Have you been caught reading lately?

Posted on May 25, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Does your child love books?

How often does your child see the adults in your home reading?

Do you read to your child every day?

Just 15 minutes a day is all it takes to read a picture book story to your child.

IMPORTANT TIP: those might be the most important 15 minutes of your day.

Reading to children accomplishes amazing things:

Builds self-esteem!
Develops pre-literacy skills!
Engages your child in the story between the pages!
Encourages your child to relate what happens in the story to his or her own life!
Provides an opportunity for you to discuss sensitive topics with your child that may be difficult for you to talk about!
Creates a life-long parent-child bond!

Here’s a wonderful story that helps us (and our children) realize that we are all special and have unique qualities and talents to share with others.

ZARA’S HATS written and illustrated by Paul Meisel

Zara is a young girl who helps her parents decorate hats in the family hat shop. Disaster strikes when their supply of feathers is depleted and they cannot obtain any more. Zara’s father goes abroad to buy more feathers and, while he is away, Zara begins to decorate the untrimmed hats with fabric flowers and paper mache animals and fruits. Her hats are an immediate success! When her father returns without any feathers, the hat shop continues to feature Zara’s amazing hat creations.

Positive Parental Participation Note:

What lessons can we learn from this story that can be implemented with our own children to help them develop a positive self-image? Zara and her parents participated in many activities together. They allowed her to help in the shop. In addition, they encouraged her creativity and gave her positive feedback when she tried new ways of decorating the hats.

Of course, we don’t need to open a hat shop in order to build our children’s self-confidence. By focusing on their special gifts and talents, we can make our children feel special at home every day!

Do you want to choose the right books to read to your child? Pick up a copy of Show Me How! Story summaries of 100 of the best picture books every young child should hear are provided…along with an easy craft activity and a simple recipe for each book. Go to my websiteto take advantage of the 50% off sale!

Summer is coming…don’t get caught with nothing to do with your little ones. You can check out one of the latest reviews of Show Me How at The Mom Writes. You’ll see why every family with young children really needs a copy of this great resource.

Don’t have little ones of your own? Grab a copy for a friend or relative who does…they will be forever grateful.

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: Show Me How! Giveaway and the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop!

Posted on April 20, 2011 by viviankirkfield

A HOPPY EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA BLOG HOP

APRIL 20 – APRIL 25

THIS IS A MEGA-GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP HOSTED BY:

I AM A READER NOT A WRITER AND ONCE UPON A TWILIGHT

THERE WILL BE ONE COPY OF SHOW ME HOW! IN MY GIVEAWAY (USA ONLY)

MANDATORY ENTRY: YOU MUST SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG BY CLICKING ON “EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS” AND ALSO LEAVE A COMMENT

IN THE COMMENT FIELD

THERE ARE OVER 250 BLOGS PARTICIPATING IN THIS GIVEAWAY HOP

YOU CAN CLICK ON THIS LINK AND IT WILL GIVE YOU THE LINKY LIST

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop-page.html

SO NOW I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE BOOK AND WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO WIN THE COPY!

My passion for children’s picture books began over fifty years ago. As I sat on my mother’s lap and helped her turn the pages of The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, a new and exciting world was revealed to me.

As a kindergarten and Head Start teacher, I developed a program that used picture books, not only for entertainment and enjoyment, but also to help young children deal with the challenges they face in those early years.

During my years as a daycare provider and mother of three, I continued reading picture book stories to the children on a daily basis, and I added crafting and cooking activities to enhance and enrich their learning experience.

I found that reading, crafting and cooking with young children helped build their self-esteem. These activities also developed their pre-literacy skills and each child entered kindergarten ready to read, if not reading already. Best of all, my positive interaction created a life-long parent-child bond.

So, I decided to share the stories, the crafts and the recipes and I wrote a book all about them.

SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING, is for parents, grandparents, teachers, daycare providers…basically anyone who is involved in the care and education of young children.

It pinpoints 100 picture book stories every young child should hear.
It offers a story summary and a gentle parenting tip for each recommended title.
It provides a simple eco-friendly arts and crafts project that ties in with each story.
It gives an easy healthful child-friendly recipe for each suggested picture book.

Believe me, I know how overwhelming parenting can be…and that’s why I wrote the book! It’s really a fantastic resource for busy parents and teachers who need a shortcut to educational, fun-filled, self-esteem building activities. I found that when children are provided with these types of activities on a daily basis, there is balance and harmony and PEACE in the home.

Now, some of you might be saying, “I have too much to do already. How will I find the time to do those activities?”

Just 15 minutes is all it takes to read a picture book story.

Just 15 minutes is all it takes to do the simple craft.

Just 15 minutes is all it takes to prepare most of the easy recipes.

There is also a neat schedule at the end of the book that would be perfect for someone who is homeschooling their children or even for a daycare provider who is looking for some time-management tips.

