National Puzzle Day, January 29

Usborne Puzzle Books help reading comprehension & visual discrimination which in turn helps with reading, spelling, and writing.

Jigsaw Puzzle Books also stimulates small motor skills and spatial awareness.

"Studies have suggested a link between a well-developed sense of spatial awareness and artistic creativity, as well as success in math. It can also be important in the development of abstract thought. The ability to organize and classify abstract mental concepts is related to the ability to organize and classify objects in space. Visual thinkers, in particular, will tend to use their visual imagination to organize abstract thought."

And they are just plain FUN!

Ben Franklin Day, January 17

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. - Benjamin Franklin

Ben Franklin Day, January 17

Literacy Tip

WHY READ ALOUD TO YOUR CHILDREN? The more words a

child hears, the better their vocabulary will become: Here

are some easy read aloud tips: 1. Read your favorite

childhood stories to your kids 2. Share books that they may

not naturally pick or be exposed to 3. Connect the stories

you read to their everyday lives…and have fun!

Literacy Tip

Read-Aloud With Your Teen: They still need attention, even if

they act like they don’t. Give it a try. It works. Just choose a

book together, and set a time to sit down to read it. It’s not

only a great way to connect, but it also shows them they are

important, and that you enjoy their company.

Environmental Print

Environmental Print: Words Are All Around Us!

Some of the very first exposure our children have to written symbols as words is through environmental print. These are words found within children’s natural surroundings—for instance, on road signs, grocery labels, and fast-food signs: STOP, McDonald’s, and Cheerios. Playing with environmental print is a great way for children to start developing knowledge about reading and writing even before they have had any formal reading instruction. Drawing attention to words on billboards, cereal boxes, and so forth, is a way of teaching children letters and words in meaningful contexts. So go ahead and point out that Kroger sign (letter K), the Corn Flakes cereal box, the Taco Bell sign, and more.

But why stop there? Create your own “environmental print!” If we show a toddler a picture of a cat and tell her it is a cat, we can also show her the word “cat” and tell her it says cat! Make labels for your house, such as door, TV, wall, chair, table, mirror, sink, tub, bed, rug, etc. Some labels may be written in your native language or in another language. And keep making new ones. When children see the same labels day after day, they tend to tune them out. So as they seem to lose interest in some labels, make different ones; in fact, have your child help make new ones.

Sources: Consultant Kat Hall, and Family-Friendly Communications for Early Childhood Programs, D. Diffily and K. Morrison

Literacy Tip

"It's not the toys in the house that make the difference in children's lives; it's the words in their heads. The least expensive thing we can give a child outside of a hug turns out to be the most valuable: words." From Chapter One: Why read aloud? The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

Cook with your kids!

Important literacy skills are present in cooking activities!

The best learning takes place when you do these things with your child, so here are some ways to make it happen.

Cooking

1. Cook together and chat while you do. When you cook with children, they learn how to combine ingredients, mix, stir, and taste. But they also learn language. They use nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as they talk about what they’re doing.

2. Read a recipe together. The recipe is made of words and pictures that communicate exactly what to do. By doing each step in order, the finished product will be delicious!

3. Plan a grocery list. Collect any coupons you can find. Shop together.

4. Read! Usborne has the best kid-friendly cookbooks & recipe card sets!

5. Make your own menus.

6. Make place-card labels with everyone's name.

7. Read food labels and talk about nutrition.

8. Make at least one meal a day when you can all sit down together and talk about your day. Conversation builds vocabulary and togetherness.

http://pbskids.org/lions/parentsteachers/resources/tips/

Quote

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all." - Jacqueline Kennedy

8 Nursery Rhymes

Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re 4 years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re 8.

Source: Reading Magic, by Mem Fox, p. 85

Little Book of Nursery Rhymes is lively illustrated collection brings together over fifty of the best-loved nursery rhymes, together with some ideas for actions and games. Perfect for bedtime reading, it contains favorites such as Humpty Dumpty, Itsy Bitsy Spider, I'm a Little Teapot and a delightful padded cover.

Just 20 minutes a day

"Just 20 minutes a day reading aloud with young children strengthens relationships, encourages listening and language skills, promotes attention and curiosity, and establishes a strong reading foundation. These skills are essential for success in school and in life."
- The National Children's Reading Foundation

Learning Letters Game.

