tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30406306795391275742024-03-05T19:59:18.631-08:00Musings of an Ex-School TeacherEncouragement for those who enjoy teaching young children to learnKingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-4163178600673363112012-04-14T07:35:00.000-07:002012-04-14T07:35:08.090-07:00My Finds - Quackgammon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SEn5iB5cXtImVdgZbI13CXi4pN5E2IzRADH_U4hmzk52HomP0KnVaZDmUYNLax8VFgaw7ydfq7KASP__Pt3-7c7srxQvU20LsFgwFw9ZO_U9h-Y29ADKxO56wUOSwCDdbDvuNoT152AA/s1600/quackgammon+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4SEn5iB5cXtImVdgZbI13CXi4pN5E2IzRADH_U4hmzk52HomP0KnVaZDmUYNLax8VFgaw7ydfq7KASP__Pt3-7c7srxQvU20LsFgwFw9ZO_U9h-Y29ADKxO56wUOSwCDdbDvuNoT152AA/s320/quackgammon+001.JPG" width="281" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvubnzWl6a-TbZ3ZSugYAfO6ta1Wvke9_WU2ZZes-0rZD8Gk0zZNGrYV74wYNOQHIjPyavShq4aWCLQ3l5F-kKj8iRSpwAn8fVS1pMGImX02MAeFDLo72XVzxESi4nhTTFI_3z13wSUtF/s1600/Games+for+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvubnzWl6a-TbZ3ZSugYAfO6ta1Wvke9_WU2ZZes-0rZD8Gk0zZNGrYV74wYNOQHIjPyavShq4aWCLQ3l5F-kKj8iRSpwAn8fVS1pMGImX02MAeFDLo72XVzxESi4nhTTFI_3z13wSUtF/s320/Games+for+reading.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsUbu0ueDO_LBL7po5OZArhLO4oPoP9oJrbpvGrg8L9JzCBELDN2ELUmwoj2mk-7Dzt_nQCeLv0vPemRCa8fIbekdiegBdpigwhrj8Hfv5lBR0gT4p2mZs05y2KDYptM7JirZPeR15F-E/s1600/Games+for+reading+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsUbu0ueDO_LBL7po5OZArhLO4oPoP9oJrbpvGrg8L9JzCBELDN2ELUmwoj2mk-7Dzt_nQCeLv0vPemRCa8fIbekdiegBdpigwhrj8Hfv5lBR0gT4p2mZs05y2KDYptM7JirZPeR15F-E/s320/Games+for+reading+3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Quackgammon is a fun-filled game fashioned after the classic Backgammon but on a child's level. They begin to learn the rules of Backgammon but with an easier playing strategy. The game is made by Endless Games, Inc.<br />
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I use this delightful game with the children to reinforce sight words and to build their vocabulary by having them read a word before each turn.KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-89925613340100892802012-02-11T05:56:00.000-08:002012-02-11T19:54:32.499-08:00How Do You Make Those Important Sight Word Drills Interesting? By Playing Games, of Course!Children love to play games...but they don't much like to have sight word drills, so combine the two for a winning strategy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Q3rYtsnulcUQ7HNRtq1ox_wuELRz-2Wtjbot0bvT4tcI0DPxdSUUfNUBBeWcV98ItutTcuUegZWc3YZzl1YOt-P-MzqFChucd-N4F83o_oI7ic95Eg_OpYKtt7-XWpqvxKr8CsIoREqO/s1600/046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Q3rYtsnulcUQ7HNRtq1ox_wuELRz-2Wtjbot0bvT4tcI0DPxdSUUfNUBBeWcV98ItutTcuUegZWc3YZzl1YOt-P-MzqFChucd-N4F83o_oI7ic95Eg_OpYKtt7-XWpqvxKr8CsIoREqO/s320/046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I have not met a child yet who did not like to play games (and win)! I have seen great improvement in sight word memorization by the addition of game playing. You can pick any game your child desires to play and it will be an avenue to improve his/her reading vocabulary! Just put the sight words on index cards (twice each, if the number of words is just a few to begin with), pick a favorite game and have fun! This is not a challenge for your child in that you always want enjoyment to be the number one byproduct. So make sure that this is determined as a "helping game". More words will be memorized if you tell him what he does not know, then trying to make him guess. The next round of using the words will display his mastery of them, just by your helpful assistance.<br />
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When playing these games, I always read the words, too, before my turn! It is great reinforcement for your child. No time to do this? Have an older sibling play along, even with his own set of cards to practice.KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-72608961027727907042011-02-03T00:30:00.000-08:002011-02-03T07:43:58.939-08:00My Finds<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-u5l6XkrvuSW1m0eUUIyKsdViAS6V2UWgFR3JEowFJCZ88WZNOSS9sq5l36jtIvsiE3ZOUc2CzV-QoLLrVAdOOvzG6mxAU4nDLtA_F1Aq_wQAdgfFuWrm1mL5R9B92IWG_ivND7zvYCvm/s1600/Florida+Trip+and+KingdomKards+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-u5l6XkrvuSW1m0eUUIyKsdViAS6V2UWgFR3JEowFJCZ88WZNOSS9sq5l36jtIvsiE3ZOUc2CzV-QoLLrVAdOOvzG6mxAU4nDLtA_F1Aq_wQAdgfFuWrm1mL5R9B92IWG_ivND7zvYCvm/s320/Florida+Trip+and+KingdomKards+078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">These great toddler friendly(and Mommy friendly, I might add) stamps are made by Crayola. They feature rolly-polly animal characters, are self-contained, and are very easy to stamp. With just a little pressure to the bottom they create a cute little stamp. They are constructed to allow the toddler a great time of creating without frustration or assistance. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The sweet little one who is having great fun with these stamps is my granddaughter, Eden, who is 18 months old.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Happy Stamping! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOBcnGrB4OCKGzA17_sieMEYydYDRLLtvU0ulllm9M_cCdkk7gYZzQk5pUUEwhUb0NG0wnBN_X85CV6vzC-5HVIxq2VAbs5dXDemyAeegMZ7cy5tVu7wg4rHFZkml1AN4FOo4S2at6Ahb/s1600/Florida+Trip+and+KingdomKards+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOBcnGrB4OCKGzA17_sieMEYydYDRLLtvU0ulllm9M_cCdkk7gYZzQk5pUUEwhUb0NG0wnBN_X85CV6vzC-5HVIxq2VAbs5dXDemyAeegMZ7cy5tVu7wg4rHFZkml1AN4FOo4S2at6Ahb/s320/Florida+Trip+and+KingdomKards+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg497XyttvrCEJ7AMSTN8kejgVFneESsIjxYZ3nu9DAi7ke0ePeE35s4OLysTFnC9TWUDmGMHNP6obPUyAPfbteTxE8yfLmuiqSOwnFo8qyokajtd5W6o79PZJhSQjP3AZQ6IxGSgQFxvf9/s1600/Florida+Trip+and+KingdomKards+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg497XyttvrCEJ7AMSTN8kejgVFneESsIjxYZ3nu9DAi7ke0ePeE35s4OLysTFnC9TWUDmGMHNP6obPUyAPfbteTxE8yfLmuiqSOwnFo8qyokajtd5W6o79PZJhSQjP3AZQ6IxGSgQFxvf9/s320/Florida+Trip+and+KingdomKards+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-4249661496650811372011-02-01T14:05:00.000-08:002011-02-01T14:05:14.335-08:00Afterthoughts<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bx3C7cldlL6V6QUDjRodiEp-1_y2QyuxJ4-hgKOvlu5nE3woXZg5Hs8Cqj9kwoWqTIxykCMeyOwjUhogHtXcMhlsI5lo-Yr_6Hzqf57FVTMZU4APzoCBSUiDif_rkqJuBfw_bTH8ABSj/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bx3C7cldlL6V6QUDjRodiEp-1_y2QyuxJ4-hgKOvlu5nE3woXZg5Hs8Cqj9kwoWqTIxykCMeyOwjUhogHtXcMhlsI5lo-Yr_6Hzqf57FVTMZU4APzoCBSUiDif_rkqJuBfw_bTH8ABSj/s320/IMG_0040.JPG" width="320" /></a>These last couple of weeks I have been reading a wonderful book that a friend shared with me, <em><a href="http://hpsearch.barnesandnoble.com/When-Children-Love-to-Learn/Elaine-Anderson-Cooper/e/9781433516924/?itm-5&USRI=elaine=cooper">When Children Love to Learn</a></em>. It is a compilation of essays on "A Pratical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy for Today". </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Rather than go into more detail concerning Charlotte Mason and her philosophy (I will write a post about her later), I would just like to quote one of the contributors, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, relating to my last topic, using children's interests to motivate them to read.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"I've known teachers who apply Charlotte Mason's Methods with children and teenagers in some of today's toughest schools. If these teachers are careful to <em>choose books that catch the children's interest and imagination</em>, they and the class are well into accomplishing their goals...Get 'shining eyes' <em>first,</em> and the coveted question, 'Can't we read more?' will come. This question shows that what you are doing is succeeding. As children become interested, chapter by chapter, they will form new habits. It won't seem like work at all! They like listening, imagining, thinking. These activities are satisfying!"</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So whether you are in the classroom teaching your own children or other's children, how wonderful to have the children excitedly desire to be read to and to read!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">May you experience the JOY of reading with your children!!!!.</div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-36674714663431111152011-01-04T14:05:00.002-08:002012-04-15T04:54:47.584-07:00Fourth in a Series of Musings on Exciting Ways to Motivate Your Young Child to Read<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPC3comjJmSfHu1EiQQ4od8-u0HrHTfw8nvCZXW5EsxUL411JOwnrPcnAXKddMgLHWliRRn_sARLwKba91vst2h9Z8F99cd5pWBA8z-0X-735D96eWOyafKylUnAFDiKEokPnyiWRi6vn/s1600/John+Deerte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPC3comjJmSfHu1EiQQ4od8-u0HrHTfw8nvCZXW5EsxUL411JOwnrPcnAXKddMgLHWliRRn_sARLwKba91vst2h9Z8F99cd5pWBA8z-0X-735D96eWOyafKylUnAFDiKEokPnyiWRi6vn/s320/John+Deerte.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i>Finally</i>, my fourth musing on ways to motivate your child to read! One of the best ways to incite reading in a child is to find books, articles, etc, about things that<b> interest</b> him/her.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My grandson gave me a few pointers, this holiday season, on the names of all the tractors, and if they had crawlers or wheels on them, and the names of all the trucks as we watched them go by from the entrance of our development. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> I'll never forget the time that he told me that he had ridden a gator and I thought for sure he was telling me a tall tale. His Dad had to explain to me that it was a John Deere "Gator". (What did I know? My husband says that I am from the "concrete jungle" - a city girl)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">How has my grandson learned all these things about trucks and tractors in his short 3 years? My daughter-in-law told me that when they go to the library she is hard-pressed to get him to pick out books other than ones relating to tractors (especially John Deere), and trucks.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEfY046tag0-WIKLAYTJJr_s4BUmI5ychp57hq531-z4CfrBqa66BZNo7nz7LaBI2JdFd4A2QPQGkVFotZjbzWxGGON0KsJYzNqBFHxCOs_rXYb_gBEK5eokP2QTfO-SzyjyShan5VXOg/s1600/Isaiah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEfY046tag0-WIKLAYTJJr_s4BUmI5ychp57hq531-z4CfrBqa66BZNo7nz7LaBI2JdFd4A2QPQGkVFotZjbzWxGGON0KsJYzNqBFHxCOs_rXYb_gBEK5eokP2QTfO-SzyjyShan5VXOg/s320/Isaiah.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> In our church we have a group of little boys whose parents regularly encourage them to delve into their interests with gusto. What they learn in the books and articles, they bring into their lives, and demonstrate all that they have learned in so many diverse ways. Some of the readings are quite detailed and advanced, yet they read and study because of their high interest level. They don't seem to be deterred at all.<br />
