Tuesday's Top Ten [Fun Writing Tools]

If you read my last post about change, you'll get a glimpse into my thoughts as of late. It's been a long time since a top ten popped into my brain. Usually I have a growing list, however, my mind has been occupied with many other things. I'm not surprised by today's list because it has to do with my 1st graders school and the successes we've had just by implementing different tools for the betterment of her writing. Writing helps with memory, plus it is important to establish the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing at an early age. Anything to make the learning process more enjoyable for my student, makes the teaching process more enjoyable for the teacher. I love how her desire for writing her spelling words, or practicing her handwriting, or learning how to write a basic sentence increases with these simple tools and then varying them up...

1. A personal white board, 

2. chalkboard, 

3. and/or a magnetic write and wipe board. Giving your student something new and different to write on works wonders, plus saves a tree (which teachers are notorious for killing many in one day).

4. Invisible Ink Pens (with a uv light). The moment Brielle received these was the moment she wanted to begin writing her spelling words! Win, win. 

5. This roll-a-dice, Write-the-Word game where two dice are rolled and the result of the two numbers is what box the student is to follow. For example, if the sum is 9, then the student is to write the word with rainbow letters.

6. Window Markers. We have these crystallizing markers that Brielle really likes. I'll admit that the effect is pretty neat to watch. It was a gift from my mother for the win!

7. Stamps. We have a plethora of letter stamps that Brielle enjoys stamping and then coloring.

8. Window Steam. This one only works if it's cold outside, and then you may already have a steamy window, but to do this, just breath on a cold window and then write the word in the steam. For some reason this is super fun.

9. Write words in sand, salt, shaving cream or whatever item they could easily use their finger to write out their word, smooth out, and do another, and another, and another...

10, 11, 12, +.  A "Say It, Write It, Make It" Mat (like this one). You can make the word using blocks, LEGO's, play doh, beans, sticks, Twizzler pull candy, &etc. your options here are limitless because you do not necessarily need the mat to have a variety of items with which to make a word.

This list is great for teachers, home school parents, or homework practice! However you use it, I hope the variety of fun options helps your student to enjoy the process of practicing.

Tuesday's Top Ten [Favorite Childhood Books]

Some of my favorite childhood games revolved around the book and movie I read and watched as a child. There are many examples beginning with the fact that I used to dress up as Mother Goose (even making my own glasses to sit at the tip of my nose) so I could fly around reading stories to children.

The photo evidence.

My siblings and I grew up playing like our Barbies were Borrowers, or that we had a Secret Garden, and we thoroughly enjoyed dressing as the ladies in Little Women or Little House on the Prairie (that game we titled, "Old Timey"). If I wanted to play alone I pretended like I was the little orphan Mandy who found an abandoned cottage to make my own.

Books have a significant influence in the life and imagination of children. If my life isn't example enough look to my own children! Briella Bean, for example, chose to dress up as Stellaluna for Halloween because of her all-time favorite story. One librarian happened across a stuffed Stellaluna bat at some library convention and she couldn't pass it up. If any of her toys could be "real" like the Velveteen Rabbit, it would be her beloved Stellaluna - who is missing half an ear and has some stuffing falling out (which reminds me I need to do some repairs).

I swear that the only reason my Ele-monster was even remotely interested in potty training was because her favorite book was "Bye-Bye Diapers" with Miss Piggy as the main character. Each due-date stamp has been because we checked it out - over and over and over again. When the library hosted a "dress as your favorite book character day" my children did not hesitate in deciding what their costume would be...

I am so excited that my children's memorable moments in life revolve around books - or at least that's what I hope. I may not be able to afford a trip to Alaska for an adventure of a lifetime, but I can provide opportunities to create memories and go on adventures centered around books and the places those stories take us. Growing up, my fondest memories are because of books. My family couldn't afford to take vacations either, but we did go on adventures. I went to many, many places and participated in crazy, fun adventures - all because of these books - which I cannot wait to read with my girls...

1. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingall's Wilder is an all time favorite. We read all the books and watched every Little House on the Prairie episode - I could easily do this again! I have the books my mother read to us, can you tell they are well loved?

2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is another favorite - not just because the book is wonderful but the movie is also worth watching over and over again (which we did quite often growing up). Did anyone else cry over Beth?

3. Polyanna by Eleanor H. Porter whose influence changes the way an entire town views life!

4. The Borrower's by Mary Norton was one my siblings and I used time and time again as the plot to our playtime. The Barbies became borrowers and when things disappeared it was always blamed on those little people!

5. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery was easy to fall in love with - Ann(with an e) was smart, witty, dream-filled, daring, dramatic, wonderful - a bosom friend character. (Also, who wouldn't love Gilbert Blithe?!) By the way, I was always amazed (and still am) at how well the movies follow the book! Definitely a favorite.

6. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls - I still remember my mother sobbing at the end of the story - book and movie!

7. Mandy by Julie Edwards is well worn (which = well loved). This story is all about a little orphan girl who climbs over the wall and finds an abandoned cottage that she makes her own. There were many times I pretended I found my own little cottage to call home.

8. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett inspired many secret garden quests. I loved the movie more than the book - it was eerie and wonderful. As an adult, however, I was quite disappointed rereading this story, but the idea behind a secret garden is one I do not want to keep from my children.

9. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks - how often I wished that I could make a toy real with my own magical cupboard!

10. Heidi by Johanna Spyri was another I fell in love with as a child. Little Heidi and her adventures around the mountains, her energy and love for others, captured my imagination in so many ways.

I had so much fun pulling these books off the shelf. They conjured up so many childhood memories!

I have many more that I can't wait to read with them, like C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or any of Gary Paulsen (which my husband has many memories attached to his stories of adventure and survival) or Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine or Shiloh by Phylis Reynolds Naylor or or or or or... (this list could be endless, which means I should stop typing and start reading with my girls...) I encourage you to do the same. As a reading teacher for 7th and 8th graders who had over half of my students entering the 7th grade at or below the 4th grade reading level, I cannot even begin to tell you the difference it makes when children have one-on-one time each day reading with an adult. When I surveyed these struggling readers, over 90% of them had no memory of their parents reading to them. It is so easy to pick up a book and read it - you'll never know the difference it makes in their life until much later in life - so take the time, because it is well worth the time.

Book Review [Katharina & Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun & a Renegade Monk by Michelle DeRusha]

Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk by Michelle DeRusha
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katharina was quite the inspiration! Although this book was not what I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting to learn so much on the difficulties women faced during this time period. I wasn't expecting to learn about Katharina's tremendous work ethic! I wasn't expecting to fall in love with the Luther household. And I truly wasn't expecting conviction upon reading of Katharina's work ethic. But these aren't the only unexpected, wonderful results of reading this book, which I encourage you to do as well! You will be thankful for it, I can promise you that.

I cannot even begin to sing my gratitude for living in the 21st century. The view of women in general has changed significantly. We have citizenship rights, for example, and if our spouse passes away (or if we choose not to marry at all) we will not be condemned or feared to be a witch with extreme sexual passions that cannot be tamed. Documents like Malleus Maleficarum (known as the Hammer of Witches) is now considered ludicrous for statements such as, 

"a woman was a liar by nature; vain in gait, posture, and habit; and insatiable in carnal lust, as well as wicked: "a foe to friendship, an unescapable punishment, a necessary evil, a natural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic danger, a delectable detriment, an evil of nature, painted with fair colors! A woman either loves or hates there is no third grade. When a woman thinks alone, she thinks evil. All [witchcraft] comes from carnal lust, which is in women insatiable." (p. 171) 

When I read those lines my jaw dropped to the ground. I was more than shocked and appalled for these women! My sympathy for their extreme adversity ran so deeply that my head was overwhelmed by my shaking it. With that, I thanked God for our equality in Christ. That before Him I am no better than a king, the president, a man, or any human in history - no matter the race, nationality, or physical disposition - like everyone I am a sinner in need of a Savior. And because of my faith in Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection I am like any other believer - whether king, president, man, or human - no matter the race, nationality, or physical disposition - I am righteous and holy because of the work of Christ in my life. Hallelujah!

I am also incredibly thankful modern appliances that only require me to walk up and down the stairs and not to the river to wash my clothing - even in the dead of winter! Or the ability to vacuum my rug rather than beat the dirt out. Or my dishwasher, crockpot, &etc. that have essentially made me lazier than the women during 1500's. Katharina woke at 4am and hit the floor running. Her 17 hour work day included being a brewmaster, house manager of the many guests who lived in their home, wife, and mother. She raised her own livestock, slaughtered them, and prepared them for meals. She tended her own garden and bees. She was also a nurse whose son, Paul (a doctor), commended her for her knowledge of the medical profession. In fact, when the Black Plague hit their town, she tended to the sick in the cloister where they lived. Still, that isn't the part that struck me - she tended to the sick and gave birth to a child right in the middle of it!

This woman!

