Groundhog Day!

Will we have an early spring or six more weeks of winter? Our Pennsylvania groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, has been correct 64.4% of the time. Apparently, it's really not Phil's fault that incorrect predictions are reported. Check out this article from PennLive. It has fun facts about Groundhog Day as well as a drop down menu where you can pick a year, see Phil's prediction, and see how the weather really panned out. The dates range from 1898 to last year. Your children could pick their birth year and see the stats. You could all make predictions and maybe even make a friendly bet.

Here is a screenshot of my birth year:

Article info and Screenshot from Pennlive.com

What's your prediction?

Is "Sounding Out the Words" the Best Strategy to Use?

How many times were you told as a child to sound it out? Most of us don't remember how we learned to read. Thank goodness we have elementary teachers who took classes on this very subject. How should you help your child when they come to a word they do not know?

1. Remember they are reading for meaning. Sometimes it's just to enjoy. Other times it's for information. Either way, understanding and enjoying reading at home are the main goals. You (the parent/guardian) are not allowed to get frustrated. Keep it light. 

2. Give them a little bit of wait time. If they are trying to work through the unknown word, let them. They may surprise you. Feel free to praise them for working it out.

3. After time has passed if the unknown word is a name, ask them, "Is it James or insert name from story here?" Make it an obvious difference like Rick or Jayden.

4. If it's not a name, decide if the word is one they can decode (sound out) or if it is one they just have to know.

• Words you just have to know: the, said, country
• Words that can be decoded: sat, in, morning, sister, evaporation

5. If it is a word that can't be decoded or they've never learned the sounds in the word (Example: sounds in "enough" at the beginning of first grade), and there are no clues in the picture, give them two choices. Once again make it obvious: "Is it give or receive?" 

6. If there are clues in the picture, say something like "What could you look at to help you?" or "I'm going to check out the picture to figure out that word." 

7. If it is a word that can be decoded, look at the spelling pattern together. Some examples of what to say:

• Look that word has an "at" like in cat or that word reminds me of cat. 
• The "e" in that word says /e/ like in bed.
• That's a long word. Let's separate it together. e-vap-or-a-tion

8. If all else fails, give two options: a correct and incorrect option. You are still making them work, but making it less stressful. 

If you find you are using too many of these strategies and it is taking too long to read a book, that book is too difficult for your child to read independently right now. Have you and your child finish the book by reading the words at the exact same time. We call it choral reading. A chorus sings at the same time. We read at the same time. Stay positive. Find one good thing to say about their reading even if it is just about their effort. 

If it's a book the teacher sent home for your child to read, talk to the teacher about what you are noticing when your child reads. Tell her what you tried and that you finished the book by reading it together. If it's one that your child picked from the library or you picked out, read the book to your child and enjoy it together. They can help you read some of the words and talk (laugh, ask questions, etc) about it with you. Reading shouldn't be frustrating. 

Was this helpful? Do you have questions or another issue? Let's talk. Drop a comment, PM me on FB, or email me. 

Selfies Tell Stories

How many kid selfies are on your phone? Do you crack up or shake your head every time you scroll through? Does your phone continuously tell you that it's full? This activity is definitely meant for you. When your kids are stuck inside, make a selfie story together.

1. Choose pictures on your phone (or have the kids take new ones) to make a story (selfies, birthday photos, playing in the leaves, that trip together, etc). 
2. Use a website or app like Shutterfly or Canva to organize the photos and add text. The text can be as simple as describing the pictures or it could be a complex story. The important thing is you are having fun together while you organize, discuss, write, and reread. Here are some very simple examples. 

• Canva: You can make your own comics and memes on Canva. Here is our example. I did this with my 3 year olds' leaf photos. I took out their pictures, so only the text is showing. Imagine twins happily acting out the words.

• Shutterfly: Shutterfly does free 8x8 photo book promotions every now and then. You could share the book via a link with your friends and family too.  Here is an example story without the pictures again. 

Thoughts:

• For ideas, simply flip through the pictures on your phone or computer. 
• Do one together first. As much as you can, let them lead the way. It's their story after all. If they love it, they'll probably end up doing a few on their own. 
• If typing is a frustration issue, feel free to type for them. Make sure you use their words.
• Keep it simple. 
• Encourage them to share it with friends and family. 
• Have fun!

Feel free to share your stories with us. Just drop a comment, an email, or a PM on Facebook.

Silly Book Alert: Sneezy the Snowman

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright is just too much fun not to share. I read it to a first grade class on Thursday. Sneezy is a snowman who feels very cold, but doesn't exactly know how to warm up. The children and I laughed out loud and shook our heads together as he drank hot chocolate and even climbed into a hot tub. The predictable text made it even more fun to read. If you have Amazon Prime, you can read it for free! I can't wait to read it with my girls and build our own Sneezy after it snows again.

