Book for Kids Day

Here in Baltimore, we have a wonderful organization, Baltimore Reads, that hosts Book for Kids Day every spring. Teachers, schools, children, and families benefit from the monetary and book donations made by members of our community. I am asking all of my readers to do one thing to help get books in the hand of a child/family in need. Here are some ideas:

1. Call your local literacy organizations and ask them how you can help.
2. Donate your gently used children's books to a school in a low-income neighborhood. I'm sure there is always a teacher who will be grateful for them.
3. Look for a non-profit or family child care center in your area and ask if they need book donations.
4. Contact a local women and children's shelter and ask them if they are in need of any book donations.
5. Start your own book drive and donate books to a local foster home or other agency in need.

Product Give Away:

Comment below to tell us what you are doing to help  children in your community get access to books. A random winner will be selected to win two sets of Counting Cards from Child Up.

 and

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

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:

BOOK OF THE DAY: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Tuesday, October 7 is Read For the Record Day and this year's featured book is The Snowy Day.Children, teachers, parents, and families across the world can pledge to read this classic story. And if you don't have a copy of your own you can read it online from We Give Books, or you can catch various celebrity readings on the Today Show!

Early literacy is a strong indicator of future school success. Many children, especially those affected by poverty, enter school with a significant deficit. Jumpstart is making an effort to address the early childhood crisis by providing books and literacy programs to children in at-risk areas.  Have you pledged to Read for the Record?

Additional Activities for this Book:

There are so many great activities already available online. Here are links to just a few. Please comment below if you have other activities or links to suggest!

• Kinderthemes
• One More Story (Listen and view the story online)
• Scholastic
• Scholastic Lesson Plan
• Ezra Jack Keats' Kid's Corner

Product Review: Create Your Own Pop Up Books from Growing Tree Toys

Welcome to my very first product review!

Anyone who has visited my little blog-home knows that I am passionate about children’s literacy and the role that it plays in a child’s overall development. Growing Tree Toys has a host of educational toys that promote literacy, learning, and creativity. The Create Your Own Pop Up Book (described below) is $19.95 and is suggested for “children” from ages 5 to 95!

“Little writers and artists can use their imaginations to create the “next big” book series with the Create Your Own Pop-Up Books Kit from Creativity for Kids. While anyone may be able write a story, the Create Your Own Pop-up Books Kit gives kids the tools that, when combined with their imaginations, bring their stories to life with pop-up fun. The Create Your Own Pop-Up Books Kit features 2 high quality, hardcover pop-up books – one that measures 8.5”x8.5” and the other 6.25”x6.25” – and supplies to make their stories, including stickers, 8 markers, pop-up designs, illustrated instructions with story starter ideas, and step-by-step pop-up ideas. When kids use their imaginations to add their own drawings and photos, they will be amazed as their brilliant story comes to life and literally pops off the page with the Create Your Own Pop-Up Books Kit from Creativity for Kids.” [text from Growing Tree Toys]

The product arrived exactly as described above. Children receiving such a great product will want to jump in right away, but planning is needed. After carefully and thoughtfully planning out the story, it will take some additional strategizing to plan the illustrations as well.

Potential skills children can learn from this kit:

• Parts of a book (cover, spine, etc..) 
• Parts of a story (beginning, middle, ending)
• The role of authors and illustrators
• Thinking and planning skills
• Creativity and language skills
• Logic, problem solving, and concentration skills

There really aren’t any “cons.” For $19.95, the kit comes with everything you need (except for personal photographs that you might want to add) to create 2 books. The only “warning” I have is that if you are buying this product for a young child (under the age of 8), be prepared to provide lots of guidance and assistance.

For more products that boost creativity, visit Growing Tree Toys’ Creativity for Kids product page.

Would you like to enter my give-a-way of this GREAT product*? Comment below by September 30th and a random winner will be selected by October 1st.

*The box has been opened (for the purpose of this review) but not used. Markers and stickers are in their original unopened packaging.

Just What the World Needs...Another Baby Who Can Read!

I wrote the original post a few months back, but today, I saw an article from the Baltimore Sun about Disney refunding money because of accusations that the company may have overstated the educational benefits of Baby Einstein videos. This is another example of a product, in my opinion, that seeks to exploit a parent's desire to do what's best for their child. Is there anything wrong with making and selling these products? No, after all, this is a free country. Parents should be able to buy what they want for their child and if they want their toddler to watch these videos, then so be it (even though the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages TV for children under two). But parents should not be duped into thinking that these products offer a magic solution to teach their baby to read. The magic is in the parenting: Read, Talk, and Sing. THAT'S the magic!

Visit the Campaign for a Commerical Free Childhood.
-------------------------------------------------

When I was first inundated with commercials posters, videos, and talk shows promoting these programs promising to teach babies to read, I hoped, no I prayed, that this was just a passing fad like leg warmers or sea monkeys. The videos of little babies reading flashcards annoy me to no end. I know, I know...I proclaim to be an advocate of early literacy. So why am I so agitated by these baby reading programs?

