FEETSPEAK’S Book Study: Comprehension Activity Units
FEETSPEAK Book Cover
Here’s an Overview of FEETSPEAK’S Book Study: Comprehension Activity Units I have created and posted on my http://eashields.com/ website. In addition to several informational posts: “Childhood Mutism” and “Helping Your Grieving Child”, there are TWELVE so far with more to be added….
I’m listing these Activity Units in the order they were published with sequential considerations in place ~ not unlike how I would present them in the classroom. You can, of course select, download, and complete them in any order.
Number One: Story Sequence
The ACTIVITY CONTENTS of this 9-page Unit include:
Most of the Activities’ Material Needs are: card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, and colors. Additional Idea & Suggestions are included for completing each Activity.
Several more Book Study Activity Units for FEETSPEAK are in developmental stages…
With the help of Writers Republic, I have self-published the first story book of the I AM A CHILD trilogy! It’s Hot Off The Press: FEETSPEAK!
I wrote these three stories several years ago with a muse on my shoulder guiding me with ideas, verbiage, imagery, and, significantly, a common thread ~ the resilience of children faced with tragic circumstances.
The kindness and care of loved ones, the understanding and flexibility of community as well as the beauty and solace of nature contributed to the healing process of each character.
Before I tell you how each of these three elements play a part in the story of FEETSPEAK, I want to share with you why I wrote these stories.
Why I Wrote These Stories
Thirty years teaching Early Childhood and Elementary school children from all over the world on at-risk campuses confirms my belief in the uniqueness of each child.
Many of these children suffered life-altering tragedies from loss, displacement, hunger, and neglect. Their ability to overcome these challenges with their resilience continually astounded me, as a child who grew up in a comfortable, middle-class environment.
They inspired me to create the stories in the I AM A CHILD Trilogy.
So, briefly, this is what the story of FEETSPEAK shares with you, Readers….
FEETSPEAK’s Story
All children are born into an ancestral heritage, rich with tragedy, joy, and a touch of magic.
No two stories are alike, yet encouraging an appreciation for cultural diversity, creative problem solving, and ecological respect as well as protecting the timely development of the contemporary child are daily challenges faced by parents and educators.
In FEETSPEAK, a young child, traumatically mute after her parents are killed during a rainstorm, communicates by selecting different shoes to wear.
Living near a pond and its creatures on the Midwest Plains with her maternal grandmother provides Cinnamon with comfort and understanding.
However, when an engaging French family with a young girl her age moves into the house down the road, Cinnamon must learn other ways to share her thoughts and express her feelings with her new friends.
Soon to enter First Grade, will she be ready to participate and learn in this totally new environment?
You may now be wondering ~ how do those three elements: loved ones, community, and nature influence the healing process of a traumatized child? Please note my stories are just that ~ stories of fiction. Of course they are idealized, but in my experience, these three factors in people’s lives can be extremely influential and effective.
The Loved Ones of FEETSPEAK
My young heroine shares her story surrounded by her loving family. She lives with her grandmother. She frequently visits her uncles and aunt.
Her close neighbors become constant friends and company. Their kindness, acceptance, and care provide the six-year-old child with new experiences to help her explore other places outside the quiet world she has escaped into.
Some of these “other places” are very new and, somewhat, uncomfortable to her, but her family and friends, as well as the community members she encounters help her overcome her reluctance to engage.
An Understanding Community of FEETSPEAK
When a variety of life’s circumstances enter and disrupt Cinnamon’s routine existence with her family and friends, she slowly begins to understand the necessity of living outside her sheltered world. She even begins to enjoy the diversity of the experiences.
Meeting new community members like doctors, teachers, shopkeepers, and entertainers, among others, open up different vistas for communication. She is definitely intrigued, although hesitant. The community continues to engage with her in spite of her uncertainty.
And, perhaps, the most powerful of all the environmental elements is the constancy of Nature.
The Constancy of Nature in FEETSPEAK
I spent many hours ~ I LOVED it!~ researching the flora and fauna of the several environs described in the story, FEETSPEAK, as I did in the other two stories of the I AM A CHILD Trilogy.
Most of the story takes place during the Spring, Summer, and early Fall with one Wintry exception. The majority of the setting takes place on the Plains of the USA’s Midwest and special care was given to a little pond near the small wheat farm Cinnamon lives on with her Grandmother.
A respectful graciousness is shared by all the characters in the story for the beauty and gifts Nature gives.
Country living is shown to be bountiful, yet challenging. A willingness to work and respect the land is threaded throughout the story of FEETSPEAK.
A brief exploration of the USA’s Blue Ridge Mountains and the maple woods of its Northeast are, also, part of the scenery.
Part of my publishing package with Writers Republic includes a whimsical, engaging website, which gives me opportunities to Blog about FEETSPEAK and include many Book Study activities.
My Author’s Website
This website is extremely easy to navigate. The Navigation Bar includes an animated Home Page ( it’s delightful ! ), an About the Author (ME!) link, an About the Book link with a summary and buttons to click for places to purchase and view book pages, my Blog link, and a Contact Me link for all your questions, comments, concerns, and requests.
FEETSPEAK is available in hardback, paperback, and digitally.
I’ve already posted several Blogs (surprise!) and there’s LOTS more to come. Read on….
THE BLOG
As an educator, one of my VERY FAVORITE teaching opportunities involved a Book Study. Teased by my teammates for going on and on with activity after activity focused on ONE class-read novel, I just handed them the FAT Unit I created that went on and on into the wonders of a well-written novel.
“The possibilities,” I’d remark with a grin, “are ENDLESS!”
And it is with the same enthusiasm, I have created and developed MANY activities for you and yours to explore and choose while reading FEETSPEAK.
Some, not all, of course, of the Book Study activities include:
learning new Vocabulary Words
analyzing Comprehension Elements
using Graphic Organizers
investigating Characters and their Traits
exploring the Power of Colorful Descriptors
transferring Verbal Imagery into Drawings
writing Letters
cooking up a Recipe or five…
discovering Nature
Believe me ~ there’s MORE!!
The Blogs I have published so far:
WELCOME !
CHILDHOOD MUTISM
HELPING YOUR GRIEVING CHILD.
The next Blog is FEETSPEAK’S STORY SEQUENCE.
Most activities will be a digital download.
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this Info~Blog for Hot Off The Press: FEETSPEAK! as much as I enjoyed writing it. It’s my latest (and, maybe, my greatest) “endeavor” !
Friends, Sun, Sand & Sea; That sounds like a Summer to me. ~ Lily Ross
Depending on where you live or are, August can be the HOTTEST month of the year……
The breeze is hot. Swim water is warm (except the Pacific Ocean). You sweat in the shade. Ice ….what ice !?!
What do I do in August? Wish, wish, wish for RAIN!!!! And stay indoors near a fan and air co…..
Yes, staying indoors for hours during the day seems to solve the TOO HOT problem…..but it can, also, create another problem, too……
Here are a few Solutions: invite your family & friends to showcase their talents in a Show; daydream & create using your imagination; study great inventions as an inspiration for constructing a robot; and/or cook up some Edible Insects (with food stuff NOT bugs).
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in the four units of August’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at August’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ June Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
August’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
You could be the star, you shine so bright. You could be your own Spotlight! ~ Hey Miss Awesome/Sualci
Week One of CLAMDiggers: August’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 50-page unit entitled SPOTLIGHT: Dancers, Singers, Musicians; Painters, Sculptors, Magicians .
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Begin with the Overview, Set-Up & Who’s Who List Template included in SPOTLIGHT.
Then, put Publicity to work with try-out flyers and templates for posters & the program.
Next, have the Talent Selection Committee handle the Auditions & Callbacks, Performance List & Prep.
Prepare The Master of Ceremony with tips, vocabulary & a Master Performance List.
Finally, give the Crew their job descriptions for Staging the Show.
Decide if you want to present a Theme-Based Talent Show with an Additional Acts List.
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, poster board, colors, pencils, clipboards, highlighters, note-cards, stage setting materials/tools, etc.
You can access the SPOTLIGHT unit by clicking on the link below:
And I have created several interactive, hands-on Games and Activities for learning the Vocabulary Words your child will be seeing, hearing, reading, and writing according to his/her current Grade Level.
CLAMDIGGER’S Summer Games for Boosting Vocabulary
Each of these Summer-themed Games contains Grade-Level Specific Vocabulary Word Lists collected from frequently cited reading texts ~ fictional and informational as well as academic terms used in the classroom on a daily basis.
The 7 games included follow Bloom’s Taxonomy sequence for increasing Critical Thinking Skills:
The Vocabulary Guide presents a review of grammatical terms used to identify the components of Words ~ KNOWLEDGE.
Specific Game Sorts allows the learner to understand how each word follows certain rules ~ COMPREHENSION by organizing, summarizing, translating & describing the wide range of categories Vocabulary Words can share.
Specific Word Activities provides opportunities for the learner to take what s/he knows & use it ~ APPLICATION of learned content to produce solutions in a variety of problems.
Word Part Specific Charts, Lists & Tables enables the learner to use Critical Thinking Skills for ~ ANALYSIS of learned Vocabulary Words into components by recognizing the relationships of their different and/or similar elements.
Additional Vocabulary List gives the learner connections for making unknown words known ~SYNTHESIS of these diverse elements for building and strengthening Vocabulary acquisition.
And prepares the learner for ~ EVALUATION, then, provides opportunities for making judgements on newer, unknown Words by using the Skills attained from following the above sequence.
A Grade-Level Specific Literature List ~ see above BLB Resource Library link~ along with a general Lesson Plan are included.
A variety of Word categories are explored with each Vocabulary Word groups.
Vocabulary Word Groupings
These Summer-themed Vocabulary-Boosting Games cover the following Word Elements:
Summer Blooms: Nouns & Verbs
Pool Party: Adjectives & Adverbs
Summer Fruit Basket: Prefixes, Suffixes & Root Words
Under The Sea: Synonyms & Antonyms
Sandcastles: Summer Compound Words
Summer Vocabulary Words Study: Third-30 words/Fourth-40 words/Fifth-50 words
If you’re not barefoot, then you’re overdressed. ~ Anonymous
July is DEFINITELY a Summer month !
This HOT, HOT month if filled with activities & food to COOL, COOL you down ~ swimming, anything frosty & icy, non-heat cooking & eating (unless it’s a BBQ), fans, air co, shade, hammocks, shorts, flip-flops, sunglasses, and LOTS of sunscreen.
Our BIG summer celebration happens on The Fourth of July with lots of star-spangled fireworks to light up the Summer Night, which is usually full of the moon & stars. Many Tall Tales & Legends are shared on lazy Summer days & nights before & after hours of splishing & splashing in a cool body of water.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in the four units of July’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at July’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ July Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
July’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation evermore. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
Week One of CLAMDiggers: July’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 19-page unit entitled Independence Day .
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Create a Star Streaming Patriotic Pinwheel by following the directions & using the pinwheel & stars template.
If you want to contribute a dish or two for the Fourth of July Eats, read & select some Food Ideas for A Star-Spangled Celebration to make and/or prepare the recipes included: Sandwich Stars & Lemon Star Punch with Red, White & Blue Salad and A Patriot’s Parfait .
Water is the driving force of all Nature. ~ Leonardo da Vinci
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: May’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 36-page unit entitled Fun in the Water: Oceans, Lakes & Rivers.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Learn the difference between salty & fresh waters when you construct & play several sort & match games with What Do You Know About Water, Water Everywhere ?
Build Tiny Islands in the Sea and record your observations of their growth on a data chart.
Make a water safety poster & sort game when learning about Water Safety & Water Fun.
Create a Water Safety & Fun Memory Books Mobile with a variety of book cover images.
General Supply List: heavy printing paper, cardstock, scissors, glue, tape, stapler, rubber bands, veggie tops & bottoms, book binding material, white poster board, colors, blue & green cardstock, notebook paper, pony beads, fishing line, crimps, hole punch, paper clips, pliers, ruler
You can access the Fun in the Water: Oceans, Lakes & Rivers unit by clicking on the link below:
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. ~R.W.Emerson
How very lovely is the month of June !
There’s still enough Spring in the air with its gentle breezes to cool off Summer’s warming sun! Long vacations are on the horizon with camp outs, street fairs, amusement parks , and farmers’ markets gaining more attention.
It’s the perfect time to celebrate Fathers’ Day; organize some Summer Solstice Backyard Fun with friends, family & neighbors; go on the long-awaited vacation to a favorite haunt and/or a new, exciting place; and, of course, before the warm weather becomes HOT, enjoy The Sun with all its sparkle.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in the four units of June’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at June’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ June Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
June’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Anyone can go on an adventure, even if it’s in your own backyard. ~ Carmela Dutra
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: June’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 56-page unit entitled Backyard Summer Fun.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
A Backyard Fun Eco ~ Fair includes the planning, organizing, activities/games ideas with how-to direction cards, supply lists, and the images you’ll need to post at each site.
The seasonal NatureWatchers’ Summer Journal comes with the journal covers, page inserts , and vocabulary list.
General Supply List: cardstock, printing paper, pencil, colors, scissors, binding, O-ring, hole punch, specific Fair supplies
You can access the Backyard Summer Fun unit by clicking on the link below:
CLAMDIGGERS’ Summer Literacy Enrichment Collection is a HUGE combination of my Product Units, Resources from my Resource Library, and Freebies guaranteed to engage your youngster(s) with lots of entertaining activities and projects ~ involving LOTS of too-busy-to-be-bored time….
But, before I begin & you read on, let me share some things my many Summers with Kids of various ages taught me:
a DAILY routine is a SANITY ~ SAVER for you & the kids
Outdoor time EVERY DAY is a MUST, especially if it’s water-related
Multiple opportunities for arts, crafts & projects is a NECESSITY
Click on this link for some wonderful website helpers:
If you need something more organized and day-to-day, I’ve created Celebration Calendars for June, July & August. This project-unit consists of a monthly-themed activity list and a daily celebration list with over 65 specific activities. Recipes & Activity Sheets are , also, included. Here’s the TpT link:
And if travel will require some time and distance, I created a Road Trip Fun Activity Booklet to entertain your youngster(s) which you can access on this link:
Creativity and the Arts are part of the list of activities to promote the growth & development of Critical Thinking Skills.
