REVIEW: Back-to-School with Dudley Backpacks

Almost Back to School Time

In some places, it’s back to school time already. Around here, school doesn’t start for a few more weeks but it’s certainly time to get your back to school supplies.

My girls are going into Grade one and Senior Kindergarten(SK) this year. At our school, going into Grade One means moving from going to school every other day to going every day and of course means moving from play based learning to desk work.

Morgan (left) was ready for Grade One before SK even ended. She is SO excited to be a “big kid.”

Out With the Old, In With the New

Her old backpack was smaller, designed for young children and would not be suitable for a Grade One so we needed a new backpack. I usually wait till last minute and end up with a cheap backpack that isn’t that great.

Then I found out Dudley, the maker of Combination Locks recently starting manufacturing backpacks. They agreed to send me one to evaluate. Available exclusively at Staples Canada, these backpacks are designed for the student of today.

Important Features Your Child’s Backpack Needs:

• Proper padding on more than just the shoulders to protect their bodies. (Dudley backpacks have wide padding on the shoulder, back and even hips.)
• Compartments for organizing items and distributing weight (Dudley backpacks have multiple compartments from large to small)
• Made of Durable Material (Dudley backpacks are have a hard plastic bottom and are made well to stand up to what your child does to it.)
• Style Your Child Likes - Kids can be cruel and you want your child to be proud to wear their backpack. (Dudley backpacks come in White, Black, Blue, Pink or Yellow and the design is modern and trendy.)
• Meet the Needs of Today’s Child – who has electronics and often carries money and/or house keys. (Dudley backpacks have ear bud hole access to prevent loss or theft of electronics and hidden interior pockets to hide small valuables)

Padding on Shoulders, Back and Hips

Lots of Inner Compartments

Earbud Hole Access

These lightweight backpacks are available at Staples Canada with a suggested retail price of $49.99

Dudley Also Has School and Locker Supplies

Chose from their Locker Boot Mat to trap dirt, mud and water and keep your locker dry, the Vertical Set-Your-Own Combination lock, Bicycle Cable Lock with Letter combination and Stationary Accessories Kit (with geometry set, pencil case, pencil sharpener, flexible ruler, mini stapler and staples and three hole punch)

Supplies Availability and Pricing:

Locker Boot Mat (Staples Canada) $7.99
Stationery Accessories Kit (Walmart Canada) $15.99
Set Your Own Combination Lock (Staples Canada, Walmart Canada, Jean Coutu, Novexco, Varites Prud’Homme) $9.99
Bicycle Cable Lock (Jean Coutu)$8.99

The Bottom Line

I am pleased with the backpack. It is a little big for my 6 year old (and she’s a tall six year old) but she will grow into it and I expect it to last her a few years. I don’t think $50 is too much for a quality backpack that should last a few years and has such great features. I know when I was in school it was hard to keep my backpack organized because it all went in one spot.

A Chance To Win

I will be giving away a Dudley backpack to a lucky Canadian  in the Back to School Spree Giveaway 8/17-8/31

*I received product from a company or PR agency for evaluation purposes. All review are honest.

REVIEW: ChildUp Early Learning Game Cards Series

ChildUp Early Learning Game Cards are interactive and educational cards for parents to work with their children from 1 to 5 years old.

“The ChildUp Cards are NOT Flash Cards
Under the assumption that babies and toddlers would be able to memorize whole words or series of dots, some people believe that flash cards are a good way to teach reading or counting. This method is flawed because, even if it allows children to recognize known words, it leaves them unable to read or build new words. With numbers, while it is not so difficult to instantly recognize six dots on the face of a die, how would you “read” 25 dots without counting each of them individually? In fact, children who read flash cards are not ‘reading’ or ‘counting’ at all, but only ‘recognizing pictures.’” – from info cards

There are two sets of cards:

• Teach Your Child to Count to 10 – Math and Logic #1
• Teach Your Child to Count to 20 – Math and Logic #2

Besides learning to count, your child can also learn the difference between even and odd numbers and to do basic additions and subtractions. He or she will also animal vocabulary and language skills.