OK, here's the deal: I just think babies have more important stuff to learn. Exposing children to language and literacy in meaningful and relevant ways is what helps children become happy and effective readers; reading skills rarely come in a neatly packaged box tied with a bow.

The biggest problem I have with these programs is that I think they capitalize on a parent's desire to do the right thing. Parents want to raise smart babies and most of what these programs promise can be provided for FREE. One of these programs cost as much as $200!!! A parent who provides a literacy rich environment can probably achieve the same (or better) results without having to spend enormous amounts of money. It's like those credit repair companies who swear that they can repair your credit for the low cost of $199.99 but all they do is call your creditors, which you can do yourself for the low cost of FREE.

The first five years of a child's life is a time of rapid brain growth and parents and teachers are right to take advantage of this period of wonder and amazement. But, what is the advantage of a baby who can read the word "dog" but can't point to a dog in a book, who has never seen a real dog? I'm just saying that it is about BALANCE and EXPERIENCES. Really...what is the rush? Do we stand a 4 month old up on his feet in an effort to make him "walk"? Because surely if he walks at 4 months old, he will be the best walker in his class by the time he gets to kindergarten! Why do we have to rush children? Why do the wonders of infancy have to be punctuated with flashcards and DVDs?

Here are things that parents and early childhood educators can do to promote early literacy skills in young children

• Talk to your child. Sounds simple but many parents don't do it. Reading is nothing more than oral language written down so children need to have a solid sense of oral language. Talk about what is happening when you change her diaper. Describe all of the things you see on your walk. Talk. Talk. Talk.
• Read to your child. I know that this sounds like another no brainer. But it's a crucial step in learning to read. Reading to your child often is just part of the process. Read with emotion. Point to some of the words in the book to help children make the connection between written and spoken words. Choose books with interesting pictures, rhythmic texts, and predictable plots.
• Siiiinnnnggg.....sing a song. Music has been proven to have a positive effect on the ability to learn. Music exposes children to language, patterns, and rhythms all of which are related to reading!
• Visit the library or connect with friends to find new books. Look for books that are sturdy and durable (like board books) so that babies can touch, hold, and manipulate the books. Baby books can be expensive so visit the library or swap books with friends/neighbors!
• Recognize that children learn from repetition so even though you should look for new books often, never abandon the favorites because children will want to hear them over and over and over. Early strides towards reading start with some imitation and memorization so read those favorites often. Your baby will let you know what their favorites are!
• Point out words and letters in the environment when it is appropriate. If toddlers can recognize the McDonald's logo then we know that they can recognize other letters. They learned the McDonald's logo probably because they see it often or because the place has something that they enjoy. So use environmental print whenever the opportunity presents itself: the box of Cheerios on the breakfast table, the K on the K-Mart bag, headlines in the newspaper, etc... print is all around us and we don't have to pay $200 for the fancy packaging!
• Provide your child with rich and varied experiences. I suspect that at least part of the reason why these type of programs work is because they require parents to spend a certain amount of time providing planned experiences with their child. So, why not do that anyway without the fancy kit? Take a walk, join a play group, go to the zoo, blow bubbles, paint a picture, make a tent, do a puppet show, find wonders in the world!!!! Remember things that are old news to us (a lemon, a butterfly, an empty box) are NEW to babies and toddlers!!!!
• Remember that children are rapidly growing in all areas of development. It is important to expose your child to activities that will promote the overall growth: Social Development (do you really want a child who can read but doesn't know how to take turns or say please?), Physical Development (obesity is a huge problem among today's children. Learning to navigate the environment is important for infants and toddlers), and Problem Solving Skills (so, your toddler can read but can't figure out how to put together a three-piece puzzle) are important areas that parents and teachers must not ignore.

Do I think these teach your baby to read programs are harmful? I don't know. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend TV for children under the age of two. Other studies link TV watching to disorders such as ADD and ADHD. I really don't think that parents who purchase these type of programs are plopping their children in front of a TV just for the heck of it. I know that any parent who spends $200 on an infant reading program is doing so because they believe it will benefit their child. I don't blame parents who want their parents to be ahead of the curve. As parents, we all want our children to excel. I am confidant that most of the money spent on these type of programs could be better spent doing things that really matter to your child... and I can guarantee that the things that matter most to your baby have nothing to do with flashcards and DVDs!
Reading is not a sprint. It's a long distance marathon.

Book of the Day Activities: Multicultural Tales

Books of the Day for July 26 - August 1

Because this week's books are traditional fairy tales, you are likely to find various versions of them. I have included images of the versions with which I am most familiar, however, I encourage you to seek out other versions and read them to your class/children. They may take delight in comparing the various stories! Please respond below if you have other tales or activities that will go with any of the featured books for this week. Please add your own books and/or activities in the comment section!

Here are some activities that will go with all of the books on this week's list:

• Mark on a map or globe the areas where these stories originated.


• Make passports for the children and let them stamp them every time you read a book from a different country.
  
