Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

10 iPhone Apps for Preschoolers That Reinforce Letter Recognition

Learning the alphabet and memorizing the shapes and sounds that each letter makes is a big job for preschoolers, and is one that requires plenty of practice and a method of teaching that keeps kids engaged and excited to learn. The power that Apple’s wildly popular iPhone has to grasp kids’ attention and help them learn new skills through interactive apps and games make it a very valuable tool in any parent’s teaching repertoire. These 10 apps can help your child learn the letters of the alphabet, and provide an entertaining refresher course any time he’s in need.


  1. LetterRecognition – This $1.99 app focuses on helping your children learn to name random letters of the alphabet accurately and in a timely manner. The letters appear in both upper- and lower-case form, and in or out of alphabetical order to ensure that your little one is learning how to recognize each of them independently.
  2. Bogga Alphabet – Pre-reading preschoolers will love this interactive, virtual version of the same brightly-colored magnetized letters they already know and love. In addition to reinforcing kids’ ability to recognize letters, Bogga Alphabet also lets kids listen to audio pronunciations and practice their skills as a budding spelling bee champion by lining letters up to form short words.
  3. Little Writer – The Tracing App for Kids – By tracing the lines of each letter in the alphabet, kids are able to commit those shapes to memory and boost their ability to recognize those letters. This free app is customizable in order to suit a variety of skill levels and offers a reward system based upon correct responses. As an added bonus, you can record audio yourself so that every lesson your child learns is in your familiar voice.
  4. Alphabet Zoo – Designed by educators as an effective method of helping kids learn letter-sound association, this $0.99 app is a valuable tool in your arsenal when it comes to helping your child learn to recognize letters and build the skills he’ll need when he begins to read. Built around concepts that are embraced by the US Common Core curriculum standards for phonics and word recognition, this app is well worth the small investment it requires.

To read the rest of this article click here: http://www.gonannies.com/blog/2012/10-iphone-apps-for-preschoolers-that-reinforce-letter-recognition/#

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Friday, October 19, 2012

30 Blogs That Focus on Kindergarten Readiness


Moving into kindergarten is a big step, whether your little one is coming from a public preschool, a private one or a home-based preschool program. As you make the transition to kindergarten, there are some basic skills that you’ll need to work on together before the big day arrives, along with some things you’ll need to consider as a parent. These 30 blogs are all about helping children master those skills before school starts, and helping you make the right decisions for him when the time rolls around.

Reading Fundamentals

By the time your child is ready to begin kindergarten, he should be able to recite the alphabet with few problems and be able to recognize letters independently. These skills make up the foundation of reading and writing, and are emphasized heavily in most curricula. In these five blog posts, you’ll find information on promoting these fundamental skills, along with tips and tricks to help your child master them.


Color Recognition

Having a basic understanding of shapes and colors is one of the primary building blocks of cognitive development, which is one of the reasons why most preschool and kindergarten programs emphasize it so heavily. The activities, ideas and advice offered in these five blog posts can put your little one on the fast track to memorizing the names and being able to recognize his colors.



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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

I'm a Finalist for the 2012 Literary Classics Book Awards!!


I'm thrilled to announce that "Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep" is a finalist in the 2012 Literary Classics Book awards. The winners will be announced on October 15th.To see the complete list of finalists for picture books and young adult books click here.here

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

The 50 Best Blogs for Future Teachers


Jumping into the teaching profession certainly poses quite the potential for intimidation. After all, the very fate of future generations does hang in the balance and all. But no novice educator has to ride off into the career-tinted sunset alone after graduation. Plenty of seasoned professionals, administrators, and parents have beaucoup advice and experience to offer. Open up a little and listen to what they have to say; not all of it will necessarily stick, but learning experiences lurk in each little snippet. Supplement conversations with mentors and peers with the following blogs, or, if you’re especially brave, reach out and ask some of the writers for the best resources and approaches for helping your students shine.

