early literacy

how to develop language through play

May 7, 2012

I’m excited to share a few posts I’ve written that focus on developing children’s language through play. Each short article offers parents two teeny little tips that they can easily implement–with just a little bit of focus and effort–to  help their children become more verbal and stronger speakers.  Both pieces were written on the Melissa [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

quick & easy grid games: concepts of print

May 2, 2012

It’s been a busy few days for us, but we’re slowly getting back to the routine, and it (gulp!) feels pretty good. Though boy oh boy do we miss Disney. . . So this week, I pulled out Cora’s Kindergarten packet (wah!), looked through the ideas, and reminded myself that I really should do some [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

disney word searches: getting kids ready for the trip!

April 25, 2012

We were on a major word search kick a while back, but we’ve taken a good long rest from them. So in honor of our upcoming Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, I decided to bring back this oldie but goodie for Maddy, Owen, and Cora.  Word Searches!! What fun! Letter recognition! Fine motor practice! Reading! [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

disney fun fact lunchbox notes

April 19, 2012

We are big into lunchbox love notes around here, so why on earth would I have not thought earlier to make Disney Lunchbox Notes? Be still my heart. It’s the perfect combination: a captive audience, early readers, a topic that totally interests them–and a place I know they LOVE?  Add to the mix that they’ll [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

homemade alphabet book: get personal with the abc’s

April 11, 2012

There’s been a ton of little things that we’ve done over here to help Maddy, Owen, and Cora learn the letters of the alphabet, but I have to say that an all-time favorite of theirs has to be their Homemade Alphabet Books. And really, the Homemade Alphabet Books are not all that crazy, gorgeous, or [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

learning during read-alouds: what IS reading?

March 22, 2012

So. . . what IS reading? Is it the ability to read a single word on a page? Is it the ability to read every single word on a page? Is it the ability to retell a story? Is it the ability to read fluently, to sound natural while reading? Is it the ability to understand what [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

st. patrick’s day joke notes: more lunchbox love

March 7, 2012

St. Patty’s Day is around the corner, but over here we’ve been decorated and green for the last three weeks!  We love that the green reminds us that spring is around the corner and that Easter will be here shortly, then family birthdays, and soon. . . summer! Surprisingly, I haven’t made super-fun lunchbox love [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

10 tips for read-aloud learning

March 6, 2012

Hip, hip HOORAY! This week has a little gem of a day hiding inside — World Read Aloud Day! March 7th is World Read Aloud Day, and I stand firmly behind the idea that every child, every person should be able to read.  And who wouldn’t, right? And I’m a huge fan of reading aloud–with [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

fab resources for read across america week (& giveaway!)

February 27, 2012

It’s Read Across America Week! Everyone who’s anyone will be reading, thinking, talking, dreaming a little bit o’ Dr. Seuss this week, to celebrate literacy and to recognize the accomplishments of the talented Theodor Seuss Geisel, THE Dr. Seuss, whose birthday is March 2.  He would be 108 this year, but really–who’s counting? PBS Kids [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

learning to spell contractions: sneaky games and play

February 22, 2012

We were so thankful for the gorgeous three-day weekend to slowly get us back on track and to allow us to (kind of) regain control over the mess that had become of our home.  After being away last week, the game nights, our movie night, book-reading, errands–even cleaning and organizing with the kids–was really a [...]

StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →

favorite things book: an easy, little book of all things happy

February 19, 2012

It has been  tough go for us over here for the last few weeks. Maddy, Owen, Cora, Brady–everyone–has unfortunately felt the ‘funk’ that I conveyed throughout the last weeks, especially when Susan became very ill. It was hard. So hard.  And it still is. But before I took off for NYC, on one quiet afternoon [...]

Pin It
StumbleUponShare
Read the full article →