BOOK OF THE DAY: Pumpkin Soup

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

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

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?

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:

• Getting Boys to Read: Boys and Gross Humor
• How to Raise Boys Who Read; Hint: Not with gross-out books and video-game bribes

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

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!

1. 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.
2. 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)?
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. When you do author studies, purposely ensure to feature as many male authors as you do female authors.
6. Be sure that you have books that cater to the interests of the boys in your classroom.
7. 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

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.


   
 

1. 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!
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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.
6. 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! 
7. Put large letter cards on the floor and have children “hop,” or “jump” on the letter you call out.
8. Don’t underestimate the power of everyday moments. Talking and singing help build important brain connections.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. Go on a treasure hunt: bury plastic letters in the sand box and have your son dig them out.
12. 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).
13. Visit the library - most local libraries have free programs for kids that involve story time, arts/crafts, and special performers.
14. 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!
15. 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

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:

1. 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!
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. SET AN EXAMPLE: Boys need good role models. Dads, granddads, uncles, or other male figures should model literacy behavior. Children see and children do!
6. 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:

• Are There Differences in Achievement in Boys and Girls?  
• Boys and Girls Brains Are Different: Gender Differences in Language Appear Biological
• Boys Trail Girls in Reading Success Across States
• Building Language Skills More Critical for Boys Than Girls
• Center on Education Policy