  1. School Counselor Blog: Danielle Schultz and her crew talk about the issues and strategies involved with counseling kindergarteners through 12th graders on both academic and personal matters.
  2. The Principal Blog: Here, an elementary school principal opens up about the day-to-day elements of her job and shares resources and ideas that have helped her through different dilemmas.
  3. Superintendent’s Blog: While it understandably doesn’t update as frequently as some of the other blogs listed here, this Bedford, Mass.-based read sheds quite a bit of light on what running an entire school district involves.
  4. A Principal’s Reflections: Considered one of the best administrator bloggers on the Internet, New Milford High School’s Eric Sheninger is an award-winning, Google-certified instructor with amazing insight into the education industry.
  5. School Counseling Matters: Aimed at parents and teachers, School Counseling Matters offers up some incredibly valuable resources about what all the eponymous career path entails.
  6. Blogs at American Association of School Administrators: All the reads hosted here cover a wide range of administration positions, and therefore perspectives, so hop on over and learn a thing or two about what all goes into keeping a whole school chugging along as smoothly as possible.
  7. Michael Smith’s Principals Page: Stop here for exceptionally detailed musings about everything principalia, which expands upon content from the surrounding website.
  8. School Library Monthly: Libraries are essential to a successful academic institution, so teachers new and old should pay close attention to how they work and what they offer students, faculty, and staff alike.
  9. The Principal of Change: George Couros is eager to forge progressive classroom strategies that enrich and engage students, teachers, and parents so everyone grows and learns something.
  10. AASL Blog: The American Association of School Libraries keeps readers constantly updated about the latest news and views hailing from … well … exactly what its name implies.

For the remaining sites go to http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/06/the-50-best-blogs-for-future-teachers/

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tips for Nurturing Reading in Young Children



by Kathy Stemke

Reading is a fundamental lifetime skill that will bring a child immeasurable enjoyment over the years. By singing, talking, reciting rhymes and reading to young children we help their brains to form the links that are essential to learning all language skills. In fact, it is in the
first three years, when the brain grows to 90% of its adult weight that children have the greatest capacity to learn to read.

During this time it is important to form the habit of reading daily to your children. Be dramatic and animated to hold their attention. Use unique and funny voices for each character.

Point to the words you read so that your child associates the pictures and sounds of the book with the letters on each page. Sound out a few simple words. As you read, point out the similarities in the words. Act amazed, as if you found a beautiful jewel. Enthusiasm is contagious.

If you make reading a priority, children will consider it important as well. Create a warm, cozy corner of their room just for reading. Include a bookcase full of great fiction and nonfiction books as well as periodicals. Decorate this corner with pictures that they draw of the books they read. You could even make a caterpillar and add a segment each month
with the book titles they read that month.

Be aware of reading levels and choose books with appropriate levels for your child. One of the biggest turn-offs for children is the frustration they feel when they struggle to read a book which is above their level of reading.

Children feel so grownup when they get mail. Why not sign them up for an age appropriate magazine that comes in the mail monthly.

"O Say Can You Say" by Dr. Seuss teaches a child the silliness of words and rhymes. As you falter over the words, do it with laughter so children will learn that if you read a word incorrectly, it's not time to quit.

Keeping children engaged in the stories, and including fun activities in their reading experience are also important keys to nurturing a love of reading in young children.

Since play is how children learn, play with letters, sounds and words. Play games with sight words too. For instance, draw a road with sight words printed on it. Use a toy car to drive to each word. Have them repeat the word after you so they can drive on to the finish line. Give them an award. When children master many sight words, reading becomes easier.

Use puppets to create interest. Make your own puppets inexpensively. Buy stuffed animals at a thrift store or yard sale, remove some stuffing and add a sock to the inside. Allow the child to act out the story with the puppet.

Take a trip to the local library. Get involved in a story time for children. The librarians introduce fun games and activities associated with books. Encourage your child to explore the children's section of the library.

Make personalized books. Allowing children to become the main character or a hero in the book will definitely keep them hooked to it. Photograph them during their daily activities and create a wordless book. Foster creativity by permitting them to tell their own story.

Make books on fruits and vegetables. Plan a trip to the supermarket. Have your child take pictures of different fruits and vegetables. Children love to touch, feel and smell the different fruits and vegetables. They can also compare the size and weight.

