Series of Public Service Announcements I made for Literacy Matters!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEDX3ZxAeYw

Thankful for: Family!

This past week I went home to spend some time with my family. Now, if you know me, and even if you don't know me very well, you can still know how much I love my family. The Pickles, and Nanie's Crew are both very important to me, and in order to know and understand who I am, you must first understand who my family is. They are an incredible unit full of hilarious, smart, refreshing, inspiring and amazing people. So this week's blog post is all about family. 

The Kids' Family Tree Book

by:Caroline Leavitt

Plot: Who are my ancestors? What nationalities were they? What work did they do? Kids are always bursting with questions about their family history; they want more stories, more details, more facts. With these research ideas and creative projects, young would-be genealogists can get the knowledge they crave. Find out how to interview family members, dig up information from libraries and the Internet, and check the National Archives for passenger lists of newly-arrived immigrants. Uncover clues in old photos or birth, marriage, and death records. Preserve the knowledge you’ve gathered in a crayon batik family tree or a homemade diary that features favorite family stories, recipes, and traditions. Keep the togetherness going by planning a family reunion, starting a family newsletter, and more.

Stop that Pickle!

by: Peter Armour

Plot: Armour's comic, kid-pleasing escapade begins when Mrs. Elmira Deeds says to a deli owner, "I would like a pickle, please." But the lone green pickle sitting in the jar refuses to be eaten and flees the deli. Running down the street, it is followed by a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich and other comestibles, all of which cry out, "Stop that pickle!" Inevitably, the other foodstuffs are devoured and the pickle allowed to continue its flight (why it's okay to eat, say, 17 toasted almonds but not a pickle remains a mystery). Shachat, the illistrator, ( You Can't Catch Me ) contributes zany childlike art: the various snacks, personified with bulging eyes and short stubby legs, race across busy backgrounds. A hoot. Ages 4-8. 

This book was too cute not to pick! (Get it- PICK) haha

Children's Book of the Week!

Where the Wild Things Are

by Maurice Sendak

Plot: The book tells the story of Max, a little boy who takes an imaginary journey to a land of "Wild Things." As Max's imagination unfolds, his bedroom is transformed into an entirely new world. When he sails to the land of the Wild Things, they quickly make him their ruler. The Wild Things are tames under Max's fearless leadership and enjoy a "wild rumpus" planned by Max. Ultimately Max leaves the land of the Wild things, despite their loving protests, to return home where he finds his dinner waiting for him.

• Read this book with your child and discuss what the themes, characters, and lessons are.
• Ask your child questions to help them develop cognitive thinking. (What kind of "wild rumpus" would you have? What would you do at a "wild rumpus?" What are some of the words in this story that help you make a picture in your head? Have you ever felt like Max did in the beginning of the book?)
  Hold your own "wild rumpus" where your child plays the part of Max.
• Draw a plot line with the beginning, middle, and end of the book from your child's perspective.
• Draw pictures of Wild Things together, discuss the monsters and their actions towards Max. One trick to use to help your children's phonics would be to draw monsters from letters. Example- a bear monster out of the letter B.
• Cook a dinner together
• Take this fun quiz with your child. http://www.myschoolhouse.com/courses/O/1/62.asp

This book is a wonderful tool to use to help children with phonetic awareness, which is key to successful literacy skills. Make sure that when reading aloud, you put emphasis on the actions and descriptions. Use a dramatic verbal expression technique; make it fun!