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Now that summer is officially over, I will be blogging on Life Long Learner. Join me over there!

Familiar Books

Even though I have not been blogging, we are still reading away at my house! Shannon has become more interested in books, but only a select few, which we read before bed and nap time. In fact, she points to the book she wants, we read it, and she takes it to bed with her. One of these nights I will sneak in and take a picture of her cuddled with her blanket and book.
Anyway, back to the point of this post. Babies (1 year olds) love the repetitive nature of books. They also love rereading familiar stories because they know what to expect. For example, we have been reading a shape book. Each page opens up,down, or out. When we first started reading this book (every night!) Shannon had no idea how to open the pages, after 3 or 4 readings she started to open the pages on her own. Modeling how to do something for children is so important. It is interesting to watch the child pick up the concept, practice it, then finally master it.
Books like the shape book are great for kids because the teach about shapes, and they expand vocabulary. We are learning about squares AND the names of objects that are squares. Even though 1 year olds can't express the language yet it is vital to build vocabulary with them. You will be surprised when they start using these words in conversations with you when they are 2!

Soooo - familiar book help build vocabulary which will help your children expand their receptive language which effects their expressive language later.

Last Day of Challenge

Well, I think this is post 35 of my 35 Day Literacy Challenge.  This has been a great challenge for me to fit in time to write these posts. It has also been a great way to start conversations with other moms and dads about literacy for children. I hope my ideas and stories have inspired you to do something new with your children, and I hope I didn't come across too strong. My intention is to continue writing on this blog, but I will not be able to write every weekday once the school year begins. Anyway...onto our final post.

Last night Shannon was reading a Fisher Price Little People in the Zoo book. The book is chock full of lift the flaps, which she is learning to do herself. She is still pointing to every person, and animal she sees in the book, but now she loves the "lift the flap" feature. She laughs as she opens the flap to see what is inside. This is so entertaining and stimulating for her. Do you have any of these books? Try them out with your kids!

Have you seen any 3D books? We have one called "In the Jungle." It is a rather simple board book, but at least 1 animal on every page is in 3D. Our favorite page in this book is the crocodile page. We pretend to put our finger in between the croc's teeth, then SNAP! he bites us. Recently, Patrick has asked me to make the characters in the book talk. So, I become the character and he asks questions to me. He created this game. I just went along with it. His imagination amazes me everyday. This game is worth playing with your child. Become a character and ask questions to your child. See how he/she answers while chatting to the character instead of to you.

Your challenge - Get a 3D book and discover the cool effects together. Or, Get a Lift the flaps book and play with it.

Congrats if you completed all 35 Days!

Panda bear panda bear

We had another library trip today and I seriously thought I was going to get kicked out. I was trying to make it a quick trip so I only brought 1 seat for my stroller and no extra toys for Shannon.  Patrick was running around pretending to be a horse and when I finally corrected him and told him I wanted him to be a good by he screamed,"I don't want to be a good boy." I got out with 10 new books to share.
Our first read of Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See? by bill Martin was an instant hit with both children. The rhythm and repetition led to a rhythmic babbling from Shannon and Patrick was repeating the phrase by the third or fourth page. Bill Martin has several books in this series...enjoy them with your family!
Your challenge - get your hands on a Bill Martin book http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson793/booklist.pdf

Barnes & Noble

A few days ago, I took the kids to Barnes & Noble. I figured we could read a couple books together, use the remainder of a gift card, and I could get a coffee. I laugh because I plan my trips around places that are child friendly that offer more than 1 service. Barnes & Noble exceeded all my expectations as an inexpensive way to spend an afternoon.

Our Barnes & Noble is totally redone. I know most BN have a beautiful children's section filled with books, a stage, and comfortable chairs for kids. Our Barnes & Noble also has an educational toys section, and in this section they had several toys set up for kids to try out. There was a train table, lego table, and doll table. Patrick had a great time playing with the trains, and Shannon tested out some overpriced really cool developmental toys.
Then we sauntered over to the books. My intention was to buy Market Day by Lois Ehlert, but I couldn't find it. I have to get this book because Patrick asks for it every night, and its a library book. Sidenote - the library is a great place to try out books before spending money on them! Then we talked about other books Patrick might want. He chose several - a construction truck book with wheels, a Dinosaur train book, and a train book that made sounds. Once he had all these books picked out I explained he had to pick just 1 book. He ended up choosing the Train book. While we were searching for books Patrick pointed out books he already read, and kept giving them to Shannon. Usually saying something like, "Here Shannon read this. I already read this book." Look Shannon it's the Elmo book." Then he came out with, "Drew has that bunny book." I couldn't believe the amount of books Patrick recognized in the book store, and how much fun we could have on a trip to Barnes & Noble.

Your challenge - Take a trip to a bookstore with your child. Plan to stay for about an hour. Let him/her play with the toys, search the shelves, and cuddle on your lap as you read some books together. If you haven't visited the library yet because you aren't a library person this may be a good compromise.

Upstairs book, Down here Book

All the parenting books explain the importance of a good bedtime routine, and if you stick to the routine your child will sleep...blah, blah, blah. I perscribed to this with my son, and, guess what? It doesn't work. Patrick is a bad sleeper. I will take the blame for it because I am not a good sleeper either. Since he is not the greatest at going to bed, our bedtime rituals have changed to meet his needs as he goes to bed.
We try to unwind before bed, and oftentimes that means reading a book downstairs. This is part of our routine now, and is known as the "down here book." In our nightly bedtime negotiations, Patrick tries to get 2 down here books and 2 upstairs books. How can you deny a kid this? Anyway, I thought it was neat that he developed the phrases upstairs book and down here book.

