Room to Grow: Making Early Childhood Count!

Gender Equal or Gender Neutral?

2012-01-25T11:09:00.002-05:00

Associated Press Photo By Scanpix Sweden, Fredrik Sandberg

I came across this interesting article about a preschool in Stockholm that seems to strive, not just for gender equality, but for gender neutrality in some ways. I found the article after reading about a family who didn't reveal their child's sex until the age of five.

Some things make perfect sense to me: putting Legos and Blocks in or near the housekeeping area, providing books about adoption and all kinds of families, and downplaying the superhero/princess pitfalls. But I find it a bit curious that the school doesn't use gender words like, "he" and "she" and they've even made up a word, "hen," when referring to a person that has not yet been identified as male or female.

What do you guys think of this?
Where do you draw the gender line?
What do you do to promote gender equality in your programs?

What is your favorite version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

2012-01-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

My brother called me today and asked for a recommendation on the best version of The Three Bears for my niece (who is 3 1/2 going on 7). The first version that came to mind was by Jan Brett but I know that there are so many others!

What are your favortie versions of this story? Comment on the blog or tweet me at @LiteracyCounts.

System Overload

2012-01-18T10:42:00.004-05:00

Hello Readers, Bloggers, Educators, Parents, and Literature Lovers! I have been M.I.A. for a while I know. It's been a bit challenging to find time to write lately. You may remember that I had to take a break a while back. Life is still throwing some curve balls my way. Because of my current work situation, I'm doing the work of two people (but getting paid for the work of one, LOL. But isn't that how it always is?). Hopefully someone will be hired soon and I can have my free time back. But right now, my life is filled with the JOY of helping to take care of my niece and nephew and the BURDEN of extra work. But please don't take that in a negative way. In this world, I am grateful to be gainfully employed. And even though there is more work on my plate, I work at a place that I want to see THRIVE so I'm putting in all of the extra energy that I have.

I learned quickly how to live a new normal, and when I can return to that normal, I will be back to blog. Every now and then, I will pop in to write a quick post. But if there are any educators or parents who would be interested in doing a guest post, email me at earlyliteracycounts at gmail dot com.

Goodnight iPad

2011-11-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

Just last year, I was panicked at the thought of eBooks ~~taking over the world~~ replacing traditional books for children. Since I've written that post, I've had more first hand experience with ebooks for children. My three year old niece (who is almost 4 now!) has her own page of apps on my iPad. She loves The Monster at the End of this Book, Bob Books, I Like Books, and Olivia Acts Out. I am pretty impressed at her proficiency and at the interactive nature of some of these books. But while the iPad versions are fun and educational, at night, when her Dad tucks her in, she still reaches for traditional books (whew!). And her baby brother can't resist his own pile of books - soft books, cloth books, fuzzy books, and all of the books that he can safely pick up, touch, feel, and yes, even chew. So, I'm no longer worried that eBooks will take over the world... or WILL THEY...?

We can Change the World

2011-11-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

The Sesame Street Puppet with no name (we should give her a name!) is back with Change the World! First we loved our hair, now we can change the world. I LOVE it!

And the Winner Is...

2011-11-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Heidi Grange at Geo Librarian! She commented on Literacy Challenges of At Risk Boys and her comment number was randomly selected at Random.org. Heidi will win these two books:

Two Book Give Away: Animalogy and Hey Diddle Diddle

2011-10-17T09:00:00.098-04:00

Early elementary-aged children will enjoy this rhyming and catchy tale about the food chain. A beetle is eaten by a snake. The snake is eaten by a hawk: He snatched that snake right off the ground. Gobbled him up without a sound and sang, "Hey diddle diddle - I don't ask why I've got feathers to help me fly." The book has a "For Creative Minds" section in the back that includes 4 pages of additional activities such as "Herbivore or Carnivore," "Predator or Prey" and many more. Even more related activities and links are found at the Sylvan Dell Publishing Website.

Animalogy is a book of, what else? Animal analogies of course! Beaver is to build as spider is to spin. Reptile is to snake, as insect is to bee. The detail in the illustrations is captivating. This is a great book to teach analogies as well as animal behavior. The book may also be helpful for young ESL students trying to learn the concept of analogies. The book concludes with a 6 page activity guide that extends the learning presented in the story. Sylvan Dell Publishing also has a free 48 page Teaching Guide available.

Here is how you enter to win these two books:

Go to this blog post, Literacy Challenges of At-Risk Boys, and answer one or both of the following questions by November 5, 2011.

What are your communities doing to address the specific needs of at-risk learners?
What reading programs or other resources do you know of that cater to the interest of boys?

One winner will be randomly selected to win BOTH books using www.random.org.

BOOK OF THE MONTH: A is for Autumn

2011-10-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Autumn Activities:

Try some of these great corn activities from Preschool Express.
Fingerpaint with yellow and red paint to make orange.
In the sensory table, add hay/straw and toy tractors, pumpkins, and other fall items.
Make fall colored play dough (orange, red, brown).
Make leaf prints by painting the vein side of a leaf and pressing it onto paper.
In the art area, fill the collage jars with fall colored scraps of paper, tissue paper, yarn, ribbon.
Visit Preschool Express for lots of pumpkin activities.
Try this easy pumpkin muffin recipe.
Make a "Fall Bingo" game (see sample) by making a blank Bingo Grids in a word processing program. Find pictures/images on the internet and insert fall pictures (such as acorns, leaves, pumpkins, etc). Depending on the size of the class, you will want to make 5-8 different cards. Print on cardstock and laminate.

Find many, many more Fall activities in these Autumn Posts:

Literacy Challenges of At-Risk Boys: Does SES matter?

2011-09-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

According to a 2010 study, boys lag behind on standardized reading tests by as much as 10 percentage points. Because we know that reading skills are strongly linked to overall school success, we must not ignore this alarming trend. Some experts suggest that girls and boys are just wired differently with boys being more visually oriented and more responsive to physical activity. But there are many things that parents and teachers can do to encourage literacy development in boys.

Now consider this: In some states, as many of 20-30% of children are living in poverty. Poverty is one factor that potentially places children at risk for academic difficulty and/or failure. Children living in poverty may:

have limited time with adults (because they are working or because there is only one adult in the household);
live in dangerous neighborhoods;
have parents with limited education;
not have role models who read or value education;
have little awareness of or access to community resources (like libraries);
attend low-achieving schools with few resources;
not have access to books in the home because of the family's financial limitations; and/or
be more likely to experience difficulties such as abuse, neglect, homelessness, unstable households, or violence.

One of the keys to getting out of poverty is a good education and boys living in low-income situations have two hurdles to overcome if there is any hope to break the cycle. So what are the answers? I don't have a magic wand or a crystal ball. I also don't have the money to fund the programs that I think our boys need. But I do have a voice and I hope to spread the word. Here are some ideas that I think will help:

Libraries in low-income neighborhoods should continue to reach out to the community and provide some programs geared directly to boys. This may mean having more magazines and comic books in the children's areas. Keep in mind that there are differing opinions when it comes to the topics that interest boys.
Mentoring and after-school programs that cater to youth should provide reading and literacy opportunites that are specific to the interest of boys.
Schools and libraries in low-income areas can partner to help families understand the resources that are available.
Schools in low-income neighborhoods should try (when funds are available) to ensure that school libraries have books that boys will enjoy (comics, magazines, non-fiction books, graphic novels, audio books, etc).
I know in these times of school accountability and standardized testing, it's hard for teachers to tailor lesson plans and activities to the needs of their students. But when possible, teachers should provide boys with books that will interest them. They should consider that boys learn differently and allow more active learning and movement during reading activities.
Schools and Child Care Programs in low-income areas should connect with the families and provide parent education programs and parent tutoring programs. Parents may not understand the value of reading to children. They may also have limited reading skills themselves so they may need literacy training.
Encourage boys to read books that have been made into movies. One expert suggests that reading books AFTER seeing the movie may gain boys' interests and may aid in their comprehension of the story.
States should provide additional training for child care teachers on the importance of literacy. The early learning years are crucial and sometimes by the time children reach kindergarten, they are already lagging in necessary language and literacy skills.
Schools and teachers in at-risk areas can look for mentors and mentoring programs that may provide male volunteers to read to the class on a regular basis.
Alter (but NOT lower) expectations for boys when it comes to reading. Boys may need to read in shorter intervals. They may need to be more active while reading. They may not want to sit at a desk and read. Be flexible whenever possible.
Search for valuable computer language/literacy programs and games. Boys are usually more active learners and technology can be used to encourage literacy skills.
Find local organizations (in our area we have Baltimore Reads) that support literacy. Baltimore Reads also has a book bank that provides free books to schools and to families. They also have literacy training for adults.
Schools and Early Childhood Programs working with at-risk populations should seek out organizations that focus on boys and reading such as:

Guys Read
Boys Read
Getting Boys To Read
Michael and Mechelle Epps Foundation
Boys Life Reading Contest (deadline 12/31/11)
Reading Rockets

Recognize that many of the children living in poverty are minorities so seek out resources that will be helpful to children and families:

What are your communities doing to address the specific needs of at-risk learners?

