Archive for the ‘Featured On’ Category

From my experience, it’s all about engaging them in the experience. Interaction is a key component to any successful activity. The more involved you feel, the more you want to participate. The same is true of all ages, especially little ones. They have such short attention spans and everything is new, i.e., distracting. The key is to work with those “limitations” not try to squash them. I witnessed a most unengaging book reading one time that made me, who loves books and reading almost more than any other leisure activity, want to run screaming from the room. { photo credit: chimothy27}

A teenage girl was trying to read a short board book to three preschoolers. Now, Sammi can sit through long picture books, so a short board book should have been a piece of cake for these kids. But they were sitting in a row facing the girl and she was sitting up on a chair reading the book to them. Anytime they fidgeted at all, she stopped reading and told them to sit still. At the end of every sentence she stopped and asked them a question about that sentence. Then she demanded the correct answer before she moved on to the next sentence. There was no flow to the story, no magic floating out from the book to capture the interest of these three little ones. It was pure agony. The girl was obviously frustrated by the behavior of the children and they were obviously bored with the experience, yet they pushed on. If this is the perfect example of how not to get kids interested in reading, I’d like to share some tips to turn this exact situation into the perfect way to get kids interested in reading.

6 Tips to Get Kids Interested in Reading

1. Get close. Be on the same level as the kids. Let them climb in your lap or on your back as you read. Let them sit as close as they can get so they can see the illustrations and let the magic of those pictures bring the story to life for them.
   
2. Accept age appropriate behavior. It’s not feasible for a 1 year old or a 2 year old or even a 3 year old to be perfectly still. They wiggle and fidget because that’s what they do. It doesn’t mean they aren’t listening. Because, believe me, they are. As long as they haven’t wandered off into another room, they are still listening and will probably protest if you stop reading. It’s okay that they aren’t able to give you their undivided attention for the length of the book. It doesn’t mean they aren’t ready for it or don’t want it. It just means they can only process so much at a time and the moving around may be a coping skill to help them get the most out of the experience.
   
3. Answer questions. Something like 90% of questions little ones ask about a story come from the illustrations. It’s a visual way for them to understand the story. Take the time to answer those questions and bring it back to the words of the story. Sometimes Sammi will ask a question from the picture that hasn’t been answered yet in the story. I usually say, “We don’t know that yet. But if we keep reading, I bet we’ll find out. Let’s listen for the answer.” And then once we’ve read the answer, we talk about it again.
   
4. Have stacks of books available in all play areas. Anywhere the little ones are free to be and play, have books visible. They will be more interested in them if they seem them often. It’s also a lot easier for you to just pick up a book and read with your little one if you don’t have to go find one.
   
5. Let your kids see you reading. I have a few things around the house that I read: a book, magazines, scriptures, the computer. Sometimes when Sammi or Elli want to get on my lap while I’m reading I’ll read out loud to them. They love being involved in that moment with me, but they usually get their fix and then move on, which gives me time to read one more page/article/post.
   
6. Extend the reading to other activities. Do a craft, make a treat, dress up, get creative. Anytime something relates to the story, tie in that connection so they can remember the book and build their background knowledge. There are tons of blogs that have examples of ways to extend a book into other activities. Some I enjoy are A Mommy’s Adventures and Silly Eagle Books.

I’m sharing these tips today because I’ve been invited to be on the panel of #GNO tonight on twitter. You can learn more about #GNO here and about tonight’s discussion here. Tonight’s topic is “Let’s Play—Getting Our Kids to Love Books and Reading” The discussion is sponsored by a brand new site, Memetales, that is devoted to bring parents, kids and books together in creative ways. I’ve only just begun to explore this site and look forward to sharing more of its potential and usefulness as I become better acquainted with it. If you want more info now, Mom Tried It and No time For Flashcards have both posted about Memetales. Here’s a slide show to give you a glimpse into the vision of tonight’s #GNO discussion and the mission of Memetales.

Today we are sharing our family’s favorite Dr Seuss books as part of Feed Me Books Friday hosted by The Adventure of Motherhood. Check out the other posts today about Dr Seuss books!

My Fave Dr Seuss Book:
I Can Read With My Eyes Closed

We’ve read this one so many times, I literally can read it with my eyes closed! I was a bit hesitant the first time I read this book because I thought it would downplay “reading” and upplay imagination. But I was wrong, gratefully. It’s actually about how important it is to keep yours eyes open to read and observe the world around you. My favorite line is “And when I keep them open I can read with much more speed. You’ve got to be a speedy reader cause there’s oh so much to read.” We’ve worn our copy of this book almost completely out.

