Posts Tagged ‘literacy’
Thanks to everyone who entered the Get Waussified Book Review and Giveaway. And a special welcome to all the new subscribers and Facebook Fans!
The winner, chosen randomly by Random.org, was comment #7: Sarina of Starting to Save. Congratulations, Sarina! I’ve sent you an email, please respond as quickly as possible. Thanks!
The Waussie Books are now available in the US and can be found on Amazon.com
Welcome to another contribution to The Adventure of Motherhood’s Feed Me Books Friday. Today I’m excited to share a series with you about some Wacky Aussies. The author, Jacqui Taub, has offered to send the complete series to one lucky winner!
About the Waussies
The Waussies are a cute set of characters created by Jacqui Taub for her grandchildren. She wanted to share stories with them that teach values like kindness, good health, as well as fun and laughter. There’s Hiccup Waussie (Sammi’s favorite), Boomerang Waussie (my favorite), Burger Waussie, Beachbal Waussie and a bunch more. The Waussies even have their own song! Give the chorus a listen. (With video)
Pretty cute, huh?
The Waussie Series
There are six books in the series. We’ve rad and enjoyed them all. Each one comes with a CD that contains the Waussie Song and a dramatized reading of the book. Each character has a different voice which I think enhances the listening experience. Sammi loves to listen to the CDs while looking at the books and often prefers to hear them rather than to have me read them.
Hiccup Waussie Loses His Hiccups
In this book, Hiccup Waussies friends try to help him get rid of his hiccups. They have some pretty creative ideas and I love Ant’s take on why he’s got them at all. (The air isn’t staying out.)
Beach Ball Waussie invites Hiccup Waussie to jog with him to help his breathing.
Ant suggests blowing up balloons the keep the air out.
Other Titles in the Series
Boomerang Waussie to the Rescue- Tennis Racquet Waussie’s Space Adventure
- Burger Waussie’s Lost Bun
- Beachball Waussie’s Lost Air Stopper
- Pineapple Waussie’s Tickly Problem
Overall, I think these books are really fun. The characters are unique and captivating. Sammi is having a lot of fun recognizing the characters again in each book. Jacqui has created a great community of friends and you feel a part of that community as you read the books. The lessons they teach are subtle so it’s not too preachy, but they make for great discussions as you help your little one draw the lesson out of the story.
Aside from her own grandchildren, Jacqui has worked with children and loves the interaction of being with little children. This love is evident in her books and CDs. We were surprised when the CD reading of the book didn’t have a ding to say when to turn the page. That was a little difficult when in the car because we couldn’t see the pages to help Sammi. But when we cuddled up on the couch to listen, it definitely kept us both engaged in the story and the experience of reading together. When I asked her about it, Jacqui said she left it out intentionally because “it’s more encouragement for mums to sit with the children and help them read along.” I was definitely encouraged!
Giveaway Details
The giveaway os for a complete set of Waussie books from Waussie Productions and Jacqui Taub. This giveaway is open to US residents. The giveaway will run until March 18 11:59 EDT. The winner will be announced Friday morning and contacted via email. Feel free to do as much as you’d like to gain extra entries in the giveaway. You can use Twitter and Facebook once a day for additional entries throughout the week. Please come back and tell me each time to claim your entry.
REQUIRED:
- Leave a comment telling me how you teach values to your little ones.
- Please leave a separate comment for each entry to make sure all your work is rewarded.
Optional:
- Visit Waussie Productions and watch one of Jacqui’s videos. Leave a comment saying which video you watched.
- Subscribe to Because Babies Grow Up (if you’re already subscribed, leave a comment saying that)
- Become a fan of Because Babies Grow Up on Facebook (if you’re already a fan, leave a comment saying that)
- Tweet “@ajpassey has a #giveaway for the set of Waussie books for kids 3-7. Come get Waussified: http://bit.ly/d903YS”
- Post on Facebook “Because Babies Grow Up is giving away the set of Waussie books for kids 3-7. Come get Waussified: http://bit.ly/d903YS”
Thanks for entering the giveaway! Don’t forget to check out other books moms are recommending over at Feed Me Books Friday.
Disclaimer: I received the complete set of Waussie books to aid my review. My opinions are my own and reflect the experience my children and I had with the books.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
What tips would you include in how to get kids interested in reading?