Each set of cards has animals on it (40 for each set) and the cards are separated into sections with a card at the beginning explaining what each animal is.

ChildUp has also created Early Learning Mobile Apps for iOS and Android and also offers a series of Online Parenting Courses about early academic learning and emotional and social development.

The packs are only $12 and come in a cute little box for safe keeping. Each one comes with 16 parent cards which has valuable information on how children learn and how to use the cards.  If you want to know how to use the cards BEFORE you buy them, there is a link on the main page to a pdf.

There are also all kinds of parenting articles.

Find ChildUp on Facebook and Twitter

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Summer Fit Learning Series–Exercise for the Brain and Body While Away From School

 

Studies show that children lose some of their school learning over the summer. That’s why the first few weeks back to school is review.  Also while some kids spend Summer outdoors getting lots of exercise, others spend it indoors sitting around watching TV and playing video games.

The Summer Fit Learning Series was founded by George Starks in 2010 after leading the Summer Bridge Activities workbook series for Rainbow Bridge Publishing for 10 years.

Summer Fit Learning Works the Brain and Body

The brain exercises such as reading, writing and math bridge what they have already learned in the grade they are leaving with what they will learn when they move up. So instead of it being a Grade 1 or Grade 2 workbook, you would see a Grade 1-2 workbook for students moving from Grade 1 to Grade 2.

The body exercises include fitness, nutrition and values. There is a wide variety of Aerobic, Strength and Play Exercises plus Core Values to learn.

How it Works or Inside the Book

The book is designed to be used every weekday starting right from when school lets out. After all the parental information and explanations, you will find a Progress Check where you can check off each week as it is finished and how you are doing with the fitness.

Then you will find the introduction to Week One. It tells you what brain knowledge you will cover (missing letters, counting coins, finish the pattern, vowel sounds, subtraction etc.). Then is the reminder to pick an activity from the aerobic, strength and play/sport activities this week and to warm up first with some ideas of how to do that. Finally we are introduced to the core value of the week with a little explanation of what it means.

Turn the page to find the Incentive Contract. A parent or guardian fills in an incentive for completing the weeks and signs it. There is a spot to check off that you did the mind and body sections for each day that week and a spot to write down three things you did this week to show your weekly value. Then Congratulations and the parent can sign.

For each day there is only two pages of work plus the fitness section so it’s not like your child is working for hours each day all summer long. It could be 5-20 minutes depending on how well your child remembers/knows the material. For fitness you choose from one of the three activities shown and pick a “level”. It’s set up so you do fitness as follows:

Day 1 – Aerobic (Green level is to do it for 10-30 seconds. Blue level is 31-60 seconds and Purple level is 61-90 seconds.)
Day 2 – Strength (Green is 3-10 reps, Blue is 11-19 reps, Purple is 20-29 reps)
Day 3 – Aerobic
Day 4 – Strength
Day 5 – no mind work, something on the core value (info, questions, book suggestions and other activities) and you do one of the sports.

Are you in Canada?

My only problem is that the pages that have you count coins, have you count American coins. But don’t worry! You can download the pages with Canadian coins from the website in the Canada section!

Connect!

You can find Summer Fit Learning on Facebook and Twitter. Also the website has some extra resources like a summer reading list, other fun ideas and more.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

REVIEW: Bananagrams Word Games - Fun For the Whole Family

I LOVE games! Board games, card games, paper games, word games, I love them all. So I was excited to try out the games offered by Bananagrams, which I'd heard about but never had the chance to try.

The first four are fun, addicting word games and the fourth is dominoes with a fruit twist. The first three games come packaged in a bag that is shaped like the fruit they are named after. Zip It is a travel game and comes in a zipper pouch. It also comes with a small book that lists unusual words (like Q without the U or ends in C) All the tiles and cubes are made from quality ceramic and feel like they will last a long time. 

