Let's Play!

Playing is one of the literacy skills that Every Child Ready to Read, 2nd edition emphasizes.  Duh!  Kids love playing.  (So do grown-ups, for that matter).  I think, though, that I'll use this blog as an opportunity to recognize innovative books where reading them is a form of playing.

Last night, I read In My World by Lois Ehlert with my daughter.  Cutouts of various parts of nature layer over each other to yield an image that looks like Earth.  I think the moths were D's favorite part.  (Naming all of the different elements ties into the former version of Every Child Ready to Read's "vocabulary" focus).  It puts a message about environmentalism into a preschooler-friendly format.  Moreover, the clever shape overlays are just fun.

Another Lois Ehlert book was a huge hit when I took it with me on fall storytime outreach.  It is called Leaf Man.  The illustrations are all made from collages of different leaves and acorns, and the end-papers identify what types of foilage they are.  I used how many animals the tale mentions for the children to join me in making animal sounds (which ties into "phonological awareness" from ECRR version 1).  Again, the creative way of seeing ordinary objects in a unique was is fun.

Alphabet Antics

Aunt Linda, of blessed memory, loved ABC books.  She had a bookshelf specifically to house her collection.  However, not all alphabet books are created the same.  I want to introduce my daughter to a couple of my favorite ABC books.  In addition to our nightly singing of the alphabet song (with a stuffed animal pointing to the specified letters on a wall-poster), this will help her become more prepared to read and write on her own.

She enjoyed when I read Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate/ Illustrated by Ashley Wolff to her.  I want to check out more in that series.  The fact that each kindergarten student is an animal whose name and animal type begin with a different letter of the alphabet is great.  I also like the other early literacy aspects of the kindergarten room set-up (shapes in the blocks, numbers on the wall, etc).  The other book that I have put on request for her is Matthew ABC by Peter Catalanotto.  In this book, every child has the name "Matthew" and a quirk that starts with some letter of the alphabet, with all 26 being represented.  It is cute, and I know she'll meet kids who get differentiated by their last initial.

*If you have ABC books that are particularly awesome for you, please feel free to share in a comment.

Boo!

Halloween is a much-anticipated event in our home.  My daughter loves all-things-spooky.  (If you don't believe me, check my earlier blog on Scooby Doo).  Anyhow, now that she is four, her attention span has increased.  This has allowed me the opportunity to share with her books that were previously not in our range. 

The two big hits I want to point out are Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi and Scary Fright, Are You All Right? by Scott Gibala Broxholm.  Both manage to have a monster-perspective twist on real conflicts, be they between neighbors (like the neat-freak Boris and the messy Bella) or between parents and children (like with Scary Fright and her folks).  I have been a huge fan of Boris and Bella since I first read it as a new book that came into my work at a library in Las Vegas.  The illustrations use jagged lines and muted colors to create just the right eerieness.  Just this year, I found Scary Fright.  The book goes through multiple episodes of Scary's young life after her outlook shifts once she befriends a human.  My daughter has requested multiple readings.

In general, both of these books, while being appropriate to the holiday season, are not overly gorey.  They teach an embracing of differences while respecting one's own individual traits.  All the while, neither book falls into preachiness.  Most importantly, they are fun!  So, if you're incorporating literature for your pre-kindergarten or kindergarten kiddo into your Halloween celebrations, give these two a whirl.

Worth a Thousand Words

Wordless picture books are a great way to empower kids to tell stories.  (In the old version of Every Child Ready to Read, this was the building of "Narrative Skills."  For the new version, we can just say that it encourages talking).  The Chicken Thief by Béatrice Rodriguez is an adorable wordless picture book that has bright, specific illustrations.  My daughter enjoyed telling me about what was happening on each page.  I think that next I will have to bring home The Red Book by Barbara Lehman.  It has been a while since I read it, but I remember this being another that impressed me with the clear plot and room for extrapolation that it provided.