If you haven’t yet, please check out the Baby Leg Warmers giveaway going on until March 1o.
I managed to browse through a HUGE used bookstore all by myself this week. Brent stayed in the car while the girls were sleeping so I had a whole hour to myself. I found a bunch of books that were pretty cheap and even a big hit with Sammi and Elli. We also “discovered” one Elli got for Christmas that we hadn’t read yet. It’s been a great week for reading at our house.
Ladybug Girl (Elli’s Christmas present)
by David Soman and Jacky Davis
Ladybug Girl is the story of how Lulu entertains herself one morning when everyone at her house is busy. She is dressed up as a ladybug, which immediately drew Elli to the book. Their room right now has ladybugs decorating the walls and curtain and they even have ladybug wings they like to wear on occasion. They could really relate to Lulu who wanders her house and yard finding adventures to entertain herself until her mom is done with her “work.” The first time we read this book, Elli was on my lap and her little legs just kicked and kicked in joy when Lulu jumped off a log and said, “Ta-da!”
Clifford’s Happy Easter
by Norman Bridwell
I thought Clifford’s Happy Easter would be a good one with Easter approaching. It has tons of eggs on the cover and we’ve been doing Easter egg hunts for two years straight. When I brought out the stack of brand new books this was the first one she wanted to read. We were driving in the car so she just looked at it by herself but she was back there laughing at the silly situations and telling us her version of the story as she showed us the pictures. She really got to exercise her creative imagination muscle with this book. It will be fun to read this book again and again in preparation for Easter.
What books have you enjoyed reading with your little ones?
If you’re looking for more ideas, check out Feed Me Books Friday hosted by Adventure Mom Janna. I promise you’ll have a long list of books to look for at the library!
We’ve got one heck of a photographer-friend, Jenni. She’s also the mastermind behind the Oobleck cupcakes I posted yesterday. She was at our Dr Seuss shindig yesterday snapping photos like crazy. She posted all the best ones on her blog, but I thought I’d share my favorites with you here.
Getting into the spirit of the Cat in the Hat
Just how I envisioned it:
- Reading Dr Seuss
- Kids gathered around
- Parents close by
- Snacks not too far off, either.
It was the perfect party, in my opinion. Lots of friends came and brought Dr Seuss books and food. The house was decorated with pictures and books in honor Dr Seuss. We visited, shared and played for hours. Thanks everyone who participated!
What makes a perfect party, in your opinion?
Today marks 106 years since the birth of Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr Seuss. Even if you haven’t fallen in love with Dr Seuss’s works themselves, you’ve probably loved classics that follow the style he made popular. That style is marked by imaginative characters and settings, bold colors, rhymes that trip the tongue and made-up words. In conjunction with Dr Seuss’s birthday, the National Education Association has developed an initiative to encourage reading called National Read Across America Day. {Last year, Aaron Nigel Smith joined in the celebrations to inspire young readers.} This year, to celebrate both, we are having a wild Dr. Seuss birthday party!
Sammi has been so excited to have a birthday party. We’ve read Dr Seuss books and she and Elli have been heard around the house belting out “Happy Birthday to You.” It has really helped her and Elli establish the pattern of birthday parties and their preparations. We were able to borrow a box of Dr Seuss themed decorations from the library as well as a few more books. Here’s a peak at what we’re preparing:
We’ve invited tons of friends to celebrate with us. Each family is bringing their favorite Dr Seuss book along with a treat/drink/craft that is inspired by their favorite book. I’m making meatballs inspired by the GUFF going by in Oh, the Thinks You can Think! I asked a dear friend to bring her Oobleck cupcakes that she debuted at her son’s birthday party (which inspired a lot of what I hoped to do for this party.) She graciously shared her yummy recipe, too, so you can whip up a batch of these little cupcakes today to celebrate!
Oobleck Cupcakes
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites from large eggs
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Green Food coloring
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix at low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl. Add egg whites and mix at high speed until fluffy and smooth, approximately 2 minutes. add food coloring.
- Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter. Do not overfill. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes in pans then remove from pan, and place on wire racks to cool completely.
