Cuddle N' Read

Blending Help

2013-03-19T12:49:00.002-07:00

Had a friend ask for some blending help with her child so I thought I'd post some activities because I'm sure some others need it!

From Reading Rockets' website:
When beginning readers sound out words, they slowly say each sound in a word (c-a-t), and then say the sounds quickly together to "read" the word (cat). In reading, teachers call this blending because sounds are being blended together. Blending (combining sounds) and segmenting (separating sounds) are skills that are necessary for learning to read.

Here are a few activities to help master this skill...

Cut out some pictures from magazines or use pictures in books you have laying around the house. Tell your child you are going to say a word in the pictures using "Robot Talk" a slow way of saying words (e.g., /ssssssuuuuuunnnnn/). They have to look at the pictures and guess the word you are saying.

The following activity (see Yopp, M., 1992) is to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands."
If you think you know this word, shout it out!
If you think you know this word, shout it out!
If you think you know this word,
Then tell me what you've heard,
If you think you know this word, shout it out!
After singing, say a segmented word such as /k/ /a/ /t/ and your child provides the blended word "cat."

Here is a great book to help reinforce these concepts...

Love good ol' Shel, but this book really hits on manipulating phonemes. All the beginning sounds are reversed. Your child will have fun trying to read it, but will also be learning how different letters create different sounds.

What other activities have you tried?

Indestructibles

2013-03-18T10:42:00.001-07:00

A friend recently introduced me to the greatest invention ever- indestructible books. Have you heard of these?
From their website:

Indestructibles™ introduces a revolutionary new baby book invented by a mother of triplets who wanted to share books with her babies, hassle-free. They are water-proof, tear-resistant, and baby-durable, making them the perfect books for babies who "read" with their little hands and mouths.
They are literally the BEST for young babes. I have so many nice hardback books that are getting demolished by Gentry's little hands. Bath-time has been revolutionized! Another great thing about them is that they're wordless. I loved to give my students wordless books and have them tell the story. With Gentry, I make up a different story everyday, so that it's not monotonous like other children's books. For older kids, have them create the story. See how different each telling can be, or have them draw an extra page to the book and tell that story.
Gentry is getting her first tooth and she asked not to be photographed until it came completely through ;)

Fill in the blank

2013-02-05T06:42:00.003-08:00

Again I had another idea before giving you more apps. I was thinking of ways to help Gentry make sounds and I caught myself talking jibberish, but making parts of word sounds. I thought this could be a great way to teach young kids how to blend phonemes... remember that word?

If you have picture cards, magazines, newpapers, stickers or anything with pictures of multisyllabic words works. Play a game holding up the picture and saying the first syllable of the word. Have your child finish the last syllable.

So for this, you would say "TUR" and your child would say "TLE." You could even take turns saying the first syllable (although with younger children, they don't always know the picture).

For more advanced learners, try 3 syllable words- Your child says the first syllable, you say the second and he/she says the third.

I realize this isn't breaking down each phoneme individually, but it's a start to teaching kids there are different sound sections in words.

Here are some printables (although not all with 2-syllable words)

http://www.senteacher.org/Worksheet/49/Alphabet.xhtml

Go to the Phoneme Flashcards... some other great printables for more advanced learners...
http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/literacy/alphabet/flash-cards.html#.UREZcoUxIfE

Basically any Google search for alphabet flashcards will get you some free printables. Any other great phonemic awareness sites out there you can share?

Superbowl Sunday

2013-02-03T07:13:00.001-08:00

I know I said I'd do a series on Apps, but Miss G has been sick and it's super, SUPER Sunday. So back at the apps this week.
Who's going to be the big winner today?

That's the question of the day! Gentry certainly has no idea...

Have a few suggestions for the Superbowl watching to do with your kids...

During the commercials (the appropriate ones at least!)

Pick a letter before each commercial break. See if your child can find any commercials for products that begin with that letter. More advanced? Try finding words in the commercial beginning with it. Less advanced? Try to pick out letters written in commercials (text, signs, etc.)
Have your child pick one word said in the first commercial. By the end of the next commercial, see how many rhyming words he/she can come up with.
Have them watch a commercial, then act out their own rendition of it.
Do some good old fashioned reading while commercials are playing. See how many books you can get through each commercial break. Try to beat the last break!

During the game

Keep score by using tally marks on a markerboard or sheet of paper.
Have your child practice writing the team's name that scores each touchdown. Write it using shaving cream, markers, colored pens, Twizzlers, anything fun!
Make your own football field (make sure to include the #'s on each yard line). Write one letter on each yard line. Have your child move toys, Cheerios, anything along as they follow the teams' moves. Whatever letter they land on, they must go find something in the house that starts with that letter.

Hope you enjoy the Superbowl! Gentry says if you do these activities, you'll have this much fun:

Apps

2013-01-29T06:41:00.003-08:00

I think I'm the only human being alive without an iPad. I hope that changes, especially once Gentry gets older and we can start using some of the fun apps out there. I've been using some with students I tutor and I thought I'd share my FAVES

Montessori Crosswords: It is $2.99 but VERY worth it.

I love it for 3-7 year olds because it sounds out each letter as you touch it. For example, in the picture above, the app is making the "n" sound as the person is touching it. This is key for the ability to blend, segment and manipulate phonemes.

Don't know the word phonemes? They are the smallest units of sound, not necessarily letters. For example, SUN has three phonemes /s/ /u/ and /n/, but so does CHIP with /ch/ /i/ and /p/. Students who struggle with learning to read often find it difficult to blend these sounds together. So, if I said /s/ /u/ /n/ very slowly, they couldn't process the individual sounds and blend them into SUN. They also have a hard time manipulating the sounds, or changing the /s/ in front of SUN to an /f/ to make FUN. But enough of a lesson, back to the apps.

