Today’s Quote

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Jennie

This quotation is ‘just what the doctor ordered’, what we all need right now. There is nothing better than belly laughing with a child at school, or with a best friend. I love Victor Hugo’s words.

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Reading Aloud “Ox-Cart Man”

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Jennie

At the request of fellow bloggers, here is a video of me reading aloud the classic children’s picture book, “Ox-Cart Man.”

But first, I wanted to show you a mural the children made last year that hangs as a permanent display at school.  It depicts the start of his ten-day journey to Portsmouth.  This art was made with paint and tissue paper.  The making of the mural was a joy for children.  That speaks volumes for the book “Ox-Cart Man.”

I hope you enjoyed the story as much as the children did, and as much as I did.  Good books are meant to be read over and over again.

Jennie

Posted in America, art, books, children's books, Early Education, geography, history, Inspiration, Nature, Particia MacLachlan, picture books, reading aloud, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , | 69 Comments

November – “Ox-Cart Man”

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Jennie

As I drove home tonight and looked at the sky, I immediately knew it was an “Ox-Cart Man” sky, the one in November where he finally arrived back home.  Do you know “Ox-Cart Man” by Donald Hall?

It is one of the first really good books I discovered when I started teaching.  It tells the story of a New England farmer and his family, over the course of a year.  Children learn about the work on a farm in each season, from spring to the following spring.  They pick apples and geese feathers, boil the sap from maple trees to make maple syrup, knit mittens from the wool of sheep, make shingles and candles, and more.  There is much that happens in order for the ox-cart man to make his journey to Portsmouth.

He begins in October

It takes him ten days to walk.  Ten days!  He is in Portsmouth Market to sell what he grew, made, and raised over the year, including selling his ox and the cart.  Kissing his ox goodbye is a favorite for children.

He returns in November

This is my favorite part of the book, as children see the vast difference between October and November.  I flip back and forth between the illustrations.  We spend time to talk about the journey and what he sold.  We reflect on what he made and grew.  It was hard work.

And what did he get in return?  A broom for his wife, a knife for his son, and a needle for his daughter.  Oh, peppermint candy, too.

The illustrations are simple and perfect.  The text flows, holding the reader to the story – the entire year on the farm.  I did not know that “Ox-Cart Man” is actually a poem.  I learned that when I read “The Poet’s Dog” by Patricia MacLachlan.

I read this story every year to children, in November.  It is one book that never looses its appeal, never gets forgotten regardless of the many new books that have since been published.  Yes, it is a classic.  I will be reading the book tomorrow at school.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, children's books, Early Education, history, Particia MacLachlan, picture books, Poetry, reading aloud, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , | 75 Comments

StoryWalk – An Eric Carle Book

Posted on November 15, 2020 by Jennie

A StoryWalk is a book, told with a series of signs, planted outdoors along a walk, that take you through each page of a book.  You follow along, walking from one ‘page’ of a story to the next.  It is a walk, and it is reading.

What if a StoryWalk included more than reading the story?  For preschoolers, adding movement and all sorts of challenges to each ‘page’ makes it even more exciting.  The perfect book, of course, is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, by Bill Martin Jr and illustrated by Eric Carle.

This classic and beloved book is our new StoryWalk at school.  Children love it!  After our walk, back in the classroom, Connor blurted out, “I love doing the blue horse.”  This ignited a flurry of excited children telling everyone their favorite page.


“Lumber like a brown bear on your hands and feet.”

And the pages continue:


“Lift your red wings and flap.  Fly to number 3.”


“Waddle and quack like a duck, at the same time.”


“Gallop in a circle.”
No wonder this was so popular.  And there were more favorites:


“Arch your back and stretch like a cat.”


“How many goldfish fins can you count?”


“Clap for your friends.”

Books and reading are fundamental to learning, and to stirring the imagination.  When children can do the book, the interest is even greater.  This is akin to acting out a story with a play performance, but with calculated movements that are important to gross motor development.  Children have fun – they’re inspired by the story, challenged to move, count, and even breathe.  “Take a sheep breath. Deep breath in, baaaa breath out.”