Your challenge - revisit your bedtime routine. Does it need a change? Since I've started this challenge I've made changes to both kids routines...Shannon now gets a book and 2 songs, and, well, Patrick is still a nightly negotiation!

Book Storage

As a teacher, I want summer to go as slow as possible for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is so that I can spend more time with my family, and another reason is so I can work on my summer teaching projects. All teachers have them...a list of ideas, lessons, or books they simply don't have enough time to read during the "busy" season. So, it is no surprise to my husband that I lug home boxes of things year after year in hopes of completing some of my summer teaching projects.
This summer I am trying to familiarize myself with as many picture books as possible, so I brought home a ton of books from my classroom. Of course, I am reading them to my kids as well, but I don't want my children to touch the books the way I let them touch and interact with our own books.

Lakeshore Learning sells magnetic shelves. I bought a set to use in my classroom, but was disappointed in them. I should have taken them back, but I never got around to it. So, I found a use for them in my kitchen. And, many of you might have this space!

The shelves are perfect here because they are partially blocked by the cabinets, which holds the books in better. They don't come out too far. And, they offer a beautiful display for books. As the kids get older you could display favorite books, or themed books. This would be a great place to put the Christmas books too. Imagine coming down first thing in the morning and a book catching your eye.

Your challenge - Find a place in your house to proudly display books. If you like the shelves, I got them at Lakeshore Learning. ($39.95 for 3 magnetic shelves) But, I must say I would not buy these again unless they were a little bit wider.



Reading is Thinking

The way reading is taught in schools has changed drastically in the past 25 years. I remember reading stories in grade school, then taking a test with the book closed. The tests usually focused on basic recall questions, sequencing events, and vocabulary questions. None of these questions really challenged the student to think about the text. Current practice focuses much less on the basic recall questions and pushes the reader to really analyze, and evaluate the text. (Bloom's Taxonomy) Notice how we want to push our students to be evaluators and creators. When students are tested on books now they are allowed to use the book as a reference. And, this idea can start very young!

Evaluating with Kids

Simply offering choice is a way you can teach your child to evaluate. Sometimes I put out 3-4 of Patrick's books. I ask him to choose his favorite (this changes frequently!) When we start to ask questions like asking your child to choose a favorite anything is a common question, but try to stretch it...Why is it your favorite? Now, I will admit, kids are not developmentally ready to give sound reasons as to why they like Jack and the Beanstalk over Hansel and Gretel, but if we provide a model they are more likely to try it out. For example, I like Jack and the Beanstalk better because I like when Jack goes up in the clouds to the big castle. Your child may say I like that part too! This is a small way to start developing the evaluating skills in young children.

Creating with Kids

Kids love to reenact favorite moments in their books. Last week when we were at the shore Patrick found a beanstalk at the playground. He climbed up and said, "Look! I'm just like Jack!" I stretched him and asked, "Where are you going?" He was going to the castle. Yes, he is recreating the scene in the story when Jack climbs the beanstalk up to the Giant's castle. Kids have such amazing imaginations! As you play, use the books you have read to recreate scenes.

Your challenge - Try to evaluate or create with your child today. Let me know how it goes!



Market Day

I thought this was a great follow up to yesterday's post.

We go through phases of favorite books. Right now, one of our favorites is Market Day by Lois Ehlert. Shannon & Patrick both like this book. Shannon points to various things and we tell her what they are. Patrick is obsessed with this book. I'd guess we read it 3-4 times each day. Lately he's been asking for a book 1st thing in the morning, and this is the one he chooses. I guess I better buy a copy since it is a library book!

This book is a story about people getting ready to sell goods at the town Farmer's Market. The pictures are collages made by various materials. We have so much fun reading this story, pointing to the pictures, talking about animals, colors, and where they are going. At the end of the book there are small pictures of all the different pieces Ehlert used in the book to create the pictures. We like to look at a picture, then go back and find it in the story. Ehlert also lists the materials and origin of each item in the book, which could be used to enhance the story as well.
The reason why I think this is such a good follow up to yesterday's post about background knowledge is because we took a trip to our farmer's market yesterday. We haven't been to our "Market Day" since we got this book, and Patrick was so excited to go to "Market Day." He asked if Froggy (his lovey) could go, he asked if his crocodile could go. Then, as I was getting the stroller together and putting Shannon in he appeared at the back door with his bright red cozy coupe car and said, "I'm ready for Market Day!" In the story, the people load up their car for market day, and he was connecting the story to his own world by wanting to take his car. Unfortunately I couldn't let him take the car, which ended in a complete meltdown, but I was fascinated by the connection he made to the book. On our walk to the farmer's market I asked him what he thought we might see - he listed all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and of course he was right! Last night when he went to bed we read "Market Day" he was able to point out fruits and vegetables and say we bought them. He also talked about the dogs we saw at the farmer's market, and tried to say the animals in the story were all dogs.  I share this story because it was exactly what I challenged you to do yesterday...read a book, make it "come to life," read the book again.

