Integrating Art: Keeping the memories

There is nothing better than your child coming home with wonderful artwork that they made at school. This occurs more at the preschool and lower grade levels. I do not like to keep things around. Never have and never will. So how, as a mom can I make her feel special and celebrate her beautiful art without it junking my house? One way is using her artwork as cards to send to family members. Another is to create a book. It is very simple, take a picture of the artwork and place it in a folder for later keeping. After you get a collection worthy to fill a book, you can go on to websites like Shutterfly.com or snapfish.com to create the book. I took pictures over the last year and a half and gave it as an Easter present. She loves it, and now she has documentation of her artwork, and I have less clutter. Now, she has a book she can read over and over again.

The quote on the back: " Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things they way they really are or people might thing we're stupid." Julie Feiffer

Integrating Listening: Audio Books

Raise your hand if you are so tired at the end of the day (or middle for that matter) that when even reading a book to your child is a task in itself?

There are many days when I am so tired, I just want to sit on the couch and do nothing. However, I promised myself and my children that after work, I would give them 30 minutes before I moved on to making dinner, cleaning, and all the other mom/wife duties that call. But my babies want to snuggle, they do not care that 568 children had my attention all day. I am their mommy.

So these sites and audio books have saved me. I allow my children to crawl in my lap, and while there is no discussion, they are close to mommy's heartbeat.....and I can sneak a head rest.

Websites:
MagicKeys

To help with sounds, words, and phrases: ABCfastPhonics

Audio Books:

Integrating the Ph.D: Doctors and books

"July 8: NBC’s Clare Duffy takes a look at a program that encourages reading to even the youngest children and helps doctors and teachers at the same time."

View the video here: Dr's encourage reading

Now, remember, it is important to listen to your doctor. They know what is healthy for you!

Integrating books: Fun Summer Reads for children ages 0-7

Now that the summer is in full swing, boredom has set in. Why not schedule a weekly visit to the library to pick up these fun new stories? I will start with the young, new readers for now. Older kid reads will be coming shortly.

Lovable Lola is back in this imaginative sequel to the best-selling Lola at the Library.
Lola loves to go to the library with her daddy. Every night she reads a new story, and the next day, she acts it out. One day she's a fairy princess, the next day she goes on a trip to Lagos! She becomes a tiger, a farmer, a pilot. . . . what will Lola be next?

Children and adults will love following along with Lola's adventures. Lola Loves Stories celebrates imaginative thinking and the importance of books as a way to inspire young minds.

A little boy has a rhyming, kissing adventure with his family.


This hand picked collection of nursery rhymes was embroidered and sews illustrated, by the author.

3 little dassies cross a desert in S. Africa to build their houses.

Molly and her friends struffle to come up with a birthday gift for their friend, Turtle.


And when your voice gets tired of reading, here are a few books with CDs:



Your library card will be so happy it is busy. Happy Reading!

Integrating Feelings: Dealing with Bullies

Bullies can be scary for children of all ages. They may not know that it is okay to talk with an adult. By reading stories like the following to children, it might create a conversation of a time they were bullied or when a friend is/has been bullied. One thing that I deal with weekly and will not tolerate are bullies. Throughout the year, I have books that I read to my students to remind them how to stand up to bullies and also recognize when bullies are scared themselves of feeling left out. My oldies but goodies: How to handle when a bully frightens you or makes fun of the way you speak.

When a bully makes fun of your size- something you cannot change. When recess is not a fun place to play because one person ruins it for everyone. And a new favorite, when and how to talk with a grown up: Of course, there are picture books and many would think that they are just for primary age children, but they send the message to all ages. For more books and resources about bullies visit, Embracing the Child, which also leads you to wonderful links such as The Ophelia Project and Stop Bullying now.

Even if your child is not being bullied, there is a chance that they might BE the bully. Reading these books might help them reflect on their actions before it is too late.

Integrating movies: The books that inspired them

I am the type of person that has to read a book before seeing the movie, and so I share the same habit with my students. With my 4th graders, we read Ella Enchanted before seeing the movie. It allowed for some serious compare and contrast activities.

Writing can really be fun. What better way to write about a good movie and a great book!? In school, we always wish that students felt comfortable with writing. Parents, you can help!

I finally saw "Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs" and I have to say, I am so glad I read the book first. I was amazed with how much "meat" they added to make it into a feature film. Watching the movie got me thinking, how many more childrens books were amazingly extended into a movie. From my memory I thought if these few:





Polar Express still amazes me as to how they took such a short book and turned it into a favorite must see Christmas movie.

The next time you get ready to view a children's movie, see if a book inspired it first. If so, pick up the book with your child, read it, watch the movie, then afterwards compare the two.

To extend as a writing activity, you can use:
Venn Diagram: Book in "A", movie in "B", and what was the same between both in "C"

"T" chart: compare the two side by side.

A Concept chart would be great for older writers.


At the end, the could work on paragrah writing. Make sure it contains a beginning, middle, and end. For the primary writers it would look like this:
In the book, there was a story told by the grandpa. In the movie, it was real. They both had to leave the town.

As the children get older, you can expect more detail comparing the two. What a fun way to pass an otherwise boring day. You can stock up for Spring Break!

For more books that were made to feature films, click: Books into Feature films

Integrating books: Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss we love you!
Dr. Seuss we really do!

Happy birthday! He would be 93 years old if he were here today.

Visit his official site: Dr. Seuss for ideas.

Integrating Culture: Black History Month

As Black History Month comes to a close, I want to take the time to share some books that you can read throughout the year to educate your children of culture and history that schools oftentimes don't have time to teach. There is a month designated as awareness and celebration, but really, we should expose our children to all kinds of people and history.

Here are some books that teach and reach:






Thank you Amazon.com for your images.