- Frost
Vanilla Buttercream frosting
16 ounce(s) marshmallow cream
1 1/2 cup(s) butter softened
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/2 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar (more if necessary)
Beat the marshmallow cream using an electric mixer set on low. Add the butter (in 1-inch pieces) and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, and confectioners’ sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, and continue to beat on medium-high until smooth and fluffy. Add more sugar to adjust texture.
So, grab a Dr Seuss book, or any favorite, and sit down with your little one today and read, read, read!
What book has inspired you to read, either for yourself or with your little one?
As we head into this weekend I am grateful for two things:
- Antibiotics
- Ear infections
Yep, I’m grateful that Sammi has a double ear infection because it explains why she hasn’t been hearing well the last few days. I was really starting to worry about the rapid decline in her hearing and was starting to look into where to get a hearing test done. She hasn’t complained about her ears at all so I had no idea. Now, I’ll be even more grateful when she’s back to her normal self.
Also about the ear infections. Elli has a double ear infection as well. Having both children sick explains why they have both been so emotional and clingy this week. I have developed a sinus infection so the extra crying has been more miserable than normal.
Which brings me to the antibiotics. I’m glad we don’t need them often and I’m glad we have them available when we do need them. I know it was purely mental, but Sammi was in a better mood after her first dose. She’s been such a trooper!
On a bright note, I have been steadily reading daily. Currently I am on page 179. That’s 145 pages in two weeks or just about 10 pages a day. I’m lovin’ it! I mentioned before that I was trying to become a daily reader. I think I always have been but I wasn’t taking into consideration the magazines, blogs, and scriptures that together I read daily.
In addition to The Dreamers, I started Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen and am really enjoying his perspective and anecdotes that illustrate the points he makes. Play really is necessary for children to make sense of the world around them. We need to make sure we give them ample space, time and interaction that they get enough play. And finally, I just got Jim Trelease’s The Read-Aloud Handbook
Welcome to the random thoughts swirling in, through, and around the sinus infection. They’ve been getting muddled a bit this week. I am hoping that come Monday I will be clear headed again and have a lot more energy for cleaning. and blogging.
Have a great weekend!
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?
…A bookshelf full of age appropriate books for all members of the household.
This one takes a bit of background so please bear with me! I am an only child. I read and read and read all throughout my childhood. Books were my escape from hours of endless boredom. I always told people that I would have a dozen or so children so that no one would ever be bored at my house. Fast forward to my present situation: stay-at-home mom of two children. I’m trying to figure out the whole sibling relationship thing right along side my daughters.
Whenever there are squabbles that don’t die down or when the girls are so emotionally charged, my coping skill is to scoop them up and read them a book. Books have become a neutral ground for us. The girls always come together over a book. I can read them a book, sometimes two, and they are ready to play together again. When my mom was here, she used the same coping skill! It cracked me up to hear her over crying girls, “Come here and I’ll read you a book.” And it works like a charm.
The benefits of early exposure to books is astounding to me. Literature is such a powerful way for parents to connect with children, for children to connect with each other and for families to come together. To help each family secure the benefits of literacy and reading habits, I’d like to see each family have a bookshelf in their home full of books just right for the ages of all members of the family.
My Book Picks By Age
Ages: 0-2
Five Little Ducks
We love this book because it takes the familiar song and changed up each of the verses so ti’s not so redundant. My favorite is the ending because the mother duck goes out to look for her ducklings and they all come back to her. Sometimes when we sing the song we sing this ending instead of the daddy duck version. Makes me feel better 
I love Dan Yaccarino’s illustrations and have enjoyed any book I’ve seen illustrated by him.
Love and Kisses
We love this book. We bought it from the library a couple of years ago and the girls have read it completely to pieces. I’m actually buying it again because we’ve enjoyed it so much. It’s all about the circle of giving love and how that love always comes back around to you. It has cute illustrations and lots of animals. We practice our animal sounds as we read it so it’s interactive. Elli is currently enthralled with the little frog and stops on that page every time we read it!
Ages: 2-5
Good Night, Gorilla
This is such a cute bedtime book. The gorilla has so much personality and the ending is adorable. We love the zoo so this book is a great way to remember and revisit the zoo as often as we like. For the longest time, Sammi said “granilla” instead of “gorilla.” I tried to explain it to her, but she was determined she was saying it correctly. It was pretty cute and we got lots of great smiles whenever she told people how much she liked the granillas at the zoo.
