Read Across America

Read Across America is a project of the NEA (National Education Association). The purpose of this project is to promote reading and motivation in children across the country. Every year one day is set aside as a special day to celebrate reading in Read Across America Day.
This year's Read Across America Day is Tuesday, March 2nd. This date coincides with the the birthday of acclaimed children's book author, Dr. Seuss!! Because of his devotion to write stories that would engage and excite young readers the annual Read Across America Day honors Dr. Seuss (a.k.a.: Theodor Seuss Geisel)

On March 2nd pledge to celebrate reading with your child in a special way. Maybe you will read a variety of Dr. Seuss books together in honor of the day, visit a local bookstore to get some new titles, or create your own 'Cat in the Hat' striped hat!
Here are some links with a few ideas for how you and your family can celebrate:

The Dr. Seuss Official Site: http://www.seussville.com/
 Reading Rockets: http://www.readingrockets.org/


Bartholemew and the Oobleck: After reading reading the book, find a lesson here to make your own oobleck! (Thanks to Kinderteacher- this site is great!!)


I could go on and on about why I love Dr. Seuss books! They are great for young readers for so many reasons. First, being able to hear and identify rhyme is an important pre-reading skill. Secondly, they are fun! Dr. Seuss truly plays with words and shows off the wonder of language. Here are just SOME of my favorite Seuss books for little readers!!

 One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish

    Green eggs and ham

   The foot book

    The Cat in the Hat

    Hop on Pop






However you decide to celebrate, make sure to spend some extra time reading with your child on March 2nd!!!
Happy Reading!

Painting with Pudding

This post doesn't have so much to do with reading, but I had an idea I just had to share. I would like to say that teachers are by nature, very 'creative' when it comes to re-purposing items. We have to be! It isn't a class we take in college- but, I guess maybe it should be...
Yesterday we were painting with pudding, and I had a great idea: silicone (cooking/baking) brushes make MUCH better paint brushes!! They have big handles so they are easy to manipulate for little hands, and they are soooo much easier to wash!

At first G wasn't too sure about touching the pudding...but once I put the brush out there she was MUCH more willing.
(Or just more willing to eat it!)
                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                              
    
    
                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                

..but then she really started to have fun!

...and really started to make a mess!




Painting with pudding is great for Toddlers. Once I put the 'pudding paint' on the paper she put her finger in it, and the finger went straight to the mouth. I realize that this means later I will have to teach her that paint is not typically to be eaten, but hopefully by then I will be able to reason with her (which is one thing I cannot do right now!)


So, try finger painting with pudding! And, use silicone brushes! They will make your life easier!

Jan Brett

In my previous post I mentioned my favorite children's book author/illustrator Jan Brett. One of the reasons I love her so much is that she has an amazing website FULL of resources. She has even posted videos of how she illustrates and creates her books. My students loved to watch these videos! Not only is she very talented, she just seems like a genuinely nice person!

So, check out Jan Brett's website!

Books for your little love bug!

 Well, it seems as though we are going to be snowed in again today! We have been busy making Valentines for family members which has left Miss G with bright pink fingers. So much for washable ink!
I wanted to share a couple of my favorite Valentine's Day books. There are tons-but for the sake of having somewhere to start and not becoming totally engrossed with blogging when I should be momming, I am going to share just a few!

The Valentine Bears
(Ages 4-8) This book is a classic! So classic in fact that it was one of my husband's favorites when he was younger. This book is a great read-aloud. (And, the illustrator- Jan Brett- is one of my favorite children's book author/illustrators of all time!)



How Do I Love You?
(Ages 4-8) This book has rhyming text, which G seems to prefer. This was the book I bought her for her first Valentine's day last year. This book is a great read-aloud and I really enjoy the illustrations.This book is simple enough for young children to be able to memorize and 'read' on their own.



I Love You Through and Through
(Ages 4-8) This book is very similar to How Do I Love You?, but the main character is a little boy. This book is written with rhyming text as well, which makes it a great read-aloud and predictable for little listeners.





Fancy Nancy Heart to Heart
(Ages 4-8) I absolutely love anything Fancy Nancy! Usually I am not a fan of books that also have stickers or other extraneous (that's another word for 'extra') things- but Fancy Nancy is too fabulous to pass up! This is one in a series of books about an adorable, authentic little girl. They are all great read-alouds with 'fancy' words and bright illustrations.




Valentine's Day Is...
(Ages 4-8) Gail Gibbons writes mostly non-fiction books on a variety of topics. This one in particular goes into the history of Valentine's Day. It is a bit wordy for a read-aloud with young children, but is engaging for school-aged kids. When I need a non-fiction book that is written in story form  Gail Gibbons is my go-to author.




Where is Baby's Valentine?
(Baby-Preschool) Karen Katz writes great books for infants and toddlers. Most of her books are interactive- this one is a lift the flap book. The illustrations are interesting for little ones, but not over-stimulating. If you have a toddler, build a library of Karen Katz books!


How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?
(Ages 4-8) Miss G absolutely loves the 'How do Dinosaurs...' books! They are written with rhyming text and Mark Teague's illustrations are simple and engaging- even for little ones. These books also usually teach a lesson on good manners, too. Bonus!!




**Have you noticed that most of these books are recommended ages 4-8? That is pretty much the standard for all paperback picture books. Most paperbacks are appropriate for read-alouds, just check the amount of text on each page. If there is too much, it won't hold your young child's interest. (Looking at the font size is a good, quick indicator!)

So, it is virtually impossible for me to stop there- but I am going to have to. I could go on and on!! I hope you enjoy these ideas for your little valentine. Consider buying a book (preferably from a small independent bookstore) for your child this year to show how much you love them!!!

Books that make you go hmmm...

Hello everyone!  I hope that you will help me to make this blog a true community by participating and commenting!

Last week a group of moms got together to discuss some relevant topics, enjoy some time out, and I can't forget... some much-needed caffeine!

During our meeting time I noticed that a few of the moms mentioned books they were reading (that related to parenting) that they have really enjoyed. I thought this would be perfect information to share with each other. If you are visual (like me) it helps to have a list of books that you can refer to rather than try to remember titles. Besides, we all have enough to remember!

So, post your favorite titles here...and add a description if you would like!