There are an infinite number of ways that you can make books come alive for young children. Once they get the book bug, they will always want to read.



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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Meet Guest Author: Janet Ann Collins



Hints to Prepare Kids for Reading
by Janet Ann Collins

Children become ready to learn to read when the myelin coating on nerves in their brains has developed. This usually happens when they are about five or six years old, but can be sooner or later. Pushing kids to learn before their brains are ready can do more harm than good, so it’s important not to pressure young children to read. However there are some things parents can do to make the learning easier when the time is right.
First, they can read to their children beginning as early as possible. While some babies aren’t interested until they start learning to speak, many infants enjoy having their parents read to them. Scientific studies have shown that adults who are excellent readers usually were read to regularly as young children.
It’s a good idea to have the children sit where they can see the text and to slide a finger along beneath each line as it is read. That helps kids learn that in English we read from left to right and, as they become familiar with stories they hear often, they might even begin to recognize some words.
Recent news broadcasts have said it does more harm than good to show “educational” videos to babies and toddlers, but here’s one kind of media that can make a difference. Playing a phonics CD with basic sounds for every letter of the alphabet each night as the little ones drop off to sleep helps their brains absorb that knowledge subconsciously.
And last, but far from least, children who see their parents reading and live in homes where books, magazines, and newspapers are part of the family’s daily life will be motivated to learn to read themselves when they are old enough to do so.



Janet Ann Collins is a retired teacher who used to write feature articles for a newspaper in the San Francisco Bay Area and her work has appeared in many other periodicals. She is the author of two books for children. The Peril of the Sinister Scientist is a middle grade novel and Secret Service Saint is a Christmas picture book.

For more information about this talented writer click on these URLS: http://onwordsblog.blogspot.com/
www.janetanncollins.com


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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Understanding Early Childhood and Preschool Education by Navendu Sharma


We tend to think that very young kids have only physical needs just because they cry when they are hungry or need to have their diapers changed. We feel that as adults we are much smarter than toddlers. But this is entirely false. Children, especially kids below the age of three are exceptionally intelligent. If anyone has doubts about the abilities of children he needs to be reminded that according to the LIFE Magazine, "from birth to four months, babies are 'universal linguists' capable of distinguishing each of the 150 sounds that make up all the languages in the world!"

Why are Toddlers Smarter?

Very small children are smarter than average adults because their brains are at the formative stage. When a child is born, its brain development receives a fillip from the sudden increase in stimuli. This triggers off electrical impulses that lead to the creation of more and more dendrites in the brain. Dendrites are parts of the neurons that receive information. If adequate stimuli are not provided, the dendrites atrophy, or they die out.

How To Make Kids Smarter

To ensure that children grow up to become good learners when they enter school, parents must prepare children in the zero to three year stage. This can be done by teaching children skills like reading with the help of appropriate preschool books. If this aspect of a child’s education is neglected, then the child may become a slow learner. It must be borne in mind that after the age of three years a child’s brain does not make dendrites at the same rate. There is a double advantage of stimulating the brain by imparting skills like reading. Apart from making the child a quick learner, it also enables the child to pick up advanced skills when her classmates are stuck in the rudimentary stages of learning.

One has to be very careful while choosing implements for teaching very young kids. If inappropriate tools are used at this stage then the damage caused may be irreparable because children are extremely impressionable at this age.


How Interactive books can help in Early childhood education & Preschool Education:

·Interactive books give readers the opportunity to take part in the story line by changing the plot as per his/her decision. Thus interactive reading can hone the decision-making skills in children.

·Interactive books come with multimedia facilities of animated sound, actions, and special effects. This makes reading a richer and more captivating experience.

·More than just reading, listening to stories helps children learn new words and also perfect their pronunciations.

·When kids read books online or through CDs and DVDs, they automatically become well acquainted with the basic functioning of a computer.

What are Preschool Activities:

·Taking children out of the confines of the classroom is always a great way to teach basic knowledge. A visit to the zoo or local bird sanctuary can help them learn a lot about the world of birds and animals. These visits help children realize that learning can also be a fun experience.