Another fact that struck me was that Martin tried to pay her for reading the Bible through in a year. She refused, but he wrote of her that she knew the Psalm's by heart better than anyone he knew (including himself). Amazing.

Katharina is a woman I cannot wait to meet. Although this was a book about her revolutionary marriage (she was a nun and her husband a monk) and despite my joy in reading about their marriage and how they faced adversity together or reared their children (which was one of my favorite parts because of statements like, 

"Luther understood parenting as nothing less than a holy calling. "The greatest good in married life, that which makes all suffering and labor worthwhile, is that God grants offspring and commands that they be brought up to worship and serve Him, he wrote in 1522, before he was married or had children of his own. "In all the world this is the noblest and most precious work, because to God there can be nothing dearer than the salvation of souls." ... [Luther] considered there no greater or nobler authority on earth than that of parents over their children. Yet the comments and stories sprinkled throughout Table Talk, the ender letters Luther penned to his wife, and the portraits depicting Luther and his family also reveal something obvious yet not often mentioned: Luther and Katharina had fun with their kids and enjoyed spending time with them. They delighted in their children's antics and their innocent comments and expressions. Love and joy were obviously abundant in the Luther household." p.233-234) 

My favorite pieces to learn were that of Katharina and how Martin - despite what the world at that time said about women - had a deep and abiding love, trust, and respect for his wife. Even after he passed away, his trust for her was immense when you read his will which was revolutionary for that time. What he gave her and entrusted her with was unheard of which caused a lot of heartache for Katharina. Still, when her husband died she proved her resourcefulness, her intelligence, and her innovation. I am still amazed and inspired by her and how she came alongside her husband - a man who changed history by standing up for truth!

View all my reviews

Because I can't help myself (seriously, it's that good!) I had to share one of my favorite quotes, 

"[Martin Luther's] understanding of grace-based faith versus works-based faith was more than a personal revelation; it informed his entire rebellion against the church. After all, if human beings couldn't possibly earn salvation by their good works, if human beings had no righteousness of their own and were entirely dependent on Christ for their salvation and hope, where, then, did that leave good works like pilgrimages and fasting? Where did that leave the notion of purgatory? Where did that leave the monastic vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity? Where did that leave the pope, with his sales of indulgences, and the priests, doling out penance in the confessionals? Luther came to believe that the church to which he had dedicated his life was built on sand, and each abuse, each indulgence, added an unsustainable weight to the structure. In his eyes, Romans 1:17 obliterated the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church." p.91-92

The Most Amazing Thing I've Ever Heard a Parent Say (From a Teacher's Perspective)

"I know that if I want my child to learn something, it's my responsibility to teach it to them."

I wanted to scream from the roof tops, "THANK YOU!"

But I resisted the urge and instead quietly told her how much I appreciated hearing that. I've been in too many situations and heard too many parents say that it is the school's job to teach __________. Nope. That is yours. Want your kids to know how to do their taxes? Handle finances appropriately? Act responsibly? Know right from wrong?

Teach them.

Teachers in the public school system typically have 20+ kids in their classroom. Over half of them are not where they should be, and the government has a whole host of requirements that come with the job of teaching abc's and 123's. If you want to know what I mean just Google your state's teaching standards by the grade per subject. That is what we are required to teach, along with the curriculum provided from the school, along with Title 1 and special education requirements, along with meeting the needs of high ability learners and multicultural requirements, all while not letting any of them fall behind academically, so each and every one of them can pass a standardized test that we all agree is stupid.

Time is not a luxury.

So with the time that you have, learn from this momma. Teach them to grow into responsible citizen's of society, so that when the day comes that they are to go out in it, you have raised a hard working, kind, contributing individual who is able to think for themselves. And pay their taxes. 

Tuesday's Top Ten [Favorite Night-Night Books]

In our household we have a slew of favorites, but here are a few we enjoy before bedtime: (I promise you'll enjoy them too!)

 A Hunting We Will Go by Steven Kellogg contains sprightly verses taking children on a bedtime adventure! A brushing we will go, a hugging we will go, a reading we will go...

 The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House by Eric Litwin, illustrated by Scott Magoon, is by far a family favorite. It's hilarious with it's nutty puns, song, and happy ending.

 If Animals Kissed Like We Kiss Goodnight by Ann Whitford Paul, illustrated by David Walker, is an adorable kissing comparison. My favorite? The sloths, who sloooooooowly kiss goodnight. And while all the animals give their goodnight kisses the sloths come up again and again, still kissing goodnight.