Sentence Maker: Teaches word order, sentence structure and is even customizable to your child's ability level. You can add your own text and sound to make funny and personal sentences. And we all know how making things relevant to your child's life will usually make the concept stick!

Bug Brained: This is a company with a whole line of apps specific to your child's level. Here is a first grade one having kids swat the uppercase letters.

And here is a Kindergarten leveled one where your child can touch the picture for the letter sound.

http://www.bugbrained.com/products.htm

I'm going to do more apps over the next few weeks. So stay tuned for more. Gentry's napping and my long to-do list only give me time for three today. Anyone have any great ones out there to share?

Wikki Stix

2013-01-23T07:08:00.001-08:00

Fancy Nancy... do you know her? If you have a daughter you need to! Boys can definitely befriend her as well! Here Gentry's reading Fancy Nancy's Christmas book with Wikki Stix in hand. (PS- her shirt says "i heart girls' days with mommy" in case you were curious)

Wikki Stix?!

From their website: Wikki Stix are made of hand-knitting yarn enhanced with a microcrystalline food-grade, non-toxic wax, the kind used in bubble gum and lipstick. They do not contain latex, gluten, nor peanut or other nut oils or byproducts which makes them an ideal creative activity toy for children with allergies. Simply stated…they stick! No glue, no paste, no mess. Just press them down with light fingertip pressure and they will adhere to almost any smooth surface. They are also easy to peel up and reposition so “mistakes” virtually disappear, which helps build self-confidence. There is no preparation, no clean-up, no mess. Press ‘em down, peel ‘em off… it’s that simple! **http://www.wikkistix.com/what_are_wikkistix.php

I used to always get my students to underline words in text with them. We'd search for all the short e words, -ock family words, adjectives, etc.

You can do the same thing depending on your child's reading ability.

Reading ability?!

Try looking for:

specific letters
letters in your child's name
capital versus lowercase letters
punctuation
words that start with a certain letter or sound
specific word families (-ack, -ock, etc.)
funny words
challenging words (great for having your child read independently and come back to you for help with later)

Any other suggestions?! I tried to show you what it looks like to underline a sentence (upside-down), but Gentry just wanted to highlight the pretty pictures. Baby steps!

Good use for old boxes

2013-01-21T15:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrensImages/isbn/large/1/9780061123221.jpg

Reduce, reuse and recycle right?! This book is perfect for getting that point across. It also proves how kids often trump us in the imagination category. It's about how a child views an empty box versus an adult. Read this to your child and then see how many different "boxes" your child can imagine!

Gentry only missed a few words reading today ;) Her "box" is a motorcycle with her sidekick Macon. Someone should have told her to keep her eyes on the road! Tell me what your child makes with a blank canvas like this!

Snow Day!

2013-01-18T05:47:00.003-08:00

It finally stopped raining and there's a coating of snow on the ground. Not a better ending to a dreary, cold week! Most of the kiddos are home from school today playing in the snow. Do some writing in the snow. Write names, letters, even funny messages. Instead of a regular snowball fight, challenge your kids to an educational match. Take their homework folders and find something they're learning in school (spelling words, math, geography quiz) and ask them questions pertaining to that subject. For each answer they get right, they get to throw a snowball at you. For everyone they get wrong, you get to throw one at them. Hopefully, for your sake, they don't get them ALL right!

For the younger ones, this may not be the best idea. Gentry took her token "first snow" picture, but I doubt she'll want to hang out in it all day (especially since I had her looking like the Michelin Man). Instead, we are going to make up imaginary stories with her toys. Too often parents only read to children. Well, let your children tell you the story. Pick some of their favorite toys and have them act out a scene or two. This is great for developing your child's imagination (as if that needs help) but also for understanding plots. Try to help your child figure out a problem/solution scenario, like most fictional stories.

If you could only hear the story Gentry came up with this morning...

For the REAL young ones, you do the story telling with their toys. Modeling for them at this young age will only help them as they learn to do it on their own! Gentry told me to knock of the story telling and just get to playing... Have a great Friday!

Rain, rain go away... No seriously

2013-01-17T06:15:00.003-08:00

Yep it's still raining here. I can't imagine having a mobile kid in this situation but my mobile dog is certainly hating this/driving me CRAZY!

I thought of some more movement activities for today because we all need movement this winter! Using blocks, stickers or even letters cut from newspapers/magazines, "hide" each letter around the house next to an object that starts with that. For example, hide the R underneath the rug, or the T next to the TV. Let your child try to find them all.

http://www.downtownfortworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/pic-lettersnormal.jpg

For the younger babes, go on a texture scavenger hunt. Your baby is probably loving reaching out and touching everything. And with the flu going around, you're probably trying to stop that at all costs. Well your house is (hopefully) less germy than public places, so let him/her explore there. Find all cold things, hot things, soft, hard, squishy, prickly, smooth, rough.... make sure you group alike textures together and repeat the adjective that describes them. Sounds silly, but your child is taking in more than you think!

Hope everyone is having a great week. The weekend is ALMOST HERE! Anyone doing anything fun with or without the kiddos?

Of course I have to leave you with a baby picture or this wouldn't be a complete post. Gentry only wanted to spell HER name and work with those letters this morning. But, she sat up for a few minutes on her own for the first time so I let it roll.

She scolded me for showing you a work in progress. Here is her finished product:

Rainy Day Fun

2013-01-16T05:32:00.001-08:00

Why is it STILL raining? We are on Day 3 of rain and it is really not ending until Friday. At least tomorrow night we may get some snow. I don't know about you but cold rain is the WORST!

