Archives

Helping Young Readers: Book Resources

Mar19

One of the most rewarding events that has occurred in teaching my own children and others is when letters and sounds letters go from just symbols on a page to actual words that have meaning. I think it is as exciting as the first steps a child takes when they begin walking. The world opens up and there is no stopping a reader after that!

The process of reading can be arduous for all involved. 😦  I like to find books that will help you and your child as you go through the reading process and help provide reading independence. You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You is a series that you and your young reader share together. You read one portion of a short story and  your child reads the other portion. There are even times where you read parts of the book together. This is known as choral reading and is one language arts standard that is covered in primary grades. I think this is important since reading takes a lot of “brain power” and can be overwhelming, plus it’s fun!

This series can be used in several ways. You can have two of your children take turns reading aloud; a child and an adult take turns; or an advanced and beginner reader alternate reading the text. The selections are not for the student who is just beginning to read, but rather for a student who is ready for  more than simple sentences such as, “See Spot Run.” These books are a bridge to chapter books for students in grades 2-3 with a collection of poems and 2 page stories that include rhythm, rhyming, and repetition; all techniques that give young readers confidence they need to succeed. I have only featured three books in this series so if you like what you see there are several more to enjoy. Another bonus is that I picked them up at the library and  some of them are American Library Notable books they should be easy to find at your library. Happy reading!

You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read  Together, by Mary Ann Hoberman are modern-day nursery rhymes that have catchy phrases and fun pictures.

You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You:Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together, by Mary Ann Hoberman include tales of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and the Little Red Hen with some surprise plot twists and endings.

You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together, by Mary Ann Hoberman is a retelling of the classic Aesop’s fables that you and your reader are sure to enjoy.

** I have been “field testing” these books for the past 3 weeks and the girls I am tutoring love these books!

Get Set for Kindergarten: a book series

Feb13

I saw this trio of books at the library the other day and thought they would be a valuable resource to anyone with children who are preschool/kindergarten age. Rosemary Wells is one of my favorite author/ illustrators and I hope you enjoy them. You can read the book without doing the suggested extension activities, but these would be great for a student who is ready for “The Next Step” as the book has stated. I have only listed three, but there are more books in the series to enjoy.

In The World Around Us children learn about communities, community helpers, holidays, and maps.

Adding it Up introduces the concepts of addition, money, simple fractions, graphs, and patterns.

Letters and Sounds introduces not only the alphabet, but also rhyming words and syllabication.

Boys and Co-Ed Clubs

Feb6

I featured Keepers of the Home last week as one of the girls clubs. This week I want to bring to your attention the boys program called Contenders for the Faith. “This program has a handbook for young men, ages 7 through 14, to equip them to become godly men and competent providers for their future families. The handbook is unquestionably an excellent skill-builder. The boys will learn how to handle finances, do home maintenance, and develop skills in leadership. Plus, extensive Bible reading, memory work, and Bible study are included to aid them in developing good habits in their own walk with God.” (quoted from website)  A nice feature is that it can be used by individual families or as a group. Your son can earn badges and wears a uniform that is similar in the same respect as Boy Scouts.

4-H is a club for boys and girls through young adults. “It prepares young people to step up to the challenges in their community and the world. Using research-based programming around positive youth development, 4-H youth get the hands-on real world experience they need to become leaders.”  (quoted from website)

I have had several friends whose students participated in this program and they did fantastic service projects and had interesting topics to research. The particular  club these students formed used to fix and charge a reasonable price for tacos-in-a-bag  once a month for our co-op.  The proceeds from the sale were used to fix monthly meals for the Ronald McDonald House.

If you know of any other great clubs that  are appropriate for young men and women that I have not listed feel free to leave a comment. 🙂

Girls Clubs

Jan30

Isn’t it great to have girls and be able to do girlie things? There are some clubs that I’d like to feature because I feel it is important to affirm the feminine nature that can so easily be swept aside by society. I love that there are clubs for a girl to learn how to be a young woman while  providing service opportunities and having fun activities to do.

The first club is called Keepers at Home and can be done as a club with other girls or as a curriculum with just your family. There are two separate handbooks, one called Little Keepers at Home for ages 4-6 and Keepers at Home for ages 7-14. You can organize it as you like and there is a handbook that will guide you and give you projects to complete in order to earn badges. The areas of emphasis are: life skills, home making, scripture memorization, and service. Here is the website if you are interested: Keepers of the Faith

I also found a website that helps you begin a Keepers of the Home Group. Erica has useful tips with organizing and planning your own group. click here

The other club is American Heritage Girls. This group is for a group of young ladies 5-18, and not just for individual wanting to do their own program at home. The areas of emphasis are: life skills, leadership,teamwork, character development, social development, and spiritual development. If you are interested in starting a troop or joining one, click here.

Next week: Boys Clubs and Clubs for both boys and girls

Teaching Health and Nutrition: online resources

Jan9
English: vegetables

Image via Wikipedia

Good eating habits and choosing healthy food can be taught when children are young, and hopefully, will stay with them through adulthood. When I was little I drank kool-aid, ate Wonder white bread that I would load up with potato chips and squish between my fingers to a thickness of a piece of paper. I had a small weekly allowance that I used to try every type of candy known in America and there were very few that I didn’t like. That was good eating in my book! My wonderful mom would lecture me on my poor eating habits and would try to steer me toward better food choices, but it really wasn’t until I had my own children that I changed my wicked eating ways and began to realize that the extra weight I was carrying was not “Baby Fat” that I had acquired while being pregnant.

I’ll never forget the day my mom and I went to a local food market and I had loaded the cart with fruits, vegetables, and fresh whole grain bread. My mom looked in my cart and was beaming as she said, “I am so proud of you! You have such healthy food in your cart!” Bless my mom’s heart, her lecturing had paid off! Now, I find myself lecturing  from time to time to my own sons. 🙂

The good news for you is you don’t have to give boring lectures about food groups. There are a great number of resources available to help you with this topic. This week I have chosen to give you some websites that have online games.

Websites:

Nutrition for Kids Here are some fun online games that teach and reinforce food groups. My favorite game is called Food Drop and I must admit that I spent waaay too much time on it!

The National Dairy Council has a variety of online games that are from young elementary through upper elementary.

Blast Off Game is an online that your future astronaut is sure to enjoy. Food and exercise is the key to fueling the rocket to arrive at your destination Planet Power.

Enjoy your day and don’t forget to make wise food choices. 🙂