Find Sneezy Here (screenshot from Amazon)

Labeling: Sneaky and Helpful Reading

I was going to write about what to do when your child gets to an unknown word when reading, but I just couldn't fit that in today. I had to solve a big bathroom stressor for my daughters. One of them in particular hates the cold to the point she doesn't want to turn on the faucet. I'm pretty sure she's going to move to the South as soon as she can. We labeled hot and cold together. It's not pretty. If it helps them be independent, I'll deal with it. As an added bonus, it's sneaky letter/reading practice.

I wonder what we are going to end up labeling next...

Simple, Yet Effective: Know What Your Shirt Says

If you put a shirt on your child that has a slogan, phrase, joke or any words, teach them what it says and what it means. It's just another chance to make reading personal. Plus, shouldn't you know what you are wearing?

 Shirts from oldnavy.com

Serving Others & Writing

As parents, we try to teach our kids to step outside themselves.  Learning to read and write should be completely connected to service. One way to incorporate learning and using your children's literacy skills is to make cards as a family (or host a card making party) for Caitlin's Smiles. Caitlin's Smiles creates craft kits for children who are being hospitalized. They put a card in each bag. These bags are delivered all over the US.

Here are some card making tips:

• Visit the website together. You can read the story of why Caitlin's Smiles formed and see some pictures of children who have received the craft bags and cards. 
• Come up with a few positive phrases or even jokes together that would be nice in a card. Write them down, so your children can see how they are spelled.  Stay away from "Get Well Soon." Sadly, some of the children will not get well. Also, stay away from anything religious. The children have various beliefs. Don't sign your name. 
• If your children are too young to write, have them decorate the card, and you write the message. They should still agree upon the message and see you write it. 
• If they are learning to write, they could write the message, and you write how the words are actually spelled underneath their words. 
• Use crayons, stickers, glue, markers, paint, magazines, stamps, etc. etc. Whatever you have at your home will work. 
• Have the children use their interests to guide the card making process. Dinosaurs, fairies, volcanoes, and mermaids make great cards. 
• Make a pop-up card. Following directions is a great skill to practice!
• If you do not live close enough to drop them off (they are located in Harrisburg, PA), put the cards in an envelope and address it together. You can find Caitlin's Smiles address and info here. 

This will be a meaningful activity for you, your children, and the children whose day will be brightened. 

Follow Caitlin's Smiles on Facebook.

Screenshot of Caitlin's Smiles site banner. Visit: http://caitlins-smiles.org

Thank You, Ladybug Girl

Do you have a list of things you want to do with your kids, but they always end up on the back burner or forgotten? Sometimes I need a reminder (or a kick) to get me to do something. In this case it was taking my 3 year old twins and 9 month old to the museum. It was one of those things that we said we would do and then forgot about.

My husband's aunt gave my girls Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis for Christmas. G in particular loved the book. She loved how Lulu climbed the tree and explored her backyard.  Since she liked it so much, I picked up Ladybug Girl's Day Out with Grandpa at the library. In the book Lulu and her grandpa visit the museum. The girls liked it, but didn't want to read it over and over. They didn't have a personal connection. That's when I realized I had to take them to the museum.

We went to the State Museum of Pennsylvania on Saturday. They had a ball checking out the animals and the dinosaurs. They particularly loved Curiosity Connection, an area dedicated to children under 5 years old. It was a land of pretending. They loved picking apples, riding pigs, and climbing the school bus. One of the best parts is we have more to talk about. Thank you, Ladybug Girl, for the inspiration and the kick.

Screenshots from Amazon

Page Turners for Children

I just read a great article from Parents magazine: "Your 2018 Age-to-Age Guide to What Your Kid Should Read Next"  It includes book recommendations for 0-10 year olds.

Check it out and let us know your book recommendations.

Screenshot from parents.com

Too Much Screen Time? Bring in the Books!

My father-in-law emailed me an article from the Wall Street Journal that stated 0-8 year old children have some sort of screen entertainment 3 hours a day. It was shocking to me, but then I started to think about how minutes in front of the phone, iPad, and TV can really add up. If you are finding that your children are spending waaaay too much time in from of a screen here is one way you can ease into books as a replacement.

Make connections.