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I have seen the cutest stories recorded on DVD about space and rockets and intrigue...made by a 10 year old and a 7 year old! <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUH6dXluoQoQMrio5PfPf2kbkcqSi9yat0VG2jueauepYGMA1jzztHl2q6YLgqz72VQIg8KCh2tpmLbQ075zr2aLREZbXPQzwlpx8Cfxxc-wNItEIX9NxYLMcLB7Ao7HSBU-IP8BNiPGhk/s1600/Dana%2527s+picture+of+Noah+on+his+expedition+with+all+his+creepy+crawlies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUH6dXluoQoQMrio5PfPf2kbkcqSi9yat0VG2jueauepYGMA1jzztHl2q6YLgqz72VQIg8KCh2tpmLbQ075zr2aLREZbXPQzwlpx8Cfxxc-wNItEIX9NxYLMcLB7Ao7HSBU-IP8BNiPGhk/s320/Dana%2527s+picture+of+Noah+on+his+expedition+with+all+his+creepy+crawlies.jpg" width="213" /></a>I have heard the most amazing tales about trips taken to the far reaches of the world in a little wicker boat stocked with little critters and creatures, and a encyclopedia, of course, to identify all his finds during his adventures! </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">And, what little boy isn't intrigued with trains?! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGfvHEjvCUs6cXFb8H3sV07v9t7pdwI9dwl3j4bP0H6RmuXLPdVfNKp1XpxfTTbUrRy-s1I3RjVacwX2D33dH0EMyx2R2G2D6hmbAj8zT9rlXtPtdf8LEdhVj8OdPM7w0pUMu5S6FGn_U/s1600/Jonathan+and+Ethan+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGfvHEjvCUs6cXFb8H3sV07v9t7pdwI9dwl3j4bP0H6RmuXLPdVfNKp1XpxfTTbUrRy-s1I3RjVacwX2D33dH0EMyx2R2G2D6hmbAj8zT9rlXtPtdf8LEdhVj8OdPM7w0pUMu5S6FGn_U/s320/Jonathan+and+Ethan+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSHj8l-mEPBNZBRO6aDvoH-BtniQis8VtzSfnyTKHZ4rTfbv7UgavuyQXbbbntmg2n3qrTzAqywyLmCfX5WykWqOSrUvRCbqoRkntIqbIX_OKVAUA7nyDzMg2yvcqut4UT564YdcgbDxo/s1600/Ethan+Callerman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSHj8l-mEPBNZBRO6aDvoH-BtniQis8VtzSfnyTKHZ4rTfbv7UgavuyQXbbbntmg2n3qrTzAqywyLmCfX5WykWqOSrUvRCbqoRkntIqbIX_OKVAUA7nyDzMg2yvcqut4UT564YdcgbDxo/s320/Ethan+Callerman.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkhu-_e4iXw6xPAAzlQifAoH8Yqda6MjINldRNcoAjMw95s5_s5upcvmmdTZo1LknMkoRxFv86KjSJiglInUi7TtAGupS5SxQBC8i7HRKfE8aUSXMsnfqS5shWuPuOKz_684dyK9CVSEw/s1600/Jonathan+and+Ethan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkhu-_e4iXw6xPAAzlQifAoH8Yqda6MjINldRNcoAjMw95s5_s5upcvmmdTZo1LknMkoRxFv86KjSJiglInUi7TtAGupS5SxQBC8i7HRKfE8aUSXMsnfqS5shWuPuOKz_684dyK9CVSEw/s320/Jonathan+and+Ethan.JPG" width="320" /></a>If you are wondering how to motivate your child to read/enjoy reading, look to his interests and you will discover that your child will avail himself of opportunities to read and to be read to!</div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-56916411625335360252010-12-11T06:19:00.000-08:002010-12-11T06:28:11.624-08:00Afterthoughts - Baking<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNK_1Nay996ccaMv97oWFqijLcwVfGyX_DfXaZ693D2hXmjXXnbXKGFV5fUn7lgqZPjZrmnw-QQ_b9yZPX_vNoDyVn7Aap_jWyFL0ac0ZcZuhgMnTB08oR0EtOc2NoRIk6DPhzXLGL-Od/s1600/100_5387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNK_1Nay996ccaMv97oWFqijLcwVfGyX_DfXaZ693D2hXmjXXnbXKGFV5fUn7lgqZPjZrmnw-QQ_b9yZPX_vNoDyVn7Aap_jWyFL0ac0ZcZuhgMnTB08oR0EtOc2NoRIk6DPhzXLGL-Od/s320/100_5387.JPG" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden Grace donning her apron</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I took a little hiatus (3 weeks) from blogging while my family was here for 2 weeks , plus I needed one week to recoup!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We had a lovely time together as everyone gathered from California, New York, and Florida to the Lone Star State of Texas!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As families go, I think I have one of the best! Loving children and grandchildren, and a loving, wonderful husband! We had a blast! </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">One of the things that has become a yearly Christmas (we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas 2 days apart) tradition is baking cookies with, now, my 2 grandchildren, Silas, 3 years old, and Eden Grace, 16 months old. So I thought I would share with you some pictures of the fun we had baking some sugar cookies together! From start to finish this year!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzco1rvwQB0a902u0vAqbYNYg7NMLGNmmXmEcjrtR-lNblq8SRwJpmpLivwyeUJ9XInmECoF-pvORHM6xsOfnrIj_A_YfcpYfQTiLV6iIZKVMmWo0mcEbm-watpmqbVJCDgw7xKQTtc0T4/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzco1rvwQB0a902u0vAqbYNYg7NMLGNmmXmEcjrtR-lNblq8SRwJpmpLivwyeUJ9XInmECoF-pvORHM6xsOfnrIj_A_YfcpYfQTiLV6iIZKVMmWo0mcEbm-watpmqbVJCDgw7xKQTtc0T4/s400/IMG_0057.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silas looking at the ingredients that were listed on the recipe.<br />
(What can he see with that hat on I ask you?)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4upMgb-v-OLOQecgy6GgTrU0qrD-T51CsYZbcwXuLm9ihBxpEDcLKSlkWbZFFXYKUTYoX2qT7XaQM20hpPu2pCzVyGA802wiG2Q11CCciZTiDCPt1TNLvtOhk3Io5g2tYXXzdQfkxMxc/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4upMgb-v-OLOQecgy6GgTrU0qrD-T51CsYZbcwXuLm9ihBxpEDcLKSlkWbZFFXYKUTYoX2qT7XaQM20hpPu2pCzVyGA802wiG2Q11CCciZTiDCPt1TNLvtOhk3Io5g2tYXXzdQfkxMxc/s400/IMG_0064.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden Grace helping the mixer beat the ingredients</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S-r_8c6h-OS17LuPHDSF-5KfAezgXlws0j8c7V_6cmhfxg1dFdRXvPLIEupsNOJXwfgHzqiTeK9Wl9KWoihxPDOqQRTsyxzh6x5EsJuYNw61lJFbUpZKQE1lLo8N44kRS5m_qF3Vs6mo/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S-r_8c6h-OS17LuPHDSF-5KfAezgXlws0j8c7V_6cmhfxg1dFdRXvPLIEupsNOJXwfgHzqiTeK9Wl9KWoihxPDOqQRTsyxzh6x5EsJuYNw61lJFbUpZKQE1lLo8N44kRS5m_qF3Vs6mo/s400/IMG_0061.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silas adding the salt</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorqLA2YrYbWx7Buy-yBikgH_ifEvXUv0ii5VDTtXLAyzGEob_9DRWRg_Zr0djj3dbUfg6fp1Wo0p2B5JLjr2hhiPVlr4vdDn16hYtkj9UwlpIUyCKxUivSpcn3Hl6zidqYyaOp6RKzHKo/s1600/100_5417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorqLA2YrYbWx7Buy-yBikgH_ifEvXUv0ii5VDTtXLAyzGEob_9DRWRg_Zr0djj3dbUfg6fp1Wo0p2B5JLjr2hhiPVlr4vdDn16hYtkj9UwlpIUyCKxUivSpcn3Hl6zidqYyaOp6RKzHKo/s400/100_5417.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silas cutting out the dough that he rolled</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnvrsHxdaJGXbjAJaFwyaSC2D96GYSCDST9G8gRCHY7ko4UU7LwU8-wGzFeiv24am9MQStrltQmaB8VCqrfysqXiGNnjnxjpkXOU8OTxYSzeJoeoWmzW0EwMMZLx_8ZKbzB4LP6_tPmMW/s1600/100_5408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnvrsHxdaJGXbjAJaFwyaSC2D96GYSCDST9G8gRCHY7ko4UU7LwU8-wGzFeiv24am9MQStrltQmaB8VCqrfysqXiGNnjnxjpkXOU8OTxYSzeJoeoWmzW0EwMMZLx_8ZKbzB4LP6_tPmMW/s400/100_5408.