I'm sure most of you moms are going crazy not being able to get out much, whether you're here or somewhere else experiencing this weather. Gentry and I went on a scavenger hunt this morning with her toys that I thought some of you with older kids could easily do. Instead of just playing with toys today, why don't you go around the house and try to find objects that start with the same sound. Here Gentry took her snowman and matched it up to a sofa. Yup, she did it all by herself.

Other variations...

Find objects that end the same as the toys
Find objects that end the same as the toy's beginning (snowman and pants) or vice verse (snowman and nail polish)
Collect small objects that start the same/end the same or rhyme. Just make sure these things are SMALL and then play "Race the Clock" to clean up the collected items before the clock runs out.

Hope everyone finds some good, educational indoor fun today! If you do, PLEASE share!

The dog even found something fun to do... Gentry lost this tug-of-war.

Busy Moms or Far away Grandparents

2013-01-14T12:43:00.003-08:00

You've probably seen these around

Recordable Storybooks. My parents get the grandkids these every Christmas. You can find them here:

http://ecards.dayspring.com/storybook

OR here:

http://www.hallmark.com/recordable-storybooks/browse-recordable-storybooks/

My mom gets them straight from the Hallmark store. They are GREAT, not only for Gentry to hear my parents' voices any old time she wants (because she is very demanding), but for those late afternoons when frankly you are just too tired to get words out! We are very fortunate to have BOTH sets of grandparents in town, so technically Gentry can have them read to her whenever. But, those of you across the country from your parents, this is screaming your name!

Here's a quick clip to show you how they work...

You see why board books were invented for kids? I'm a little weary of giving G some of the nicer paper books she's been given!

Other suggestions for these books:

Have an older sibling record for a younger

YOU record

For older kiddos, have them record for themselves

For readers, YOU record, but mess up a word or sentence. Have your child listen to it to figure out what is wrong. This could turn into a fun" I Spy" game.

For non-readers that may have memorized the book, do the same thing above and see if your child can pinpoint where the story deviates from the original.

Don't fear repetition. In fact, children learn better by hearing the same stories over and over and over and over. I know how boring it gets to reread the same story. I realize you probably start to have nightmares with the characters in those stories your child just can't put down. Well this book give YOU a break!

Repetitive reading helps non-readers recognize patterns, learn directionality, rhymes, sentence structure and a whole lot more. It helps readers with fluency- the rate of reading- and expression. The intonation you use when reading happens without you realizing it, but your child needs to learn how to do that. Whether they're hearing your perfect reading over and over again, or learning the words themselves so they can then practice expressions, it's helping!

ANYONE USED ONE OF THESE BEFORE? WHICH?

ANYONE HAVE OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THESE BOOKS?

Edible Books

2013-01-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

Gentry wants to put EVERYTHING in her mouth. I guess this is her way of showing interest. I love chocolate and I can't seem to keep that out of my mouth so maybe she loves books?! A friend of ours gave us some soft books that she can chew on and she LOVES them. If you can't get your young one to sit still listening to a story then try these. It may not seem like a literacy activity, but it's getting your child acquainted with books. And, maybe like osmosis, by "eating" words, your child may learn them?
Of course when I try to capture her on film eating the book she won't, but instead she decided to read it to you. Hoping her holding skills progress in the future...

I found some of these online:

They all claim to be vinyl-free. Most of the bath books out there are made from vinyl. I'm sure it's fine for the little amount of time kids actually have it in their mouths, but I'm trying to be as chemical free as possible with the little one.

Anyone with any other recommendations for edible books?

What's something you do to get your kids excited to read?

2013-01-12T07:01:00.002-08:00

It's been awhile! In fact, it's been another school year, a pregnancy and a baby later! You didn't miss much ;)

I wanted to give this blog another go, especially now that I have my own little one that I'm already attempting to inundate with books- we're almost through the entire Fancy Nancy series at age 5 months. Just waiting for Daddy to clear us to go buy some more! I am a certified reading specialist, but I'm currently staying at home with the babe. I don't promise a perfect post every time. In fact, between chasing the dog around and changing diapers, I'll be surprised if I spell anything right! I really don't see how some of you manage multiple children! But, I do know that I'm a huge sucker for books. All my friends and relatives will tell you that their kids have ONLY received books from me for birthdays and Christmases. I think I have more fun in the kid section at Barnes & Noble than they do. I'd love to share what I'm doing with Gentry (the daughter), but I'd rather hear what YOU are doing with little ones at home or even in the classroom.

**If you're new, check out some of the older posts (can't believe it's been a few years since I wrote them). For now, I just wanted to reintroduce myself and leave you with one tiny thing we've been working on over here:

Gentry is very close to reading her first word (joke). In the meantime, I am working on concepts of print with her. She grabs EVERYTHING, so I let her grab books and try to help her turn pages in the right direction. This is quite a challenge as Gentry would rather just rip up the pages and put them in her mouth; but, never too early to start, right?! I also try to follow the words with my finger as I read them so she sees the direction of the words. Rarely a success, but if I catch her in just the right mood I think she actually sees me point to 2 or 3 words. Two out of 100 some words, I'll take it for now.
I'll finish with this because the baby is currently "singing" to me from her crib! Gentry opening a Fancy Nancy book for Christmas with Daddy...

Animal Guessing Game

2011-05-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been so MIA. Life has just taken over! I think I was holding my expectations to high with posting daily. Until school is over, I’m going to make a more realistic goal- to post weekly.