Bananagrams - Like A Solitaire Scrabble Race

Basically all players start with the same number of letter tiles and the rest in a BUNCH. Players race each other to create their own scrabble type layout, intersecting words. You can rearrange what you have at any time. When you use all your tiles, call PEEL and take one more. If you don't like what you have, call DUMP and exchange one tile for three more. Keep going until there are less tiles in the BUNCH than there are players and then first player to get rid of all tiles shouts BANANAS. Words are checked and she is either declared the winner or a ROTTEN BANANA. 

I played this with a bad speller and I'm a good speller so to be fair, she was able to ask if her word was spelled right during the game before going on. We both used a dictionary a few times too. This worked well for us and it was close. I won by mere seconds. This was way more fun than Scrabble because you can rearrange the tiles at any time to make better words. This came in handy when we had only one letter and so we added an S to a word or an E to a H (HE) and then later we could take those back and make a bigger word somewhere else. See our game in photos on Google+ (you don't have to be a member to view it.)

Appletters - Like a Word Snake

With Appletters, you have to use your tiles to create a word you can add to the beginning or end of a word that's already there so that it ends up making a long snake. No criss-cross words here! You start with eight tiles and if you can't go, you say PICK AND PASS and pick three tiles and play passes to the next player. Winner is first person to get rid of all tiles. 

This makes it more challenging actually as you have less letters to work from. There are variations for younger children as well and my favourite part, at the end the winner says, "How Do You Like Them Apples?" 

Pairs in Pears - Like Nothing Else

These letters are divided into four suits and you have to make word pairs that share one letter, in the same suits.  Words must be at least three letters long. How many tiles you start with and how many pairs you need to win depend on the number of players.

For two players for example each of you would have 52 tiles and have to make 4 pairs of words.

It seems tricky at first because of the different suits. I think it would have been easier if they were different colours or fonts instead of coloured in differently. The images to the left actually shows the right way and the wrong way to play. The one that says JOB and LOG is wrong because the letters are from different suits. FIX and HIT is correct. 

Zip It - Like Bananagrams On the Go

Everything you need in one little travel pouch. Even the zippers on the pouch are part of the game - you use them for scoring! Take 12 cubes, use the cubes, on any side to make a crossword grid in front of you. Keep rearranging till you have no more cubes. Call ZIP and move your zipper one spot for one point. If you have anything mispelled or against rules (proper names or abbreviations) you lose point and other player gets the point. After each round, mix up the cubes and redraw. First player to reach 10 wins.

I can't wait to bring this camping this summer. It's so hard to play games outside when you need to track a score because the paper gets blown away by the wind and the pen rolls off the table. Now I can have a game that can keep it's own score too! Using cubes with 6 sides means less pieces to (not) lose. 


Fruitominoes - Like Dominoes... With Fruit

Instead of black dots on these dominoes, you will find fruit pictures. Easier for children, brighter colours and makes you crave a fruity treat! That's about it!


Seriously... you WILL want to eat fruit.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

GIVEAWAY: 12 Days of Gifts Galore - $460 in Prizes Split in Two Winners (WW) #12DaysGalore

Welcome to 12 Days of Gifts Galore Giveaway Hop hosted by Tales From the Nursery, Formula Mom, and Mama on a Green Misson. There's over $5,000 in prizes offered to help you get the gifts you need this holiday season. After you are done entering our giveaway you'll want to check out everyone else's AND enter for a chance to win one of three GRAND prizes sponsored by Kudzoom! Each blog you stop and enter at will be another entry!

I have seven sponsors for this event which will make up 2 prize packs.