• Connect with a different classroom (pen pals, e-pals, or another classroom in the school) and compare/contrast different versions of the stories.


• Even young Preschool and kindergarten students can begin to learn the difference between real and pretend. Talk about what "fairy tales" and "folk tales" are and look for ways to tell if a story is real or pretend (ex: talking animals, magic, etc)


• Make flags of the corresponding countries. Learn a little about what the colors and symbols represent.


• Use the Internet to go on a "photographic" tour of the countries featured in these books.


• Several of the books on this list are Caldecott Winners (Lon Po Po, Anansi the Spider, Strega Nona). Learn about the Caldecott honor and bring children's attention to the illustrations in these award winning stories!

Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel

• Practice saying the main character's name: Tiki tiki tembo-no sa rembo chari bari ruchi pip peri pembo! The children will have fun just trying to learn the name.
• Allow the children to clap out and count syllables in the name. Then count the syllables in their own names and classmates' names.
• Research the meanings of each child's name. Older students can also research the meanings of their parents' names.
• Tie this story into a theme on opposites. One brother had a long name and one brother had a short name. Make a list of other opposites with the children!
• Note: Make sure that children know that this is a "pretend" story since most people of Chinese decent do not really give their children long names like Tikki Tikki Tembo...

Babushka's Doll by Patricia Polacco

• Visit the author's website.
• Use this story as an opportunity to talk about patience; the main character in the story wants things "now." Have children discuss and/or illustrate times when they have to be patient (waiting for their turn on a bike, going to the store with mom, etc).
• Learn about Matryoshka dolls or Russian Nesting Dolls. The Russian Legacy Website has a lot of good background information for adults. Some websites have the dolls for sale between $30 and $40.
• Have the students rewrite and illustrate the story.

The Mitten by Jan Brett

• Make a mitten match activity: the teacher should cut mittens from tag board and decorate each pair various patterns and colors. Laminate the mittens and store them in a container of your choice. Encourage students to find matching pairs. Note: the mitten patterns can be used for all sorts of activities: matching upper/lower case letters, matching opposites, pairing pictures w/beginning letter sounds, addition activities, etc. Here is an example of mitten match game using colors.
• Use Jan Brett's site which has mitten and animal patterns to make a flannel board or file folder version of the story.
• Use the animal patterns from Jan Brett's site (see link above) to make an Beginning Sounds Game: have children match the animals with their beginning sounds. This game can be done on a magnetic board, flannel board, or made into a file folder game.
  

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola *This story may not be a traditional "folktale" since it is an original story. But it has a lot of the elements of a traditional tale!

• Make a chart of the various Italian words used in the book (Grazia: Thank you
  Per Favore: Please, etc).
• If you (or a parent) has a pasta maker, make pasta from scratch!
• Have a gelati tasting or make cannolis.
• Compare/sort different types of pasta (elbow, bow tie, spaghetti, etc). Make a pasta collage.
• At the easel, encourage children to paint their own pictures of their Magic Pot. Antony's pot had pasta but encourage students to come up with their own ideas of what they would want in their pots.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema

• Young children will love to say this big word "onomatopoeia" which is really a fancy word for words that imitate sounds. Have the class make a list and write it on chart paper. Examples: buzz, wham, woof, moo, bang, choo-choo, etc...
• Make sequencing cards and have students put the major story events in order.
• Do "nighttime" drawings using colored chalk and black construction paper.
• Learn about a few of the animals in the story (iguana, python, rabbit, crow, monkey, owl, lion, and of course, mosquito). Sites such as National Geographic for Kids often have video, pictures, and facts that are appropriate for young children.
  

Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott

• Use a child-friendly computer program like KidPix to have children create their own spiders.
• Visit the PBS Kids' Africa site.
• Learn about spiders and other arachnids
• Make a spider - search the web for "spider crafts" and you will find dozens of options!
• Make a spider snack: body = large marshmallow, legs = stick pretzels, eyes = mini chocolate chips (attach w/ a dot of peanut butter if there are no allergies)
• Make a Venn Diagram and compare a "real" spider with Anansi

Lon Po Po by Ed Young*Thanks to peekabooplay (on Twitter) for reminding me to add this one!

• Read this version and a more familiar version of Little Red Riding Hood and help the students compare/contrast the stories.
• Make a graph of what version the class likes the most. When making graphs with young children it is most important to be very visual.
• Do a "Fact" vs "Fiction" activity about wolves.
• Learn to write some letters or count to 10 in Chinese.

Other Favorite Folktales from Twitter:

Katjewave said, "The Bossy Gallito is a Cuban folktale retold by Lucia Gonzalez."

peekabooplay loves Brett's version of Goldilocks.

Katjewave likes Just a Minute! by Yuyi Morales. It's a counting book in a tale about how Abuela tricks Sr. Calavera.

meristemstudio said, "Some of my favorite multicultural fairy tales are retold by Gerald McDermott..."

Katjewave is a huge 'Cinderella' fan, and since she's EVERYWHERE in the world, suggests Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by Steptoe.