid to encourage the activity of keeping a journal this summer! Some suggestions are:

* The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, Jeff Kinney
* Doodle Diary: Art Journaling for Girls, Dawn DeVries Sokol
* The Absolutely True, Positively Awesome Book About... ME!!!, Jessica Wilbur
* My Personal Yearbook, Cottonwood Press
* Dude Diary, Mickey and Cheryl Gill
* All About Me: A Keepsake Journal for Kids, Linda Kranz
* Kid's Trip Diary: Kids! Write About Your Own Adventures and Experiences, Loris Bree
* My Book About Me, by Dr. Seuss
* Top Secret, Personal Beeswax by Junie B. (and Me)!, Barbara Park

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

In a comment on this post, share with me your experience with journaling - were you a journal writer? How frequently? Do you still journal?
Be sure to leave an email address along with your comment.
Deadline to enter is Monday, July 4 at 11:59PM EST.
For an extra entry(or three) in SEPARATE comments:
1. Become a subscriber/follower of my blog (+1)
2. Follow me on Twitter - link on right! (+1)
3. Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave a link (+1)
4. Leave a tweet on your Twitter page and then leave a link (+1)
Contest is open to U.S. Residents only, sorry for any inconveniences!
Winner will be selected on Tuesday, July 5th and will receive a copy of Diary of an American Kid!

First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew

2011-06-22T10:00:00.003-04:00

Help children understand the importance and benefits of gardening.

Gourley, Robbin.
First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew.
April 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The White House Garden was introduced in 2009 by Michelle Obama in the hopes of raising awareness about the health of the American people, inspiring individuals and families to think about where our food comes from and what we eat, and encouraging the consumption of more fruits and vegetables. First Garden: The White House Garden and How it Grew shares with readers all this, as well as gives readers a look into the use of the White House grounds in the past . After detailing the specific garden planted at the Obama White House, Gourley shares with readers tips to eating healthier, reasons to garden, and White House recipes using the garden produce.

The book is incredibly well thought out and could be used in a variety of purposes with children. It's definitely worth sharing to promote awareness of gardening and healthy eating habits. I would think this book would be most welcome on library shelves for random checking out by patrons!

Learning/Reading Activities:

It's not to late to plant a garden for the summer! Head out to your local garden store and pick up some sprouts to plant in the garden to get you started!
Have your child complete the following activity in their summer reading journal. After you head to the store to pick out sprouts for your own garden, have your child create the design of your garden. Encourage them to be creative in their design and use some of the mathematical formulas they may be familiar with (area, perimeter, etc) in planning the design.

A Pet for Miss Wright

2011-06-21T10:00:00.002-04:00

Can there be a right pet for Miss Wright? Or, is a pet wrong for Miss Wright?

Young, Judy.
A Pet for Miss Wright.
April 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Miss Wright, a writer, loves her work. However, being an author can get lonely and Miss Wright wants to do something to right that lonely situation and opts to head to the pet store. The clerk at the store reassures Miss Wright that he has the "right" pet for her and gives her a bird. However, the bird doesn't talk as promised, but rather mimics the sound of the clicking keyboard. Miss Wright returns the mynah bird, as he isn't the right pet! The mynah bird is exchanged for a monkey, but it turns out a monkey isn't the right pet either. Miss Wright experiments with a fish, a hamster, and a cat, yet none of those seem to be the right pet for her. Just when she thinks there is no hope left of finding a pet to keep her from being so lonely, Miss Wright finds the right pet for herself... what could possibly be the right pet for Miss Wright?

This book was very humorous! Adults will enjoy the subtlety of humor, which may or may not be picked up by children, yet children will find great pleasure in the story line itself and the mishaps Miss Wright experiences with each of the pets she tries out! This is definitely a great read this summer!

Learning/Reading Activity:

Have children write an additional part to the story, that could be added prior to Miss Wright finding her "right" pet. On Popsicle sticks, write the name of different kinds of animals. Have each child choose a Popsicle stick and then write in their summer journal an adventure that Miss Wright has with that pet that results in her exchanging it for a different one. The stories don't need to be extremely detailed - just enough so that children use their imagination creatively and respond to text during the summer school-free months!