Your challenge - Get your hands on a Lois Ehlert book! Here are a few suggested titles - Lois Ehlert Books Enjoy the story, and creative artwork with your child

Building Background Knowledge

Background knowledge is extremely important in producing literate children. Daily experiences, trips, interactions, conversations, television shows, and books are just some of the ways that we build background knowledge. Our brains store away this information, and through multiple experiences with something the brain builds strong paths in order to access the stored information. Our brain is like a computer - every file is in a folder, which is in another broader folder, which is in an even more general folder. For example, if I think about peaches my brain automatically brings up an image for it. That image is stored in the "peach" folder. The peach folder is stored in the "fruit" folder. The fruit folder is stored in the "food" folder. And we get more general from there.
Peach>>Fruit>>Food>>Eating>>Taking Care of Body

When we just learn a new concept or object, our brain doesn't have anywhere to store the item until it defines the more general qualities of the item. After multiple interactions with the new item it moves from the short term memory into the long term memory (the filing system)

Today we went to the zoo with some friends. Going to the zoo with 6 children under 3 years old is not the most intellectual experience, but it is certainly educational. All of the kids want to see their favorite animals (monkey, gorilla, elephant, horse) But none of them have the stamina to stay at an exhibit for more than 3 minutes to just watch and enjoy the animals. This trip, my friends, was a building background knowledge trip! We were able to work on the "zoo" folder today. What is the zoo? What is not the zoo? What will we see there? What will we discover?
Now, when we read about zoo animals we will use our new background knowledge to rediscover the book.
Some things we learned at the zoo today

• horses, monkeys, baby chicks, chickens, tortoises, goats, donkeys, sheep, ponies>>animals in the zoo
• We can't touch baby chicks, but we can look at them>>babies and mommies

Another thing that I find amazing. Kids remember their visits to places. We frequently visit the zoo, and Patrick will ask for the horses. Today when we were approaching them he wanted to get out, and he ran to the exact spot where we watched them before. I noticed my friends' child ask, "Ride the choo choo?" Because he knows there is a choo choo train, from previous trips. One idea that may be fun is to take pictures while on these trips, get the prints, and make them into a learning book. I've never done this because I never take enough pictures, but this would really help build the synapses that strengthen the short term to long term memory.

Your challenge - 2 parts! Plan a background building trip with your friends (those who went to the zoo today can check this part off!) Once you arrive home, find a related book, and read it with your new background knowledge. Notice how the book changes since your background knowledge trip. Want a real experiment? Read the book before your trip, then read it after!
 

Reading bonds relationships

While on vacation last week, I noticed a huge stack of board books in my sister-in-law's room. She has a 3.5 month old, and reading is already part of the bedtime routine. I am not surprised as my dear SIL is also an educator and amazing, natural mother. She claims that reading soothes her baby to sleep. She said she only reads 1-2 books a night, but the main purpose of the reading at this point is the soothing! Smart Mommy!!!

Throughout the week I noticed that Patrick gravitated toward the newborn and his mommy. One night while I was cooking dinner Patrick "disappeared" into their room. I could hear faint voices and laughter, and after about 15 minutes I peeked my head in to see Patrick "reading" to the 3.5 month old baby. While I was in the room they were reading a Phillies Baseball book. In just a few short years instead of reading about baseball they will be outside playing it together. But for now, what a perfect bonding experience for Patrick and his new baby cousin. Books can bring people together. Books lead to conversations. Schools are encouraging students to discuss books through book clubs, conferences, and partner reading. Why not start at an even younger age and have siblings or cousins read to each other? Step back and watch the dialogue unfold.

Your challenge - Find your child a reading partner...a sibling, cousin, friend. Encourage them to read a favorite book to one another. Just this morning Patrick & Shannon read The Little Engine that Could together. Shannon pointed to objects, Patrick named them. I read the entire story to both of them. 

Wrapping books

Back on the saddle tomorrow for the 35 day literacy challenge. Our vacation was lovely...I chose to spend time with my family instead of writing. I hope you understand! Anyway, I sat down tonight and began wrapping books for the "25 days of Christmas" idea that I posted about earlier. 6 books ready to go - have you thought any more about this idea?

Never take a vacation from reading!

We are on vacation this week. I didn't have the chance to post yesterday, but will try to post daily. Our Internet connection is a little spotty. Packing for vacation can be overwelming, but I have to admit I was grateful to do all the work beforehand to make our vacation go smoothly (I brought down a full grocery order and packed kids outfits by day) We brought lots of books with us on vacation! I made sure to pack some of Patrick and Shannon's favorite books for bedtime, and also some others for the common area. Books don't take up too much room, and provide tons of entertainment. It is also fun for the kids to share their favorite books with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Your challenge - next time you are with other people encourage one of them to read with your child. It is great to hear someone else's interpretation of a book!

Draw. Write. Now

I found these books when I was teaching 2nd and 3rd grade, and it was love at first sight. I am not an artist, but I wish with all of my heart that I was taught some of these simple drawings in elementary school. As a teacher - THANK GOODNESS FOR SMARTBOARDS, and the instant ability to search images instead of drawing!
Anyway, back to the books. Writing is a critical piece of developing literacy with your children. Patrick & Shannon both come home with projects from daycare that show they are working on writing and drawing. It is never too early to start. So, these books teach you step by step how to draw hundreds of pictures. They also have a writing component, but I am not using it with my kids...yet!

So, how do I use these books with my kids? When we are drawing on paper or magna doodle, Patrick will ask me to draw something (usually a horse!) I use the book to learn how to make a better drawing for him. Then, he can color in my drawing or he tries to draw on his own. My husband is a much better artist than me, and Patrick knows it. In fact he knows if he wants a horse drawn to ask Daddy instead of me. These books give me a little boost of confidence with my drawing skills.
http://www.drawyourworld.com/ - The website is filled with great ideas
Once the drawing is complete, make it come to life. Patrick usually asks for a barn for the horse, or if we draw a car he wants a road. Make up a story about your drawing together.

Your challenge - Draw with your child today. Make up a story about your drawing. Be sure to display your drawing in your house! Or, send it to grandparents.

One more tip

I have been taking photos of the art projects that Patrick and Shannon have made. Rather than keep the actual project, I plan to make a shutterfly album or their artwork every year.

