Creating Opportunities for Language Development

I shared on my other blog about our adventures, riding the Seattle Ferris Wheel. 

The kids had an absolutely fabulous time and it was a beautiful day for an outing.  I love being able to provide opportunities like this for my kids, but when I stopped to think about it, it wasn't the actual ride on the ferris wheel that made it such a great day. 

First of all, the weather definitely set the tone.  You can't beat blue sky and sunshine in February.  Most of all, I really enjoyed the conversations we had. 

As we crossed the bridge, we talked about the different boats we noticed and imagined what it would be like to live on a boat.

(photo from Google Images)

We watched the seaplanes land and talked about how Uncle Chris used to fly those types of planes.

(photo from Kenmore Air)

My daughter wondered why the Space Needle was even built in the first place, and my son was actually the one who answered her question.  He had just finished a report about tourist spots in France, and told his sister all about the World's Fair and how they built the Space Needle for the World's Fair just like they had built the Eifell Tower for the World's Fair.  He was full of facts and you could tell that the conversation had more meaning to him because of his research.


(Photo from Google Images)

As we watched the ferries go by, we talked about the rides we've had on the ferry, searching for creatures down at the beach, and all of the starfish we find under the ferry docks. 


Talking with my kids reminded me just how important language development is.  I always write about the importance of letting your kids have experiences, but it's just as important to talk about the experiences.  Of course it would be really cool if I could afford to take the kids to dinner in the Space Needle, for a ride on a seaplane, or on a day trip out on a sailboat, but those types of experiences are just not in the budget.  We provide what we can for our kids, but the rest we can talk, dream, and think about.  The conversations are just as essential as the actual experiences.

Happy chatting!

Springtime Book Bins

Sometimes all my kids need is an invitation... a very subtle invitation.  All invitations that sound like mom's suggestions will be met with heavy resistance.  Invitations that seem like a child's own ideas, will somehow seem brilliant.

While the kids were at school the other day, I pulled a few favorite books off of our kids' bookshelves.  Sitting in pretty baskets, in the living room, they almost call my daughter's name.



It worked like a charm.  As she was passing the living room yesterday, she stopped and asked, "What's that?"

"Oh, I just did a little organizing."

Soon, my youngest was sprawled out on the floor reading Silverlicious, How Full is Your Bucket, and High Tide in Hawaii.  I didn't even need to say a word.
(I still can't get my big kid to enjoy anything that has to do with books.  I won't give up though.)

Happy reading, friends!

What To Read To Your Grump

My daughter is a Glass-Half-Empty kind of girl.  Don't get me wrong, I love her dearly.  She is absolutely the most compassionate child I have ever met. Remember the story of the love she showed her Great Grandma when she was in the hospital?  Not only is she compassionate, but she is hands-down the best sharer EVER!  She will even share her last piece of candy with her brother who picks on her.  She is an incredibly sweet girl.  But, have I mentioned that she's a grump sometimes?  

It's a problem we've been working on.  You see, if it has been raining for a month straight, and finally the sun comes out.... she will complain that it's too bright.  (true story)  She absolutely hates every food we eat for meals.  She even hates her favorite meals.  Who hates something they tell you is their favorite???

Well, I'm no child psychologist, and I certainly don't claim to have all of the answers.  What I do have, is books.  Here are a few of the books we're reading now.  Hopefully, they'll give you a few ideas of what you can read to your Grump.

Happy reading!

What We're Reading Now

It's no secret that I absolutely LOVE children's books.  I was a reluctant reader as a kid, but as a teacher, there is nothing I like more than using picture books in the classroom.  I really don't know why I hated reading so much when I was younger.  I guess I was too busy playing outside, riding bikes, or going to softball practice.  I remember having lots of books, but I also remember it feeling like a chore to sit down and read them.  Fox In Socks was a form of torture when I was in second grade - I clearly remember that!

I think my kids have the same feeling about books that I did when I was younger.  My son can't think of anything worse than being asked to sit still and read a book.  My daughter loves being read to, but thinks the process of reading is just too much work.  She literally counts the number of pages before she sits down to read with me.  We have a fairly large collection of children's books at our house, but many of the books go untouched.  Recently, my kids have shown a slight twinkle in their eyes when it comes to books.  The key word there is SLIGHT.  My son was bored the other day, so I offered to buy him a new book for his Kindle.  He perked up a bit at the suggestion.  A few minutes later he had purchased this book.

