Indulge me…
Let’s say my three year old son attends an in-home daycare.
Tag: Character education
5 Bilingual Latino Books about Christmas
It’s always magical to see children learning from a young age to appreciate and celebrate their heritage as well as the diverse heritage of others. I’m one of those people who loves the word diverse, y mas en español, diverso, porque todo suena mejor en español. I can’t help but mention here that I recently had a conversation with a man who shuddered as I described my high school alma mater as diverse. He claimed that “diverse” is a word that democrats have stolen and made dirty… don’t get me started on that. So I just want to say it again: (Dear Sir) I LOVE THE WORD “DIVERSE”!
A Toddler’s Lesson on Generosity
“I don’t want to be generous,” he said as we stood in a Target aisle full of toys.
“I know, love. Being generous is hard…”
“It’s TOO hard mommy,” he interjected.
“… but it will make other people SO happy.”
“It will make other people so happy?” he said with puzzled big brown eyes, head tilted to the side.
5 Books that Teach Generosity
As teachers, sometimes our hands are tied by school or district policies when it comes to exposing our little learners to cultural or religious holidays. I was always glad to be allowed to teach holidays, as long as these were taught in an all-inclusive way that made children aware of the diverse ways and days people celebrate but didn’t promote one over another.
10 Reasons Why I Love Trolls More Than My Toddler Does
For starters, if you want to know my stance on TV viewing for little ones, check out My Thoughts on TV. Plus, it’s got some good resources and ideas regarding guidelines for TV and technology.
I don’t have time for watching much TV otherwise, so one day, wanting a break from Mickey and pals (seriously, the hot dog song does not need to be in my head anymore, like ever), I opened up Netflix and up popped “Trending Now” and a cute, colorful image for the movie Trolls by Dreamworks. I recalled how the Pre-K and Kindergarten scholars I had most recently worked with had raved about it, vaguely remembered watching Justin Timberlake’s performance of the hit song at some award show, and was intrigued by the all-star cast.
Thus began our Trolls obsession… You know how kids want to watch the same movie over and over again until they know every line? Well, I wanted to watch it just as much. Hell, I want to watch it now. I seriously don’t know who loves this movie more. (Ok, maybe I do.) Here’s why.
Continue reading 10 Reasons Why I Love Trolls More Than My Toddler Does
15 Children’s Books that Teach Gratitude
As promised in Teaching Gratitude, here are some recommendations for 15 books that help accomplish just that. I spent some quality time making this list and book descriptions as useful as possible. (I hope you find it SUPER useful!) In my opinion, recommended target ages are helpful but VERY flexible, and they’ll often differ from source to source. (I cited the range I most agree with.) The books on this list can be used year-round, not solely at Thanksgiving time.
Happy reading and teaching gratitude!
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (Ages 5-8 per Scholastic)
Honestly, this book is great for all ages, as it can lead to some pretty deep reflection and conversations. I’ve also read it with great success to Pre-K students to celebrate Earth Day and discuss gratitude for and stewardship of our planet and environment.
Check out the 1973 animated short film of The Giving Tree with soothing narration from the author himself. There are some controversial interpretations of this book (which for fun, I encourage you to look into), so pre-read it and be prepared to guide the conversation in the direction that you want. Available in multiple languages, called El arbol generso in Spanish.
The Thankful Book by Todd Parr (Ages 3-6 per B&N)
A little something for everyone, but mommas will love this one: “I am thankful for walks because they are special times for just you and me.” Aw. Let me go for a walk with my kids now and cry.