Board Book Sets

Short and Sweet tonight! Do you have any board book sets? We have a couple...Disney princesses, Cars, and Transportation. They are great for a quick read, and also kids love to take them out and put them back in the box.

Your challenge - Get your hands on some Board Book Sets. They are a great addition to your diaper bag so you have books where ever you go!

Pointing to Familiar Faces

The refrigerator is a great place for new standers to play. I tried to keep a clean fridge front, but then I realized the kids could play in front of the fridge while I cooked, so I have since filled my fridge with pictures. Soon I will be putting the magnetic letters up, but for now I really like my idea of pictures. Shannon (1) was playing and pointing to all the pictures on the fridge and I had an idea. I asked her - Where's Daddy? And she pointed to him. Where's Patrick? She pointed to him. Where's Fergus (the dog?) She pointed to him. Then I remembered....receptive language develops at a faster rate than expressive language. Shannon knows who all of the important people in her life are even if she can't say their names yet. This led to another idea...I got one of our kid friendly photo albums, and put in more recent pictures of Mommy, Daddy, Patrick, and Fergus. Now Shannon can look at the pictures of her favorite people both on the fridge and in her very own photo album.
Another great idea for the fridge...this is taken from a good friend's house - a choice board. When her child wants a drink he goes to the fridge and points to the milk, water, or juice choice. This really helps children express what they want when they don't have the words to do it yet.

Your challenge - Use your fridge as a place to help your child learn new faces. Make is go beyond Mom, Dad, and siblings. How about grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, teachers...

Peek-A-Boo and Board Book Wrapped Into One!

Oftentimes I am reading to both my 2 year-old and 1 year-old at the same time. We were reading this book this morning, and I thought I'd write about how they both interacted with the book in such different ways, yet they were able to enjoy it together.

This book is called Guess Who Farm Friends. Each animal hides behind a certain body part that you move to reveal the animal and repetitive language - "Peekaboo! I'm a ______." The right side of the page has clues to read about the animal. The last page has all the animals in the book pop up all together.
So, when Shannon gets ahold of this book she plays with the part of the book that opens and closes. As she is opening and closing I am repeating, "Peekaboo!" which makes her then cover her eyes to play peekaboo. Then, Patrick usually says something like, "Look Shannon it's a sheep." Shannon continues to play with the open close part of the book while Patrick begins to explore the rest of the page. Look at the sheep. They are far away. Then I might say, Patrick which sheep is the most far away? And he points to it. We will look at the flowers and identify colors. We will notice the sheep is holding a flower. We will make sheep sounds. We will look at the sheep's ears. Today Patrick even spotted the words and said "What's that?" I told him it said peekaboo. I held his pointer finger and we traced underneath the word as we said Peekaboo together. Anytime we said peekaboo, Shannon covered her eyes and wanted to play with us. We laughed as we  interacted with the book.  At the end of the book we sang Old McDonald. Now, this just happens to be a favorite of Shannon's so it just made her day. When we got to the line "And on his farm he had a..." I would put to an animal and Patrick would scream the name. This book kept us entertained for at least 15 minutes this morning.

So, to sum it up here are 10 things we did with this book, and the reason why we did it.
1. Read the clues (fluent reading)
2. Identify animals (build vocabulary)
3. Make animal sounds (build vocabulary by putting animal name and sound together)
4. Lift flap to reveal animal (fine motor skills)
5. Point to objects in book. (build vocabulary)
6. Notice colors in book (build vocabulary)
7. Near/Far (build vocabulary, direction words)
8. Point to words (begin to realize books have words, words tell a story)
9. Play Peekaboo (object permanence, social interaction)
10. Sing Old McDonald (social interaction, singing, language development)

Your challenge - Choose a book and try to think of 5 things to do with the book as you read today.

A Christmas Idea!

Thanks to Tara for posting this in pinterest!

24 Books of Christmas...

Gather together 24 books that you plan to read during the Christmas season. Wrap them. (they don't have to be new books!) Have your child choose a new book to read before bed each night.

I think I've mentioned before that I try to introduce a new book everyday. Lately I've been reading the new book after dinner. Both kids are captivated in their high chairs as I read, and almost every night Patrick asks me to reread the book. It is so much fun to rediscover some of my old favorites, and read brand new books.

I am going to try this idea for the Christmas season, but I plan to only do about 10 books. Off the top of my head here are the ones I will include.

Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
Gingerbread Baby - Jan Brett
Gingerbread Friends - Jan Brett
Home for Christmas - Jan Brett
The Night Before Christmas - (I have a Jan Brett version)
Room for a Little One - Martin Waddell
The Spirit of Christmas - Nancy Tillman
Merry Christmas Mom and Dad - Mercer Meyer
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr. Seuss
Llama Llama Holiday Drama - Ann Dewdney
Where Is Baby's Christmas present? - Karen Katz

Your challenge - What are some of your faorite books that you plan to share with your child? Make a list, go to the library and check them out!

The Land of Make Believe

When I was little I remember watching Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I remember waiting and waiting until finally the "Land of Make Believe" would be on. I loved this part - I'm not sure if it was the striped tiger, or purple panda, or King Friday, or even the mix of real people and puppets, but this was the best part of the show. I loved how the trolley took us on a magical ride to the land of make believe, and as a child, I thought I was really leaving Mr. Roger's house and entering a whole new world.

I think as we get older we forget about the Land of Make Believe and all it has to offer us - an escape from reality. Luckily, our kids learn very early how to play in the land of make believe. This offers them opportunity to recreate television shows, stories, and create new stories all on their own. It is important to foster this creativity in our children. Pretend play is a break from structure, routine, and the known. It allows children to work on their language and begin to create their own stories and situations.

