Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian?

Posted on April 15, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday I walked into Bristol Elementary School…the halls are brightly decorated with the artistic efforts of the students. The two kindergartens where I was to do my presentation are separated by another room which serves as an office for the two teachers and their assistants…what a great set-up!

The children were eager to hear the story of Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready For Bed? by Barney Saltzberg. The teacher had introduced me as ‘Miss Vivian, who used to teach kindergarten many years ago and now she wrote a book about books and she is going to read to us today’. I opened the picture book to the inner title page and began, “This is a story about a little pig named Cornelius who does some very silly things…Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready For Bed?” I have to tell you how amazed I was when one of the boys asked, “And who is the author?” Usually I do say the author’s name after I tell them the title…this time I didn’t, and it was great to hear such a question from a 5-year old. 🙂 After I told them the name of the author, the same child piped up, “And who drew the pictures?” We talked a minute about the fact that in this particular book, the author was also the illustrator and then we read the story about the little pig getting ready for bed. When Cornelius brushes his teeth with soap and a body brush, the kindergarteners laughed. And when the little pig chooses a pile of TWENTY books as his bedtime story, the children knew that his father would NEVER read so many books at one time. But when Cornelius feeds his fish CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, one girl raised her hand and said, “If you feed your fish cookies, they will die because cookies have sugar and fish can’t eat things with sugar.” I agreed and added that it was a good thing that this was just a story and that many stories are just “made up” and those events didn’t really happen. “That’s because it’s fiction!” exclaimed another child.

WOW!!!!!

I guess that is one of the things that I love most about young children…they are sponges for knowledge…what an opportunity parents and teachers have! It is so important to spend those precious moments with little ones…just 15 minutes is all it takes to read a picture book story or do a simple arts and crafts project or prepare something together in the kitchen. Those 15 minutes (or more if you have it) of “quality” time, participating positively with a child, leaves an impression that builds self-esteem, develops pre-literacy skills and creates a life-long parent-child bond.

After the story, I showed the children the No Tick-Tock Clock craft project and explained how we would proceed to make it. I loved the way the teacher wrote the steps on the board as I spoke…using a simple picture (like a bottle of glue) and then a word (like glue)…to give the children a reference to follow as they worked on their clocks. The children really enjoyed working on the simple craft project and were excited to be able to bring it home to show their parents and use it to help them know when it was time to get ready for bed.

If you are interested in getting a copy of a great resource that provides story suggestions, simple craft projects and easy healthful recipes, I hope you will take advantage of a very special sale going on right now to celebrate The Week Of The Young Child and to help enable young families to purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING. You can check it out by going to my website…if you pay by check or money order, you can get the book for $14.95 (plus postage…U.S. only)…only one copy per address, no dealers, please (April 10-April 16). This is an amazing 66% off the cover price of $44.95. The book is a great resource for parents with young children and I am trying to make it available to as many parents as possible.

For those of you who are interested in the Read with Max Book Blog tour, to find out more information about Leader Dogs for the Blind or to follow Max on the rest of his book blog tour: http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html

Also, please don’t forget that I will be taking part in the EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP from April 20 – April 25. It will be the first time I will be giving away a copy of my book on my own blog, although it has been part of many reviews and several giveaways on other blog sites. The other really cool thing is that there are over 200 bloggers taking part…you will be able to hop from one to another…read their posts and enter their giveaways. So keep your eye on my posts for more information. http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop-page.html

Please stop by tomorrow for Saturday Ramblings: Preserve, Protect and Promote…Earth Day 2011

It’s Thursday…Missed Wednesday…Let’s Pretend That It’s Tuesday!`

Posted on April 14, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

This week is a little mixed up for me.

Does that ever happen to you?

I hosted the Read with Max Book Blog tour on Tuesday and that was kind of a book review which usually appears on my Wednesday post. To find out more information about Leader Dogs for the Blind or to follow Max on the rest of his book blog tour: http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html

So I decided to use today’s post, which is usually Healthy Habit Thursday, to fill you in on several important events that are coming up in the next several weeks. And, since I didn’t have a chance to do Quotable Timeless Tuesday, I will add a few quotes to this post that are especially meaningful to me.

