Enjoying Books Together

Daily Reading Is Extremely Important 

Experts agree that reading to your young children one or more times a day is extremely important.  It is an easy activity that begins soon after birth and continues through the school years.  Children who are read to on a daily basis will be ready to learn to read on their own, and they will develop a rich vocabulary, as well as, love books.  Listening to you read, discussing, and asking questions are the foundation for success in school.

  For the youngest children, read aloud any books with pictures that are cloth, plastic, or sturdy. As they develop they love a variety of colorful magazines and books that are fiction, nonfiction, and books with chapters.

Reading Tips

  During the day, at nap or bedtime, sit close with your children.  When possible, let them choose the books.  Often, children like to hear the same book over and over again.

   Talk about the cover. What is the title?  Who is the author?  Show how to hold the book and turn the pages as you go. Look at the pictures, guess what is going to happen, and talk 

Talk Together About What You Read

about the characters. Sometimes, point to the words as you read along. Encourage questions, and let your preschooler join in to say the fun parts or name things.

  When finished, talk together about the pictures you saw or about what happened in the story.  What is your favorite part?  Which pictures do you like best?  How do pictures and words get into a book?

Preschool Reading

  Teach preschoolers how to take care of books.  Have the books available in a special box for children to look at again on their own. Some children might like to draw or color their own picture from an idea from a book.  You could print a sentence for them at the bottom of their picture or label some of the parts.  Encourage your children to tell someone else about the story or book.

  Relatives who live far away will love 

Read Together via Face Time/Skype

reading a short book to young children on Face Time or Skype while showing them the pictures. Often older children clam up when Face Time is scheduled but enjoy practicing their reading to grandparents and other relatives. Reading out loud also makes a good short movie to show the progress children are making in school. It can be posted on a private family Facebook account.

   Children need to hear the sounds and patterns of our language and build a store of vocabulary words. They need to know that letters and words carry meaning, and that stories have a beginning, middle and end.  All this crucial learning can be obtained in a very natural pleasurable way when you enjoy picture books and stories together. 

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
For more go to wnmufm.org/LearningThroughtheSeasons podcast Tues & Thurs at 4:30 ET

Come Indoors and Make Play dough: Video Version

Just in time for all the holiday fun! Make play dough for fun, learning, and great conversation. Watch our Youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL1WpveL8jY for all the ways simple play dough making and playing benefits your children.....

Here are more: Handy Recipes 

 Keep these around the house so you are always prepared for unexpected weather or visitors. 

  

    No Cook Play dough

Mix together: 1 cup flour, 1/3 cup salt in a separate bowl. Mix together ½ cup water, 3 drops food coloring, and 5 drops liquid detergent. Add liquid to dry mixture slowly and knead until desired consistency. Do not ingest. Keep refrigerated in a tight plastic container. It lasts for about a month.

    Clay Dough

This dough can be used to make small sculptures, garden stones, vases for dry flowers, and paperweights. Mix 2 cups salt and 2/3 cup water in a pan. Heat mixture until the salt is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Mix 1 cup cornstarch and ½ cup cold water in a separate bowl. Stir quickly into the salt water and mix well. The dough will be stiff. Allow to dry 3-4 days.  Add food coloring to the water mixture, if desired. Dried sculpture can be painted. Look for animal, people, and car pictures to help children use their imagination. This mixture must be used immediately.

  Coat any container or pie plate with Vaseline or cooking spray for use as a mold. Press the dough into the mold. Add old jewelry or fake gemstones into the mold first.  Then add the dough. After thorough drying gently remove from the mold.

    Bumpy Texture Clay

  Use this dough for doorstops, summertime garden stepping-stones, and flower pots. They will crack if left over the winter. Mix 1 ½ cup flour and ½ cup salt. Add 6 tablespoons water. Knead to create the clay. This clay must be used immediately. The dried clay may be painted and spayed with polyurethane (adults only).

    Cotton Puff Dough

This is so simple. Mix 1 cup flour with 1 cup water to make a paste. Add 1 bag cotton balls and mix thoroughly. Scoop up a handful and let excess fall away. Form into desired animal or other shapes on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Paint when cooled.

    Never Fail Play dough

This is the recipe used in the video. Mix 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, and 1 tablespoon cream of tartar. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil with 1 cup water colored with food coloring. Cook in a 3 qt. saucepan over medium heat until mixture sticks together. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Knead. Store in plastic bags.

How Does This Help Children?

  Children who are read to twice a day and played with often, enter school with 20,000 words instead of a 3,000 word vocabulary.

For more easy fun activities see the our book “Learning Through the Seasons” at museums, bookstores, and http://grandparentsteachtoo.org  and listen to podcasts on WNMU Radio 90 at: http://wnmufm.org/learningthroughtheseasons.  

iPad Apps for Young Children

Exploring new electronic games and activities is very engaging and can be great learning tools for young children. Technology expert, Richard Byrne, has collected a recommended list of these apps on his web site: iPad Apps for School. Look in the pre-school section found at: http://ipadapps4school.com/category/pre-k/ to see this varied list of activity apps.

Richard includes apps for recognizing emotions, reading, writing practice, story creation, a virtual zoo, and many more. Many of these are free and some are available for both iPad and Android platforms.

Check these out on iTunes or through Richard's site. As always, make sure children vary their time with physical activities and other interactions.  Time on electronic devices should be a healthy balance with many other daily activities.

Enjoy!