Storybook Week 6: Diary of a Spider

This week the storybook is Diary of a Spider, written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Harry Bliss.

1. Read the Book

Language Arts/Story Interest

Together with your child, read the book or watch the storybook video.

2. Start a Personal Diary

Story Interest/Arts and Crafts/Fine Motor Skills/Language Arts

Start with a blank composition book or notebook and pictures that will be interesting and relevant to your child, like pictures of him- or herself, family members, animals, and special interests. Tape or glue a picture of your child to the cover. (Or let your child do this.)

For your younger child, write a heading on top of each page. Categories that work well are Family, Animals, Numbers, Letters, Dinosaurs, Colors, Shapes, and character pages for your child's favorite book and TV characters.

For a baby or toddler: Paste pictures and photographs of each category under the appropriate heading. Allow your toddler to color on pages.

For a preschooler: Paste one or two pictures and photographs in each category, leaving plenty of room on each page. Draw a few writing guidelines at the bottom of the page so your child can write something about the page. Ask your child to draw pictures from the category on each page and then write something about it at the bottom. You may need to write for them, but do ask what they want to say about the page.

For an older child: If necessary, show your child how diary entries can start with the date that they are written. Have them write what they want about their day and allow them to use pictures and photographs to illustrate.

Alternative 1: 

If your child is into photography, allow him or her to make a photojournal on a topic of his or her choice. If it would be easier, use a blog or other online format for your child to post digital pictures. Make sure it is a secure site so it can be kept private if appropriate and so that you and your child can monitor what information is available to strangers.

Alternative 2:

Organized Christmas has a great idea for a frugal gift that can be used in this activity: a Journal Jar. The gift idea includes a journal and a jar of journal prompts to get someone writing. I've included the link to the Child's Journal Jar but there is also one for adults.

3. Spiders vs. Insects

Science/Arts and Crafts

Learn about arachnids. You may have a favorite science book or encyclopedia at home that describes arachnids, or you can use this great fact page from BioKIDS. Talk about the differences between arachnids and insects.

Next, do a fun spider craft together. This is a good one posted at Children's Learning Activities.

4. Babysteps Flash Cards

Story Interest/Organization

Together, choose something your child wants to learn to do. Help him or her break it down into three steps to practice. Have an older child write down each step on a separate index card. For younger children, write it for them. A picture of each step would be helpful and interesting as well.

Show your child how to practice each step, one at a time. Let him or her keep the flash cards to practice at other times.

5. Differences

Appreciation of Diversity/Emotional Awareness

Have your child choose one of his or her friends to talk about. Talk about the things your child likes about the friend. Ask if there are any things about the friend that are different from your child. You can help with ideas if your child can't think of any (hair color, skin color, eye color, length of hair, where the child lives, family, what the child likes to do, the child's favorite color, the child's favorite TV show, etc.) List two or three of these differences that your child likes about his or her friend.

Now think of someone else who is different from your child. This could be another child, a neighbor, a classmate, or a character from a book, game, or show. Think of their differences. Again list two or three differences that your child likes or thinks is interesting.

You may want to ask a few follow-up questions, but this topic probably doesn't need to be belabored. Some examples are:

"Can people who are different be friends?"
"Do you like to learn new and different things?"
"Do you like to meet new and different people?"
"How does it feel to notice something different about another person?"
"How does it feel to be different from someone else?"

Monopoly Junior Lessons

Recently, my five-year-old was given Monopoly Junior. The age range on the box is 5-8 years old. He has just turned five, so I was interested to see how he did with this game. While he and his father and I played the game, I noted the lessons for my son.

1. Addition and Subtraction

Using money and paying in different denominations gave him practice adding and subtracting to make the right dollar amount. He could use more practice, but this is a fun way to get practice in. The denominations are 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 dollar bills, so it is an easy way to start.

2. Game Playing Basics

My son is used to taking turns in games. This game also gave him more practice counting game board squares to move ahead, following directions, "reading" dice, and using his own colored game pieces (marker to move around the board and ticket booths to set up on the spaces he paid for). I was actually surprised to see him happily end the game with Dad as the winner. He usually wants to be the winner at everything. (I don't think he's the only four- to five-year-old with this tendency.)

3. Reading

He can sound out words and read many words from context, but he also has some way to go before he can read many books on his own. The Chance cards and game spaces gave him lots of opportunity to read with very specific context clues. He did great!

4. Finance

Okay, not high finance, but this game gives a $2 "allowance" for passing Go, so it reinforces the idea of an allowance. It also shows the properties of ownership. Whichever person paid at a space to put up their ticket booth had the right to collect admission every time someone landed at their ticket booth. Our son got used to paying other people at their ticket booths and asking for money when people landed on his own booths. Another basic idea it reinforced was the accumulation of money. The person with the most money at the end of the game wins. This game is completely based on chance, so it's not due to skill, but nonetheless, if you have the most money, you win.

Storybook Week 5: Curious George Rides a Bike

Curious George Rides a Bike was written and illustrated by H. A. Rey and published in 1952.

