Hello My Friends

Well, here it is Monday and the start to another week.  The school district where I taught for 17 years starts to school this Wednesday.  I always feel a little sad the past couple of years that I am not going back with them.  I miss my students and teaching a lot.

So how about all of you has your child, children, or grandchildren went back to school yet?  Starting back to school is such an exciting time for the children, parents, and teachers.  I hope you have met your child's teacher and ready for the year to start.  I don't really have anymore books to suggest for Back to School but I hope you had a chance to read one or two off of my list I posted here on the blog a couple of days ago.

I have found some good sites to check for books, study ideas, and of course snacks for after school.  

Here is a site for a great simple after school snack for the children.  I made a few for myself for a snack and I know kids will love it. 

Please check out the following site for the recipe for this great snack.

www.delightfullysassi.com

She has many good snacks and ideas on her blog so check her site out when you can.

Also, check out this site for lots of information about just about anything.

www.pinterest.com

Try some S'mores in a Bag and enjoy a good book with it.

See you Wednesday with more great books to share!!!

  

Hello Friends!!

Today the neighborhood children went back to school. I always feel a little sad now that I am not going back to school too.  I loved teaching the boys and girls in my classes.  We had many wonderful school years together.  Today I thought I would share a few more Back to School Ideas and tell you a couple of blogs to check for books and back to school ideas.

Back to School 

1.  One of the most important things I think you can do for your child is have a good dialogue with their teacher or teachers.  This will help your child in many ways.  So see if your child's teacher has a website for her class or how she would like for you to keep in touch.  You would be amazed on how much this helps a child to be successful.

2.  Next, to have a time nightly to go over the child's folder, or homework.  Also, just 15 minutes a night reading will help your child become a better reader which helps them become a better student.

Check out this flyer  from Pinterest. I will share the website with you.

http://justreed-ashley.blogspot.com/2013/07/wrapping-up-ten-pin-summer-linky-back.html

http://poultneytania.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/reluctant-readers.html

So check out these two websites with information on reading and check out Pinterest for more ideas for Back to School.  See you Friday.

HAPPY READING!!!!!!

BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK

Hi my friends!  It is Back to School week here in my area of the USA.  So parents are out getting school supplies, clothes, and food for lunches over the weekend to prepare for school to start on Wednesday, August 13, 2014.  I always loved decorating my classroom, getting things ready for my students, and meeting my parents.  Always an exciting time especially for new teachers and the students.

I thought I would share a few things parents might want to do to prepare for their children's  first day of school.  For students who are returning for another year of school they kind of know what to expect but for Pre-schoolers and Kindergartners it is a new experience for them.  Here are some things as a former teacher I would suggest.

1.  Talk to your child about what to expect at school on the first day.

2.  I hope that if your school has a Meet the Teacher Night that you took your child to meet the teacher.(It is important for the child to know who he or she will be spending their day with.) I have seen that this is very beneficial.  

3.  You might want to read a few books about going to school to them this week as they prepare for the new school year.

4.  You might want them to get into the school routine before the first day of school arrives.  I would start a few days before of going to bed earlier, laying out their clothes, and getting them ready for a school day routine.

5.  Please be sure they know how they will get home from school. ( bus, car, walking, etc)  They need to know that because they do worry about that a lot.  Also, be sure they know who will be picking them up and check that with the school.

6.  Be prepared in all areas is a good motto for the kids.  

7.  Put their names on everything so they know what is theirs.

8. Help your child to know what and who they need to ask for help at the school.

9. Read the school handbook and calendar of events so as parents you will be prepared.

10.  Everyone wants your child to be happy and successful at school.  So work together with your child's teacher and school.  

I hope every child and parent will have a great start to the 2014-2015 school year.

Here are some books you could read to your child before school starts especially for the children just starting school for the first time.