I Can Be SO VERY Creative!
Anything Is Possible – Anand Kumar
Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly. ~Van Morrison
If your child needs a little confidence nudge and/or inspiration, my Resource Library has a reading list as well as a few ideas for beginning a creative hobby that might help:
Is your youngster seem to always have his/her nose in a book and you’d like to see some diversity in the reading material choices? Keep reading…
I Can Read All Summer Long!!!
Reading – Nathalie_art
One benefit of Summer is that each day we have more light to read by. ~ (paraphrased) Jeanette Walls
How wonderful to be able to read into the night and early morning without a care in the world except for what’s going to happen next in the book I am devouring….
Of course, my Reference Library has several Book Lists for you and yours in several genres:
Read on for Social Studies, Geography & History Resources & Activities are coming up next….
Studying Our World
The World At Your Feet – CFI
If you’re not barefoot, then, you’re overdressed. ~Unknown
Studying Our World ~ to me, anyway ~ is ABSOLUTELY fascinating. If your youngster (or three) loves finding out how the civilizations of Our World have affected us today, I have a few drops in that bucket to hold his/her (their) interest.
The categories I’ve listed, of course, have cross-over elements and events.
If your youngster(s) need a little boost in Reading & Writing this Summer, keep reading for LOTS of Resources, Product Units & Freebies. Your Home-School efforts just got a little easier !
Your Home-School Summer School
Summer School Bummer – Kidaha
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it in summer school. ~ Josh Stern
My son, a smart as he is, was NOT an avid reader `like his mom, the school teacher. However, during the Summer Vacation months, a 30 minute DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time was NOT an option. He chose when to spend those reading minutes during the daylight hours. Hottest time, preferably….
So, if you need some Home-Summer-School action and need some additional assistance, I’ve got some support for you & yours.
Hope these tips, ideas & resources help to make your Home Summer School a success!
And make sure you take some “do nothing” time ~ it’s important….
Taking Some “Do Nothing” Time
Doing Nothing Is Doing Something – Completely Shaw
Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~ Sam Keen
On August 11, 2017, Parent Co. published an article on their site entitled, “Why the Lazy Days of Summer Are Actually the Most Memorable for Kids”.
Podcast host/writer Shauna Niequist & writer Tish Oxenreider traveled extensively with their children. When they asked them to cite the most memorable events of the vacations, the extraordinary was not expressed. What was shared were the ordinary things like “swimming in the hotel pool, wandering through fields, playing with new friends, and eating”.
Consequently, both moms came to the same conclusion ~”When everything is awesome, nothing is awesome.” Their children remembered everyday, ordinary events when they had their parents’ undivided attention.
“Uh huh”….. I mused. So, I created a little 18-page Freebie with Lots of Together activities and a Scrapbook template for capturing, recording, and keeping those Summer Memory Makers.
Hopefully, this CLAMDiggers Summer Literacy Enrichment Collection of Resources , Product Units & Freebies will keep you & yours engaged all Summer long with its new ideas for your Family Literacy Circle.
Let me hear from you with questions, concerns, comments.
Please share them by filling in the Contact Me form below. You will NOT be subscribing. I look forward to hearing from you & will try to respond as soon as possible.
However, if you wish to be a FREE subscriber to the BLB Exclusive for more tips, ideas, strategies, updates & more, please fill in the form below.
Artists celebrate this month with songs, poetry, and paintings. Warm breezes with plenty of sunshine invite all of Earth’s living things to frolic through soft, grassy fields of wildflowers and wade in its warming waters.
It’s the perfect time to celebrate Mothers’ Day, giggle at Baby Animals, give your Bicycle a tune up, ride around your Neighborhood, and go on a Picnic with friends.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in the five units of May’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at May’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ May Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
May’s six poems are printed onto six thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Animals are born who they are, accept it, and that is that. ~Gregory Maguire
Week Two of CLAMDiggers: May’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 16-page unit entitled Baby Animals.
It contains the following Project/Activity:
A Baby Animals Pop-Up Book includes Construction Instructions, Cover/Page Insert Template, Info Chart with Blank Fill-In Template. Baby Animal Photos, And a Vocabulary List.
The whole world is one neighborhood. ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: May’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 22-page unit entitled Neighbors in the Neighborhood.
It contains the following Project/Activity:
Design A Neighborhood includes Construction Instructions for building a Neighborhood with Places, Street Names, Building Names, Map Key & Compass for a Make-A-Map, and Building Faces Templates.
General Supply List: heavy printing paper, cardstock, straws, play dough, green poster board, small chipboard boxes, black construction paper, colored paper & cardstock scraps, pencil, ruler, scissors, tacky glue, colors, tape, sticky notes
You can access the Neighbors in the Neighborhood unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Five of CLAMDiggers: May’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 24-page unit entitled Let’s Have A Picnic.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Plan A Picnic includes Picnic ~ Menu Ideas, a Sample Menu with Blank Menu Templates, 5 Picnic Recipe Cards with several Blank Recipe Cards & Collection Covers, Lists for Eco-Packing a Picnic, and Invitations for Indoor/Outdoor Picnics.
Make A Sit-Upon gives Instructions for Constructing a Indoor/Outdoor seating mat.
General Supply List: heavy printing paper, cardstock, colored cardstock scraps, colors, white grease pencil, scissors, hole-punch, O-ring, newspapers, oilcloth, clothespins, tacky glue.
You can access the Let’s Have A Picnic unit by clicking on the link below:
Winter’s done, and April’s in the skies; Earth, look up with laughter in your eyes! ~ Ch.G.D.Roberts
Rain, rain, rain is usually the song April sings as it welcomes Spring and its bright greenery, vibrant flowers, and new baby animals. It almost appears to be magical how the Earth transforms from gray and white to a rainbow of colors everywhere!
April’s Magic can encourage your flights of fantasy into the world of Fairy Tales, inspire your creative side during Cloudy & Rainy days, empower your Earth~Saver awareness, and strengthen your respect for the beauty, diversity and power of Trees.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in April’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at April’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ April Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
April’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you get a story from everything you touch. ~Hans Christian Anderson
Week One of CLAMDiggers: April’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 33-page unit entitled Fairy Tales.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Fairy Tale Kingdom Board Game includes how-to make directions & placement Diagrams using a File Folder with Images/Labels, Game Cards, Treasure Coins & an Answer Scroll
Pixie Puffs & A Magic Potion are recipes to make & eat while playing the Fairy Tale Kingdom Board Game
General Supply List: file folder, card-stock, printing paper, paint sample cards, small yellow sticker dots, small toy animals, feather, star cluster, large button, ribbon, rubber bands, scissors, ruler, glue stick, large paper clips, baggies, recipe ingredients, cooking & serving tools/ utensils
You can access the Fairy Tales unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: April’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 36-page unit entitled Earth Day Every Day.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Eco ~ Desk Set: Upcycle Chipboard, Tin Cans & A CD includes a Recyclable Diagram with How-To make directions
5 Upcycle ~ Action Lists calls all upcyclers to create projects with Activity Cards for reusing milk jugs, plastic bottles, tin cans, old socks and more
Earth Walk Journal: Track Your Carbon Footprint provides Earth-Savers an opportunity to document their progress with template inserts on tips for eco-friendly actions
General Supply List: chipboard boxes, contact paper, metal cans, old CD, scissors, tacky glue, felt, printing paper, cardstock, hole punch, O-ring, laminate, pencil, binding materials
You can access the Earth Day Every Day unit by clicking on the link below:
Shade outstretch, wide and free; Grow well, good tree! ~ N.B. Turner
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: April’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 31-page unit entitled Arbor Day: A Celebration of Trees.
It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Hello, Trees ! includes a collection of information formatted in cards, a diagram, leaf identification, tree sort game with comprehension & vocabulary components
Hug A Tree Book provides the reader with informative text for writing & illustrating a book
Make A Twig Frame comes with sequential directions and a visual How-To diagram
Tree of Life Wall Sculpture gives step-by-step instructions for constructing a 2 (or 3) dimensional tree sculpture
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding materials, pencil, colors, construction paper, paper scraps, glues, tape, stapler, scissors, twigs, cardboard, photo, heavy book, brown kraft/butcher paper, brown paper bags, decorative papers
You can access the Arbor Day: A Celebration of Trees unit by clicking on the link below:
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~ Aesop
February’s wintery weather is warmed by Valentine’s celebration of love and Friendship.
Recognizing Asian cultures’ New Year with its 16 days of family festivities as well as honoring the Presidents of the United States are, also, part of this month’s unit interactive studies.
Opportunities for creative expressions in art, science, math, social studies, and writing are included in February’s activities.
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at February’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ February Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
February’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
A family in harmony will prosper in everything. ~Chinese Proverb
Week One of CLAMDiggers: February’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 15-page unit entitled Asian New Year. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Lion Dance Mask with Lion Dance Mask Tracers Template
Celebration Lantern with Gung Hei Fat Choy Characters & Asian New Year Animal Images
General Supply List: card-stock, construction paper, paper plates, glitter, large craft stick, red paper ribbon, yellow crepe streamers, pipe cleaners, ruler, scissors, glue, hole punch, markers, stapler
You can access the Asian New Year unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Two of CLAMDiggers: February’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is an 15-page unit entitled Valentines. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Hanging Crayon Hearts with Heart Shape Tracers Template
Fold – Up Valentines Poem Book with Hearts Templates & Valentine Poems
Friendship is a sheltering tree. ~ Samuel Coleridge
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: February’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 21-page unit entitled Friendship. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Friendship Work-Out Sheet with Solution Strategies for Friendship Building
Friendship Board Game with Game Labels & Image, Labels & Image Placement Diagram, 60 Game Cards & Blank Game Cards Template
Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. ~ Abraham Lincoln
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: February’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is an 18-page unit entitled US Presidents. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Presidential Hats of George Washington & Abraham Lincoln with Templates & Diagrams
All The Presidents’ Hats with Hats Info Cards & Hats Symbols
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, construction paper, gold paper, glitter, oatmeal canister, plain red, white or blue cap, scissors, glue, stapler
You can access the US Presidents unit by clicking on the link below:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at January’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ December Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
January’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
The most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
Week One of CLAMDiggers: January’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 17-page unit entitled Nature In Winter. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Every act of love is a work of peace, no matter how small.~ Mother Teresa
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: January’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 15-page unit entitled Civil Rights. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
World Peace Flag: Construction Instructions with People & Map Templates
“I Have A Dream” Sequence Hanger: Construction Instructions with Cloud Sequence Templates
General Supply List: card-stock, construction paper, dowel, colors, ribbon, hole-punch glue, scissors
You can access the Civil Rights unit by clicking on the link below:
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes. ~ Sara Teasdale
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: January’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 19-page unit entitled Hibernation. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Hibernation Landcape: Winter Landscape with Its Hibernating Animals
Stuff A Pita: Recipes & A How-To Writing Form with Organizer
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, construction paper, cotton balls, recipe ingredients, pencil, colors, scissors, glue
You can access the Hibernation unit by clicking on the link below:
You can access CLAMDiggers’ JanuaryLiteracy Enrichment Collection units individually or as a 4-Unit bundle for your convenience & savings. Just click on the link below:
The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. ~P. Corneille
The hustle and bustle of December is a month filled with festive memories ~ past, present & future, delicious & fragrant aromas~ inside & outside, exciting possibilities ~ every day & to come, and multiple celebrations of traditions~ old & new. In my opinion ~ ’tis not a Day, but a Season!
CLAMDiggers’ December Literacy Enrichment Collection includes six of these events:
Remembering an Early American Christmas
Including the Gifts of Nature with Oh! Christmas Tree!
Exploring the Mysteries of Santa and His Reindeer
Recognizing the Traditions of Hanukkah
Discovering the Principles of Kwanzaa
Celebrating the New Year to come
Each and Every Unit of the Literacy Enrichment Collection
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Ready, Set and Go!
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
What Is the CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program?