What reading programs or other resources do you know of that cater to the interest of boys?

Let's create a list of organizations and resources that will be helpful to other parents, teachers, educators, and leaders.

25 (Ok...34!) Picture Books Boys (and Girls!) Might Enjoy

2011-09-07T08:03:00.005-04:00

I started out creating a list of twenty-five books that boys might enjoy. But I ended up with 34 and then realized that girls will like them too. Go figure! So here it goes:

Bugs, Worms, and other Creatures

Transportation

Boys as the Main Characters:

Still More...

Other Related Links:

Rock It Out
Tickling Your Funny Bone
Should We Give Into the Yuck Factor When It Comes to Boys and Books?
Six Not-So-Secret Tips for Encouraging Literacy Development in Boys
Teacher Tip Tuesday: Tip #4: Boys and Books in the Classroom
Beyond Reading: 15 Literacy Activities for Parents with Boys
Literacy Challenges for “at-risk” families (coming soon)

BOOK OF THE MONTH: No Thumpin', No Bumpin', No Rumpus Tonight!

2011-09-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

This is a book I used to read to my kindergarten class. It must be out of print because Amazon only has collectible and used copies. In this funny story, Benjamin and Elephant fix a birthday breakfast for Benjamin's mother and you can imagine that despite their attempts NOT to wake mom, there was a lot of thumpin', bumpin, and rumpus. But Benjamin and Elephant manage to clean up everything just before Mom is ready for breakfast. The rhyming text and vivid pictures make this book enjoyable for children. This book looks hard to come by, so if you find a copy, please enjoy it! It's a funny story that I think you will read again and again.

Here are some supporting activities for this story:

Real vs Pretend: Compare real elephants with Elephant in this story. Make a list on chart paper or on a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast. Have children list ways that they can tell that this is FICTION and not FACT. Four and five year olds are capable of learning the difference.
Recipes: Have children dictate a recipe that they would make for their mother or father. The children can also illustrate their recipes. And if you are interested in fundraising, you can take these "recipes" and bind them into books for the parents to purchase.
Learn the difference between African and Asian elephants. Although there are several differences, the one that most preschoolers will remember is that African elephants have bigger ears.
Elephant Appreciation Day is on September 22. Who knew?
Make orange juice: In the story, Benjamin and Elephant take a messy approach to making orange juice by playing baseball with the oranges before squeezing them. But preschoolers will enjoy using a plain old plastic juicer to squeeze oranges into orange juice!
Read Moses Supposes His Toeses Are Roses: And 7 Other Silly Old Rhymes, also by Nancy Patz.

Teacher Tip Tuesday: Book Hospital

2011-08-23T09:00:00.003-04:00

When the adults around them value books, so do children. Here are some ways to help children learn to take care of the books in your classroom or home library:

In the beginning of the school year (or when new children enroll in your program), openly discuss ways we take care of our books: Turning pages gently, putting them back on the shelf, etc.
Create a "Book Hugger" bulletin board and when children display behavior that shows that they are taking care of books, write down what they've done and put it on the bulletin board.
When books get damaged, have children place them in the "Book Hospital" for repairs. Teachers should keep the following items handy for book repairs: packing tape, book repair tape, glue, clear contact paper, a book stapler (one that allows you to staple books at the spine).

To make your book hospital:

Collect a small or medium sturdy box.
Paint it white OR cover it with white butcher paper. Draw or paint a hospital on the outside of the box.
Write "Book Hospital" one side of the box.
Add a blanket and small pillow, just for fun.

When children find a damaged book in the classroom, or if they accidentally damage it themselves, they can place the book in the "hospital" and the teacher (perhaps with help from a child) can help repair the book. Visit this Squidoo link for book repair tips.

Multiculturalism: A Right, a Responsibility, or a Requirement?

2011-08-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

Photo by Tina Phillips

The last time I derailed from my usual topic of early literacy, was when I ranted about crib bumpers. Every now and then, something gets me hot under the collar, and this is another one of those times.

The state of Colorado recently proposed a list of requirements for child care centers such as prohibiting whole milk, regulating how much juice children are offered, mandating how often snacks are provided, and one that even requires child care providers to wear clothing that covers their laps and shoulders. One of the most controversial (judging by the online responses) proposals would require child care programs to provide dolls of at least three different races. It seems that some child care providers in Colorado are not pleased with the new mandates.

One center owner said, "I think we're going a little to [sic] far. We're not giving parents a choice.We're not giving children a choice. We're not giving caregivers a choice." [In fairness, the news story doesn't make it clear if she is referring specifically to the doll requirement or all of the proposed requirements.] Another said, "requiring dolls of at least three different races seems a bit silly (why not transgender or handicapped dolls too, while they're at it)?" On the contrary, I think having dolls of different races, IS giving children a choice. And most high-quality and/or NAEYC accredited programs actually do have dolls and puppets that are handicapped. Transgender dolls (if they even exist) are, in my opinion, not relevant to this topic (apples and oranges) and may be an issue for another blog post on another day.

Many of the comments on the various websites are surprising, and quite sad to me. I'm not going to get into the politics of whether or not the government is infringing on rights. This is not the time or blog space for political arguments. I will say this: I find it sad that people would fight against something that most educators know has significant social-emotional value for children. Personally, I might be more upset about not being able to wear a sleeveless shirt than I would be about providing children with dolls, but, hey, that's just me!

I also hope that the state of Colorado isn't so narrow-minded as to believe that simply requiring dolls of different races means that a child care program is "culturally sensitive." While I strongly believe that children should have dolls that reflects society, merely putting dolls in the classroom is not sufficient. Are educators choosing dolls that have the same features but are just different skin colors? Are all of the dolls selected racially sensitive or stereotypical? Do teachers have an understanding of how to implement ethnic sensitivity in their day to day classroom practices? Do teachers provide books, posters, and other equipment (not just dolls) that reflect our society?

To me, the issue is bigger than just having three ethnically different dolls. Most responsible educators would have multiracial dolls in their classroom, regardless of the state's requirement. This blog post could go on for another five paragraphs but instead, I'll turn it over to you guys to share your thoughts on the issue. What do you think about Colorado's proposal to require dolls of at least three different races?

I'm Singing Baby Beluga While Talking on My Bananaphone...

2011-08-14T23:04:00.001-04:00

A 140 character tweet was not enough to express my excitement about finding Raffi on Twitter (@Raffi_RC)! When I taught kindergarten and pre-kindergarten, Raffi, Ella Jenkins, and Hap Palmer were my lifesavers!! It seemed that not a day went by without one of these musical geniuses playing in my classroom. As an adult, I didn't even know what a beluga whale was before Raffi told me. My kindergarten class wanted to know more about belugas, so we did an entire unit on the "little white whale on the go" just because of Raffi. We learned vowels by eating Apples and Bananas. When the kids got antsy, we would "shake our sillies out". Raffi was the second teacher in my classroom, and he didn't even know it!

What warms my heart even more, is finding out that Raffi is more than a educator and musician. He's an advocate for children, an advocate for childhood, and an advocate for humanity. As a teacher, I appreciated Raffi for what he was able to teach me and my students. Now, as a manager of an early childhood program, I am able to connect with Raffi on another level. I am tearing up as I'm writing this...I'm happy to know that the children of the world have advocates like Raffi.

Dear Raffi,
Thank you.
One light, one sun...

Raffi Facts from Raffi News:

"Because of his belief that children should not be exposed to too much television viewing and that they should not be directly marketed to, during his thirty-year career as a superstar of kid’s music Raffi refused all offers for commercial television shows and commercial endorsements."
"After years of networking and reflecting on what it might take to create a world fit for children, in 2010, Raffi founded the Centre for Child Honouring on Salt Spring Island."
"An estimated 10 million kids who grew up with Baby Beluga now sing it to their own kids."

Some of my favorite Raffi albums:

Reading Raffi:

Got Your Party Hat? It's a Picture Book Party!

2011-08-10T08:00:00.016-04:00

One of my absolute favorite things about teaching pre-kindergarten and kindergarten was story time. I was always excited to read a good book to a group of eager little listeners. I miss teaching, but I have never lost my love for children's literature. That is, in part, how this blog was born. Not only do I love a good book, but I truly believe in the power of early literacy. I still remember some of the books that I read as a young girl so I'm honored to think that maybe, one of the books I read to a child will still be remembered 20, 30, or even 40 years later!