Click Your Mouse Button Now!

As much as pop-up books are at hit at my home, I am delighted to have found a book that proves simplicity can still be engaging.  Press Here by Hervé Tullet tells the listener what to do (press a dot, blow the black background off of the page, etc).  With each page turn, the variation in illustrated dots seems to result from the action that the child did on the previous page.  While I enjoyed the inventiveness of the book and the way that it reinforces concepts of color, size, and pattern, the real sign that this is a winner came when my daughter chose it from the huge pile of library books at home as the one for me to read to her again.  The interactive nature of this book makes reading it feel like playing a game. 

Innovative Illustrator Illuminates

I wanted to write today about an author/ illustrator whose inventive paper-cutting techniques bring vividly to life basic early literacy concepts.  I love reading the work of Laura Vacarro Seeger.  Her books are simple, yet they make clear some important ideas.  Below are some books by her that I recommend along with the topics they cover:

The Hidden Alphabet  (Letters)

First the Egg (Processes)

Black? White! Day? Night!  (Opposites)

Lemons are Not Red  (Colors)

Just the Facts, Mam.

Not everyone will like everything.  Just as preschoolers assert their preferences in terms of what to wear, what to eat, and what to play, they have their opinions about what to read.  Even when kids are in the toddler phase, they tend to have a book that their caregivers could recite by heart due to having repeated in ad nauseum.  (In our case, this was Moo! Baa! La La La! by Sandra Boynton ).

Imagine my surprise to find that my daughter, the child of someone with her graduate academic certificate in storytelling, loves juvenile non-fiction.  For some of the most simple, we read cover to cover.  For others, though, we read some captions while we look at the illustrations, photographs, and diagrams.  (In her Pre-K orientation, the teachers emphasized the importance for parents who are not literate in the language of a book to share stories with their children by discussing the pictures). We talk about the history and biology that have come to life in amazing pop-up volumes.  Books about ancient Egypt, dinosaurs, plants, and animals have been the big winners at our home.  My daughter tends to be very tactile; she wants to feel the world.  For her, books as instructions for basic science experiments and crafts are as useful or more so than those where the entire experience is on the pages.   

Two books at my home that sparked conversation and nursed my daughter's intrigue are new selections from the Insiders Alive series.  They have pop-up and other interactive features, but the writing is also informative and relevant.  The ones we have enjoyed are: Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Anita Ganeri and Ancient Egypt by Robert Coupe.

Smaller and Smaller

 So, I've been thinking about this blog ever since writing the last one.  It is way past time to share information about two of my favorite re-tellings of a Yiddish folktale.  Especially in these times of hardship and economic challenge, the message in the story is pertinent.  The repetition and simplicity of the story makes it a great tale to share with preschoolers, though. 

The story is about a coat that, as it gets worn, a grandfather who is also a tailor remakes into many smaller garment pieces for his grandson.  In the end, once the boy loses the button that the coat eventually became, all that is left is a wonderful story.

Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman-- My favorite part of these illustrations is the mouse family.  As the humans lose fabric scraps in their home, the mice under the house gather them and use them to decorate their tiny abode.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Tabak-- This book (which won the Caldecott Award for children's illustration) has very fun, bright pictures.  My favorite part of this one is the collection of Yiddish and Hebrew newspaper clippings worked into the background.  For the kids, though, the way that the garment changes because of cuts in the pages is probably the most endearing way that the pictures convey the story.

Bigger, Bigger, Bigger...

Tonight, I read my daughter a book called Sally and the Purple Socks by Lisze Bechtold.  In it, a duck has cozy purple socks that magically grow, and grow, and grow.  As they do, Sally has to find new uses for the "socks" that no longer fit.  Sometimes their largess is a problem, but her creative responses tend to make the best of situations that initially frustrate her. 

