Moms Inspire Learning

Stonyfield Farm and "FOOD, INC."

Hello there. I haven't posted anything in the past couple of days because I'm taking a much needed break from everyday life at the moment. I'll be back in full force on Monday, but I wanted to share something with you in the meantime. Let's just say that it's "food for thought" for the weekend....

Counting Books for Ages 2 to 7

 

Simple, yet beautiful, counting books for ages 2 to 5:

Anno's Counting Book, by Mitsumasa Anno

We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania, by Laurie Krebs

Your child might even want to tell or write you a story based on these books!

 

More advanced counting for ages 4 to 7:

Twelve Ways to Get to Eleven, by Eve Merriam

Each Orange Had 8 Slices, by Paul Giganti

Either of these books can also apply to preschoolers, but you'll find more difficult concepts for primary grade children as well.

You can get some science in there too (for ages 2 to 7) with One Watermelon Seed, by Celia Barker Lottridge.

Please note that I discovered One Watermelon Seed at DreamBox Learning blog, a K-2 math site that's doing a summer picture book series. I'm hoping to write another guest post for them in a few weeks as well. As a side note, the company has just announced a new Facebook address. If you become a fan, you might win a free subscription to the K-2 math site! Find out more here.

There are so many ways that you can use these books for storytelling and writing. You can also use props to make the stories come to life. Children will have fun counting real objects.

Please note that you can find these books, and many others (by category) at the new Moms Inspire Learning Amazon Store, which you can also access through the link on my sidebar. Please be sure to read my new disclosure policy as well.

Enjoy!

Coins and Culture

One of the reasons I love picture books so much is that they can be springboards for so many real life discussions. Or, you can work backwards and use an object or a real life situation to spark interest in a picture book.

We've already found ways to connect math with literacy and play when it comes to coins and other math subjects, but today it's time to throw some social studies into the mix as well. So, get your world map or globe ready, and we'll take the plunge!

Why Reading Matters

All I'm going to do today is give you a link to an article that should be required reading for all parents, teachers, and librarians. It's a very well researched article from 1998, but I think you will agree that when it was written really doesn't matter at all. It's truly a timeless piece.

It's called "What Reading Does for the Mind," and I found it through this Reading Tub post, but it was Jess Glass over at the Discursus blog who brought it to our attention in the first place.

I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did!

Picky Reading: In Search of the Best YA Books

In my recent post, YA Books and Bikes, I explained how difficult it is to distinguish between the levels of YA books, and that even teenagers still need some guidance when selecting such books. I wouldn't say that parents need to hover like a helicopter, but I certainly do think that they need to at least make themselves familiar with the books that are being selected.

While there are many wonderful YA books out there, there are also some that are not of a quality or subject matter that I would want my own children reading. That's why I feel strongly that parents need to screen book selections for appropriate subject matter, age appropriateness, and quality. Don't get me wrong - I give my children A LOT of freedom when it comes to selecting books, but I do monitor their selections "from a distance."

Like everything else in life, there is the "best" and the "worst" of everything. YA books are no different. Some YA books are so well written that adults will enjoy reading them as well. You might want to read an interesting Wall Street Journal article about this, which I found at Laurie Halse Anderson's Mad Woman in the Forest blog. Who knows, you might even find some YA books to read yourself!

Fairy Tale Comparisons: The Culture of Little Red Riding Hood

As we progress from coins to culture, we're also going to take a look at some fairy tales over the next few weeks. There's so much that can be learned about different cultures from comparing the many versions of Little Red Riding Hood, for instance. 

Fairy tales can be scary for young children, though. That's why I love Petite Rouge: A Cajun Riding Hood, by Mike Artell. It's a very different, mild, and funny version of this classic tale. Not only does it make a fantastic read aloud (just listen to the Just One More Book podcast about it), but you'll also learn a little bit about what it means to be "Cajun" along the way... 

When Coins and Picture Books Collide, Part 4

As a follow up to part 3, today we will finish up with the book, Penny, by Jeffrey Patnaude, and play the Moms Inspire Learning Coin Trading Game! 

In addition to the book, you will need about 20 pennies, 30 nickels, 20 dimes, 2 dice, 2 copies of the printable 5 pointed star from part 3 and the blank hundreds chart from this previous post.  

Skipping Counts!

Before we move on to dimes, and after we've done some counting with dots, I'd like to build upon some simple adding techniques. You see, by the end of 1st grade, children not only have to be able to write the numbers from 1 to 100, but they also need to count to 100 in a variety of ways.

For example, children need to be able to skip count by 2's to 20, 5's to 50, and 10's to 100. How do you explain skip counting to your child? I like the analogy I found at Guilt-Free Homeschooling: just as skipping is faster than walking, skip counting is a faster way of counting. It's a great way to introduce the concept, and you could do some skipping with your child inside or outside.

Games and Activities for Any Day of the Week!

© iStockphoto/Bonnie Jacobs (bonniej)

How is your summer going? Are your children keeping busy?

With younger and younger children turning to texting, social media, and video games to fill up their free time, it seems that there is not a lot of meaningful social interaction going on these days. Even when children are not using technology, they're often participating in a multitude of organized activities.

I don't know about you, but I think there's a lot to be said for a good old game of cards, checkers, or tag to fill up our children's time. Not only are such games fun, but all ages of people can play them together. Playing games is a great way for families, friends, and generations of people to interact in meaningful ways. So, have everyone put away those cell phones, blackberries, iPods, televisions, and computers and get ready for some old-fashioned fun!

Dots, Counting, and Coins

"What can you do with ten black dots?" That's how the picture book Ten Black Dots, by Donald Crews, starts out.

My response: a lot, when it comes to preschool and primary grade math. Not only are dots great for counting, but they also can be a great resource for children who are learning about coins.

You'd be amazed at what large, black dots can become in a picture book. In this case, they can be transformed into seeds, beads, buttons, marbles, wheels, balloons, and yes, even coins. Talk about bringing math to life!