Last year, I participated in an awesome picture book party hosted by Cathy and Mandy. On August 10, bloggers listed 10 books that we couldn't live without. I had a hard time, narrowing down my Desert Island Book Collection, but I managed (just barely). This year, I thought it would be easier... you know... I've done this before so I have it under control, right? Well, not exactly. My list kept growing and growing... but after a week and a half of internal debate, I've narrowed down 10 books I'd recommend to my Blog and Twitter Family. I can't wait to read what books other folks suggest. I'm sure my pockets will be a little lighter as I find new goodies for my library collection.

What books would you add? Comment on the blog for a chance to win a children's picture book. One random winner will be selected. Deadline: August 23, 2011.

Here are ten books (out of hundreds!) that I enjoy reading:

Please, Baby, Please by Tonya Lewis Lee: Anyone who has had the ~~grueling task~~ pleasure of putting a toddler to bed will enjoy this little story. Preschoolers will like the humor and predictable text; it's the kid of book they will learn to "read" by looking at the amusing pictures and remembering the predictable, rhythmic text.

Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen: It's not always easy for ethnic girls to see themselves depicted as ballerinas, so I enjoy this story and the beautiful illustrations. (Also check out Whoopi Goldberg's Sugar Plum Ballerinas.)

The Jolly Postman and Other People's Letters by Janet and Allan Ahlberg: I loved this book almost as much as my kindergarten students. It's the kind of book that you will want to read in small groups since the book is so interactive. The children get to pull out letters and postcards (and even a birthday party invitation) to and from popular fairy tale characters.

A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein: I'm a Shel Silverstein fan and this one is a particular favorite. "If you had a giraffe and he stretched another half …you would have a giraffe and a half." The tale goes on, and as you can imagine, the illustrations (classic Sliverstein line drawings) are hilarious. Take lots of pauses while you are reading...you will need time for giggles!

The Little Red Hen Maks a Pizza by Philemon Sturges: If you like The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, you will enjoy this story as well. It's a fun twist on an old favorite. Who doesn't like a hen who makes ~~bread~~ pizza?

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood and Don Wood: So if you were a little mouse, and a big hungry bear wanted your strawberry, what would you do? I love reading this story - especially to a group of little ones who have never heard the story before. They are always anxious to see how it turns out! Check out the story on You Tube.

Hey, Little Ant by Phillip M. Hoose: Young children are just learning to empathize with others and for this reason, I like books that encourage children to think from someone else's point of view... event if that other point of view is a little, tiny ant that was about to be squashed!

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch: Robert Munsch was a popular author in my classroom (for me, it all started with Purple, Green and Yellow). This story tells the tale of a princess.. but not the pink dress wearing, tiara-donning, pixie-dust carrying, wand-wielding princess.This princess by no means needs to be rescued by her prince. When the dragon burns her clothes and steals her prince, she slaps on a paper bag and well... the rest is, as they say, hysterical! Girl Power!

I'm Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood: I'd read almost anything by Audrey Wood just because of the illustrations! They tell a story all on their own. This book has a wonderfully rhythmic text that boasts the message, "just be yourself." That's a lesson we all need every now and then.

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert: I have a special and personal love of butterflies, so I'm drawn to books about them. This one has classic Ehlert collage-style illustrations and catchy text. The book also has a great deal of information about various kinds of butterflies. If you want to plant a butterfly garden, this book also tells you the name of several butterfly-attracting flowers!

Now I must go... Picture Book Party 2012 is just around the corner and I've got to get ready!

See Also: 10 Books I Love to Read Aloud

BOOK OF THE MONTH: It's Back to School We Go

2011-08-08T09:00:00.003-04:00

It's Back To School We Go! By: Ellen Jackson

"In easy-to-read text, describes what the first day of school might be like for a child in Kenya, Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Peru, Germany, India, Russia, and the United States."

Related Activities:

Use a large class map (there is a map in the book) to mark the countries mentioned in the story.
Invite parents, teachers, and other staff members to bring in pictures of their first day of school. Chidlren will be delighted to see the adults in their life as little children!
Talk about the similarities and differences in children's experiences.

More Back To School Books, Activities, and Links:

Learning at Home: Popsicle Sticks as Learning Partners by Lyssa Turner

2011-07-31T13:06:00.001-04:00

Oooh! Crafty mommies get excited when they read those words! Teacher mommies do, too! This classic and inexpensive manipulative can magically become math and language tools. Remember, learning bursts should be short and sweet. A general rule is to match the number of minutes to the age of your child plus one minute. Now here is how to use them!

Introduce the tool and call it just that! When pulling out any new tool, remember to allow time for exploration in the beginning. 2-3 minutes of free play is a must! The transition into learning play will be much easier!
Tell your learner ahead of time, “We are going to explore with these _____ for 3 minutes. When I ring the doorbell (or whatever you choose) we are going to try something new.” Then do just that! Here are some things to try:

Make letters with the sticks. Start with a letter they know or choose one from a book and go from there! Once the letter is made, trace it with your fingers and say the sound. (Have older siblings put the letters in alphabetical order or make whole words!) You are learning and reinforcing letters and their sounds! Next time, glue the letters down. Use the popsicle stick letter as the beginning of a word, or even better, the beginning of your child’s name!
Make shapes with the sticks! (Have older siblings make the shape you describe, “It has three sides.” “It looks like a stop sign.” “What would I have if I put a triangle on top of a square? Make it!” ) You are teaching shapes and working on fine motor kills while you are at it! Next time, glue the shape down and turn it into a picture by adding details with crayons or markers!
Grab and toss! Give your child a predetermined number of popsicle sticks (3 for beginners.) Have them toss them in the air away from their body. Have your child describe where they landed. “One is by the chair.” “These are by the door.” (Have older siblings practice addition and subtraction with the sticks. Toss and describe using math terms. “2 by the door and 6 by the chair makes 8 sticks in all.” You are building language skills and locking in them with the movement! Next time, use the popsicle sticks to measure from one place to another by lining them up from end to end. “Wow! It takes 6 popsicles to get from the door to the chair.”
Sort colored popsicle sticks by color, identifying the color as you go. (Have older siblings rename the popsicle stick colors using adjectives. Then write the new names on the sticks. For example,instead of "red," try "raspberry red"!). Next time, mix all kinds of popsicle sticks (fat, colored, short, etc) into a pile and have your child sort them however they want! This open sort allows your child to use their inductive thinking skills. When done, sort them again, another way!

To learn more about the benefits of sorting with toddlers and more ideas, visit Bright Hub.

BOOK OF THE MONTH: Who's in the Forest?

2011-07-01T08:00:00.002-04:00

Who's in the Forest? by Phillis Gershator is a great book for toddlers. It's rhyming text and peek-a-boo holes make it a great interactive book for young ones. "Who's in the forest, dark and deep? Foxes on the prowl - creep, creep, creep." The collage/patchwork style illustrations are also eye catching and very engaging.

Forest Activities for Toddlers:

Collect some forest puppets and allow the children to explore with them. Toddlers will be able to experiment with sounds, words, and practice interacting with others. Some of my favorites are from Folkmanis because they are so lifelike and durable.
Taking a field trip with toddlers is not always an easy task, so check with your local Department of Natural Resources or your local Zoo to see if they have an outreach program that will bring forest animals to your classroom. Here in Maryland we have Scales and Tales and the Zoo Mobile.
Add forest animals to block area, sand table, and other areas of the classroom.
Act out the story with toddlers: 1) Make headbands by pasting a forest animal on a sentence strip; have one for each child. 2) While reading the story, have the children stand up when their animal is called. For example, when you read, "Who's in the forest dark and deep? Birds in the treetops - cheep, cheep, cheep" then the children with bird headbands will stand up and say "cheep, cheep, cheep."
Cut out animal tracks and contact them to the floor so that the children can follow them. Older toddlers can match the animal tracks with the animals.
Listen to a CD with sounds of the forest such as Forest Ambiance.
Make bird feeders! This is one of my favorite bird feeders because it's not too messy, it doesn't involve peanuts or peanut butter, and children get the benefit of fine-motor practice by stringing cheerios onto a pipe cleaner!

Teaching Kids News by Joyce Grant

2011-06-24T17:58:00.001-04:00

Last year, I partnered with my son’s grade-three teacher to talk to the kids in his class about “the news.” Because I’m a journalist, it’s something I know a bit about and I thought the kids might be interested in finding out more about their world.

It turns out we vastly underestimated their interest!

Each week I brought in a stack of newspaper clippings and talked about them with the class. We followed a couple of major breaking stories (the G20 summit, the oil spill) and we also talked about interesting or funny stories that would crop up during the week. It might be anything from the discovery of a new species to a space shuttle launch.

The kids actively participated in the weekly sessions, wanting to share their own knowledge about the news stories and also wanting to know more. Pretty soon, kids’ parents were coming up to us saying, “My son just explained to me what’s happening at the G20!”

That weekly media lesson sparked an idea for a website. What if we brought kids the news in kid-friendly and –appropriate language? It would encourage kids to read, because they desperately want to know what’s going on in the world. It would also encourage parents to read with their children.