Brent’s Fave Dr Seuss Book:
Sneetches and Other Stories

Brent loves to read the Sneetches story to the girls at bedtime. At first I thought it was a little long for a bedtime story, but now that I’m more familiar with it, it goes rather quickly. I think Brent really likes the rhythm of this book’s rhymes and he kind of sings the words in a bouncy voice. He also likes the message of the Sneetches lesson, that we are all the same no matter out outsides and we can live in happiness and peace together. But we do always wonder with the Sneetches without stars upon thars never had their own frankfurter parties. Some mysteries are left unexplained, I guess.

Sammi’s Fave Dr Seuss Book:
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Sammi requests this one quite often. It’s another one I can almost read with my eyes shut. It doesn’t have a single storyline, rather each couple of pages work together around the same characters or topics. The lack of a coherent story is kind of difficult for me, but it does have some pages we quite love and quote often. For example, one page counts the fingers on Ned and he has eleven. Our quotable line is “Eleven, this is something new. I wish I had eleven, too!”

Elli’s Fave Dr Seuss Book:
Sleep Book

Yes, at 18 months Elli has a fave Dr Seuss book and it is indeed The Sleep Book. It’s kind of a long book so I usually read the first few pages (which are the best, in my opinion) and then read a couple out of the middle and then the last three pages. I’m not sure why Elli likes this book so much. We tried reading it to Sammi for ages before she showed any interest in it. But it’s a regular now at bedtime. My favorite line is “And people are gradually starting to say, ‘I feel rather drowsy. I’ve had quite a day.’” That’s exactly how I feel at the end of most days.

My Least Fave Dr Seuss Book:
The Cat in the Hat

I’m not fond of this one in the least. The poor kids are totally overwhelmed by the cat and then the poor cat is totally rejected by the kids. When I read it, all I can think about is the experiences of the characters on an emotional level. I think Dr Seuss definitely improved over his career. I haven’t read The Cat Comes Back. Maybe I should give it a try. But I’m not entirely motivated to. Maybe if it shows up on my doorstep, I’ll give it a go. But for now we’ll stick with our favorites.

What are your family’s favorite Dr Seuss books?

Just wanted to say hi to everyone visiting from No Time For Flashcards. I had a great weekend getting to know Allie better. She’s as adorable and brilliant in real life as on her blog. I really admire Allie’s dedication to children’s education and providing resources for parents to make magical moments with their little ones.

Like she said, I focus on crafts, music and literacy. My goal is to help you interact with your children at any age in a way that’s joyful to you and your child. Here are a few of my favorite posts so far!

Crafts

• The Letter B
• Snowflake and Snowman Crafts for Little Ones

Bari Koral Photo Credit: Megan Moloy

Music

• Rock and Roll Garden with Bari Koral
• “Everyone Loves to Dance” Gets Us Moving

Literacy

• Music and Emergent Literacy
• The End of Reading Rainbow

Thanks again for stopping by! Hope to see you again in the future, at least on Allie’s fan page on Facebook. Have a great Sunday.

I remember going to school with two different colored socks, a pig tail and a french braid, and mismatching clothes. I’m pretty sure it was April Fool’s Day, but it may have just been the 80’s! I was never a very good prankster, but found ways to enjoy the holiday, nonetheless.

Here are some books I’ve found that follow the April Fool’s Day theme:
Look Out, It’s April Fools’ Day

April Foolishness

Michael Le Souffle and the April Fool

How do you celebrate April Fool’s Day? What reactions have you had from little ones as you teach them about this holiday?

Today I’m also dispensing advice on how to keep your marbles over at Mom’s Marbles. Come toss in your 2 cents, too.

Today we are having a playdate with Melitsa over at her place, Play-Activities. I love her tag line: Parent + Kids = FUN! And on days when you’re wondering HOW to make that equation work, just hop over to Play-Activities and have a look around. You’re sure to find something to spark your play.

Today’s song and video come from Allie at No Time For Flashcards. With a background in elementary education and a passion for working with little ones, Allie always has terrific ideas for crafts, games and books that bring learning to life. And she is one animated singer…

Herman the Worm

Sittin’ on a fence post chomping on my gum
( chomp chomp chomp)
Playing with my yo yo
woo woo
When along came Herman the worm
And he was THIS big
And I said ” Herman WHAT happened?”
And he said ” I ate my sister! “

The next 3 verses substitute in brother, mother and father.
The final verse is as follows:

Sittin’ on a fence post chomping on my gum
(chomp chomp chomp)
Playing with my yo yo
woo woo
When along came Herman the worm
And he was this tiny
And I said ” Herman what happened?”
And he said ” I burped.”

