Ready. Set. Read!

Valentine's Day Math and Literacy Activities

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:07:00 +0000

Today is Mathematically Speaking Monday at Ready. Set. Read! Each Monday I try to share ways to integrate math into your literacy learning. Last week, I shared our Valentine's Day Activities. Two of the math activities received a lot of love on Pinterest.

Source: readysetread2me.blogspot.com via Jackie on Pinterest

Today I thought I'd show you how to modify these games into literacy learning. Same game. Different way to play.

Our card game number match game has been played a lot lately. You can make this with playing cards if you want the extra scaffold of the numbers on the cards. You can make these with index cards and stickers if you'd like for them to not have the numbers on the cards. We've been playing with the playing cards for about a week, so I think I'm going to change our center up soon!

You could make this into a literacy game. I traded the numbers for capital and lowercase letters. You could also do letters and picture cards to match beginning letter sounds.

We also love conversation heart candy math! I'm having to ration the number of hearts my boys can consume each day. I'm pretty sure they would have polished off the bag in one day!
We did the color sorting, graphing, counting math game with our conversation hearts last week.

This week, I decided to turn this into literacy learning. We created a counting book. Each page featured a different color. We wrote a sentence for each page and glued on the correct number of color hearts. (You could simplify this with stickers).

I used Logan's language to write this book. Yes, I know "I got" is incorrect. I tried to correct this to "I have..." but when he reread, he was changing it back to his language. If the focus of this lesson had been correct grammar, I would have insisted on changing his language. However, when trying to teach young learners to connect oral language to written symbols, it is best to go with their language. This gives him power to read back in his own language.
I do think it is ok to repeat it back correctly and see if they change to the correct form.
Child: I got 6 pink.
Me: Oh, that's a great story. "I have 6 pink." What do you want me to write down?
If they change back to "I got 6 pink"-- I'd write it down just as the child said it.

And that, my friends, is our conversation (about) hearts!

You might also like these mathematically speaking posts:
Talking about math concepts while setting the table
100th Day of School Recipe
Snowman Name Graph

Here's Where I am sharing:

Love Notes

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:35:00 +0000

This week is all about the LOVE on Ready. Set. Read! I'd love it if you could head over to Best Life 4 Moms today. I shared a love note that I wrote to my boys. Paula, at Best Life 4 Moms has rounded up a bunch of moms to share notes to their kids. It's a really sweet series. Best Life 4 Moms is a great new resource. There are helpful tips and awesome recipes from a seasoned mom!

What are you doing for your kids for Valentine's Day?

Challenge: Make a #Bertolli Weeknight Meal (Sponsored Post)

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:26:00 +0000

When you have a 2 and 3 year old running under foot, making a healthy and tasty weeknight meal is always a challenge. Recently, I was issued a challenge by Bertolli. I was to make a weeknight dinner in less than an hour that featured a Bertolli Meal Soup. I accepted that challenge... and kicked it up a notch! I decided to add in the factor of kids. The equation for my weeknight meal looked like this:

1 Bertolli meal soup + 2 sides + 1 hour (2 kids) =???

I'm not a mathematician, but when you multiply an hour by 2 kids, your time becomes very divided! In order to stay focused on shopping and meal prep, you have to have a plan. So today, I'm sharing tips for tackling the grocery store and the meal prep with kids underfoot. I'll even show you how I snuck in a little learning.

Step 1: Head to the store (with 2 kids in tow).

I used to cringe at taking two kids to the store. I'd stay home and harvest greens out of the front yard before I'd run to the store just to pick up dinner! Then, I discovered this great grocery store game. You'll need paint chips and a ring clip/ key chain.
Give each child a ring of colors. Have the kids go on a scavenger hunt to find foods in each of the colors of the rainbow.
Not only will your child learn colors, you can sneak in a little learning about nutrition. I try to have my kids eat a "rainbow" of foods. Hint: A Bertolli meal soup has nearly all of the colors of the rainbow included! The roasted chicken and rotini pasta has red beans and tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow squash, and green zuccinni.

Step 2: Fix dinner (distract kids)
In order to fix dinner while entertaining a 2 and 3 year old, you have to keep the meal pretty simple. The downside to that? I don't always like the taste of prepared soups. I grew up with a mom who made homemade soups from homegrown vegetables (spoiled, I know!). I'm picky with prepared foods, especially soups. I generally avoid soups with any form of "meat". The Bertolli soup was easy to prepare, but it was also tasty. The vegetables were fresh and the chicken tasted... well, like chicken!

While I was working at the counter making dinner, I entertained the kids with this rainbow food matching game. To play this super simple game (from The Activity Mom), place a variety of colored plates on the table and have the child match the food to the correct plate. Even my (brand new) 2 year old could participate.

The game kept the kids entertained while I made a "rainbow" salad. I used spinach as the base and added strawberries, mandarian oranges, bananas, blueberries, and walnuts. I dressed it with a poppy seed dressing.

The soup was so easy, I really didn't know what to do for the rest of the hour. I decided to make some rainbow cookies. I found these chocolate sandwich cookies on Pinterest. I thought I could recreate them by dipping some cookies in white chocolate that I had added food coloring too. Mine weren't quite as impressive! Good thing I'm not a food bloggger! The kids didn't care what they looked like, though!