My son’s teacher, Jonathan Ophek, added the final, brilliant piece of the puzzle: what if we added “curriculum connections” to each article, so teachers could use each day’s article right in the classroom? Teachers would be covering the curriculum using current news events pulled from today’s headlines.

So Teaching Kids News was born.

The site began in September 2010 and was relaunched in its current form in January 2011. We haven’t done much marketing of the site yet, but already more than 1,000 teachers and parents use the site every day. Some days, particularly when big news is breaking, we get more than twice or three times that number. (Our biggest day has been over 6,000 individual users.)

Our goal is to get kids reading, and we think that by bringing them news that is not only easy for them to read but put into “context” for them, we’re able to do that. At the same time, Teaching Kids News provides instant lesson plans for teachers and parents who are home-schooling their kids.

And as one CBC reporter said, TKN’s politics section is a great place to brush up on what’s happening in the world—for anyone, kid or adult!

Joyce Grant is a journalist and owner of Teaching Kids News, http://www.teachkidsnews.com/. She also blogs at Getting Kids Reading, http://www.gkreading.com/.

What are your favorite Father's Day books and activities? (Comment for a chance to win!)

2011-06-14T20:00:00.003-04:00

Here are some of favorite books that feature dads! Click on the image for more details.

Please tell us your favorite Father's Day Books and Activities in the comments below. Or you can tell us how you handle children in your class that might not have a dad. One randomly selected commenter will win a children's book! Deadline for comments is June 19 at midnight.

June 14th is Flag Day!

2011-06-13T22:46:00.000-04:00

Footprint flag:

Take a sheet of blue construction paper and allow children to cut and paste 50 star shapes on the paper.
On white tagboard, lightly pencil off a section in the left corner (you will later glue the blue starred paper here).
This part may be best done outside: fill a shallow tray with red paint. Let children step in the red paint and walk across the white tagboard, making the red "stripes" of the flag. Tips: make sure to add a shallow thin layer of paint to the tray (too much paint will make blobs instead of footprints; hold the child's hand while they walk across the paper so that they don't slip; after they walk across, have a hose to rinse children's feet off.)
After the paint dries, attach the blue stars and tadahhhh, you have a flag!

Flag Cake:

Bake a yellow cake in a rectangular 9x13 pan.
While cake is cooling, rinse strawberries and blueberries. Hull and slice strawberries length wise.
After cake cools, add white frosting. Then add blueberries in the left corner and add strawberries for the stripes.
OR, you can try this no-bake recipe from Kraft!

Craft Stick Flag: The directions from Enchanted Learning suggest that you cut tiny stars but you can also use a star hole punch like this one this one from Amazon and the kids love it!
Learn about Betsy Ross.

S is for S'mores

2011-05-23T08:00:00.011-04:00

S Is for S'Mores: A Camping Alphabet by Helen Foster James

I loved K is for Kick and P is for Putt so, it's natural that I'd like S Is for S'Mores: A Camping Alphabet! As with the other books in the series, there is catchy text associated with each letter of the alphabet in addition to several facts about camping. Here are some more fun activities to try:

Trail Mix S'mores: Mix mini marshmallows, teddy grahams, and mini chocolate chip cookies in a bag and you have all of the fixings (without the mess) for the perfect s'more!
Animal Collage: Make a collage of animals that you might see while camping.
Map It: Mark the National Parks on a map of the United States.
Pop Up Tent: Add a small pop up tent to housekeeping or block area. Add a few props such as blankets, flashlights, sleeping bags etc
Starry Night: Buy glow in the dark stars to put around your classroom (particularly on the ceiling) and turn off the lights to pretend you are camping under the stars.
Coloring Pages and Patterns: Use these coloring pages to enhance the theme. Children can color them or teachers can use them to create bulletin boards or concept activities.
S is for S'more and C is for Camping: Print and color 2 tent patterns. On one tent, write the letter S and on the other, write the letter C. Have a variety of pictures or objects that begin with the letters C and S. Children sort the objects by placing them on top of the correct tent.
North, South, East, and West: Teach children to use a compass.
Camp Fire: Make logs by wrapping paper towel tubes in brown construction paper. Use red, yellow and orange tissue paper "flames" to add to the logs. Add a small mini-flashlight under the "fire" to make it glow! Large white cotton balls attached to the end of the stick make great "marshmallows!"
Nature Sounds: Play a CD of nature sounds such as Echoes of Nature: American Wilds.
Camp Fire Stories: Have children bring sleeping bags. Sit around the pretend campfire, turn out the lights (remember to have your Starry Sky ready), eat your s'more trailmix and tell camping stories.

More Camping Books

Back on the Wagon

2011-05-22T20:05:00.001-04:00

As regular readers know, I've been spending the last five months learning to live a new normal. It's been difficult most times, but my niece and nephew keep me and my entire family going strong. My new normal, however, leaves little time for blogging. But I've promised to make writing more of a priority. Although I work in the early childhood field each day, many of you in management know, the day to day tasks sometimes leave little room for the good stuff (curriculum, developmental milestones, training, etc) and this blog is my outlet for all things early childhood! So I've promised to not abandon it, as it provides me with a reminder of my reason for getting into this awesome early childhood field. Having said that, my blog posts may be farther apart but I'll never be too far away from my little blog home. My Book of the Day posts will likely become Book of the Month and I'd love to have some volunteer GUEST BLOGGERS who also share a passion for early childhood. Please connect with me via direct message on Twitter or via email earlyliteracycounts AT gmail.com if you'd like to write a guest post.

Back on the writing wagon,

BOOK OF THE DAY: Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale

2011-03-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale.

There are many preschool books about birds, but here is a newly release book that I absolutely LOVE! I cannot stop flipping through this book! The pictures are so vibrant, engaging, and realistic that I imagine kids will want to read again and again. The text is simple, catchy, and informative: "Skimming birds, swimming birds, birds with tails held high. Racing birds, riding birds, birds that never fly." Each page features a different bird and the end of the book includes a child-friendly index with facts about each bird.

Related Activities:

Read my interview with Susan Stockdale and learn about how the author began her career as an author.
Visit Susan's website and use the interdisciplinary teacher guide for Bring on the Birds.
Visit the First School website to find coloring pages, crafts, and bird patterns.
Visit Enchanted Learning to find more bird facts and background information.
Learn about birds that are native to your area. If you learn about birds that live in other parts of the world or other parts of the United States, find those places on a map.
Cut and laminate different bird pictures. Cut out and laminate several nest patterns. Allow children to sort the pictures in different groups. For example: put all the birds that fly in one nest and all the birds that don't fly in another nest.
Find reasonably priced binoculars (like these from Discount School Supply) and go bird watching with a small group of children.
Make a bagel bird feeder (warning: this recipe calls for the use of peanut butter; since many child care centers are peanut free zones, you can try this one from Family Fun).
Visit National Geographic and National Geographic for Kids sites and find loads of information, videos, and pictures of birds.
Make a collage using bird seed purchased from a local store.
Make a memory game: print, cut out, and laminate 2 identical pictures of several types of birds. Allow children to turn the cards face down and try to find matches!
Make a feather collage or paint with feathers. (visit our friends at Discount School Supply for all kids of feathers!)

Other Bird Books:

Other Books by Susan Stockdale:

...and Goes Out Like A Lamb

2011-03-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

March comes in like a lion...and goes out (hopefully) like a lamb!

Hopefully, you have tried a few lion-related activities and are ready to welcome spring with a few of these lamb activities:

Make lamb (or lion) paper bag puppets.
Copy and scenes from Lamb (See How They Grow) and have children put them in sequential order.
Make a "Signs of Spring" Chart: Cut a large sheet of bulletin board paper into the shape of a lamb. Each day allow children to add any signs of spring that they notice: warm weather, spring shower, flower buds, robins, etc.
Have a "Welcome Spring" party on March 21 (first day of spring is Sunday, 3/20). Serve dirt cups!
Visit a farm to see the sheep and lambs. Or you may be able to have a farmer come to visit your school and bring a lamb.

BOOK OF THE DAY: A Birthday Cake is No Ordinary Cake

2011-03-11T00:00:00.027-05:00

"We're riding the Earth in a great spinning circle around the Sun, from your birthday to your next birthday.... You will need exactly 364 more sunrises, all clouds included."

"In Debra Frasier's A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake we circle the Sun collecting the ingredients for our cake: summer shade, red leaves, snowy shivers, and robin's song."

Related Activities:

Visit the author's webpage for related classroom activities such as a paper plate cake clock and birthday booklets.
Make a birthday graph and count how many birthdays are in each month of the year. You might want to include other classes, staff members, or classroom visitors in the graph!
Learn to say Happy Birthday in other languages.

March 11, 2011: Happy Birthday to a Very Special Shining Star.

Other Birthday Books:

March Comes In Like a Lion...