Anyways, this is such a cute book that ties science into fun reading. This book allows readers to guess which animals are pictured based on seeing one body part. For example, when guessing the animals on the “tail” page, you only get to see the animals’ tails. The next page shows the entire picture. It’s a wonderful book to get readers engaged!

Here are some suggestions to do while reading to your child:

LISTENING : Have your child close his/her eyes. You hide somewhere in the room and make the noises of the animals in the book one at a time. See if your child can point to where those sounds are originating. Additionally, you can ask your child to make the noises of popular animals as you read about them.

RHYMING : Make up silly words to rhyme with each animal you read about.

WORDS/SENTENCES: Have your child pick a few of his/her favorite animals from the book. Write their names on index cards and show your child each. Read over them together a few times. Then, write all the names together in one long train. Give your child a highlighter. Can he/she highlight one of the animals’ names?

SYLLABLES : Have your child pick his.her favorite animal. As you read the others’ names, have your child move like the syllables in those words for each one they hear. For example, in giraffe, your child can act like a cat and make two claw motions for the two syllables.

PHONEMES : Do an animal safari hunt. Try to think of all animals that start with different letters of the alphabet.

LETTERS/SPELLING : Have your child draw pictures of his/her favorite animal and write a caption underneath. Help your child sound out the sounds, but don’t force perfect spelling. Your child can even create an animal book, with a few sentences underneath hand-drawn pictures.

Have fun guessing!

Ruff...

2011-03-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

Got a dog? Then, this book is perfect for you and your child! It is the cutest, if you are a dog person (and who isn't?). There are different breeds of dogs depicted through short poems. See if you and your child can pick out the dog that's most like yours! Here are some activities:

LISTENING : Have your child act out what each dog acts like depending on its description

RHYMING : Draw or trace a large dog on a sheet of construction paper. See how many rhyming words your child can come up with (real and nonsense). Or, use your dog's name instead!

WORDS/SENTENCES : Together, write a short sentence about your dog (or one you know). Cut up each word and scramble it. See if your child can put the words back together in order. Try this with several other sentences about your little guy!

SYLLABLE S: Clap the syllables in each dog's name. Or BARK the syllables!

INITIAL/FINAL SOUNDS : Read this book with your dog. Have your child pet his/her each time they hear a word that begins or ends with your dog's name. For example, I would look for words that start or end with M because my dog's name is Macon!

Dog? Bear? Monster?

LETTERS/SPELLING : Practice writing your dog's name. Write a short poem about your dog. Don't get bogged down with spelling, rather encourage your child to write. Spelling will come, but the motivation to write won't if we keep pestering them!

I also found these great activities from the Read Aloud Book Club !

Just to leave you with a sweet picture of my precious first-born...

Back! And Help!

2011-03-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I'm back and even survived Hawaii's mini tsunami. We had a great time, but I can't seem to get Japan off my mind. In lieu of a post, I'm asking you to spend some time talking to your child about nature's disaster and make a donation to the Red Cross . Even $1 will help! Think of your biggest problem right now. I can almost guarantee that the people of Japan would gladly take it off your hands in exchange. This would be a great learning experience for your child to see how we can help people thousands of miles away.

Here are a few articles to help you talk to your child about this catastrophe:

Thrive

Mom Information

Information on tsunamis and earthquakes

Tsunami information for the younger guys

Consider making a donation. I will donate $10 more for each donation made from this page, so let me know that you did! And, if you have already- THANK YOU.

Aloha

2011-03-04T03:35:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are off to a vacation in Hawaii, so I will be MIA for a little over a week. I did want to leave you with a WONDERFUL book I came across while visiting the VMFA last night in Richmond. This book is beyond amazing. It gives children (and you) interesting and unknown facts about common animals. But, it does it in an extremely creative and interactive way. There are flaps that cover most of each animal. You can see enough to make a prediction as to which animal is hidden. The facts are too advanced for the very young, but perfect for 4-10 year olds. Children will enjoy guessing the animals and turning the flaps. You can even create your own version by having your child draw a picture of an animal, glue or tap a flap over it and write the animal's name on the inside of the flap.

Here is a quote from Amazon about this book, which I think basically sums it up...

K-Gr 2-This book is a visual treat for budding zoologists. The oversize, boldly graphic volume showcases a wide range of animals and interesting facts about them, all hidden beneath flaps of black-and-white animal silhouettes and paw prints, cutouts, and, in one really attractive spread, richly painted patterns of animal hides. It has pop-up figures beneath, truly making it the apex of the book. One pair of pages has the animals tucked under black tabs punched with eye holes through which the critters peek. The facts are short, simple statements, and their randomness contributes to the hide-and-seek spirit of the volume. One can't be sure what creature or tidbit of information is waiting beneath the next flap. A stunning departure from the typical introductory volume about animals, this must-have will inspire a second look. And a third and a fourth.-Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library

For the younger learners, I found this one to be perfect, and paralleling the ideas in "Out of Sight." Instead of sliding a flap and learning facts, you learn words.
Take a trip to the VMFA if you happen to live in Richmond, or find these books! They are definitely going to be staples in my library... I suggest you do the same. Have a great week while I'm gone!!

Max Cleans Up

2011-03-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

A funny story about a kids way of cleaning! Max, the bunny, solves his mess problem by stuffing everything in his pocket. Maybe this will even encourage your child to pick up a few things?

Activities:

LISTENING : Have your child act out what Max does throughout the story. Once the book is done, find different objects around the house (that aren’t breakable) and drop them while your child’s back is turned. Can he/she figure out what was dropped?