I have been noticing what Pat has done in his own world of make believe this week.

• pushed the shopping cart over to window, took out all the food items and created a store. Then used the shopping cart to "buy" things from the store. This also allowed Shannon to practice standing at the window and transfer items to and from the shopping cart.
• "click-clock, click-clock, click-clock" is often heard when Patrick is pretending to be a horse. He also sings a song that he learned from a youtube video and practices the line "He walks, He trots, He runs, He gallops and gallops and gallops."
• drives his car to various places (Mimi's house, Grammie's house, the store to get ice cream, etc.)
• sets up train and has different people, dinosaurs, and animals get on and off. As I write this he is pretending to look for King, the dinosaur (recreating an episode from Dinosaur Train)

Your challenge - Allow your children extra time to play in the land of make believe and observe them. Watch how he/she creates a dialogue, notice how the different toys are used in new and different ways and don't interupt them!

I'll Read to You

Well, friends, it has happened! Patrick can read. Yup, he can read. He read to me last night!

Ok, not really read, but he wanted to read to me last night. Now that I'm thinking about it, he read to Shannon last week. I guess my job as a reading teacher/mother is complete! Just kidding...It was interesting when Patrick picked up a book yesterday and said, "I read to you, Mommy." And, I let him. It was a book all about farm animals. I meant to steal it out of his room to take a picture to put up here because I love the book, but I forgot. I will post it later. So, his reading consisted of pointing to pictures and asking me questions like - What color is the duck? What does the duck say? Where is the tractor going? His reading was asking me questions, just like when I read him the same exact book I ask him similar questions.
Nationwide schools are trying to bolster their nonfiction libraries. Boys tend to love nonfiction, and there is rarely enough in the classrooms. I have found even at age 2 Patrick prefers nonfiction books about animals, farms, towns etc. He likes to learn and these books create experiences for him. `
Shannon also likes nonfiction books - while she can not communicate as efficiently as Patrick yet, she can point to animals. In fact, in the doctor's office today we were reading a book about sea creatures together. Shannon was pointing to animals, I was naming the animal (dolphin, fish), and Patrick was giving a description (This one is blue, look at the water, I see 2 fisheees, Wow look at this) Shannon is making so much progress just by focusing on a page longer, or pointing to a picture. Nonfiction books are great for 1 year olds because there are many different pictures on a page, which allows her to point to plenty of objects and learn about them.

Your challenge - Read some nonfiction with your child today. Notice the drastic differences between a fiction and nonfiction story. Point out the differences to your child, and ask questions as you read. Then, let your child "read" to you!

Purposeful Vocabulary

Quick post...hopefully I will find some time to research tonight to find the exact quotes that I want to use.
Before I go on with this post, I just have to say, this is a challenge to post every weekday. I am embracing the freedom of summer, and so are my kids! We have been to the mountains, both sets of grandparents houses, and 2 weddings. We are looking forward to 2 weeks down the shore with our families. In the beginning of the summer my intention was to write during nap time...this seldom happens! Anyway, back to today's post...

Janet Allen wrote a great book called Words, Words, Words which I used while teaching in middle school and high school. Basically, she challenges teachers to begin using certain words 2 weeks before formally assigning the words. I think this strategy can be used with our children. I love to watch Patrick's vocabulary grow, and I notice that when I use certain words or phrases he begins to use them after a while. (For example, I use the expression freak out a lot. I never knew I used it until Patrick said it to me. He used it in the right context - right before bed, right before I was going to leave his room and he would begin to cry. He said, "I'm gonna freak out Mommy.")

Your challenge - Think of some words or phrases  you want to teach your child. Be aware of when you use the words in conversation with your child, and try to use it as often as possible. Notice when he/she begins to use the word or phrase!

Reading Routine

"Alhough a read-aloud session can happen anytime, it's important also to have a ritual about reading aloud every night, in the same place, at the same time, with the same cushions or pillows, ths same stuffed animals, and the same books. Accodring to Maragaret Mead, the noted anthropologist, children not only appreciate the safety of a predictable life, they actually need regular routines to feel secure in the world. So while read-aloud sessions can happen any time, they must happen at bedtime." (Mem Fox, Reading Magic p.35-36)

Both of my children read before bed at night. Sometimes, both my husband and I get in bed and read before turning out the lights. Though I will admit most of the time I fall asleep on the couch downstairs.

Reading is a staple in both of my kids bedtimes routines. With Shannon, we cuddle in the rocking chair and read a board book. Some of our favorites are Llama Llama Nighty Night, 15 Animals, and Kiss Kiss. Shannon is usually so tired that she only gets through one book before her thumb goes in her mouth and she is ready to be alone. But, when we read together at night she points to different things. I name things as we read - ball, bed, pajamas, hippo. Sometimes I read the entire story, but other times I make up my own story. The point of this routine is that she is on my lap and we are sharing something together. Shannon is slowly building her nest of favorite and familiar books. I know this will help her with language development and fostering a love of reading.

Patrick's routine is a bit different. Being the manipulative 2 year old that he is, he has talked us into a "downstairs" book as well as an "upstairs" book. He chooses the books he wants to read at night. He has many favorite books, and I think he picks different books depending on who is reading to him (Mommy or Daddy). He always asks for one more book, and I'm pretty sure he would read all night long if we gave him the opportunity.