Step 3: Get picky kids to eat a new soup.
Hold your breath for this one... they. did. it! I talked to the boys about eating a rainbow of healthy food. I put a bowl of painted clothespins on the table. Each time someone tried a food, they got a clothespin in that color. The hardest part in having the kids eat the soup was having them risk trying it for the first time.When they realized the soup, which was full of vegetables, would earn them a lot of clothespins, they dove right in!

Overall the night was a success!

1 Bertolli meal soup + 2 sides + 1 hour (2 kids) = 1 Rainbow of Fun for Dinner

Check my math. Try Bertolli soups for yourself!
- Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups are hearty and fresh-tasting with vegetables, meats, pasta and herbs individually flash frozen at the peak of freshness.
- Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups are available in the frozen aisle, and can be prepared on your stovetop in minutes.
- With robust flavors and rich textures, new Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups are available in four varieties: Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken & Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef with Vegetables.

Learn more about Bertolli Meal Soups:

Facebook: facebook.com/Bertolli
Twitter: twitter.com/Bertolli
Website: villabertolli.com

I was compensated byBertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge.

World Read Aloud Day: 2012 St. Louis Events

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:14:00 +0000

I am so excited to volunteer for LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day on March 7, 2012. The St. Louis, MO area will have two events that are open to the public and free to attend! I've partnered with LitWorld as a World Read Aloud Advocate to promote these events. I shared my passion for this event in a recent interview on the LitWorld blog. Basically, I chose to participate in World Read Aloud Day because I was given so much support as a young child to bring me to the place to be a book lover. However, there are 793 MILLION People worldwide who are still illiterate. I feel like I need to give back to those who were not given the same support that I was given. LitWorld is an organization founded by author and literacy advocate Pam Allyn. The mission of the organization is to end global illiteracy.
You can be a part of bringing awareness to literacy. On March 7th, 2012, read with someone you love. If you live in the St. Louis area and would like to participate in an event, you can hold your own event or you can join one of these events.

The Teacher's Lounge Bookstore
4121 Elm Park Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63128
Free Story Time
10:30 am Wednesday, March 7, 2012
They will be sharing Jan Brett books in the store. They will have coloring activities and crafts for the kids. I'll be attending this event with my two boys. We'd love to see our friends there and meet some new friends too!

Jefferson County Library- Windsor Branch
7479 Metropolitan Boulevard
Barnhart, MO 63012
Phone: (636) 461-1914
Free Story Time
10:00 am Wednesday, March 7, 2012
This library holds a free story time each Wednesday morning. They will hold their story time in honor of World Read Aloud Day on March 7. Check it out! You may want to go back every Wednesday!

Create Your Own Event
You can create your own World Read Aloud Day event for your classroom or home. You can register your event at LitWorld.org You can download a PDF file of activities, coloring sheets, and awards. There is a suggested book list too.
Skype with an Author
If you would like for your classroom to skype with an author, you can sign up at LitWorld for a free author skype chat. I'm super excited to see blogger and newly published author Kate Hayes, author of All About Poop on the list. (yes, she wrote a book about the most talked about topic in preschool!!) She is a great friend of mine and her first book will be released soon.

World Read Aloud Day 2012 is going to be an amazing event! There are 100 WRADvocates around the country. Join us in celebrating literacy and bringing awareness to a great cause!

Will you be celebrating World Read Aloud day this year?

I'm sharing here:

Valentine's Day Activities for Preschoolers

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, the boys and I explored a few Valentine's Day learning actitvities during preschool time with my 2 year old and 3 year old. Finding ideas was so easy this year because I had downloaded the heart book. It's an ebook with over 100 crafts and activities for kids-- all with a heart theme! It's only $5 and you can get a copy of the book when you make a donation to the AHA. But it's only available for the month of Februrary!

In our Valentine Themed preschool time last week, we read some Valentine books and did some literacy related activities.

My Heart is Like a Zoo. This book was suggested from Reading Confetti. In this book, author/illustrator Michael Hall uses hearts to create many different animals. Check out this book trailer to see!

We created the caterpillar. Logan really liked looking at the one from Reading Confetti and trying to copy it. It was much easier than trying to copy the ones from the book. Of course, older kids would be able to come up with their own animals too.

We also read one of my favorite Valentine books EVER, The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by Jan Brett. In this sweet story, Mr. Bear and Mrs. Bear set their alarm to interrupt their hibernation on Februrary 14th so they can exchange Valentines. Now, that's love!

This is a perfect book to use to talk about ways to show love or to talk about making or writing Valentine Cards.
We made a few cards but we also did an activity with envelopes. I found this at Hubbard's Cupboard.

I printed free Alphabet Stickers from Carl's Corner. This is a great FREE resource! You can print these pictures onto sticker labels-- or just use paper and then cut and glue. There are several pretty clear pictures for each letter. I glued a picture to the front of each envelope (apple for a, banana for b, car for c, etc). I controlled the activity by only providing the first 5 letters. You could also just pick the letters you child knows. I also provided letter stamps. Logan chose an envelope, looked at the picture, and chose the correct letter stamp. For example, "I see a frog. Frog starts with the letter F". The stamped the f in the corner. After he stamped all of the envelopes, he filled the envelopes by sorting all of the other pictures into the corresponding envelope! You could probably split this into two activities.