RHYMING : Max has many rhyming words. Since bubbles are used in the story, blow some. For every bubble your child pops, he/she has to give a rhyming word to go along with Max. You can try Ruby also.

WORDS/SENTENCES : Use popsicle sticks for this activity, since they are mentioned in the story. Choose a favorite sentence in the book and write one word on each popsicle stick. Model putting the words in the correct order after your child has read them through several times. Then, scramble them up and have your child put them back together.

SYLLABLES : Have your child clap his/her pocket for each syllable heard in these words: POCKET, RUBY, MX, SOMETHING, STICKY, MIRACLE, BUBBLES, ANT, SQUEEZED. Even Write these words on popsicle sticks and have your child sort them into ONE SYLLABLE, TWO SYLLABLES or THREE SYLLABLES.

INITIAL/FINAL SOUNDS : Create a pocket using paper (fold it in half and staple the sides). Allow your child to decorate it with the letter M for Max. have your child fill it with pictures from magazines or newspapers (or hand-drawn) that begin or end with the letter M.

PHONEMES : Using another hand-made pocket, have your child put an object inside it for every sound he/she hears in the following words: MAX (m-a-x), RUBY (r-u-b-y), EGG (e-gg), DUCK (d-u-ck).

LETTERS/SPELLING : Have your child point out his/her favorite item that went into Max’s pocket. Help your child write that on shaving cream, a markerboard or paper several times. Then, have him/her find the word in the story. Or, search newspapers, magazines or other books for the word. Another activity? Use the word CLEAN to make others. Have your child write it on a markerboard, then erase a letter to make LEAN and follow this sequence CLEAN- LEAN- BEAN- BEAM- SEAM- STEAM- CREAM- SCREAM- READ- BEAD

Books to Hook Your Young Reader to Reading!

2011-02-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been MIA this past week. It's been a busy one! Had a friend ask yesterday which books would get her daughter more into reading. While it depends on the child, I found these great book lists from Scholastic's website . Also, interactive books are always a good bet. These include flip book or books with texture. For beginning readers (Ages 3-8) Bookflix is a great program to checkout. However, you need to buy a subscription. Check out the free trial though!

For ages 0-2

Good Night Gorilla

by Peggy Rathmann

In this almost wordless book, Gorilla opens the cages in the zoo and the animals follow the zoo keeper to his house and into his bed.

Goodnight Moon

by Margaret Wise Brown

In this classic of children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the...

Kitten's First Full Moon

by Kevin Henkes

From one of the most celebrated and beloved picture book creators working in the field today comes a memorable new character and a suspenseful adventure just right for the very youngest. It is Kitten's...

Lasso The Moon

When April Hunter moves to St. Simon Island, Georgia, to live with her father, a recovering alcoholic, she becomes involved with an illegal alien from El Salvador and learns about his life and country.

No More Yawning!

by Paeony Lewis

Florence must be tired — her yawns are getting bigger by the minute. But neither little girl nor toy monkey can possibly go to bed. Good thing Mom knows the secret to falling asleep. With a story...

Oliver Who Would Not Sleep

by Mara Bergman

For all parents with an Oliver (or Olivia) in their lives, and every child seeking a little fun before shut-eye, "Oliver Who Would Not Sleep!" is an ideal bedtime adventure. Full color.

Polar Bear Night

by Lauren Thompson

A little polar bear cub wakes up on a still, Arctic night and walks out to explore her snowy world. Suddenly, the stars stir in the sky and begin to fall like snowflakes. Soothing words and luminous pictures...

Sleepy Bears

by Mem Fox

Mother Bear is ready to go to bed for the winter with her children. She promises each of them a rhyme if they will get into bed without any kind of fuss. Mother Bear's many rhymes help to send her young...

Sleepy Bunny

by Dorothy Kunhardt

Song of Night

by Katherine Riley Nakamura

Beautiful illustrations show the bedtime routines of rabbits, ducks, mice, and more.

Sweet Dreams

by Kimiko Kajikawa

With very simple language and beautiful pictures of sleeping animals, learn how koalas, bears, flamingos, and hippos sleep. The book even shares which animal sleeps with its eyes wide open!

Sweet Dreams, Sam

by Yves Got

It's bedtime for little Sam, but which plush animal friend should he take to bed with him? With charming, colorful illustrations and a variety of textures for little hands to explore, "Sweet Dreams,...

Time for Bed

by Mem Fox

As darkness falls, parents everywhere try to get their children ready for sleep.

For ages 3-5

Amanda Pig, First Grader

by Jean Van Leeuwen

Amanda is excited about starting first grade, but she becomes worried when she isn't able to read on the first day. In first grade, Amanda does learn how to read and many other lessons as well.

PUFFIN EASY-TO-READ — 2 SERIES

Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown!

by Paula Danziger

Amber Brown and her classmates are worried about the new teacher. The students' concerns are soon put to rest as Ms. Light meets them at the door wearing cool earrings and revealing an upbeat attitude.

Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm

by Herman Parish

When she returns her books to the library, Amelia Bedelia gets caught up in helping children with bookmarks and reports.

AMELIA BEDELIA SERIES

On the Dog

by J. C. Greenburg

When Andrew's latest invention, the Atom Sucker, goes haywire, Andrew and Judy are shrunk down to microscopic level! They find themselves lost on their neighbor's dog, where they encounter everything...

Arthur's Eyes

by Marc Brown

His friends tease Arthur when he gets glasses, but he soon learns to wear them with pride.

AN ARTHUR ADVENTURE SERIES

The All New Captain Underpants Extra-Crunchy Book O'Fun #2

by Dav Pilkey

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS SERIES

Eloise in Moscow

by Kay Thompson

Six-year-old Eloise travels to Moscow as only Eloise can in the fourth book of the series. Hilary Knight's pictures are the perfect complement to Eloise's adventures.