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at December’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ December Poetry for the Literacy Enrichment Collection
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
December’s seven poems are printed onto seven thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast. ~William Shakespeare
Week One of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 35-page unit entitled An Early American Christmas. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Earl American Christmas Game
Merry Christmas, America ! : A Melting Pot Match Game of Our Traditions
Early American Christmas Memoir, Ornament & Family Coupons
A Frontier Christmas Memory: A Nine-Page Mini-Storybook with a Vocabulary Challenge
Quilted Star Ornament: A Template with Construction Instructions
Family Coupon Book: Template Covers, Inserts & Coupon Ideas
The whole world is a Christmas Tree; And stars its many candles be. ~H. Blodgett
Week Two of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 31-page unit entitled Oh! Christmas Tree!. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Oh!Christmas Tree!Trio of Trees & Pinecone Pair
A Trio of Trees: Templates for a 3-D Sculpture
A Pair of Pine-Cone Presents: Ornaments & Trees
Oh!Christmas Tree! Gathering Guide+Bird Feeding
Nature’s Decorations: A Gathering Guide
Seasons Greetings, Nature: Bird Feeders & Menu Ideas
There seems to be magic in the very name of Christmas. ~Charles Dickens
Week Three of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 33-page unit entitled Santa and His Reindeer. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Santa+His Reindeer Wreath, GiftBag + Manual
Santa’s Reindeer Flight Plan: A 7-Page Booklet with Fill-In Info
Just For Fun!: Color & Cut-Out Santa & His Reindeer Wreath
Reindeer Gift Bag: Template & Construction Instructions
Santa & His Reindeer Game
Real Reindeer: A True/False Game
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding, pencil, colors, glitz, ribbon, scissors, glue, hole-punch, O-ring, stapler, heavy tape, Web access, reference books
You can access the Santa and His Reindeer unit by clicking on the link below:
A candle is a small thing; but one candle can light another. ~Moeshe Davis
Week Four of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 18-page unit entitled Hanukkah. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Hanukkah
Star of David Ornament: Template with Construction Instructions
Lotsa Latkes with Applesauce & Some Matzo Ball Soup, Too!: Ingredients & Cookware List with Recipes
Hanukkah Memories Mini Fold -Up Book: Template with Diagram
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, construction paper, glitter, ribbon, recipe ingredients, pencil, colors, scissors, stapler
You can access the Hanukkah unit by clicking on the link below:
If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~African Proverb
Week Five of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 15-page unit entitled Kwanzaa.. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Kwanzaa Seven Principles Bowl
A Harvest Bowl of Principles: Construction Instructions for A Poster with Image & Text Templates
Kwanzaa Mkeka Mat
Make A Mkeka: Construction Instructions
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, construction paper, black marker, ruler, scissors, glue, framing materials, hole-punch, raffia, laminant or clear contact paper
You can access the Kwanzaa unit by clicking on the link below:
There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind. ~C.S. Lewis
The final week of CLAMDiggers: December’s Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 15-page unit entitled New Year. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
New Year
The Best & Worst of Last Year: A Memories Book with A Best/Worst Choice List
New Year Wishes Basket: Construction Instructions with Wish Ideas
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, binding, pencil, colors, paper plates, paper scraps, glitz, ribbon, scissors, glue, hole-punch
You can access the New Year unit by clicking on the link below:
You can access CLAMDiggers’ DecemberLiteracy Enrichment Collection units individually or as a 6-Unit bundle for your convenience & savings. Just click on the link below:
You won’t be happy with more until you’re happy with what you’ve got. ~ V. King
Crisp November is a month full of creativity, discovery, and gratitude. CLAMDiggers: November’s Literacy Enrichment Collection includes four of these events:
Engaging in an Autumn Fantasy
Exploring Long Ago to Modern Day
Discovering the Influence of Our Native Americans
Preparing for Giving Thanks
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
a Thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at November’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ November Poetry
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
November’s five poems are printed onto five thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Let cheerfulness abound with industry. ~ R.L. Stevenson
CLMDgrsNov: Autumn Fantasy
Week One of CLAMDiggers’ November Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 22-page unit entitled Autumn Fantasy . It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Autumn Fantasy: Dancing Scarecrow, Barnyard Hoedown Diorama + Music Maker
DANCING SCARECROW: Template with Construction Instructions
MUSIC MAKER; Construction Instructions
BARNYARD HOE~DOWN DIORAMA: Farm Animal Templates with Construction Instructions
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, wallpaper, decorative papers, craft paper, construction paper, open diorama box, yarn, raffia, paper plates, large craft stick, dried beans, colors, glue, stapler, scissors
You can access the Autumn Fantasy unit by clicking on the link below:
Week Two of CLAMDigger’s November Literacy Enrichment Colllection is a 55-page unit entitled Then And Now . It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Long Ago to Modern Day: Card Match and Vocabulary Game, Mini-Info Book Connecting the Past with the Present + Toys Will Be Toys Informational Text
LONG AGO TO MODERN DAY: A Card Match & Vocabulary Game
FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT: A Mini-Info Book Connecting the Past with the Present
TOYS WILL BE TOYS: Comparing & Contrasting Long Ago & Modern Day Toys Using Informative Text
Teach us to walk the soft earth as relatives to all that live. ~Sioux Prayer
CLMDgrsNov: Native Americans
Week Three of CLAMDiggers’ November Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 25-page unit entitled Native Americans. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Native American Words We Use Match Game, Fill-In Comprehension, Sacred Animal Sand Painting + Dream Catcher
NATIVE AMERICAN WORDS WE USE: Photo & Vocabulary Match Game with Fill-In Comprehension Activity
SACRED ANIMAL TOTEM SAND PAINTING :Some Animal Images with Construction Instructions
DREAM CATCHER: Construction Instructions
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, pencil, colors, glues, scissors, dictionary, colored sand, paintbrushes, small bowls, beads, feathers, yarn, paper plate, glitz
You can access the Native Americans unit by clicking on the link below:
Take a rest; the field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. ~ Ovid
CLMDgrsNov: Giving Thanks
Week Four of CLAMDiggers’ November Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 20-page unit entitled GivingThanks. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Giving Thanks Wreath + Giving Thanks Placecards
LET US GIVE THANKS WREATH
LET US GIVE THANKS PLACE~CARDS
Giving Thanks Mini Poster + Placecards
LET US GIVE THANKS MINI POSTER
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, dry bean soup mix, heavy-weight paper plates, raffia, tacky glue, pencil, 8 X 10 picture frame, colors, scissors
You can access the Giving Thanks unit by clicking on the link below:
You can access CLAMDiggers’ NovemberLiteracy Enrichment Collection units individually or as a 4-Unit bundle for your convenience & savings. Just click on the link below:
The wind walks wildly in the trees tonight. ~ JT Stickney
Mysterious October is a month full of exploration, discovery, color, and imagination. CLAMDIGGERS: October’s Literacy Enrichment Collection includes four of these events:
Celebrating Country & City Pets
Discovering Old World Explorations
Learning & Applying Healthy Nutrition
Enjoying the Fun of Halloween
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
A thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at October’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ October Poetry
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
October’s five poems are printed onto six thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
Animals are such agreeable friends they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. ~George Eliot
CLMDgrsOct: We Love Pets
Week One of CLAMDigger’s October Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 30-page unit entitled We LOVE Pets . It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what’s beyond. ~Buzz Aldrin
CLMDgrsOct: Old World Explorations
Week Two of CLAMDigger’s October Literacy Enrichment Colllection is a 53-page unit entitled Old World Explorations . It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Oct: Ship & Game Cards
SETTING SAIL: Parts & Provisions of the Seafaring Vessel
Oct: Game Board
INTO THE NEW WORLD: An Exploration Board Game
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, pencil, colors, rubber bands, scissors, glue stick, tape/stapler, blue poster board, blue & green paint chips, ziploc, die, game-player movers, treasures
You can access the Old World Explorations unit by clicking on the link below:
Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. ~Jim Rohn
CLMDgrsOct: A Nutrition Guide
Week Three of CLAMDigger’s October Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 42-page unit entitled Healthy Body! Healthy Brain! : A Nutrition Guide. It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Week Four of CLAMDigger’s October Literacy Enrichment Collection is a 47-page unit entitled Boos & Hisses! It’s Halloween ! It contains the following Projects/Activities:
Oct: Pumpkins
HANGING PUMPKIN PATCH
Oct: Halloween Party
HAPPY HALLOWEEN PARTY!
General Supply List: card-stock, printing paper, recyclable paper shreds, straw-colored raffia, string, ribbon, yarn, pencil/pen, envelopes/stamps
You can access the Boos & Hisses! It’s Halloween! unit by clicking on the link below:
You can access CLAMDiggers’ OctoberLiteracy Enrichment units individually or as a 4-Unit bundle for your convenience & savings. Just click on the link below:
Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. ~A. Szent-Gyorgi
September is such a dynamic month full of celebration and changes. CLAMDIGGERS: September’s Literacy Enrichment Collection includes five of these events:
Appreciating our Community of Helpers
Preparing for Back to School
Celebrating our Grandparents
Observing the changes of Autumn
Exploring the wonderful world of Apples
The Components of each Unit include:
colorful Front & Back covers
a Contents list
an Introduction Sequence
a Master Materials List
A thematic Literature List of fiction& nonfiction trade books
an overall Lesson Plan
Projects/Activities with Construction Instructions written on an Independent Reading Level for Grades 3 ~ 6
Preparation for each of these units can be done by following this sequence:
Read over the Materials & Tools needed for each project in the Master Materials List ~ a component included with each Unit.
Gather the Materials & Tools together specific for each Activity ~ card-stock, printing paper, scissors, glue, pencil, colors, etc.
Protect your work space with a plastic, washable tablecloth, newspaper, or butcher paper ~ the latter invites doodling & checklists.
Read all the steps included in the Sequence part of the Instructions provided for each Project/Activity BEFORE beginning.
Keep a copy of these Construction Instructions close by, so you can re-read as you create.
Clean up your work space when you have completed what you wanted to do.
Click on this link for more information on CLAMDiggers’ Literacy Enrichment Program:
Read on for more Details on each Unit, but, first, take a look at September’s Poetry Posters to provide each Unit with a little focus.
CLAMDiggers’ September Poetry
During my years in the classroom, I discovered the best way to focus my students’ attention for new content was a choral read of thematic poetry written with colorful images.
September’s six poems are printed onto six thematic 8 ½ x 11″ images you can enlarge if needed. The font sizes are large as well.
You can access this PDF freebie in Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s TPT Shop by clicking on this link:
If you become a bird and fly away from me, I will be a tree that you come home to. ~ from The Runaway Bunnyby Margaret Wise Brown
I’m sure you’re noticing A LOT of changes in your 8~11 year-old child….oops..I mean, young girl/boy…
In my experience with this age group, I discovered these children to be immersed in what I call “The Golden Age of Learning”.
Their Literacy independence is inspiring them to explore a plethora of adventures in an imaginative and creative way. They are able to locate the answers to SO MANY of the questions they continually ask every day. And are SO VERY delighted to be able to do so!
Their Problem Solving skills as well as Task Completion rate are increasing with accuracy….most of the time.
If you haven’t done so already, dear Reader, NOW is the time to UP YOUR GAME for your Upper Elementary child’s Literacy!!!
Your Upper Elementary Child’s Literacy
I’m sure you’re SO over hearing “I’m NOT a CHILD anymore!” (note the correction in the Intro….), especially when supervision is a must.
Family Time is becoming…..rare, unless, of course, a few of “my friends” can be included…. Just how many extracurricular activities can one person participate in !?!?
I will tell you, though, those clubs, classes and sports will be a GOOD thing in the coming years….Seriously~keep the meter running.
Oh, and Hobbies & Collections are DEFINITELY a MUST for elevating your Upper Elementary child’s Literacy. Here are a few categories:
Visual Arts, like painting, sculpting, drawing
Crafts (several), like scrap-booking, sewing, cooking, etc.
Performing Arts, like acting, singing, dancing, etc.
Musical Instruments, like piano, guitar, trumpet, etc.
Sports: Team & Solo, like soccer, baseball, tennis, track, skating, martial arts, etc.
Camping Excursions, like scouting, nature hikes, etc.
Gardening, like veggies, fruits, herbs, flowers, landscaping, etc.
Building Sets, like Legos, Lincoln logs, etc.
Model Kits, like ships, airplanes, cars, rockets, etc.
Board Games, especially ones that involve mystery & strategy.
Need more ideas ? BLB’s Library has a few Resources for you. Just click on these links:
Not only is your 8~11 year-old digging deep into how things work, they are, also, developing quite a passion for the world beyond their family and surrounding community.
WOW! It’s A Great Big World Out There!
The World Is Ours~Canva Foto
Your child’s interest in reading about exciting adventure, fantasies, and science fiction’s future feeds his/her daydreams. Seeking other places, cultures, and, yes, even worlds influences daily thoughts and ideas.
Having the tools of independent research allows her/him to travel into the far-reaching realms of imagination and creativity.
Don’t be surprised if s/he wants to learn a few more languages along the way….
Language’s listening and talking are taking on a whole new perspective within your 8~11 year-old’s communication skills.
Well, You Won’t Believe What Happened Next….
You may have to “listen in” to conversations between your youngster and her/his friends to hear the substantial amount of new vocabulary being included in the day-to-day dialogues.
And, then, she said…~Canva5
And they’re not just everyday words either….
S/he is learning how to say exactly what s/he wants/means to say. Communication, especially between peers, is becoming more and more important.
The phone, if you are permitting one, is a new “appendage”…
You’ll, also, notice a keener sense of humor is emerging. There is, also, an appreciation for solving riddles and a more sophisticated involvement in word play. S/he is very entertained/ing with his/her clever, sly Language skills.
BLB’s Library has a Resource for encouraging your child’s “funny bones”:
So, “Where is all this ‘sophistication’ coming from?” you wonder….
Common Core’s Ongoing Language Expectations
Beginning in Third Grade and continuing throughout each grade level, s/he is expected to “demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking”.
Here’s a general list of the sentence structures s/he is expected to understand, form and utilize with accuracy:
Explain what a noun, verb, adjective and adverb is and how they are used in a sentence
Form sentences with accurate subject-verb agreement
Can form & speak simple, compound & complex sentences
Specifically, there are expectations for forming & using the different parts of speech as well:
regular & irregular plural nouns
abstract nouns
regular & irregular verbs
simple verb tenses
comparative & superlative adjectives and adverbs
conjunctions
Many of these expectations are modeled and taught during reading instruction. Remember~ your child’s independent level of Reading is not only contributing to the amount s/he chooses to read, but, also, the escalating amount of fiction and nonfiction texts s/he is experiencing in the classroom.
I Am Reading to Learn
Today a Reader, tomorrow a Leader.~Margaret Fuller
Even though your upper elementary child’s literacy level may enable her/him to read independently, you can continue to ensure her/his comprehension of the text by listening to him/her read aloud and using the following strategies:
Ensure the content is not only appropriate for his/her maturity level, but, also, her/his actual reading level.
Encourage a Pre-Read for background knowledge, vocabulary understanding & interest level.
Confirm the content of fictional reads has a predictable Beginning, Middle & Ending structure with one Main Problem/Conflict.
Make sure the content of nonfictional reads has a predictable & supported Main topic.
Periodically, ask questions about the read and/or have her/him retell what was just read.
Reading to Learn-Canva10
If you want to wait until after s/he has finished reading the chapter or slim book, here are some comprehensions questions to ask:
What happened in the Beginning of the story? (listen for Important Details)
Middle? Ending? (again, listen for Important Details to be included during the Retell)
Did the story remind you of anything or anyone? (his/her response should be a “Yes, it made me think about….”)
What is the Setting of the story? (characters, place & time)
What was the Main Problem, or Conflict in the story & how did it get Solved? (several solution attempts may be made before the actual success of one)
Using these comprehension strategies verbally or in a Reading Response Journal will continue to strengthen your Upper Elementary child’s Literacy.
Is your child a “Good” Reader?