We also did some math games.
This was a cute game I found on pinterest. I used playing cards which provides an extra scaffold of the number on the card. Mine was more of a matching game. If you don't want the numbers on the card, just use card sized paper and heart stickers (or draw the hearts).

We also did some sorting of Conversation Hearts by color and graphing/ counting with the hearts.

Tyson mostly liked dumping the hearts into containers.

My boys love art.
We were able to find some great ideas in the heart book for art time.

"From the bottom of my heart... to the tips of my toes, I Love You!"

One that was did was this handprint and footprint craft. Of course, you'll have to get the ebook to see the rest of the great ideas ;)

Have you gotten a copy of The Heart Project ebook? What are some of your favorite heart crafts?

*** Don't forget to stop by my heart project giveaway!**

Here's where I am linking up:

Mathematically Speaking Mondays: Setting the Table

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

My "baby" loves to help with any project. By suppertime each night, I'm worn out from having him under my feet. Giving him a "project" is a great way to keep him out from under foot. One job that he loves is setting the table. I give him one plate at a time and tell him, "Put the plate by daddy's seat." (or mommy's or Logan's). He get's a little literacy practice in while following oral directions. Then, we do silverware. He has to put one next to each plate. We get in a little math practice as we use one to one correspondance. We finish up by putting out cups (usually practicing color words). When we are finished with the table, he runs through the house saying, "Time to Eat!"

I do this same activity with my three year old. I do try to bump up the problem solving skills for him. I'll tell him, "We have four plates on the table. We need the same number of spoons as plates. Do you know how many spoons we need without counting?"

This post is a part of my series on Mathematically Speaking: Integrating Math into Your Literacy Learning. Check out some previous posts that deal with math in literacy:
100th Day of School Recipe
Snowman Name Graph

Here's Where I am sharing:

Versus

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:40:00 +0000

With the super bowl today, people everywhere are pairing up and taking sides Patriots vs.the Giants.*
There is something about competition that my boys love.Competition is not confined to a sports competition. It is a part of our daily lives. They race to the table and yell, "I win." They compete with getting seatbelts and shoes on. In fact, my two year old has very few phrases, but one that he can say clearly is, "I win!"
If you have a competitive kid, you can find some fun match ups in kid lit. Here are two of our favorites

Shark Vs. Train by by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld . In this story, two boys are playing with a toy shark and a toy train. The book takes us into their imaginations where they try to determine a winner in a variety of situations. In the end, there isn't a clear winner. You should be prepared for the conversation to continue after reading. My three year old always says the shark won in the book. He has a million supportive reasons for his argument!

Dinosaur Vs. The Library by Bob Shea. This is a great book for the competitive child who is also loud and maybe rambunctious. Someone I know loves this book...

There are several of the Dinosaur Vs. books by Bob Shea. Dinosaur Vs. the potty, Dinosaur vs. bedtime. But the library version has become a favorite in our house!

Certainly, competition in children's literature is not limited to these types of books. Traditional tales like The Tortoise and the Hare** are based around the competitive nature of two characters. Books like the Harry Potter Series deal with the good vs. evil theme, also found in a lot of kid lit. Helping a kid find a book where they fight for the character they love is a great way to get kids reading. It also can lead to wonderful writing extensions!
** Thanks to Kate at Adventures in Parenting for contributing to this post with her amazing knowledge of sports (yes, I had to ask on FB who is playing in the super bowl).. and also for helping me brainstorm for this post!
Can you think of any books that bring out competition?

Here's where I am linking up:

{Giveaway} "I Love You More" Board Book #theheartproject

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Today is the kickoff for the heart project fundraiser a collaborative project with 70 bloggers. Each blogger contributed an idea for a heart-related kids' project. The ideas were compiled into a book which is available for download when you donate to the American Heart Association.

My contribution to the book was this "I Love You More" craft. This craft was based off the book, "I Love You More" by Laura Duksta. Today I am giving away a free copy of the "I Love You More" board book.

This giveaway is open to US and Canada. One winner will be randomly selected at 7 pm (CST) on Februrary 14, 2012. The winner will have 72 hours to email me with contact information. If the winner does not claim the prize, a new winner will be chosen. No Purchase necessary to win. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. Odds of winning are based on total number of valid entries received. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered or associated with Facebook.
There are lots of giveaways going for the next two weeks. Today you can find giveaways at Dilly-Dali Art, The Preschool Toolbox, and Toddler Approved.
(Ps. I do not have this set up for "partial feed" but in my reader, I there is a "read more" link to get to the entries for the giveaway. I am working on fixing this but for now, please click "read more" to enter today's giveaway. Thank you!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

the heart project fundraiser kickoff

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:54:00 +0000

I am so excited to be a part of the heart project, a collaborative project to raise money for the American Heart Association. There are more than 70 bloggers who have teamed up to provide a beautiful ebook of heart projects in order to raise money for the AHA. The group is headed up by Jamie at Hands On: As We Grow.
The book includes 100 + ideas for kids. The projects are divided into four sections cook, create, play, and display. There are photographs with links to the project instructions for each project! My contribution was the "I Love You More" Heart which was based on the book, "I Love You More". (Stick around to the end of the post, and I'll tell you how to win that book too!!)

The book is loaded with other heart themed activities. Here's a sample:

You can get a copy of the book by donating $5 to the American Heart Association. Our goal is to raise $1,000 for the AHA by Valentine's Day. The book is only available for download through donation for the month of February! Get it before it's gone!