ELOISE SERIES

Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl

by Tedd Arnold

Fly Guy has met his match, and her name is Fly Girl. Fly Guy can do fancy flying. Fly Girl can do fancier flying. Fly Guy can eat gross stuff. Fly Girl can eat grosser stuff.

FLY GUY SERIES: BOOK 8

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas

by Cynthia Rylant

When Henry and his dog Mudge go with Henry's parents to visit Great-grandpa Bill in the home with lots of other grandpas and learn how much fun all grandpas can be. Full color.

HENRY AND MUDGE SERIES: BOOK 26

Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk...

2011-02-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

What a great story to model expressive reading! If you haven’t heard of Mr. Chatterbox, you can certainly relate to it. Everyone knows that one person that just talks incessantly! When you get to Mr. Chatterbox’s speaking parts, try to say the whole paragraph in one breath. This will emphasize how talkative the creature is and add a little more humor to the story! While you are reading, pause right after Mr. Bowler gives him the magic hat. Have your child predict what the hat will do. Predictions are a great way to keep your child engaged in books. It sets a purpose for their reading. When you are done reading, as your child why the hat was given to Mr. Chatterbox to make sure he/sure understands the big picture!

ACTIVITIES BY LEVEL:

LISTENING : Have your child listen for the word Chatterbox. Every time you say it, have your child model talking with his/her mouth or hand showing an actual chatterbox.

RHYMING : Give your child a sheet of construction paper and ask him/her to draw a big Mr. Chatterbox. Inside the drawing, you list words your child comes up with that rhyme with TALK or CHAT. Go back afterwards and point to each word as you say it. See how many your child can remember!

WORDS/SENTENCES : Give your child a pointer (clean fly swatter, spoon, straw, etc.) and have them GENTLY point to the word Chatterbox whenever it appears on a page. This teaches children to look for isolated words in context.

SYLLABLES : Have your child draw miniature Mr. Chatterboxes and cut them out. Model pushing a little creature forward each time you hear a syllable in a word. Try these words from the story: CHATTERBOX, MISTER, TALKING, HAT, GREW. Even try names of people you know!

INITIAL/FINAL SOUNDS : On a sheet of construction paper, draw CH in bubble letters. See if your child can draw pictures inside the CH that make the same sound (church, chocolate, chip, chain, chin, etc.)

PHONEMES : Play the Back and Forth Phoneme Game. You say a word aloud and you and your child alternate turns saying one of the phonemes. For example, Player 1 says “HAT.” Player 1 then says the sound of H, Player 2 says the sound of A and Player 1 says the sound of T. Try these words: CHATTER, TALK, BOX, MAGIC.

LETTERS/SPELLING : Grab a marker board, shaving cream or anything erasable. My nephew has one of those mats where if you write on it with the water markers, it appears for a few seconds. That would be great on this activity! Have your child manipulate letters to move from one word to another. Have his/her write TALK, then change one letter to make WALK, etc. Move in this sequence: WALK-TALK-BACK-SACK-STACK-STOCK-ROCK-RICK-SICK-STICK

Have questions or think I can help your child? Contact me :) Stay tuned for a CONTEST!

Road to Reading...

2011-02-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

This is a MUST for all K-2 teachers, and even parents! Like the last resource , it is more geared towards teachers, but can easily be adapted for parents’ use in the homes. It basically breaks down the steps toward learning the alphabetic principle into 6 levels, which are color coded. Each level has 4-5 steps: Sound-Symbol Correspondences, Teach/Review New Decoding Skills, Review Phonetically Regular Words, Read Orally in Context and Dictation. It is not a complete reading program, but rather one to help students strengthen their letter/sound correspondence skills.

All you need to do is grab a markerboard, a marker and get going! As a teacher, I love giving my students opportunities to change words by only substituting a few different letters. For example, the other day we did this sequence: hard- card- cord- bird- third- thorn. Do you see how forcing children to keep some of the letters in place and erase/change the ones that don’t belong allow them to see relationships between words? I am certainly glad I have it, and I certainly recommend it for other K-2 teachers out there.

Thought I’d share some sequence strands for you to try with your child. Use a markerboard or letter tiles. Do not let your child erase every letter, but rather the few that he/she doesn’t hear in the next word. Remember, these are probably geared more towards our K-2 learners.

Kindergarten:

AT- PAT- CAB- DAD- SAD- TAP-LAP-CAP-ZAP-WAG-BAG

MOM-TOM-TOP-MOP-MOB-BOB-COB-COT-LOT-NOT-POT

1^ST GRADE:

THAT- THIN- THUD- THIS- THEM

BATH-PATH-MATH- BETH- SETH

CHIP-CHAT-CHOP-CHIN-CHUG

SHIP-SHOP-SHED-SHUT

RUSH-DASH-WISH-HUSH-CASH-FISH-MASH-GUSH

DUCK-DECK- DOCK- DOT- POT- PACK- QUACK

QUIZ- QUIT- QUICK- THICK- THIN- CHIN- SHIN

DAMP-LAMP-LUMP-JUMP-STUMP-STAMP-CAMP-CRAMP

2^ND GRADE:

SHINE-SHIN-BIN-BIT-BITE-QUIT-QUITE-QUOTE

TILE-TALE-STALE-STOLE-MOLE-MILE-SMILE

OIL-SOIL-COIL-COIN-JOIN-JOINT-POINT

CREW-SCREW-SCREAM-STREAM-STREET-STEW-THREW

HEAD-BREAD-SPREAD-SPRAIN-RAIN-READ

NEW-NOW-PLOW-COW-CLOWN-COIN

I plan on using this resource this summer whenever I tutor rising K, 1 and 2 students. And, by the way, if you have one of those, CONTACT ME !