“Good” Reader Strategies
Yes, reading for pleasure is VERY important. However, Your Independent Reader needs to read for accuracy so s/he is learning as s/he reads.
~PREVIEW~
Look at the Book Cover & Title
Do a Picture Walk & scan some of the Text
~QUESTION~
Ask Who did What, When, Where, Why & How.
Ask if the text is making sense & supporting the Main Idea.
~PREDICT~
Wonder about what you think will happen in the story.
Make some predictions and, then, read to find out how accurate your predictions were.
~INFER~
Think about how some of the Important Details are meaningful to the story.
Use those Details to help you define the Author’s Purpose for telling the story.
~CONNECT~
Relate the story to your thoughts, feelings and what you know.
Compare/Contrast the story to other stories you’ve read or heard as well as the world around you.
~SUMMARIZE~
Organize/Sequence the Main Details of the story.
Draw Conclusions about those Important Details.
~EVALUATE~
Once you have finished reading the story, decide what you learned from the text.
Then, decide if what you read was important to you & if you enjoyed reading it.
And, what is your Independent Reader reading?
Your Child’s Reading Interest Levels
Reading to Learn~Canva12
You can continue elevating your upper elementary child’s Literacy by making sure s/he has access to a wide ~ and I mean WIDE~ variety of fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, newspapers & how-to project books.
Books about historic, modern, and futuristic adventures with humor, excitement, mystery and the “unexpected” are definitely reads to pique his/her interests.
Here’s a great link with Book Ideas for your Independent, Upper Elementary Reader:
Make glossaries, dictionaries, and other reference word helpers part of the easy-to-access library. They are definite tools for:
unknown words’ spelling and multiple-meanings
root words
how prefixes & suffixes affect root words
figurative language
literal & non-literal words/phrases in context
abstract words
Fortunately, if those fine motor skills were hampering your child’s writing progress, the coordination of hand & fingers are improving ~ a plus to the actual physicality of writing.
Otherwise, if writing is a struggle ~ and it is for many of us ~read on for a few helpful suggestions.
ARGH!!! Writing !!!!
ARGH! Writing!~Alexandra Koch
Loves to read, but Hates to Write!!!! BLB’s Library has a few Resources for you:
The BEST and most effective suggestion I have for your I HATE TO WRITE writer is Interactive Writing between you and your child. Select a journal, have your writer decorate it, and begin:
I hope this Post has some ideas and suggestions you can use in your Family Literacy Circle regardless of the Independence of your Learner.
Now…for the 52-week, cross-curricular, interactive, hands-on, enrichment program I promised to deliver for your 8~11 year-old Learners. Click on the link below for CLAMDiggers:
This is the CLAMDiggers’ Enrichment Program Overview!
A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his/her might that which s/he desires. ~Paulo Coelho
I am very excited to share CLAMDiggers: a 52~week, cross-curricular, enrichment, and interactive program I developed from my teaching and learning experiences with children, ages 8~11 years-old.
They always encouraged and inspired hands-on activities with readily available materials. Producing projects, such as games, books, sculptures, puppets, skits, paintings, food, keepsakes, etc. enhanced not only the learning process propelled by children’s love of an engaging read, but also, stimulated their creative skills in critical thinking, problem solving, visual & spatial reasoning, etc.
In the Beginning…
In the Classroom-Ludi
CLAMDiggers was originally developed as a classroom enrichment program and/or an after-school activity club for children, ages 8-11, integrating fiction and nonfiction literature with craft-making, role-play and artistic expression.
However, given the changing landscape of education, I tweaked and edited each Unit’s activities to make them more tech-friendly and accessible. Their priority remains as an interactive, hands-on learning experience.
Initially formatted for a classroom teacher, I re-worded Activity Directions into an Upper Elementary Independent Reading Level. The Lesson Plan is written as a guide for teaching reading comprehension within the thematic trade book selection list.
An Educational Overview
Building Cognitive Skills with CLAMDiggers-Hires
CLAMDiggers is designed to build Cognitive Skills through Critical Thinking.
While promoting the ongoing development of a child’s eagerness to explore the accomplishments of creative production through manipulative experiences, CLAMdiggers:
cultivates an appreciation for appropriate children’s literature using a thematic approach
addresses cross-curriculum objectives throughout each lesson for analysis, synthesis and evaluation
inspires creative production using a variety of art media
provides opportunities for extension and enrichment within the framework of each session
increases an understanding of the global community on both physical and cultural levels
The impact of CLAMDiggers is immediate and expansive, as each child internalizes the confidence to express imaginative responses.
CLAMDiggers’ Format
CLAMDiggers’ Format-Canva
This labor of love of mine is assembled into seasonal / monthly / weekly collections (Summer, too) and formatted to correspond with educational guidelines. Each session includes:
An Introduction with an Instructional Sequence
The Unit’s Introductory Overview includes a suggested Instructional Sequence for integrating the fiction and nonfiction, Thematic Literature, grade-level trade books listed with the Haptic Activities included.
Master Materials & Literature Books Lists
The Unit’s Master Materials List is a complete inventory of each Activity’s necessary supplies for completion. Substitution ideas are, also, included. The Unit’s Thematic Literature List is compiled of titles I successfully used in the classroom. Children predictably and positively responded to these 10-12 reads. There are spaces for you to lists your choices as well.
A Lesson Plan with Curriculum Objectives
Each Lesson Plan generally focuses on ideas for utilizing a variety of Comprehension Elements within the Literature reads. It, also, provides the Objectives the specific session will address. These Curriculum guidelines are designated in abbreviations: LA (Language Arts), MTH (Math), SS (Social Studies), SC (Science), HLTH (Health), A (Art), M (Music) & PE (Physical Education). The Activities/Projects are listed as well.
Activities/Projects with Directions, Illustrations, Templates & Extensions
Directions for the Activity or Project have been sequentially tested for understanding. I know how LITERAL children can be, especially with Hands-On tasks. Some illustrations and templates may be included for, hopefully, easier modelling and tracer accessibility. Extension ideas at the conclusion of each Activity/Project will give you and your child more possibilities for enrichment.
Seasonal & Monthly Studies
CLAMDiggers’ Invitation for Study-Atlantamomoffive
Each Seasonal collection of Literature Study & Activity/Project options includes opportunities to:
celebrate Nature’s seasonal changes
investigate weather patterns
observe the sky’s phenomena
explore a variety of animals
discover plant-life
Monthly Units have a collection of mini- poetry posters to introduce a focus on the content of the different lessons within each weekly session. They may include connections to:
celebrate holidays & special occasions
examine historical events
research social environments
create plays & games
apply critical thinking skills for problem solving
use imagination for expression
Here’s Condensed Contents List of the CLAMDiggers’ Seasonal & Monthly Main Ideas:
JANUARY: Nature in Winter/Snow/Civil Rights/Hibernation
FEBRUARY: Asian New Year/Valentines/Friendship/US Presidents
MARCH: Dr Seuss & Imagination/Windy Weather/A Wee Bit O’ Green/Spring Into Spring/Humor
APRIL: Fairy Tales/Clouds & Rain/Earth Day Everyday/Arbor Day: A Celebration of Trees
MAY: Mothers’ Day/Baby Animals/Bicycles & Safety/Neighbors in the Neighborhood/Let’s Have a Picnic
JUNE: The Sun/Fathers’ Day/Backyard Summer Fun/Going on Vacation
JULY: Independence Day/Summer Nights: Moon & Stars/Tall Tales & Legends/Fun in the Water: Oceans, Lakes & Rivers
DECEMBER: An Early American Christmas/Oh! Christmas Tree!/ Santa & His Reindeer/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/New Year
Weekly Unit Components
Weekly Literature-Canva
Each weekly unit, or session includes the following components:
front & back covers
a contents list
introductory sequence overview
master materials activities list
thematic literature book list
lesson plan
one-four activities with sequential instructions & extension ideas
Crafts, Literature & More
Crafts, Literature & More-Hermann
You can utilize CLAMDiggers’ enrichment program in a variety of ways:
a Home-School enrichment program
an hour after-school club session introduced with a teacher-read trade book and guided activity
a several hours mini “workshop” with your child or several children partner-reading several trade books, electing a teacher-read book and producing activity (ies)
an on-going classroom, thematic DEAR with an independent and/or partner-student read, promoting a book-share, a teacher-read encouraging comprehension and culminating in project production with usage for evaluation
center-based tasks to include student-generated comprehension assessments in conjunction with activity production
cooperative group preparation of book and project presentation
multi-grade level student partnerships for book-shares and activity production
extra-credit or homework assignments to encourage parental involvement
Laminating a pocketed folder with brads or providing a notebook with dividers will help your child or children keep lessons and materials organized. A permanent black marker will enable them to title the cover.
Book Reviews & Comprehension activities with Project Directions can be part of the folder’s contents.
Encourage your students to anecdote the Directions with questions & thoughts. It will help generate Critical Thinking and, hopefully, facilitate Brainstorming and Creativity for Extension Activities .
CLAMDiggers’ Access
Whether selecting a few weekly units individually and/or a monthly bundle (which will include a 30-page booklet of Graphic Organizers for Reading Comprehension, Brainstorming & Writing), CLAMDiggers’ enrichment program for Upper Elementary Learners will be available ~hopefully~ for purchase on Mz. Bizzy Lizzy Biz’s Teachers Pay Teachers Shop several weeks before the Month’s due date. September’s Monthly/Weekly Units are first. Access to the Monthly Poetry Posters will be in the Shop as well. Here’s the link to my Shop:
I hope this literature-based, Literacy enrichment program has caught your interest. Here are a few 10-page Freebies I created to show my appreciation. Just click on the links to open these PDFs:
As a parent-teacher and/or classroom teacher of children, ages 8-11, I know you and yours will find these Units engaging and fun. I would love to hear from you.
Questions? Concerns? Shares?
Just fill in the Contact Me form below. You will NOT be subscribing.
Otherwise, fill in the BLB Exclusive form as a FREE subscriber!
Our children will teach how to love, how to forgive, and how to be full expressions of our deepest selves, if we only let them. ~Ann Ruethling & Patti Pitcher
When I first “organized” this series on The Family Literacy Circle, I thought “Nurturing the Family Literacy Circle with Your Newborn” would be its own post. However, after completing the research, I knew one post wasn’t going to be enough.
Your baby’s first year is HUGE ! Continuing with the Literacy Circle is one of the most important gifts you can share with your newest family member.
Learning to control the physical world with her/his body is your baby’s primary focus: eating, grabbing, rolling over, sitting up, babbling/talking, crawling, walking, climbing, “toddling”. These skills are gained through imitation and repetition. You can see your baby’s personality begin to emerge while “working” on these accomplishments.
How To Make a Nurturing, Literacy-Friendly Home
There’s No Place Like Home -Carlo Navarro
Cynthia Aldinger, founder of Lifeways North America & author of Home Away from Home , coined the phrase “Living Arts”. Creating a supportive and caring home has 4 major elements, according to Ms. Aldinger:
Domestic Activity– Model the work necessary to keep a home safe, healthy & secure. Include your child(ren) so they have opportunities to imitate what is being done and, then, participate with the family.
Domestic Activity’s Literacy Value: oral language, sequential order, following directions, cause & effect, problem/solutions, details
Nurturing Care – Share your life experiences while focusing on your child(ren) as major contributors to the family’s history.
Social Ability – Build confidence in your child(ren) that will help grow & nurture relationships with others outside the family’s sphere, such as friends, schoolmates, clubs, teams.
Social Ability’s Literacy Value : inference, prediction, character, settings, generalizations
Your Newborn’s BrainPower
Grasp of New Life-Jelly
Did you know ?
Newborns have about 100 BILLION brain cells at birth
75% of your newborn’s brain develops AFTER birth
Your baby’s brain DOUBLES in size within her/his first year
Your newborn can feel pleasure, fear & distress
Your newborn’s 5 senses quickly develop once outside the womb
His/her hearing is not fully developed, but s/he recognizes & prefers mother’s voice
S/he recognizes mother’s smell at birth
S/he is sensitive to sounds, light & temperature
S/he can distinguish light from dark, but not different shades of color (pastels), which will develop later
Your newborn’s sensitivity to bright light does not affect his/her need to sleep 15-17 hours a day. During the first few weeks, s/he usually doesn’t know the difference between night and day.
How Smart Is My Baby?
Dr. John Medina, a brain scientist & author of the book, Brain Rules For Baby , shares a few facts about intelligence:
No intelligence gene has been isolated
IQ (intelligence quota) measures one’s ability to take IQ tests
Researchers can’t agree on what IQ tests measure
IQ can change throughout one’s life & is affected by stress, age & cultural environment
Family life affects a child’s IQ
He, also, says the human intelligence has 2 “essential ingredients”:
The ability to record & keep information-the memory
The capacity to use that information – reasoning & problem solving
You and your loved ones can support & nurture your newborn’s brain development in several ways.
How To Boost Your Newborn’s BrainPower for Literacy
Hello Baby!-Public Domain Pic
Babies enter the world with a lot of love and trust. Bonding between parents and child is a major key to the healthy growth and development of your baby’s brain.
Rahima Dancy, an internationally- known early childhood educator & author of You Are Your Child’s First Teacher and Susan Sloop from the University of Illinois Extension (I combined the lists) offered some suggestions:
Touching, cuddling & rocking your baby a lot promotes brain growth and a sense of security & well-being
Responding quickly to your baby’s cries or fussiness with a soothing & calming voice builds positive brain circuitry in her/his brain as well as emotional security
Giving your newborn some peace & quiet time so s/he will adjust to her/his physical life
Spending time face-to-face & being attentive with your baby gives her/him the confidence to explore, discover & learn about the world BUT DO NOT overstimulate or force physical development
Talking, humming & singing with your newborn stimulates his/her brain for understanding speech, producing language, & gaining skills for reasoning as well as planning
Your Newborn’s Oral Language Development & Literacy
Enough Talk Already -Tim Bish
Yes, talking, singing & humming with your newborn helps develop language & literacy. Believe it or not, s/he is communicating with you, too!