What 'cha readin' Mommy?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. My house is chock full of books. Not just children's books, but recipe books, baby books, professional books, self-help books, prayer books, magazines, and more! Sometimes when the kids are both playing with toys I try to sneak in a few pages of the latest book I am reading. It never fails that one of them will come over to check out what I'm doing. So, it was no surprise when Patrick crept over and said, "What 'cha doin' Mommy?" when I was reading a book on my kindle. I showed him my kindle and he played with the buttons. I explained there were words, but no pictures, and he still wanted to watch it change as we pressed the button.
Kids are curious and inquisitive. They ask questions and want to learn as much as the possibly can. As annoying as it can be sometimes (when you are in the middle of a thriller on your kindle, or cooking a recipe and you lose your spot in the book and your hands are covered...) embrace these opportunities. Try to answer questions with the best answer you can give, and if you don't know tell them you don't know, but you will find out.

Your challenge -  Share your books with your kids. Invite them into your reading world, just like you are a part of theirs. What do they notice about your books?

iBooks

Holidays usually mean long car rides for my family. Today we drove from the mountains to my parents house in Warrington, Pa. I have used the iPad to entertain Pat in the past, but today I set up some iBooks to read. iBooks are fantastic. Books can be read aloud and pages turn automatically. It was a lifesaver on our car ride today. I know, short post today...enjoy the 4th and if you find yourself on a long ride check out some free iBooks for your children. They remind me of the little red cassette tapes we had that had a book to read along with it.

Observing a family of readers

I always love when we get together with other kids for two reasons. One, its fun to watch our kids interact. Two, it's great to chat with parents about the challenges and successes of parenthood.  Yes, there are parents as crazy as my husband and I. Parents who discuss the characters in the shows and books that our children watch. Parents who wonder why Goofy can talk and Pluto can not. A couple months ago we found ourselves deep in conversation about Llama llama. We've discussed Llama Llama - have you read them yet?  We laughed as my friend put on his best Llama Llama voice, and we all quoted our favorite parts. Later in the day, I watched as my friends' family gathered to read together. Of course, they chose a Llama Llama book. Husband, wife, and child were engaged and entertained. Husband and wife went back and forth using a variety of voices to make the story come alive for their 8 month old child. It was clear to me this was a normal part of their lives. Your challenge - enjoy a book as a family today.

Best ways to use the library

I have always loved to visit the library. I can remember my gradeschool library, and the great variety of books I checked out on a weekly basis. As a teacher I use the library to get out multiple copies of "hot books" to house in my classroom. In my 9 years of teaching I have only lost 1 book. I think that's a pretty good run.

My library allows me to check out 100 books at a time. Yes, you read that right 100 books. I've never had out 100, but I have taken out close to 60 books. This summer I am trying to physically visit the libary once each week. I will admit, I am not totally comfortable bringing two kids into the library, but I will get over my fear that they will make a scene!

My library also allows its members to browse the card catalog online and request books. This is an answer to prayer for busy moms everywhere! Don't have time to search the shelves? Have the library do it for you! Once you are a member at the library, you can request items (either from your library or a neighboring library) the librarians will pull the books for you and put them on the "Hold" shelf with your name on it. Once your books are available they send an email and all you have to do is pick up your books!

Do librarians scare you? Don't want to talk while you are in the library? Then you will be thrilled to find out there are automatic check out stations. You don't have to talk to anyone when using self-checkout (or feel embarassed that you only returned half of your books!)

Last library tip of the day - audiobooks! Yes, you can go to the library and check out an audiobook, but there is also an online platform set up so you can download audiobooks to your iPod. No visits to the library, and no fear that you will forget to return it. (after the lending period it automatically disappears from iTunes) My husband has a long commute and loves to listen to audiobooks while he drives. I have never tried an audiobook with the kids, but maybe when they are older we will get some chapter books for longer car rides.

Your challenge - Get a library card! Visit the library either for yourself or your child. Take advantage of all the free opportunities in your neighborhood library!

An After Dinner Book

I took home many books from my classroom library this summer to work on more effective mini lessons. The pile of books is sitting on my kitchen table, which offers me a wealth of books to choose from as a nightly read with my children. Books can be used on so many levels. Last night I read Cornelius by Leo Lionni. I thought it was fitting because we spent the day at the zoo. Cornelius is a special crocodile because he stands on two legs instead of crawling on all fours. After the first page I asked Patrick, "Do crocodiles stand on 2 legs on crawl on all four?" He answered, "Crawl, Mommy." I was a little surprised he knew the answer. As we went on with the book every time I turned the page he begged to see the pictures. And, Shannon even made a noise like she wanted to see the pictures too. At one point in the story a monkey teaches Cornelius how to hang by his tail. Patrick thought this part was hilarious, and, as you know, laughter is contagious. All three of us were belly laughing at the silly crocodile hanging from the tree. Once we settled down, I asked Patrick if he had a tail. Then, I asked if he could hang from a tree. He answered no to both. This was a really fun story to read together. Both kids loved the pictures, and thought it was funny to see the things Cornelius could do.

Your challenge - Read a funny book with your child. Enjoy laughing together at parts he/she thinks are funny.

7 Things to with your voice to keep your child engaged...Thanks Mem Fox!

I highly recommend the book Reading Magic by Mem Fox. This is taken from her book.

"We can do at least seven things with our voices to keep our listeners engaged. Six of these seven vocal gymnastics are contrasts: loud and soft, fast and slow, and high and low. And we can p-a-u-s-e. The words on the page will tell use which of these to choose. We don't need speech trainining. We simply need to pay close attention." (p.42 Reading Magic Mem Fox)

I remember reading this quote in the spring and I decided to give it a try with Patrick. I was very aware of my voice when I pulled out The Little Engine that Could  by Watty Piper. This was a great book to try out slow to fast (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can) It was almost like the words were gaining momentum just like the little engine. Then I used the pause when the train finally made it over the mountain. Pauses are dramatic in reading. Pauses allow your children to stop with you and get excited about what's to come.