Prize Pack #1 - $200 - Year Subscription to Reading Kingdom - Open Worldwide

"The Reading Kingdom is more than a phonics program. It’s an online reading program for children ages 4 to 10 that teaches six skills needed for reading and writing success. Created by Dr. Marion Blank, one of the world's top experts in literacy, the reading system is beloved by parents and has helped thousands of kids to learn to read."  - Read My Review Here

Prize Pack #2 - ($240 to $260) - Gifts for Parents and Children - Open US/CAN (For you or use as a gift - if there is something your family can't use, share with a friend)

Mumoocie Memory Foam Body Pillow - $80 - Read My Review Here

Unique Design Good for Those Who Don't Like to Sleep Alone (Kids OR Adults)

PaperJamz Guitar - $40 - Review Coming Soon

Play the Guitar Like a Pro! 8+

Live Call with Santa (and CD) from Santa Speaking - $37.90 -  $59.90 - Spotlight Coming Soon

Your child will get a personalized call from Santa himself and a CD recording of the call to hear again and again and hang on the tree. Value depends on when you schedule the call and how many children you have. See the spotlight post for details.

Mommy MD Guides (Pregnancy/Birth and First Year) by Jennifer Reich - $26  - Read Review Here

My Very Merry Christmas Personalized Book by I See Me - $25 - Review Coming Soon

Lovable Labels Holly Jolly Gift Pack - Winner's Choice of Christmas Jewels or Santa's Pick - $25 - Review Coming Soon

To enter, please use the rafflecopter form below. If you don't know how to use it, see this rafflecopter guide. A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules. If you have any problems, email me callista83@cogeco.ca

NOTE: Only the first entry is mandatory. However there is a bonus 25 entries if you do all the single entries. The list of entries is fairly long because I wanted to give love to my sponsors. Entries are grouped by type/frequency.

GIVEAWAY RULES:
One Person Per Household. Prize Pack #1 Open Worldwide 18+, Prize Pack #2 Open to US/Canada 18+. Giveaway open until December 6, 2011 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries will be verified. Winner will be selected using random.org on December 7, 2011 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. For Prize Pack #1, I will ask for permission to forward your email to them and they will give you your year subscription. For Prize Pack #2, I will ask for permission to share your email address with Santa Speaking, I See Me Books and Lovable Labels so they can coordinate the details of your prize. I will provide your mailing address to Mumoocie, Paper Jamz and Mommy MD Guides. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.

REVIEW: Reading Kingdom - Online Reading Program - Sponsor for #12DaysGalore

One person will win a Year Subscription (RV: $199) to Reading Kingdom in my 12 Days of Gifts Galore Giveaway which starts Nov. 25!

Reading Kingdom is an online reading program designed for ages 4-10 and can be used by parents as a supplement to what they learn at school, by schools directly or as a homeschooling reading lesson plan.

Sequencing

 

The program covers all six skills needed for reading: sequencing, motor skills, sounds, meaning, grammar and comprehension and the lessons are tailored to your child's ability. Reading Kingdom recognizes that children of the same age aren't necessarily at the same reading level.

My two oldest children are in JK and SK and so are right at the beginning of the age group for this program. They WANT to learn how to read and practice reading and writing every second they get (because they want to, I don't sit them down and make them do it.)

Letter Land

How It Works

I set them up with some profiles (quick and easy) and then there is an optional keyboard/mouse skills training for children who aren't familiar with the keyboard. My kids are pretty adept at it so we skipped that. They perhaps could have used a bit of it as they didn't know where every key is or the punctuation but the have done okay without it.

So first they do a Skills Survey which is able to figure out where they need to start out. If it's determined they need to do the Sequencing and Letter sections, then that's where they start. That's where my children are right now.

The program is designed to take a while. It will take 4-6 weeks for my kids to do the section they are on, more if they don't work on it a few times a week.

My 5 Year old Playing Reading Kingdom

When we first started, they had a little trouble and I got frustrated. They say you can help your child with keyboard or mouse skills if need be but not to help them in any other way as the program takes how well your child did and determines how much more practice and at what level they need it. So I tried to do that but it kept assuming they didn't know what to do because they were taking too long to do it. So it would say click p for example and before they clicked it, it would stop and explain what to do and then give them another try. Then before they clicked it, it would show again and do it for them then move on to the next one. I've realized that the problem was they needed more keyboard skills. The keyboard skills are not just knowing how to use the keyboard but where each button is so they can click it quicker. Once we figured this out, everything went fine.