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar-cookie man!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VLGr2nR9_MNHdwE_haZIEIQEoTVKu4ZuIhp4bfg1cY0Q2lT6TbG-CHcr5SbHcf67p4f3qoqyT5kR_c-UThRCdkzziBGo2JnWSV_P_u8AT-1TLIe0j7HoEtCEEh20hF70Z5-Ui3TxAQgo/s1600/100_5416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VLGr2nR9_MNHdwE_haZIEIQEoTVKu4ZuIhp4bfg1cY0Q2lT6TbG-CHcr5SbHcf67p4f3qoqyT5kR_c-UThRCdkzziBGo2JnWSV_P_u8AT-1TLIe0j7HoEtCEEh20hF70Z5-Ui3TxAQgo/s400/100_5416.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two little bakers hard at work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzyopBTD0ItYoUNDGSXEJGGH5n73-49oL8dMrrwBQR1rn6zwSkdoPCaf0bZiqgv2Qm_xA_gCrQ_SKtNJu3Z-dLiaRO1Y8CGt2CUIhxMXtoJ0yZnVorSEfiT9QyK9oxGkl1Efx6RncRb7Z/s1600/100_5401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzyopBTD0ItYoUNDGSXEJGGH5n73-49oL8dMrrwBQR1rn6zwSkdoPCaf0bZiqgv2Qm_xA_gCrQ_SKtNJu3Z-dLiaRO1Y8CGt2CUIhxMXtoJ0yZnVorSEfiT9QyK9oxGkl1Efx6RncRb7Z/s400/100_5401.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What an accomplishment!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cco-xNROxe6csAhqOPLrJNTSFz_vaPKfANstrZZlpk69knnk-WO5xMHXJzs-wg9Rn1MhWHTGJ6Z4mEOAFAvYkz_WLmi-kN5Oq5Flpn1h7cNX_RZKkBquJakHzWQydyaq5-moFkV5gGcV/s1600/100_5487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cco-xNROxe6csAhqOPLrJNTSFz_vaPKfANstrZZlpk69knnk-WO5xMHXJzs-wg9Rn1MhWHTGJ6Z4mEOAFAvYkz_WLmi-kN5Oq5Flpn1h7cNX_RZKkBquJakHzWQydyaq5-moFkV5gGcV/s400/100_5487.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time for the icing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsqdXub05fASt9EmlN9EubQTBW3r4AcIBhd2V8VKIHDrlJJIhyphenhyphen_giVcOP9BnWN389XsYPcynCTm66P4hXgpwzvDFtHz4-E6kdmSJDx300delNCDejV8Bds3TkrEbVhic9oxceYAS8YwtQ/s1600/100_5483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsqdXub05fASt9EmlN9EubQTBW3r4AcIBhd2V8VKIHDrlJJIhyphenhyphen_giVcOP9BnWN389XsYPcynCTm66P4hXgpwzvDFtHz4-E6kdmSJDx300delNCDejV8Bds3TkrEbVhic9oxceYAS8YwtQ/s400/100_5483.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It's more fun this way, Daddy!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiGHwV_ZSbHOZ1_FI-VY88LinTIQl8RZUa7R89ZMnPIVnd-b2s0W75EmGZmnSZeOmYDH0mGJf7_Ot07TOXNETB68nShIWS5he1YldL3ecNOjlvn0jCGsqeByWzNKk3ldx0D-0mE-PUADf/s1600/100_5494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiGHwV_ZSbHOZ1_FI-VY88LinTIQl8RZUa7R89ZMnPIVnd-b2s0W75EmGZmnSZeOmYDH0mGJf7_Ot07TOXNETB68nShIWS5he1YldL3ecNOjlvn0jCGsqeByWzNKk3ldx0D-0mE-PUADf/s400/100_5494.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Am I going to be able to get this icing to the cookie before it drips all over the table?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeUd3ERAj6_r7MCk_UvnyT3wBGdL-6PpTboyrpNkWTHbYGC30Ppk9trrXxZ7LgoxR9ZjHV_-zT24MjKDpFLxy9f3IQbELU9NeftGTWQq_-stgzTc1ImbFrfAnVT8BT201k4BS1PyRFtI1/s1600/100_5485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeUd3ERAj6_r7MCk_UvnyT3wBGdL-6PpTboyrpNkWTHbYGC30Ppk9trrXxZ7LgoxR9ZjHV_-zT24MjKDpFLxy9f3IQbELU9NeftGTWQq_-stgzTc1ImbFrfAnVT8BT201k4BS1PyRFtI1/s400/100_5485.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serious concentration</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_uEtI16TNtkyAouC2M0lAigRDr8BIYT8oEEEJXEDSrVQguDA8X8dztuQReCuHwNPcE6RJm0Ylfjeh9XXtoWHViPTCuMVCEC7w3KvMBS_7dWG1GBojcuyLBlzLHMWqDThLtj-NYNHsVy1/s1600/IMG_0153_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_uEtI16TNtkyAouC2M0lAigRDr8BIYT8oEEEJXEDSrVQguDA8X8dztuQReCuHwNPcE6RJm0Ylfjeh9XXtoWHViPTCuMVCEC7w3KvMBS_7dWG1GBojcuyLBlzLHMWqDThLtj-NYNHsVy1/s400/IMG_0153_1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of colorful cookies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5F4IW7phVinWhDbN-U-XKkBvcgLPD5tHdCJDy7S1QMn9DWuTPNqyirx80_8lm-ba_YQ9ruFjshHdAFoEis5wKJYRr23wADKQvAl_29gFZAfYn9obD20yByxHelC4hsoxuBXHiCNPUyuR/s1600/IMG_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5F4IW7phVinWhDbN-U-XKkBvcgLPD5tHdCJDy7S1QMn9DWuTPNqyirx80_8lm-ba_YQ9ruFjshHdAFoEis5wKJYRr23wADKQvAl_29gFZAfYn9obD20yByxHelC4hsoxuBXHiCNPUyuR/s400/IMG_0193.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yummmm! The best part, Nana!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">PS: Silas loved the colorful recipe and could read the word "cup" by the time we were done looking at the ingredients! (See - "Third in a Series of Musings of Exciting Ways to Motivate Your Child to Read")</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-59646461677582473002010-11-22T13:24:00.000-08:002010-11-22T13:37:33.246-08:00My Finds<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjdJX5u1ihu1PiaLNLrHXiTU4LTTD8HYbmlF7RdHME7bOBHz5zwoBCY33Jd-X-UeVGa3oHWosjdMlsNnulfuzf7ptG2AQ_F1KQVdAv3KjtSNMPY-eEfSYBREIdK5XH0QSZPGKDbdljeE1/s1600/IMG_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjdJX5u1ihu1PiaLNLrHXiTU4LTTD8HYbmlF7RdHME7bOBHz5zwoBCY33Jd-X-UeVGa3oHWosjdMlsNnulfuzf7ptG2AQ_F1KQVdAv3KjtSNMPY-eEfSYBREIdK5XH0QSZPGKDbdljeE1/s320/IMG_0070.JPG" width="320" /></a>I found this book, <a href="http://hpsearch.barnesandnoble.com/Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom/Bill-Martin-Jr/e/9781416927181/?itm=4&USRI=Chicka+boom+boom"><em>Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!</em>,</a> by Bill Martin JR, and John Archambault, and a cassette to go with it in the early 1990's. The class I was teaching then was an alternative kindergarten class. The children loved it! I can't read it now to my grandson without singing it!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Since then Bill Martin Jr, Michael Sampson, and Lois Ehlert have done a <a href="http://hpsearch.barnesandnoble.com/Chicka-Chicka-1-2-3/Bill-Martin-Jr/e/9781442416598/?itm=8&USRI=Chicka+boom+boom">numbers book</a> , and John Archambault and David Plummer have written <em>ABC Chicka Boom with Me</em>. The last is a sing-along phonemic awareness/phonics songs and activities workbook.