Encouraging the Writer Within

My five-year-old LOVES to write stories. Always has! Even at a young age he would dictate his made-up tales. Once he hit Kindergarten he started to write for himself. His love of drawing has given him dreams of being a author and illustrator. In school he would write daily during Writer's Workshop, but I have pulled him out of school early due to the move. In the craziness, I have been slow to supplement his education at home-mainly because we don't have any of our belongings. Yesterday his Draw & Write Journal from Lakeshore Learning arrived (only $3.50) and he was so excited to get writing again. However, when he sat down to write he had writer's block-he had been out of practice. Here are some things I did to help encourage his writer within...


After "A" doodled in his books we talked about what stories may be needed to be told. Here are some of the pages:

Aren't these just begging to have stories written about them? I know I want to know more about the haunted mine and the incredible flying machine-don't you?

All writers should also create a heart map. "A" made on the backside of the title page right in his Draw & Write Journal. Some choose to section of the map into different coordinates and add color, but he didn't want that. Ideas to put in your heart map: people who you hold close in your heart, dreams & desires, special memories, secrets, passions you have, etc. Some of the things in his heart map include memories of going on a cruise and the state fair, his family, a cross of God, dreaming of becoming a scientist, an easel for art, things-that-go (a passion of his), and more. 

I also picked up a Spelling Reference Guide at his old school before we moved. His old school district used these for grades K-2nd. You could certainly make one of your own though. You put high frequency words in order like a dictionary. In the back they also have sections like Days of the Week, People, Places, Months, Colors, and Numbers. In each section there are lines for you to add words. For example, in the People section you would write the name of siblings and/or pets, in Places you would write your city and state or a favorite vacation spot, As you can see on the D page I added dinosaur for him. At this age I want to encourage him to phonetically sound out his words but also use a dictionary. It is about balance!

By the time we were done with the heart map he had ideas flying. He chose to write about a secret location he found with his dad at our new place (a secret on his heart map). He quietly wrote for about 30 mins about gold and treasure chests and more. This is probably the longest story he has written entirely himself (and that includes stories he has written in school). I am excited for some writing time set aside each day!

Bog Baby

We ran across The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis by happen chance at our public library. It is a magical tale of a young girl that finds a tiny creature at a pond that appears after a good rain. She secretly takes the creature home and makes it a pet, but when it becomes sad she is forced to tell her mom. Rather than her mom being upset she admits that she once had one as well. Following her mother's advice she returns the bog baby to were it belongs-the bog! The illustration and story is actually quite sweet, but even my boy enjoyed it.

I haven't even told you the best part! At the very back is a writing prompt for kids. They explain it is rare to see Bog Babies, but if they happen to find one they should draw a small picture of it and answer the questions (what is his favorite foods, how many toes does he have, what color is he, etc). Then you can mail your writing into S.O.B.B (Save Our Bog Babies) at Random House Publishing. The book is from 2009 so I hope they still accept submissions because "A" got busy drawing and writing. He didn't want to simply answer questions but wrote a whole story which he wanted me to type. We mailed it out this week.

"A's" Bog Baby

"A's" story. He had a lot to say for a Kindergartner

Writing Prompt at the end of the book and our Bog Baby proof heading out to New York.

Prepping to be a Kinder Kid

As many of you are sending you kiddos off for school we still have one more week of freedom left. This is "A's" year to start kindergarten and my district implemented the full day model. I understand why this is an effective idea, but he seems so little. I have been totally stressing on how he will be without naps. He is an extremely active boy and I took naps away to prepare him and I have notice some behaviors when he is tired. I can't imagine only seeing him in the evenings and weekends. "A" is convince we won't have "quality time together any more." I am honest and tell him it won't be the same and our time will be less, but still filled with quality.

I mentioned taking away naps in preparation for "A's" new life as a kinder kid but I wanted to share some other ideas. Although I work in a school I am in no way an expert. I am as terrified and confused as all mothers who are sending their first born off to school. Here are just ten tips I found:

1)Talk about school and how much fun they will have. Explain what the day will be like. Make sure not to capitalize on the play though. If kids think kindergarten is all play, recess, art, etc. they are confused when they have to do some major work at learning. Talk about the learning FIRST and then all the play. I say things like, " You are gonna work on numbers, letters, you will learn to read  (isn't that exciting). You get to do scientist experiments even! Some days you get to go and learn music and other times you get to learn sports in PE. You will get to eat lunch and play on the park outside. You will have so much fun!!! I can't wait to see how much you are gonna learn!"

2) Read some picture books about kindergarten and school. On this same note have your child practice sitting still for the entire story so they know how to be at story carpet. Keep in mind not to find ones that only talk about playing but learning too. Books that talk about fear of school and then turning out to love it are also great choices. Here are some "A" really liked:

by Alison McGee. 

(Perfect for kiddos struggling with tying shoes too!)

By Joseph Slate (An ABC book that isn't too shabby either)

By Natasha Wing (A cute homage to the beloved Christmas poem)

By Anna Dewdney ( We love Llama Llama- yellow pajamas is a favorite bedtime story of ours)

By Laura Numeroff (another well loved series of books- all though my fave is the original mouse & cookie)

3) Have you child be able to write at least their first name. Ideally, they would know how to write their last name. "A" has mastered the last name bit because we have a very long, Dutch last name. However, I told him he needs to write the initial of his last name after his first.