1. Read the Story

Language Arts

Read the story Curious George Rides a Bike and/or watch the Storybook DVD.

2. Ride a Bike

Gross Motor Skills/Outdoor Activity

If your child has a bike, go for a bike ride together. If your child is too young for a bike but has another riding toy, use that instead. If your child does not have any riding toy, show him or her how to bicycle your legs in the air while lying on your back. Do pretend pop-a-wheelies this way. See who can "jump the bike" the highest.

3. Get Your Headlines Here

Story Interest/Money

Do you get a newspaper delivered to your house? Start a conversation with your child about how that newspaper gets to your house. Or if you get a magazine subscription, talk about how that magazine gets to your house. If you don't get newspapers or magazines, go to a local store to buy one. Talk about the person who sold the paper or magazine to you.

Pick one of these jobs (newspaper delivery, mail carrier, cashier) and research it with your child. You can simply describe the job and be on the lookout for the person who has that job in your neighborhood, or you can go as deeply into the research as you like. This is a link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics page about United States Postal Service mail carriers.

This may be a good time for a money lesson. Let your child know what your family pays for (home, groceries, clothes, electricity, TV service, etc.). If possible, let your child see the bills and see you paying them. Explain where your family's money comes from. Introduce the concept of having a job and being paid for it. If your child is old enough to ask for or desire money to buy something he or she wants, consider paying a wage for a job that is more than what they are normally expected to do around the house.

4. Make a Boat

Story Interest/Arts and Crafts/Science

Mathematische Basteleien has clear instructions for folding a boat out of paper.

For a baby: Draw a bath or a bowl full of water and float toy boats in it. Let baby play if possible (supervised extremely closely, of course).

For a toddler: Let your toddler watch you fold a boat for as long as it holds the toddler's interest. You may need to fold it later if interest wanes. When the boat is completed, draw a bath for the toddler and both of you can watch while the boat floats. Very soon, it will sink (due to getting wet) and need to be rescued. Have plastic bath boats on hand to replace it.

You may want to do the baby activity instead if that is a better fit for your toddler. Or do both!

For a preschooler: Both of you work on folding a paper boat at the same time. Don't forget to see if they float when you're finished.

For an older child: Show the instructions and demonstrate once by folding a paper boat. Then let your child try as many times as he or she wishes.

5. Make a Circus

Story Interest/Dramatizing

Depending on the age and interests of your child, do this activity either with small figures and doll-type decorations or in real-life size with stuffed animals, larger props, and yourselves as actors.

Small or large items (depending on your scale) that would make a fun circus:

Animals
Tents (toy tents, draped blankets, real tents, or dolls' or figures' umbrellas)
Musical instruments
Music playing in the background
Circus ringmaster and microphone (Here are some ideas for making a ringmaster costume, by Andrea Hermitt.)
Rope, yarn, or string (laid on the ground for a pretend tightrope)
Dancer or acrobat costume (think tights, leotards, and makeup)
Yoga mat for doing somersaults and other acrobatics
Mini trampoline
For dolls or figures, a colorful circular blanket or mat on which to arrange the circus
Clown costume or clown dolls
Popcorn, cotton candy, peanuts (for children who are old enough to safely eat these treats)
Bicycles, chariots, carts
Capes, crowns, scepters, wands
Magic implements, top hat

Now have fun!

Summer Storytime

As summer vacation approaches, don't forget to check what your local library is offering.

There are usually programs offered for all ages that might include: movies, creative writing groups, storytimes, book clubs, chess/checkers programs, board games, video games, or cooking and craft events.

An Up-to-Date Summary of Bullying

This interview with Dr. Jackie Humans is one of the most informative articles on bullying I have seen.

A particularly interesting point is that bullies scan the people around them for likely targets. In effect, they do their homework. Although it is crucial to understand that bullies are responsible for their behavior (i.e., their victims are not responsible for being bullied), there are many skills people can learn to be "less fun" as a target.

She makes a great point about bullies wanting their victims to react in a traumatized way. They want their victims to believe that the remark, scenario, or physical harm is completely awful. If the victim deflects bullying behavior with humor or an unemotional non-reaction, the bully's "awfulizing" does not work.

See the article for more information and some tips, although she leaves some of the good stuff for readers of her book. 15 Ways to ZAP a Bully! is written with middle-schoolers as a target audience. I have not read this book but I will consider finding it when my five-year-old is just a little older.

Storybook Week 4: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type was written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. The first step in this Storybook Week is to buy or borrow from the library this book or Storybook DVD. Read the book and/or watch the DVD together.

1. Type A Letter

Story Interest/Language Arts

Help your child type a letter on the computer. Better yet, if you have one, let your child use a typewriter. Print it out if necessary and mail or deliver it to the intended recipient.

For a toddler: If you allow your toddler to touch your computer or typewriter, show the toddler how to strike keys to make letters and numbers appear on the screen. Put the word processing program on a very large font to help your child see. Different colored fonts are fun, too.