Your challenge today - Read a book and try one of the 7 vocal gymnastics as you read. Let me know how it goes!

What Books Should We Read?

I am truly amazed by the selection of books available to children today. It is nearly impossible to keep up with the newest books, but I try my best to get my hands on the latest and greatest books, as well as the classics. Below is a link to the Top 100 Children's Books of all time. As I glanced at the list I have read 75 of these books in the last 3 years. (I know I have an advantage as I am a classroom teacher!) How many have you read? Even though I don't agree completely with this list, at least it offers a good jumping point to help you begin to grow your home library, or which books to borrow from your local library.
Top 100 Children's Books

Some other quick tips about this list...
As I've mentioned before, I love board books for younger children. They are more durable. They are also easier to pack when you go on vacation, or to throw in your diaper bag.
I noticed in many of the reviews next to the books they mention if the book has rhythm or rhyme in it. Kids automatically love rythym and rhyme, so try these books (Dr. Seuss, Bill Martin Jr., Sandra Boynton)

Your challenge - Read a book off this list today. Let me know what you read and what you thought!

Use Books to Help with Change

If you don't have a llama llama book - go get one! My personal favorite is Lama Llama Misses Mama. It was given to Patrick just before I went back to school in the fall. On my first read, I cried.  How was I ever going to leave my two babies this year? There is a page in the book that reads, "Mama Llama you came back!" it's a 2 page spread of Llama llama running to hug his Mama - to me this picture is worth a thousand words (and emotions). Books can certainly help us get through changes - new house, new baby, potty training, you name it there's a book for it.

You challenge for the day - Get a Llama Llama book! Or, if you dont' want to buy one or head to the library choose another household favorite and read together.
Expecting a new baby? Check out these books!

A good old standby...everyone loves the Berenstain Bears and this story does not disappoint!

All Froggy books are great! But, in this book Froggy is getting ready for his baby sister, Polly. He is frustrated because she can't do anything, but eventually he learns to love her and teach her things. We always called Shannon Polly while I was pregnant, so it was perfect story for us!

We received this one as a gift. It is a super story about a boy who wanted a baby brother, but got a sister. Find out if he ever comes to terms with having a baby sister...

Posting tomorrow

New rules...I'm taking weekends off of this challenge. Well, at least this weekend and next weekend.

Missed a day

Good morning...I am sorry yesterday was too busy for us. I had to pack, travel to my parents, and attend a "sprinkle" for my dear cousin who is having her first girl. My intention was to post when I got home, but, Patrick was up, and I haven't downloaded to post from my phone! Excuses, excuses... So 2 posts today to make up for it. I mentioned before how I love board books. A favorite is "the town book" there is no story in this book, but there are great pictures which help introduce animals and objects. This book allows you to see the outside of a place (school, farm, fire house, market) then turn the big flap to reveal the inside. Shannon loves to point, and when she points I tell her the name of the object...eventually she will be able to point to objects as I say names, then she will put the name with the object, then we'll start making phrases to go along with the pictures. Language builds in this way. Receptive language is usually more advanced than expressive language. Just when you think your child does not understand what you are saying he/she comes out with it.

Where Do You Keep Your Books?

I admit it, I am not a neat nik. My house is lived in - there is wash on the couch, and toys strewn from my front door to my back door. Sometimes I feel bad about this, then I feel grateful that my house is worn in and cozy. Yes, we have lots of toys, but we also have lots of books. There are books everywhere, and I am proud of that.
Books should be kept in a place that is convenient for your kids. We have baskets of books in each of the kids rooms, 2 shelves of books in the family room, books in the diaper bag, books in the car, books down the basement, heck, I'm even thinking I should keep some books in the bathroom for the kids! (Well, maybe when the potty training starts...)
I try to keep board books accessible for the kids. Shannon puts everything in her mouth, and I don't feel bad that she is ruining books when she puts the board books in her mouth. She also recently started pointing at everything in the books. She laughs as she points and we talk about what it is. Slowly she is becoming a book lover!
Patrick has started to "read" books to Shannon. He has seen us say to Shannon, "Look Shannon it's an owl, or Wow! Look there is a monkey." And, he uses our phrasing to "read" to Shannon.
Last year, after I had Shannon we stayed with my parents. One thing my mom started to do with Patrick, which I thought was brilliant, was read a poem to him after lunch. He was already in his high chair, and she would pull out the poetry book and read a poem or two with him. Now, when we are at Mimi's house he asks for "the cow poem" I love this idea, and wish that I did it more often.

The Cow

by Robert Louis Stevenson

THE FRIENDLY cow all red and white
I love with all my heart:
She gives me cream with all her might,
To eat with apple-tart.
She wanders lowing here and there,	5
And yet she cannot stray,
All in the pleasant open air,
The pleasant light of day;
And blown by all the winds that pass
And wet with all the showers,	10
She walks among the meadow grass
And eats the meadow flowers. (taken from a Child's Garden of Verses)

So, the challenge for today - Find a poetry book and put it in your kitchen. If you can't find a poetry book, use the cow poem. Pull it out after breakfast, or lunch, or dinner and share it with your child. Maybe this will help the child who won't stay still long enough for a book.
Challenge part 2 - Make sure your books are in a convenient place for your children!

The Magic of Row, Row, Row Your Boat

The Christmas before Patrick was born I received a special gift. Both my parents said to me, "Rose, it's time. You are going to be a mom and it's time to go back." Without any more conversation I knew exactly what they meant. It was time to get back into playing the piano. And, since I have the best parents in the world, a beautiful, sleek, electric piano was delivered to me! Sitting down on the bench and allowing my fingers to become reacquainted with the ivory and black keys was simply amazing. Just like riding a bike, my fingers just knew the right keys to press to make it come alive.

