Integrating reading: Use your local library

We love our local library. We take advantage of  the activities, free books, and goals they set for summer reading. We are excited for the summer reading program!! Track our reading, bring in our weekly goal sheet for a prize. Sounds good to us. And they are buckets for digging, bugs, and yummy treats. The best part about this trip was that it was Duchess' first trip to the library. She loved it.

Integrating Behavior: Library Visits

We took on the library summer reading challenge. We went to the library, signed a star, received our sheet to color each day we read 10 minutes. She really wanted that rubber ducky. Diva E and I read each night before bed, that is a given. She loves to read.

But then I started thinking. Since that day we signed up for the challenge, I had never returned with my child to the library. Besides being 8 and 9 months pregnant this summer, what was keeping me from going?

When my bonus kids were younger, during the summer I did a great job at taking them to the library every morning for an hour. It was a free activity and it kept the amount of "checked out" books at bay at the house. (Because honestly, it is no fun to receive a late fee on a book your child has misplaced.)

As they grew older and my child entered the world, I slowed down on the visits. I am not proud of that and while I look at the amount of activities there were at the library this summer, I feel bad that I missed out on tons of FREE entertainment for my toddler.

So, I did something drastic to ensure that trips to the library would occur at least monthly. I canceled a few of my magazines that I know the library receives each month. A few things will come of this:
1. I won't feel so overwhelmed at being "behind" reading my magazines. Each month one comes and I haven't read one since April. Some magazines are just easier to read in a sitting while your child watches Doc McStuffins. Others......
2. I am saving money.
3. Less clutter. What do you do with all those magazines?
4. I am modeling reading at the library for my child.

Diva E met the challenge and I made a conscious effort to get her to the library to get her rubber ducky and free book.

 I gave myself a challenge. I will get my child to the library at least once a month. But how will I do that?  So when my favorite magazine that I have had since the beginning came in the mail with the renewal stamp. I sent it back with a "cancel please" a first I felt like I had betrayed my dear friend, Oprah, but I know each month, I will see her at the library. And since she is so into the promotion of reading, she can understand my motivation to do this. So after doing inventory of the magazines that I subscribe to and checked to see if they were at the library.

So my house has said good bye to:
Ebony
Parents
Oprah
and Good Housekeeping.

I will have to keep Essence until the library has those. But I feel a ton lighter knowing all of those subscriptions are not collecting dust as I put them to the side, planning to read them.

And..... I have inherited People and a few gossip magazines that I always read in the check out line at the grocery store. (I purposely pick the long line just to read them).

What will you do to get you and your child to the library once a month?

Integrating Reading: Fun reads ages 8-12

No matter how old you get, there is nothing better than a good picture book. Here are a few more authors you will fall in love with.

In 1932, James Banning was the first African American to complete a 21 day transcontinental flight.


This book of poems blows my mind. I love them and you will see this again during poetry month. The poems read both up and down, with a different meaning each direction.


Twelve-year old "brother" helps his grandparents keep the family ranch in Oregon when his brothers are away and his father is deployed to Iraq. Such an honest book.


Can chicken pox burst the ninth-grade football team's dream of winning the state championship?

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 Seasons: June is bustin' out all over

Where oh where did the time go!?
School is already out for some people and the weather seems to be getting warmer in many places.

There are a few websites that can give you summer activities for the kids throughout the year:

Michaels -Summer Creativity

iMom- activities sent to your email each week for 8 weeks, with print outs and inspiration to keep going

All pro dad- a website for dads to find ways to motivate, encourage, and live

Barnes and Noble- for book ideas throughout the summer, guest speakers, and fun activities

and of course YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY! There are so many activities and events that are FREE for you and the family. Take advantage. Our local library has craft Saturdays, Baby book reading on Wednesdays, and much, much more!

Welcome Summer!!

Integrating Culture: The month of February has it all!

If you are looking for reasons to read, February gives you many. There are lots of things to recognize and learn from this month. Let's just check out the top ten that are most discussed in schools.

1. Black History Month (since 1976)
2. Feb. 2nd- Groundhog Day
3. Feb. 3rd- Chinese New Year- begins the year of the Rabbit
4. Feb. 3- Elmo's birthday!!!!
5. The Superbowl
6. Feb. 4 Rosa Park's birthday
7. Feb. 14 Valentine's Day
8. Feb. 21 Presidents' Day (President Lincoln and Washington have birthdays)
9. Depending on the date -100 day of school!
10. Children's Dental health month


So, as you can see those are just the top ten. If you go to February special days there will be even more. Who knew so many things could be crammed into such a short month!?!


Choose what is important to your child and visit your local library for books! Throughout the month, I will share my favorite stories. Enjoy!

Integrating facts: Parent Involvement

Parents need to start to read to their child right away. Starting in infancy when the baby is alert and the parent is not distracted will bridge the baby's desire to communicate. Parents can also model the use of literacy in the home by having reading and writing materials available for the child and to talk about various topics in the home.

Parents can make reading aloud part of a routine and be a good model for reading. When the home is filled with books, parents will establish good reading habits and read themselves. When children see their parents read, they are better able to engage in book literacy and maintain reading interest through developing years.

Reading with the baby is called emergent literacy. Enjoy finding all the fun baby books and of course because they are only small for a while, use your local library!