It wouldn't be my first choice for his reading material, but he seemed slightly interested.  After he purchased the book he said, "Cool, thanks mom!"  Then, he looked at me and said, "Wait a minute, does this mean I have to read this now?"  The tone of his voice was like he had just figured out that I'd tricked him into scrubbing the bathroom! Regardless of the way he ended up reading, he actually got through an entire book just because he felt like reading it.  I'll take that!

My daughter, the one who loves to listen to books but doesn't like to work at it, came home from school with a book she was really excited to read.

A friend at school had suggested it to her.  The friend said it was really good but super sad in the end. 

Wait a minute!

I have suggested this book fourteen thousand times!  It's been sitting on our bookshelf since the kids were babies.  When I suggest it, I get the you're-such-a-teacher-look.  I guess the recommendation of your peers goes a long way.  Well, she read the book from cover to cover, only stopping two or three times to count how many pages there were left or complain that it was longer than she thought it would be.

So, what am I reading now?

I recently hit the library and checked out every quilting book I could find.  Camille Roskelley's book is my favorite.  I tend to like nonfiction books.  Any book that teaches me something, is my kind of book.  I guess that's why I buy so much nonfiction for my classroom.  I'm just hoping my nonfiction books will grab one of those reluctant readers.

Meanwhile, my youngest just came downstairs with a pile of books.  I guess I spoke too soon.  My reluctant eager reader wants me to snuggle and read a few good books.  I wonder how many times she'll stop to count the number of pages she has left!  Oh, well.  At least we're reading!

Happy reading!

Kindergarten Writing Sample - January

We're just wrapping up the first semester, in the Edmonds School District.  Report cards will be going home at the end of the week and parents are anxious to see if their kids are meeting grade level expectations.  What are kids expected to do by this time of the year?

Here is a writing sample that shows what most kindergartners are able to do right now. 

This student identified a topic she wanted to write about.  She drew a picture and was able to write a sentence to match.  Her words contained the beginning sounds.  She is starting to be able to spell some of our sight words.  I notice that she's beginning to use lowercase letters in her writing and she's even using spaces in between her words. 

Just so you know, we don't use writing prompts very often on kindergarten.  We structure our writing time in a Writer's Workshop model.  About once a month I ask kids to write from a prompt.  It's a great tool to see their growth and share with other teachers at our grade level.  

By the end of the year a kindergartner should be able to:

*write multiple sentences on a single topic

*work on piece of writing over multiple days

*use beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words

*use many sight words in writing

*use consistent spaces between words

*use mostly lowercase letters

Teaching young kids to write is my absolute favorite part of day.  It amazes me to see just how much they grow in a school year!

Happy writing!

Writing With Your Kids

One of the reasons I started blogging was to learn more about the writing process. I spent my days teaching children to live like writers, but when it came to my own writing, it wasn't much of a writerly life. Sure I would make grocery lists, write parent letters, and send emails but I didn't really need to do the hard work of thinking like a writer.

It's hard work to stare down a blank page, think of something incredibly meaningful, and then use your words to communicate your thoughts and feelings. Both kids and adults find the process difficult, but I didn't have a lot of experience to share with my students when it came to writing for pleasure and ways to overcome the fear of a blank page. 

When I started my blog, I did what I teach young writers to do. I bought myself a Writer's Notebook. 

 (By the way, I don't consider myself a "writer" yet.  "Writers" are people who are paid to write for a living.  When someone asks me to write something and sends me a check, I'll call myself a writer.  Until then, I'm a blogger who writes.) 

My writer's notebook goes just about everywhere with me. It's small enough to fit in my purse, but large enough to fit lots of ideas. Often times, I'll just make lists in my notebook. I'll write down things I need to remember to do for a certain blog post, lists of possible topics I may want to consider, or a list of fabulous things my students or my own children have said that I may want to remember later on. Eventually, quite a bit of the chicken scratch I put into my writer's notebook makes its way into my writing. 

Well, yesterday my youngest and I were home sick together. She had had a fever the night before and, being a teacher, I followed the rule of "fever free for 24 hours" before letting her go back to school. (Oh, how I wish all parents would follow this rule. Side story: I actually had a child who came to school and said that he had thrown up before leaving for school, but that he was all better now. Needless to say, he threw up again at school.)

Back to our sick day... My daughter was feeling better. She had relaxed, showered, colored, and read a few books. I told her that I wanted to spend some time writing, and asked if she'd like to write a new book. She always loves to do activities side by side, so I grabbed my laptop and she grabbed her unicorn notebook, and we went to find a comfy writing spot. 