1.The Kissing Hand (wonderful book, especially for young children)

2.Miss Nelson is Missing

3.Chrysanthemum 

4.Llama,Llama Misses Mama

5.Night Before First Grade

6.Miss Bendergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten

7. It's Time for School

8.Stinky Face

9.The Crayon Box That Talked

10.Lacy Walker Non-Stop Talker

Check out a few of these and read them to your child before school starts.  The children will love them and they will feel more secure about being at school all day.

I will share some more on Wednesday about Back to School.  I hope all of you have a wonderful day.

Happy Sunday My Friends!!!

My back and I are working on getting better. It is taking longer than I want but I realize I have to be patient and take better care of my back if I want it to get better.  I hope everyone is have a great Sunday and enjoying the (dog days of summer.)  I have a couple of Camping books for today.  One is a I Can Read book and the other is a Read It book .  I love these books because children can start at the beginning level and keep working up each level as they progress.  They start at Level Shared Reading and can progress up to Level 4 which is advanced reading.  You can get books on all levels at your local library and I imagine at the school library too.  We had them at my school's library. You can also get free e-books for the children to read online  at www.icanread.com/ebooks.  So check them out when you get a chance.:) I didn't find a website for the Read-It Books but they also are on different levels.

Camping Trip

by

 Christine C. Jones

This a cute story about a camping trip and a boy who has all kind of trouble and causes all kind of trouble until one time that Mike saves the day.  

Boys will like reading this book.

The Camping Trip

by

Catherine Hapka

This is a Pony Scout book  which is a cute book for girls especially ones who haven't went camping before.  Meg learns a lot about camping this trip and there is even a little mystery in the story.  This is Reading Level 2 book. 

So check out these two fun books and enjoy them with a child and let them and check out the Read-It Series of books and the I Can Read series of books.

Hello Everyone!

How is everyone this Monday?  I hurt my back last week and  thought it was getting better  but then last night I somehow managed to hurt it again.  I sure wish I could get this back to cooperate with me.  I have things to do!!!:):)
Today I would like to share a really cute camping book that boys and girls will enjoy.  It is really a fun one and there are many activities the children can do.  They can take  a Flat Stanley on their camp out  or send it to a friend or take him or her to school.  I have done several projects with Flat Stanley before.  We even sent one to some service members in Iraq.  The kids loved making them and sending them on adventures.
So the book today is :
Flat Stanley Goes Camping
by
Jeff Brown

Flat Stanley and his family are enjoying their summer.  They go swimming one day and another child makes fun of Stanley.  Stanley then decides it isn't much fun being "flat."  He tells his parents that being flat is "lame."  His mother and father tell him some of the best things are flat such as pancakes, a newspaper, a fried egg, and bacon.  Stanley doesn't really cheer up though after his parents tell him that.  
After  that his parents decided the family should go camping.  Arthur, Stanley's brother is really excited but not Stanley. When Stanley and his family reach the campgrounds Stanley helps his family set up camp and then Stanley and Arthur go exploring.  The boys track some animal tracks and end up on a cliff where they are trapped between a skunk and the cliff's edge.  What will Stanley and Arthur do?  Check out Flat Stanley Goes Camping to see how Stanley saves the day.  It is a really cute book.  Enjoy!!!!!!

Flat Sarah
Make a Flat Stanley or Flat Sarah
Check out the Flat Stanley Project to for ideas

https://www.google.com/search?q=image+of+flat+stanley+goes+camping&rlz=1C1RNVH_enUS534US586&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=fvLfU8mqFceNyASZhoLwBg&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=643#q=flat+stanley+project&tbm=isch

Happy Wednesday Readers!!!!

I hope everyone is having a good day and enjoying the last days of vacation for summer for the school children. There are only 14 days till school starts here where I live.  So time is running out for the teachers and students.  So I hope the children are enjoying  these last days of their freedom.  I wanted to share that in the last Xplor Magazine they gave a kind of Scavenger List of things to look for while your camping in  your backyard or the woods.  If you don't have the magazine you could make your list and have the children see if they could find them and then check them off on their list for a prize.  Children love scavenger hunts.  We even did them in our classroom several times a year.