There is also a printed version available for $20 plus shipping ($5 of each purchase of the printed soft cover book will go to the AHA)

US $20.00

Order the Printed Version

We really want to make this project a success so we've teamed up with some companies to sponsor the project.

For every book sold, Craftprojectideas.com is donating $1! That means in addition to your $5 donation by purchasing the The Heart Book, Craftprojectideas.com will donate another $1 on your behalf (up to $500!)

We are also partnered with Melissa and Doug and Fudoo Boards. They are offering great prize packs which will be auctioned off. Check out the links to the auctions on ebay.

Fundraiser Auctions:

♥ All proceeds of each auction will go to the AHA ♥

Melissa & Doug - 4 Trunki with Teddy Bear Auctions!

Fudoo Boards - 3 Fudoo Board Kits for Auction!

Fudoo Board Kit, ends Feb 10
Fudoo Board Kit, ends Feb 10
Fudoo Board Kit, ends Feb 10

And of course, we have to thank all of YOU, who read our blogs and support this cause! To thank you for your participation, many of the bloggers who contributed to the project are offering giveaways from now until Valentine's Day.

Guess who has the first giveaway??? Me. me. me!!! I'm posting it EARLY tomorrow (Wednesday) morning and it will run until Valentine's Day.

Melissa & Doug, Fudoo Boards, and Craftprojectideas.com will also be offering giveaways.

Be sure to check back each day to enter that day's giveaways!

Contributing bloggers

hands on : as we grow	♥	A Little Learning for Two	♥	Among Many Blessings
Angelique Felix	♥	At Home with Ali	♥	Broken Treasures
Busy at Home	♥	Busy Kids Happy Mom	♥	Carrie Saindon's Photo Journey
Child Central Station	♥	Classified: Mom	♥	Classroom Magic
Creative with Kids	♥	Creativity My Passion	♥	Critters and Crayons
De Tout et de Rien	♥	Dilly-Dali Art	♥	Dinosaurs & Octopuses
Excited 2 Learn	♥	Hand Over the Cookies	♥	Handprint & Footprint Art
Happy Hooligans	♥	Heart Journey	♥	Imagination Soup
Jamie's Jumble	♥	Kitchen Counter Chronicles	♥	Kreative Resources
Let Kids Create	♥	Little Illuminationss	♥	Living Montessori Now
Loudness of the Lambs	♥	Love and Lollipops	♥	Mama, hocemo nesto da pravimo
Mama Pea Pod	♥	Mama Smiles	♥	MemeTales
Messy Kids	♥	Mindful Meanderings	♥	Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
Mommy Labs	♥	Mommy Perks	♥	Mum Paints Lives
Mummy Mummy Mum	♥	My Creative Family	♥	NurtureStore
One Artsy Mama	♥	Peace Love & Rainbows	♥	Play Dr Mom
Putti Prapancha	♥	Rainbows within Reach	♥	Reading Confetti
Ready. Set. Read!	♥	Red Ted Art	♥	Sense of Wonder
Share & Remember	♥	Stacy Molter	♥	Sun Hats & Wellie Boots
Teach Preschool	♥	The Artful Child	♥	The Chocolate Muffin Tree
The Craft Barn	♥	The Educators' Spin on It	♥	The Golden Gleam
The Imagination Tree	♥	The Iowa Farmer's Wife	♥	The Joy of My Life
The Kids Fun Review	♥	The Outlaw Mom Blog	♥	The Preschool Toolbox
The Seeds Network	♥	Toddler Approved

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

100th Day of School: Mathematically Speaking Mondays

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:11:00 +0000

Jake's 100th Day of School Lester Laminack is one of my favorite 100th day of school books! Jake's class is celebrating the 100th day of school. Everyone in the class is bringing a collection of 100 favorite things. Jake creates a book of 100 memories. On the 100th day, Jake forgets his book. His sensitive principal, Mrs. Wadsworth, helps Jake to solve the problem by donating 100 of her books. The day goes on with fun activities, snacks, and even a superific surprise visitor! In the end, Jake uses his problem solving skills to find a great use of his book of 100 memories that he left at home.

In the story, Jake's class creates a 100th day snack by combining 4 sets of 25 items. We created this 100 snack in the same manner. We made a trail mix snack of 25 marshmallows, 25 cheerios, 25 chocolate chips, and 25 Teddy Grahams. I created a free printable for our recipe!

You could modify this to meet the math skill you are covering. For instance, if you want to focus on counting by 10s, you could show 10 sets of 10 items.

Do you have any favorite 100th day of school books?

This post is part of my mathematically speaking Mondays series. Reading recipes is a great way to integrate math and literacy! Check out Snowman Name Graph which is another fun way to integrate math and literacy.

Here's where I am linking up:

Book Talk Tuesday

Bear Country on Twitter: Connecting with authors via social media

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:28:00 +0000

Last week I participated in a PBS twitter party about the PBS Stem Challenge. It was a great learning experience for me. There were amazing conversations about games and kids and education. About halfway through, I noticed someone tweeting as @theberenstains. At first, I thought it was just a fan of the Berenstain bears, but then I noticed someone commented about the weather in bear country.
Well, it turns out... it was THE Berenstains . Not only is my 3 year old a new fan of the bears, I am a long time fan of the Berenstain bears as well. So I quickly tweeted...