2011-03-10T08:00:00.004-05:00

March starts out pretty blustery and cold in many parts of the United States. Discuss with children what the saying "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb" means. Talk about how cold weather days are like lions (ferocious or windy) and warm days are like lambs (soft and gentle). Here are a few additional supporting activities:

Cut out small lions and lambs that will fit on your calendar. Each day, talk about the weather and decide if it is a "lamb day" or a "lion day." For added math activities talk about weather there are more or less lion/lamb days. Children can also learn how to do a tally of the days. My kindergarten students loved learning to make tally marks!
Read information books like The Reasons for Seasons to help children understand the changing seasons.
Make paper plate lions.
Since Lion and Lamb both begin with the letter L, make a cut of or a lion and a cut out of a lamb to hang in the room. For the entire time you are doing the lion/lamb unit, encourage children to think of words that begin with L. They can write the words on the cut outs or cut pictures out of magazines to glue to the cut outs.

What are your favorite lion and lamb activities?

Learning to Read: A Right or a Privilege?

2011-03-09T08:00:00.004-05:00

What if all the children in the world could read and write? This simple but poignant question is posed by LitWord.org. Many of us take it for granted that children will have access to books and will learn to read, but did you know:

Nearly a billion people entered the 21t century unable to read a book or sign their name.
According to the 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 37 percent of fourth graders and 26 percent of eighth graders cannot read at the basic level.
As recently as 2006, more than 8 million U.S. students in grades 4-12 struggle to read, write, and comprehend adequately.
Children in poor families are less likely to be read to daily.
Across the globe nearly 171 million children could be lifted out of poverty if they left school with basic reading and writing skills.
Reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for building knowledge required for eventual success in reading.

Today is World Read Aloud Day. I challenge you to read aloud to a child today. If you don’t have a child to read to, pass this information onto someone who does and encourage them to read to a child today. Learning to read is a RIGHT, not a privilege.

Related Posts:
World Read Aloud Message from Kenya
10 Tips on Reading to Baby 10 Tips for Reading Aloud to Children
10 Benefits of Reading to Baby
10 Books I Love To Read Aloud

A World Read Aloud Day message from our friends in Kenya.

2011-03-08T08:00:00.004-05:00

BOOK OF THE DAY: If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

2011-03-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

When I taught kindergarten there were a few books that I knew by heart, and this was one of them. That's why it made it to my Books I Love to Read Aloud post! Here are some supporting activities for this classic story:

MATH

Sequencing Activity: Cut out and laminate at least 2 different types of cookies (for example, a chocolate chip cookie - click HERE for pattern from ABC Teach- and a heart shaped cookie) and have children make A-B-A-B patterns. For children who are ready, cut out 3 or 4 different "cookies" and make more complex patterns (A-B-B-A or A-B-C-A-B-C). Younger children can sort cookies by size, shape, or color.
Visit the Virtual Vine site to find how to make a cookie graph along with other cookie math activities such as cookie addition and much more.
Visit Quirky Momma to see how children can use cookies to learn about fractions.

CROSS CURRICULAR LEARNING: Baking cookies

To enhance literacy when baking, always use a recipe chart so that children can see the steps and follow along. After the cookie activity is over, hang the recipe in your dramatic play area so that children can continue to recall and imitate the experience.
To enhance scientific learning, talk about what happens when you add liquid to the dry ingredients or why we have to add egg to the recipe. Remember, cooking and chemistry go hand-in-hand!
For added fun, use a mouse cookie cutter. I used to use the companion book, MOUSE COOKIES 10 Easy-to-Make Cookie Recipes and cookie cutter by Laura Numeroff but it's hard to find these days.
To enhance social-emotional development, make a batch of cookies to give to someone. Let the children decorate paper bags for the cookies. You can make the cookies for another class, a sick friend, the janitorial crew, or anyone who might enjoy them.
To enhance mathematical thinking while cooking, talk about the measurements. For example, Is two cups of flour more or less than 1 cup of sugar? Two half cups equal one whole cup, etc...

LITERACY:

Sorting C sounds and M sounds: Cut out pictures that begin with C (cookie) and M (mouse). Give children two unbreakable cookie jars (I love my local Dollar Store for these kinds of goodies) and have them sort the pictures by placing "C" words in one jar and "M" words in another.
Sequence the events in the story by photocopying the main parts of the story, laminating them, and putting a piece of Velcro on the back. Using a flannel board, have children put the events on the flannel board in order.
Allow children to make up their own stories (individually, in groups, or as a class) such as, If You Give a Raccoon a Raisin or If You Give A Kangaroo a Coconut.
Don't forget to visit the websites for Laura Numeroff and the Mouse Cookie Books for additional activities.
Also check out If You Take A Mouse to School and other books by Laura Numeroff like:

I was inspired to choose this as the Book of the Day because my niece had an awesome third birthday party at Little Hands Cookie Company (there is also an outreach program, where they will come to your school). If you live in the Baltimore Area, please check out this awesome place! The staff was awesome and you can tell that for Ms. Lisa, owner and head cookie baker :), this is a work of love. Here are a few snapshots of the event:

How Diverse is Your Library? Books Featuring African-American Children

2011-02-15T08:00:00.003-05:00

In last week's post someone asked if I had a list of favorite books featuring African American characters. Many of the books that I like best are those that cover every day occurrences but the characters just happen to be of a different cultural or racial background. In my opinion, these are the type of books that unite us. If you are looking to add some African American books to your library, here are some of my favorites (There are so many and I'm sure that I'm missing a few so feel free to comment and tell me your favorites too!):

Infants and Toddlers

Preschoolers

I haven't read many books for the older groups but many people enjoy:

Black History Month For Preschoolers

2011-02-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

How do you celebrate Black History Month with preschool and kindergarten children? Or do you celebrate it at all with this age group? I say… NO. I know, I know….as an African American female, I should be supportive of Black History Month. And really I am - sadly, many people wouldn't even think about Black History if it wasn't for February. But I’d like us to move away from having the need to highlight African Americans once a year. We are creating a new generation of thinkers…a new generation of citizens…what can we do to help everyone move beyond this segmented view of African American history?

If your classroom only reads books about Martin Luther King and Barack Obama in February, then there is a problem. I’m challenging early childhood educators to expose children to people of all races and cultures regardless of what the calendar says. Even if every child in your classroom is the same race, diversity still has a place. The world is diverse all year around, not just in February.

We, as early childhood educators, “get it right” when a lot of others don’t. I think the public school systems can learn a lot from us. Too often, when kids get to “real school” the system paints all kids with one big brush, and if you don’t fit, you either fall through the cracks or end up in a special education program. In early childhood, we know how to tailor our curriculum to fit the needs of individual children. We know that gym and recess aren't "extra-curricular" activities, but that physical activity is necessary for healthy development. We know that we have to attend to the “whole child” and not just his or her test-taking ability. We know that children learn by doing and that authentic assessment has little to do with paper and pencil tests. I think we’ve got it right in a lot of ways. So, since we are the forerunners and foundation-layers in education, we are in a position to set an example for children, families, and other educators. Let’s use Black History Month as a reminder to ourselves that diversity should be a part of everything we do.

I challenge you, not to say "NO" to Black History Month, but to make every month about diversity, acceptance, and inclusiveness. When you are doing your farm unit, learn about George Washington Carver, not because it’s February, but because it’s relevant to your curriculum or theme. Take a new approach to history – look at every unit and theme that you introduce and find a relevant, sensitive, and appropriate way to expose children to diversity so that it becomes a part of everyday conversation, not something separate that we put away at the end of the month. Change starts with us…

Learning to Live a New Normal

2011-02-06T18:23:00.001-05:00

I don't quite know how to start this post. I've been thinking about it for a while, but I just don't know where to begin. Do I ignore what my family has endured or do I write about it? Do I dedicate this post to my loved one or do I make it "in memory of" her? I'm still not sure, so I just thought I'd pick up the proverbial blogging pen and see where this post takes me.

We lose people in so many ways. People die from illness and disease. Sometimes old age or accidents. Sometimes people die at the hands of others. In most situations, you have someone or something to blame. But how do you wrap your brain around a healthy young woman in the prime of her life dying after delivering her second child - a beautiful and healthy baby boy? We aren't living in a third world country where we don't have access to technology and medicine. Dying in childbirth was unheard of to me. But that is what happened. My wonderful, beautiful sister-in-law passed away on December 10 and our world crumbled around us. I just couldn't... and still can't understand this. It seems so surreal. If you remember, I was just raving about the baby shower not too long ago!

My niece and nephew will know their mother. I feel her spirit around me all the time so I know she is watching over her children, over my brother, and over our entire family. People say that time heals all wounds but I'm still hurting...sometimes the tears come unexpectedly - they just fall randomly. Our family is learning to live a new kind of normal. We are doing what families do: We are leaning on and loving each other more than ever before.

