by admin | Dec 8, 2014 | Categories
Visuals to help children know how to complete their work. Especially helpful for those little ones that always want to cut first!
Use these signs to let the kids know what order their assignments should be done in.
Cut them apart, laminate and post whichever ones you need when you need them.
Print all SIX Order Signs here.
by admin | Nov 20, 2014 | Categories
The Muppets
Visit The Muppets channel on YouTube for more Muppet Christmas videos.
Santa Songs:
Santa Clause is coming to town with lyrics.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with lyrics.
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch with lyrics.
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch without lyrics.
by admin | Nov 6, 2014 | Categories
Questions and activities to go with the book, Yes Day by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Questions:
Before reading the book:
What do you think this books going to be about?
Look at the boy on the cover. How does he feel? Why do you think he’s so happy?
After Reading:
Is Yes Day a good idea?
Why would it be a bad idea?
Why do you think the parents gave this boy a Yes Day? (explore the end pages with the children for all the ways grown ups say “No.”)
Is pizza for breakfast a bad idea?
Is a food fight a bad idea?
Where would be a good place to have a food fight? Where would be a bad place? How could you make sure no one gets hurt during a food fight?
What would you ask for on Yes Day?
What should the grown ups always say “No” to?
Activities:
- Make a class list of Yes Day requests.
- Make a T-Chart of Yes Day requests, some that would be appropriate and some that wouldn’t be.
- Role-play various Yes Day scenarios. Discuss the good and bad that might happen with each request. What would happen if the kids asked for…
- No chairs in the classroom
- No teacher
- A kid to be the teacher for the day
- Recess all day
- Do all the writing in markers
- Pour the glue all over the table
by admin | Nov 6, 2014 | Categories
The one and only rule for teaching your child their name is to always, always write it correctly. That’s means the first letter is capitalized, the rest of the letters are lower case.
Writing and learning in all caps may seem easier at first–but it’s incorrect and they will have to unlearn it when they begin school. The books your child will be learning to read will not be written in all caps. If they can’t recognize lower case letters they will struggle when they start school.
However, it’s also important for them to be able to recognize their name in multiple forms, including all caps, all lowercase, cursive, and in a variety of fonts.
*Do not worry if your young child is making letters backwards or upside down. These are developmental skills that almost all kids struggle with at the beginning. It only becomes a concern at about 2nd or 3rd grade if they’re still flipping letters and numbers.
Build a Connection to Their Name
- Practice spelling their name out loud.
- Sing the letters of their name. I sing the letters in my son’s name to tune from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It doesn’t fit exactly but it’s close.
- Practice how to respond when someone calls their name. For example: look at the speaker, answer with,”Yes” or “Yes, ma’am.”
- Point out their name wherever you see it. Whether it’s a character in a book, or someplace in the house you’ve had to write it down.
- Get your child to recognize their name in various forms–typed, handwritten, painted, etc.
- Count the letters in their name. Make sure they know the name of each letter.
- Do the same with their last name once they’
Create their name using:
- Pipe cleaners
- Finger paint
- Beads or beans
- Craft feathers
- Dry erase marker–on white board, mirror, refrigerator, tiles, windows, etc.
- Make a homemade name puzzle like this one from Happy Hooligans.
- Paint it with water on the sidewalk.
- Write it in bubble letters with sidewalk chalk outside, and let them color in the letters.
- Paint or write the letters of your child’s name on flat stones. Kids can rearrange the stones to spell their name.
- Using wooden letters (like these from Melissa and Doug) press the letters of your child’s name into play-doh or clay.
- Help your child make their name in M&Ms, cereal, Reese’s Pieces, etc. Then eat it!
- If your child is into cars or blocks, use those toys to “write” the letters of their name.
- Write your child’s name with marker and let them paint over it with a paint brush and water.
- Write your child’s name with pen and let them cover the letters with stickers. You can do this in giant letters on poster board or just with paper and normal size letters.
- Write their name with highlighter and let them trace it with pencil or pen.
Glue Writing
Write your child’s name with glue then let them decorate it with:
- Sequins
- Yarn
- Pom-poms
- Seeds
- Sand
- Glitter
- Torn up paper
- Rice
- Noodles
Spell Their Name With:
- Alphabits
- Magnetic or felt letters
- Play-doh
- Letter buttons
- Alphabet pasta
Websites
by admin | Oct 16, 2014 | Categories
My little guy loves books. We read every day, and always before bed. He’s learning to turn the pages and will sit with his books by himself for a long while. They’re also great to take along in the car and to restaurants. Here are some of our favorite board books:
Joyce Wan Books
Beautiful, bright illustrations, sweet text. My son loves these. This is just a few of her books.
Interactive Books
Books with actions you can do together or pages for the toddler to lift flaps, push buttons or pull tabs.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Colors All Around by Disney Junior
Pop-up Peekaboo: Things that Go
Pop-up Peekaboo: Woof! Woof!
Pop-up Peekaboo: Farm
Pop-up Peekaboo: Colors
Bedtime Books
The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton
Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasam
Down in the Woods at Sleepytime by Carole Lexa Schaefer
Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest
Good Night America by Adam Gamble
It’s Time to Sleep My Love by Nancy Tillman
Reading every day–even at this age is vital–but how many babies sit still for an entire board book? On those high energy days we choose books with the fewest words. They are still learning book skills, such as holding the book up-right, turning pages and word boundaries. These are bright, colorful books with illustrations little ones love.
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Books with one word per page: quick to read and
great for asking questions and pointing to things. |
BabyLit Books
Love, love, love these. What a great way to introduce your little ones to your favorite classics. Each book teaches an age-appropriate skill such as colors and numbers.
Cozy Classics
My son loves the photos in these books. The doll characters are charming.
Les Petits Fairytales
One to two words per page, but you can easily expand them by retelling the stories in your own words and discussing the illustrations.
More Beautiful Favorites:
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| Silly Boynton books are always a favorite. |
Always check Dollar Stores and Dollar sections at places like Jo-Ann’s and Target. We’ve gotten many wonderful board books there.
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| Some of the fun books we’ve found at Target’s Dollar Spot. |