And I got a response.

So I followed. And they thanked me for following. Cool.
I love twitter! I love that I don't have to find the right bookstore on the right day to connect with a favorite author. I love that in the midst of a twitter party, I can engage with someone I respect.
I think authors who are connecting via social media are providing a great outlet for young readers. Think about how often your students or children fall in love with a series of books. If the reader has an opportunity to engage the author on social media, they may stay a fan for a long, long time!
There is another PBS twitter party tonight! No promises that The Berenstains will appear, but you never know who you may meet. You can RSVP here or scan the QR code with your smart phone to rsvp! (I probably won't be attending this one because I am enrolling my kiddo in preK tonight! But I may try to catch the after party at weteach!)

In the style of twitter, today I'm sharing my favorite Berenstain bears books reviews in 140 characters or less.

The bears enjoy the traditional camp activities of canoeing, hiking, and crafts. They even survive the overnight campout! #campmemories

Brother checks out a scary mystery from the library causing Sister to be a scaredy bear at bedtime. #iamascaredybear!

Brother and Sister get caught up in comparing what they have to others. A scary thunderstorm reminds them to count their blessings. #guilty

The bears have forgotten their manners. Mama has a plan but the hardest one to change is papa. Probably shouldn't insert comment about hubbie.

Have you used social media to connect with a favorite author? Have you used it in your classrooms? I'd love to hear your experiences.

Here's where I am sharing:

Book Talk Tuesday

Heart Craft: I Love you More

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:24:00 +0000

I Love You More by Laura Duksta is a New York Times Bestseller. It's a heartwarming story of a mother and son. This flip side book can be read from front to back or back to front as it shares back and forth the love a mother has for her son and the love the son has for his mother. As the mom and son are out on a walk, they begin a conversation about love. The mother professes, "I love you higher than the highest bird ever flew." The son sings out, "I love you freer than the freest kite ever flown."
I love how the characters are portrayed. The boy compares love to caterpillars, frogs, and bubbles. The mom compares love to flowers and winding paths. This is not just a "children's book". It is a book that parent and child must share together.

After reading this book, we made a special craft to answer the question the boy asks in the book, "Mommy, just how much do you love me?"
If you are a parent, you know that the love you feel for your child will not fit inside your heart. We made an expanding heart to hold all of the love. We added the phrase, "I love you more". When the heart is opened, the child can be reminded of how love grows.
I created this printable to make the craft.

Simply cut out the two hearts.
Glue the strips that say, "I love you more." back to back. Make sure that you will be able to read them from left to right, depending on the direction they are taped to a heart.

Fold the strips like accordians.
Tape or glue to a heart cut out.

I created this heart craft as part of a heart project fundraiser. I am currently working on a project, created by Jamie at Hands on as We Grow, who is pulling together a “Heart Project eBook”. This collaborative project, involving more than 50 bloggers, will be a fundraiser with all proceeds going to the American Heart Association. The Heart Project eBook will be available by making a $5 donation. There will be awesome giveaways, including a giveaway here at Ready. Set. Read! (Check back on Februrary 1st for the giveaway!)

For complete details on this event, visit Hands on as We Grow. More information to follow! Bloggers are still invited to join the project. The deadline for submission is January 25th!

Here's where I am linking up:

Book Review: Princess Stories: Real Bible Stories of God's Princesses

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:44:00 +0000

I don't get many chances to do pink, princess, or pretty around this house of all boys. I also have, at the moment, a handful of nephews! Fortunately, my sister is in the process of adoption and this time... It's A Girl!! Because I want to be the best Aunt ever, I have to start checking out the girlie girl stuff. The book, Princess Stories: Real Bible Stories of God's Princesses, caught my eye.

This book, full of stories of women of the Bible, encourages girls to see themselves as princesses. After all, if God is the King of Kings and if God is your father, then you can be a princess. The book examines the character of the "princesses" of the Bible. It tells who was the bravest, the most faithful or the kindest. Each story begins with a scripture reference. A short poem following the "mirror, mirror on the wall..." theme introduces each princess. The stories are told in the first person. They are in today's language and well written. At the end of each study, there is a Bible verse. Each story is followed up with a page of questions. There are comprehension questions about the stories as well as life application questions.
The book is pretty, girlie, and colorful. The women of the Bible are pictured in clothing of the time period. After each story, there is also a little girl dressed as a princess. These princesses span all races and nationalities. The last princess in the book is "you". This last "story" sends a positive message to girls about a God who loves them. The last verse is Psalm 139.17, "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!" The last page of discussion questions asks, "have you asked Jesus into your heart so you can be a real princess?" This book would be great for a little girl who is beginning to think about what she personally believes and where her relationship with God stands.
I really enjoyed this book. I think it would be an engaging way to connect to a girl who loves princesses. I love the message to girls that their value and purpose is found in Christ.
There was one small thing about the book that bothered me. All of the princesses are HOT! I mean, skinny, gorgeous skin, flowing locks. In all fairness, they look like Disney princesses. The illustrator is probably trying to keep the book relevant. But, I think it would be nice to have a few princesses that don't look perfect on the outside but have rockin' character on the inside!
This is a great choice for a girl who wants to be a princess with strong character. By the way, even my boys have fought over this book. It's very colorful. They can't resist!!
Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of the book.