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Any of these are a great addition to a young child's wish list!KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-52743346713239107382010-11-13T17:18:00.000-08:002010-11-13T17:32:11.595-08:00Third in a Series of Musings on Exciting Ways to Motivate Your Young Child to Read<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDU6o-hM5nBRUyebSctir287E6o6b8tyqNmxRed2sb051RFoWWJZKWdrZrRO4l-T4La2U9VCWtR_sGAR6WYVdU-9xolvgjU9HAUmuRK0nRQMdvtcpyrEjPJPRLknFvSlaTTGgzI97OnyT/s1600/Silas+Baking+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDU6o-hM5nBRUyebSctir287E6o6b8tyqNmxRed2sb051RFoWWJZKWdrZrRO4l-T4La2U9VCWtR_sGAR6WYVdU-9xolvgjU9HAUmuRK0nRQMdvtcpyrEjPJPRLknFvSlaTTGgzI97OnyT/s320/Silas+Baking+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Take out the markers and let's get baking! Markers?... Baking?... Yum? Seriously, one of the best ways I have found to motivate children to read is to give them a reason to read. Children love to get into the kitchen and bake! To get their hands in the dough, to roll it, and pat it...to lick the icing from the beaters, to scrape the last of the icing in the bowl. It is a great motivator!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim07KKHBcjL9IL2yVI8qrZcfob5EfW0Ij7GqMijxZzQpYSv4Orv5A68DAo6R8c4hdVuz8mk6sw6dSYqKcVRm4cV-QVrbHxjzOnV1PT38gWZEbVIc_gj9Ipk7TaHJBiKTISh6az10I3Ofsu/s1600/Silas+cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim07KKHBcjL9IL2yVI8qrZcfob5EfW0Ij7GqMijxZzQpYSv4Orv5A68DAo6R8c4hdVuz8mk6sw6dSYqKcVRm4cV-QVrbHxjzOnV1PT38gWZEbVIc_gj9Ipk7TaHJBiKTISh6az10I3Ofsu/s320/Silas+cookie.jpg" width="320" /></a>I have worked with children in the classroom (sometimes 20-some of them), reading the recipe with them, walking to the local grocery and buying the ingredients (each child with a slip of paper with his ingredient to find as we all walked around together), and contributing each of the items to the recipe. We made stone soup one year doing exactly that! What fun it was to have the parents come in and feast on the delicious soup. And, yes, we used a stone in the soup. It was a stone that a friend inherited from her Native American grandmother for the specific purpose of using it for soup. (I would not recommend taking a stone from the garden and using it.)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But, most interesting, with young children, is baking! They especially love to make cookies.<br />
<br />
How do markers fit into the recipe? Writing the recipe out, as simply as possible, with different colored markers for different words so the children recognize the words more easily is great fun! For example, every time<span style="color: red;"> cup</span> is written in the recipe write <span style="color: black;">it in </span><span style="color: red;">red</span><span style="color: black;">, </span><span style="color: #38761d;">flour </span><span style="color: black;">could</span><span style="color: black;"> be </span><span style="color: #38761d;">green</span><span style="color: black;">, </span><span style="color: yellow;">butter</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><span style="color: black;">c</span><span style="color: black;">ould be</span><span style="color: yellow;"> yellow</span><span style="color: black;">, </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">brown sugar</span> could be </span><span style="color: #4c1130;">brown</span><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span><span style="color: black;">, etc. This helps the child remember the repeated words in the recipe, adding to their vocabulary.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black;">The recipe might look like this:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;">Brown Sugar </span><span style="color: black;">Shortbread </span><span style="color: blue;">Cookies</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">1 </span><span style="color: red;">cup </span><span style="color: yellow;">butter </span><span style="color: black;">softened</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">1 </span><span style="color: red;">cup </span><span style="color: #4c1130;">brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">2 1/4 </span><span style="color: red;">cups </span><span style="color: #38761d;">flour</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Cream </span><span style="color: yellow;">butter</span><span style="color: black;"> and </span><span style="color: #4c1130;">brown sugar</span><span style="color: black;"> together.</span><br />
Add <span style="color: #6aa84f;">flour </span><span style="color: black;">, mixing at low speed until dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl.</span><br />
Form into 1 inch balls.<br />
Place on ungreased <span style="color: blue;">cookie</span> sheet 2 inches apart.<br />
Stamp with <span style="color: blue;">cookie</span><span style="color: black;"> stamp or bottom of glass.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">Bake</span><span style="color: black;"> at 325 for 12 to 15 minutes.</span><br />
Makes 2 to 3 dozen <span style="color: blue;">cookies.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">This same concept can be used in building something together (reading directions), playing a game together (reading the rules of the game), writing and sending letters together. All provide reasons for reading for the child in an experential way, an interesting way, a way of intense meaning to the child!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5koW5AufttE38-DvNgkdg4_ZA1e-5HIU3ESO9y3jpwi7X0AFKIGXFD-uTmGj-OH6FiTK5iV_FD6qc9zT0Txq3YDDowWF81ZvxjsuhpoUUfjaNdvDsAr_uruj-LdT7smZEiDTQIlAMn4a/s1600/Silas+Icing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5koW5AufttE38-DvNgkdg4_ZA1e-5HIU3ESO9y3jpwi7X0AFKIGXFD-uTmGj-OH6FiTK5iV_FD6qc9zT0Txq3YDDowWF81ZvxjsuhpoUUfjaNdvDsAr_uruj-LdT7smZEiDTQIlAMn4a/s320/Silas+Icing.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black;">One of the most important elements in all of the activities that I have mentioned thus far in motivating your child to read is the interaction between you and your child/children. All of these activities have special meaning because of the love you have for your child. Sweet memories to be locked away in the heart of the child to remember and cherish, and to be associated with the act of reading! </span><br />