This reminded me of a book that my mom read to me when I was little.  It was one of her favorites.  (Yes, kids can tell).  The story was Bembelman's Bakery by Melinda Green.  It is the tale of a baker's family who must deal with the growing mountain of dough that results from the children's attempt at making bread.  A little too much yeast leads to a wonderful tale.

When reading with my daughter tonight, the patterns of the socks' growth progressing as we turned the page allowed me to use the book to prompt predictions.  "What do you think will happen?  How will Sally use the socks next?"  Often, my daughter says, "I don't know.  Let's find out!"  Maybe soon she will progress to letting her imagination paint the blanks.  Meanwhile, I am glad to see that already holds enthusiasm for reading and the knowledge that secrets unfold as we turn the pages.

Illustrations Inspire Improv

My daughter has started a new game.  She often asks what the characters in different pictures are saying.  This allows me to improvise dialog based on the text of a story.  The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman/ Illustrated by Ros Asquith has fantastic illustrations for this exercise.  It has detailed cartoon-style drawings that speak to the multitude of various homes, families, and cultures in which children find themselves.  I like the non-judgmental approach to different backgrounds.  I keep encouraging my daughter to speak on behalf of the characters, too.  So far, she leaves me to do the voices.  Hopefully, though, she will soon add her narrative skills to the mix.

Interrupt This Blog

It is not every book (or even the majority of them) that leads me to rant and rave.  If there is such a thing as literary love at first sight, it may describe my reaction to this wonderful picture book:  Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein.

In this story, Papa Chicken tries very hard to read a bedtime story to his little girl chicken.  However, she knows all the stories by heart and jumps into each telling just in time to prevent disaster or discomfort for the characters.  The warm interaction between father and daughter and genuine presentation of goal vs.obstacle make this book a natural for read-alouds.  I found it almost impossible NOT to do the voices.  (I am biased.  I always do character voices.  Still, this text begged for it).

I used this book in Summer Reading presentations for kindergarten through second grades, and it held the attention of the each class.  Then, I read it at home with my almost-four-year-old daughter.  She was involved for the entire telling, too.

I hope you interrupted your reading of this blog to procure and read this book.  If not, what are you waiting for?

Horn Book Hits The Nail on the Head

Sometimes, someone else encapsulates your thoughts and feelings so succinctly and accurately that you don't feel the need to reiterate.  That is the case for me after reading this fantastic article from Horn Book Magazine:
Why We're Still in Love with Picture Books (Even Though They're Supposed to Be Dead) by Allyn Johnston and Marla Frazee.

Please read and enjoy.

Color Your Child's World

Here are some of my favorite books to introduce and reinforce the concept of "color."  Learning colors is a great way for kids to build their vocabulary because they can not only name colors but also tend to name corresponding objects.  (For example: Grass is green).  Building the literacy skill of vocabulary is empowering because being able to describe one's world and one's desires eases the frustration that comes with wanting something and not knowing how to express it.

My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard/ Illustrated by G, Brian Karas-- A lively girl uses her crayons and her imagination to tie colors to objects she draws.

A Piece of Chalk by Jennifer A. Ericsson/ Illustrated by Michele Shapiro-- This cute book is a wonderful spring choice as a girl draws what she sees in her yard and details the chalk colors she uses as she does. It also has a sweet ending that promotes a positive outlook when the unexpected occurs.

Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek-- This nature tale's illustrations and final pop-out surprise stick in my mind as making it a memorable addition to any color curriculum.

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh-- This extremely simple introduction to primary and secondary colors is one of my favorites.  While the way the playful mice avoid the cat is witty, the demonstration of how pigments mix to form others is why I really like this selection.

Warthogs Paint by Pamela Duncan Edwards & Berry Cole-- To me, this is the slightly more advanced version of Mouse Paint.  The color mixing is very similar.  The messy mischief of the warthogs, though, will probably trigger some laughs from the preschool-set.

