Sunday Post: Arrangement…Do You Plan to Fail?

Posted on March 10, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge…today’s theme is ARRANGEMENT.

Arrangement definition: plans you make so that something will happen or be possible.

They say that if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail…this is important for EVERYONE who has a goal or objective to reach.

When my children were small, I set up a plan for each day…a simple schedule.

This simple schedule was a LIFE-SAVER…giving order and balance to each day.

Each morning, I read a picture book story…building literacy skills…giving me an opportunity to converse with the children about the story. Conversation is one of the TOP VOCABULARY BUILDERS and gives kids a crucial head-start in school.

Then I would encourage the children to move around with circle games like ‘Farmer in the Dell’ or rhythms like pretending to be a train or a hopping kangaroo. Physical activity is the best defense against obesity.

After that we would make a quick and easy arts and crafts project…helping children develop small muscle coordination and allowing them to express their creativity.

Then it would be time to go outside to play or play inside with puzzles and blocks.

What? Was it lunch-time already? When everyone is having fun, the time really flies, doesn’t it?

In my book, I share the life-saving schedule that I used.

Young children want and need balance and order in their day…the arrangement is up to you!

Do you start the day with a plan? What arrangements do you make for your own well-being? What fun activities do you enjoy with your kids?

Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking can help! Click this link if you would like a copy! The book makes it easy to pinpoint the best books to read. It gives parents arts and crafts activities that are quick and easy. And it provides simple healthful recipes that you can make with your child. Setting up a simple daily schedule doesn’t mean you are being rigid or inflexible…it actually empowers you to encourage creative expression and, most of all, have fun together!

Join in the fun with Jake’s Sunday Post.

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

Maria’s Mysterious Mission…Hiking the Colorado Rockies with John Fielder

Posted on March 8, 2013 by viviankirkfield

The east coast has been pounded by massive snowstorms recently. But here in Colorado Springs, the last few days have brought some unmistakeable signs that spring is coming soon.

Photo courtesy of Malou, a fantastic photographer in the Netherlands.

The breeze carries with it the fragrance of warmth and new green day lily shoots are poking their spikes up through the decaying leaves of a past autumn.

Yes, I know. We may still get major snowstorms and plenty of frosty mornings…we often have heavier snowfalls in March and April than we do during the winter. But spring is definitely on my mind, especially since I’ve been working on my entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s In Just Spring Children’s Story Contest. Head over there to check it out…submissions are due next Friday!

What luck! A book arrived in the mail yesterday. When I opened the package, I knew it was just the one to review for today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday. It demonstrates the beauty of Colorado’s majestic mountains and contains an important lesson about finding one’s way in a new place.

Maria’s Mysterious Mission

Written by Claudia Cangilla McAdam

Illustrated by Anna-Maria Crum

Photography by John Fielder

Publisher: Westcliffe Publishers/John Fielder Publishing (2007)

Ages: 4 and up

Themes:

Homesickness, moving, new experiences, friendship

Opening Lines:

“Maria was homesick. She spent her days wandering in and out of the barn and poking around the corral. She hadn’t cut a trail or carried a pack in months, not since she’d come to this new place in Colorado, far from her home in South America.

I don’t belong here, she thought. Her eyes stung, and her throat felt tight. “I miss the Andes.”

Synopsis:

From the Amazon page: “Far from her native South America, Maria is homesick. When she sets off on a mysterious mission with a heavy pack on her back and a heavier weight on her heart, she forges a new friendship and comes to see her life in Colorado with very different eyes.

Why I like this book:

Many children experience anxiety when they move to a new place or face the challenge of doing something different. The story of Maria, the llama, is one of realizing that we can be happy no matter where we are and that no matter where we go, there will be some things that are the same and some that are different. Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone can also be a stepping stone to new and wonderful friendships. This book was especially relevant to me because it spoke to the fears I had to face concerning my upcoming trip to Singapore in May for the Asian Festival of Children’s Content.

The book is an amazing collaboration between author, illustrator and America’s foremost outdoor photographer, John Fielder. Each spread contains the text and illustrations against a background of Mr. Fielder’s fantastic photography. Living in Colorado…and having hiked many of the back-country and high mountain trails, I was overjoyed to see familiar scenes with the turn of each page.

How a parent can use this book:

As a lovely read-aloud (let’s make a pact…let’s celebrate World Read-Aloud Day EVERY DAY of the year by reading aloud to children at every opportunity).
To encourage children to accept new challenges and try new things
To help kids whose families have just moved or are planning to move
As an introduction to hiking and outdoor pursuits as well as to photography
To show children the amazing natural resources and wildlife habitats that exist and that need our careful protection

Related Activities:

Here’s a great trail mix recipe from my book. Why not invite your child to help make a batch…and then go out for a hike together. Do you have a local nature sanctuary or botanic gardens nearby? If not, how about a walk to a nearby park or playground. First Lady Michelle Obama is encouraging parents and schools to make physical activity a priority in every child’s day.

HOMEMADE TRAIL MIX

Photo courtesy www.livelearnloveeat.com

You will need: 1 cup unsalted nuts (peanuts, almonds, etc.),1 cup hulled sunflower seeds, 1 xup coconut flakes, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup dried fruit cut into small pieces, 1 large bowl and a package of zip-lock sandwich bags.

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl.
Store in airtight container or large glass jar with lid.
Scoop into sandwich bags, grab a bottle of water and take a walk.
Makes about 5 cups of trail mix.
If your child is allergic to nuts…or too young for them…you can substitute healthy dry cereals and mini-pretzels.

Join Perfect Picture Book Friday with Susanna Leonard Hill and dozens of other kid lit lovers who post a picture book review every week:

Would you like to take the muss and fuss out of planning fun activities with your child. No batteries required…powered by a child’s imagination! Please click this link to purchase a copy

PPBF: The Boy Who Lost His Bellybutton (julierowanzoch.wordpress.com)
PPBF! Back to Front and Upside Down! By Claire Alexander (thiskidreviewsbooks.com)
PPBF! Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk (thiskidreviewsbooks.com)
Asian Festival of Children’s Content and PPBF (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
GRAINLESS GRANOLA – Nutrient dense recipe and perfect as a breakfast meal or trail mix for the whole family! (powerfoodsfitness.wordpress.com)
Backpacking Food Galore! (wanderingthewild.com)
Trail Mix Breakfast Cookies (cutoutandkeep.net)
Homemade Trail Mix Recipe (fitfunmom.com)
Backyard Bonfire: Trail Mix Party Favors (abeautifulmess.typepad.com)
Celebrating World Read-Aloud Day with Eric Carle (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)

World Read-Aloud Day: Tips on Reading Aloud to Young Children

Posted on March 6, 2013 by viviankirkfield

When children love books and reading, they do better in school and live happier lives.

One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to read aloud to infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Parents can read anything aloud to their little ones…but some books are better than others.

Author and educator Susan Marx wrote a practical guide for reading aloud to young children.

Help Me Get Ready To Read is chockfull of great picture book suggestions and parenting tips.

Susan wrote a poem that uses the titles of the stories that are recommended in her book…just in time for World Read Aloud Day.

The name of the poem is Bedtime Rhyme and the titles of favorite read-aloud books for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are shown in italics.

Information about the books as well as parenting strategies and reading strategies to read aloud effectively are provided in “Help Me Get Ready To Read: The Practical Guide For Reading Aloud To Children During Their First Five Years” by Susan Marx and Barbara Kasok. (www.readaloudguide.com)