Harold and the Purple Crayon ~ Crockett Johnson

The Snowy Day ~ Ezra Jack Keats

So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. ~ Psalm 90:12

Making Reading Fun

· Reading Glasses ~ Buy a pair of large or silly sunglasses from the Dollar Store and push out the lenses. Your child can wear these glasses when it’s time to read.

· Googly Eye Stick ~ Glue a pompom onto the tip of a popsicle stick or a chopstick. Then glue googly eyes onto the pompom. Have your child use this “reading buddy” to follow along under the words at reading time.

· Become a Character ~ Let your child dress up like a character in the story or have reading time with some stuffed animals that resemble the book’s characters.

· Read the Wall ~ When your child is just beginning to read, rewrite “early-to-read” books on strips of paper (one page of words per strip). Stick the strips of paper at eye level along the wall. Have your child read the wall book while using his/her reading glasses and googly eye stick.

· Reading Voices ~ Encourage your child to use different voices when reading. There’s no rule that says reading has to be done using a medium volume, monotone voice. How about reading one page with a whisper voice, the next page with a rumbling voice, and the next page with a squeaky voice?

· Find an Audience ~ Have your child practice reading a book in preparation to read over the phone to grandma as a bedtime story.

· Keep an Account ~ Have your child set a reading goal and use a sticker chart to record his/her progress. An appropriate reward can be given once the goal has been achieved.

· Tape Record a Book ~ Have your child choose a book to create an audio story. Your child will need to practice reading the book many times until he/she can read it fluently. Then have your child create sound effects for certain words in the book. Even early-to-read books can have sound effects. For example: “Run, Bill, run!” can have pitter patter hands making a “running” sound effect. Have your child practice reading the story with sound effects and then bring the tape recorder out!

· Create a Reading Spot ~ Find a space in your home that can be reserved for reading. Use blankets and pillows to make the spot comfortable. Have a basket of “able to read” books readily available. For the more adventurous, set up a blanket tent and bring out the flashlight.

We're Enjoying Jan Brett ...

We're Enjoying ...

The Snowy Day ~ Ezra Jack Keats

My Reading Nook

Sally Clarkson's inspirational blog: I Take Joy

Enjoying the Classics

Here are a couple of tried and true picture books that we have been enjoying lately:



The illustrations are excellent and allow for imaginations to go to another place. The relationship between the mother bunny and the child bunny allows kids to relate to the story even more. There is a text pattern and rhyme that can be used as a model to guide children in adding their own verses to the story. A very sweet read.



I love this book. There is so much learning that occurs by simply reading the text and discussing the illustrations. The illustrations are not in color but somehow they captivate the hearts and minds of both children and adults.
As we have read through this book several times, we have:
~ learned the difference in appearance between a mallard and a drake
~ counted the baby ducklings on each illustration to make sure none has been lost
~ recognized the need for a mama duck to find a place to nest and sit on her eggs
~ learned what molting is
~ compared the park in the book with the park that we go to to feed the ducks
~ established who a cop is
~ reviewed along with the ducklings the rules of safety when walking near traffic

A wonderful read!