Tips From Me

• Turn off other distractions such as TV, music and take siblings that are distracting out of the room.
• Make sure the keyboard and mouse are at the right height for the child. Right now we only have a laptop and as you can see from the above photo, it's too high for my children. I did plug in a USB mouse though so they don't have to try to use the laptop mouse.
• Do only one session at a time. The sessions seem short once they get the hang of it and they often ask to do a second session right afterwards but then half way through that one inevitably have trouble sitting still and get distracted which affects their work. You want to end while they are having fun so they will want to do it again.
• Call it a reading game (which it is) or Reading Kingdom. Do not call it homework, lessons such (unless you are using it with homeschooling in which case it is but still, it sounds more fun that way)

Reading Kingdom offers a way to see your child's progress. It offers a progress meter for each child:

(c) Reading Kingdom. Screenshot from Kathleen Garber (does not appear blurry for real

There are also little icons beside each section that show if it's in progress, not yet started, completed and level of performance (needs attention or good, very good or excellent performance.)

So Does It Work?

Well before we started Reading Kingdom, my 5 year old SK girl was getting the hang of letter sounds and sequencing (left to right) and such but wasn't reading more than 5 words not including family member's names. We've been doing the program for about a month (and not even as often as recommended) and she is reading beginner books and signs all around! She is catching on so quickly and although she is learning at school, this big jump all of a sudden I'm sure is at least partly because of Reading Kingdom.

Subscriptions and Free Trials

You can sign up for a free 30 day trial to test it out. The regular membership prices are below but if you subscribe when you sign up for your trial, you save 25%!

$19.99/month or $199.99/year for first reader
$9.99/month or $99.99/year for each additional reader
Subscription is risk free - you can cancel at any time.

Also be sure to check out the Reading Kingdom blog for great articles and tips on reading. Also find Reading Kingdom on Facebook and Twitter.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

INFO/GIVEAWAY: Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms

I posted about Teacher Monday 2010 and it's time again. Del Monte is trying to get school children to eat healthier by hosting the Teacher Monday Cash for Classrooms contest. Sixty school children from North America will win $1000 cash to purchase school supplies and fresh fruit for the classroom. Several winners will also get a Del Monte Fresh Fruit Field Day at their school with special activities and fruit to eat.

To win, teachers must register online and submit a short essay on how they will incorporate healthy eating and living messages into their lesson plans. Ten winners will be selected each Monday starting October 3 to win. You can read all the details at the Del Monte website.

To help spread the word, I have a backpack of school supplies and coupons for free fruit to giveaway. This is how the prizes will breakdown:

1st Prize: Backpack of School Supplies + 5 X $5 Del Monte Fresh Fruit Coupons (CAN ONLY)
2nd and 3rd: 5 X $5 Del Monte Fresh Fruit Coupons (CAN ONLY)
4th-7th: 5 X $5 Del Monte Fresh Fruit Coupons (US ONLY)

If you win the backpack of school supplies, please share with your child's teacher as there are lots!

You can enter below using rafflecopter. Just click Read More if you can't see the entry form. Also please spread the word to your children's teachers so they can enter!

If you've never used rafflecopter before to enter giveaways, check out this rafflecopter guide.

Starting Kindergarten V.2

Last year my first child started Kindergarten. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time, for both of us. This year we get to do it all over again with daughter number two who will be starting this September. That's right I'll have both my daughters in Kindergarten this year.*

So this school year is special for me. Sure in 4 years I'll have another child starting Kindergarten and it's not new to me this year but this is the only time I'll have two children in the same classroom. In my children's school, JK and SK share a classroom and do most things together.

I wonder if this will be easier having them together, or harder. Will they get on each other's nerves and fight each other all the time like they do at home? Will they help each other out and will the older one be there when the younger one misses me? I can't really prepare for this as I don't know what's going to happen.

I may not be able to prepare for all this but I can make sure we are all prepared for the first day of school by making sure we have what we need. If you are looking for a place to shop for unique back to school products, try Tiny Prints. They sell lunch box notes, allergy cards, family planners, emergency contact cards and more.

