Can I tell you a secret? You know those dry, mundane, ‘The cat is brown. The dog is black.’ stories? I LOVE THEM. Yes, the storyline leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, the words and pictures are so predictable it can be a little (more than a little) painful. But these books can be…
Crazy fun ways to teach summer reading!
Do you remember learning to read? I do … nostalgic music strumming … I was aching to learn to read. My big brother knew how. My big sis did too. But poor little Sarah was just not old enough. Or so she was told. However, across the street lived a retired teacher, who as it…
STEPPING up the reading!
Oh exciting things are happening in this house of ours — Sammy is starting to read. As a teacher, I just love this stage of child development. He knows all his sounds and blends and he is starting to sound out words all on his own. He is so excited about it, he is ready…
S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g it out to learn to read
Learning letters and their sounds get little ones ready to read, right? Wrong!!! (Well, that was rather abrasive and negative. I’m sorry. Please see it as passion and not negativity) Letters and sounds, letters and sounds, letters and sounds. You could find thousands of activities to practice these skills with your little ones on this…
Quick-Dry Rainbow Salt Tray
I am so excited to be partnering with The Pencil Grip to share their awesome new Thin Stix with you. We all have different strengths and different needs, right? One of my strengths, I do believe, is my willingness to let my little ones get messy. It really doesn’t bother me one bit watching them…
The Great Boat Float: Teaching Rhyming to Preschoolers
A little while ago I was playing a rhyming game with my little one when I realized he really wasn’t grasping the concept of rhyming. I tried a different game, and low and behold, he wasn’t grasping it that way either. Teaching rhyming to preschoolers isn’t always easy! How could this be?! I thought for…
Flying into a Letter Recognition Activity!
I mentioned a little while ago how I wanted to share some of my older posts with you again and how I hoped you wouldn’t mind, and how they were really cool activities but the writing was perhaps a little off, and how sometimes I rambled (okay that clearly has not gotten any better). Well…
Beyond the Alphabet
Without these 7 skills, children will never (never, never, never) be amazingly strong readers. (WHAT!) That is quite a claim to make! But I stand behind it wholeheartedly. I know firsthand. I have seen students who rock at reading, and children who struggle every single day. Learning letters and their sounds are important for children….
Breathtaking Winter books all kids should hear
We truly do live quite simply. You won’t find anything all that extravagant out here and thanks to a big de-cluttering movement last year, you won’t find much at all really. Not too many toys, or clothes, or “stuff”. With one exception. Books. We have bookshelves and bookshelves full of books. Mostly children’s books and…
Encouraging Learning with the Magic of the Season
That magical season has begun! It is my absolute favourite time of the year. The tree is decorated, the garlands are hung, those little eyes are sparkling, and imaginations are running wild. I love to use the magic of the season to encourage my little ones in their learning. Sam this year is beginning to…