Another way to communicate with your newborn is through sign language. “Between 6 to 8 months, babies’ long term memories are developmentally ready to retain the words they hear and the signs they see.” (White & Harper: Signs of a Happy Baby 2017)
Pathways.org, who is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ findings, provides some great information on early childhood growth & development abilities & milestones.
0-3 Months
Quiets and/or smiles in response to sound and/or voice
Turns head towards sound and/or voice
Shows interest in faces
Makes eye contact
Cries differently for different needs: hungry, tired, uncomfortable
Chuckles, gurgles & coos
Literacy Boosters
Talk about everything you are doing: washing your hands, getting dressed, cooking food, feeding baby & family, putting away toys
Use short sentences
Stress important words
Speak slowly & vary your tone
Use pictures and/or objects to help your baby understand
Read books (more on that later)
4-6 Months
Reacts to sudden sounds and/or noises
Listens and responds when spoken to
Begins to to use consonants when babbling: da da; ma ma; ba ba
Makes different kinds of sounds to express feelings
Notices toys that make sounds
Uses babbling to get attention
Literacy Boosters
Hum, chant, rock & bounce in a rhythmic way
Give your baby a rattle to shake while you sing and/or listen to music together
Use a mirror to play “who” & “where” games
Play “Peek-A-Boo” games
Make sure your newborn has musical toys
Give your newborn toys with a variety of textures
Baby Talk: The Communication of Crying
You’ve probably noticed your infant:
playing with saliva (spit spray is fun)
raspberry-tongues (always a favorite)
blowing bubbles (they LOVE to do this)
vocalizations (yells, shouts, growls, howls)
cah-rrrryyyy-ing ( yes, it’s baby talk)
A few words about the Communication of Crying – As a new mother, I was nervous about “understanding” the different cries my baby “spoke”. Very quickly, I learned to recognize what his cry-speak (just made up that term) was communicating. My Mother-Sense alerted me to what he was loudly “saying”. Believe me, they’re not ALL distress signals. Your tired-self will clue you in. And, you, like I, will be amazed at the variety of wails.
Here’s What I Discovered
The Distress Calls were no-brainers for me, as with many parents. My body went into immediate, reflex action. The other cries’ solutions came with a trial-and-error approach. No one wants to hear a baby’s mournful moans, but, sometimes, s/he is just expressing a feeling and/or thought of the moment. Listen closely to your little one and you will be able to distinguish the difference between a cry for help and a cry of frustration. It’s the language of babies-your baby- so, interpreting his/her cries will strengthen the bond between you. “Yay! S/he gets me!”
Here’s How I Discovered What To Do
Distress Calls or Pain: hunger, indigestion, teething, injury, sickness Mother-Sense: hair-raise on the back of my neck, increased heartbeat, stomach-clench, cool sweat, drop every & any thing to address the call, uh- alarm
Annoyance Alerts: diaper duty, clothing adjustment, sucking &/or attention need, toy access desired Mother-Sense: respond & assist in a timely manner or escalation is imminent
Grumble Yowls: dissatisfaction, discomfort, irritation, moodiness Mother-Sense: distract with silliness or fake crying, change of scenery-going outdoors works great, everyone has days like this
Whimper Whines: confusion, tiredness, boredom, mild frustration, lonely, sound exploration, maybe some aches due to growing pains Mother-Sense: wait a short while to see if Baby will self-soothe (IMPORTANT), if not- talk to Baby calmly, offer toy to distract, give teething biscuit or ring, pick up & rock when big tears occur
Disclaimer: I am not a child expert – just a loving parent & elementary educator. well, that was more than “a few words” now, wasn’t it ?!
Literacy Needs Playtime
BabyBlocks-BethL
Watching your baby play is one of the most fascinating and revealing activities you can do. Listen to his/her babbling while at play. You may recognize some of your tones and expressions (in babblese). Not only will you learn how & what your baby is learning, but also, what keeps his/her interests. Seeing glimpses of your baby’s emerging personality and the way problem solving happens is a treasure. Try not to interfere too much when you hear groans or wails of frustration. These, what I call “growing pains”, are helpful to your baby’s brain growth & development.
Kallokyri’s “Importance of Play”
In June 2016 Anastasia Kalokyri created a whimsical infographic : “Facts About the importance of Play in Early Childhood” for shoptwinkie.com.
Within the 8 Stages of Play, from birth to ages 6 & 7, she describes several stages of your newborn’s play.
During Unoccupied Play from birth -3months, your baby’s movements seem to be random without a clear purpose. However, researchers have found these movements are an important first step in the early stages of play.
Constructive Play, which also begins at birth, starts with infants putting things in their mouths to see how they feel & taste.
Beginning at 3 months your newborn may not notice others sitting & playing nearby. During Solitary Play your baby is exploring the world by watching, grabbing & rattling objects.
How Play Affects A Child’s Development
Here are some other facts Ms. Kalokyri shared:
How s/he learns & works out who s/he is
How the world works & how s/he fits into it
Helps build confidence
Helps to feel love, happy & safe
Helps to develop social skills, language & communication
Helps connect & refine pathways in her/his brain
Helps him/her learn about caring for others & the environment
Helps her/him learn physical skills
Playing with your newborn is a very important part of her/his literacy development because it stimulates brain and oral language growth & development. Remember to encourage quiet, solo playtime in your newborn because it is just as important to her/him.
Games, Toys & Literacy
I’m Playing! -Colin Maynard
Playing games with your newborn is a wonderful way to bond and stimulate brain health. Learning through our 5 senses is the human way to make contact with the physical world.
Choose toys that encourage creative and interactive play. Toys made with bright colors and a variety of textures, especially wood , wool, cotton, help your baby connect with the real world.
Talking, humming & singing during play is a great way to boost literacy. Oral language is an important building block when nurturing the Family Literacy Circle. encourage loved ones to participate.
When your baby is tired of playing & needs some quiet time, s/he may: begin sucking, wrinkle face, stare vacantly, yawn, squirm, cry.
Developmental Play for Your Newborn
Because games, toys & books are the POWER tools of your baby’s Literacy World, I researched several different sources to help bring this information to you. It was encouraging to read the repetition within the variety of authorities, scientists & specialists. Here are a few I used and combined their findings.
Dr. Glade Curtis, a pediatritian, and Judith Schuler, MS, co-authored 2010’s Your Baby’s First Year. They help parents understand how they can help their baby’s first year of growth & development with a week-by-week approach.They divide play into: stimulate vision, talk & sing, and vocabulary & language.
Of The Hearth.com cited ZerotoThree.com & Maternal Child Nursing Care as sources to help her create her “Developmentally appropriate Play for Babies ” chart. It is divided into 4 types of play: visual, auditory, tactile & kinetic.
I created tables to share the information. Remember to continue and build on each activity every week.
Developmental Play for Your Newborn (Birth to 1 Month)
AGE
SEE & PLAY
HEAR & PLAY
TOUCH & PLAY
GRAB & PLAY
WEEK 1
*Show bold-patterned objects
*Show pictures of loved one's
faces
*Talk & sing to baby
*Play soothing music
*Hold, caress & cuddle baby
*Rock baby in a rocking chair
WEEK 2
*Look closely into baby's face
*Look closely into baby's eyes
*Sing nursery rhymes
*Play lullaby CDs
*Swaddle baby
*Put baby on his/her back
*Take baby for a stroller walk
WEEK 3
*Move simple bright pics and
see if baby tracks
*Show bright toys close
*Vary the tone of your voice
*Say baby's name often
*Keep baby warm
*Wear baby in a carrier
WEEK 4
*Show pictures of loved one's
faces
*Read anything aloud
*Dance with toys while you sing
*Give butterfly kisses
*Gently shake a rattle
WEEK 5
*Show bright toys close
*Take baby on a house tour, pointing out objects
*Place baby on tummy with bright toys
*Roll a ball while baby is in your lap or in a carrier
WEEK 6
*Hang a mobile above baby
*Describe what your doing when doing chores & caring for her/him
*Play with baby & a mirror
*See if baby will grab colorful rings
WEEK 7
*Make funny faces
*Take baby outside & point out trees, plants, sky, clouds, etc
*Touch baby"s parts & name them
*Shake toy keys & move them
Developmental Play for Your Newborn (2-3 Months)
AGE
SEE & PLAY
HEAR & PLAY
TOUCH & PLAY
GRAB & PLAY
WEEK 8
* Make room bright with high contrast colors
* Tell baby what you're doing while dressing him/her
* Give baby a gentle massage
*Use an infant swing or bouncer
WEEK 9
*Show baby bright toys & slowly move them right/left
* Laugh when baby laughs
* Comb baby's hair with a soft brush
*Place baby on tummy with a mirror
WEEK 10
*Show baby bright toys & slowly move them up/down
* Dance with toys while you sing
* Help baby touch different textures
*Place baby on tummy with toys
WEEK 11
*Show baby bright toys & slowly move them in a circle
* Play CDs with nature sounds
* Play "Little Piggies"
*Utilize toy bars
WEEK 12
*Show baby a small doll in the mirror
*Make up a story to tell baby
*Point to one of your body parts & then touch baby's same part
*Utilize infant mats
WEEK 13
*Show baby how to shake a rattle in the mirror
*Talk to baby about using 4-5 word sentences
Play "Pat-A-Cake"
*Hold up a variety of toys to see which ones baby reaches for
WEEK 14
*Wave bye-bye with baby in the mirror
*Ask baby short questions: "Are you ready to eat?"
"Do a gentle horsey-rock
*Hold a toy in each hand to see which one gets grabbed
WEEK 15
*Read wordless books with bright, simple pictures
*Expose baby to home sounds & different outdoor sounds
*Blow on baby's fingers
*Gently move baby's arms & legs in a swimming motion
Copy of Developmental Play for Your Newborn (4-6 Months)
AGE
SEE & PLAY
HEAR & PLAY
TOUCH & PLAY
GRAB & PLAY
WEEK 16
* You might need to remove mobile or place out of baby's reach
* Expose baby to classical, jazz & pop music as well as different languages
* Look for toys with multiple sensory feels
* Bounce baby in lap while holding in a standing position
WEEK 17
*Make a family & frequent friends photo display
* Tell stories about the people in the photo display
*Show baby the real person next to the photo & touch the person
* Make sure loved ones are playing on the floor with baby
WEEK 18
*Hang prisms to "catch" rainbows
*Talk about the colors of the prism rainbows
* Place your hand in the prism rainbow & then baby's hand
* Place prism in baby's grasp
WEEK 19
* Blow bubbles
* Pop blown bubbles
* Touch & hold blown bubbles
*Catch a blown bubble & place on baby's hand
WEEK 20
*Play peek-a-boo in the mirror
*Look in the mirror with baby & make faces
* Introduce wooden & plastic kitchen utensils
*Put kitchen utensils on baby's play mat with baby
WEEK 21
*Place some fruits & veggies in a variety of shapes & colors in front of baby
*Talk about the fruits & veggies shapes & colors
*Pick each one up & place in baby's hand using texture & temperature words
*Place a few fruits & veggies in baby's reach
WEEK 22
*Have baby see you make a bubble bath
*Drop some toys to hear different splashes
"See if baby will imitate your drop & splash play
*Hold a bath toy in each hand to see which one gets grabbed
WEEK 23
*Show baby a few books & see which one gets chosen
*Change your voice when talking about different images in the book
*Talk about the different textures of books: board, cloth, plastic, felt
*See if baby will hold book & read to you
It might be fun to record some of the changes you see in your baby’s play. How’s the babblese progressing? Any new sounds? Preferences? I’m sure you’ve noticed a few books your baby likes to hold & eat.
Reading with Your Newborn in the Family Literacy Circle
Reading with My Feet-Iha21
Reading to a Newborn? Really?
Remember, you’ve already introduced reading to your baby-in utero. Reading aloud to your newborn has many benefits:
presents a perfect bonding opportunity: snuggle & read
watch & learn what interests your baby
interaction teaches your baby reading is fun
teaches your newborn new vocabulary & ideas
encourages different sound expressions for oral language
In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended reading to newborns. Evidence supports the fact your baby actually understands what your are reading, unless, of course, it’s The Theory of Realitivity or War and Peace .
Your baby’s brain is still developing; and reading stimulates the brain’s growth & development. Reading books with your Newborn nurtures the Literacy Circle, preparing and developing the habit of lifetime reading.
When & Where Do I Read to My Newborn ?
Yes, your baby is spending most of her/his time eating. sleeping & trying to master the physical world. Reading can be done during the day and for a few minutes at a time. Make it part of your daily routine.Try “weaving” some pages or a short book throughout each day and/or evening:
when your newborn wakes up in the morning or from a nap
right before a nap or nightly bedtime
repeat some of the rhymes you’ve read during bath time
Or you can change up the reading routine:
while you are waiting in a restaurant, doctor’s office, the car
choose different places to read: the floor, at the table, on the bed, outside in the hammock, on a park bench
have loved ones read to the baby
How Do I Read to My Newborn ?
Read with expression, changing your tone & pitch
Read slowly, pointing & describing the images
Pause in-between the pages so your baby can have time to look
Look to your baby for clues on interest /focus
Maybe you need to share a different book or read at another time
Re-read favorites often
Give your baby a chew toy while you read
Be interactive with your baby during the read: ask questions
What Kind of Books Should We Read to a Newborn?
There’s no substitute for books in the life of a child. ~Mary Ellen Chase
So many books! So little time! Fear not!
I Remember This Picture! – Nickelbabe
Many of my Third graders continued to read wordless books as source of enjoyment to themselves & others. They created vocabulary-rich stories around the pictures.
Parent & child development sites will give you “tried & true” recommendations. Siblings, relatives & loved ones will share their favorites, too. Mommy & Daddy can probably recite their favorites from memory.
Your child will let you know which books are the “preferred” reads. You’ll hear them being shared with friends, dolls, pets & stuffed animals in another year or two..
Book Choices
Some experts say select books with black & white images for babies under 6 months of age. Just a thought… Some other suggestions for book choices are:
Books with large, simple pictures
Thick, sturdy board books
Cloth & soft, vinyl books
“Bath-time” books
Remember books will first be explored in your baby’s mouth. Make sure your baby knows s/he is more important than the chewed & shredded book. It is well-loved!
