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Quick Literacy Tip: Magnets

5/4/2016

 
A small note. If your refrigerator is not magnetic (like stainless steel), most dishwashers are still magnetic. Some doors are magnetic. And if all else fails, we painted an under the kitchen breakfast counter wall with magnetic paint (it worked fine, I just put up 5 coats of it in about an hour).
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​The adults who come to our house play with the magnet wall just as much as the kids do. The trick?

Have really cool magnets.

And, also, have a variety of magnets. 
We collect magnets in our house. All kinds. When we go somewhere new, we get magnets. And then we talk about them, remind ourselves of our memories, ask questions and storytell. As in all Quick Literacy Tips, this one spans the ages - little kids on up to adults.
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Quick Literacy Tip: Go For a Walk and Bump Into Nature

4/20/2016

 
Please share!
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After wanting to know what butterflies need to eat, Liliana read about butterflies. And then, we went to our farmer's market, talked to our horticulturist, and bought flowers so the butterflies would be well-fed.

It all started with getting out into nature. And was followed by reading to help her learn about her world.

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Reading and Science: Butterflies

3/24/2016

 
I did not start as an education major way back when. I started as a science major and my love for science still runs deep. When I switched gears into education, I looked for every way I could bring science and reading together.

​Let's take a commonly used activity to teach life cycles and marry it with some quality children's literature. Here's how you can easily put butterflies, outside and reading together.
Butterfly Release Party
"Release the Butterflies" party day
There can be different goals for your kids here, depending on their ages. If you have specific questions about this, feel free to email me.

For toddlers, you want them to experience life and see systems as inter-connected (flowers, butterflies, outside).

For older kids, you want them to understand the life cycle and the role butterflies play as pollenators in our environment. 

Either way, you can make this science and reading intersection as in-depth as you want and as fun as you want! 
1. You will need a butterfly kit.
We used the butterfly kit from Insect Lore, which you can purchase here. Everything came intact and we had no problems with the kit itself.
2. You will need some butterfly books!
There are some well-known fan favorite books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar that are good to have on hand, but we can get more specifically into the science of butterflies too. The books below are a good starter pack for understanding butterflies from toddlers, on up.
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Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies
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​The Thomas Marent Butterfly book is filled with photography that is detailed and very engaging to look at. Liliana loved looking at this book over and over again. Gail Gibbons' book does a great job diving in to the butterfly life and is migration patterns. 
3. Make Observations about your butterflies.
This takes 5 minutes of your day. If you have a toddler, you will be making the observations and leading the conversation. If you have an elementary aged student, they can make the observations. 
Most importantly, you are looking for metamorphosis with the butterflies. 

Keep track of your observations, just like scientists would! You are running a butterfly experiment. Some observations you might want to watch are, how quickly it takes the caterpillars to cocoon themselves, how long they are cocooned and what they eat once they've emerged as butterflies.
4. Release your butterflies!
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When our butterflies were ready to be released, we went to our garden for our release party. We had lunch outside, brought flowers (for fun) and colored in paper butterflies. We made it an event!

​When you release your butterflies, just know that there might be one or two stragglers and that's okay. They won't all immediately leave the netted area. For us, it took just about 45 minutes for all of the butterflies to leave the "nest". 
5. Keep reading about butterflies and making observations.
Keep your butterfly books out for your child to continue reading. Often times, kids want to relive fun memories through books. They will connect their experience with the books you used while you had your butterfly kit. Leave them out and let your kids peruse. 

And, keep making observations for conversation. When you see butterflies out and about, point them out excitedly. If you are excited, your kid will be too. 
We are looking forward to doing another round of butterflies this year and will add to our butterfly book arsenal.

If you have any specific questions about doing a butterfly kit or have questions on books that go well for a certain age, or your child specifically, please reach out. I'm happy to answer specific questions!

​Enjoy!

Curious Books for the Curious Toddler

1/27/2016

 
Please share!
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Curiosity killed the cat but....

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​Satisfaction brought it back.


​And I have a few friends with toddlers who want to know...


​What books are there to spark curiosity - to encourage it, nurture it, grow it, especially for little learners? 


​Little kids are interested in everything. So the short answer is, keep doing what you're doing - exposing them to new things, getting outside, reading new stories, enjoying different experiences, foods and people.
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But, there are books that can encourage wonder and building things and nurturing ideas. And some of these books are my favorite picture books for adults, too. 

Here is a list to get you started. 
The Most Magnificent Thing
1. The Most Magnificent Thing
A tale of a little girl who wants to build something. She has something very particular in mind and when she starts building, she realizes that she did not build what she thought she did.

She gets frustrated, but keeps trying, trying and trying. 

This is a great book of scientific process, drafting and re-drafting until you get to what you want - and it might not be what you had in mind to begin with! 
2. Swatch, The Girl Who Loved Color
Still one of our favorites. This book has BEAUTIFUL color included and even makes me want to be an artist of sorts. 

It's an inspiring book of collecting things (toddlers can relate), communicating, compromising and making masterpieces as a result. 
Swatch
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3. What Do You Do With an Idea?
One of the sweetest and important stories about the idea of an....idea. 

The book is a bit meta - but I find that this is missing in a lot of children's books. Kids ask a lot of why questions and this one provides parents the appropriate language to talk about a seemingly nebulous topic - ideas. 

What are ideas? Are they alive? Do they grow? Do they die? What DO you do with an idea?

This is one of my favorites for adults too.
4. Let's Go to the Hardware Store
It's no secret - I love going to hardware stores.

It's because I view hardware stores as a place to get ideas, build things with your hands, find tangible projects and let your mind wander. It's another version of an art store.

So, I was thrilled to see this book come out and even more thrilled to see the illustration of a breastfeeding mama at the end of the book when her kids come back from the hardware store.
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5. Rosie Revere, Engineer
This is one in a series of other books and highlights the successes to be found in using the scientific process to solve problems. Featuring a young girl and her inventor aunt, this book focuses on the positive in experimenting and building upon it.
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6. What To Do With a Box
From Jane Yolen (author of Owl Moon), comes a book about every kid's favorite present - a box.

​Kids pretty much know what to do with a box but adults need to be reminded.  This book is really good for that and makes you want to find lots of boxes so you can make cool stuff.
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7. Zero
Kathryn Otoshi talks about numbers in a way that other children's authors haven't. 

She personifies numbers which makes it relatable to little kids and they genuinely want to know how the number resolves its problem of feeling empty inside. 

A great way to start a conversation about the mathematical value of numbers. She has also written One and Two.

Other books to add to your curious library:

  • Ideas are All Around
  • Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
  • Beyond the Pond
  • Wild
  • Hands
  • Violet the Pilot
  • Papa's Mechanical Fish
  • Anything is Possible
  • A Long, Way Away
  • Young Charlotte, Filmmaker
  • Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea


​Books to Watch Out for (Order now!):

  • Ada Twist, Scientist
  • What Do you Do with a Problem?


​Like this whole list and want to save it?

Copy my Amazon Wishlist of Curious Books for Curious Kids to your own wishlist! This list will be updated periodically as new books are released or reviewed.


​Enjoy!

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