Early in Patrick's life the piano became a necessity to soothe him - I would put it on auto play and walk around my dining room table endlessly shushing and hoping he would go to sleep. I knew every song by heart. Then, I bought a children's song book, which contained all the classics. From time to time we sit together and play some of our favorites, and I have to say, both of my kids LOVE Row, Row, Row your boat.

We were singing row row over the weekend and my husband and I both noticed Shannon sitting on the floor legs out in front of her, moving her body back and forth like a boat. At less than 1 year old, she is able to remember a song and sing along! We even thought we heard her babbling along while we sang.
During that very same moment, Patrick was in a plastic crate (his boat) singing along. After singing to him for over 2 years, it is so fulfilling to hear him finally singing the words along with me, and even singing the song on his own.

Songs are fun to sing anytime! Some of our favorites are Row, Row, Row Your Boat, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald, Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee, Wheels on the Bus, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Hot Dog Song, and 3 Little Birds.

Load some kids songs on your iPod, buy a children's cd, search on youtube for some songs that your child might like to hear.
Sesame Street rewrites songs by well known artists, which is quite entertaining.


Challenge Today - Be active while singing with your child today. Notice his/her movement and mood. I'd love to hear some of your favorites!

30 Million Words

A study was published in 1995 from Betty Hart and Todd Risley - Meaningful Differences in the Everday Experience of You American Children. The study produced a shocking statistic...
"In four years...an average child in a professional family would have accumlated expereince with almost 45 million words, an average child in a working-class family would have accumlated experience with 26 million words, and an average child in a welfare family would have accumlulated experience with 13 million words. (p198 of Hart and Risley's study) taken from Sharon Taberski's book Comprehension from the Ground Up p.91
The difference in the top and bottom groups is 30 MILLION, yes, MILLION words.

I think about this often mainly because I work in a school where over half of the population receives free or reduced lunch. When I'm at school I constatnly try to engage students in conversations and try to build background knowledge and vocabulary. So, of course, this spills over to home as well.

I try to be a mom of routine. Therefore, dinner is almost always served at 5:00. While I wish we could have a sitdown meal as a family of 4 every night, it is not possible (we would not be able to eat until 7 or 7:30!). So, dinner is usually the kids and me. During the school year I literally walk in the door, put the kids in their chairs and begin to throw food on their trays.  Once both kids have full trays I always sit on my chair and talk to the kids.

We talk about food - what color is your food? What other foods are that color? What else do you want to eat?
We talk about their day - who did you play with? I usually share a story about my day with them.
Usually I ask how do you like the food? And, it is during this time that I created the synonym game...instead of I like it or I don't like it I try to boost vocabulary by introducing new phrases - This is delicious, I love (name the food), (name of food) is scrumptious, tasty, spicy, salty, sweet...The dinner table is a great time to introduce new words and build!
Patrick and I laugh while we try out new phrases, and Shannon laughs too! While she only has syllables at this point she still understands the tones of our voice and laughs at the appropriate times.

Challenge - Have fun at your dinner table tonight. Play the synonym game and share the best phrase you taught your child tonight!

http://www.squidoo.com/food-vocabulary

Reading promotes conversation

"Reading aloud to children early in life also rapidly develops their speaking skills. They don't learn to talk - they can't learn to talk - unless they're spoken to, which is why psychologists and speech pathologists tell us we need to have loving, laughing, deep and meaning ful conversations with our kids long before they turn three." (Mem Fox, Reading Magic p.15)

This morning we ventured out for our first summer trip to the library. It was a quick trip that involved picking up 7 new picture books and 2 new Elmo movies. Last night was the first time my son ever sat through an entire movie, and when we were done he asked for an Elmo movie, so that's why we picked up some today!

So, before nap today Patrick & I read "Where is the Green Sheep?" by Mem Fox. I purposefully chose this book because at the end the green sheep is asleep and I was coaxing him up to take a nap, and thought this would help. But, the conversations we had during this read were fantastic. It took us about 7 minutes to read this book, and converse about it. Conversations should naturally happen when you are reading together. So, here's a look into our conversation while reading this book.

On this page the text reads "And some are red sheep."
Patrick: Look at that dancing sheep.
Mom: Where is he dancing?
Patrick: He's going to dance in the bath tub with the bubbles. Look he's going to jump in..
Mom: That sounds like fun (I touched the red sheep and made him "jump in the bath tub."
Patrick: I want to jump in.
Mom: Go ahead
Patrick: I jump in and I want to throw the bubbles

I thought it was neat how he wanted to make the sheep come to life and do something new. This allowed us to have a conversation about bubble baths and throwing bubbles. We pretended to throw bubbles around the room and watch them float. Then, Patrick wanted to pick the flowers. We blew the flowers to make them fly.

Challenge for the day - Sit with your child and have a conversation about a book. See how much fun it can be and how the conversation goes. If you want, comment about your conversation!

Keep reading!

Ready for a Challenge?

As the end of the school year draws near both teachers and students share their excitement for a break. Even though we take a break from the classroom setting, summer is the perfect time to build more background knowledge, explore new places, catch up with old friends, and enjoy great books.
I am challenging you to come with me on a 35 Day Literacy Challenge. I will post a new idea for the next 35 days that you can do with your children (any age) or by yourself. I encourage you to share you thoughts on this experience. So, here's to a literacy challenge! Will you join me for 35 exciting literacy experiences?