 I asked her what she wanted to write about and she just shrugged her shoulders. Sometimes she writes fiction stories. Most of the time she writes songs. Today she wanted to try something new. I told her that when I was stumped sometimes I let pictures be my guide. We spent the next ten minutes scrolling through photos from the last 3 years on the computer. 

When we came to the pictures of the strawberry fields, the stories started pouring out of her.

 "Oh, I loved making jam for the jam tasting contest."

"Remember the time they had a carnival with rides and animals?"

 "Those berries are so yummy. I wish we could pick them all year long."

 "I want to put pictures of the food we make in my book too."

 

 Once we were done talking, and I felt she had a plan in her head, I went back to my writing. She looked at me and said, "I forgot what I wanted to say." I asked her if she wanted to see how I organize my thinking when I write, and in a sure-if-you-have-to-play-teacher-right-now tone of voice, she said she'd be willing to listen. I showed her my writer's notebook and told her that it was the place I kept ideas for topics, sentences, titles I may want to use, reminders of things to try in my writing, and LISTS of things to include in my work. I knew writing a list wasn't going to be something she was excited about, so I introduced her to a sketch list. She looked at me with that, hmmm-mom's-not-so-dumb-after-all-look, and then went about sketching out her list and writing her story. 

After a while of writing, she got tired. I told her that writing is hard work and it will be here waiting for her when she was ready to keep working on it. Writing side by side, with your kids is not always easy. As parents, we don't always have a purpose that seems meaningful enough to share and writing isn't always a comfortable process. I would like to encourage you to give it a try! Use pictures as a springboard and just write what you did! Think of it as scrapbooking, but you don't have to worry about being artistic. Just find some pictures of an adventure and start writing about them with your kids.

Happy writing!

Winter Break Writing Prompt

We don't do a lot of prompt writing in kindergarten, but several times each year we ask all kindergarten students to write on a common prompt. Most kids have lots to tell when they return to school after the Winter break. Here's the writing prompt we used this week. Over Winter Break writing prompt
Next week, the kindergarten teachers from our building will meet, score, and discuss how our kiddos are doing! Happy writing!

The Farmer's Market

I bought something new for my kindergarten class!  I am loving this adorable market.  I think the kids are loving it too!

Since the beginning of school, we've been talking about farms, harvest, markets, and growing food.  We were preparing for our field trip to the pumpkin farm, but it also tied to our literacy curriculum.  This little farmer's market was the perfect addition to our classroom.

I've been collecting books all summer, in preparation for our farm studies.  I started pinning them yesterday.  There are just a few books on there right now, but I'll be adding more as we use them in the classroom.


So many books, so little time.

In our kindergarten curriculum we've been learning concepts of print, finding the cover, author, illustrator, title page, etc, of the books we read.  We've also been focusing on main idea and supporting details, non-fiction text features, and making connections.  I love the conversation I hear when the kids are at our Farmer's Market in the classroom!  Kids are using their everyday experiences and the information from the books we have read in class to make decisions about their play.  Our market and book collection has been a fabulous addition to our classroom!

Now, you may be thinking, "Well, that's great that your kids are having such a good time, but I can't afford to buy a big piece like that for my classroom or home."

Something very simple, like this PVC pipe lemonade stand would be great to use as a farmer's market!

I made our lemonade stand last summer, and customized it to be the same width as a small bookshelf we have and our card table.  The kids can set the card table behind it when they have a lemonade stand and use the bookshelf when they want a market.  Add cute little baskets and you've got yourself a farmer's market!  The sign was made with chalk cloth, so kids can erase it and make it fit with the theme of their stand.  

It's a very simple project promising hours of fun!

Best of all, our farmer's market playtime connects to math, literacy, and healthy living.

Happy playtime!

Making Applesauce

It's been all about apples in kindergarten this week.  One of my favorite books is called Applesauce Season.

I love everything about this book.  It shows a family visiting the local farmer's market.  It encourages people to find out where their food is coming from.  It also shows a family spending time in the kitchen, cooking together.  I can't forget to mention that is shows a step by step progression of how to make applesauce.

Well, I was inspired.  After making applesauce with my kindergartners, I brought the book home and read it with my daughter.  Of course, after reading it, she asked if we could make applesauce.

The Honeycrisp apples are in the stores and markets now.  They are my absolute favorites.  They are a little more expensive, but well worth it!