Here’s a list of several of my “tried & true” board book choices from the BLB Resource Library:
Go to your local library, elementary school library and/or bookstore to “check” them out.
A Little P.S. Note
While researching more sources, tips & ideas to add to this Family Literacy Circle Series, I came across Elizabeth of Frugal Mom Eh!’s post ” 20 Things to Do with Your Baby Before They Turn One.” Here’s a few suggestions for the 0-6 months window:
Capture your newborn’s hand & foot prints. Looking at my adult son’s newborn “prints” still brings a gulp to by heart.
Learn and/or compose some songs to sing to your baby. Remember “rhyme, rhythm & repetition.”
Take TONS of pictures. You’ll be amazed how much your little one changes in a matter of days. Seriously!
Go swimming in water if weather permits. Your baby will sigh with the memory.
Fill in that Baby Milestone Book while your emotions are present. You will absolutely LOVE re-reading it. Your growing child will love hearing about it, too!
Baby Milestone Book suggestions: bottle to high chair food, baby bath to bath tub, cradle or bassinet to crib, baby food to finger food, major movements, favorite toys & showing teeth
Need a Baby Milestone Book ? BLB Shop has one you may like.
Baby’s First Year of Firsts : A Memory Keepsake Book
I’m sure you have some wonderful tips & ideas to share. Are there any questions and/or concerns you have about your newborn’s first 6 months-regarding Literacy, of course? Isn’t it amazing how our everyday lives affect our children’s? Fill in the Contact Me form below, but you don’t want to subscribe….yet. I’d love to hear from you!
Otherwise, fill in the BLB Exclusive form as a FREE subscriber!
The only time I ever felt qualified to be a parent was before I had kids. ~ Father in comic strip “Baby Blues”
Infancy, the first year of a child’s life, comes from the Latin for “withoutwords.” Watching your infant’s glee when s/he begins to independently roll over is one of many physical feats s/he is working hard to master. Pulling up, sitting alone, and crawling opens your baby’s world in a new way.
Now, learning to walk is what all these efforts your infant is guiding him/her self towards. How your baby achieves these physical goals can give you some understanding of her/his personality.
Rahima Dancy, who authored You Are Your Child’s First Teacher offers some insightful observations.
Does your baby:
Constantly “work” at moving his/her body along OR is s/he content to stay in a seated position?
Seem to understand falling is part of the process & “forge” ahead OR become discouraged & seem hesitant to keep trying?
Use her/his arms & hands to reach for things OR just pick up things close by?
Howl & continue with his/her efforts OR stop & whine?
Praising and encouraging your striving infant will definitely help, but remember- it is her/his body that s/he needs to conquer. Sooner or later, the will to JUST DO IT overcomes the frustration and “growing pains.” Your infant’s growing brain is an important part of this process.
Our Brain
The 2-Sided Brain – Seanbatty
Curious about what the brain does? I found an interesting brain image listing some of the separate brain functions scientists have discovered. The “corpus callosum”, the Latin word for the brain, is divided into 2 parts – the right side & the left side.
The Right side of the brain is labeled the Creative and controls:
the left side of the body
gross motor skills (large body movements)
visualization: the big picture, images & symbols
long term & visual memory
“outside of the box” & spontaneous thinking
feelings & encoding (creating secretive messages)
The Left side of the brain is labeled the Logical and controls:
Which brain-side rules you? Some people’s brain-sides have equal control or an interweaving of skills from both sides. For example, I love language , but numbers-not so much.
Gifts of the Brain
In Dr. John Medina’s book Brain Rules for Baby , he shares 5 of the intellectual gifts with their characteristics your baby has nestled within her/his brain:
The Visionary: Desire to Explore
loves & needs to experiment, test & “tinker”
asks extraordinary questions about ordinary things
sees connections between unrelated ideas, problems or questions
asks “what if” “why not” “how come you’re doing it this way”
does not value “right” answers over challenging questions
The Planner: Self-Control
loves to plans & problem-solve
has the ability to shut out distracting thoughts
sets goals with the foresight to complete them
The Creative: Power to Invent
copes with puzzling situations
sees new relationships between “old” things
thinks up ideas & things not currently existing
engages in healthy “risk-taking”
Stirs positive and/or negative emotions in others
The Orator: Influence of Language
communicates using a variety of vocabulary & sounds
understands the social meanings of words
born with the ability to learn & speak any language
The Mime: Silent Messages
interprets nonverbal communication
uses facial expressions to communicate
uses body gestures to communicate
Some brain gifts are stronger than others in each person. Sometimes a little “exercise” will encourage and strengthen quieter gifts. Which ones do you feel particularly “gifted” with in your life? How will you nurture these gifts in your infant?
Nurturing Your Infant’s Brain Growth & Development
Baby in Thought-Amy Elizabeth Quinn
Remember your infant will grow & develop in her/his own way at his/her own pace. S/he will progress in a sequential, or orderly, way & build on the skills s/he has already learned.
Depending on your baby’s personality, s/he may focus on only one task/goal at a time. So, if s/he is working hard on walking, language may be slower. Once the walking goal is met, you may hear an increase in babblese.
My son walked very early ( at 8 months) and didn’t start speaking until much later. He was enamored with his physical world and how he was able to “grasp” it!
Dr. Margot Sunderland, a child psychotherapist & author of The Science of Parenting, wrote ” your baby’s frontal lobes are in front of her/his brain. Their many important functions give us the following abilities:
to learn
to pay attention
to concentrate
to plan & problem-solve
to manage stress
to control impulses
Those frontal lobes need a lot of stimulation from relationship interaction to increase social, emotional & intellectual growth & development”.
Dr. Sunderland goes on to offer several strategies & techniques for nurturing the growth & development of your infant’s brain:
talk to you infant ALOT, using “normal” , yet simple language
always make eye contact & smile
use words with body gestures for everyday language: eat, drink, I love you, hug, sad, happy, hurt, mad, scared
Talk to your infant during the day when s/he is with you. Pretend you are his/her Tour Guide to a new world. S/he is ready to learn & be a part of your world because you are the most important part of his/her world.
Brain Boosters for Your Infant
Baby Loves to Eat -Public Domain Pics
Talking & playing with your infant are necessary to help his/her brain grow & develop. Child research supports this interaction as a major key to a healthy & responsive intellect.
Words of Caution: Dr. John Medina listed a few major Early Learning Stunters in his book, Brain Rules for Baby:
Keep the TV, video games & computer off
Keep your baby physically active
Keep giving your baby lots of face-to-face interaction
In July 2016 Mom of 11 Kids posted an infographic: “Seven Ways to Boost Baby Brain Development”. They are simple, daily activities you will do without much “to-do”:
Play peek-a-boo & other hiding games
Play patty-cake & other hand games
Read together every day
Play with toys that teach, like blocks
Get messy with water, mud, puddles
Sing songs & verses together with repetition, rhythm & rhyme
Teach as you eat different foods – taste, touch, smell, colors, shapes, cold, sweet
These brain boosters build vocabulary as well as oral language. Both are strong literacy elements. Don’t forget to ask questions. You might get your first nod and/or head-shake.
How To Use Oral Language for Your Infant’s Literacy Growth
I Wonder How These Taste – PublicDomain Pics
Continuing with Dr. Sunderland’s techniques for brain growth, she has specific strategies for parents to use when communicating with their child(ren):
Watch, wait & listen after giving your infant a toy
Copy & comment on her/his responses
Use comments & choices instead of commands
Use lots of facial expressions & touch
Go Out into Nature Everyday for At Least 20 Minutes
It will calm your baby
It positively impacts your infant’s brain wave patterns
It lowers the frequency of stress
The variety of textures, sights, sounds & smells are wonderful for your baby’s senses. Tasting can be , well you know……
My children ALWAYS loved being outdoors, regardless of the weather. When my son was an infant, I would settle him under the trees while I hung up his daily dozen diapers. His babblese was joyful and expressive!
Yes! Your Infant Is Talking to You (in Babblese)
The Language of Babblese-EME
Responding to infant’s language is one of the most important things people can do to encourage & increase more talk. Having conversations with your infant is a major pathway to literacy.
Oral language has 2 parts: Expressive Language – actual speech and Receptive Language – hearing & understanding what you hear. Between the ages of 9 and 12 months, you may see & hear a steady increase in both what your infant is saying and understanding.
Remember each child learns in her/his own way. Some are listeners, some are talkers; some have a lot to say, some have a few special words; some love to talk, some not so much. Know any grown-ups like that?!
FYI-here’s a chart (love making these!) with some Expressive & Receptive Language milestones your infant may have met:
Infant Oral Language Milestones (7 - 12 Months)
AGE IN MONTHS
EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE
( SPEECH)
RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE
(HEAR &UNDERSTAND)
By 9 months
*Imitates sounds
*4+ sounds in babblese
*Takes turns in vocalizations
*Begins using hands to communicate wants/needs (reaches to be picked up)
*Consistently responds to own name
*Looks at familiar objects & people when named
*Follows some routine directions when paired with gestures
*Not fearful of everyday sounds
By 12 months
*Says 1 or 2 words
*Begins speech sounds
*Babblese has "strings"of speech
*May nod "yes"
*May shake head "no"
*Babblese has the sounds & rhythms of speech
*Understands up to 50 common words-baby, bottle
*Responds to simple directions- "come here"
*Follows your gaze & points
*Notices when hurt
If you and your loved ones are looking into your infants eyes and talking to her/him every day, oral language will continue to grow. Playing with your infant is a great time to have conversations. Encourage loved ones to participate daily.
Literacy Needs Playtime
Wanna Play with Me? -Public Domain Pics
Your infant is probably no longer in an Unoccupied Stage of play (Kalokyri’s “Facts About the Importance of Play”), but comfortably immersed in the Solitary & Constructive Stages of play.
Having mastered some movement goals-sitting up, pulling up, crawling- means your Infant is ready to discover his/her world. Make sure your home is a safe place for your crawler (and those babies can pick up some speed!) to explore. Get low on your hands & knees (with padding, of course) for a dust bunny view (I mean…..).
Try not to “teach” too much, but help her/him find out what’s making the world around him/her come into his/her experience. Again, instead of you all the time, have older siblings and/or loved ones attend to your infant’s fussiness or frustration when it happens – and it will! Taking your grumpy cub outside is usually a great soother and/or distraction.
When playing with your infant, remember to See & Play, Hear & Play, Touch & Play, and Grab & Play. Involving as many of the 5 senses as you can during playtime encourages literacy through language, interaction and experience. Building on the skills your baby knows will give her/him confidence to try new activities and make the physical world more familiar and exciting.
The Game Play of Literacy
Interactive games are your infants (and most children’s) favorite ways to play. They promote language, discovery, surprise, fun & laughter. Games using hands and feet bring giggles. Hiding games bring loud laughter (and hiccups). Make sure to maintain eye contact. Use rhyming & repetitive language.
Interactive Game Ideas
clapping to rhymes & songs
face-to-face play
lap movement
bathtime bubbles
song & dance
The Power of Music
During your pregnancy and your newborn’s first 6 months of life, I’m sure you used the power of music to soothe, calm & entertain the 2 of you. Lullabies, classical music, new age, jazz, and, even some soft rock were/are great ways to communicate with each other.
Now, you may notice a little rhythmic wiggling when certain songs & music is played. Using music as a fun way to “teach & play” with your infant. Try some of these musical activities:
Sing songs with rhymes, like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in the tub.
Sing songs with body play, “Itsy Bitsy Spider”.
Sing songs using your infant’s name while doing activities together, like “This is the way we…”.
Use toys as instruments while you sing songs, like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star & Mary (or baby’s name) Had A Little Lamb”.
Sing or hum (make up some words) while you dance with your baby.
You can, also, sing while creating interactive games with toys. It is lots of fun! Listen to how siblings & other loved ones talk, sing and play with the “new baby bird in the nest”.
Games with Toys as a Power Strategy for Literacy
A few words about toy selection- Gender Stereotype Freedom. Make sure all kinds of toys are available for your baby. Girls need to know about cars & trucks -how else will they learn to drive & maintain them. Boys need to know about dolls -how else will they learn to care & nurture their own children. Believe it or not, this can be a literacy opportunity-stretching both sides of the brain.
In my Home-Care & Day-School for children (yes, it’s going to be more than a few words-but this is true-life data), my toddler girls loved playing with cars, trucks, blocks. Think engineers, architects & designers. My toddler boys loved playing with stuffed animals, kitchen sets, dollhouses. Think veterinarians, chefs & designers. Not to mention what great partners they will be in a marriage. I’m just saying……
Does your infant have TOO MANY TOYS? Think your infant is feeling overwhelmed and/or overstimulated to the point of boredom?????
Try putting away some of the toys. Hold several choices in your hands to see which ones s/he reaches for. After a few weeks, bring out the “new” toys and see if s/he has an interest in them.
Babies usually enjoy playing with toys that:
Have different textures
Are very bright & colorful
Are musical
Make noises
Have mirrors
Have knobs, pushers, etc (reaction toys)
Can be banged on to make music
Can be easily grasped
Can be chewed on
Check out the Six Games with Toys activity list with directions I created for some play ideas:
Don’t be too surprised if that $100 toy you absolutely had to have because you knew it would be your baby’s favorite toy is ignored for the box it came in. Your home is packed with “toys” your baby will love and play with all the time.
Your Home Is A Toy Land
Although there was a playroom in my Home-Care/Day-School, the toys were always dragged out of the playroom and into the living room and/or dining room.
Couches & chairs became stages, platforms, building sites & race tracks. The kitchen table – the same- with additional puzzles, papers, play-doh, & crayons.
So, I tucked toy bins in these areas for clean-up time. Those filled carriers, then, were stacked in the playroom at the end of each day.
Scarves, towels, socks, & pieces of colorful, textured fabrics become capes, hats, doll blankets, animal tents, meadows, ponds, puppets, beds, & rooftops-once they pass the taste test, of course.
Putting on & taking off hats, socks & shoes can entertain your older infant for quite a few minutes-over & over & over again. Day after day after day….
