Letter Matching Game

This game happened kind of accidentally today. Stevie and I were reading in his "book nook" and his lowercase letters were all over the floor. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was right there and Stevie noticed that the letters looked the same. I asked him if he could find any matches. He started matching letters and we played that game for a good 5 minutes (forever in toddler time).

The Power of Play

I'm reading a book about the role of play in a child's development. The book is called The Power of Play, by David Elkind, Ph.D. In it, Elkind describes the different types of play and the value of unstructured play as a means of learning. The author writes about young children not needing "formal instruction," because that is not what motivates them to learn. They need play and love (love of the thing that gets their attention) in order to learn. Not work or formal instruction. The play and love has to be their first, or learning will be a chore. Elkind writes, "parents and teachers are most effective if they build on children's love of stories, contrasts, rhythm and rhyme, unexpected facts, and humor." I found a blogger who has listed a series of quotes from the book. If you are interested in reading more about play . . . click here

Book reviews and lists

I had a couple of hours to blow the other day (this is rare) and I decided I would check out some library books that were not for my 2 year old. I found a bunch of books on books. Specifically, book lists of must have kids books, grown-up books, etc. I found a 3 ring binder that read, The Early Bird Project Handbook. The handbook is part of the materials for this project that sounds really cool, but I'm not sure if the project still exists. Printed in 2002, it contains information on how to read to preschoolers, babies, and toddlers. What I found most useful was the lists, by category or theme, of books and a brief description of each one. Perfecto. Exactly what I need, and I assume what other moms of tots would like to see. The link to the website no longer exists, but the name of the author is Carolyn (Tunie) Munson-Benson. I plan on writing more about this author when I find out more. In the meantime, here are some early learning books with some book lists, reviews, etc.

*Choosing books for children : a commonsense guide / Betsy Hearne ; with Deborah Stevenson

*They're Never Too Young for Books: A Guide to Children's Books for Ages 1 to 8 / McGovern, Edyth M., and Helen D. Muller

Cooking with Kids

I'm so glad Stevie is old enough to help out in the kitchen. Granted, it takes a little prep-time in order for us to cook together, but it's totally worth it. He loves mixing "ingwedients" and licking the spoon. He's not quite got the concept of waiting for things in the oven. A little distraction helps there. Here's stevie making chicken salad, which by the way, he still won't eat. Oh well, we'll keep trying. For some easy mom and kid cooking activities, click the link below.

Kids
Cooking Activities

Summer Suncatcher

I made this sun catcher thingy in preparation for a theme activity day I'm hosting next week. I found a cute egg suncatcher here, but I'll stick to the paper plate variety. I like this craft because tots of all ages can tear up tissue and place it on some sticky contact paper. Yes, there's some prep work, but look how cute! Even after the sun catcher is made, your kid can continue the tearing tissue party. I guess I need to think of something to do with the left over tissue. I'll post after I do this activity with Stevie. It should be interesting to see his interpretation of the suncatcher.

Materials:
2 paper plates
2 circles contact paper
2 pieces gift wrap tape
1 long piece of yarn
scissors
tissue paper

Good Rhyming Books

I found some good books at library yesterday with lots of rhyming words. I remember how a kiddo's ability to rhyme in Kindergarten was a good predictor of his/her confidence in reading. If a child is aware of the predictable patterns in writing (rhythm and rhyme), then it just makes reading text that much easier. If text is only 50% phonics (letters and letter sounds. . . . sounding words out), then the other 50% comes from "reading tricks" like using rhyme to predict text. Also, rhyming books are fun! My kindergarten classes always loved them and Stevie loves them too. The predictable text helps develop confidence in a reader. That's important. Here are some goodies:

Low Song by Eve Merriam (My new favorite. This one is so mellow. Good for a pre-naptime read. Illustrations are dreamy).

Look at the Moon by May Garelick (Long book. But if you just read chunks of it, skipping some pages . . . . . it is awesome. It has this cool theme. . . we're all united under the same moon. Different creatures, different people, settings, all under the same moon. Beauty.)

Time for Bed by Mem Fox (Perfect rhyming book before bed. Uses lots of repetition. Your toddler will be "reading" this one with you by the 2nd night.

Interesting Stories

I was talking with some mom friends today about the books our kids like. I find it fascinating how the little ones go from little picture books to more plot driven books. It's not enough to just name the things in a book anymore. The book has to have a beginning, middle, and end. Most of Stevie's friends are around 2 years old and its so amazing to see them develop this way. They have an opinion about the book they are reading and they know what they like. It still freaks me out when stevie picks up a book when he's playing by himself. I hope this fascination with books, plot, and story line continues forever.

Good plot books: Pete's a Pizza by W. Stieg, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by B.Potter, Baby Bat's Lullaby by J. Mitchard.