Time for a Hug

What time is it?
Young children don't have to worry about time like we adults do.
Don't you think that would be glorious? We check our watch or iPhone constantly because our lives are run on such a tight schedule. Image being able to ignore the constraint of time for a day.
Definitely glorious.

Young children do enjoy the consistency and routine of a daily schedule. Their bodies adjust to meal and nap times. They count on things happening in the same order.
What happens when that schedule can't be followed? When meal time is later than usual, when nap has to be skipped?
Not so glorious.

Time for a Hug by Phillis Gershator and Mim Green tells of a child's day from morning till night. Tick-tocking through the hours, following the routines that they know, and always including time for a hug. Shouldn't we all put that on our schedule?
It moves in a gentle rhythm with rhyming text, two good reasons to share it aloud.

Wash our faces,
comb our hair,
choose the clothes
we like to wear.
Eat from a bowl,
drink from a mug--
What time is it?
Time for a hug! 

Math Extension Idea:

Daily Schedule Poster

On a large piece of poster board, list the hours of school (or a typical day at home if that applies) down the left hand side of the board.

To the right of each time segment, write what happens at that time and show a photo example.

8:00 - Arrive at school (picture of a child hanging up their school bag and jacket in their cubbie)

8:00-9:00 - Free Play (photos of children at various centers around the room)

When children become concerned about what's happening next, or how long until it's time to go home, you can direct them to the Daily Schedule and walk through the rest of the day.

You can also prepare this on a magnetized board and give each child a magnet of their own to move down/across the schedule as the day progresses.

Duck and Goose

Making a new friend can be tricky.
Sometimes, it takes a bit of a fuss and some apologizing before two individuals see their way clear to becoming good friends.
This is true for Duck and Goose.

Duck & Goose by Tad Hills is a great read aloud because it rings so true for preschoolers.
The "finders-keepers" rule is clearly stated. "I saw it first," said Duck, "I touched it first," said Goose.
Sharing space is difficult. "Scoot over, I don't have any room!" complained Duck. "You are much closer to me than I am to you," replies Goose.
In the end, they realize that the large polka-dot "egg" they have fought over is actually a ball and they come to an agreement. "It may not be an egg, but it is lovely," said Duck. "Oh, absolutely, Duck," Goose agreed. "It's a keeper."
The bright, colorful oil paintings showcase the "egg," Duck, and Goose against a muted background. Their eyebrows say it all!

Observation Extension Idea:
It's easy to mistake something that looks a lot like something else. Learning to look closely can not only save us some trouble, it's a great way to learn about things.
Choose an egg and a ball (a ping pong ball is a similar size and color) for observation.
Ask the children to describe each one and write their words on a chart labeled EGG and BALL.
Have them use their senses to investigate how these things are similar and different. (How do they move? Is one heavier than another? What is inside?)
With older children, you can use a Venn diagram to organize characteristics. Critical thinking is engaged when children ask questions and make discoveries.

Paint

Sometimes you just love a book because it makes you laugh. Take a look at this cover and try not to smile. See what I mean?
When you need a dose of silliness, this book is the remedy.

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont and David Catrow tells the story of a young boy who just can't keep from expressing himself artistically.
His mama catches him decorating the house and promptly puts him in the tub while she cleans up the mess. He rescues his art supplies and promises not to paint...but then, "So I take some red and I paint my HEAD!"

The rhyming verses lead the listener to guess what comes next. At the turn of the page, a new body part is revealed, covered in paint.
It's just fun.
I dare you to read or sing it to a group of children and not giggle along with them. Really.

Art Extension Idea:
Obviously, painting of any kind is a great follow-up to this book.
Paint standing at the easel, sitting at the table, or lying on the floor.
Use brushes, sponges, or hands.
Give lots of time and space to the process.
If the thought of that much paint is paralyzing, hand out dry paint brushes. They can "paint" their bodies as you read through the book again.

Basketball

In some places in the world, March is a month dedicated to rejoicing in the renewal of the earth and the first signs of spring.
Around here, March is about one thing. Basketball.
It's not just for the grown-ups. Children are decked out in team colors. They're caught up in the excitement and they know who's in the Final Four.
So what's more fun than Basketball? How about Basketball played by Dinosaurs?