Write a single letter on some Post-It notes and make it into a game having your child stick them on everything beginning with that letter. Beginner readers will also enjoy The Usborne First Picture ABC, illustrated by Jo Litchfield, containing over 130 every day words and an alphabet that runs along the bottom of each page.

Literacy

"What we teach children to love and desire will always outweigh what we

make them learn." - The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.

Kid Kit Connection

April is such a nice kind of month ... warm and rainy. I just love the rain, but a rainy day can lead to disgruntled children that complain about being stuck inside with "nothing to do." This presents the perfect opportunity to take out a Kid Kit and get creative!

When a child gets really involved in a creative activity such as a Kid Kit, it's called the creative flow state. The brain becomes engaged and time just passes without realizing it. Then at the end of the day, instead of sitting in front of the TV, they have created something wonderful and fun to show for their efforts. When kids do something creative with their hands it increases fine motor skills, which has been shown in improve cognitive functioning and general well being.

This is true for people of all ages. Research of the elderly had shown that performing activities involving fine motor skills actually helps relieve stress and increases life satisfaction. That's why I continue to stress the value of having kids work with grandparents on Kid Kit activities because they have the time and it is an opportunity to spend quality time with their grandchildren.

Some of the kits I would suggest as activities for rainy days would be: Mermaid Things to Make & Do, Dream Catcher Kit, Friendship Bracelets, Chinese Calligraphy Kit, Book of Magic Tricks, Card Tricks, Old Steam Train.

Let the child's interest be the guide. Keep the kids happily occupied during the rainy spring season.

Happy Spring!

Book of the Week- New Title

Make a list of the signs of Spring with your kids - then take a walk and check off what you see. Seasons by Anne Crausaz is a wonderful picture book depicting the four seasons and how they are experienced through our five senses. Originally published in France. Ages 4-8.

"Exuding an overall serenity, the book should have children seeking out the sights, smells, and sounds of the passing seasons."

- Publishers Weekly (January 17, 2011)

What happens when we read?

"We read to children for all the same reasons we talk with children: to reassure, to entertain, to bond; to inform or explain, to arouse curiosity, to inspire. But in reading aloud, we also:

Condition the child's brain to associate reading with pleasure
Create background knowledge
Build vocabulary
Provide a reading role model"

From the Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

The land of make-believe.

Make up stories! Storytelling is an ancient practice, helping us to share our knowledge with context and emotion. Storytelling triggers listeners to respond with other stories, building new understanding. Stories can capture and hold our attention, increasing the likelihood of hearing and learning. Storytelling is very valuable in our knowledge sharing work.

Take turns making up parts of a story with another player by taking turns telling each part. Think about what the next person might say, and help them keep the story going as it bounces between you.

Talk about stories you read to your kids.

Pause and ask questions about the story you are reading like, "Tell me about the kitten" or "Why do you think she looks so sad?" or try asking about a word that is used in the story? "What do you think the word lonely means?" It just takes a minute to make a difference in a child's life.

Try This Today:

Ask your child to "sound out" the beginning sound of some words in a familiar book, on a cereal box, or on a store sign when you're out shopping. It will help your child learn that printed words have meaning, and increase their vocabulary. Always praise them for trying afterwards! A "Great Job" goes a long way.

Encourage a Relationship with Reading

You cannot make children learn to read before they are ready, but you CAN encourage reading. Here are four suggestions: 1. Read aloud to your child 2. Listen to audio books 3. Allow kids to choose their own books 4. Give your child books that are highly visual with smaller amounts of text – Like Usborne books!

How do you promote a love of reading in your home?

National Puzzle Day, Jan. 29th

Usborne Puzzle Books help reading comprehension & visual discrimination which in turn helps with reading, spelling, and writing.

Jigsaw Puzzle Books also stimulates small motor skills and spatial awareness.

"Studies have suggested a link between a well-developed sense of spatial awareness and artistic creativity, as well as success in math. It can also be important in the development of abstract thought. The ability to organize and classify abstract mental concepts is related to the ability to organize and classify objects in space. Visual thinkers, in particular, will tend to use their visual imagination to organize abstract thought."

And they are just plain FUN!