Duckie's Rainbow by Frances Barry-- If you read the last entry and thought, "Wow, my kid is not there yet," then this one may be your best bet.  It is a great introduction to colors for kids who don't know theirs yet. This book is a very simple illustration of colors and items that typically are those colors. The fun part is how the reader builds a rainbow with each page that he or she turns.

Infusing Scooby Doo with Literacy Lessons

My daughter loves Scooby Doo.  When I worked in Las Vegas, we had a "TV the Best Way" session in our cadre of early literacy storytimes.  Luckily, there are books based on the Scooby Doo characters.  Unfortunately, they are not great children's literature.  What's a mom to do?  Keep it interactive!  These are my ways of using these books:

1. Ask questions.  Often, these include, "How do you think _____ feels?"  and "What do you think will happen next?"  The skills I'm working on here are empathy and prediction (which are narrative skills, from an early literacy perspective-- see point #2)..
2. Vary voices.  For people who don't want to do full-on acting, a minor change in pitch or cadence can help distinguish characters.  Skill: narrative skills (building the child's ability to tell stories)
3. Once we've done a story over and over and over again, I will pause at select places.  Then, my daughter fills in the words.  Skill: vocabulary  (building the child's ability to know many words and names for things).
4. Point to the words.  As I go along in the narration, my finger goes with me.  It is simple and somewhat subversive, but my girl is learning that words in English go from left to right and that they tell the story.  Skill: print awareness.

I hope this post helps you if your children suddenly focus on nothing but Elmo, Spongebob, Barbie, Disney characters, Dora, etc.

Poetry + Concepts = Happy Mama

I've recently discovered a series of poetry books for children.  Each book tackles a single concept that is perfect for kindergarten readiness.  Moreover, the photographs in these books are beautiful. They complement the poems wonderfully while enhancing an appreciation of nature.  So, what is this series, you ask?  They are the _______ Me a Rhyme books by Jane Yolen with photographs by Jason Stemple.

In sharing them with my daughter, I saw that they do not hold her attention as some of the more humorous ones do.  However, I feel they are still very worthwhile.  So, I used them as a springboard for discussion, asking her things like, "What shape do you see here?" and "What in this room is red like those flowers?"

The books my daughter and I shared are:

Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People by Jane Yolen with photographs by Jason Stemple

Count Me a Rhyme: Animal Poems by the Numbers by Jane Yolen with photographs by Jason Stemple

Shape Me a Rhyme: Nature's Forms in Poetry by Jane Yolen with photographs by Jason Stemple

Humor: Print Motivation's Undercover Best Friend

My daughter loves goofy humor—the sillier the better.  So, when I want to focus on the early literacy skill of print motivation, I look for wacky stories with bright illustrations.  With groups, I used to promote this area by focusing on books about loving books.  I am certain that, with my little girl, this would NOT be the best approach.  So, here is my list of books that amuse my daughter enough to warrant multiple re-read requests:

The Clown-Arounds Go on Vacation by Joanna Cole/ Illustrated by Jerry Smath—Usually, I don’t recommend books geared towards early-readers as ones for parents and kids to share.  However, a friend recommended this one to me.  It is part of a series, and my daughter devours all of the books here that we have read.  I love how involved the illustrations are because I can ask my daughter about different aspects of them for each reading.

Dumb Bunnies by Sue Denim and Dav Pilkey—Kids love to put their knowledge of the world into play.  The way the Dumb Bunnies family does everything wrong (like taking an umbrella swimming so as to “not get wet”) reinforces children’s awareness of how the world works.  They love being able to shout “No!” when you ask things like, “Do you buy popcorn in a bathtub?”   The bright illustrations complement the text, and other books in the series live up to the original’s humorous dumbness.  

Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex-- This parody of Goodnight Moon keeps to the rhyme scheme and pacing of the original book.  It has more of a Halloween feel as creepy ghosts, ghouls, and witches inhabit the pages.  Luckily, the gore and gruesomeness are very light, so that it is more likely to amuse than to scare.  This is a companion book to Runaway Mummy.

Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again by Dave Horowitz--Based on the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme, this book manages to teach perseverance between laughs.  The illustrations, complete with cartoon-talk-bubbles, definitely add to the book's appeal.

A World of Their Imagination

Preschoolers have a sense of discovery and creativity that is blossoming.  For example, my daughter recently went through both a baby duck and a baby jaguar phase.  She would take on the physical movements and sounds of these animals and only respond if I called her by the names she chose. 

Picture books generally nurture imagination because kids have to put themselves in a story outside of the “here and now.”  However, there are some books that do a particularly good job of featuring creativity.  Here are a few of my favorite books that show how imagination builds a story: 

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson 
This book is a classic for a reason.  I loved it as a child, but obviously so did many others.  I believe that the reason for this popularity is that the quest Harold undertakes as he travels through a world literally of his creation-- one drawn by his purple crayon-- empowers children to delve into any universe their imaginations allow. 

Go to Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing
A little girl uses basic geometric shapes to form a very strong-willed and independent-minded monster.  The girl draws objects to amuse and comfort the monster.  She proves her resourcefulness in meeting his needs. The monster is definitely more cute than scary and helps reflect in a non-threatening way the fears that might overwhelm creative youngsters. 

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krause Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

I have been impressed by how well this book works as a read-aloud in large groups, although it is also perfectly well-suited for one-on-one sharing.  Two voices argue over whether an ambiguous shape is a duck or a rabbit.  The humorous take on perspective is as enjoyable a read for grown-ups as for the youngsters to whom the book is officially geared.
 

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Green Shaw

This is another classic where children identify what objects different blobs appear to be. It is a great introduction to the concept of shape in addition to promoting imagination.

Not a Box by Antionette Portis 
Whenever a critical voice asks a rabbit, who is drawn with charming simplicity, why he is playing with a box, he responds that "It's not a box!"  The things he imagine the box to be are illustrated in red, while the things that actually exist are drawn in black.  After seeing the elephant, building fire, hot-air balloon, and rocket (among others), it is likely that one will be tempted to seek his or her own box for playtime.  This delightful book also has a follow-up:  Not a Stick.

Chatterboxing-- a literacy hint

If I find myself with in the same room as a baby or toddler, I talk constantly.  I narrate everything I am doing, often throwing in the sign language that I learned when my daughter was a baby.  Mom reminds me with my nephew that I should only use signs he knows.  This is a good point.

Seriously, though, this is one of the best ways to build both vocabulary and narrative skills (two of the American Library Association’s identified skills for pre-reading readiness.  This definitely continues as children reach preschool-age and become more verbal themselves.  Check out this link from the Johnson County Library to see more: 6X6).  The reason this works is that kids are hearing words used in context, and they are seeing how stories work.  

Stories have:

1.       1.  Sequence (one thing leading to another)

2.       2.  Characters who have goals and obstacles

3.       3.  A beginning, a middle, and an end

It takes a while to recognize this, but the more that kids play with books that include these elements, the more natural it will feel for them to build them into their own stories.  

Limerick of Educational Pedagogy

The title of this blog is totally academic.  Really, though, the concept is simple.  Trust your children to have instincts that help them build brain connections.  So, don't be afraid to read your child's favorite story  to him or her over, and over, and over... and over.  Okay, now here's what I just said in poetic form:

When children choose what they will read,

It behooves us to follow their lead.

Repetition feels old,

But for learning it’s gold.

By nature they know what they need.

-Anna Francesca, 2011

Creative, Independent Girls

I thought I'd start this blog with books that cover various concept topics which prepare kids for school.  Then, one of my facebook friends mentioned how much she likes Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells.  This got the wheels in my head turning in a new direction. My undergraduate degree is in Women's Studies, and I am raising a daughter.