 Instead of watching Paw Patrol, Moana, Peppa Pig, or insert your child's favorite TV show here, pull out a book that is based on one of those shows/movies. I guarantee you'll be able to find them online or in a local store. Read those books. Gradually introduce others. If they love the Pua the pig from Moana, pull in a different pig story the following evening. Keep branching off into different types of books that have connections. Example: Your daughter loves princesses. Pull in a different princess story. Then pull in biographies of other women and girls.

How can this work for my older children? Do the same as the younger. Pull books out that are connected to their interest. If they are playing Minecraft, get books that help them strategize. Read those together before they play. As they get use to you reading together, pull in chapter books or more nonfiction to read together. Ask their teacher for some titles they think your child will enjoy if you don't know where to start (or drop a comment, and I'll help you).

If there is still a fight, tell them you need to read a book together before they have their screen time. Delay it a little more each day. If you are in it together, you will be less likely to revert back to all that screen time. 

If you would like help finding books your child would enjoy, drop a comment with your child's age and interests. I'd be glad to help.

The Power of Tic Tac Toe & Elementary Kids

Tic Tac Toe is a great way to break up regular spelling drills or letter practice. It's also fun to do when you are out at a restaurant, stuck in the car, or waiting somewhere. Instead of X vs. O use a concept your child is learning. Here are some not so fancy examples:

Spelling Word Practice

 Letter and Number Practice (A vs. T)

Rhyming Word or Spelling Pattern Practice (ap vs. at)

Spelling Word Practice: If you have longer words, just make the boxes larger. 

You could do this with colors, cursive, and much more. Get creative. How have you used Tic Tac Toe? Share your ideas below.

 

3 Ways to Use Birthday Cards

One of the best gifts your child gets for their birthday is a birthday card. Yes, I know they just rip past them to get to the present. However, after the party and chaos those birthday cards can be read, enjoyed, and loved. Check out these ideas:

1. Put the cards in a basket. Pick them up and read them together. I keep my daughters' in a basket that is right by their play kitchen. We pick them up and read them. They love the messages from their family and friends. You could keep them anywhere: on your child's desk, in a basket by their bed, in a shoebox, or even in the car by their seat. We've added Easter and thank you cards to our basket too.

2. If you are ready to throw them away, allow your children to cut them up and use them for art projects. They'll reread the numbers or the words as they create. They could actually cut out the words, "Happy Birthday" to make a birthday card for someone else.

3. Make sewing cards. Cut the front part of the card away from the back. Punch holes all around the perimeter. Attach yarn and you have a sewing card. Your child will read the card as they sew (aka practice fine motor skills). My daughters "sewed" old Christmas cards. We wrote thank you notes to their teachers on the backside to sneak in gratitude and little bit more literacy.

Add your ideas in the comments. Let's help each other. Happy birthday (or unbirthday)!

Can 3 year olds write thank you notes? You bet, and so can your older kids.

It's never too early to show your children how to be thankful. One way to do that is to write thank you letters together. This is something I started to do with my daughters when they were a few months shy of their third birthday. Here's what we did:

1. Sat down side by side one child at a time.
2. I'd write and say aloud, "Dear Aunt Leslie, Thank you for..." We would then discuss what Aunt Leslie gave her, and I would write it down.
3. I'd help her say something she liked about the present by asking, "What do you like about the lady bug?"
4. I'd ask, "What else do you want to tell Aunt Leslie?" "Do you want to say anything else?"
5. Lastly, I'd ask, "How do you want to end the letter: Love, Gabby? From, Gabby?"

Here's our finished product:


Dear Aunt Leslie,

Thank you for the lady bug. I love her. She is soft. I love you, Aunt Leslie. I want to go swimming.

Love,
Gabby


We read it together one more time, and my daughter decorated the letter with crayons and stickers. What was a cool perk about this? Aunt Leslie wrote her back! We've read her letter 100 times. 

We still have a ton of thank you letters to write for Christmas and birthdays. We are doing one every few days, so they don't get burnt out. Who could your children say thank you to? 

Stress & Books

Sometimes kids need a book to help them through a stressful situation. Today my daughters' needed A Very Special Snowflake by Don Hoffman. We were at the doctors' office. I couldn't guarantee my three year olds that they wouldn't be getting a shot. They were on edge. While we waited for the doctor to come, I pulled out the book. We read the words and hunted for the white dog, Snowflake, who was hidden in the snow. They loved finding them. It helped them relax.

Kids' lives are filled with stress. Some more than others. Books will be away to help them deal with the stress or even escape for a little bit. If you are going through a challenge together, consider picking a book to read. The bonding time and the conversation will help.

