Get Talking!!

It has officially been 30 days into the school year and I haven't had time to blog let alone do yoga, visit the spa, take a nap, deep clean, etc. I find myself working on evenings and weekends to plan, gather resources, and simply conquer a never ending to-do list #lifeofateacher. (sigh) Anywho, I hadn't read the newspaper in quite awhile and finally took the time tonight, subbing my coffee for wine. I came across an article that got me so excited and "amped" up because I couldn't agree with it more! If you don't have time to read the full article, the gist is this...children need to hear approximately 21,000 words per day for their vocabularies to develop at an appropriate pace. But research has shown that children growing up in less affluent homes hear significantly fewer words each day than their peers in middle and high-income households. This word gap quickly adds up. By the time a child growing up in a low-income household reaches their 4th birthday, they will have heard 30 million fewer words than their peers. This results in students performing academically below level beginning as early as kindergarten. My thoughts are that even if you aren't in a low-income household, social media and modern technology encourages less face to face interaction and conversations to occur, resulting in less language building between parents and their children. Tips are included at the end of the article. My favorite...READ TO YOUR CHILD (even babies benefit).

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2015/10/18/baby-talk-brain-programs/73808670/

Pet Love!

Wow, it has been too long since my last post! Between moving apartments, planning a surprise wedding, setting up my new classroom and trying to squeeze some final moments of summer, I just haven't made the time to blog. Oh...AND we welcomed a new little guy into our home. Meet Purna!

Purna is a bernedoodle which is parts bernese mountain dog and poodle. It has been SO fun taking care of him, learning about him & LOVING him! I shared the news with my first graders about Purna and so many were just as excited to tell me all about their pets at home. Pets are a great way for young children to learn responsibility, care-taking and kindness. For kids who might not have the chance of growing up with an animal in their family, a classroom pet is always an option! Until then...(as I am pondering which class pet we might get) here are some of my favorite pet books!

ABC Books!

So, I am an organizing FREAK! I love organizing anything and everything into bins, jars, cups, baskets, boxes, trays, and on and on. I will label all these containers and with complete satisfaction take in my organizational masterpiece. This is how my brain functions and how I live and work best. It is extremely beneficial in my work with children. Everything has a place and every bin has a purpose. The labels provide an environment that is rich in print and literacy and children begin to have a sense of responsibility as they are expected to put things back where they go. I am like a HAWK. Trust me, as long as you teach how to pick up and put things away properly, they will do it :)

The reason why I am writing about organizing today is because I just spent days getting a bit settled into my new classroom. In addition to going through some of the old teacher's resources and sorting out what I wanted to keep or get rid of, I then had to find a spot for all my belongings. I cannot just throw all my things into a cabinet and figure I'll find things throughout the school year when I need them. I take exact inventory of what I have and place it in a purposeful place to make for easier days ahead. The biggest project was 3 huge bins of books from my teaching days in New Hampshire. When I taught overseas I was limited in what I could bring, so my massive storage of children's books sat for 5 years. It truly felt like Christmas for me, picking each title out of the container and putting it into its proper bin...mystery, fable, realistic fiction, beginning readers, historical, chapter books, science, social studies, math, informational, poetry, etc. Each book had a place, each book had a purpose. One of my favorite bins to fill was my ABC books container. ABC books are perfect for early readers to explore letters and sounds. Here are 5 of my favorites!

Books for Cents!

There is nothing like summertime! There is nothing like being a teacher in the summertime!! Swimming, biking, BBQ's, festivals...it's simply a FUN time of the year. Another thing I find just as exciting...YARD SALES! This bargain girl loves sifting through people's gently used items and finding a deal or a way to repurpose something. It's almost guaranteed that people will have a box of books to sell and for cheap! I bought 12 children's books yesterday at 25 cents a piece. They will make a wonderful addition to my classroom library. What I find even more adventurous than smart shopping is when some of the titles really take me back to my childhood. Here are 5 of my favorite books as I child that I read and reread countless times.

Check out your local yard sales to add to your home library!

What's the Weather!?