The book has been endorsed by parents, educators, self-esteem experts and picture book authors. Everyone who picks it up says that it is magical. Everyone who reads it loves it. It’s been reviewed on more than a dozen mom and dad blogs…and they have all recommended it. Several posted pictures of their own children engaged in the some of the craft projects.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has also recommended that all of their chapter headquarters, in cities across the country, purchase it to keep on hand as a resource for the families they help. I donate a portion of the proceeds of each book sale to JDRF. The sales of my book also benefit a mobile children’s literacy outreach organization, www.Bessthebookbus.org.

So, if you don’t win the copy in this giveaway, maybe you’ll want to purchase it on my website and you will be helping both of these worthwhile causes. You’ll also be guaranteeing that you won’t run out of ideas of what to do with your little ones in the coming months. And, if you don’t have little ones, remember Mother’s Day is just around the corner…this would be a great gift idea for any mothers or grandmothers or mothers-to-be that you know. If you do have little ones, perhaps your child’s daycare provider or nursery school teacher could use some fresh ideas. And don’t forget about graduation…if you know anyone who is receiving a degree in Early Childhood Education, the book will be a perfect resource for them as they go out to work with young children.

Last month, I visited my daughter in New Hampshire and was able to read, craft and cook with my 2½ year old grandson. I can guarantee that the book REALLY WORKS! The Show-Me-How Story-time Program has also been implemented in some of the schools in my city and, if you’ve read my “Follow-Me-Friday: Where’s Miss Vivian?” posts, you’ll know how much fun the children are having when I visit the Pre-K’s and kindergartens to read picture books and do craft projects.

Right now you have an opportunity to win the FREE COPY that I am offering as part of the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop. To be entered in this giveaway, there are three things you can do. The giveaway begins at 12:01am Wednesday, April 20^th and ends Monday, April 25^th at 11:59pm.

1. Mandatory entry: subscribe to my blog…there is a place on the left sidebar to do that…leave a comment to let me know. (If you already subscribe, please leave a comment to let me know that also.)

3. Post my giveaway on twitter or facebook. Please leave a comment to let me know.

4. Blog about my book giveaway on your blog. Again, please leave a comment and your blog address.

No matter how you enter, please make sure you leave your name, so that I’ll know how you entered and I will be able to contact you if you are the WINNER!

There are over 200 blogs participating in the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop. If you click on the link, you should be able to visit the other blogs and see what great stuff they are giving away!

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop-page.html

Have fun hopping around…and good luck!

Make-A-Meal Monday: Holiday Treats for Easter and Passover

Posted on April 18, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

Right now, we are in the middle of two important week-long religious celebrations…for Christians, there is Easter which is next Sunday, but the entire week has significance as yesterday was Palm Sunday and Thursday is Maundy Thursday and Friday is Good Friday. For those of the Jewish faith, there is Passover, which starts tonight with the first Seder and continues for an entire week. For more detailed information about either of these holidays, you can go to http://www.infoplease.com/spot/easter.html.

I thought it would be fun to see if I could find a recipe from my book for parents of preschoolers that would be appropriate for each of these important celebrations. When you invite your child to help with food preparation, you help build their self-esteem. It is also a wonderful way to teach young children about holidays and traditions that are important for your family.

CHILD-FRIENDLY NOODLE APPLE CASSEROLE

Here is a really simple recipe that is similar to Noodle Kugel, a delicious treat enjoyed by many during Passover week.

You will need: 4 cups cooked wide noodles, 2 eggs, ¼ cup honey, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 cup grated apple, ½ cup raisins, 1 Tb margarine or butter, a large bowl and a 2-quart greased casserole dish.

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, honey and cinnamon and beat well.

2. Stir in apples, raisins, noodles and butter.

3. Pour into a greased casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

4. Be careful when you pull away the aluminum foil…there may be a lot of steam!

5. Makes 4 lunch-size servings or many more side dish, snack or dessert servings.

CHILD-FRIENDLY HOT CROSS BUNS

This simple recipe forgoes yeast and uses muffin tins…so easy and delicious; you’ll want to enjoy it all during the year, not just at Easter.

You will need: For the buns: ½ cup orange juice, ¾ cup seedless golden raisins, 2 cups flour, 1 Tb baking powder, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ cup milk, 1/3 cup canola oil, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, zest of 1 orange, 3 mixing bowls and a 12-cup greased muffin tin. For the icing: 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 Tb orange juice.

1. Combine orange juice and raisins in a micro-wave safe bowl and micro-wave on high for 1 minute.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together milk, oil, eggs, vanilla and orange zest.

4. Add the milk mixture and the raisin mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean and dry.

6. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before placing the muffins on a rack to cool completely.

7. When the muffins are completely cool, prepare the icing (in a small bowl, mix confectioner’s sugar and 1 Tb orange juice until smooth) and drizzle on top of each muffin to form a cross.

Please stop by tomorrow…and don’t forget that THE HOPPY EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP starts here on Wednesday…and at over 200 other blogs. You will be able to enter to win a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking and then hop over to the other blogs to enter their giveaways.