*For those in other countries where things might be done differently, there are two years of Kindergarten, JK and SK (Junior and Senior) before Grade 1 starts. Kindergarten is not mandatory but most children attend.

**I received compensation in exchange for writing this post but the stories and thoughts are all real. 

Del Monte - Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms Contest

Del Monte Fresh Produce is currently hosting "Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms," an online contest where teachers in the US and Canada can win cash and fresh fruit for their classroom.

Winners will receive $1000 ($250 in fresh fruit gift certificates and $750 in cash) to use for school supplies and fresh fruit for the students for snacks and/or classroom activities.

Winning teachers will also be linked with schools in Del Monte's tropical growing regions such as Costa Rica and Guatemala who will also receive grants for school supplies!

To enter, teachers must submit an essay detailing what they will do with their winnings and winners will be selected based on number of votes so they must rally everyone they know and in the school to vote for them.

Find out more and enter here: Teacher Monday Contest.

SMART Love of Learning: Who Do You Think is the Best Teacher in the World

Have you ever heard of a Smart Board? Some schools are already using them. They are from SMART Technologies which has recently introduced SMART Love of Learning. More on SMART boards later.

SMART Love of Learning acknowledges and celebrates all of the teachers who have impacted individuals around the world, by asking "Who do you think is the best teacher in the world?"

So who do I think is the best teacher in the world? My last blog post was about the woman who influenced me the most who happened to be my Guidance Counsellor. However when I think about the teacher who has helped my kids out the most, I turn immediately to Mrs. Marnie Stranks. She is the teacher in charge of the Parenting and Family Literacy Centre in our local school. She is the greatest teacher. She interacts with the kids and comes up with new and fun activities for them to do. She treats everyone equally and helps us adults treat everyone equally too, even when it's hard. If you are having a hard time in your personal or family life, she is there to listen and provide advice if you want it. When kids from her class move up to Kindergarten, she is there in case they have a hard time adjusting.

So what's a SMART Board?
If you aren't familiar with the SMART board, you can check out the Magical Classroom YouTube video to get a better idea of how it works and what it can do.

My children and I have had a chance to use the SMART board and it's cool. It's a computer projected onto a whiteboard with touch screen capabilities. So instead of using a mouse in front of the computer, the kids can reach up and touch the next button or drag and drop items from one area to another. I've only played with preschool and kindergarten games but the video above shows what older kids can do. 


Would you like a chance to win a SMART Board for the school of your choice? You can enter through the Facebook page (don't forget to like it while you are there!) or through the SMART Love of Learning website. At the SMART Love of Learning site you can also read what others say about their favourite teachers and access the Parent's Toolkit which has information on helping to raise money for your school to purchase their own SMART board.

Have you ever used a SMART Board? What did you think?
If not, do you think it sounds like a good idea?

*This post is part of a MomCentral campaign.

Tales of a Part-Time Lunch Aide

*Photo thanks to Smithereen11 on Flickr

Okay I'm not actually a lunch aide. I'm a substitute lunch aide. I'm not sure if they call it that everyone so let me explain.

When I'm called to work, I go to the school during lunch hour and supervise the students while they eat their lunch and then go outside with them for recess and supervise out there. Sometimes I collect the afternoon kindergarten kids and bring them in, although that will be different come September.

At the schools I work at, (and most of the ones around here,) students eat in their classrooms, not in a lunchroom like in the picture at right.

Each class has a few student monitors, which are students in higher grades. The adult lunch aides wander between the classes, supervising everyone and making sure rules are followed.

Although I only do this job every once in a while, I like it. I do have complaints but having a chance to work in a school is enjoyable.

I am curious how students in other parts of Canada, the United States and the world eat their lunch. Do they eat in a lunchroom or in their classroom? Do they go outside first or after they eat? Anything else?

Family Literacy Day

As you may or may not know, today was Family Literacy Day in Canada. I fully intended to post earlier so you could do something to celebrate but today was a bit crazy so instead I share what we did today.