4) Children should know some personal facts: They should know their first and last name (sounds obvious but I have seen this happen time and again), their parents first names, the city they live in, and try for the phone number (this is a hard one just keep working on it).

5)At least one week prior to school start a bedtime/wake-up routine. Make sure they are use to waking up and getting ready in time for them not to be late.

6) Students should preferably know their ABCs both orally and visually. Knowing the phonics would be especially useful. It is also great if they know how to count to ten (twenty is better). Knowledge of shapes and colors are also important.

7) Have some good ideas for quick, HEALTHY breakfasts and lunches. Breakfast ideas: make muffins ahead and freeze, mini-quiches in puff pastry shells (can also freeze), oatmeal concoctions (I am a huge fan of Hungry Girl Cookbooks and she has chapters on awesome oatmeal made in two minutes in the microwave-chocolate/banana and pumpkin pie-yum!), and yogurt parfaits with fruit, yogurt, and cereal/granola. I am always looking for packed lunch ideas so please share!!! Some I am thinking is pinwheels sandwiches, bento style meals, meat/cheese/crackers, soup. I found some cute sandwich cutters to make dino's, stars, hearts, etc.

8) Practice eating lunch and snacks. "A" still asks me to open fruit snacks and bags of crackers. Ack, what will he do when I am not there. We have had lots of picnics this summer where he has had to open different containers, bags, and wrappers all on his own.

9) Work on tying shoelaces. I have been super lazy about this and need to be more consistent. "A" is starting the year out in velcro shoes is all I have to say!

10) Send the teacher a get to know you letter. Over at Teach Mama she has made a printable letter that has your child write a note introducing themselves to teacher and then a matching letter where you ask the teacher to fill out and return to your child by the first day. What a great way to have them feel connected to their new teacher and help relieve fears. We found out his teacher to day and filled out our letters tonight!

This one goes to teacher for her to fill out about herself.

I hope he is ready for the big day! I don't know if I am though... My baby is growing up!!!

Word Clouds with Wordle

I am not sure if you are familiar with Wordle, but if you aren't go quick!!! It  is an amazing FREE website that creates word clouds. You can create word clouds for about anything. I thought we would finish up the space study by doing a word cloud on space as a way to assess vocabulary and comprehension. The point of the word cloud is you can only use single words. This can be a challenge when you are describe something. This was super difficult for "A" who likes to talk ALOT and in long sentences. He is learning though and I think it will help him in school-especially with poetry.

To make a word cloud with Wordle you click on create at the top. Then you type words. If you want a word to be larger you type multiple times. For example with the above Wordle we typed: Space Space Space Pluto Mars Earth Earth Stars. You don't put commas. Then when you are done typing hit go. A word cloud will appear. You can hit randomize and it will rearrange word clouds in different font, color, shape, etc. When you find one you like you can also change the color and font yourself. You can also make them either vertical or horizontal. When you are complete hit print. Viola you are done. Easy Peasy!!! I can't wait to use them in the classroom but here is just a couple other ways we have used them at home:

We are moving to Anchorage in a year and this is the positives to share with "A" to help with idea of moving.

We also made them as Father Day gifts. Here is the one "A" made for Daddy. We made ones for the grandpas too!

Top 10 ABC Books

I know this is awful to admit but I hate ABC books. How many "A is for Apple" do they expect a person to read. The always seem so simple and boring. Even "A" feels like I am treating him like a baby when I read most of them. However, I know that children need those concept books to help facilitate reading. After much painful research, I have compiled my list of top ten ABC books that aren't nauseating to read.

Picture found on web at Thomas Davis Group

1) Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray: I just read this book this summer and I loved it. "A" made me read it multiple times. It is the story of a dog who watches his owner make an apple pie and each letter is his desperate attempt to get a taste.

2) I Stink by Kate McMullan: I have two boys so having an ABC book that talks about puppy poo and dirty diapers is a must. The best way to read this book about a garbage truck is with a New York accent, acting real tough. Better yet get the scholastic video of the reading. I always do dramatic pauses with the ABC page and give some really exasperated "OooOOOooo YUCK" for the gross things, but that is just me!

3) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr: Okay, pretty much everyone loves this book about the letters in the coconut tree. It's a classic, pure and simple. To be honest, it took me hearing the song being sung on the Scholastic Video to truly appreciate it. Dang, now that song is in my head!

 cuz everyone should hear the song...

4) Al Pha Bet by Amy Krouse Rosenthal: This is another new discovery. It is a fun creative look at how and why the alphabet may have been created, something I have always wondered. This would be a great writing activity for older kids to think about why they think the letters were chosen in that order.

5) Dr. Suess ABC-An Amazing Alphabet Book: Honestly, who could go wrong with Dr. Suess. He was a creative genius! Plus it's just darn fun to say Fiffer Feffer Feff!!! I also like the book On Beyond Zebra about how words are just symbols and to not be afraid to make up some symbols of your own. Turned out well for Suess!