{Thanks for visiting, Allie! You can find our current favorite song over on Allie’s site. Go check it out!}

Today we’ll head into the kitchen and mix up a batch of cookies! This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. Whenever I talk about cooking with Sammi, I typically hear these responses: It takes so much longer to cook with kids helping; It is so much messier when the kids help; I don’t know how my kids can help.

Here are some ideas to combat those potential setbacks:

• Set aside extra time to bake. Think of this as any other play activity. Let it take as long as it takes!
• Plan for messes. Keep paper towels, washcloths, or sponges close at hand to quickly wipe up the messes. It’s so much easier to clean up as you go so it’s not so overwhelming when you’re done.
• Making cooking a play activity takes a little extra prep, but it’s worth it!
• Give your kids wiggle room. Let them practice pouring, scooping, stirring. You’ll never know what they can do until you let them try.

Cooking promotes motor development. Kids are practicing fine and gross motor movements: holding a measuring spoon and pouring it into a bowl, stirring, scooping flour or sugar with a measuring cup. As long as you are standing right there, almost anything you do your child can do also (as long as your willing to deal with a little bit of mess!)

I have to credit my husband with this, but since we started cooking with Sammi, she can now crack an egg, open it and dump the egg into a bowl. To top it off, she rarely gets any egg shells in with the egg. I know that the only reason she can do that at 2 1/2 years is because we trusted her enough to let her try. I cleaned a lot of egg up off the floor, but now she has a lot of confidence in her abilities and loves to cook.

If this is your first experience letting your child cook with you, I caution you to not expect it to go perfectly. It may not even go smoothly! But, if you remember that it’s play and the process is the activity, then it can be a lot of fun. Your kids will be so excited to do something they’ve never done before, especially something they see you do all the time.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Crisco)
3/4 C (cup)Butter flavored Crisco shortening
1 1/4 C firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T (tablespoon) milk
1 T vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 C all purpose flour
1 t (teaspoon) salt
3/4 t baking soda
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in bowl. Mix until well blended.
3. Beat egg into creamed mixture.
4. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
6. Drop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet 1-2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and place on cooling rack.

Enjoy with a glass of milk! (I give Sammi the beater to eat while I drop the cookies on the baking sheet. Her attention span for this activity is pretty much up once the chocolate chips come out!)
I’m also over at I Never Grew Up today sharing one of our favorite games. Come check it out!

We are continuing our look at early literacy. We’ve already looked at three pre-reading skills: print motivation, print awareness, and letter knowledge. We’ll cover the last three skills in May. To wrap up March, I’ve invited my friend, Rebecka Wright, to share some thoughts on encouraging literacy in young children. Rebecka is a student at Utah Valley University (UVU) and was able to attend (and participate in) the Forum on Children’s Literature at UVU a few weeks ago. And now, the post!

Hi, my name is Rebecka Wright. I’m a junior in the UVU elementary education program. I’m married to Barry and we have three children; Sammy, 14; Emily 12; and Steven 10. Our children have always been very verbal and in western societies this is a characteristic that is associated with intelligence or being smart. Sometimes people ask us what we do (or have done) to bring this to pass. Usually I’m at a loss, “I don’t know. We were just lucky.” And to some extent this is true, our children are who they are before they come to us. This semester I’m taking literacy methods and I’ve been learning how language and literacy are fostered. There are two specific things that are correlated to future success in school that I want to share today. The first is parent talk, the second is books, books and more books.

Both the quantity and quality of talk parents direct at infants and toddlers is important. The more verbal a family is, the more of a foundation children have to build on. One study shows parents who talk less use their talk mainly to control and guide students. Parents who talk more do this and offer approval, affirmations, descriptions, and explanations. Language is best developed in one on one conversations where children talk with an adult about things that are important to them and experiences they have shared. When I began to learn this in school I thought, “Oh, this is something we did!” Barry and I talked a lot to our children, explaining and eliciting their participation in the conversation.