Back to good read-alouds tomorrow! Enjoy your weekend :)

Ladders to Literacy

2011-02-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

Another resource I received from Brookes Publishing (thank you!) is called "Ladders to Li teracy." This book is jammed packed with activities; however, it is not as ready to go as Road to the Code . (Don't forget, my readers get a 20% discount by using this code on their website: KA1102 until August 15^{th). But, because it doesn’t have all the printables in the appendix, there’s more room for activities. I wouldn’t recommend this for parents, because it is definitely geared towards teachers. Yet, I found some activities that you can do right at home:}

Call attention to words on books that indicate the title, author and illustrator. Isn't that a good title? It's the first one I could find with an author and illustrator, I promise!

Have your child flip the book around to begin reading. Then have him/her turn the pages to learn concept of print.

Write your child a note on a larger sheet of construction paper. This teaches your child that print is a tool to communicate. Point to the words as you read them. Can your child identify any letters, sounds or words?

Have your child keep a journal. Now, don’t fret about spelling words correctly, or even making letters at all depending on your child’s stage of development. Imaginative letters and inventive spelling is a great stepping stool towards literacy. Do make sure that the “imaginative letters” or “inventive spellings” go in the right direction. And hold your child accountable for letters or words you have discussed. Also, have them illustrate writing to make it easier for you to help identify what is being said! Make sure you get a fun, but small journal. Large ones can be daunting!

Use meal time as a learning opportunity. On index cards, write what your child is eating. After your child finishes, have him/her illustrate the food on the index card. Keep the cards around so that your child is repeatedly exposed to these words. Maybe he/she will even be able to identify items on menus after some practice!

Use nursery rhymes to help your child become more aware of the sounds in words. Have your child memorize one of his/her favorite rhymes. Then, have him/her draw pictures on index cards of the rhyming words. Make him/her scramble the picture cards and place them in order as he/she recites it. If that’s too easy, write the rhyming words on the back of the index cards and see if your child can arrange those!

Teach your child to listen for words through songs. Your child must mimic the actions of the words said in the song. This book suggests using some songs by Red Grammer- “Can You Sound Just Like Me,” “Finger Play” and “Ready Set.” You can easily use simple songs such as “The Hokey Pokey” or “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

Have any musical instruments in your home? Play them for your child. Can your child discriminate between high and low sounds? Loud and soft?

Practice syllables through art. Have your child draw pictures of multisyllabic words (candy, elephant, etc.). Then, have him/her cut the pictures into however many syllable are in the word. For example, PENCIL would be cut into 2 sections and CALENDAR into 3. As you say the words aloud, model putting the pieces back together, making sure to enunciate the syllables. When all the pieces are put back in place, it completes the puzzle, just like when all the syllables are put into place, it completes the word!

I could keep going on… and on… and on! I’ll stop there to note that the book does include a Parent/Family Guide to Early Literacy Activities. This section is perfect for the busy parent! Here are a few examples:

When you have no hands free- sing nursery rhymes, ask for rhyming words or break a word into phonemes and have your child say it back fast (example: MAR… long pause… KER, and your child says MARKER)

When you’re sitting down- write messages to each other, or describe objects using adjectives

When your child’s friends are around- use magnetic letters in play, measure food for a recipe, scribble together or write secret messages

On rainy days- make books, read books in silly voices, act out books

At the store- have your child go on a letter hunt, searching for letters printed, or even words printed on signs, labels or tags

Bedtime- read aloud and model what fluent reading sounds like

PHEW. Great resource for teachers and parents who are willing to take a little more time to plan for activities and apply group activities to individuals (which is very easily done)!

The Road...

2011-02-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

I’m going to take another quick break from read-alouds to tell you about some exciting things going on with Brookes Publishing Company . If you access their website HERE and use the code KA1102 until August 15^th, you will receive 20% off your purchase. There are some amazing resources out there, so at least go check them out. You can’t pass up a SALE!

Brookes has sent me several resources that I’ve been gobbling up. I particularly enjoy Road to the Code for all the young learners out there. Although it is intended for classroom teachers, why not give your child a head start? Here are some sample lessons . Don’t be afraid to try them even if you have no educational background! There are a wealth of materials ready to be copied and used in the back section.

Some ready to go materials:

Large or small alphabet cards you can copy onto cardstock and hang up around your child’s room, or even use as templates to paint on their walls! These cards have pictures around them that begin with each letter and even a little jingle to accompany each one (“Big boy bouncing on a bed”).

Sound Categorization Cards- great for rhymes! There are 4 pictures on each page that all rhyme. They even give you the names of the pictures, which is important. You don’t know how many times I’ve sat around with other teachers trying to figure out a picture’s name! Throw in a picture from another group and see if your child can identify the non-rhyming card!

Initial Sound Categorization Cards- same thing, but pictures are grouped by the beginning sounds. Once again, throw another group’s card in and see if your child can pick out the oddball!

Sound BINGO Cards- I love these!! Who doesn’t like a little BINGO in their lives? The cards are a mixture of pictures and letters. This is an activity the whole family can do for Games Night! There are almost 40 pages of different cards, so it will last you awhile!

Elkonin Cards - Remember all the times I’ve said to have your child push out an item for each time they hear a sound in a word? Well these cards are made just for that. Each one has a picture at the top and three boxes beneath. The child can point to each box as they hear a sound, or even fill the boxes in with the letters they hear. All the pictures are three letter words (map, net, fan, etc.). Have your child write the alphabet on rectangles that will fit in each box in fun markers and have your child drag the letters over as he/she hears them!