Chinese New Year: Dragon Poem and Puppet

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:22:00 +0000

Celebrating Chinese New Year is a great way to introduce your child to a variety of cultures. This year, we are celebrating with a poem, a puppet, and some tasty Chinese food!

This week we read the poem, "Dragon, Dragon".( I used this poem when I was teaching. I tried to google it but it is everywhere online. I can't find the original author. If you are the author, let me know. I'll credit you.)

Dragon, Dragon (Tune: Twinkle, twinkle)

Dragon, dragon dance around.

Dragon, dragon touch the ground.

Dragon dragon shake your head.

Dragon, dragon point to red.

Dragon, dragon stomp your feet.

Dragon, dragon run down the street.

We tried out these great shared reading strategies that I had pinned to pinterest. These are similar to what I used for shared reading when I was teaching. I really like Kindergarten Works organization, though.

Source: kindergartenworks.com via Jackie on Pinterest

After we had studied the poem, we made these dragon puppets to act out the poem. This is my example puppet from when I was teaching.

This image originally came from the Kansas City, KS public library but I can't find the link anymore. Here's what the original looked like if you need a dragon picture to copy!

We are having Chinese food on Chinese New Year. My boys love americanized Chinese food. Logan loves noodles. Tyson loves rice!

He's a pro at noodle slurping

Do you celebrate the lunar new year? How do you integrating a variety of cultures into your learning?

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World Read Aloud Day is March 7, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

There are 793 million people who are illiterate As someone who has been given the gift of literacy, this concerns me.

Today we honor a man who fought against social injustices. We honor a man who saw the opportunity to fight for equality and fought with bravery. It is in his honor, that I ask you to think about what you can do to end illiteracy.

Imagine a world where everyone can read. Imagine that you had an opportunity to do something to help reach the goal of global literacy. On March 7, 2012, Litworld , a global literacy organization based in New York City, will be celebrating World Read Aloud Day. The purpose of the day is to celebrate the right to read and write. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology. By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.

To learn more about LitWorld and to register to participate in World Read Aloud Day, please visit: http://litworld.org/wrad

If you are local to the St. Louis, MO area, you can show your support for World Read Aloud day by attending an event that I am planning at The Teacher's Lounge Bookstore (4121 Elm Park Dr, St. Louis 63128). Come for a free story time and activity. They'll be holding a special story time from10:30 to 11:00 am on Wednesday, March 7th. Be included in the march on illiteracy!

I am working with LitWorld as a local WRADvocate (World Read Aloud Day Advocate). I will have more details coming soon on how you can participate in the local St. Louis event.

Book Review: Fairly Fairy Tales

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:29:00 +0000

What if the three little pigs had not been limited to straw, sticks and bricks? What if the porkers had access to solar panels?
What if the story of Little Red Riding Hood hadn't been limited to a red hood, a wolf, or a grandma? What if a common household item was added to the story? What if it was... shampoo?! Just think, Grandma could be running a beauty salon instead of spending her days holed up in the belly of a wolf. Can't imagine that?

In Fairly Fairy Tales, author Esme Raji Codell dreams up new versions of fairy tales and illustrator Elisa Chavvari delights the reader with two page spreads of these imaginations! The book is actually a conversation betweeen a boy and his mother while reading bedtime stories. The text is sparse, "Kiss? Yes. Water? Yes. Bedtime? Noooo." This pattern is repeated for each fairy tale as several elements are suggested and one is ruled out with a hearty, "NOOOO!"
I think this book is a perfect pair to my fairy tale prop baskets.Begin by sharing great fairy tales with your child and having her retell them using a prop basket.
Once she is comfortable with stretch his thinking by adding an item that doesn't belong.

A great motivator to getting your child interested in Fairy Tales is letting your child see the tale on the big screen. Beauty and the Beast 3D opened in theaters this weekend! It's one of my favorite fairy tales and I've been pumped about it's release all week. Here are a few of my other fairy tale posts:

Free Beauty and the Beast Printable Coloring Sheets
Writing Prompts for Fairy Tales
Fairy Tale Book Reviews

Here's Where I am linking up:

http://www.bookingmama.net/
http://thelemmelibrary.blogspot.com/

Favorite Fairy Tale Prop Baskets

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:24:00 +0000

Last spring, I shared a fun way to determine a child's background knowledge of classic fairy tales by creating prop baskets. With Beauty and the Beast being released in 3D on January 13th, I thought I should update my prop baskets to include this famous fairy tale!

Create a prop basket by collecting items that could be used to retell the story. For Beauty and the Beast, I might choose a rose, a book (Belle was a book lover!), and a mirror.

Tell your child that someoneleft some belongings at your house (or in the classroom) and have them try to guess who the mystery person might be. Can you guess?

Cleaning rags, gloves, wand, satin, tiara. (A small plastic doll shoe would look great in here too!)

You guessed it, Cinderella.

You might try another pretty easy one...

Straw, sticks, and bricks.

Yep, the three little pigs.
If you're having fun with it, go on.

Cow, magic beans, golden egg, bean stalk

Did you guess Jack and the Bean Stalk?

Prop baskets not only serve to determine background knowledge, but they can be a great for imaginative play or writing prompts as well. You could also let your child create their own prop baskets for a favorite tale.