A favorite Toy Land spot-the kitchen!
Baby’s Kitchen Play Land
Keep in mind – play is your baby’s work. Where ever you are, s/he wants to be near. My baby’s food was handmade as well as our daily bread (I love to cook!). I spent quite a few hours a day in the kitchen. I discovered, as did my baby, the kitchen is a full of toys.
When my son began his search-and-see, I made sure the bottom kitchen cabinet had large bright plastic & wooden spoons, measuring cups, a colander, some pots & pans with their lids, plastic mixing bowls, & some storage containers with lids. His clang- bang music was quite a dinner bell!
Sturdy empty boxes in a variety of sizes , especially those large, appliance ones, are worth the trees that donated their lives to make them. Be ready to cut out some windows & doors. Creativity & exploration will last longer than the boxes will!
Sounds like lots of messes every day, you say?!?
Creativity + Discovery = A Learning Mess For Literacy
The Bliss of A Mess-Lubomirkin
Personally, I would be considered a Master Messer. Not in a destructive way, but messes are part of the “creative & productive process.” Making a mess and, then, cleaning or putting things away teaches cause & effect, freedom of expression, etc. The way I see it-” making a mess is part of success!” For me & children, anyway…..
When children are busy having fun & learning – be ready & hope for- a mess. Listen & participate in the language of exploration, sequence, cause & effect, details, etc. All the “story” elements are present. The Story of Discovery!
Of course, some are bigger than others…..
Try these messes on for size:
Water play in the tub: splash, squirt, pour, fill, sink, float, full, empty & bubbles (say the words to match the action)
Water play in the sink (see above)
Water play outside in the pool, water bucket, wagon, wash tub
Fill &Dump with water, toys, sand, dirt, mud (stay very close)
Finger-painting- find an edible recipe, like one made with cornstarch
Scribble with large pieces of paper & fat crayons (talk about color, shapes & pictures/stories)
Paint with a large paintbrush & colored water
BTW-Those plastic kitchen utensils make great water toys , sand, mud & dirt toys, too. A word of caution– use big rocks, pebbles are too temptingly taste-worthy!
Sing a “Clean -Up” song. Wipe your baby down & maybe change clothes. Have a drink & a snack. Settle in for Book Time!
Book Time & Infant Literacy
Children are made readers on the laps of their parents. ~ Emily Buchwald
“Brain Wonders” is a joint project by Boston University Medical Center, Erikson Institute & Zero To Three (see link).
Their 2003 study on Early Literacy supports, not only the “new understanding of early literacy development”, but also, “its critical influence in shaping brain development.”
The research states:
Language, reading & writing (early scribbling in infants) develop at the same time , making them interconnected.
This development process that begins in the first 3 years of life is continuous.
Real life settings through positive interactions with people, books, stories, paper & crayons are important factors in literacy skills development.
Please note: early literacy does NOT mean early reading. Trying to teach infants & toddlers to read before they are developmentally ready can cause more harm than good. The frustrations and failures will have a negative impact on their motivation to read.
How To Create Your Infant’s Love of Books & Stories
InfantLiteracy-Public DomainPics
Believe it or not, chewing on a book page is part of early literacy behaviors. So, plastic, vinyl, cloth & sturdy board books need to be part of your infant’s hands, feet & mouth-on library.
Place them in the crib, playpen (if you use one), tub, diaper bag & a floor bin/basket for ready-access. Don’t forget to put a few books in the kitchen play-cabinet- fruits & veggies, breads & milk, pasta shapes & kitchen tools.
Include books with bright colored real-life images of everyday, familiar objects & toys, shapes, colors, animals, other babies’ faces & faces of loved ones, including pets.
Handmade books will become well-loved. Get your camera ready for “Baby Book Time Publication”. Click & slip photos into a mini-foto book with plastic sleeves. Here are some Book Titles:
My Family At Home
Other Family & Friends
My Pets
My Toys
In My Bedroom
In the Kitchen
Play Time Outside
If your infant has become a curious crawler, make sure you have a basket of books as part of his/her path. Cloth, plastic & sturdy board books will suit your infant’s “taste” at this time.
How To Read Wordless Books
Bright, bold colored picture books without words are a wonderful beginning into her/his discovery of the book world. You & loved ones can make the “stories” personal & suitable for your young learner.
Whether you’re inventing a story to go with the pictures or just talking about the actual pictures, think about using these few tips:
Make sure there are no more than 3 images per page
Trace the images with your finger and, then, your baby’s finger
It’s okay to skip pages if your baby’s interest seems to lag
Talk about the images using short, simple sentences
Try to use rhyming words: cat, hat, mat, bat
Sing the book
Take A Minute to Read-NickelBabe
Wordless picture books will inspire a story for many years into your child’s life, even after s/he becomes a reader of words. It will amaze you how many different stories can be told about the same pictures as s/he gets older. And the story being told can depend upon who & when it’s being told. If only stuffed animals could talk…….
Picture books without words encourage many literacy development skills, while answering the following questions:
What is happening in this picture? comprehension/understanding
Why is this picture important to the story? vocabulary, oral language
What makes you think this picture is important? inference. drawing conclusions
What do you think will happen next? prediction
So, What Else Is New?-Yusuhyun
Well if you’ve made it to the end of this post-
Thank You so much for reading!
I really enjoyed researching, writing & reminiscing! Please share your comments with me by filling in the Contact Me form below. You will NOT be subscribing. I look forward to hearing from you!
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A person’s a person no matter how small. ~ Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss
Can you believe your tiny, cuddly Newborn, though still pretty new, especially to you & yours, is already A YEAR OLD!?!
Have a fun party? Take LOTS of pictures for that interactive Literacy book?
Crawling? Walking? Running? If not yet, your Pre-Toddler will soon be moving faster it seems than, at times, the speed of light!
Physical Mobility & Sensory Exploration with these newly acquired skills is the name of his/her action plan! And when those gleeful giggles & babblings become quiet, “UH-OH”……
S/he is SO ready to get hands & lips on all those previously unattainable & exciting discoveries. Cabinet doors are the most inviting. Pulling up on everything is fair game. Grabbing & mouthing anything within reach is a given (think pet food on the floor….). Childproofing is a definite MUST! My little cub could be found foraging in the refrigerator unless he was asleep!
Wondering Why I Name This Age Group “Pre-Toddler”?
My Pre-Toddler seldom crawled on hands & knees. He preferred the “bear-crawl”, cub that he was,or moving on his hands & feet together. He was upright & run-walking before 12 months. A mixed blessing for me -immature access, but easier on my back!
Not all babies are toddling by the first year. Some personalities love to sit and, if the mood strikes them, crawl. Some crawlers are very happy, and very fast, moving on hands & knees for quite a while into their mobility development. They’ll pull up and, maybe, even stand solo for a while. But, to travel, crawling is preferable.
Some Pre-Toddlers will pull out of a walkers’ hands to get down on the ground. For a lot of babies, a walking/running comfort-zone is usually by 24 months, or 2 years old.
Then, there’s the “attitude”…..
Briefly, Pre-Toddlers are too busy happily traveling, exploring & inspecting the premises. Scrutiny, confusion & willful decisions are too time consuming. This mental & emotional probing, I feel, belongs to the emerging & resolute Toddler. More on the teeny adolescent in the next, upcoming blog: “Managing the Family Literacy Circle with Your Toddler”.
Have You & Your Pre-Toddler……..
been counting fingers & toes? #This little piggy…
been naming body parts? #Hands, shoulders, knees & toes…
been swimming at a big pool? #Rec center
been to a petting zoo, park and/or playscape? # neighborhood map
been on a playdate with other children? # Mothers’ Day Out
been exercising with your baby? #Airplane take-offs & landings
Are You & Your Pre-Toddler……
playing together without screen time?
reading together for a period of time everyday?
having fun together being silly & goofy?
talking about the shapes & colors of things?
singing & dancing together?
Are you and/or loved ones remembering to document your baby’s Milestones in that beautiful baby book someone gifted to you?
The article, “It’s All Connected” posted on the website, Sesame Street in Communities states the brain creates 700 new connections EACH SECOND in the first few years of your baby’s life. By the age of 3, your child’s brain is 80% as big as an adult’s.
Baby Brain Power-LuidmilaKot 12-24m
Important fact to remember~
No two brains grow & develop at the same rate.
Interactive movement using the 5 senses is critical to your pre-toddler’s healthy brain growth and development. Yes, taste-feeling is still a natural response at this age, so monitor closely because everything is “fair game”. Seriously.
Indoor & outdoor exploration is exhilarating for your baby, especially now s/he is moving with some independence. However, as Dr. John Medina of Brain Rules cautions, “over-stimulation can be just as hazardous as under-stimulation.”
Building Your Baby’s Brain Power
Grover, a Sesame Street character, narrates a video-book for children, ages 2-6, on the Sesame Street in Communities site. YOUR AMAZING BRAIN shares these tips:
The brain is your body’s first organ to absorb nutrients.
Brain food for kids are – salmon, eggs, peanut butter, whole grains, oats, berries, beans & colorful veggies.
Use all the 5 senses when- reading, coloring, talking, listening, moving & playing games.
Repeated physical activities – banging, throwing & choosing help develop the reasoning skills of cause & effect, compare & contrast, and predictions. (from “It’s All Connected”)
Remember – some babies pour ALL their energy & curiosity into Movement & Manipulative Mastery. In other words- “No time for talk! Gotta go! Places to see! Objects to taste!”
So. if you are waiting anxiously for Baby’s first words-other than babblese- it might be a while. And it’ll be worth the wait. Just keep stimulating your pre-toddler’s brain with meaningful oral language.
Learning The Language of Speech & Literacy
The only place you find perfection is in a dictionary ~ Old Saying
New, advanced research is helping scientists understand more about the mysterious workings of the brain and how we, as humans, learn language.
In Dr. Sandra Crosser’s article, “Enhancing the Language Development of Young Children” contributed to the website, Early Childhood News.com , she states the young child’s developing brain is very flexible, or open to new knowledge. The critical time for learning language occurs before the age of 8 or 9.
If your infant has been hearing the same sound combinations repeatedly, the brain forms a response map to those specific sounds. So, then, a child “usually” tends to understand and speak the language of her/his environment with reasonable fluency by the age of 3. Clarity, on the other hand, will sometimes come and go with “baby” and permanent teeth.
However, the rate that children learn and speak language is strongly influenced by his/her surroundings. Trauma, neglect, stress, or abuse can interfere with normal language development.
How Is Normal Language & Speech Learned ?
Communication is interactive experience between two people. It involves listening, understanding & expressing.
Pre-Toddler & Language-tel13588006626
There are several theories offered by Dr. Crosser’s article to help explain how children learn to understand and, then, speak their native language.
The Nativist Theory states that children are born with the desire to make sense of the world and can understand the different sounds in any language. By 12 months their babblings will only use familiar sound combinations.
Social Learning Theory says children imitate words & language patterns they hear by watching & listening to the familiar people in their environment. They repeat sounds that are rewarded with smiles & praise, dropping sounds that are not rewarded.
Finally, the Interactionist Theory proposes that children need more than their inborn traits and desire to speak. “They need to speak and be spoken to. Neither one, alone, is enough.” (Bohannon & Bonvillian, 1997)
Personally, I think, depending on the child, and her/his environment, a combination of all these theories contributes to language & speech development. But, I’m not an expert linguist or speech pathologist….
What Are the Signs That My Baby Is Learning Language?
Remember~each child learns at her/his own pace. Some pre-toddlers are too busy exploring their physical world to talk about anything. Some are very ready and motivated to talk, talk, talk. These are personality traits NOT signs of intelligence.
Babblese , a baby’s first language, is a sure sign your baby is learning language. Keep talking with your baby about everything, looking directly into those beautiful eyes and responding to the responses you’re receiving.
Even when your pre-toddler begins to use words (“Use your words, dear.”), the communication of cries will still happen. Need a memory jog? Probably not, but if so- re-read the section titled “Baby Talk: The Communication of Crying” in this post: http://www.bizzylizzybiz.com/nurturing-your-newborns-literacy/
Understanding How Listening & Speaking Happen
Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician, who has authored several successful parenting books, offers this explanation for the physical side of speaking:
I’m Talking Here!-JFGagnon
To “say” words, you have to perfectly coordinate your lips, tongue, throat & diaphragm. The first bunch of words are gestures. The second bunch of words are invented. The third of words are learned from you.
Some experts support the practice of teaching & using sign language (hand & arm gestures as words) to encourage language skills. Sign language, which strengthens the same area of the brain used in speaking, can bridge the communication distance between listening & speaking. (White & Harper: Signs of A Happy Child 2017)
A Listening & Speaking Development Chart
In the ” Language Acquisition” world, the words Receptive & Expressive describe the major players. Receptive is how language is being received, or understood. Expressive is how language is being expressed, or spoken. Here’s another one of my charts:
Pre-Toddler Oral Language Milestones (12-24 Months)
AGE IN MONTHS
EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE
( SPEECH)
RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE
(HEAR &UNDERSTAND)
By 15 months
*Combines sounds & gestures
*Imitates simple words & actions
*May use 4-10 words
*Consistently follows simple directions
*Shows interest in pictures
*Can ID 1-2 body parts when named
*Understands 50 words
By 18 months
*May use 10- 20 words (mostly nouns) for favorite things
*Responds to ?s
*Continues to produce babblese
*Repeats words overheard in conversation
*Understands early direction words-in/out/on
*Understands & responds to simple directions
*Points at familiar objects & people in pictures
*Responds to yes/no ?s with a nod or head shake
*Enjoys music, rhythm & tries to dance
By 21 months
*Uses words more than gestures
*Consistently imitates new words
*Names objects & pictures
*May have a vocabulary of 20-50 words
*Understands some emotion words-happy/sad
*Understands some pronouns-me, you, my
*Can ID 3-5 body parts when named
By 24 months
*Uses at least 50 words
*Begins to use 2 word phrases
*Uses pronouns-me,you,my
*Uses gestures & words during pretend play
*Understands more than 50 words
*Understands action words
*Can follow 2 step-related directions
*Enjoys listening to stories
How You Can Help Your Child’s Language & Speech
Studies show that children at 16 months can speak an average of 40 words, but understand over 300 words. However, children can experience a “language burst” around 18 months or later. (White & Harper: Signs of A Happy Child 2017)
According to new (2016) research provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “every additional 30 minutes a day children under the age of 2 spent using handheld screens, like smartphones & tablets, meant they were 49% more likely to have speech delays.”(Time Books:The Science of Childhood “Tips for Toddlers” p.29)
Parentese
Many people of many different cultures & languages, including ours, use a style of speech called “parentese” when speaking to very young children. (Gelman & Shatz, 1977; Pine, 1994)
Parentese is NOT baby talk. The speaker:
uses a slightly higher than normal pitch
exaggerates vowel sounds
speaks in short, simple sentences
uses repetition
stresses/accents certain words
pauses between sentences
Other Tips for Your Child’s Language Literacy
Annabelle Humanes stated in her March 2016 article, “A Few Simple Little Things You Can Do to Increase the Amount of Language Your Child Hears, and In Turn, Help Them Learn” for The PiriPiriLexicon that researchers have found children who can say the most words by the age of 24 months were the children who heard the most child-directed speech at 19 months (during that “language burst”).