 Count Yourself to Sleep by Sue Buchanan & Lynn Hodges is a wonderful book reminding us to count our blessings before bed, giving credit to Whom credit is due: God Himself.

 Roar of a Snore by Marsha Diane Arnold, illustrated by Pierre Pratt, keeps the reader wondering, who is snoring that great big snore? Of course, you'll snore along as the characters go searching.

 Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman, tells a story of a snoring, hibernating bear who's friends join him in his lair, eventually waking him - oops!

 Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd, a classic my little Bean has enjoyed reading over and over and over again.

 Song of Night by Katie Riley Nakamura, illustrated by Linnea Riley, follows a variety of animals in their bedtime routine, each adding to the song of night.

 Kisses by Nanda Roep, illustrated by Marijke ten Cate, includes a father/daughter duo as she accepts many different types of kisses - witches kiss, butterfly kiss, circus kiss, etc. - from her daddy.

 Robot Rompus by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Ross Collins, offers comedic chaos when irresponsible parents leave robots to tend their child to bed, leaving quite the disaster.

When you give a baby a book...

When you give a baby a book...

... you just might hear words transform from a simple muffin to something silly like, "moose-a-muffin". Story: Bean loves the book If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff so muffins are no longer called a basic, boring muffin in our house.

... you just might see a handful of favorites pulled from the shelf multiple times throughout the day. It might be "read aloud" alone or you might hear the question, "Mommy, read it?" 

... you might just capture adorable moments such as this...

Reading with daddy.

Reading with a friend.

Reading on a blow-up-pool device.

Reading in a ball play pit with friends.

Reading wherever and leaving a trail.

Wearing whatever while reading.

Making memories.

Reading with a friend at their birthday party.

Reading at the library.

Reading at a friends house.

Reading in a coffee shop.

... you might just find that with little or no effort your child begins to recognize shapes, colors, letters and words...

... you might also find that children's books are FUN reads and enjoy that time with your child so much that it's one of the best parts of your day...

... you have the perfect Christmas and birthday presents year after year after year...

... you might just become BFF's with the librarian who discards a book that's falling apart to give to Bean because she knows she loves it...

... you might just share a few favorites with your little reader like The Monkey Goes Bananas by C.P. Bloom or Wiggle by Doreen Cronin (Author) and Scott Menchin (Illustrator)...

Books have always been a major part of my life and it was my intention from the beginning of motherhood to make it a big part of my daughters' life as well. Perhaps that's why I chose to be a reading teacher early on in life? (wink, wink) If you're interested in seeing all that we do on a daily basis, read the post, How I Got My 18 Month Old Interested in Books and be sure to check out my Reading and Writing page as well. Also check out my teaching blog, RafiKey's to Success that's full of more tips for secondary English/language arts teachers.

I have no doubt that by simply reading, reading, reading and reading I'll see the same success with all my children, not just my Briella Bean. I think that by giving your baby a book, you might just see and hear and enjoy all books have to offer as well...

Tuesday's Top Ten [10 Wonderful Children's Books for Counting to 10]

One of the best ways to help a toddler learn to count is with books! These are a few of our favorites!

1-3. Over in the Garden or Over in the Meadow or Way Up in the Arctic (or any one of these particular books written to the same tune, rhyme and give wonderful information about the world we live in!)

 

 

4. How Many Kisses do you want Little One? by Varsha Bajaj and illustrated by Ivan Bates is a wonderfully cute counting book all about night-night kisses.

5. My Remarkably Sparkably Purse by Hayley Down is one of my daughters favorites because it's a little girl filling her purse with all the things Brielle loves (like tiara's and shoes and necklaces).

6. Turtle Splash: Countdown at the Pond by Katherine Falwell is one I like because (like it states) it counts down from 10, changing it up a bit.

7. Ten Apples Up On Top 'cause you can't go wrong with Dr. Seuss!

8. Five Little Ducks - a classic illustrated by Penny Ives - is one that I recommend. I realize it only goes to 5, but it's still worth reading!

9. How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? is another great one. I love any of Jane Yolen's "How Do Dinosaurs...?" books. They are pretty fantastic.

10. The M&M's Counting Book because who doesn't love counting with chocolate candy?!

If you're interested in finding others, here's a longer list with a few books I can't wait to check out myself!

A bonus:
 I've Got an Elephant by Anne Ginkel, illustrated by Janie Bynum, is a cute counting book where the character adds an elephant every time she does something - all because they get lonely. What does she do when she hits 10? Perfect book for counting, predicting, and laughing.