For a more serious letter of how a book helped a boy cope with his mother's cancer, check this out: This Mom's Poignant Letter to Author Rick Riordan Is the Sweetest Thing You'll Read Today

Screenshot from Amazon

My Children Do Not Read the Books I Buy

One of the prime arguments I heard while I talked to parents about books was "My children do not read the books I buy even if they pick them out." If you are running into the same issue, here are some things to think about:

1. Where is the book being kept? Is it away on a shelf? If it is, chances are it won't get picked up. Consider keeping books throughout the house in areas your children visit often. They are more likely to be picked up when they are in line of sight.

2. Have you read the book with them? Sometimes it takes your interest to get your children interested. Your children are never too old for a read aloud.

3. Is the book good? Sometimes we just pick books that are blah, or we think we'll be interested, but we aren't. If that's the case and you don't think they'll be interested in it later, ask them if they have a friend they think would like the book or donate it. Someone else may love it.

4. Is the book too hard or way too easy? If it's too hard to understand even as a read aloud, keep it somewhere safe until later. If it's way too easy, do they have a younger sibling, cousin, or friend they could read it to? If not, consider giving it to a teacher or donating it.

Please do not give up buying your children books. Having your home filled with good, quality books they love matters.

Do you have other suggestions? Comment below. It's always good to share!

Reading & Experiences

Today I took my daughters to the dentist for the first time. Despite being very timid, they did amazing. No meltdowns. They opened their mouths. They even answered a question or two. I had to repeat it to the dental hygienist because their answers were barely peeps. They even said when we were going home that they liked the dentist! It helped that our dental hygienist and dentist are the nicest people in the world, but they have been around other nice people and had breakdowns. What was the biggest help in this success was reading Usborne First Experiences: Going to the Dentist a thousand times before our big day. They knew exactly what to expect thanks to that book and our discussions based on that book.

Experiences are prime reading topics. These topics can help kids prepare for the dentist, the orthodontist, the doctor, the zoo, a wedding, owning a pet, or even a vacation. Children are never too old or too young to read information on your upcoming events with you.

For example, you are planning a trip to Washington D.C. Check out books about the city from your library. For very young children you can show them the pictures and talk about the places you will be visiting. They'd love to see a preview. Once you get there, you'll be able to point out, "Look that was in the book!" For older children and teens, let them help you plan. You can look at travel guides and websites together. They will be more excited for your trip because they have some ownership of the plans.

Experiences are close to a child's heart, so learning about them will be too. Let's help each other. Comment below how you incorporate reading into your experiences.

Screenshot from Usborne Books & More

Too Busy to Talk to Your Children?

How often do you talk to your children? I mean really talk. Talk that goes beyond, "Stop doing that." Talking that revolves around a shared experience like going to the park or cooking, how everyone's day went, or even what happened in the TV show you all just watched together. I ask because learning to read for some children is difficult. Phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension can be tough. As a reading specialist, I personally found the students who had reading difficulties (with no medical diagnosis or learning disabilities) and had parents who had engaging conversations with them consistently and daily overcame these difficulties with greater ease.

Why is this? I found these parents are providing their children with rich background knowledge. They are learning words from their parents they may not learn somewhere else. They are also forming emotional ties to the words. Children use this background knowledge to understand and discuss the text or make connections to a word that they need to decode.

Make time to talk. Here are some quick tips:

1. Put away your phone, computer, or any technology that takes you mentally away. Seriously. Just put it away for at least an hour a night. Devote that time to your family.

2. Turn down the radio in the car. You all are stuck together. Why not make use of the time?

3. Do chores together. While you wash the dishes, have your child dry them.

4. Go somewhere together and leave technology behind.

5. Play! Build with legos. Build a fort. Play with dolls. Just play!

6. Share a piece of text each night. It could be a chapter book, a meme, a post, a comic, an article from a magazine, or a short story. You all have something in common to make reference to and even have some inside jokes.

If you still feel too busy, ask yourself, "How can I include my child in this job I have to do?" or "Do I really need to do this right now?" The bottom line is finding time talk is necessary. Let's help each other. Comment below how you make sure to talk with your kids each day.

Reading & Photos Fit Together

Literacy is personal. Children use their connections to learn to read and form a love of reading. What could be more personal than using photographs to aid children in the process of learning? Here are some ways pictures could be used to learn:

1. Display a picture of each family member with their name below, beside or on it. It'll promote conversation. "M says /m/ for Mommy." "Yes, Daddy begins with a D." "You have an O in your name and so do I!" You could post this on the fridge, in your child's room, or in a coloring area.

2. Make magnets with your family members' pictures on them. You could also make magnets of pictures of places you visit often. Include the name of the person and place on the magnets. It will be fun for the children to move the people's magnets from place to place.