I Can Do It!

2011-06-20T10:00:00.004-04:00

Book 3 in the Walnut Grove series encourages children to believe in themselves!

Lehman, Dana.
I Can Do It!
May 2010.
Lehman Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The characters of Walnut Grove return to teach readers another important life lesson in I Can Do It! After Bucky's near drowning experience in I DOUBLE Dare You!, he learned to take responsibility for his own actions and came to the decision to take swimming a bit more seriously. After spending a great deal of time practicing and learning how to swim, Bucky feels confident in his ability to swim and catch a frog on a lily pad. While some of his Walnut Grove friends discourage him from doing so upon remember his last swimming adventure, Bucky believes in his ability to swim now and eager sets forth, proving that his belief in himself, coupled with lots of hard work has enabled him to learn to swim.

In I Can Do It!, the Walnut Grove characters return to experience a new adventure, visiting a magic forest. It is there that Silly learns the important lesson to believe in himself. After displaying fear of being hurt while building a tree house, Willy lets Silly's friends know that he has become invisible because he "doesn't have the confidence to believe in himself." With much encouragement from his friends and the reminder that he is in a magical forest, Silly begins to believe in himself and eventually does help out building the tree house.

The important lesson to be learned is that belief in yourself is a form of magic - if you believe you can do it, you WILL do it... this is a very important lesson for children who hesitate and seem unsure of themselves, allowing them to find the confidence to try! Definitely a great book for households, libraries and classrooms, as you never know when a child will need this form of encouragement and message!

Reading/Learning Activities:

In their summer journal, have your child write a list of new things they would like to try/achieve this summer. This will give them a purpose to do something productive each day and to track their success as it is achieved.
Choose one of the topics mentioned in their summer journal and encourage your child to believe in his/herself by trying something new this summer. Ask them about something they would like to do but are a bit fearful of - use words of encouragement and gentle prodding to help them realize that their belief in themselves will enable them to achieve a personal goal! Keep a scrapbook of your child's attempts to achieve their goal - including failures from day one until the day they reach their goal. This will be neat to turn into a book and a great reminder of the summer's achievements!

D is for Dala Horse: A Nordic Countries Alphabet

2011-06-17T10:00:00.001-04:00

Encourage children to explore foreign countries and learn about different cultures with the Discover the World series.

Wargin, Kathy-jo.
D is for Dala Horse: A Nordic Countries Alphabet.
September 2010.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

From the Arctic Circle to the zigzag roads, children will learn about the Nordic countries as they explore the landscapes, traditions, geographies, and history of Northern Europe and the North Atlantic.

As is typical of the books in the Discover the World series, D is for Dala Horse: A Nordic Countries Alphabet provides a very simple text related to each letter of the alphabet, as well as a more detailed non-fictional piece for more advanced readers or those who are looking for more in-depth information about the Nordic countries. The book is incredibly educational and would make a welcome addition to any upper-elementary classroom!

Reading/Learning Activities:

Sleeping Bear Press has provided educators with a Teacher's Guide to accompany the book that offers a variety of activities for children and classrooms.
Discover the World Books also has a website that provides children (and educators) with supplementary activities to use in collaboration with the book. Activities include cultural links, recipes, information about currencies, weather, holidays and a page of things to do "if you go." A great resource for educators!

Tugg and Teeny

2011-06-16T10:00:00.003-04:00

Best friends support you through thick and thin!

Lewis, J. Patrick.
Tugg and Teeny.
March 2011.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Meet Tugg (a gorilla) and Teeny (a monkey). Together, the best friend pair lives in the jungle, full of wonderful activities in which they can partake. Teeny wishes to be quite accomplished, and striving to achieve all that she sets her mind to. However, the other "neighbors" in the jungle discourage Teeny though their harsh words. Tugg, on the other hand, does nothing but support Teeny in all her adventures, encouraging her to keep try until she succeeds, despite not always being the best at everything she tries!

Tugg and Teeny does wonders to show children what true friendship is all about! The book is targeted for children in grades 2-3, however, younger children will likely appreciate the story and understand the meaning behind it with an adult-facilitated discussion. It's definitely worth the read and would make a great add to your child's summer reading list!

