Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Look at More Pictures!
Check out the Facebook page- click on the link (Facebook Badge) to the lower right- to see more pictures from today!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Throw away the worksheets and the flash cards!
If I was a teacher, I would be very poor! I have always loved educational stores like The Learning Shop! But money should never stop anyone from using creative ideas to teach their children. So, do what I do- look at all the educational resources in the store and online, but then come up with a way to make it yourself- cheap! And then have fun with it! Kids remember 20% of what they hear, 70% of what they say and 90% of what they DO.Family Egg-stravaganza Craft Day
These are some of the crafts we will be making Tuesday, April 26th from 10-12 at our Family Egg-stravaganza Craft Day! The idea for the very cute Egg Friends below came from the wonderful Family Fun website. Check it out!
This is the life...ahhhh!
Nothing like a dog....
Kung Fu Panda 2
Monday, May 16th at 6:30 we will have a Kung Fu Panda Family Storytime! No registration is required.
We will read some stories, do some Kung Fu fighting, and give away some cool door prizes!
Monday, April 18, 2011
5 Ideas for Families
I was driving the other day and saw a minivan with 2 LCD screens in the back for their children to watch movies and I thought of all the fun things to do in a car with kids!
- Listen to an audiobook together! The library has wonderful audiobooks from picture books on up!
- Listen to kid's music! Lots of fun stuff free at the library! Lots of 'educational' stuff, too. Remember-music, rhythm and rhyme are all key components in early literacy!
- Talk with your children even if they are babies. Hearing the spoken word is essential in early literacy for babies. Older children can learn the art of conversation- the listening and responding, as well as sharing feelings and opinions. You can discuss what you see- play "I Spy", point signs for word recognition and enriched vocabulary and more!
- Play rhyming games. The Name Game Song or silly nonsensical rhymes and chants that you make up like...The barn is red my mommy said and if i had a dime I would make a better rhyme, etc...
- Here is a fun, free, idea. Print out on magnetic printer paper- anything! Paper dolls...try http://www.makingfriends.com/ for their great Friends. Print out your child's favorite tv characters...http://pbskids.org/ or http://www.nickjr.com/. Print out letters, numbers, nursery rhymes and more. Use a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan for some cool car fun!
More Sequencing & Patterns
Practice sequencing with a deck of cards, with numbers and letters, with buttons or noodles- anything around the house!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Positional Words
This is a cute little rhyme to use with your little ones to learn spatial words.
Where Is the Pet?
The bunny is in the honey.
The dog is behind a log.
The mouse is in the house.
The cat is under the hat.
The snake is in the lake.
The red bird is third.
The rat is on the mat.
The fish is next to the dish.
Print out pictures to match the rhyme and have your little one position the objects according to the rhyme.
Another rhyme to use is Hey, Diddle Diddle. Print out a cow and moon. Say the rhyme the correct way with the cow jumping OVER the moon. Then change the rhyme so the cow jumps UNDER, ON, BEHIND, IN FRONT, BESIDE, etc...and use the cow and moon to demonstrate the spatial words.
Another easy idea is to play a game with your little one by using a stuffed animal! Place the animal all over the house on various surfaces in various positions and enrich your child's vocabulary!
Where Is the Pet?
The bunny is in the honey.
The dog is behind a log.
The mouse is in the house.
The cat is under the hat.
The snake is in the lake.
The red bird is third.
The rat is on the mat.
The fish is next to the dish.
Print out pictures to match the rhyme and have your little one position the objects according to the rhyme.
Another rhyme to use is Hey, Diddle Diddle. Print out a cow and moon. Say the rhyme the correct way with the cow jumping OVER the moon. Then change the rhyme so the cow jumps UNDER, ON, BEHIND, IN FRONT, BESIDE, etc...and use the cow and moon to demonstrate the spatial words.
Another easy idea is to play a game with your little one by using a stuffed animal! Place the animal all over the house on various surfaces in various positions and enrich your child's vocabulary!
Great Website
I stumbled upon a great website with a lot of free, printable learning resources! Take a look at this site.
Sequencing
Sequencing is the process of putting events, ideas, and objects
in a logical order. Why is sequencing important?
Sequencing is necessary for:
in a logical order. Why is sequencing important?
Sequencing is necessary for:
• understanding and telling stories;
• performing daily activities;
• solving problems;
• reading comprehension;
• succeeding in school and at work.
We sequence all day long—we divide our time into what we need to do first, second, and last; we understand events in our lives by understanding the order in which they occur. For some children, sequencing can be a hard concept to grasp, especially when they are trying to tell a story. Using good key words like “first,” “next,” “then,” and “finally,” cue your child as to what is coming next.
Some fun and free ways to practice sequencing at home...
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
5 Things I Hear Parents in the Library Say
I am going to stand on a little itty bitty soapbox for a moment...
"We've read that book already." Children love to read the same stories over and over again. It's a normal developmental stage for toddlers. Children of all ages have their favorites as well. I know it can be tiring for us adults. I remember trying to skip pages in books that I had read soooo many times, but my daughter called me on it every time! Why discourage any interest in reading? Why make any negative connotation with their choice of book or their enjoyment of it? Check out this great article from the Baby Center:
"Toddlers learn everything — including language and stories — by constant repetition," says Debbie Wright, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of education at the University of Missouri. Every experience creates connections between neurons in your child's brain, which is how he learns. Repeating an experience over and over again creates stronger connections and helps his learning stick. While reading the same story might get tiresome for you, it's important — and interesting — for your child. "Children are listening to the sounds and intonation of the words and they're predicting what's going to come next in the story," Wright says. The consistency is comforting, too. Wanting to hear the same story at night is similar to your toddler wanting to sit in the same chair at daycare, asking for the same plate at dinner, or wanting the same stuffed animal at naptime. This kind of regularity helps toddlers understand the world and feel secure in it. To make reading the same book more interesting for you, try letting your child fill in the ends of rhyming lines. Ask questions, like "What animal will we see next?" or "How can you tell that the bunny is sad in this picture?" "And keep thinking of how good a familiar book is for your child," says Wright. "Not only is it helping him develop strong language skills, the comfort of it is probably helping him sleep better."
"We've read that book already." Children love to read the same stories over and over again. It's a normal developmental stage for toddlers. Children of all ages have their favorites as well. I know it can be tiring for us adults. I remember trying to skip pages in books that I had read soooo many times, but my daughter called me on it every time! Why discourage any interest in reading? Why make any negative connotation with their choice of book or their enjoyment of it? Check out this great article from the Baby Center:
"Toddlers learn everything — including language and stories — by constant repetition," says Debbie Wright, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of education at the University of Missouri. Every experience creates connections between neurons in your child's brain, which is how he learns. Repeating an experience over and over again creates stronger connections and helps his learning stick. While reading the same story might get tiresome for you, it's important — and interesting — for your child. "Children are listening to the sounds and intonation of the words and they're predicting what's going to come next in the story," Wright says. The consistency is comforting, too. Wanting to hear the same story at night is similar to your toddler wanting to sit in the same chair at daycare, asking for the same plate at dinner, or wanting the same stuffed animal at naptime. This kind of regularity helps toddlers understand the world and feel secure in it. To make reading the same book more interesting for you, try letting your child fill in the ends of rhyming lines. Ask questions, like "What animal will we see next?" or "How can you tell that the bunny is sad in this picture?" "And keep thinking of how good a familiar book is for your child," says Wright. "Not only is it helping him develop strong language skills, the comfort of it is probably helping him sleep better."
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Robins!
When you and my LLFs catch sight of your first robin, try sharing one of these rhymes with them:
Friday, April 1, 2011
Great Big Thank You to My Volunteers
If any of my wonderful volunteers are out there, I would like to give a great big shout out to you and thank you for everything you do! I couldn't do all that I do without help from you! I so appreciate you sharing your time, talent and treasures!
Picture Book Author & Illustrators
There are so many to choose from it's difficult to come up with a short list. Sometimes my BLFs ask for suggestions and I often share these authors & illustrators...but there are so many more!
Karen Beaumont
John Butler
Lauren Thompson
Karma Wilson
Don and Audrey Wood
Nancy Tafuri
Rob Scotton
Jane Simmons
Ellen Stoll Walsh
John Butler
Lauren Thompson
Karma Wilson
Don and Audrey Wood
Nancy Tafuri
Rob Scotton
Jane Simmons
Ellen Stoll Walsh
Music That Will Get You Moving
I really like Greg & Steve, Jack Hartmann, Carole Peterson, Dr. Jean, Jim Gil, Imagination Movers & Laurie Berkner. I enjoy songs that get you moving!
I also like camp songs. I am a former scout and former scout leader. Camp songs are a hoot! Take a look at a great resource. When you find a song with just the lyrics and not the melody, be sure to look on YouTube for a video. Someone somewhere probably made a video and you can learn the tune and actions too.
Crank up the music at home and be silly and dance!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)