6) The Z is Zapped by Van Allsburg: Another favorite author of mine who leaves so much for the imagination. This book is set up like a play in 26 acts. There is a pencil illustration of each letter and on the back of that page is an explanation ("Z was Zapped"/"U was being Uprooted"). It is a great introduction to alliteration as well. There is one letter that doesn't follow alliteration and sometime I change the words so it does. I never understood that one letter...

7) The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni: When you see my author lineup these top ten are a no brainer. There are some great writers here! This story is about letters that live in a tree and get together to form words. It is great to show your child how letters for words, and maybe you can even get them to read a few!

8) AlphaOops- The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis: Why should Z have to always go last. He is sick of it, but when he tries to go first letters get out of order. Bickering and chaos ensue. Too Funny!

9) Alphabet Adventure, Alphabet Mystery, and Alphabet Rescue by Audrey Wood: I love the Wood family and everything they produce. The Napping House is my house every afternoon! Anyway these three books are a fabulous look at the letters (big and small) as they go on adventures. The illustrations are phenomenal! My son especially likes the Rescue one because it has a fire truck!

10) Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod: This book takes a comic book approach to introducing ABCs (keep in mind I have boys). Comics are intriguing to boy readers and -contrary to belief- help stimulate a love for reading, vocabulary, and fluency. The illustrations are so rich and vibrant anyone would be drawn into this book.

Top 10 Juvenile Non-Fiction Books

1.) You Choose Interactive History Adventures by Capstone Press: Do you remember choose your own adventure book as kids? Well, this brilliant series (over 22 titles) takes that format but in true history scenarios instead. Each book gives you three characters to be (real people during that time) and you get to see what would happen if you played out that characters role in history. An example would be: for the Underground Railroad you could be a runaway slave, a slave catcher, or someone who lived in a railroad stop and helped slaves. There is great text features to help keep it engaging. The books cover wars, immigrants, pirates, Titanic, Westward Expansion, Gold Rush, and Exploration. Once I got students to read them (a lot of book talking) I couldn't keep them on the shelf.

2.) A Street Through Time by Dr. Anne Millard: I don't know if some of your questions from little ones begin "In the old times did..."? This book looks at one street over the course 12,000 years. It is really helpful for children to see the changes in a localized way. Each page highlights the scene, and ask children to look for some of the details.

3.) How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page: As a general rule anything these two is brilliant. I am a HUGE Steve Jenkins fan. This is my most current favorite of theirs (of which there is many). It is a book about the symbiotic relationships between animals. For you Nemo fans there is some really interesting facts about clown fish and sea anemone that blew me away!

4.) The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry: This is my favorite children's anthology of poetry on the market right now. The 200 poems are arranged by themes of season, school, humor, animals, feelings and more. There are some old standbys but new poems to, and the illustrations are vibrant and inviting.

5.) A Seed is Sleepy and An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Huts Aston: These books are so beautiful written it is hard to describe. If you teach writing I would recommend these for lesson plans. Each book takes one thing from the natural word and finds one simple sentence to see that item in a new, creative light. Often times the page will have a piece of beautiful prose and then true facts as well. She just put out a new book about butterflies that I can't wait to get my hands on.

6.) Forest Explorer by Nic Bishop. Nic Bishop is a photographic genius. He takes life-size photos of animals, insects, spiders and other things you would find in the forest. Then he makes a photo collage of a scene. He follows up each photo landscape with field notes about what he as captured. His book Backyard Detective follows the same format and is worth checking out. The pictures in both are colorful and detailed and children can't stop staring!

7.) A Life Like Mine by UNICEF. This is my favorite from a group of books that look at children and compare their lives from all over the world. In A Life Like Mine it declares that all children should have the right to play, get an education, have shelter and food, not fight in wars, and other things we in America take for granted. The text features and photographs are amazing and I find children find the text accessible and not boring. Due to content I would wait until children are in 3rd grade for some pages (like war) but others are okay to share (play). Either way expect great discussions.

8.) If The World Were A Village by David Smith. This book looks at if you took all the people in the world and made them 100 people in a village what would that look like. It talks about how many people would be each nationality, what religion they would practice, what language they would speak, how much food, water, and money would they have. This is a great lesson plan to teach percentages and make pie charts to see the difference. Also brings up discussion about if we shared food we would all have enough, but we don't. Due to the math and content I don't know if primary age children would understand or even be interested. He has also made one about America that would be interesting.

9.) Wooden Teeth and Jelly Beans: The Tubberman Files edited by Ray Nelson. This is a funny book that looks at facts and tidbits of the Presidents of the United States of America. This book is simply for entertainment with facts strewn in and I wouldn't use to get all your Presidential facts but it definitely intrigues children (3rd-5th grade most likely). It was here that I learned that George Washington's teeth weren't made of wood, something I still here teachers say. Note to reader I think it ends with the first Bush or Clinton.

10.) Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson. This is about a cat and dog that were left behind in the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. The two animals meet and save each other's life, forming an impenetrable bond. Follow their inspirational story that has a happy ending, so even the youngest readers are inspired by the story.