Learning to read is a process that is spread out over many years. No one program or activity will teach your child how to read. It is a combination of developing a love for reading and teaching different aspects of reading that will help your child learn. You are your child’s first and most important teacher. You know how your child will learn best and will be able to adapt these different activities to fit their needs and abilities. Each child learns at his own pace and I believe ... Read more...
Tot School Make a Fall Painting with Your Toddler this Autumn
Red, orange and yellow. Bring out the fall colors with this fall painting project for toddlers. Best for children 2 years and older Learning Objectives: Explores a variety of materials. Names the colors.Affiliate linksMake a Fall Painting with Your ToddlerToddlers are great at running and climbing. They love to explore the world and find out how things move. They need to make and create things with their hands, but are not quite ready for "crafts" in the traditional sense. 1 and 2 year ... Read more...
Afterschool Express: Using Playtime for Writing Inspiration
We had a great time celebrating Halloween over the past week. Every story time seemed to involve books that are thematic to Fall and Halloween. My daughter has been running around with her costume and horse the past week pretending to be Jessie from Toy Story. I created a post this week about the Important of Dramatic Play with our children, please Check it out here! Making real life connections to literacy is so important at this age. Using all of this playtime experience, we took some ... Read more...
Wood floors and coffee cake – the Natural Playscape Way
What I love about a natural playscape is that they are always changing. Bamboo rods can be turned into almost anything with the help of an amazing husband and dad. Inspiring Creativity with a Natural PlayscapeNatural playscapes are outdoor play areas designed to encourage children to explore and engage with nature. These playscapes often feature elements such as trees, rocks, water, and sand, as well as natural materials that children can use to build and create.Some of our current favorites are ... Read more...
Literacy Connections: Save Your Halloween Costumes for Playtime
Don't put away those Halloween Costumes yet! It's time to make Literacy Connections!My daughter had a very descriptive idea of what she wanted to be this year for Halloween. She wanted to be Jessie from Toy Story. I'm not sure where it started from, as we've only watched the movie a handful of times, but something in that character "Jessie" sparked her curiosity and imagination. Two things we encourage in our house!Using Halloween Costumes for Literacy ConnectionsCostumes are great ... Read more...
The Magic of Snuggling Up with Your Baby and Reading: Why It Matters for Parents
Set aside time for reading every day with your baby — even if it's only a few minutes.Snuggling up and reading to your baby fosters emotional bonding, strengthens early language development, and nurtures a love for reading. These quiet moments not only support their cognitive growth but also create lasting memories and a comforting routine for both parent and child.Snuggle Up and Read Your BabyBabies love books with bright colors, baby faces, flaps, textures, or simple activities. You ... Read more...
Halloween Story Writing
Tips for teaching kids to learn to write this Halloween... use stickers! Here's how to encourage your child to write their own story with Halloween stickers. I loved Amanda's Afterschool Express Post last week about teaching writing with beginning writers. Her little one expresses herself so freely in writing, I love it! My daughter is also in Kindergarten but is more reserved with her writing and needs a little encouragement. She really wants us to help her spell the words and we're working on ... Read more...
Let’s Bake a Cake! A Little Hands that Cook with Books Lesson
Baking with kids is always a fun and messy adventure, but did you know it’s also a great way to build early literacy skills? In this Let's Bake a Cake Lesson, we’ll explore how you can turn a simple cake-baking session into a hands-on learning experience by labeling kitchen utensils and ingredients. Not only will your little ones enjoy mixing and measuring, but they’ll also begin to recognize words and connect them to everyday objects. Let’s make learning as sweet as the cake we’re about to ... Read more...
How to Encourage Kindergarten Writing
Writing is an important part of early learning. As a former kindergarten teacher, children progress rapidly throughout the year. From pictures and stick people to 5 sentence paragraphs at the end of the year. What does kindergarten writing look like? Here are a few kindergarten writing samples and tips for How to Encourage Kindergarten Writing. Affiliate links to products in this post.What 5 year old writing looks like:Reading and writing are connected. If we want our children to be good ... Read more...
Growing Texas 40 Peas
Each year I challenge our family to choose a new vegetable to plant in our garden. Someone recommended that I try Growing Texas 40 Peas. Knowing NOTHING about them, I planted a short row.Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. How did Growing Texas 40 Peas go?This Southern Style Cowpea only does well in warm weather and is drought tolerant – so if I don’t get to watering, all is still good. They grew well, so tall in fact, that I needed to add some string support. ... Read more...