Some ideas might be:

1.Collect 5 kinds of leaves

2.Hear a woodpecker hammering

3.Find a purple, yellow,and white flower

4.Find a creepy crawler

5.Spot an animal with 2,4,6,8 legs

6.Spot a mammal out for food

7. Hear a hoot owl.

8. Hear a mockingbird sing

9.Find a moth or lightning bug

10.Find something crawling on the ground

So make up a Scavenger List and have the kids to find all they can in their backyard.

I have a backyard camping book to share which is really cute.

The Camping Scare

by

Terri Daugherty

This is a mystery story for 2nd and 3rd graders.  Ben and Beth go on a campout in their backyard.  They set up a tent and took the sleeping bags and ate marshmallows. They told scary stories and then they got in the sleeping bags to go to sleep but they couldn't sleep. Ben and Beth heard a sound "thump, thud, thud." They got out their flashlight and looked around the backyard. They determined the sounds where coming from the house.  They closed their eyes and plugged their ears but they could still hear the noise coming from the house. The noise got louder and louder and Ben and Beth were scared.  What could it be? Check out The Camping Scare and find out what the noise was.  Children will enjoy this book. For some reason they like scary stories but they might end up back in the house before the night is over. :)

Hope you will check it out and maybe some other young mysteries that kids might like.

                                                                 

Hello Everyone,

Happy Monday

Well, it is the last Monday in July for 2014.  I hope everyone has enjoyed their activities this month.  I also hope you and your children did a book club or went camping.  The children have a few more weeks before school starts but the time is running out for summer activities for them.  They start school where I live on August 13.  So not many days left before the school bell will be ringing for the children and teachers.

I have a couple of more cute camping books to share with you and I hope you will share them with a child and maybe even go camping even just in the backyard.  I also have a neat magazine to share with you that could come right to your door.  If your children love the outdoors or if you want them to love being outside it has great activities in it to share with them. In fact I think I will share it today and the two camping books on Wednesday.  Then on Friday I think I will share some good going Back to School books and tips for children just starting Kindergarten and the other grades as well. I think once you have been a teacher for many years you still get excited about Back to School time and helping the children to ease back into school with a positive learning experience.

 So for today here is the magazine I ordered for my students when I was teaching and they all really enjoyed reading it and looking at the colorful pictures.

Xplor

Adventure in Nature

by

Missouri Department of Conservation

(I am sure each state probably has some sort of nature magazine for their state)

The magazine is Parent's Choice Approved.

This magazine is free to Missouri Households.

Contact this website for information.

xplormo.org/node/2618

The magazine has great nature pictures, facts, games, and fun activities.  This month there are many recipes for Campfire Cooking which would be great to do in a backyard camp or in the woods or National Park.

Some of the recipes are Orange Blueberry Muffins, Eggs in a Raincoat,Campfire Calzones, Xplorer Stew, Pigs in a Sleeping Bag, and Banana Boats.  All of them sound good , look good, and I bet they taste good too.  I think a favorite of mine would be the Pigs in a Sleeping Bag.

 You need:

Hot dogs

Crescent roll dough

Ketchup and Mustard

Sticks or hot dog roasting forks

Skewer the pig(hot dog) onto a roasting fork or stick. 

Wrap the hot dog in a thin layer of crescent roll dough(which makes the sleeping bag). 

Hold the hot dog over the fire. Don't let the fire touch the dough. Turn the fork so it cooks on all sides. 

Dinner is done when the dough turns golden brown.  Eat the pig plain, or dip in ketchup or mustard.

What a fun recipe and kids will love the name, Pig in a Sleeping Bag.

Order a copy today of the Xplor Magazine for your child and have fun learning about nature in Missouri. ( If you live in another state or country check out from your state what they have available and enjoy the great outdoors with your child or grandchild.  They will love it and they will be reading and learning too.

Check one out with a child today.  They will love them and want to be outside.