 We chopped up as many apples as we could fit in my biggest pot. We had a few Granny Smith apples, so we added those in too. Once the pot was filled to the brim, we added water. I usually add enough water so that it fills about half of the pot. I really hate it when the apples scorch and stick to the bottom, so I always make sure I have plenty of water.  (The book suggests using fresh apple cider.  I've never tried that, but it sounds yummy!)

We added about a quarter cup of sugar and a tablespoon, or so, of cinnamon. We put the lid on and simmered the apples for about a half hour. After 30 minutes, the house smelled amazing and the apples were soft and ready to be made into applesauce. I always use a food mill to make my applesauce. My grandma and mom always did it that way, so I do too. We put the cooked apples into the food mill and my daughter started smooshing the applesauce out. (Smooshing is a technical term.)

Of course, after tasting, my little one needed to add more sugar and cinnamon.  That's what a good cook does, right?  She was thrilled that she made a huge bowl of applesauce that we could snack on over the next few days.

Happy apple season!

Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger Award

I'm a finalist and  I need your vote!  Please click on the link below to vote!!!

Here's the link to vote.

Last week I was contacted by Country Living Magazine (still trying to pick my jaw up off of the ground) and they let me know that my home life blog is a finalist in the Lifestyle category of their Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards!  I am stunned.  Honored.  Thrilled.  I can't even pick the right words! 

My home blog was the first blog I started.  You can find it at
www.becca-homeiswheremystorybegins.blogspot.com.

The judges from Country Living pick the winner in each category.  There are six finalists in my category.  There are some really amazing blogs in the lifestyle section, but if the judges don't pick me, there's still hope.  You, the readers, get a chance to vote as well!  You can vote every day until September 17th.  Of course, I'll be telling everyone I know, so they can cast their vote.  There's only one little problem.  Most of my in-real-life-friends are teachers and we're just a little busy this time of year! 

Please help by voting for Home Is Where My Story Begins!  You can vote every.  If I win I'll be featured in their magazine and win a trip to New York!

Thanks for your help!!!

Summertime in the Garden

I spend the entire year looking forward to quality time in the garden.  All through late Fall and early Winter, I wait.  When Spring starts, even though it's really not warm enough to play in the dirt, we start bringing in compost and chicken manure.  My son doesn't mind helping, even though it isn't the best smelling job.  He's strong and he loves to be outside with his mom and dad.

One seed at a time, we start planting our garden.  Seed potatoes and lettuce are always planted first.  We wait as long as we can to plant tomatoes and basil. We've learned that they really don't like our Pacific Northwest rain.

Come Summer, my kids run to the back door when I ask, "Who wants to go pick the lettuce for the salad?"

Our garden doesn't always produce tons of fruits and veggies.  But there are always a few things that we watch and wait for.  This year, I think those darn squirrels are going to get all of our zucchini.  It's ok, there's always next year.

Here's my Pinterest board, showing all of my favorite garden themed books for kids.

Happy gardening!

The Great Potato Harvest

Way back in March, we planted four little seed potatoes in the garden.  Yesterday was harvest day.  As potato harvests go, this was not our best year.


It wasn't a total loss either.  We finished with a half-full sack of potatoes, enough for dinner and leftovers.  The kids are always amazed at the way the product of our efforts changes from year to year.  One year the harvest is great, and the next year... nothing.  It's just the way of the garden!

The Fingerling potatoes seemed to do the best this year.  As my daughter was finding our little potato treasures she said, "I'm glad we have a garden."

When I asked her why she was glad, she told me that she loved planting and growing our own food.  She loved digging in the dirt and she was glad we didn't have to go to the store to buy the food we wanted to eat for dinner.

Roasted potatoes have never tasted so good!  I have made this same recipe dozens of times, and most often the kids turn their noses up at roasted potatoes.  Somehow, when the kids plant, water, grow, dig, clean, and prepare their own food it just seems to taste better.

I recently ran across a local publishing company called Readers to Eaters.  Their philosophy is based on using literacy to promote healthy eating, food awareness, food appreciation, and respect for foods in other cultures.  How cool is that!!!  It reminded me a lot of my own philosophy in literacy.  I've said many times, here on this blog, that our experiences provide the foundation of our literacy lives.  Isn't the garden the perfect place to start?  Food literacy from the ground up.... brilliant.

Here's a link to a few of my favorite gardening books for children that I have compiled on Pinterest.

Happy gardening!