For a preschooler: Teach your child to type on a computer or typewriter if necessary. If your child is already familiar with this, teach how to capitalize letters on a keyboard, how to make spaces between words, and how to make sentences with punctuation.

For an older child: Teach letter formatting with return address, recipient address, date, salutation, paragraphs, and closing. You may also want to teach appropriate letter etiquette.

2. Strategy Game

Social Skills

This is an interesting link about young children playing a strategy board game (Settlers of Catan) that includes trading and negotiation. I am particularly interested in the fact that the author's six-year-old could play the game, because we own this game and my oldest is now five years old.

Another option if you want to get your younger children into strategy board games is this version called Kids of Catan. If you read the review, though, you will see that this version does not include many of the learning opportunities present in the regular version of the game. Important note: Kids of Catan does not include trading or negotiation.

For social skills activities, including one involving negotiation, scroll down to the "Build a consensus" section on this Parenting Science website. This would work best with a small group of preschoolers or young elementary schoolers, but it could be done as a fun imaginative activity between parent and child. A young child may expect to participate in the imagined event in the near future, so keep that in mind as you do the activity.

3. Milk and Eggs

Cooking/Sensory Activity

Talk about where we get milk and eggs. Include the concept that animals give us these products. Identify which animals give us each product. Then talk about where your family usually gets these products, such as the grocery store.

Make a simple recipe together that calls for milk and eggs. Some ideas are scrambled eggs, omelettes, pancakes, or waffles.

For a baby: Allow baby to watch nearby as you prepare a recipe using milk and eggs.

For a toddler: A toddler may be able to bring you utensils, stir, pour, and even begin to learn how to crack eggs into a bowl.

For a preschooler: Teach your child how to crack eggs into a bowl if he or she does not already know how to do it. Be encouraging and point out that people often make mistakes when learning how to crack eggs. Even adults let pieces of egg shell into recipes sometimes! Show him or her how to fish the egg shells back out (with clean hands, of course).

For an older child: Let him or her use a kids' cookbook or regular cookbook to make the recipe. Supervise but do not help except when asked.

4. Take Me to the Farm

Story Interest/Field Trip/Outdoor Activity/Science

This activity is pretty self-explanatory. If there is no nearby farm or household with multiple animals, especially farm-type animals, try the zoo and/or petting zoo. Point out and talk about the animals that would live on a farm (ducks, goats, roosters, etc.) and those that would not live on a farm (lions, monkeys, giraffes, and of course many more). Most ages will enjoy this activity.

Storybook Week 3: Chrysanthemum

The book Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes, stars an adorable mouse with an absolutely perfect name. At least, it seems perfect until one day when a classmate makes certain comments...

1. Origins of a Name

Story Interest

Ask your child what his or her full name is. Together, look up the meaning of the name in a name book or dictionary or online. Some questions to consider together are:

What do you like best about your name?
What does it sound like?
What does it remind you of?
If you could choose any name for yourself, what would it be?

For a baby or toddler:

If you or someone you know has the talent or budget for it, you could make or purchase a name sign to hang in your child's room where he or she will often see it. There are many vinyl wall art companies to choose from these days and many online tutorials for decorating and displaying wood letters with materials you can find at any craft store.

Point out the picture to your child, saying the name and talking about the letters, pictures, colors, and shapes in it.  

We are extremely fortunate to have an artist in the family: my mom. Here is an example of part of a name picture:

2. Read the Book

Read-aloud

Read the book together, or watch the Scholastic Storybook Treasures story video. The video has marvelous, soothing narration by Meryl Streep.

3. Fat Orange Crayon

Arts and Crafts/Handwriting

In the book, Chrysanthemum loved to write out her name with a fat orange crayon. Set out a large piece of paper and a big orange crayon. Have your child write out his or her name on the paper.

For a toddler: Draw block letters of your child's name on a large piece of paper. Let your toddler scribble away at the paper with a fat orange crayon. It may be more fun if you join in!

4. Teasing

Emotional Awareness/Social skills

Use puppets that you have or make paper bag puppets by drawing faces and hair on the bottom of a paper lunch sack. Start a role play using the puppets in which someone is teased for something like a name or hair color. You can play the teasing puppet and the puppet being teased, while your child plays a friend of the puppet being teased. See what your child does as a friend. After a few minutes, you can switch all the roles.

For younger children, you can model the friend being helpful, saying encouraging statements like, "I like your name," or "I am sorry you feel bad. Do you need a hug?" You can talk about strategies such as telling the parent or teacher if they feel bad about something someone said or did to them.

For older children, talk about what teasers or bullies want. For example, you can talk about how reacting strongly and emotionally to the teasing makes bullies want to do even more teasing. Model calm, bland phrases like, "Thank you for noticing," or "It's interesting you think that." These, if repeated often, should be very boring and demotivating for a teaser or bully.

For even older children, or any children who use cell phones and online technology, research cyberbullying and address those issues with your child.