·Educational computer games and interactive activities are excellent ways to enhance a child’s hand and eye coordination. It also helps the child to get acquainted with alphabets and numbers.

·Playing is a good way of developing a child’s concentration. Traditional preschool activities include playing with blocks, shapes, and colors. When children play with a particular object, their concentration levels are automatically enhanced.

·Kids enjoy activities like drawing and scribbling. It gives them the scope to express their creativity. Preschool education can use this activity to develop the inherent creativity and sense of aesthetics in children.

·Nursery rhymes and dancing continue to be the perennial area of interest for toddlers. Preschool curriculum encourages children to recite poems and nursery rhymes with physical gestures. This makes learning a more enjoyable and entertaining experience. Recitation also enhances the memorizing ability in preschool toddlers.

·Physical development constitutes a major part of preschool education. Outdoor games and simple exercises help children develop a sense of physical fitness.

(source:- www.educationaltechnologies.com)


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Tuesday, June 9, 2009

USE POETRY TO TEACH READING AND WRITING SKILLS


The key to teaching reading is to motivate and inspire the children to practice. The use of rhyming poetry, songs or stories is an excellent way to engage the children in learning. Kids love to hear and memorize poems. It's a fun and very natural form of expression. Poetry is excellent for choral readings because of its rhythm.

MAKE A POETRY FOLDER OR BINDER

1. Pick a variety of poetry. Demonstrate to the children that poetry can be sad, funny, silly, dreamlike, or mad.

2. Pick poems that go with the theme you're currently working on.

3. When you introduce a poem, read it with enthusiam and drama. Humorous poems usually grab their attention. You can hook a child to poetry for life if they catch your love of poetry.

4. Now pass out a copy of the poem so that students can follow along as you read it again.

5. Define any new words that are important to the meaning of the poem.

6. Read the poem chorally as a class.

7. If there are different characters in the poem, assign each one to a student to act out. Sometimes there's a part the class can say all together.

8. Start with short poems for memorization then go with longer ones.

9. Teach young children about rhythmic patterns by having them clap hands and stomp feet along with the poem.

10. Use the old familiar poems for word skills.

WORD SKILLS FOR POETRY

1. Say a word from the poem and ask the children to find synonyms or antonyms.

2. Pull some words from the poem and put them in alphabetical order.

3. Use words in the poem for word sorts. For example, label three cups people nouns, place nouns, and thing nouns. Then sort all the nouns into the proper cup. Sort by nouns, adjectives and verbs. Or sort by beginning or ending sounds. Sort by word families. Sort contrations and possessives.

4. Find and copy sight words from the poems.

5. Find word families in poems.

6. Use word families or rhyming words to write a class poem. It might be fun to do a class illustration on giant newsprint paper for a bulletin board.

7. Use word families to create student poems. They enjoy drawing illustrations for their poems.

8. Create poems in small groups about certain feelings. (sad, happy, angry, peaceful) These poems usually are great for dramatization. Kids might find out that other kids feel like they do sometimes.

FINDING GOOD POEMS

1. Use classic children's authors like Robert Louis Stevenson.

2. Jack Prelutsky, named the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation, is the author of more than 40 books of verse and editor of several poetry anthologies.

3. Dr. Seuss demonstrates that made-up words can be poetry too.

GREAT BOOKS TO USE

Sight Word Poetry Pages: 100 Fill-in-the-Blank Practice Pages That Help Kids Really Learn the Top High-Frequency Words by Rozanne Williams.

Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young by Jack Prelutsky.

Wham! Its a Poetry Jam: Discovering Performance Poetry
by Sara Holbrook. (Each poem is paired with explanations on how best to perform the poem out loud, alone or with a group.)

Bird Watch: A Book of Poetry by Jane Yolen (Several of her books pair poems with photography.)