Sites like Shutterfly allow you to make easy sets of 4 magnets. They often have free offers too. 

3. Make a simple photo album. Looking at the pictures and telling stories will provide endless entertainment and connections.

4. When you print pictures or receive pictures that you just want to display on the fridge, write the people's names on the back of them. When your children handle them, they may flip them over to read their names.

Who wouldn't love to read about the ones they love? Do you have more ideas? Let's help each other. Comment below with more ideas.

What Letter Should You Teach Your Child First?

The first experience with letters a child has is from the books you read her and environmental print (cereal boxes, store signs, etc). The second experience is more intentional. It's where we start to point out letters and the sounds they make. Should the first letter you teach be A? Not necessarily.

The first letter you teach your child should be the most meaningful. Most likely that will be the letter of their first name. Here are some ways to teach that letter:

1. Label. My daughter's name begins with a G. I labeled her toothbrush with a G. My mother-in-law sewed a tiny letter G onto her pillow. Her coat has a G on the tag. Intentionally point it out. "Look. There's a G for Gabby." "Is that your pillow? It must be. There' s a G for Gabby on it." "How do you know that is your toothbrush? (child answers) Oh it has a G on it!"

2. Sign their name. When you are signing a birthday card or a piece of their artwork, talk through it. "Look. I'm writing a G for Gabby!"

3.  Sing together. Make up any tune. G says /g/ for Gabby!

4. Use play letters. If you have magnetic letters or bath time letters, only get that letter you are working on out. To begin, I only had that G out. She would play with it in the bath tub or on the fridge. I didn't force her to play with it. I simply introduced it. We played with it together. I'd refer to it sometimes. She'd then play with it on her own when she felt like it.

When you are ready to introduce more letters, introduce the next most meaningful. It might be the first letter of a sibling's name, M for Mommy, or D for Daddy. Do one at a time. Go slow. You can use the above advice for those letters too. When you play with letters you will have only the letters out that you have talked about. When you run out of people's names, think about places and stores you visit together. Learning letters will be fun for everyone with these great personal connections.

Were you successful teaching your children about the alphabet? Comment below with some of your ideas.

Toddler Troubleshooting

Having trouble reading with your toddler? Here are some common toddler reading issues and what to do about them:

1. My toddler destroys books! Don't worry. Mine did too. Stick with board books when your children are touching the books. Chances are if they are really good at ripping they'll rip those too. Just keep taping them. Don't give up. Read the books with regular paper pages while your children are sitting in their highchairs or are at the table. They will still enjoy them without you having to fear the damage.

2. My toddler doesn't sit still to read. Don't give up. Choose one book that has something they really enjoy in it (trains, Minnie Mouse, monkeys, etc.). Have them sit in your lap and show them the pictures. Talk about the pictures. Ask them questions. Ask them to find certain pictures. It will lead to reading the book. It may not happen in the first setting. It may take a few times. You can also do this when they are done eating, but are still in their highchair. A personal touch could help too. Show them family photo albums and tell stories about the pictures. 

3. My toddler only likes to look at the pictures. Talk about the pictures. Make up a very short story about the pictures. You don't have to read the words to tell them a story. Eventually, they will sit for the story. Sometimes it just takes time to get familiar with the book. Again, don't give up. 

4. My toddler wants to read the same book over and over and over again. Read the book over and over again. They'll develop vocabulary, make connections, and enjoy their time with you!

If you are struggling fitting reading into your busy schedule, check out this post: Too Busy to Read? Let's Talk.  Do you have any other road blocks to reading? Comment below. Do you have other ideas on getting past your toddler reading issues? Comment below. Let's help each other.

Too Busy to Read? Let's Talk

If you are like me, your day is jam packed. You want to read, but you just don't think of it within the chaos or you don't feel like you have the time. Here's what to do:

1.) Put a basket (shoebox, bag, or even just a pile) of age appropriate books in every room you spend any amount of time in (living room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc.). They should be seen and easily accessible. I guarantee you'll pick up a book as easily as you would pick up a toy. How many books? Even if it's just 1 or 2 in each room, that's great. You'll read them over and over. That's what your children need.

2.) Keep a book in your diaper bag, purse, and/or car. Don't pull out your phone for entertainment. Pull out that book.

3.) Find yourself without a book? Tell your children the stories (nursery rhymes, songs, etc.) you have memorized from reading over and over and over again.

4.) When your house is turned upside down, you are in a terrible mood or your children are about to melt down, sit on the floor with a book and your children. It'll change the mood.


Too busy to read? Never. You got this.

Do you have other ideas on how to fit reading into a busy schedule? Comment below. Let's share and help each other.