(Though I wrote this post, I would like to attribute it to Meg, my daughter. – Karen) By Meg, age 6 This morning I was having a warm and wonderful dream and was very happy… and then sunlight bothered my eyes and someone tickled my face. Then my mom said, “Good morning!” in this very … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
We all know the power books can have. They can persuade, instruct, entertain, stimulate, educate, amaze, etc., etc., etc. But can they make it snow? Probably not all by themselves, but maybe with our help. Just maybe. Remember the old “Think Snow” slogan? Well, this is exactly the time of year to pull it out … Continued
Book Recommendations / How You Can Help
Word of mouth is a powerful tool in the book world. Who doesn’t love a good book recommendation, especially from a trusted source like a friend or an expert? Most of the time this ups your chances of finding a book that you will like. The same can be said for students and getting them … Continued
Thank you author Dallas Clayton for this beautiful book that reminds us of all the wonderful things in the world to be thankful for: the usual and the unusual. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you to the sun above thank you for … Continued
We love Ramona. Ramona Quimby. You know, Beezus’s little sister. The one who is always getting into so much trouble. What kind of trouble? Oh, you know, there’s the time she took one bite out of every apple in a bushel, forcing her mom to make the world’s biggest batch of applesauce. Or the time … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be spending this Halloween curled up with a scary book as you wait to chase hooligans off the supposedly-haunted bridge across from your property. But even if you’re not like me, you should still consider spending this cloudy, drizzly, decidedly creepy time of year reading an appropriately eerie book … Continued
Do you see these beautiful children? Oh, they are a handful! I love them so much, but at the end of a long day of chicken herding, I am worn out! Like chickens, they all seem to be going in different directions at the same time. And just when you think you have got everybody … Continued
Sure, there are those beautiful fall days with high, clear blue skies that set off the colors of the trees and just make your heart sing. Roald Dahl would be wasted on those days. And anyway, if we have any of those days left, PUT YOUR BOOKS DOWN AND GO OUTSIDE! When I mention Roald Dahl … Continued
They say that reading aloud to your child is a great way to start conversations about topics that you might have otherwise avoided, been too uncomfortable to discuss, or that would have never come up otherwise.
It can bring you closer to your child by giving you the opportunity to learn their opinions and see their perspectives on different subjects. As a parent of two boys, I can vouch for the validity of this statement.
As part of its mission to assure that all children begin school prepared, Jumpstart is sponsoringRead for the Record, an annual celebration of adults and children reading together.
In October 2011, more than two million people participated by reading aloud the classic tale,Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney.
This year, on Thursday, October 4th even more people across the nation will join in the celebration by reading Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad.
Anyone with young kids knows the drill – it’s time for bed, you settle yourself comfortably into the rocking chair, prepped and ready for some quality snuggling and an exciting bedtime story. But when you send the little tike off to choose that evening’s book, you find he returns with the story you read the night before…and the night before that…and the night before that…
Book Recommendations / How You Can Help
Time with a toddler can be an exhausting string of activity. When you’re not decoding the cause for the latest tantrum, you’re plucking your child from the arm of the couch before he belly flops onto the cushions.
This past Friday I was watching my own crazed toddler, Emmett, in addition to two other children his age. Needless to say, my morning involved a mug of coffee gone cold and a maze of picking up toys, mopping up milk, and repeatedly reminding them to be gentle. By naptime, I was ready to snooze myself and couldn’t wait for a small window of quietness. Before I lulled them to sleep, however, I bravely tried to tackle story time.
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.