Tag: show me how!

Books, Reading

New Year’s Resolutions: Starting a Reading Habit

Kirsten W. Larson

What? It’s too early to talk New Year’s resolutions, you say? Well, just in case you’ve finished all your Christmas shopping, decorated your tree, and baked

Your-Beth

cookies, I have found something for you to do. Grab a copy of Emma Walton Hamilton’s Raising Bookworms and consider starting a reading habit with your child in the new year.

Walton’s book provides some wonderful “how to’s” for raising children with a love for reading. She organizes the book around children’s ages and stages, from toddlers to middle school and beyond. Each chapter is chock full of tips and tricks, as well as her book list of “family favorites” for each age. She also includes a section of frequently asked questions and an introduction with arguments for why reading is important. A wonderful supplement for this book would be Vivian Kirkfield’s Show Me How!, which provides craft and cooking tie-ins for many beloved children’s books.

At our house reading has long been a part of our nightly routine. Each boy gets three books before bed. Sometimes a section of the LEGO catalog substitutes for one of the books, but as Hamilton says, you need to think broadly about what counts as reading. For my kindergartener, I read him two books, and he reads me one. Or he reads me a chapter from a chapter book. After that, he gets to stay up an extra half hour to read in his bed. This is a privilege he is pretty excited about.

We’ve always visited the library A LOT. And the boys are never surprised to come home to a stack of books from the library used book sale or a couple of Scholastic Book Order paperbacks. These are two inexpensive ways to build your library if you are just starting out.

I am sure many of you already have an established reading routine with your children. But, if you don’t, Raising Bookworms can help you start one. A big thanks to Beth Stilborn (the birthday girl) for introducing me to this wonderful book.

Arts/Crafts, Books, Homeschool

Summer Fun Shortcut: SHOW ME HOW!

Kirsten W. Larson

Who doesn’t love summer days: lazy mornings with no school routine, no plans, no commitments? Oh, wait, that can be an at-home parent’s worst nightmare. Life always seems easier with a little structure and a planned activity or two, even if it’s just a jaunt to the park or a splash in the pool.

If you find yourself casting about for a little summer routine, look no further than Vivian Kirkfield’s Show Me How. This ingenious guide pairs 100 classic picture books with related crafts and recipes you can easily do with your child, which helps build self-esteem. The picture book recommendations are arranged around six themes. For example, the section “I Am Really Mad Right Now!” includes books like Where the Wild Things Are and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which help children learn how to express their feelings. The other themes are: “I Can Do It Myself!,” “I’m Special!,” I Love You and You Love Me!,” “I’m Afraid!,” and “Tell Me One More Story, Please!”

Reading “Where the Wild Things Are”

We road tested a few of Kirkfield’s book suggestions and activities. We read Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963), in which Max is “sent to be without his supper” for acting naughty. In his room, he creates a world where the wild things are and becomes king. Kirkfield pairs this book with a bookmaking activity. She provides directions for helping your child write and illustrate his or her own picture book using clippings from old magazines. She also includes the recipe for delicious “Wildly Spiced Apple Muffins,” which Cooper and Finley helped me make — and gobble up — for breakfast. Yum!

Our second book was Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939), in which little Madeline has an appendectomy. Ouch! Kirfield suggests making get-well cards and sending them to someone who is ailing. Cooper decided to make a get well card for one of his imaginary friends using construction paper, markers and stickers. The accompanying recipe is Sweet Wheat Bread, since Madeline and the girls at her school eat bread with each meal.

This book is recommended for children ages 2-5, but I think it works for children up to age 7. Children ages 4-7 would probably get the most out of the activities and cooking experiences.

As a bonus, Kirkfield includes her own recipe for a successful day, which she used as a teacher with pre-Ks and kindergarteners and as a day-care provider. She provides a loose structure that includes times for eating, reading, music, crafts, free play and cooking.

Kirkfield is mom, grandmother, a former teacher and a former daycare operator who practices what she preaches. Her blog, Positive Parental Participation, is a great resource for teachers and caregivers of small children.