It makes sense to me…I hope it doesn’t confuse you too much. 🙂

First of all, this week (April 10 – April 16) is THE WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD. This is the NAEYC’s 40^th anniversary of this celebration that focuses on young children and their families. https://www.naeyc.org/

In honor of The Week of the Young Child, I’ve got a very special sale going on right now to help enable young families to purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING. You can check it out by going to my website…if you pay by check or money order, you can purchase the book for $14.95 (plus postage…U.S. only)…only one copy per address, no dealers, please. This is an amazing 66% off the cover price of $44.95. The book is a great resource for parents with young children and I am trying to make it available to as many parents as possible.

“IF YOU WANT TO BE IN YOUR CHILD’S MEMORIES TOMORROW, YOU NEED TO BE IN THEIR LIVES TODAY.”

The second item I’d like to share with you is that my book has been endorsed by the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) in their 2011 Winter Outreach Newsletter that is emailed to all of their chapters across the country. The Las Vegas, Nevada Chapter has already ordered 15 copies to keep at their headquarters for the use by families who have children with juvenile diabetes. Self-esteem can be fragile and children with disabilities and special needs or conditions often struggle with keeping a positive self-image. The JDRF believes that my book will help.

“WE ALL NEED A CHEERING COMMITTEE AND PARENTS ARE A CHILD’S MOST IMPORTANT FANS!”

The third thing I wanted to tell you is that I will be interviewed on Tuesday, May 24^th at 10am by Lisa Hein, host of Everyday Parenting on http://www.encountersouthbeach.com/REN_RadioEarNetwork.htm

I’m really excited about the opportunity to share how I feel about young children, positive parenting and using fun-filled activities to build self-esteem, develop pre-literacy skills and create a life-long parent-child bond. I was happy to discover that Lisa is originally from Colorado and will be here in June…we already have plans to connect over lunch.

And now for the final item of information: I will be taking part in the EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP from April 20 – April 25. It will be the first time I will be giving away a copy of my book on my own blog, although it has been part of many reviews and several giveaways on other blog sites. The other really cool thing is that there are over 200 bloggers taking part…you will be able to hop from one to another…read their posts and enter their giveaways. So keep your eye on my posts for more information. http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop-page.html

Please stop by tomorrow for Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian?

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: FREDERICK

Posted on April 6, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by Sergey Yeliseev via Flickr

One of my favorite children’s picture book authors and illustrators is Leo Lionni.

His stories get to the heart of the challenges and concerns that young children face and his bold yet simple illustrations bring his characters to life.

FREDERICK is one of the four books that are part of the SHOW ME HOW Story-time Program at the local schools here in Colorado Springs. Each time I’ve read the story, the kindergarten and Pre-K children are eager to listen and then discuss the events in the book and relate them to their own lives.

FREDERICK

Written and illustrated by Leo Lionni

During the fall, a mouse family scurries around to collect seeds and nuts for the winter. One mouse, however, does not seem to be doing anything except daydreaming. Frederick explains that he is collecting sunshine, colors and words…but his family believe he is just trying to avoid the hard work. When winter comes and the long cold days and nights seem endless, Frederick entertains his family and lifts their spirits by reciting the poetry he composed while the other mice were collecting seeds and nuts.

Each one of us has special gifts and, as parents, we need to recognize and encourage our children’s strengths and talents. Sometimes this is very difficult, especially if your child does not enjoy doing what the rest of the family likes to do.

For example, most of the members of a family might love participating in all kinds of sporting activities, but one child in the family does not, preferring to draw or play a musical instrument. In a situation like this, it is even more essential for the parents to provide opportunities for that child to develop his own gifts and pursue his particular interests.

Just 15 minutes a day, reading a picture book story, will help build YOUR child’s self-esteem, develop pre-literacy skills and create a life-long parent-child bond. If you are looking for a resource that will make choosing a picture book a snap, please visit my website where you can purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW! The book has just received the KIDLUTIONS PREFERRED PRODUCT AWARD: http://kidlutionsppa.blogspot.com/2011/04/show-me-how-build-your-childs-self.html and, as you can imagine, I am thrilled!

I’ll be at the Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument, CO on Sunday, April 10^th from 2-3:30 and I hope everyone local to that area will stop in to say hello! There will be a Book Fair and book signing which benefits the Tri-Lakes Community Preschool Tuition Assistance Program and if you need any details, you can go to www.coveredtreasures.com. Come on over and spend a lovely afternoon in Monument and support early childhood education!

Another reminder…Tuesday, April 12^th, my blog will be hosting the book blog tour of Max, the Dog. You can visit http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html for information about where Max has already been and where he will be going for the next few weeks. There are prizes to be won for those who follow the tour so please check it out.