Reading/Learning Activities:

Have your child start a summer reading journal. After reading different books through the summer, pose a question of some sort to your child and have them write a response in the journal. After reading the story, go back and share the last paragraph on the last page. Monkey is going to be writing a new poem titled, "What It Means To Have a Best Friend." In your child's summer reading journal, pose these exact words as a topic for their first entry. Ask your child to write about what it means to them to "have a best friend." This would likely open up the doors to a discussion about what friendship means and how to be a good friend, and let's face it - in today's day and age, all children could benefit from such a conversation!

Queen of the Falls

2011-06-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Introduce children to the concept of physics and gravity after learning a true account of an individual who survived a barrel drop over Niagara Falls!

Van Allsburg, Chris.
Queen of the Falls.
April 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Depending on where you live in the United States (or world), the Niagara Falls are one of the must-see historical landmarks. I have been there several times myself, and each time, the height and force of the falls amazes me! Why someone would even consider going over the falls in a barrel to try a dare-devilish stunt is beyond my knowledge... but, to each his own!

Chris Van Allsburg's Queen of the Falls shares the journey of the Annie Edson Taylor, the first person (and only woman) to have ever gone over the falls alone and survive. Her journey began in 1901 after the sixty-two year old charm teacher noticed a lack of work in her field. Naturally, worry set in about how she would survive the future financially and Annie decided something must be done to strike it rich. After reading a newspaper article about the tourists visiting Niagara Falls and remembering her own experiences visiting Niagara Falls as a child, Annie decided at that point that she would do something that had never been done before - travel over the falls in a barrel.

Despite the length of the story, it is incredibly well written and will more than likely capture the attention of many children, ages 7-12. Younger children will need help reading and breaking the story down to truly understand it, but older children should be able to handle it on their own. The book would be great to accompany a thematic unit on different natural landscapes and would likely provide for an interesting study when trying to learn about the individuals who have tried successfully to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Reading/Learning Activities:

Have your child(ren) pursue their studies of individuals who survived a barrel ride over Niagara Falls by researching one of the individuals mentioned at Daredevils of Niagara Falls.
Encourage children to experiment with the force of gravity by completing an Egg Drop activity, which would be similar to the planning required by someone hoping to take a barrel over the falls successfully. There are some different websites with ideas about this activity: Whatever Else: Egg Drop Devices, Egg Drop Contest, and Egg Drop Project Ideas are just a few... simply Google "Egg Drop Project" and you'll find many, many more!

Deep in the Desert

2011-06-14T10:00:00.004-04:00

Deep in the Desert might inspire a unique approach for creating a desert thematic unit!

Lucas-Donald, Rhonda.
Deep in the Desert.
March 2011.
Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Deep in the Desert provides educators and children alike with a great deal of knowledge about the wildlife residing in the desert. In a unique fashion, readers will learn about:

bats
meerkats
desert tortoises
fennec foxes
thorny devils
gila monsters
ostrich
camels
javelina
tarkawara

The story takes on a sing-songy fashion, as the information found within the pages is written to the tune of different well-known children's songs, such as "Pop Goes the Weasel" and "Yankee Doodle." Children will be familiar with the tunes, making the new songs easy to learn and the information easy to interpret! Teachers could have all sorts of fun planning for a desert thematic unit, setting the theme around the song tunes in the book. This would offer the opportunity to appeal to a learning style that is less seen in the classroom, reaching out to children who are interested in and learn well through music!

Sylvan Dell Publishing has put out a variety of reading and learning activities to use in collaboration with the book which can be downloaded below:

For Creative Minds, which includes information about desert habitats, desert facts, maps of deserts around the world, and matching activities for students.
Teaching Activities, which include sheet music for all of the adapted songs in the book, science journals, math cards, measuring & mapping activities and many, many more!
Reading, Math and Comprehension Quizzes

Sun Sorter from Guidecraft (Review)

2011-06-13T10:00:00.002-04:00

As the last two weeks of school drew upon us, the Head Start children in my classroom were getting fidgety to say the least! They were sick of school, their teachers and most of all, each other! Bickering set in... complaints set in... and whining began in full force. Around that same time, Guidecraft's Sun Sorter arrived. Talk about a "work time" saver! Work time offers the children a chance to explore the materials in the classroom freely and to engage in exploratory play/learning with children of their choosing. Teachers "play" alongside the children, so it's fun for us to get new "toys" too!

