Category Archives: books

My 70th Birthday

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Jennie

There were the many cards and the emails, texts and phone calls, to wish me a happy birthday today.  70 is weird, because when I was young 70 was old, and I’m still the queen of rock and roll (at … Continue reading →

Posted in books, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Giving, Giving thanks, Kindness, picture books, reading | Tagged , , , , , | 123 Comments

Making Picture Books Come Alive – With Props at Home

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Jennie

How to Expand Literacy and Reading Picture Books When You are Quarantined at Home One of the mainstays of teaching children is reading aloud books.  Why?  Children are drawn to stories.  They love hearing the words, and for good reason.  … Continue reading →

Posted in books, children's books, Early Education, Imagination, Inspiration, picture books, play performances, reading aloud, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

Earth Day – “What a Wonderful World”

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Jennie

Earth Day is the day to give back to our earth, our world. When we take care of our earth, the earth takes care of us, and we have a wonderful world. “What a Wonderful World” I read the book … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, books, children's books, Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Inspiration, Kindness, Learning About the World, Mother Nature, music, reading aloud, Singing, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , | 36 Comments

The Past Two (and more ) Weeks – School Then and Now, Part 4

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Jennie

In Part 3, I jumped right into what children need most and what I do best, reading aloud.  Setting up a YouTube channel gave them stories every day.  It was also a constant.  Then, we challenged children with art, scavenger hunts, … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Dogs, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, geography, history, reading aloud, reading aloud | Tagged , , , , , | 83 Comments

“The Story of Little Babaji” – a Classic Children’s Book

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Jennie

This week I read aloud one of the children’s favorite books on YouTube.  In order to understand the book and its popularity, first let me back up – a long time ago. I vividly remember the book Little Black Sambo … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, books, children's books, Diversity, Early Education, picture books, play performances, preschool, reading aloud, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 81 Comments

A “Jennie Story” – On YouTube

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Jennie

This has been a whirlwind of a week.  Each of the past five days I have posted a video of me reading aloud a picture book, and an episode of chapter reading, every day on my new YouTube channel. It … Continue reading →

Posted in books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Inspiration, picture books, preschool, reading, reading aloud, reading aloud, storytelling, teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 95 Comments

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade!

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Jennie

It happened quickly.  Schools closed for two weeks.  Teachers went in on Friday to do a deep cleaning, from surfaces to toys, even markers and the cover of every book.  Over the weekend the closings of public places skyrocketed.  On … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Inspiration, picture books, preschool, reading, reading aloud, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , | 140 Comments

Children’s Words, Part 3

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Jennie

In Part 2 I talked about children telling their stories in their own words.  Without a visual or help from a teacher- no crutch, it’s not so easy.  Welcome to the deep end, not the shallow end.  Children wrote and illustrated … Continue reading →

Posted in books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Jim Trelease, reading, reading aloud, reading aloud, storytelling, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 60 Comments

Jackson’s Letter, and a Great Book

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Jennie

When a child takes the time to write a letter to his former teacher, that in itself is a wonderful thing. Dear, Jennie I read the book the Chocolate Touch. It was a really fun book even though I Do … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , | 70 Comments

Charli Mills, Bobo, and “The Poet’s Dog”

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Jennie

Charli Mills over at Carrot Ranch Literary Community posted her new flash fiction challenge.  She always starts with an incredible prologue, a personal writing that paints a deeper picture of the challenge.  I love what she writes. Charli makes me … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, books, children's books, Death and dying, Dogs, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Inspiration, joy, Kindness, Particia MacLachlan, self esteem, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 89 Comments