Talking with & to your child (interactive) is not the same as talking at your child (commands & discipline).
Here are her helpful tips:
Describe & label EVERYTHING. Repeat.
Tell stories, using your imagination about every day objects.
Ask questions, wait for a response & answer it, especially if your child doesn’t (or can’t)reply.
Be positive, repeat what they say & add to it.
Use simple but real language-no baby talk (googoogaga).
Pair gestures with your words.
Stop & Listen.
Just a note from me: Don’t be afraid to play with sounds. Be silly. Make up words & try to give them a meaning. This activity not only exercises their speech patterns & physical skills, but also, encourages their creativity. Besides all that, it’s biggley, tiggley & giggley fun!
Need more info? Check out this list in my Resource Library:
What I Learned About Language, Playtime & Literacy
Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn. ~ O. Fred Donaldson
Decades ago when I had a Home Day School for infants through 8 years, interviews with parents & child(ren) were part of my “acceptance” process. A few parents, not many, were curious about the structure, or schedule of the day.
Outside for Play-Cuncon
“What time was art/reading/numbers/puzzles/ etc?”
“Is there a nap or quiet time?” “When & for how long” “My 2 year old doesn’t take naps……(oh yeah ?!)”
“Will my child have instruction time ? What will s/he be taught & for how long throughout the day?” (7am-5pm ?!)
My responses to these questions were, basically- “Your child will receive enough structure in a few years when they attend kindergarten. Although all these activities are available, your child must make those choices. I encourage coloring/drawing, making puzzles/play-doh sculptures & building with blocks every day. Your child will play outside a lot because they LOVE to be in nature. I do, however, read a story during the daily ‘Quiet Time’ after lunch. ”
Very few of those few parents wanted their child to attend.
I learned SO MUCH about children during those years (and I had a degree in Education). Listening to children’s literacy grow through interactive language with each other & with their toys (tools, really) is absolutely fascinating. I never had a child who didn’t want to hear a story read. Observing & listening with the occasional, necessary interaction will give you great insight into what they are reacting to and absorbing from you, others, and their environment.
“Old School” Becomes “New School”
Interestingly enough, “Old School” thinking has returned as today’s “Modern School” thinking regarding the Importance & Power of Play in Childhood Growth & Development.
In fact (Gopnik, Alison: The Philosophical Baby 2009) “psychologists and neuroscientists have discovered that babies, not only know more and learn more, but also, imagine more and experience more than we would ever have thought.”
In the “Hurray for Play” section of Dr. Medina’s book, Brain Rules, he states open-ended activities during play partnered with (monitored, of course) free play increases:
memory
creativity
language
problem solving
less stress
social skills
Whether indoors or outdoors, children play to learn and make sense of the real world. They will choose ToyTools to help them explore and discover how to understand their environment.
The Wonderment of Nature Play
Except for toy vehicles for outside use (low-riders, wagons, scooters, bubble lawnmowers), my Home Day School children stayed very engaged using Nature Toys: grassy hills, rocks, nuts, pine cones, seedpods, sticks, leaves, flowers. Amazingly, they even found fossilized shells, large & small, to include in their play!!!!
I Love Water!-Rujhan-Basir
Speaking of playing outside, unless the weather is very hot, bitter cold or pouring down rain, my children & I bundled up to go into Nature for however long we (mostly me) decided. Summer weather is especially fun because water play is a HUGE favorite! Lots of different household items can become water toys: spoons, bowls, cups, colanders (a good one). But, toys are optional because water itself is a GREAT toy. Ahhhhh! Such is the life of ducklings!
Simple Nature walks around the neighborhood is oxygen-food for the brain & body. It will, also, give you the opportunity to engage children in the Language Literacy growth of new vocabulary. Although I used this time to introduce different words, I preferred to ask questions. This allowed them to ponder and discover answers independently – an important step for critical thinking. Nice food for thought during Quiet Time…..
Pre-Toddler Developmental Toy ~ Tools & Activities
Right now at 12 months, your Pre-Toddler is enjoying Solitary Play. Around 18 months, or so s/he might begin to play along side others without interacting with them, also known as Parallel Play. However, as a child nears the 2 year old mark, the pronoun “mine” becomes an expression of property rights. Constructive Play (Explore & Discovery through the Senses) continues to develop & grow. (Kalokyri, “Facts About the Importance of Play in Early Childhood” June 2016)
Although role play is a frequent & popular part of Child’s Play, there are developmental activities to encourage Literacy Growth & Development cited in the article, ” 20 Fun Activities for a Toddler, 12-18 Months”on the website chicklink.com. Here’s a few of them, along with the skills these activities encourage:
sorting into container with holes / skill: hand-eye coordination
hiding hand-sized objects in sand, torn paper, etc / skills: sensory, language, gross motor
painting with water, brushes, sponges & fingers on construction paper / skills: creativity, sensory, fine motor
using sticky notes to create object flaps for peek-a-boo book play / skills: fine motor, vocabulary
blowing games using bubbles, whistle, straw in water / skill: speech muscles
making a cardboard house / skills: LOTS
Growth & Development Toy Ideas for Your Pre-Toddler
Rahina Dancy, author of You Are Your Child’s First Teacher, supports choosing these toys to encourage growth & development in your child. They :
represent the real world
are aesthetically pleasing
have large components
encourage exploration & discovery
Suggestions:
open & closing containers with lids
shape sorters
stacking cups
pop-up beads
blocks
push/pull toys
balls for kicking & throwing
bubbles for blowing & chasing
finger paints
Your Home As One Big Playhouse
As toy tools dribbled out of the playroom (HA HA) & their boxes, landing (and hiding) in every nook & cranny of my Home Day School, the only source of irritation for me was an unprepared barefoot discovery (OUCH). Puzzles, play-doh, crayons & paper managed to stay on the table (safety issues-little ones & “because I said so”- not afraid to use that one). I was definitely outnumbered in the work / play domain of my children.
Couch cushions & pillows (sometimes with draping sheets) became a variety of structures. The kitchen, with its utensils, plastic bowls & pots / pans (with their lids, of course,) became the music room & its instruments. Dining room chairs & table became an obstacle course. Thank goodness the bedrooms were upstairs. The playroom was just a holding tank for unused toys. The bathroom wasn’t particularly inviting for play….only serious business went on in there.
WHAT’S A TEACHING MOTHER TO DO ?!?!?!!!!!
Believe me, in my public school classroom, children picked up (part of their jobs). They liked & appreciated an organized, neat environment. Even their desks (well, most of the desks-mine not included) were arranged for quick materials access-no digging needed. But I digress…
Every Toy in Its Place & A Place for Every Toy
Organizing is a pleasure for me and an important learning activity for children-young & old (maybe not teens). They enjoyed it, at first (most of the time for them / all of the time for me).
The Order of ToyTools-MarkusSpiske
Rahina Dancy, author of You Are Your Child’s First Teacherprovides support for this project. “Giving each toy a ‘home’ or place teaches:
sequential thought processes
order in the larger world arena
work habits (putting things away where they belong).”
Felicia Sklamberg, a clinical specialist in pediatric occupational therapy, added, “Babies are easily overstimulated, which makes a catchall toy box overwhelming.”
And so, we created toy baskets, bins & boxes. Nothing fancy that required additional funding-wooden boxes, fruit baskets, milk crates, etc. Some parents even donated some bins for the cause.
Here’s The Scoop !
Nature’s Treasures (some of these might need to be washed before coming into the house)
Art Basket: pencils, crayons, markers (for older kids only- too many young, rainbow-colored lips), finger paint, water colors, brushes, sponges, stickers, paper, play-doh, cookie cutters, alphabet tracers, old magazines, scissors, glues, craft stuff
Puzzles Box: including a smaller, lidded container for wandering pieces (a good rainy or too hot/freezing day activity)
Motor Vehicles Garage
Blocks Building
Legos & Duplos
Work Tool Box: hammers, screwdrivers, etc
Dress-Up Trunk (still a box)
Talk & Media Mix (a must-have): phones, microphone, walkie/talkies
“Role” Play Basket (a must-have): dolls, action figures, animals, puppets
Book Box (oh yeah!)
Ready to go indoors? Park the vehicles and store the outdoor toys in their own plastic, outside storage (a large clothes basket). The children “enjoyed” hosing & soaping them down, though I put them in the dishwasher for a sterilizing blast, as needed-usually once a week.
Older children are great supervisors & helpers for this end-of-the-day exercise. Here’s a little ditty to go with Clean Up Time:
It’s Clean Up Time! Clean Up Time!
Let’s go, Everybody! Clean Up Time!
Toys in baskets, boxes & bins!
We know where they’re landing (or going /sleeping /resting) in!
If you put this practice into play, I’m curious to know if & how this works out for you & yours. Let me know in the Contact Me form at the end of this post (just have to talk about books, of course).
Time for Book Talk & Literacy with Your Pre-Toddler !!!
There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is best of all. ~ Jacqueline Kennedy
For many children at this age, books are a very important ToyTool for them. If reading a book with loved ones has been a pleasant, common, every day experience, they will continue to want easy access to meaningful ones they can enjoy again & again.
Teaching Early Literacy & Behaviors are skills that will continue to benefit your child as well as your Family Literacy Circle.
Dr. Judith Schickedanz, a professor of Education at Boston University & author of the book: Much More than the ABCs, was the first to describe early literacy behaviors of very young children. How children interact with & respond to books are building blocks of the literacy growth & development.
She lists these categories with their skills as links to language, reading & writing process of Literacy:
the physical handling of books- chewing & page-turning
the interaction with books – looking, recognizing, pointing & laughing at pictures of familiar pictures
the understanding the pictures & story of books – talking & imitating about events / actions
the reading behaviors of stories – talking to the story, babbling imitations of the story & running fingers under the printed words
Book Reading Habits & Routines with Your Pre-Toddler
Besides being a great bonding experience and increasing her/his knowledge of the world, reading with your Pre-Toddler has many Literacy Building benefits (Hamilton Reads/Ontario, “The Early BIRD Program Manual”). You are helping your child to:
learn early book-handling habits-holding it the correct way & turning pages
Choose books with a bit more text that tell a simple story.
Talk about the pictures instead of the text if child is squirmy.
Connect the story & pictures to real life.
Reading for Meaning/Understanding with Your Pre-Toddler
Reading for pleasure is one of life’s rewards, once you know how to read. Understanding what you read gives that pleasure meaning.
When reading with your pre-toddler, especially after s/he reaches 18 months, try to follow this sequence with a few interactive questions about the story:
read & talk about the book’s title & its cover (what do you think this book is going to be about)
do a “picture-walk” from the beginning pages to the last page (now, what do you think this story is going to be about)
track your finger under the words & encourage your pre-toddler to do it, too
point to the pictures that have words to match (can you point to the dog)
ask prediction questions before turning the page (what do you think will happen next)
encourage him/her to ask questions about the story (do you want to ask me about something in the story)
ask some questions at the end of the story (what do you think will happen now; did you like the story; what did you like about the story; does this story sound like something else you know about)
Reading on a Lap-StockSnap
Of course, you don’t need to ask every single question I’ve included. Sometimes your pre-Toddler will just want to hear the story (hand-over- your-questioning-mouth signal).
This is the reading sequence I used with my beginning, reluctant, and, even, my independent readers. Conversations greatly increase the understanding of what is being read, as well as the vocabulary being used to tell the story.
“I Want Us to Read This Book !”
A house without books is like a room without windows. ~ Heinrich Mann
First of all, the stories need to be “short”. Books with rhyming words are usually favorites. Pre-Toddlers over the age of 16 months enjoy “me” books. After 24 months, make-believe books are understood & fun to read. Here are a few suggestions from Brain Wonders of the website, zerotothree.org:
I Can Read-Nickelbabe
sturdy board books that can be carried
books with real-life photos of children doing every day things, like eating, playing, moving, sleeping
simple books about animals
beginning alphabet books
hello & goodbye books
good night books for bedtime
You can, also, make a book:
of words your pre-toddler is saying with pictures
of drawings s/he has made, writing words &/or a sentence about it
Children’s natural love of animals & the sounds they make (which children love to imitate) inspired me to create a little, make & take downloadable book entitled :
Animal Talk : Exploring 20 Common Animal Sounds
You can find it in BLB Shop or click on the link below to check it out:
Reading a wordless picture book is one of the most enjoyable ways to share a story. Listeners get to tell the story using their creativity, imagination & perceptions. It’s a GREAT way to build the literacy skills of listening, oral language, vocabulary, words with picture connections, and understanding the flow elements of a story. I absolutely LOVE them!
“But you don’t have to take my word for it!” ~ Levar Burton on PBS’ Reading Rainbow
Click on the link below for a list of some of my favorite Wordless Picture Books for children, ages 0-3 years.
words.” 
Dr. Judith Schickedanz, a professor of Education at Boston University & author of the book: 