How did the Head Start children enjoy this product?

The toy was added to our "table toy" area when one little girl told me she was "bored." I had been waiting to introduce it during a small group time, but decided that introducing a new toy during this particular work time was the right thing to do! Three children eagerly gathered around as I opened the package. Together, we talked about what it looked like (shapes and colors, specifically). The children quickly named the color of each piece and then decided that the individual pieces looked like triangles and formed a sun.

After our discussion, they quickly took the Sun Sorter apart, laying the pieces in front of them on the table and approached it as a puzzle, setting right to work putting it back to its original shape of a sun. Initially, they struggled with discovering how to put the pieces back together to remake the sun, but one little boy caught on and quickly showed his friends how to do the same! It was amazing to see them getting along so well together with the amount of bickering and tattling that had been going on! They loved using the Sun Sorter as a puzzle and took it apart, putting it back together several times.

Another child joined us at the table and saw me browsing through the included activity booklet. Being the "reader" that she was, she asked what the book was and wanted to look at it. Together, we read the booklet and then she wanted to try to make some of the different shapes shown. She took the activity booklet and pulled it closer towards herself and the Sun Sorter and worked with a little boy to create one of the shapes shown. They decided to try and make the snake and then the bird. It took them a while, but their four-year old persistence paid off and they were able to do so, with just a few reminders that they could try to turn the pieces to make them fit.

After recreating all of the shapes shown in the activity booklet, I prompted the three children that remained at the table to see what else they could make with the shapes from the Sun Sorter. I sat and watched as the three worked as a team, moving shapes and choosing just the right colors. Within a few minutes time, they called my attention to their finished piece. "Tell me about it!," I urged them, as two of the three are receive speech therapy and simply talking about vocabulary works wonders for their IEP goals! One little girl told me, "I use lellow and gween." The little boy responded, "It a'most a circle." The third little girl spoke up, "Miss Katie, know what we made?" "Hmmm... let me think... " I spent just long enough thinking to the point that they couldn't hold the suspense any longer. "It a 'nail." The little boy blurted out. They were so proud of their creation that they went and called some of their other friends over to view their "snail"!

The educator thinks that this product...

encourages children to use their imagination to represent something creatively. In this case, children took what they knew about snails (the bushes outside our building seem to be the ideal habitat for several hundred little ones), and used that to create a shape that resembled (in their minds) the body of a snail... I'd say they did a pretty good job!
promotes knowledge of the mathematical concept of shapes. Many different objects can be represented by the placement of one repeated shape. This will help children to understand that virtually everything can be created/designed if you break it down into shapes.
will reinforce learning colors. The brightly colored wooden shapes appeal to children. I paid attention as the children played together with the shapes - one would ask for a specifically colored piece for their project and another would respond, passing the color or asking another child to help them find that color.
fosters teamwork, as children will want to help each other create unique pieces and see what they can work together to design.
is very durable for use in a busy classroom environment! The wooden pieces are incredibly sturdy and will last for years to come and can be used for a variety of purposes.
space-friendly. In my classroom, storage space is somewhat lacking. The product is packed very compactly, fitting into a box that is slim. It will easily slide onto a shelf or fit into a cupboard and stack neatly!
made a wonderful addition to my four-year old classroom and will be enjoyed many times in the future!

Find Out More...

Guidecraft's Sun Sorter is one of many toys and manipulatives found within the eco-friendly product line. This product line features objects made from eco-friendly rubberwood and stained with low VOC aniline dyes. You can see the full line of Eco-Friendly products from Guidecraft on their website. The Sun Sorter set is available for purchase through Amazon and also through the Guidecraft website.

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!

Piggy Pie Po

2011-06-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

Help beginning readers understand the use of context clues and rhyming words to simplify the reading process!