<br />
<br />
Happy eating...I mean, reading!<br />
<br />
Blessings,<br />
Laurie </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></div></div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-72449740816902384502010-11-13T12:29:00.000-08:002010-11-14T12:43:11.222-08:00AfterthoughtsThought that you would like to meet "Cali, the Big Red Dog"! Not quite red, but BIG! <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmeRK-Pm_hpBXutwvBRnUBMSyJNQs8qwzKQLHE8CRBynZcPnqthQ2YDCwC-nCErti7cDdXuSMI7L85ZiD9Pr1nSBcbfmdnWPEyHZx3sM0eDykz-dB9s8DAnAnRGETrl81xI_Dna5ULnmU/s1600/Cali+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmeRK-Pm_hpBXutwvBRnUBMSyJNQs8qwzKQLHE8CRBynZcPnqthQ2YDCwC-nCErti7cDdXuSMI7L85ZiD9Pr1nSBcbfmdnWPEyHZx3sM0eDykz-dB9s8DAnAnRGETrl81xI_Dna5ULnmU/s640/Cali+2.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-70875059208178643892010-11-06T15:31:00.000-07:002010-11-06T15:31:02.191-07:00Second in a Series of Musings on Exciting Ways to Motivate Your Young Child to Read<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7k4FkdcLZO1EgqpyTCX3gZQexStXRagRT1QCY4JP_2d7MIkxfsBRMYvVjea9UeR8BEZbDNPwz0ZNoCmyR1abpqsujzhVcTxximnoqDHkzpypYd-F6OkF7vs-W6pOrEc0xY05uFGNl_GBY/s1600/Silas+and+Lou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7k4FkdcLZO1EgqpyTCX3gZQexStXRagRT1QCY4JP_2d7MIkxfsBRMYvVjea9UeR8BEZbDNPwz0ZNoCmyR1abpqsujzhVcTxximnoqDHkzpypYd-F6OkF7vs-W6pOrEc0xY05uFGNl_GBY/s320/Silas+and+Lou.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A lot of the buzz, as far back as I can remember, has been to read to your child beginning at an early age if you want your child to have a great love for reading. And, I agree with this wholeheartedly! But what about making it have intense meaning for the child? How can you accomplish this while reading to your children?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Taking a cue from my grandson, Silas, who calls our Siberian husky "Cali, the big red dog", while reading to your child you can make him the main character of the story. Who says that you have to use the name that is supplied? Children love to hear their own name mentioned in the book. My daughter Anna loved it when we read the story <em>Anna Banana</em> to her (unfortunately for her the name has stuck as a nickname).</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzl96wl1VsQaYv2JjLfAXX8QaP_uD6n8Go9Pu6kwkTbuSybnJoldEhs2ZpMohOl7jdr70p9GbjOBkKvWFX9-vGtiO38fthafvtXV1QqYQ_clLdh6t5UtSnS7PgUOhc7PwGMj9rZ_ZBG-G/s1600/Ferdinand+the+bull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzl96wl1VsQaYv2JjLfAXX8QaP_uD6n8Go9Pu6kwkTbuSybnJoldEhs2ZpMohOl7jdr70p9GbjOBkKvWFX9-vGtiO38fthafvtXV1QqYQ_clLdh6t5UtSnS7PgUOhc7PwGMj9rZ_ZBG-G/s1600/Ferdinand+the+bull.jpg" /></a>Another way to have it have meaning to the child is to involve the child in the reading process. I love the book <em><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Story-of-Ferdinand/Munro-Leaf/e/9780670674244/?itm=1&USRI=ferdinand+the+bull">Ferdinand</a></em> by Munro Leaf for this express purpose. Ferdinand is a bull who loves to smell the flowers. Children love it when, instead of saying the word smell, they draw air into their noses and make the sound of sniffing, and then say the rest of the refrain, "the flowers".</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE01zIS0CflJRGiqEhEl1inmlzj-T5WsSvmo1lrYrfC4BoGo89neENUpH8QHHbqTHhYi8A_5900AOPf0wzwj5Efdzc9Em9yIG_bM-31fWyzQvR5Gq42SsbmtPDBtiS2xCVR4Yd4vvdwvm6/s1600/acting+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE01zIS0CflJRGiqEhEl1inmlzj-T5WsSvmo1lrYrfC4BoGo89neENUpH8QHHbqTHhYi8A_5900AOPf0wzwj5Efdzc9Em9yIG_bM-31fWyzQvR5Gq42SsbmtPDBtiS2xCVR4Yd4vvdwvm6/s320/acting+out.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And, what child doesn't love to "act out" a story? With or without simple props, with or without simple costumes, the action of bringing the story to life is so intriguing to young and old alike. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Storytelling, involving the child (or someone the child knows) is another way the word has intense meaning to him. Telling a story to the child about himself (real or fantasy) can propel him into a love of language. These stories can even be written down (by you or the child) and illustrated with drawings or photos, though this is not necessary. Stories can be started and then added onto by the child, as a way to involve him in the storytelling.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71f6jc5vKpFRfHbX3YI8hVSF4WkWG6Qntu8NqKrQZMPW1jZbuP3H-mQU9t_2KNRsl8WzB8QU4QdNiMFq12e2BR5nV-791RP6QkktGQmkVEb-pcy0C3to43ySDCPJqgPadbBy7oVK9Zwai/s1600/Cali+the+big+red+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71f6jc5vKpFRfHbX3YI8hVSF4WkWG6Qntu8NqKrQZMPW1jZbuP3H-mQU9t_2KNRsl8WzB8QU4QdNiMFq12e2BR5nV-791RP6QkktGQmkVEb-pcy0C3to43ySDCPJqgPadbBy7oVK9Zwai/s200/Cali+the+big+red+dog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The more ways your child can experience the wonderful world of language, the more he will have a great love for it! Happy reading! (literally)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Blessings,</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Laurie</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">PS If you would like to see a wonderful example of storytelling read this interesting <a href="http://whilewesojourn.com/2010/10/26/traviss-first-ride/">excerpt</a> from my friend's (John Bird's) Memoirs, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/%20Used-Want-Cowboy-John-Bird/dp/1557355621/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">I Used to Want to Be A Cowboy</a> </em></div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-67068878912108155122010-10-31T16:01:00.000-07:002010-10-31T16:01:09.701-07:00My Finds...<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W9a2c4TEEvr147RW-SGGVMB0cP4kgj3ddXAzkQ7wTFdw-CrrmIQy0FNOns5ppP_hCCSY6fGo4Jt_2F55BP1wHQroGU-3AuGfm1FFybOELZB3lRANFwMhg0Bup-dkpyyv0AnOV4rx-Wk-/s1600/dry+erase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W9a2c4TEEvr147RW-SGGVMB0cP4kgj3ddXAzkQ7wTFdw-CrrmIQy0FNOns5ppP_hCCSY6fGo4Jt_2F55BP1wHQroGU-3AuGfm1FFybOELZB3lRANFwMhg0Bup-dkpyyv0AnOV4rx-Wk-/s320/dry+erase.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>These great white board crayons (instead of markers) for little ones can be found at your local Wal-Mart!<br />