 Dino-Basketball by Lisa Wheeler incorporates two favorite themes (sports and prehistoric beasts) into one fast paced, rhyming story. In addition to the action of the game and the vibrant, energetic illustrations, there's always something new to learn. The use of basketball terms and dinosaur species can extend vocabulary and encourage discussion.

"The game begins at breakneck speed.
Two points for Stego! Clippers lead.
Allo answers off the dribble.
Diplo take it up the middle--
T. rex charges from behind.
Steals the ball. It's Meaty time!
He drives the ball up to the hoop.
Lobs to Raptor--Alley-oop!"

Check out this book during March Madness and extend the fun of basketball through read aloud.


Gross Motor Extension Idea:
The game of basketball requires many skills not yet developed in preschoolers. You can make a similar game that is more appropriate for your age group by using a laundry basket set on the floor and smaller, junior sized basketballs. If you want to add a challenge, you can add a masking tape perimeter around the basket for the children to stand on to "shoot".  Several children can practice making shots at the same time. Cheer their efforts and celebrate every 3-pointer!

Books within reach = Reading

Every child should have access to an abundance of books. Whether on loan from the library or a personal stash collected from book stores and yard sales, a stack of their very own is a special thing.

Where: Bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, anywhere in the house that a child can sit awhile.
What: Baskets, buckets, or shelves can all be used to organize reading material.
Why: An attractive display at a child's eye level is a great way to encourage interactions with books and reading in general.

Placing books facing forwards, rather than simply exposing the spines, may take up more shelf space, but it allows children to view the book cover and makes choosing a book easier for a non-reader.
Why do you think they display books that way at in the most prominent areas of the bookstore? Sells many more of those titles than the ones "hidden" in the shelves.

"Sell" some book choices to your little ones today by making them easy to see and easy to reach.

Click here for an attractive and floor-space saving DIY bookshelf for your child's room or your classroom.

Martha Stewart Living

A Trip to the Beach

Our local schools are on "Spring Break" beginning today! Some of us are just happy to be staying home and slowing down a bit. Others are taking off to the beach for a week of sand and sun. Even if you're not going to the beach yourself, you can enjoy some great books about that favorite vacation spot.

Today's selection, How Will We Get to the Beach? by Brigitte Luciani, is an engaging story that is also a guessing game. Roxanne packs up for a day at the beach.  She takes "the turtle, the umbrella, the thick book of stories, the ball, and of course, her baby." However, when her car won't start and she has to try another type of transportation, something won't fit and must be left behind. Can you guess what it is? This happens again and again until Roxanne finally finds a way to the beach that lets her take all five items along.
The lovely watercolor illustrations by Eve Tharlet  provide the visual clues that help young readers play along with the guessing game as each page is turned. The concepts of color and counting are also included in this delightful read aloud.


Math Extension Idea:
Materials: Paper, markers, pre-cut pictures or scissors and a selection of magazines, glue
Procedure: Using numbered paper from 1 to 5 (or if children are able, ask them to write the numerals).
Cut pictures from magazines and catalogs that you might pack for a trip to the beach (swimsuits, sunglasses, sand pails and shovels, snacks, etc).
Ask each child to choose five items and glue them to the numbered paper. 
Share them at group time to see who chose the same type of item.
Graph the results in a simple bar graph.
Talk about those numbers and the terms "more" and "less".

Salamanders

I've been working in a class of 2nd and 3rd grade school children these past few weeks. Our theme study has centered on animals, specifically amphibians. Salamanders are part of this group of animals and fascinating to learn about.
In the book, The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer, a little boy thinks about how he might keep a small orange salamander that he found. His mother asks, "Where will he play?"  The little boy responds, "I will carpet my room with shiny wet leaves and water them so he can slide around and play."

As the story continues, the little boy tells his mother how he will provide food, water, and playmates for the salamander, transforming his bedroom into a perfect home for his new pet. The shadowy paintings look like sunlight through the forest canopy. Beautiful illustrations by Steve Johnson capture the quiet, magical metamorphosis.
This is a wonderful science based read aloud for young children. It speaks to the natural world and needs of the amphibians, as well as the responsibilities of pet ownership.

Science Extension Idea:
You may not be ready to adopt a pet salamander like the little boy in the story, but you can create a type of "salamander environment". Building a terrarium in the classroom with your children is a great hands on activity. You can review the pages of The Salamander Room as you add moss, stones, plants and water to your container.
Click here for a great website that gives you step by step instructions to creating an ecosystem of your very own!

stormthecastle.com