Wood, Audrey & Don.
Piggy Pie Po.
September 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Piggy Pie Po, a new title by authors Audrey & Don Wood (known for The Napping House) is an ideal book for beginning readers. The three short stories found within the pages are extremely funny and sure to have young children laughing and begging for the stories to be reread! The delightful text is extremely simple and rhythmic. These, coupled with the easily interpreted context clues found within the illustrations will ensure children find the confidence to pick up this book and give it a read on their own!

Learning/Reading Activities:

Reinforce the idea of rhyming words with your students/children by playing rhyming lotto, using the words from the first story in Piggy Pie Po. The game can be downloaded and printed for use here.
Check your students'/childrens' understanding of rhyming words by using the Piggie Pie Po rhyming activity worksheet which can be downloaded here. This asks children to find the word that does not rhyme and circle it.
After reading the third story in the book, discuss what an incredibly funny pig Piggy Pie Po is! Talk about all that he is, all that he can do and all that he has done. Afterwards, as a group, create a shared writing list in which children add words to a list that rhyme with "pig." Use a big piece of chart paper and write "pig" at the top. Then, have children share the pen/pencil/marker to add a word that rhymes with pig. This would be a great time to reinforce the idea that rhyming words typically end with the same letters!

Charlie the Ranch Dog

2011-06-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

Amusing ranch dog, Charlie, narrates his typical hard day's work on the ranch with Suzie. Who's really to praise for all the hard work that's done?

Drummond, Ree.
Charlie the Ranch Dog.
April 2011.
HarperCollins Publishers.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Charlie, Ree Drummond's much-loved basset hound comes to life for children in Charlie the Ranch Dog! While Charlie spends a great deal of time introducing children to the work of a ranch dog, adults will pick up on the humor that is all talk and no play when it comes to the actual work of a ranch dog! Charlie makes himself out to look like the hero of the ranch - being a morning dog who's job is to:

chase cows out of the yard they shouldn't be in
keep critters out from beneath the porch
helping out in the vegetable garden
rounding up cattle
fixing fences
catching fish
keep cows away from the garden

What Charlie really does is pretend he's doing all the work while his best friend Suzie doesn't have all that he has (in looks and ability), which happens to be what is required to be a ranch dog. However, while Charlie believes Suzie is off running, digging and jumping - tiring herself out so much that she spends the rest of the day resting. And Charlie figures he may as well follow suit! But, while Charlie's resting, Suzie's out being the real ranch dog!

Young children are sure to enjoy the story of two farm dogs, as pets are always a favorite topic for children. Older children and adults will enjoy the humor found deeper within the pages, teaching the subtle lesson to give credit where credit is due!

Looking for a vacation idea this summer? Why not think about spending time at a working dude ranch and seeing what the work is all about! For a list of working dude ranches, check out: www.duderanch.org. There are also ranches that are family-friendly and provide children's programs for children ages 3-17, as well as, cattle work activities... sounds like fun to me!

You can also check out these other related reads:

At Home on the Ranch/Mi Casa en el rancho by Sharon Gordon
Ranch by Roxie Monroe
Long Hard Day on the Ranch, Audrey Nelson

Multicultural (Asian) Awareness in Preschool

2011-05-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Incorporating the teaching of multiculturalism in the daily curriculum is not only important - it can be pretty easy to do!

Two weeks ago, my Head Start class spent time focusing on letter L as our letter of the week. Typically our activities feature math, science, nutrition and literacy activities that relate to the letter. Letter L seemed to be the perfect time to introduce my little ones (4&5 year olds) to the craft of Chinese paper lanterns. With the help of Creative Diversity, my students were able to explore a bit about the Chinese culture in a cross-curricular approach, through the use of their Asian Cultural Celebration Bag!

First, we read Paper Lanterns by Stefan Czernecki. Children sat relatively quietly, very interested in the bold, engaging pictures and discussing the text as it was read. The story was a bit lengthy and at times I felt as though I was "losing" them... however, I was able to keep them focused and we were able to finish out the story!

Czernecki, Stefan.
Paper Lanterns.
2004 (2001).
Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
Review copy provided courtesy of Creative Diversity by Hatch.

Old Chen, an elderly crafter of paper lanterns is ready to retire and pass on his craft to someone else, but is unsure of who to pass the tradition to. His two employees excel at other aspects of the crafting of paper lanterns, but they just don't have what it takes to construct the beautiful pieces of work. A little boy suddenly appears, interested and eager to learn. However, Old Chen feels he is much to young to be able to construct the lanterns. The little boy watches intently and practices for hours on end at home, hoping to perfect his own abilities and eventually the opportunity presents itself in which the little boy, known as Little Mouse, is able to show off his abilities to Old Chen, surprising the elderly man and convincing him that Little Mouse must be the one to take over the construction of the paper lanterns.

Upon finishing the story, I pulled children into the activity of decorating the paper lanterns by telling them that they were going to have their hand an being "Little Mouse." Boy, were they ever excited... they thought it was going to be so cool to decorate a fancy lantern like the dragon in the book! We quickly broke into our small groups, and I quickly made a sample lantern so they had some idea of how it would turn out or what kind of approach they could use. Some of the children were all about carefully coloring/designing their lanterns... others just couldn't wait to be done and on to work time (our version of center-based play).

The lanterns turned out amazing, as you'll see in the photograph below. It was definitely a great activity and way to learn a little about Chinese culture (and a perfect photo prop for our end-of-the-year photo shoot)! I will say they were very time consuming to put together. About half of the children were able to manipulate their fine-motor skills to tear the perforations without tearing the tops and bottoms of the outer lantern sphere. The perforating of the lantern spheres of the other half fell into the hands of myself, my assistant and my aide. We quickly were able to get these done, only to find out that the inner globe didn't quite fit inside the outer sphere when put together and we had to modify the construction of the lantern to move things along for our active bunch. Eventually we gave up trying to get them to help and sent them on their way to work time, finishing up the lanterns on our own! If we were to do this project again, we'd definitely just have the kids do the coloring and we'd do the constructing on our own time, instead of hoping that the children could help out! Needless to say, we were very impressed with how they turned out and were very excited about using them as photo props (seen below)!

The following day, for our small group time, we decided to spend a bit more time learning about Chinese culture, in preparation of getting the photo shoot set-up appropriately! Our classroom had previously acquired a copy of the Our World series and one of the titles was A Look at China.

Frost, Helen.
A Look at China (Our World Series).
2000.
Capstone Press.
Provided by school resource library.

Repetitive wording and phrasing allows young readers to engage fully in the reading while also learning about a new culture. A Look at China introduces children in a simplistic manner to the Great Wall of China, a small bit of Chinese language (hello, goodbye), Chinese New Year, weather, landscapes, population, modes of transportation, nutrition, currency and dress. Coupled with the photographs, children will gain a basic understanding of a lifestyle different than their own and will likely find an urge to learn more!

After reading A Look at China, children were given the opportunity to explore some Asian play food (sent with the Asian Cultural Celebration Bag) which we had placed in our House Area. It was a huge hit and had I been smart enough, I would have ordered some real Chinese food for sampling that day! While they were playing and exploring, we set up our photo shoot in the quiet area (including the Children's Chinese Festival poster) that came with the bag. We then had the students take turns posing as "Chinese children," dressed in their kimonos (also found in the bag), holding their homemade lantern and their choice of the Chinese dragon or the Chinese puppet (you'll find photos of both below)! Can you say hit? You should have seen the smiles - absolutely perfect for the end-of-the-year gifts we're putting together for parents!!!

Also provided in the bag was a copy of Kathy Tucker's The Seven Chinese Sisters, which was a huge hit! The kids loved it and several even asked for me to read it again a few days later! If you coupled it with Margaret Mahy's The Seven Chinese Brothers, you could have quite an interesting conversation on the similarities and differences of the two and find some pretty excited children in the process!

Tucker, Kathy.
The Seven Chinese Sisters.
2003.
Albert Whitman & Company.
Review copy provided courtesy of Creative Diversity.