The number of books children are exposed to in their home is correlated with literacy development and success in school. Parents who are readers often have children who are readers. You probably already know this, I did. What I didn’t know are some of the things my children were learning when we shared a story book. The first things children learn are concepts of print. They learn that a book is upside right when the binding is on the left and the pages on the right. They learn that the title and author are on the front cover, and that the cover gives us clues about what’s in the book. They learn that we read from left to right, and that letters make words and that words contain messages and stories. Most important they learn that reading is enjoyable and useful.

So what can you learn from my reflection?

• Talk a lot to your children. Give running commentaries and descriptions, explanations and praise.
• Talk with your children. Ask them how they feel, what they saw, what they like, and why, etc.
• Fill your house with books and let your children see you reading for fun and for purpose.
• Read with your children; encourage them to pretend to read and to recite their favorites. Tell them what you think of what you read together and ask them what they think.

Amber mentioned that I attended the UVU Forum on Children’s Literature. It was a fabulous experience and I met some incredible authors, illustrators and educators. Below are links to some of the speaker’s blogs and websites. I hope you enjoy exploring them.

One of my favorite authors, Shannon Hale: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html
I’ve never had favorite illustrators before but these two gentlemen are my first, Robert Nuebecker and Guy Francis:
http://www.illoz.com/neubecker/
http://kactiguy.blogspot.com/
http://www.guyfrancis.com/

Thanks for letting me visit, Amber.
{Glad to have you, Rebecka! Today I’m posting over at Make and Takes so come check it out!}

As part of the Wii Mommies Blog Swing, I’m excited to introduce today’s guest blogger, 3boyzmom, who blogs over at Save Your Money Mama where she tells us all about giveaways, coupons, new products and more to help us stretch our budget. Here’s her post…

Yoga…four little letters with a lifetime of fitness results! Most people are familiar with yoga, they know what it is; but that’s where their knowledge ends. Yoga is thought by many to be great for flexibility and for your nerves…but not for real fitness. I mean…how can rolling around on the floor stretching your body in weird poses make you stronger or help you lose weight right? WRONG!

Yoga CAN help you lose weight and get fit! But there are specific types of yoga that are designed to maximize your weight loss! Yes! There are even specific yoga poses that will help you melt your fat away!! AND of course, you still get all of the regular benefits of yoga too, like the relaxation and soothing natural energy. Some refer to it as “Power Yoga”. And many experts agree that its fat and calorie burning can be equal to OR BETTER THAN regular aerobic exercise! And so much more calming and relaxing don’t you think?! (I’m quite biased though…I HATE aerobics of any kind!!! If it wasn’t for Yoga….I’d become a full fledged couch potato!)
What is Power Yoga? Power Yoga is an Americanized version of the traditional Yoga techniques, a spin on traditional yoga that incorporates vigor and whole body fitness. It is inspired by Ashtanga yoga, which means “eight limbs”. It’s Power Yoga that got people thinking that maybe yoga IS a way to lose weight and keep fit! Check out a video introduction to Power Yoga by none other than my Yoga idol…Rodney Yee.

So…how do you DO Power Yoga? Power Yoga is done by flowing through a series of yoga poses and synchronizing your breathing patterns with your movement. It may LOOK soft, light, and free flowing….but you are actually receiving a complete, heart pumping, blood flowing, calorie and fat burning exercise!!

I have gained and lost 60 pounds TWICE (I’m working on my 3rd time currently) And when people asked me HOW I lost the weight….they always looked flabbergasted when I said “Yoga”. But it’s true…..yoga is the ONLY exercise program I was using…and I didn’t even change my eating habits!! Once I started Power Yoga…..the weight just came melting off…literally. Some believe this is because many of the poses massage your thyroid gland, and cause your metabolism to be faster and more efficient. It’s also thought to be so fat burning because of the strength you are getting in your muscles…I’d say it’s a bit of both. Now I’m not trying to say that it’s easy and doesn’t require hard work and dedication…it does. But for me…it’s enjoyable. 20-30 minutes of Power Yoga 5 times a day….you will be shrinking so fast people won’t recognize you!!!

Now….if you are new to Yoga…you want to become familiar with yoga poses and develop some basic strength before attempting Power Yoga. Once you can comfortably do full yoga poses, you are ready to begin!

So next time hubby looks at you while doing your lovely yoga pose and says…”Aren’t you going to do real exercise?” You can say…..I AM!!! DUH!! (Ok..you don’t have to add in the Duh part…but I sure would☺

Don’t forget, I’m over at The Good Enough Witch talking about Snack Time. The Good Enough Witch is over at Tree, Root, and Twig talking about A Whole New Mii. The Blog Swing is in full motion. Enjoy!