I love resources that come ready to go. None of us have time to make all the millions of activities I’ve been describing, so this is worth the investment, whether you’re a parent or teacher. I would like to see more syllable activities, but you can use the ideas I’ve mentioned before and easily add them to this guide. Just think, what better way to grow and learn with your child than taking 10 minutes a day to open up this book and literally GO!?

I will post about another one tomorrow. Use your code and go browse Brookes!

Side By Side Reading

2011-02-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Exciting News…

I have received some teaching resources from Brookes Publishing . I am currently plowing through them and hope to have some examples for you to use later this week. I love getting this stuff (especially for free) so that I can see what great things are already out there. If you have anything you’d like me to include on any of my posts PLEASE SEND THEM TO ME! I will take them with open arms J

Today, I stumbled upon a series of books from Scholastic called Side By Side. They are intended for adults and children to read together. One page has very simple writing for children to read, while the other has read-aloud material for adults. The one I found today was “Miss Moo Goes to the Zoo.” Poor Miss Moo, the cow, is misplaced at a zoo. You can read her journey together with your child’s help!

LISTENING - Have your child on the lookout for whenever you say MISS MOO. When he/she hears you say it, he/she must jump up, or hug you, or repeat her name, etc.

RHYMING - Emphasize rhyming words when you hear them. You will notice a pattern of rhyming words with each stanza on the read-aloud pages. See if after a few pages your child can fill in the missing rhyming words. At the end of the book, have your child create a cow out of construction paper. On this cow, use markers to write down any rhyming words (real or nonsense) that your child can think of to rhyme with COW or MISS MOO.

WORDS/SENTENCES - Use the child-friendly pages to show yours the different words. At each page, point to the words as you read them. Have your child do it on his/her own, after you model. Use a pointer, such as a fly swatter, fancy pencil, decorated clothespin, etc. to point to the words.

SYLLABLES - Have your child make some small cows out of construction paper or toy farm animals. Give your child words from the book and have them use the cows to illustrate how many syllables are in each word. For example, your child would give you one cow for the word MOO. Try these words: city, animal, strange, turning, around, elephants, giraffes, lions.

INITIAL/FINAL SOUNDS - Create an M box. Grab a shoebox, empty juice/milk carton, etc. and have your child design it. Place a large M somewhere on it. Go around the house or search through magazines to find words that begin with M. For a bonus, make another box to fill with words that end with M.

PHONEMES - Bring back out the cows from the syllable activity (or if you have farm animal toys, use those). See if your child can name all the phonemes in the animals’ names by pushing an item forward with each phoneme. For example, for LIONS, your child would push forward a farm animal for L, I, O, N and S (5 farm animals). Try these words: COW (c-ow), HORSE (h-or-se), CHICKEN (ch-i-ck-en), SHEEP (sh-ee-p), etc.

LETTERS/SPELLING - Have your child read the child-friendly pages with you. Grab a markerboard, shaving cream or construction paper with a fun writing utensil. See if they can sound out and write some of those phrases after seeing them. Don’t be picky with spelling, but help your child sound out words he/she may have really gotten wrong!

Ladybug’s Birthday is another Side by Side book from Scholastic. I don’t have it personally, but it’s probably a great read for you and your child!

Happy Valentine's Day... Almost!

2011-02-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are some activities to do with your little Valentine.

Check out these Valentine’s Day Rhymes. See if your child can guess the rhyming word (from http://bogglesworldesl.com/valentines_day_worksheets.htm)

A Valentine’s color that rhymes with bed.

A Valentine’s color that rhymes with sink.

Something you give that rhymes with lift.

Something you give that rhymes with yard.

What cupid shoots that rhymes with go.

An emotion that rhymes with glove.

A long, long time that rhymes with clever.

A Valentine’s symbol that rhymes with art.

Something sweet that rhymes with dandy.

What couples do that rhymes with miss.

Do some of these songs with your child.

Here are some of my favorites to do with finger puppets. Have fun making your own (using socks, clay or old gloves) and then saying these. They are relatively easy to memorize for your child and would be good practice for tracking words. Write them on a poster board or just print them straight from here!

Five Pretty Valentines

Five Pretty valentines waiting at the store.
(Your child's name) bought one and then there were four.
Four pretty valentines shaped like a "V"
(Your child's name) bought one and then there were three.
Three pretty valentines said "I love you"
(Your child's name) bought one then there were two.
Two pretty valentines, this was so much fun.
(Your child's name) bought one and then there was one.
One pretty valentine sitting on the shelf.
It was lonely, so I bought it for myself.

5 Little Valentines

Five little valentines were having a race
The first little valentine was frilly with lace.
The second little valentine had a funny face.
The third little valentine said, "I love you".
The fourth little valentine said, "I do too".
The fifth little valentine was sly as a fox.
He ran the fastest to the valentine box.

Make some Valentine’s Day cards together. Depending on the age of your child, you can have them dictate and you write, or you can have them write with your help to sound out words. These are some cute templates to make a Valentine’s Day box from DLTK! I would even use these templates to make Valentine Letter Boxes. Collect words in magazines, flyers or newspapers that begin with V!

Throw some math in! Lay out conversation hearts or candy in certain groups of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. Write the numbers 1-5 on sheets of paper. See if your child can match up the numbers to the amount of hearts.

Make letters from conversation hearts. Demonstrate arranging the hearts into the letter A. Can your child arrange them into other letters?

Enjoy your Valentine's Weekend!