The following books are ones I enjoy because of the protagonists.  They feature girls who proudly own their unique styles.  These books also demonstrate loving family relationships.  I appreciate the underlying message that people do not need to all be the same to be able to appreciate one another.

Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
Being a middle child isn't easy, but this adorable rhyming book gives Nora, a middle-child, her voice.  This is a fun read-aloud because kids can make noise at appropriate places.  When I raise my hand, the group can make a racket.  (This works especially well if children have rhythm sticks or some other hand-instrument, but it can be done just with yelling, clapping, stomping, etc).  However, the noise must stop as soon as I lower my hand so that they can continue hearing the story.  As I wrote to my friend, self-control is a lesson best learned, like most others, when one doesn't recognize that learning is happening. :-)

Olivia by Ian Falconer
Olivia is the eldest child in her porcine family.  However, she is a very human-like pig with a huge imagination.  The illustrations are mostly gray-tone with some red, and the simple facial expressions are hilarious.  Falconer also incorporates some photographs into the pictures.  This is the first book in a series that takes Olivia to a the museum, the ballet, a fireworks display, Venice, and even the U.S. Supreme Court (in her dreams).  There are other, more full-color books based on the television show that the original series spawned.  However, I think these wordier stories lack the simplicity and wonder that make the Falconer books so special.

Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor/ Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
This is also the first book in a series.  It is perfect for families who want something substantial for their princess-obsessed girls.  Nancy enjoys all things adorned, as the humorous illustrations demonstrate..  Kids can expand their vocabularies via her explanations using context or synonyms to introduce her preferred terms. The love that her plain family shows as they try to play along with her posh preferences is touching.  The later books in the series are a bit longer and therefore more appropriate to average 4-year-old and 5-year-old attention spans.  The first book will work fine for most 3-year-olds, though.  Plus, if your children become fans of Nancy, they can follow her adventures in early-reader books when they are ready to start reading on their own.

Rhyme Game Video

While this is not a post specifically about books, it describes a way to supplement one of the literacy focus skills from the last post.  Plus, it occupies kids so that they have something to do other than grab candy when waiting in the grocery line.

 

 

Rhythm & Rhyme

I love when a story moves.  As an auditory learner, I do my very best when I hear things. The cadence-- the flow and pause of writing-- can change it from text to poetry, from words to music.  

What does this have to do with kids?  Well, way before we can understand language, we can hear pitch, inflection, and phonemes (the little sounds that make up words).  Being able to distinguish between sounds is a major foundation for eventually being able speak and read.  Noticing tone variation helps kids put meaning to words. (Example:  If you're around a dog, say "Ooh ahh ooh!" in an excited and happy voice. See if the puppy's tail wags. You get my drift).  

Here are some of my favorite books for kids aged 3-5 that play with rhythm and rhyme:

Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka

I read this book by Chris Raschka to my daughter before she was even born.  It doesn't have much of a plot, but its sound-play is genius.  Inspired by the jazz music of Charlie "Bird" Parker, Raschka suggests varieties in how to read the rhyming text by using different fonts.  I've actually performed this book for kids in-tandem with an improvising jazz band.  It was fun.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. & John Archambault/ Illustrated by Lois Ehlert'

Don't blame me if the refrain from this book gets stuck in your head.  It happens.  That means that it will happen for kids, too.  So, why not get them hooked on a cute book that also happens to have all of the letters of the alphabet in it?  The simple story and bright illustrations make this a real crowd-pleaser. 

 

Tanka Tanka Skunk! By Steve Webb

I admit, this was another one that I read to my kid while she was still in the womb.  Seriously, if I have to listen to what I read, I may as well enjoy it.  Webb uses colorful pictures of animals to aid the chant comprised of their names.  Again, the rhyme and very conscious varying of syllable stresses makes this text feel as if it is in motion.  I also like that some less-common animals, like the lemur, have a role to play in this plot-less poem.