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

A Great Rebus Story by Kathy Stemke



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Rebus stories are great for emergent readers. The picture clues bring their frustration level down. This makes it more fun for them to read. Click on the left picture to enlarge and print. This is the story with the words and pictures together. Click on the right picture if you want the rebus without words. have fun!
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Friday, March 20, 2009

15 KEYS TO UNLOCKING THE WORLD OF READING TO CHILDREN!



There's nothing quite like seeing a child's eyes light up with joy because he/she has finally read their first word. Having fun with language is the key you need to unlock the world of reading to your child. The following are tips for hooking kids on reading along with fun activities. Try them and see what works for you and your child.
1. Make reading a habit. Give your child lots of opportunities to read. Bring a book with you wherever you go. They can read in the car, or waiting in the doctor's office. Make a ritual of reading at bedtime.
2. Play a rhyming game with a puppet. Have the puppet say, "My name is Mark. Can you find words that rhyme with Mark?" If the answer is yes, jump up and down, and if the answer is no, squat down low. "Does park rhyme with Mark? Does ball rhyme with Mark?"
3. Trace and say letter sounds. Involving the senses of touch, sight, and speech is a powerful tool for learning letter sounds. Use a finger to trace a letter while saying the letter sound. Do this on a paper, in a sandbox, or on a plate filled with sugar.
4. Play sound matching games. Using a set of alphabet letters, have your child pick the letter that matches the sound you make. Start with five letters and add more letters when your child is ready. Visit http://educationtipstrt.blogspot.com for more phonics games.
5. Pick books that are the right difficulty level for your child. The aim is to give your child many successful reading experiences. Have fiction and non-fiction books available.
6. Have your child watch your lips to see how you make certain sounds. You can ask, "Can you see my tongue touch my teeth when I say (th)? Does it tickle your tongue?"
7. Play sight word concentration games. Make two sets of common sight words, and have them hunt for pairs. If they can read the word, it goes in their pile.
8. Point out words all around the town. (traffic signs, grocery signs, advertising signs)
9. Gently correct your young reader when the meaning of the story is lost..
10. Say silly tongue twisters, sing songs and say rhymes. This will help kids become sensitive to sounds in words.
11. While you read aloud, use musical instruments to create suspense, or a silly, happy or sad atmosphere. This can bring a story to life and keep your child engaged. You can even make simple shakers with beans or rice inside a can.
12. Create the atmosphere you find in the book. For example, use a poster board to build a rocket if the book is about outer space. When you read aloud, read with expression and proper phrasing.
13. Have the children act out what you read. If the character walks to the store, they should be able to walk in place as they reach a door and open it and grab some groceries. This should be fun and can help on those days it's raining out and their energy levels are high.
14. Use a prop bag to illustrate parts of the story. If you're reading, "Miss Spider's Tea Party," you might pull the following items out of the bag: rubber bugs, a tea cup, silk butterflies, or a handkerchief to wipe the spider's tears away.

15. Do a fun activity that relates to the book in some way. For instance, if the book is about a tall person, make your own stilts using metal cans. Punch two holes on either side of each can, near the bottom. Measure a piece of rope so it is the appropriate length for children. Thread one end of the rope into each hole and secure with a knot. To walk on stilts, children stand on the cans, holding the rope in their hands. (Verify that the edge of the can is not sharp, and add masking tape for extra protection.) If you read a book about lions or the circus, you can have your child jump through a hoop like a lion at the circus. This activity may be done indoors or outdoors. Add words of encouragement such as, "Come, my beautiful lions!" Continue raising the hoop, then alternate between high and low.
Keep reading fun! With activities like these you can inspire your child to practice every day. The more kids see and work with words, the more they are able to effortlessly decode them. Be patient and encourage them. This will give them the desire and confidence to continue to learn, and soon they will be hooked on reading.
“MOVEMENT AND RHYTHM” NEWSLETTER! By Kathy Stemke

It's finally done! The first issue is full of the latest information, activities, and games for the home or the classroom. This issue addresses topics like: "Why Use Movement to Teach?" "Musical Consonants in Action," and "Activities for Gross Motor Skills." Future newsletters will include book reviews and children’s author interviews. You'll be updated on educationtipster's upcoming events like the Virtual Book Tour and the FREE teacher teleseminars .

Just sign up on Kathy Stemke's blog:http://educationtipster.blogspot.com.
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