This year's theme is Sing for Literacy to increase awareness of how singing helps literacy. Robert Munsch is the honorary chair for Family Literacy Day.

Singing is a great literacy activity for families because it provides a fun way to expand spoken vocabulary and creates a strong bond. Singing allows you to learn patterns of words, rhymes and rhythms, and is strongly connected to language skills.
 - Sing for Literacy

We went to playgroup today (for those not in Canada, it's like preschool but the parents stay and interact with their kids and other parents.) For Family Literacy Day we brought our teddy bears and did a special teddy bear themed day with teddy crafts, teddy snack and teddy songs and poems and stories at circle time.

This is my children at the sand table

Here they are with their bears at circle time

Here's a poem that was read to us.

We also listened to Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle, sang Going on a Bear Hunt and watched a short video of the Teddy Bear's Picnic.

Want to download some literacy activities? (PDF file)

Check out some literacy facts

Did you go to college? Maybe you should try one of these courses....

Pornography Appreciation? South Park and Political Correctness, Oprah Winfrey: The Tycoon (a history class)?

Check out this list.

Childhood Language Delays Go Unrecognized by Parents

One out of every twelve kids less than five years of age in Canada experiences a delay in language development. Yet a recent poll has revealed that 94% of Canadian parents of children under five rate their child’s language skills as average or above indicating that there is a potential to not recognize speech and language delays in pre-school children.

As a result, many children may be starting school without the fundamental language and early literacy skills that ensure academic success – and some of those children may never catch up.

Angus Reid Strategies conducted a one-day online survey on behalf of The Hanen Centre. The Hanen Centre is a not-for-profit authority in the development of family-focused early language intervention programs and learning resources. The survey was conducted among a randomly selected, representative sample of 1003 adult Canadians. The full report of their findings can be downloaded here. (pdf)


One of the learning resources available from The Hanen Centre is a calendar that can help parents of preschoolers to incorporate language and literacy tips into daily activities and play routines.
Here's a sampling of the tips included in the calendar:

* Follow the child's lead in conversation and keep conversations going as long as possible

* Create an environment full of meaningful print

* In addition to reading books together, make grocery lists, write birthday cards and read advertising flyers.

* Use unfamiliar vocabulary in everyday conversation, explaining what the words means



I will be receiving a copy of this calendar and will add to this post after I see it with my thoughts.

UPDATE: I've received my copy! The calendar has 8 tips for each month, 4 for in the classroom and 4 for at home. The classroom tips and home tips are similar under each category, but just tailored for teacher vs parent, class vs children. There are four categories of tips for each month: Daily Activities, Pretend Play, Reading Books and On The Go.

Each month is dedicated to a different skill/idea such as Follow the Child's Lead in Conversations, Increase Children's Everyday Vocabulary, Stimulate Children to Think Beyond the Here-and-Now and Encourage Play with Sounds, Syllables and Words.

The ideas are great and are things every parent (and teacher) should be doing with the children in their care. I've been doing most of these activities since my children were born and people often remark that they think they are older than they are because they talk so well and have such a rich vocabulary. I'm not trying to brag I just want to illustrate that I can vouch for these ideas. Below is a sample of some of the ideas.

In the Classroom:

Use new words when pretending with the children and explain them by using simpler, familiar words. "I am anxious because I can't find my baby. I am very worried." Use the new words often in other situations.

Ask children to find pictures in an alphabet book that begin with a certain letter. When they find the correct picture, talk about the sound the letter makes.

At home:

Read the words on cereal boxes. Count the number of words on each box and see if any have the same letters. Talk about words and letters and point to the words as you read them.

Collect souvenirs from a trip. Use the items to inspire your child to dictate a story about the trip. Create a book from his story and read it with him. Leave it where he can "read" it himself.

The poster is a quick at-a-glance chart that summarizes the emergent literacy skills that children need to learn and what months you will find activities for that skill in the calendar.

My only suggestion for a way to make this product better would be to make the calendar also usable as a calendar. Right now the ideas are printed across the weeks so you can't use the calendar as a calendar itself.