Each of the seven Chinese sisters has a talent unique to themselves. Upon discovering that the youngest has been taken away by a hungry dragon, the other six must work together to help their sister, putting aside all differences and joining together as a unified force, each offering her unique talent to outwit the dragon.

The multicultural dramatic play materials were a huge hit in our class and I've decided I'm going to try and get a hold of more of them for my classroom for next year - through a school order or perhaps purchasing on my own. The craft activity (lanterns) were a hit with some of the children but also equally disliked by others (keep in mind I do have a VERY active class that sits still for such an activity very seldom) - given a few modifications (as mentioned above) the lanterns would have been a hit with everyone! The cultural celebration bags are definitely worth the investment, especially if you're looking to increase an awareness of cultural differences in your program/classroom!

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!

Children's Book Week, Post 2: The Greedy Sparrow

2011-05-03T10:00:00.001-04:00

Teach children that rather than greed, appreciate what they have!

Kasbarian, Lucine.
The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale.
April 2011.
Marshall Cavendish.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The Greedy Sparrow teaches (older) children an importance lesson about how greed may come back to haunt you. A sparrow starts out asking for a simple favor. However, his simple favor quickly turns into asking for more and more to see just what he can gain. Just when the sparrow thinks he's hit it big, he gets his "pay back," winding up with nothing more than he started with.

The story is more appropriate for older children, as the concept may be harder for young children to understand - perhaps because of the unfamiliar "gifts" in which the sparrow is greedy about. However, if you're creative, you could adapt the story for younger children by changing out the "things" that the sparrow is requesting. As I said... you would have to be creative in doing this appropriately and I'm not sure I have it in me, quite frankly, so I think I'll leave this one to the older children!

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!

Children's Book Week, Post 1: Dream Big Little Pig!

2011-05-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

Encourage the dreams of young children!

Yamaguchi, Kristi.
Dream Big Little Pig!
March 2011.
Sourcebooks, Incorporated.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Kristi Yamaguchi, artist, author, athlete, wife, mother and philanthropist reaches out to children in her picture book, Dream Big Little Pig!. This wonderful book will encourage children to reach for their dreams, no matter how big and to be persistent in doing so. As would be appropriate from an Olympic Champion figure skater, the hero of the book, Little Pig, finds her calling and fulfills her dream as a ice skater, though not before trying out a few other dreams in the process.

A portion of the profits from sales of Dream Big Little Pig! will go to support Yamaguchi's Always Dream foundation and the collaborative early childhood literacy initiative sponsored by the foundation. Below, you will find a brief summary about the foundation and it's purposes:

...whose sole purpose would be to inspire and embrace the hopes and dreams of children.
Through my Always Dream Foundation, I simply hope to help children fulfill their dreams...

...the Always Dream Foundation has purchased computers for an after-school mentoring program, provided 'shopping sprees' for underprivileged children to purchase back-to-school clothing, organized Holiday parties for children's shelters and sponsored summer camp for kids with disabilities.

This is definitely a quality book, well worth checking out as part of this year's Children's Book Week and I would highly recommend it to all!

2011-05-01T21:13:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Books 4 Learning for awarding me the "Versatile Blogger Award."

Rules of the Award:

Thank the person who gave you the award.
Tell us 7 things about yourself.
Award 15 recently discovered bloggers.
Contact the blogs to let them know they've received the award!

Seven Things About Me:

I teach twenty extremely active Head Start children (ages 4 and 5).
I love traveling - hope to travel to some place in all 50 states at some point in time.
I enjoy crafting - sewing and scrapbooking are favorites!
Reading is my passion - I read for at least 30 minutes each night before bed.
Sunshine, a good book, the pool and the hammock are my best friend on a summer day!
I am learning to live with Type 2 Diabetes.
Family is most important to me!

Insect Lore Brings Nature Alive Inside Your Home!

2011-04-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

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!

Get Children Involved in Seasonal Sports!

2011-04-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

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!

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

2011-04-22T10:00:00.003-04:00

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:

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)!
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).
Using the paint brush/sponge, have your child paint the entire page with the mixture.
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!
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!

She Loved Baseball

2011-04-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

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!

The Boy in the Garden

2011-04-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

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!