I woke up here in Rochester, on my second day of summer vacation, and it's...rainy. To be honest, I don't mind a rainy day here and there. It's the perfect chance to cuddle on the couch with a cup of coffee and a book! Seasons and everyday weather are ideal opportunities to encourage children to get excited about science. Observing the changes, making predictions and recording or graphing patterns is a simple way for kids to learn about the world around them. The best activity is PLAYING in different kinds of weather. What is better than splashing in puddles, catching snowflakes on your tongue or feeling the wind on your skin? Enjoy these books alongside exploring weather with your little one!

Summer Reading

Though summer vacation has just begun for many kids in the local area, providing opportunities for your child to keep reading is so important. They have just ended their school year with a bank of strategies to help them grow as readers, so encourage them to practice these skills over the break! You can read to your child, with your child or have them read alone. Whichever you choose, make sure the reading experiences are in your routine DAILY. Provide books in your home that cater to your child's interests. Let them see YOU reading! Visit your local library weekly to pick out news books together. These literacy experiences can help prevent your child from dropping reading levels this summer.

The following links showcase a few of the Rochester libraries and what they have happening to support reading for kids this summer. Check you local library!
http://www3.libraryweb.org/summerReading.aspx?id=475013
http://www.chililibrary.org/kids-depot.html
http://www.irondequoitlibrary.org/category/kids/

Happy Reading & Happy Summer!

Need a Tutor?

As the school year is winding down and summer is approaching, some of you might be thinking that your little one can benefit from a bit of focused, academic instruction during the school break. Your child doesn't necessarily need to be performing "below level" to reap the benefits of having a tutor. Tutoring offers a unique and individualized learning experience, catered to the exact strengths and needs of your child. All kiddos are stronger in some areas than others, and I believe in the importance of building on those strong abilities while progressing other skills that might be more challenging. For the past 10 years I have been presented with 20+ little faces each fall, all with such a diverse range of academic levels. This range of abilities, within one room, along with the grade level curriculum presented to me by administration, all resulted in a bit of a performing act each and everyday to ensure all students were engaged in experiences that were appropriate yet challenging enough to result in social, emotional and academic growth. The consequence of this is TONS of planning time, creating resources for a variety of grade levels, and constant progress monitoring to see what kids have mastered and what their next steps are. Though many educators agree this can be tough to balance all school year, it is absolutely essential in your child's full potential success!  

This summer, my schedule is flexible and I am excited to offer one-on-one instruction in Reading, Writing and Math for kids ages 4-10. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you feel your little one can benefit from summer tutoring! I can be reached at booksandchalk@gmail.com or at 585-410-1830. 

Friday Favorites

The books I am choosing for this week's Friday favorites all include my favorite animal......BEARS! I adore brown bears, black bears, panda bears, koala bears, and polar bears. I practically melt at the sight of bear cubs. I get just as excited sharing bear literature, both fiction and nonfiction, with the kids I work with. I hope your little ones are eager to dig into these Friday favorites!

Country and City Trip

If you are in the local Rochester area, I have a great trip you can take with your little ones as beautiful weather is upon us! Springdale Farm, located in Spencerport, provides an educational venue in which to explore, play and learn about farm life and farm animals. I highly recommend the dairy tour in which kids can see how farmers are using technology to milk their cows! The farm also has a huge picnic/play area for your family to wind down in.

After visiting the country (if your kiddos aren't too pooped out) take a ride to downtown Rochester for a visit to the High Falls area. Here you have great views of the waterfalls, bridges, the tall buildings, restaurants and all things city!

While your right downtown, I recommend a stop at the Rochester Public Library. The children's section of the library has tons of activities for your kids to engage in. Here are two book recommendations I suggest that tie nicely with your country and city day out! 

 

Friday Favorites!

I am thrilled to make my first ‘Friday’s Favorites’ post. I have been thinking all week of which titles I’d include in this first list and it’s practically impossible because I am in love with so many children’s books! Then I reminded myself that I get to do this EVERY Friday, so all was better in my world. Without further ado…the books I believe your child must have in their home library! 

Top Reading Quotes

I am excited to begin a new journey via this blog! Throughout the posts and resources I share, you will learn a bit more about me, my interests, my experiences, and my passion for literacy. However, I want my first post to encompass 2 things...my love for simplicity & my admiration for books. Enjoy the pictures and quotes!