Fans of Beauty and the Beast, don't forget about the FREE printable Beauty and the Beast coloring pages I shared last weekend.
I'm linking up here:

Mathematically Speaking Mondays: Snowman Name Graphs

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:09:00 +0000

A recent article in the Huff Post about math skills caught this reading blogger's attention. According to the article Kindergarten: Math Skills Prove Key to Later Academic Success, Researchers Say by Elenor Yang Su, the amount of math learned in kindergarten is a strong predictor of a child's future school success. This was according to a study of 20,000 kindergarten students conducted by UC Irvine education professor Greg Duncan. In fact, math skills ranked higher than reading skills in predicting school success! Reading skills were second and were followed by social skills and study skills.
There is debate on how math should be taught in kindergarten and if children are ready for some of the higher level thinking tasks being presented in some kindergarten programs. In the article, the researcher responded to this criticism:
"I'm not implying that there needs to be flashcards and drill-and-kill exercises," Duncan said. He suggests teachers use math lessons that let kids explore and manipulate numbers. For parents, he recommends they point out shapes to their kids and play cards and board games to help them get comfortable with counting.

Here at Ready. Set. Read! I thought it would be interesting to share some ways to integrate math into your literacy time. Why not give your kids jumpstart in both areas? So each Monday, I'll be sharing a literacy activity that incorporates math skills.

This week we created name graph snowmen. We wrote each family member's name on sentence strips. Logan cut the letters apart.

Then we cut the square letters into snowballs. Quick tip: A great way to teach your child to cut a circle is to give him a square and direct him to round off the corners to create a circle.

We had already painted some paper with falling snow by making prints from painted bubble wrap, so we glued our snowmen right to our bubble wrap prints.

We stacked the snowballs to create name snowmen. We finished them off with heads and hats.

We followed up with a quick discussion of some easy math topics:

Which snowman is the tallest?
Which snowman is the shortest?
Which snowman has the most letters?
Which snowman has the least letters?
Do any of the snowmen have the same number of snowballs?
How many snowballs would we have to add to make all the snowmen have the same number of snowballs? (This was too hard for my three year old so we skipped it, but it could work well with older kids.)

My inspiration for this snowman letter graph came from pinterest and was pinned from kindergarten-lessons.com

Source: kindergarten-lessons.com via Jackie on Pinterest

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Free Printable Beauty and the Beast Coloring Pages

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:55:00 +0000

One of my all time favorite Disney movies is Beauty and the Beast. It is returning to theaters in 3D this January 13th! Logan and I had a chance to sneak a peek at the movie today. It brought back so many fond memories. At times I was tempted to sing along! The 3D version of the movie brought a classic movie into modern day.
I loved it. Who can't love a girl who is wooed by a library full of books? Here's my book loving princess, Belle. If you follow the link below, you'll find other free character printables courtesy of Disney!

Beauty and the Beast 3D Coloring Sheets--Free!

Best of 2011- #1- Press Here

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Today is the wrap up of my Best books of 2011. Today I am sharing the number 1 favorite book in my house. This was the book that was published in 2011 that my boys have requested, and even fought over, the most! So... drum roll please... our #1 pick is:

Press Here by Herve Tulle
Press Here by Herve Tullet is an interactive picture book that resonates with the interests of kids today. The book begins with a narrator instructing the reader to "press here". A yellow dot graces the first page. The child presses the dot and when he turns the next page...a second yellow dot appears. The narrator keeps instructing the reader. Rub the dot and turn the page, the dot changes color. The reader can even "turn off the lights" by pressing all the yellow dots on a given page. This book is a must see! Find out what happens as you tilt, blow on, and shake the book!
Guess what? You can see a mini-version of this book on Amazon right now! I found this great pdf for a free downloadable Press Here mini-book. There are also great activities to accompany the book-so go check it out. The mini book would make this book- which is great for sharing 1 on 1- a great classroom activity. There are also tips in the pdf for using this book as a read aloud with a large group!
This book bring so much fun play to our house. Logan follows the directions so intensely and seriously, yet when he sees the "results" he just dies laughing! When we finish reading it, Logan quotes the end of the book, "Want to do it all over again?" And I can't help but answer, "Yes!"
I originally posted this review on May 3, 2011.
To us, this was THE BEST BOOK OF 2011! We added it to our library and if we had to pick one book to suggest for you to add to your library, we'd pick this one! I hope you liked my Best of 2011 Countdown. If you missed any of my reviews, check out the complete collection on my Best of 2011 Pinterest board!
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Best of 2011- #2- Time to Eat

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Time to Eat by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page is a nonfiction book covering a variety of animals and what they eat. It may not sound that exciting to the average reader to read short informational paragraphs about animals' dietary habits. When you throw in facts like a tick drinks the equivalent of a human drinking 6,000 milkshakes a day in blood or information like a shrew will die if it doesn't eat every 2 to 3 hours, curious minds can't resist this book. The is a good balance of trivial facts- a baby blue whale can gain up to 200 lbs a day - and gruesome details- the black widow spider paralyzes it's prey and eats it while still alive. This small picture book is packed with details and includes an appendix with even more details for older readers. This is part of a series of three books including Time to Sleep and Time for a Bath. We had to have at least one nonfiction book on our countdown of the Best Books of 2011. If you're looking for great nonfiction for ages preschool- third grade, this is a great series!
Check out all of my boys' favorite books for 2011 on my Best of 2011 Pinterest board. And come back tomorrow for our TOP book of 2011!
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Best of 2011- #3- Follow the Line to School