Where the Wild Things Are
This book took us a little bit to fall in love with. But once Sammi let me read it all the way through, she was hooked. My favorite part is when Max is lonely and wants to go where someone loves him best of all. I asked Sammi who would love Max best of all and she shouted, “His Mommy!” We include that in every reading now. I just love the imagery of Sendak’s language because it is beautiful but still accessible to little ones. We also loved the movie. Sammi wasn’t scared at all. In fact, it helped her resolve some of her own fears and emotional outbursts. I think it’s just about time to see it again!
Ages: Elementary School
Charlotte’s Web
Sammi and I read this book when she was two. I read it to her every morning at breakfast. It took us a few months to finish, but she stuck with it. She really enjoyed what she got out of it. We saw a real baby white pig, just like Wilbur and that was very exciting to her. I remember reading this book with my mom when I was in elementary school and just loved it, too. It’s a great read-aloud book as well as an individual read.
Ages: Junior High/Middle School
The Wednesday Wars
This book was a Newberry Award honor book in 2008. I really enjoyed the flow of the book as well as the storyline. It covers a lot of issues experienced by junior high/middle school students with humor and depth. It’s the story of a boy and his journey of self-discovery. I think it appeals to boys because of the main character and his boyish interests, but it’s well written and would still be a good read for a girl.
Ages High School
The Outlaws of Sherwood
I love Robin McKinley’s ability to retell classic stories. She is an amazing storyteller and can weave the very essence of the characters, plot, twists and triumphs into the pages the book is printed on. I never fail to lose myself in one of her books. My all time favorite is Beauty
For Grown Ups
The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
This book is an inspiration for reading with your family. Aside from outlining the benefits of reading aloud, he gives great examples of how to make it work for different ages and different situations. I love that he encourages all people, whatever their level to start today to read with their family members. I had a cool experience with this idea one day at the library. There was a mom sitting on the floor with her two children, one of whom was on her lap. She was reading them a book. She was stumbling over some of the words and I could tell she was out of her comfort zone to be reading aloud to her little ones, especially in public. But, her children were so engrossed in what she was reading, it didn’t even matter. It was obvious they loved listening to their mom read out loud to them. As parents, we have a connection with our children that enables us to step outside our comfort zones and do things with and for our little ones because they have no judgment. They are 100% accepting and embracing. I so appreciate that!
So that’s my list! The books I’d love to see every family be able to own and a bookshelf to put them on. Sorry it was so long. I hope you made it this far This post is part of Adventure Mom Janna’s Feed Me Books Friday. Check out the other books moms are sharing.
What would you love to see in every home?
I have always love to read. I love books. I love libraries. I love bookstores. I love the environment in these places and the energy in the air. I love the magic that lies between the covers of a book, a story just waiting to tell itself. I can’t remeber a time that I wasn’t completely enamored with books and reading. But, while I define myself as an avid reader, I’ve had to acknowledge that lately, I’ve not been a daily reader.
When Brent and I first got married, we were anxiously waiting for the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)
It was through that experience and the years since then that I’ve come to redefine my husband. He is an avid reader and he is a daily reader. He may only read a page or two a day, but he reads every day. Since the Harry Potter experience, we’ve probably read the same number of books, but I go in spurts with my reading and he is slow and steady.
Brent always leaves a book on the bathroom window sill that he reads from each morning or night (depending on how sleepy he is). He finally finished the book he was working on when we moved here (last July) and a new book
Brent told me that his bedtime routine included reading on his own after his parents tucked him in. He would read with a flashlight under his blankets so he wouldn’t get in trouble for staying up late. When his parents discovered this habit, they bought him a lamp. Now Sammi always takes a book to bed with her. The other night I watched her fall asleep while reading Robin Hood.
I made the comment to my mom this morning that Sammi will probably stay up all night reading a book for the first time long before I did. I distinctly remember that night. I was in 6th grade and I was reading Little Women. I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down. I was afraid I would get in trouble for staying up late to read it so I went in my closet and read in there. I read and read. I read past tired, past exhaustion and right into the world of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy. And then, it was over. I finished the book. And emerged quietly from my closet and climbed into bed. I don’t remember the time. I don’t remember if I had school the next day. But I do remember the magic of losing myself in the world of the book.
When was the first time you stayed up late to read a book?
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