President's Day, by Anne Rockwell

We really enjoyed this book.

watercolor initials (or anything else!)

I'm digging these from Blissful Kids. Directions

New Years Kids Journaling Page

We love our This Is Me journal, but I've used it more for inspiration to come up with our own pages. Jacob writes or draws on blank 8 1/2 X 11 paper and I'm saving them all in a manila envelope until I have enough to bind - probably in a couple years.

I found this link today that has a list of questions that would be fun to do once or twice a year; maybe in January, maybe on a birthday, maybe whenever. It's up to you, but it's sure fun to look back even one year later. I can't wait to pull these things out when my kiddos are in high school.

Christmas & Winter books

I just realized in the middle of dinner that I forgot to put up a Christmas and winter bookshelf! Whoops! It's at the top of the page, just like last time. Please make sure to click on "next" in the bottom right corner to see all of the wonderful books that our kids are loving (there are over 20... sorry, we love to read)!

And as always, please let us know if you have any favorites that aren't listed.

...Babies Wear...series

We haven't read them all yet, but we're enjoying the series. Perhaps you will, too.

(clicking on the picture should take you to the Amazon page)

Thanksgiving Poems

Five Fat Turkeys Are We

Five fat turkeys are we.

We spent the night in a tree.

When the cook came around,

We couldn't be found,

And that's why we're here you see -

gobble, gobble!

Oh, five fat turkeys are we.

We spent the night in a tree.

It sure does pay

On Thanksgiving Day

To sleep in the tallest tree -

gobble, gobble!

*

*

Mighty Fine Turkey

(strut like a turkey to help get the wiggles out!)

I'm a mighty fine turkey

And I sing a fine song - gobble, gobble, gobble.

I strut around the barnyard all day long

My head goes - bobble, bobble, bobble.

On Thanksgiving Day

I run away with a - waddle, waddle, waddle

So on the day after

My head will still - bobble, bobble, bobble!

*

*

Our Turkey is a Big Fat Bird

(with movements!)

Our turkey is a big fat bird.

(hold hands out to indicate large)

He gobbles when he talks.

(move hand, thumb to fingers, like talking)

Our turkey is a big fat bird.

(hold hands out ot indicate large)

We waddles when he walks.

(wiggle hand side to side)

Our turkey is a big fat bird.

(hold hands out to indicate large)

He spreads his tail this way.

(spread fingers on hand like a fan)

On Thanksgiving Day our fat bird...

(hold hands out to indicate large)

Lifts his wings and flies away!

(flap arms to fly)

*

*

When I teach my kids new poems, I write them down on our chalkboard or on easel paper, highlighting "important" words (in this case Thankgiving words) to help with their word recognition. Plus, they love taking turns pointing to the poem and leading the rest of us as we practice saying the poems together. And then on the holiday we do our best to recite the poems to Daddy, or whoever happens to be celebrating with us.

some Thanksgiving Songs and Rhymes

Click here!

And here!

The second link has the song that's been my favorite since the first year I taught first grade, Albuquerque Turkey. My kids look at me like I'm a loon whenever I sing it, but it's not going to stop me!

Learning songs and rhymes is a fabulous (and fun) pre-reading skill for little ones.

Read Kiddo, Read!

This website, http://www.readkiddoread.com/home, was created by author James Patterson. It helps parents and teachers develop a kid-friendly library. James' son, Jack, "scoffed at the printed word," even though his father is a best-selling author and his parents read to him every night. "As Jack, 10, puts it, the problem was the product. 'With lots of books for kids, their parents want them to read.' he says. 'But it's not something the kid wants to read.'" Thus James put together this website.


It's also really important for parents to remember that many adult books are written at a 6th grade level, meaning the content is not appropriate. Just something to remember for parents with elementary kids!

http://www.readkiddoread.com/home

beginning sounds

Stella (my 3-year old) has a hard time with beginning sounds. She knows her letters, and can tell you what sound they each make, but when I ask her what "dog" starts with, I get this blank stare. So I dug out my favorite picture cards from teaching...

These are the best little picture cards I've found. Every picture is an actual photo, not some corny cartoon drawing (which don't get me wrong, those can be pretty cute). And there are tons of activities you can do with these.

To help Stella with her beginning sounds, I went through the cards and pulled out several that started with /p/, /b/, & /t/. I then wrote the letters on a dry erase board, and had her say each picture out loud (so I could make sure she was pronouncing them correctly, she has a bit of a lisp), then together we would listen for the beginning sound, and sort it accordingly. It was a slow start, but she loved the "game", and soon she was able to figure out the beginning sounds without my help.