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Follow the Line To School by Laura Ljungkvist. Follow a line as it weaves left to right across a page, highlighting letters, words, and numbers as it goes. This book is a wonderful artistic introduction to a full day at school.
The artwork is gorgeous. There is so much to look at one each page, yet every illustration is clear. The line moves left to right across a page, highlight letters, words, and numbers as it goes. The potential for vocabulary development is available every time you re-read the book. I feel like it's one of those books you can read with your child as he grows.
I found this interview with Laura Ljungkvist at The Book Chook I love that she creates her artwork with her daughter and uses her daughter's artwork in her books. How cool is that?
The Book Chook must be a fan of Ljungkvist, because I found other Follow the Line reviews on her blog as well. Check them out here. I know I've already put one on hold at the local library.
Review of other Follow the Line Books
I originally posted this review along with my backyard scavenger hunt on July 20, 2011.
This book also appeared on my top 10 books for play in August.
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Best of 2011- #4- Farmyard Beat

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Farmyard Beat
Farmyard Beat by Lindsay Craig, Illustrated by Marc Brown is rhyming recollection of bedtime in a barnyard. The animal are having trouble sleeping. They would rather be dancing to "that beat". With a repetative, almost singable rhythm and rhyme, Craig introduces each animal with the animal's corresponding sound. The illustrations are big and bold, which make this a great choice for even the littlest learners. My boys beg for this book at bedtime. We have so much fun chanting this book. Your kids will be sure to join in and love it too.

I originally posted this review on October 18, 2011 along with our farm field trip and farm play scene.

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Best of 2011- #5- Where's Walrus?

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:21:00 +0000

I am over halfway through sharing my favorite picture books of 2011. These are the new books that are most requested at bedtime or storytimes in my house.

Where's Walrus? by Stephen Savage is a wordless picture book that portrays the plight of a walrus escaped from the zoo. Walrus escapes his small pool at in the city zoo. He leaves the zoo and travels around the city. A variety of hats help Walrus blend in with his surroundings as he tries out life as a fashion model, bricklayer, firefighter and more. But when the hats come off, Walrus is "discovered"-- not only by the zookeeper, but he is also discovered to be a very special Walrus.
I'm not sure if I'm the only one who has ever felt akward when reading wordless books to kids. My son always calls me out... "Mommy, I know you're not reading. Read the words... like a book." Some of you may be more gifted than me in this area, but honestly, the wordless genre ~~has~~ had always been a challenge for me.
Where's Walrus? may have made that challenge history. On each page, I am able to begin by asking my son a question, "Where's Walrus?" From there the conversation flows as my son finds Walrus, and we talk about where Walrus is hiding, what he is doing, and if the zookeeper will get Walrus.

Although the title sounds strikingly familar to another seek and find book, Where's Waldo, this is not a busy seek and find book. Walrus is generally hiding in an obvious spot on a sparsely illustrated page. The fun in this book isn't all about locating Walrus, it's seeing what he will try to do next. (Although for my 3 year old, there were a few times that I had to give him hints as to where Walrus was hiding... an older kid would probably be able to find Walrus very, very easily.)One more fun fact about the book, the artwork was drawn and created in Adobe Illustrator. I'm very impressed that someone could use a computer to illustrate a wordless picture book... and do it well.
This book is fun and funny. It's different than a lot of books that are available for this age range. It will entertain kids and parents alike.
I originally posted this on review on October 16, 2011.
This is a frequently requested book at bedtime so it belongs in my best of 2011 countdown.
Here's where I am sharing:
Book Sharing Tuesday

I'll also be popping over to the We Teach Network today to share my post on the We Teach: We're Bloggers Weekly Blogger Share. This linky is open to any We Teach: We're Bloggers group members. I've made a lot of great friends on this network and they are so supportive of my blog! I co-lead the we're bloggers group and we feature blogs that link up each week in a youtube video that is shared on the we teach facebook page. If you're a blogger, we'd love to have you join the we teach network and share your posts each Tuesday! It's free to join. Leave me a comment or send me an email and I'll get you set up.

Best of 2011- #6- Little White Rabbit

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie H.) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This week I am continuing our countdown of my boys' favorite books of 2011. My guys are (almost) 2 and 3.5. Today's book is a perfect fit for the toddler/preschool crowd! It's also a book by one of my favorite authors.

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes
A common theme found in early literacy, Little White Rabbit wonders what it would be like to be different. What if he could be tall like the trees or flutter like a butterfly? What if he were green or stone-like? Little White Rabbit enjoys his adventure and his imaginings until he is scared by a cat. Then he runs home, safe to his mother's arms.
I love books that encourage independent preschoolers to be independent yet relay the message that they can always come home to safety.
The illustrations in this book are gorgeous. They will definitely get you in the mood for Spring. The fluttering butterflies bring a smile to my face and remind me that winter has passed!!!!!
I originally posted this on March 24, 2011 along with this crayon resist hidden bunny. I'm ready for winter to pass again but I will learn to be content with who I am, just like the Little White Rabbit.
We loved this book and the boys continued to request it all year long. It definitely deserves a spot in our Best of 2011 collection!
Here's where I am sharing today: