Real World Connections

Favorite Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Dukepro25) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:44:00 +0000

I just had too! lol

My all time favorite artist is...

James Taylor

I love his music. IDK why, but it's like my medicine. Whenever I get stressed out or anxious about something I just turn on James Taylor and I instantly start feelin better.

I don't really have a favorite of his; I think they are all equally good. I guess that's why I like his music so much. I really like one of his newer albums - October Road. It's really good! :)

Other Top Favorites

Billy Joel - Link
River Of Dreams

I like Billy Joel's music all around. Excellent artist.

Sting - Link
Fields Of Gold

Interesting fact is, Sting writes and produces all his own songs. Extremely talented!

Seal - Link
Kiss From A Rose

I always enjoy his music. There are times when I can listen to him all day long and not get tired of him. There are some songs I like more than others, but for the most part, I like all of his music. Maybe it's his voice - IDK?

Rod Stewart - Link
Forever Young

There are some of his songs I really don't care for and there a handful of his songs I really, really like. His old style music is interesting. You have to really get a taste for it though. Over-all an excellent artist.

Eric Clapton - Link
Blue Eyes Blue

Once was in a band called Cream. Personally, I like him better as a solo artist. There are very few songs I don't like of his. Really very enjoyable.

Phil Collins - Link
Another Day In Paradise

At a point in time, he was the lead singer of Genesis. Again, I think I like him better as a solo artist. He has done a few songs for Disney movies like Tarzan and Brother Bear. Love his music! He has a newer album I really enjoy called - Testify.

I really like these guys, I guess mainly because their music is very soulful. I really enjoy a lot of the Soft Rock type music.

- - - - -

Top Favorite

James Taylor

More Top Favorites

Billy Joel
Eric Clapton
Phil Collins
Rod Stewart
Seal
Sting

Other Favorites

Boston
Bruce Hornsby
Celtic Woman
Chicago
Dan Fogelberg
Enya
Fleetwood Mac
Genesis
Harry Connick Jr.
John Denver
John Tesh
Johnny Cash
Jonny Lang
Josh Groban
Journey
Keith Urban
Kenny Loggins
Lionel Richie
Michael McDonald
Moya Brenon
Neil Diamond
Rascal Flatts
Roger Whittaker
Styx
Tim McGraw
Tracy Chapman
Yanni

And Many Others! :)

Top 3 Favorite Songs

noreply@blogger.com (Dukepro25) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:39:00 +0000

I thought I would share with everyone
my top three favorite songs of all time! : D

You excited?

I bet you are!

Here we go!

#1 -

Billy Joel's River of Dreams

I really like Billy Joel's music. I pretty much grew up with it. But, as good as his music is, I kind of get tired of listening to him sometimes. You can only play his songs so many times. lol

No offence Billy! : )

#2 -

Sting's Fields of Gold

Sting's music is awesome. Another artist I grew up with. Although, I would have to say...some of his music I don't care for. Most of it I do though! : ) Excellent artist - one of my all time favs!

Another favorite is Sting's rendition of Johnny Cash's I Hung My Head. Brings me to tears. IDK why!?!

#3 -

Jimmy Cliff's I Can See Clearly Now

This is the only song I like of his. : D But it's an awesome song! : )

Hope you enjoyed! : D

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Reading To Your Child

noreply@blogger.com (Dukepro25) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:03:00 +0000

Reading To Your Child - It's Never Too Soon to Begin
By Laura Morris

Parents often ask me "how can I support my child as he learns to read?" I tell them there are several ways you can help your child. First and foremost, read to them! "When do we start reading to them?" It is never too early to begin reading to your child. In utero, a baby responds to its mother's voice. The cadence and timbre of your voice can calm and settle a baby. Once he is born his eyes will begin to associate your reading voice with the book in your hand. Know that as an infant, the content of what you are reading (it can be a work journal or a mystery novel) isn't important, it is the rhythm and tone of your voice that the child responds to. Simply read aloud the books, letters, and articles you are already reading.

As your child begins to reach out for books as you read and begins to babble, imitating your voice, you can encourage your child by getting basic picture books like Pat the Bunny and Good Night Moon that he can look at and enjoy. At older ages, let your children see you read. Children between the ages of two and five years of age look at the adults in their world as role models. They imitate your words and your actions.

Also, don’t limit your child’s reading experience. Read poems and literature to them. Poems offer an
almost musical quality to the written word. Some of Robert Frost’s poems have been beautifully illustrated and can be found in the children’s section at your library or book store. Literature is not just a story, but a story told in a certain style, crafted with carefully selected words. Children’s literature such as Charlotte’s Web or The Trumpet of the Swan by EB White captures the child and allows her to be transported into a different place or time, using the words of the author to paint a picture in her mind.

In my Montessori class, I love the mid day relaxing time in which I read a “chapter book” to the children. The first time I do this the children often say “Laura, you forgot to show the picture!” It is with this statement that the book is put aside as we create the images that are missing; I tell the children this book does not have many pictures and I ask them what it is they would like to see. In response, I get a description of the people and places created by the children. It is with their imagination that the story comes to life.

Children’s books have come a long way since many of us were children. I have many books to share with the children in my class, and the illustrations are beautiful and the content meaningful. The books you read with your child should support your child as he or she grows. Books on visiting the doctor’s office help a child know what to expect. Books can instill the social graces we wish our child to express. Jamie Lee Curtis has a series of books that deal with self esteem and self expression. Age appropriate books can be found that will help your child with toilet training, moving to a new home, or even understanding why Grandma is losing her memory. Children who have heard their favorite books hundreds of times often recite a book verbatim. They will exclaim “I’m reading!” Acknowledge them for this and let them know how much you admire someone who can read.

When a child is intrigued by books he naturally has the desire to learn the skills required to explore them on his own. It is vital that we follow the child’s lead and offer him the tools when he expresses this interest. Don’t make a child wait for an arbitrary time, such as the day in first grade when reading is taught, for them to learn to read. In my years teaching 2 to 6 year olds, I have had many children show a strong desire to learn to read and accomplish this task on their own time—often well before the scheduled date of a school curriculum! But in order for that to happen, the child must be encouraged and excited about the possibilities opened by reading!

Children are at a very young age, typically two or three years old, when they are most eager to develop their language by learning new words and expanding their communication skills. Because they are in the first steps of learning the language, it seems logical to offer the child the smallest unit of our language, the letter. When a child learns the sound that is associated with the letters his speech becomes clearer, he is better able to articulate and communicate. Soon, he learns how to build words, then phrases, then sentences. This first manifests itself through spoken language but with the right materials the child can follow this same path in a written format. Using the individual letters of a moveable alphabet, the child can take the first step—a single letter—and build on that to create words, phrases, and sentences.

Finally, after constructing his own words and sentences from the sounds he has learned he makes the next step to reading words that someone else has written. While the words a child can recognize by sight from a favorite book are helpful, and often the first “reading” a child does, the key to really learning to read is understanding the written language at the most basic level and building from there. Reading is an exchange between two humans, the writer and the reader. It is a gift that should be given to every child. We must take full advantage of the child’s interest in language that is so prevalent in the preschool child. It is never too soon to start enticing your child to read!

Laura Morris is the Director of Education at Hopewell Montessori School in Acworth, Georgia. She has taught in an AMI Montessori school for sixteen years. She has spoken nationally and internationally on the topics of parenting and early childhood education. Please visit http://www.hopewellmontessori.com for more information and a list of her favorite children's books!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Morris
http://EzineArticles.com/?Reading-To-Your-Child---Its-Never-Too-Soon-to-Begin&id=603544

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