They are by Crayola and are a real hit with the children that I know. They even come with a special glove with which to wipe the board clean! KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-15175627983483076802010-10-24T13:37:00.000-07:002010-10-24T13:37:14.768-07:00First of a Series of Musings on Exciting Ways to Motivate Your Young Child to Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-XHEWCjeShu_Ep-pqg8j8zHswwoa_A0hkUVXccx0mlcHOsc1UfT4ld4uOWmXEKbDq4CYyG9jvS3Kdu1ao0wEJQf75f4My-8aoh1LQLaNu6gmT05gQUbqhG8NagE2P38-uYZzQbhegZQJ/s1600/blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-XHEWCjeShu_Ep-pqg8j8zHswwoa_A0hkUVXccx0mlcHOsc1UfT4ld4uOWmXEKbDq4CYyG9jvS3Kdu1ao0wEJQf75f4My-8aoh1LQLaNu6gmT05gQUbqhG8NagE2P38-uYZzQbhegZQJ/s320/blog+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>If I was asked to write a list of fun and inspiring ways to motivate your young child to read, at the top of the list would be a way for the written word to have intense meaning to your child.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When I taught First Grade <em>many</em> years ago, I came across Sylvia Ashton-Warner's book, <u><em>Teacher</em></u> . In this book, she describes her technique for teaching reading to young Maori children. I decided to adapt her program to my classroom and found it to be a great way to launch children into the world of reading! As the author points out, children's first words and first books should come from their life. So, I started each morning with "Key Vocabulary"(Miss Ashton-Warner's name for it), a "one-look" sight vocabulary originating from the child himself.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrScBpk3-rD8BgyBbhAAvWBC6Qkl_i1uRFRkRYsOYvww8h-6V_6tZVColf_6oh-PeOVrdHTPqXc2_o3-EeZFJECR1VkoOa9iZ56P9ENfhdfCCdEPJVZ2LRIiE6TXOwwMG6Yl4LVjQ_Q7os/s1600/blog+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrScBpk3-rD8BgyBbhAAvWBC6Qkl_i1uRFRkRYsOYvww8h-6V_6tZVColf_6oh-PeOVrdHTPqXc2_o3-EeZFJECR1VkoOa9iZ56P9ENfhdfCCdEPJVZ2LRIiE6TXOwwMG6Yl4LVjQ_Q7os/s320/blog+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Each day each child would think of a word he wanted to know. I wrote it on an index card. These self-chosen words accumulated and were kept in his specially decorated shoebox. The next day, before giving him a new word, I would ask for the "old" words . If a word was not remembered I would put it aside and eventually toss it in the trash because it had failed as a "one-look" word, and could not have been of much importance to the child. While I was giving words to each child, the others were sharing their words with partners, or printing their words on the chalkboard. Still others were putting their words on a magnetic board or on a felt board with felt letters. All of the children were busy sharing and learning each others words!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRF-noFM4FvmSujO9ARNO6XpgB3aSyfOq_7Ngm6Ibtw1Z2XjziH3IeT2yVg2epMTy27LppzcTpZhmmK8e09lqTqHsXCYlRLOKz_eNAcV_KWIFLVsthxxDC7akCPKqEeih-QABZeEXz6zu/s1600/blog+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRF-noFM4FvmSujO9ARNO6XpgB3aSyfOq_7Ngm6Ibtw1Z2XjziH3IeT2yVg2epMTy27LppzcTpZhmmK8e09lqTqHsXCYlRLOKz_eNAcV_KWIFLVsthxxDC7akCPKqEeih-QABZeEXz6zu/s320/blog+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> When it got to the point of having 20 words in the box the child would make a "word book" in which he drew pictures for his words to share with the class, or a parent, etc. Then, we would begin again with some different words to put in his box! The children were never at a loss for words!<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This time of "Organic Reading" was the noisiest and the most productive time of the day. I believe its success stemmed from the concept of using words important to the child, the language of his world to the written language of reading. What joy! After having the security of his world in the written word, the child can then reach out in love and joy to other books, other readers.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC9QPhdKZRi8t7GSEeH89QXfgNDMu6Sm3yEphfR5w-nwo_7Bez53LXSJGG6myVTNxwrgVKuHsf6KPh1HMNYYap1ltJhpNdVZhhxKzlYo7_WjLsKL10u1Wy9aMPB0GJ7rvPBD3EZYCHbox/s1600/Sylvia+Ashton-Warner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC9QPhdKZRi8t7GSEeH89QXfgNDMu6Sm3yEphfR5w-nwo_7Bez53LXSJGG6myVTNxwrgVKuHsf6KPh1HMNYYap1ltJhpNdVZhhxKzlYo7_WjLsKL10u1Wy9aMPB0GJ7rvPBD3EZYCHbox/s200/Sylvia+Ashton-Warner.jpg" width="133" /></a>Sylvia-Ashton's Warner's book <a href="http://hpsearch.barnesandnoble.com/Teacher/Sylvia-Ashton_Warner/e/9780671617684/?itm=1">Teacher</a> (reprinted version) can still be purchased for you to read from Barnes and Noble. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">NB</span> I first bought this book in 1973 , my first year of teaching, when First Grade was the grade to initiate reading. Everything is done so much earlier these days.</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-23402982532261006552010-10-18T08:16:00.000-07:002010-10-18T22:00:09.893-07:00Thoughts on TP<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JGlhuh-IVQLySdns4tbJHBD-pERvQGi0nfi3F38JbjQfGKJQnOYNMqlPMFLleUdIbt6nT6fnPInrrSCteoVrVgzhXSX9MVa1lZBR-72JtNzI7C1BRNguP7BmEbnRzNs0Df_BXnaqBCkx/s1600/TP2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JGlhuh-IVQLySdns4tbJHBD-pERvQGi0nfi3F38JbjQfGKJQnOYNMqlPMFLleUdIbt6nT6fnPInrrSCteoVrVgzhXSX9MVa1lZBR-72JtNzI7C1BRNguP7BmEbnRzNs0Df_BXnaqBCkx/s200/TP2.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>Now I know you all are thinking, "What in the world is <span style="color: red;">TP </span>?" Those silly acronyms! Is it some new method of teaching, or a label for a little-known learning disorder, or maybe my thoughts on being "<span style="color: red;">T</span>ickled <span style="color: red;">P</span><span style="color: black;">ink"?</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well, I don't know about you but I can NEVER find paper when I need it. One day I wanted to write down a few thoughts pertaining to learning - I can't remember if they were my thoughts or someone else's - before they disappeared from my mind. These little snippets are very basic ideas but, very foundational in the ability (or inability) of students to learn. They are realizations relating to one's own experiences as teacher, as well as, learner.</div><br />
SO here are my "Thoughts on <span style="color: red;">T</span>oilet <span style="color: red;">P</span><span style="color: black;">aper"</span> concerning basic learning principles. Yes, I finally found some paper! In the bathroom! Desperate measures for desperate times. LOL!<br />
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1. To help students learn something you should first understand what they already know<br />
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2. Showing students how to do something is better than telling them, and letting them do it is best of all<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3. Do not show or tell too much at once, since learners digest new ideas slowly and should feel secure with new skills or knowledge before acquiring more</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">4. It is necessary to give your pupils as much time as they need or want to absorb what you have shown or told them</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">5. Instead of testing their understanding with questions, let them show how much or little they understand by the questions they ask you</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">6. Do not get impatient or angry when learners do not understand, frightening them only blocks learning</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Something to <span style="color: red;">t</span><span style="color: black;">hink about and </span><span style="color: red;">p</span><span style="color: black;">onder.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040630679539127574.post-90711159275477612112010-10-12T11:37:00.000-07:002010-10-12T11:37:53.947-07:00Memories<div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2KotwNyLbAsSOS4sEAWTa_iX30RC8L8hDlMxVKWUoU_OjpPIEuMpTo4vuy0Rpp8lNcezd1qgCDvJcWDvCeSNHkW1HtE3tCDoFN929xCjKdVbkf7dM2XYreE_SuSmEEs3iuzHd3crsEoi/s1600/Story+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2KotwNyLbAsSOS4sEAWTa_iX30RC8L8hDlMxVKWUoU_OjpPIEuMpTo4vuy0Rpp8lNcezd1qgCDvJcWDvCeSNHkW1HtE3tCDoFN929xCjKdVbkf7dM2XYreE_SuSmEEs3iuzHd3crsEoi/s320/Story+Book.jpg" width="293" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSS8z6UzMn4gYVR4CArwpX42eeCLchITHOK0V9jsxk-wf2grE8yU7exyIEc5dUJvnNF1Gxl5jbRRIzl_CUu7tns9-qtU1WxZB2A43DUhZBxd2W5f71CTUQLzBV3uCJM4z6xkjrp-zCCuy/s1600/Playful+Butterflies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>It's been a long time since I have been in the classroom, but some of my fondest memories are of teaching children to learn. I loved to guide my students through important discoveries...the shapes of letters and numerals, the way a word looked, how words were similar and different. Not exactly earth-shattering discoveries you say? Not so! I could see the blast of a rocket in the eyes of a child who figured out a word by blending sounds together. The brilliant light of the stars reflected on the face of a student who added sets of objects and came up with the correct sum. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div></div>Working with children and seeing them succeed was the delight of my heart and my reason for teaching! Early Childhood Education was my major and I pretty much, over the course of years, taught 3 year old preschool up to second grade. Teaching in many different states and different types of schools (public, private, christian, home school umbrella school) I found children of these age levels to display the same love and determination to learn! <br />
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<div>In recent months I have had the privilege of walking alongside a few young moms who have chosen for one reason or another to take on the full responsibility(along with the father, of course) for the education of their children. I have enjoyed the wonderful delight of troubleshooting for them the little glitches that pop up in the educational process. And, in turn, that has led me to jot down a few thoughts on my teaching ideas and methods that might be helpful to others. </div><br />
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<div>Even if this goal is not accomplished the way I am anticipating, I am looking forward to seeing what the musing of an ex-schoolteacher will do to bless those who have children at these ages. Ideas are floating around in my head - quite dangerous for a 59 year old because you never know where they are going to land - as to what form this blog will take. So join with me in this endeavor and add what comments or questions that you may have and let's see where we will journey together .</div><br />
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<div>Blessings,</div>Laurie <br />
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<div></div>KingdomKardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01185372996209477507noreply@blogger.com0