Moms Inspire Learning

Share Your Love of Reading by Supporting the Toys for Tots Literacy Program

I'm taking a much needed break from technology during these last two weeks of the year, and I'm reevaluating my role as a blogger and literacy advocate. I'm not sure where 2010 will take me, but there is one thing that I am certain of: I will find new ways to support literacy and learning during the coming months.

Friday Photo Fun: Christmas Wishes

©iStockphoto/peter zelei (mammuth)

Merry Christmas!

No matter what holiday you celebrate, I wish you many special moments with your family and friends during these last two weeks of 2009.

©iStockphoto/David Schrader (DavidMSchrader)

Make sure you take some time out for yourself, too! There may be many snowflakes falling from the sky, but there's only one you.

How will you share your inner beauty with others, now and in 2010?

Reflecting on 2009, and Looking Forward to 2010

Are you constantly busy running around trying to get everything done, without taking even a moment to just stop and THINK? Well, hopefully you'll take some time out over the next two weeks to reflect upon what your life was like in 2009, and what your hopes and dreams are for 2010.

Here's a great article from Redbook Magazine that'll help you get started: 12 Questions That Will Change Your Life, by Ellen Welty.

Please feel free to share your thoughts!

Picture Books for Peace and Friendship

What's the difference between:

• a lecture and a debate?
• a frozen pizza and one freshly made, and hot out of the oven?
• watching a movie based on a book and reading the actual book?
• a trip to the zoo and an African safari?

Learn, Click, and Help End World Hunger

Could your child or teenager use some practice with SAT words, geography, multiplication, or even a foreign language? Well, I happened to stumble upon a web site which will allow her or him to do so, while at the same time helping to put an end to world hunger!

At FreeRice.com, every time a visitor answers a multiple choice question right, the UN World Food Program will donate 10 grains of rice. There is no charge to participate, and if you get an answer wrong, you can try again. There are different levels of play for different ages and abilities.

10 grains of rice per answer may not seem like a lot, but when a lot of people play, it really adds up! So, if your child has a few minutes to spare, it's a great way to help others, while learning at the same time.You can find out more about the subjects that are covered, and try it out yourself, at FreeRice.com.

There are also great picture books to go along with this theme, but I'll save them for another day. In the meantime, please let me know what you think!

6 Ways to be a Holiday Bucket Filler!

I'd like to wish my Jewish readers a very Happy Hanukkah! No matter what holiday you celebrate, I think we can agree that there's excitement in the air, as we seek out ways to give to others in meaningful ways. Yes, there are presents to buy, but there are also random acts of kindness to share.

During this season, it's easy to get wrapped up in shopping. So that's why I decided to expand upon my recent post about the picture book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, by sharing some simple ways to put smiles on people's faces during this holiday season and beyond.

Nonfiction Monday: The Question of Weather

Does your child ask you questions that you just don't know the answers to sometimes? Curiosity is a wonderful thing, but sometimes adults are in such a hurry that they don't follow through on the discussion.

The fact is, you're not going to know the answer to every question your child asks. Even teachers in a special subject area don't have all the answers!

Some Picture Books Stay With You For a Lifetime

Is there a certain picture book that left such an impression upon you that you still find yourself thinking about it as an adult? Or perhaps, there's one that you've read recently with your child that brought back special memories from when you were a child yourself?

Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books), by Crockett Johnson, is a classic, for sure. It's one of those unforgettable picture books that many children carry with them throughout their lives.

Don't take my word for it, though! Read Amy Wallace's recent article in More magazine (one of my favorites), called Finding My Way to Trust. It's amazing how some picture books can really stay with you for a lifetime...

Friday Photo Fun: Food for the Brain

©iStockPhoto/Nagy-Bagoly Ilona (ilona75)

As more and more evidence shows us how much of a connection there is between food and the brain, it's especially important that we teach our children how to make informed and healthy food choices.

Cooking together can be such a fun and educational experience, especially around the holiday season. As a matter of fact, it's one of my Top 5 Rainy Day Activities!

Picture Books for Peace, Part 6: This One's a Keeper

Did you ever find a picture book that left you with a warm fuzzy feeling after you read it? One that just made you feel good inside, kind of like a rainbow on a cloudy day?

There are many great picture books, and they come in many forms, but there are a select few that leave such an impression that you know you'll carry them with you forever. Such is the case for me with Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, by Carol McCloud.