People say that God has a plan so that must mean that my sister-in-law's job here on earth is done. Her assignment here was to make her parents proud, show my brother what it means to love, touch the lives of every family she cared for (she was a nurse practitioner) and to bring those two beautiful children into the world. I know that they are destined for greatness...I just know they are, I can see it in their eyes!

So as I get back to blogging, I'll do it with even more intention and purpose than ever before. My heart is in a different place but early literacy still lives here :-). My sister-in-law was often the inspiration for some of my posts. In fact, when she found out she was having a boy, she inspired me to write my "boys and books" series.

I wasn't sure when the right time would be to resume blogging, but a bit of advice came from an unexpected source and a fellow blogger who also took a break after the death of a loved one: "I found that part of my emotional healing came through my writing. Writers must share their gift. Someone always needs to hear what God has placed on your heart to share. Sometimes you think it is just for you, but someone else needs your "insight" more than you do."

Peace and Blessings Readers. I'm glad to be back. As long as there are children and books on this earth, I still have work to do.

Taking a Break...

2010-12-13T08:47:00.000-05:00

Due to a tragic and unexpected death in my family, I am taking a break from blogging. In the meantime, feel free to visit other links on this blog. And remember that tomorrow is not promised: Go hug someone that you love and be kind to one another.

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. ~Psalm 30:5

BOOK OF THE DAY: A Giraffe and a Half

2010-12-09T08:00:00.002-05:00

A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein

Related Activities:

Learn about (what else...) giraffes. There are many great links:

National Geographic For Kids
San Diego Zoo
Find a zoo that has a giraffe cam like Kid Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, or Marwell Wildlife Center. (Check for times and availability as webcams change often).
Giraffe webcams, photos and videos.

Giraffe information from Enchanted Learning and First School.
Use a giraffe pattern to make puzzles (cutting the giraffe in 2 pieces to make halves, 3 pieces to make thirds).
Make a list of rhyming words used in the book.
Visit Shel Silverstein's website for great information, printables, and games.
Make black and white drawings using large paper (water color paper works nicely) and black felt tipped markers.
Invite someone in to play the flute for your class.
Create some fraction activities related to the "halves" (ex, during snack time, break cookies in half).
Read other silly books.
Mark on a map or globe where giraffes live in Africa.

Other Books By Shel Silverstein:

Other Giraffe Books:

My Childhood Favorites

2010-12-08T08:00:00.003-05:00

Occasionally I get a little nostalgic and begin thinking of old TV shows, toys and books that I loved as a child. Well, its one of those times. Here are some books that I remember reading over and over again as a little girl:

And as I got a little older:

What were some of your "back in the day" favorite books?

BOOK OF THE DAY: King Bidgood's in the Bathtub

2010-12-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood and Don Wood

When I taught kindergarten (many, many moons ago) this was one of the books that my children would ask me to read over and over again. King Bidgood refuses to get out of the tub and the hilarious illustrations show him eating, fishing, and even dancing in the bathtub. (Ever had a little one who just doesn't want to stop playing in the tub - he or she will appreciate this story even more!). The illustrations are so rich and engaging that when you're reading, you'll want to leave time to really enjoy the pictures. The text is simple and predictable which is a draw to many preschool and kindergarten children. There's a book and musical CD that I haven't heard, but may be a nice addition to the story.

If you enjoy this story, here are more books that will tickle your funny bone!

Related Activities:

In the water table or sensory area, add a baby bathtub and props (dolls or "block" people).
Visit Audrey Wood's website for to learn more about the author and illustrator.
Do Sink and Float activities in a baby bathtub!
Make a classroom chart and learn to Sign Three Men in a Tub.
Ask the children to tell you what they do while they are in the bathtub (play with boats, blow bubbles, etc). Make a class list.
Children can also draw pictures to illustrate what they like to do in the bathtub (give each child bathtub shaped paper). Bind the pages together into a class book (Room 5 In the Bathtub).

Other Books By Audrey Wood:

Other Bathtub Books:

BOOK OF THE DAY: How the Moon Regainded Her Shape

2010-12-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

How the Moon Regained Her Shape by Janet Ruth Heller

Influenced by Native American folktales, this fascinating story deals with overcoming adversity, self-confidence, and understanding the phases of the moon. After the sun insults her, the moon gets very upset and disappears - much to the chagrin of rabbits who miss their moonlight romps. With the help of her many friends and admirers, the moon gains self-confidence each day until she is back to her full size. The For Creative Minds section explains the phases of the moon and answers those pesky questions like why is the moon up during the day? , and why does the shape of the moon change? ~Amazon Product Review

How the Moon Regained Her Shape is a well-written and beautifully illustrated tale that young readers (pre-kindergarten to first or second grade) will enjoy. Teachers will appreciate the fact that there is a "For Creative Minds Section" located in the back of the book and online. Sylvan Dell Publishing also includes a 38 page Teacher's Activity Guide that includes activities such as writing prompts, vocabulary words, science activities, and much more.

Related Activities:

Visit some of the related websites listed on the Sylvan Dell page.
Keep a class journal of the phases of the moon.
Talk about bullying. In the back of the book is a section on "How to Deal with Bullies."
Read other books about the moon such as The Moon, Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, and Long Night Moon. Compare books that are "fiction" and books that are "factual."

In order to win this book, please comment below with your favorite moon book and/or activity by December 18, 2010. One winner will be randomly chosen using Random.org.

BOOK OF THE DAY: Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

2010-12-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

Bad Kitty (who used to be a Good Kitty) was not happy when there was only Asparagus, Beets, Cauliflower and other healthy foods (all the way to zucchini) to eat. And thus begins this little kitty's adventure through the alphabet. This book might be a bit long for some children to absorb in one sitting, but chances are they will want to read this one again and again!

Related Activities:

Visit these blog links for other alphabet books and activities.
Use the Bad Kitty Doll. Let children take Kitty home and write a story about what good or bad things Kitty did during the visit.
These Lesson Guides have other great activities: Jen Duncan and Chalk Talk
Make a Venn Diagram or chart comparing real cats and pretend cats.
Tie the story into a unit on cats: CFA, Discovery Channel, Cool Cat Brain Teasers from National Geographic for Kids, and Cat Photographs from National Geographic for Kids,
Make a class book that is inspired by the story such as, "Bad Doggy" or "Bad Bunny."
Compare house cats to jungle cats.

More Books by Nick Bruel:

Teacher Tip: Avoiding Holiday Burnout in the Classroom - Less is More

2010-11-30T08:00:00.005-05:00

Holiday time can be overstimulating even for those of us who have had years of experience navigating the hustle and bustle that comes in December. But imagine you are just 2 years old. Your quiet predicable world is snatched out from under you only to be replaced with loud music, twinkling lights, bright colors, crinkling of paper, giant snowmen on every lawn, lighted reindeer everywhere you look, longer days at day care (while parents work, shop, or both), regular teachers and caregivers are on vacation...it's massive sensory overload at home AND at school. It's often too much for preschoolers. So, sometimes, less is more!

Here are a few tips for helping your little ones survive the holidays:

Keep classroom routines the same.
Avoid spending the entire month focusing on celebrations and holidays. Limit your holiday-themed activities to the 3-5 days before the holiday.
Limit holiday decor in the classroom. The younger the child, the fewer decorations you need. Infants, toddlers, and twos have a limited or no concept of holidays. Preschoolers certainly have a better understanding of holidays but they too can become overwhelmed.
Incorporate more calming activities like Yoga Kids: For Ages 3-6 because children may need more relaxation.

What are your tips for maintaining sanity during in your preschool classroom?

Teacher Tip: Turkey Apples for Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T08:00:00.008-05:00

I can't take credit for this wonderful little art project, but it was just too cute not to share! A Spanish Teacher who comes to our child care center each week made these awesome little turkeys with the children last week. She also taught them to say turkey in Spanish: el Pavo!

Turkey Time!

2010-11-22T07:59:00.006-05:00

It seems like just last week we were lounging by the pool and slathering on sunscreen...and now it's time for Thanksgiving! Here are some favorite Thanksgiving books that your preschool and kindergartners might enjoy. Special thanks to all of my Tweeps for sending in their favorites!

Child_Care_Info created a great list of favorite Thanksgiving books.
ReachoutandRead loves Pumpkin Soup and all things pumpkin!
StressFreeKids has some Thanksgiving Day Tips here: Don't Get Gobbled Up By Stress.
2ndstorywindow likes a A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting. There are more favorites here.
Lisaunbury loves Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markers.
MelissaZD enjoys This Is the Turkey by Abby Levine.
Bluskyz mentioned Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving.
Connect2Jamie's kids just loveThanksgiving in the Barn.
ChildCareofKY likes Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving.

BOOK OF THE DAY: Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell

2010-11-19T06:27:00.000-05:00

Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this seems like a great book to share with your little ones! During this time of the year, you have to be sensitive to various cultural practices and family beliefs. This is also the time of year when it's easy to fall into the "Pilgrim and Indian" trap. Some of us get caught up stereotyping these groups by making cute little Pilgrim hats and
"Inidan" (i.e. Native American) headbands. Some of us forget that for some people, the history of the first Thanksgiving is not a happy and celebratory time. So, instead, it's a good time of year to focus instead on the things that most of us have in common: family, sharing, family celebrations, family feasts, and things for which we are thankful.

Related Activities:

Have a feast in your classroom. Invite parents and family members to join.
Here is a GREAT 25 page activity guide/lesson plan for this story.
Here is another activity guide that includes a fact page, parent page and recipe cards.
Here are activity cards that include recipes, a rhyming activity, and other experiences.
If your school is close to a grocery store, arrange a field trip to the store to purchase items for your feast or for a recipe.
Collect pictures of foods for children to cut (the coupon section of the newspaper and food magazines are great sources). Give each child a paper plate and allow them to make a collage of their own feast.
Go online and print pictures of families having feasts; share these photos with the children and let them share their own experiences with the class.
Encourage children to create a "feast" in the housekeeping or dramatic play areas. Provide table cloths, centerpieces, and all of the other necessary trimmings for a feast!

Girls Booked on Beauty Shops

2010-11-18T21:53:00.002-05:00

Children who gain achievement in reading and language skills are more likely to be successful in all other subject areas. Reading is a key that unlocks a magical door filled with potential. Unfortunately, research shows that many minority children are not read to as much as their White counterparts. Research also shows that too often, by fourth grade African American students still have not mastered the skills necessary to become successful readers. Two community based programs aimed at increasing literary interest are Boys Booked on Barbershops and Girls Booked on Beauty Shops. These programs aim to provide children (from ages 1-18) opportunities to read in barbershops and beauty shops.

One Maryland group is bringing Girls Booked on Beautyshops to the area this weekend. The Harford County chapter of Mocha Moms is hosting Girls Booked on Beautyshops Saturday, November 20 from 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Imaginations Salon and Spa. Mocha Moms is a support group for mothers of color who have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote more time to their families and communities. This event is supported, in part, by Scholastic and the National Institute for Literacy. For more information, email harfordmochamoms@gmail.com.

BOOK OF THE DAY: Pumpkin Soup

2010-11-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper

"There's a good smell of soup, and at night, with luck, you might see a bagpiping Cat in the window, and a Squirrel with a banjo, and a small singing Duck. Everyone has their own jobs to do. Everyone is happy... or so it seems.... until one day Duck, the littlest one, decides it's his turn to stir the soup..." ~Product Description from WormWorks.Com

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, pumpkin pie might be on everyone's mind....but what about Pumpkin Soup? This is a funny and beautifully illustrated book to share with your preschool/kindergartners.

Related Activities:

Make pumpkin soup. There are tons of recipes online. This one from Suite 101 seems fairly simple to do with children. Whenever I cook with children, I always make either a large recipe chart or individual recipe cards so that children can follow along. Having a written recipe helps children to understand the concepts such as of following directions, ordinal numbers, sight words, and measurements. Individual recipe cards can be given to children to take home and share with their families.
If you make pumpkin soup, talk about what each child's role was in making the soup. Talk about what would happen if everyone wanted to add the pumpkin but no one wanted to stir - or if everyone wanted to stir and no one wanted to add the milk. Emphasise the importance of teamwork!
Cut out a large pumpkin and make a list of all the things we can do with a pumpkin: make soup, roast the seeds, make pie, make a jack o'lantern, etc.
Make pumpkin pie playdough.
Plant a few pumpkin seeds.
Roast the remaining pumpkin seeds.
Talk about the behavior of the animal friends in the book: What happens when everyone does their job? What happens when people don't do their jobs? Why is teamwork important?
Plan a classroom activity that requires teamwork like making a classroom mural.
Learn the TeamWork Song from SongsForTeaching.Com.

Other Books by Helen Cooper:

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

2010-11-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

I've been out of the blogging loop for two whole weeks! Do you want to know what I've been up to? Here are my top 3 ~~reasons~~ excuses for not blogging:

1. I've been sick. Bronchitis made me feel like I was run over by a truck! Two visits to the doctor, two prescriptions, and two weeks later, I'm finally feeling better!

2. I planned a super cool baby shower for my favorite sister-in-law. She's the best so I wanted her shower to be awesome! The guest book was a copy of Goodnight Moon where guest wrote messages to mom and baby! Here are a few snapshots:

3. After a visit to a hand surgeon for pain in my hands and arms, I've been wearing a very fashionable (not really) arm brace that makes typing a bit challenging.

And now...I'm back. Bronchitis is gone, baby shower is over, and the arm brace...well, now I only have to wear it at night. So I have a lot of blogging to do in the next few weeks - I'm finishing up the "boys and books" series with two more articles later this week. I have some giveaways to post and new books to review. I'm glad to be back in the blogging world!

Teacher Tip: Keep the Germs Away...when you can

2010-11-02T07:52:00.003-04:00

I still have two more posts to write in my "Boys and Books" series but I've been a bit under the weather. It's that time of year when cold and flu germs are just waiting to tackle innocent bystanders. They are lurking on door knobs, key pads, telephones, pencils, computer key boards, urghh...just everywhere.

So this week, I turn to YOU for teacher tips! How do you reduce the spread of cold and flu germs in your child care center/school/classroom?

There is no fool-proof answer, but here are some of the things I've seen:

Bleach water solution, when MADE and USED properly, can be sprayed on eating areas, toys, door knobs, etc.
In infant programs, have a laundry basket placed out of reach of the children. As children put things in their mouths, as soon as they are done, put them in the basket to be sanitized before another baby picks it up.
Have a mid-day sanitation schedule. Rather than waiting until the end of the day, assign someone to clean and sanitize toilet seats, toilet handles, door knobs, telephone receivers, and other areas.
Refer to, post, and follow NAEYC's cleaning and sanitation frequency chart.
Do you serve food family style? Make sure that there is a teacher supervising until children learn not to dip their own spoon into the community bowls! I used to purchase serving utensils that were glaringly different (ex: red, or some other bright color) than the typical utensils to help children remember.
Teach children (and some adults) to sneeze and cough into their elbows, not their hands!
Of course, teach proper hand-washing procedures to children and adults.

So, what are your tips for reducing germs in the child care / early childhood environment?

Other Posts:
Germs Make Me...and You...Sick
Should Child Care Employees Be Required to Get the Flu Shot?

Should we give in to the “yuck factor” when it comes to boys and books?

2010-10-27T10:11:00.002-04:00

There are a couple of schools of thought when it comes to what books boys (or children in general) should read. Some folks say that books like the Goosebumps series or other similarly "yucky" books are inappropriate and should not be encouraged. Others say if boys are reading...let them read WHATEVER will interest them.

My personal opinion is that the answer lies somewhere in the middle. If you have a reluctant reader and he will not read anything other than these types of books, I say some reading is better than NO reading at all. But I think parents should read the books that they are giving to their children so that they can have discussions about the content. If the book has all of the makings of a good literacy experience, then it's probably worth reading.

As teachers however, we have to have a standard that is acceptable to all parents and some books that parents might choose to read at home, are not necessarily appropriate for school. Generally we early childhood educators have it easier than our elementary school counterparts. In preschool and kindergarten, most young boys haven't yet developed the gross sense of humor that will make moms and teachers cringe :). But for older boys, if they are reading books about slimy monsters AND they are learning to comprehend, decipher new words, spell, process information, imagine the unthinkable, and learn to differentiate between reality and fantasy, then it's fine with me! Now, certainly if that's all a boy wants to read, it's our job as adults to make an effort to find other subjects that will peek his interest. But again I say, some reading is better than NO reading!

On a side note, I think it's important that we not ASSUME that because a child is a BOY then he will automatically like these types of books. My only point here is if you have a boy who is drawn to these types of books, I don't think it's the end of the world :).

Here are two links that present differing points of view:

What do you think about the yuck factor? Yes or No?

Related Posts:

Six Not-So-Secret Tips for Encouraging Literacy Development in Boys
Teacher Tip Tuesday: Tip #4: Boys and Books in the Classroom
Beyond Reading: 15 Literacy Activities for Parents with Boys
25 Books Boys (and girls) Might Enjoy (coming soon)
Literacy Challenges for “at-risk” families (coming soon)

Teacher Tip Tuesday: Boys and Books in the Classroom

2010-10-26T08:00:00.005-04:00

Research shows that there is a reading and language achievement gap between boys and girls. As early childhood educators, we must take a moment to see what role we play in creating in this gap, and more importantly, how we can help eradicate it. We know that the early years are very valuable in setting the stage for future learning, so we should take our roles seriously. How can we be sure to set boys up with positive literacy experiences? Here are a few tips. Please comment below if you have more tips to share!

Don’t compare boys to girls – boys take longer to develop language and literacy skills. And comparing boys to girls is just unfair. What's "on target" for girls is not the same as what's "on target" for girls. Here's an example: if you have a boy that can write the letter A in shaving cream, but is reluctant to pick up a pencil to write, is it really fair to say that this child "can't" writ the letter A. Well he can write it...maybe he needs more fine motor activities to help him with his pencil skills, but it's not fair to say flat-out that this child can't write the letter A.
Evaluate your own teaching style – do you expect boys to adapt to you or are you adapting your teaching style to meet their needs? Is your circle time too long to really grasp the attention of the boys AND the girls in your room? Are you providing activities that meet the needs of all kinds of learners (visual, active, auditory, etc)?
Do you have books and writing materials in ALL areas of the classroom? If the boys in your room rarely choose to go to the library or writing table, then they are missing potential learning opportunities. In order to overcome this challenge, encourage reading and writing in all areas: in block area, add construction and architecture books as well and pencils and paper for making signs; at the work bench, add paper and pencils for making "blueprints;" in the science area, include encyclopedias, nature books, and science-related diagrams. Be creative, but make sure that reading and writing opportunities are all around.
Have male role models read to your class. In most child care programs, men are few and far between. So look to your parents or other members of the community to read stories to the classroom.
When you do author studies, purposely ensure to feature as many male authors as you do female authors.
Be sure that you have books that cater to the interests of the boys in your classroom.
Visit websites such as Getting Boys to Read and Guys Read to learn new and exciting ways to engage the boys in your classroom. Another helpful site is Reading is for the Boys...it's a webquest geared for K-12 teachers but many of the information is helpful and can be adapted to the younger ages.

Books About Boys and Books

Beyond Reading: 15 Literacy Activities for Parents with Boys

2010-10-25T08:00:00.007-04:00

Reading to your baby boy is the first and most important way to raise a son who does not lag far behind their female counterparts when it comes to reading skills. Start reading from birth so that boys have a better chance of developing a natural love of books. But aside from reading, there are some other fun activities that you can do to further enhance literacy skills in young boys. Knowing that boys are active learners, it's a good idea to present literacy activities that encourage movement.

Label containers and drawers in your child’s room or play area. When it’s time to clean up, the trucks should go in the container marked “trucks,” blocks go in the container marked “blocks,” and action figures go in the container marked "action figures." Functional reading is still reading!
Combine sensory activities with writing activities: Put shaving cream on the table or on a tray (or on the bathtub wall) and practice writing letters and words. You can also use sand, flour, finger paint, etc. You can also try crayon soap for the bathtub!
Use alphabet molds for sand and play dough – encourage children to identify and spell with the letters that they create in sand or play dough.
Find interactive books – pop-up books, books with buttons, I Spy Books, etc… that might be appealing to boys. Keep them in the car or in your bag so that you can take advantage of any opportunity to read a page or two!
Boys are physical and tactile learners so instead of traditional flashcards, make letters out of sandpaper (or other sensory material like cotton, corduroy, felt, etc) so children can feel them.
Make letters with hands, fingers, and body parts. Ex: cross two fingers to make and X or a T. Again, any time you can combine physical activity with literacy learning, boys will be better off!
Put large letter cards on the floor and have children “hop,” or “jump” on the letter you call out.
Don’t underestimate the power of everyday moments. Talking and singing help build important brain connections.
Infuse literacy into other types of active play: Playing baseball? Let your child write down the score. Playing with the train set? Make signs for the train stops. Got cars? Add real road maps. Look for meaningful ways to infuse a literacy element into your child's favorite activities.
Freeze letters into ice "cubes" (ex: put a few letters in a paper cup of water, when the water is frozen, peel away the cup). Give your child a safe space, a crab mallet or play dough tools and a pair of goggles. Encourage them to chip away to get to the letters. For older children, add letters that spell something (like your child's name or other familiar words) and once they've uncovered all of the letters, they can unscramble the letters.
Go on a treasure hunt: bury plastic letters in the sand box and have your son dig them out.
Find blocks with letters and build words with them (they often have them in the Dollar Stores – you might need 2 or 3 sets to successfully spell some words).
Visit the library - most local libraries have free programs for kids that involve story time, arts/crafts, and special performers.
Celebrate male authors! Boys need to see that men are writers too. When books have the author's picture inside, read this to your son. Look online and visit websites for male authors. Visit Guys Read!
Use technology to your advantage. We shouldn't ignore the fact that boys are attracted to technology, so choose websites and video games carefully. Choose and sites that encourage interaction and language use. Visit Best Sites for Preschool and Kindergarten. and Software for Early Childhood.

Books for Parents on Boys and Literacy

Related Posts:

•Six Not-So-Secret Tips for Encouraging Literacy Development in Boys
•Beyond Reading: 15 Literacy Activities for Parents with Boys
•Literacy Challenges for “at-risk” families (coming soon)
•Should We Give In to the “Yuck Factor” When It Comes to Boys and Books?

•25 Books Boys (and girls) Might Enjoy (coming soon)

Six Not-So-Secret Tips for Encouraging Literacy Development in Boys

2010-10-24T10:06:00.003-04:00

Several years ago when I taught pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, I had a foster grandparent volunteer – a senior citizen who helped in the classroom every morning. It was a wonderful program; it was nice to have a male role model in a female-dominated profession! Whenever the boys played in housekeeping/dramatic play area, Mr. B. would tell them, “Get outta that kitchen. Boys don’t play in the kitchen.” I had many talks with Mr. B and reminded him that it was really OK for the boys to be in the Dramatic Play area. It’s such a touchy subject with men sometimes. Sometimes they just don’t want to see their boys playing with dolls – but it isn’t a sign of doom , it really isn’t – they are imitating what they see mommies AND daddies doing – dads take care of babies, dads cook, and dads clean up. Four- and five-year-olds are experimenting with these roles and it is how both boys and girls learn.

So, all things equal for boys and girls, right? Weeeellll…..not exactly. Boys and girls deserve equal opportunites…but that does not mean that we, as educators and/or parents, should ignore their differences. Sure, it's OK for young boys to play with dolls and for young girls to play with trucks; but when it comes to boys and literacy, research shows that there is a significant gap in reading achievement. Boys and girls have biological differences and we can’t expect boys to fit into our mold of what we think a “reader” should be; we instead have to be flexible and bend our expectations to meet the needs of the young boys in our lives. Boys might not sit still for a 15 minute circle time so we have to find another way to reach them.

Research shows that literacy skills are a predictive factor in school success. Creating a nation of boys that are lagging behind in reading skills means that they are at risk in other subject areas as well. Our effort to erase this literacy achievement gap has to begin in the early years. Here are just some of the things that parents and teachers can do to set a literacy foundation early in a young boy’s life:

Start early: I remember reading that adults tend to read and talk more to girls than they do to boys – even in infancy. We can’t set our boys up for failure even before they get a chance to crawl! It’s important for all babies to be read to; research shows that the single most important thing a parent can do to raise a child who reads, is to read to them early and often!
Choose books that will be of interest: Whatever those interests are, foster them. Is your two year old obsessed with trucks? Have a five year old that can’t get enough of dinosaurs? Or a ten year old who loves all things related to baseball? There are books on just about every topic under the sun! Visit the library often and get acquainted with your local librarian!
Value Read Aloud Time: Even after a child learns to read, continue to read aloud. Hearing the rhythm, patterns, tone, and pronunciation of written language helps children to become better readers.
Timing is Important: If boys seem to have a short attention span, choose books that are not too long. Or, read books in chunks – a few pages a day/night. What’s important is that you are reading!
SET AN EXAMPLE: Boys need good role models. Dads, granddads, uncles, or other male figures should model literacy behavior. Children see and children do!
Keep tabs on digital media: Boys are attracted to video games and computers. It’s unrealistic to eliminate all digital media from a child’s life; to do so would suggest that computers and video games are inherently “bad.” I suggest that the use of video games and computer time is monitored – supervise the time children spend using these devices, select games/software properly, and select well-developed websites to explore.

Related Posts:

Teacher Tip Tuesday: Boys and Books in the Classroom
Beyond Reading: 15 Literacy Activities for Parents with Boys
Literacy Challenges for “at-risk” families (coming soon)
Should We Give In to the “Yuck Factor” When It Comes to Boys and Books?
25 Books Boys (and girls) Might Enjoy (coming soon)

Links and Sources:

Sesame Street Writer, Joey Mazzarino, Inspired By Daughter to Write "I Love My Hair"

2010-10-19T18:23:00.002-04:00

Last week I was so happy to discover this wonderful video, I Love My Hair, and today, it was featured on my local morning news (WMAR - ABC 2 News). There's a bit of background about the writer and singer so I thought I'd share it here. I read that this little ~~girl~~ puppet has no name. What do you think her name should be?

First Disney has an African American Princess and now, this video. I wish these images were available when I was growing up, but I'm glad that they are around for my niece! Again I say, THANK YOU SESAME STREET!

See Also: I Love My Hair