Thank you, Bill Martin Jr AND Eric Carle, for giving children a wonderful book with so many opportunities.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, books, children's books, Early Education, Eric Carle, Imagination, Inspiration, Nature, picture books, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , | 60 Comments

Preschoolers Thank Veterans

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Jennie

At school this week children made a giant thank you note and American flag for our local veterans.  Saying thank you is important, but this goes deeper.  Veterans and Veterans Day help me to teach children about core values; honesty, integrity, and service over self.

What is a veteran?  What did they do?  That was our start.  Next, we learned about the American flag, especially counting the stripes and stars.  I wonder how many children know that our American flag actually has a nickname.

Then we got to work.

Children decided what they wanted to say on the thank you note. I wrote their exact words, and they used markers to decorate the big note.

Cutting red strips of paper for the American flag was hard work.  Really hard work!  Children were proud of all they accomplished.

I had the privilege of delivering both of these to our local American Legion post, as they were preparing for their Veterans Day ceremony.  With Covid, the event was low key, so our delivery was a bright light.  As I read aloud the thank you note, I heard their sounds and words that told me this was a ‘big deal’.

They asked to take photos.  I asked, too.  And suddenly I heard, “Jennie!  Jennie!”  Eddie, a child in my class, saw me and rushed over.  There was the flurry of hugging Eddie (with masks) and questions “He is in your class?”  I stopped to show the American Legion officers the parts of the thank you note that Eddie had decorated.  The silence was grown men who were pretty choked up.

They wanted a photo of Eddie, too.  He is joined by his sister and a friend.

A thank you is sometimes the best gift of all.

Jennie

Posted in America, American flag, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Kindness, military, patriotism, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , | 63 Comments

Today’s Quote

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Jennie

Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale. ~ Hans Christian Andersen ~ ________________

Today’s Quote
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Music We Love – Our “Wake-Up Song”

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Jennie

Music is part of our school day, every day.  Thank goodness!  We have many favorite songs, from rhyming to silly, classics to new discoveries, patriotic, quiet and loud, and… well, I play all kinds of music for children.  They love the Beatles and Vivaldi and Frank Sinatra.  They love “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.”  They love the Supremes and Woody Guthrie.  They love music that identifies instruments.

What do children love every single day?  Our wake-up song, “Pata Pata”. We play this when rest time is over.  Oh my goodness!  Children love to dance, and see this YouTube video from the Ed Sullivan show.

Happiness flows.  Children want to gently wake up a friend who is sleeping.  Other children want to move and dance.  Everyone comes together.  It’s that kind of a song, and we play it every day.  Thank goodness for music.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Inspiration, joy, Love, music, preschool, Singing, The Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 54 Comments

“Learning to Lose”

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Jennie

Losing doesn’t make us losers. Well said, Elizabeth. When children learn how to lose they develop life skills. A hug along the way lets them know it’s okay. Elizabeth’s post is spot on. I play Sorry with children all the time, and it’s an opportunity to teach those life skills.

Saved By Words

I have played hundreds of board and card games as the oldest child of four, as a mother and as a grandmother. In all of these activities there is a winner and often several losers. One of the truths I have observed over the years is that we have to learn how to lose. Or, more importantly, how not to be what my father always referred to as a “sore loser.”

We learn this skill slowly. Usually we “let” the littlest players win as they learn a new game. But after a while we begin to let them lose occasionally if that is how the game is going. When that happens we are sure to hear a variety of complaints, most often “that isn’t fair” or “you cheated.” No one likes the feeling of losing a game and the easiest way to stop those feelings is to blame the other…

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Gloria – a Regular Day at School

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Jennie

Somehow Gloria knows how to make things right for a child.  Emmett left his lovey kitty at school.  Here is his mother’s email:

Hi all,

Emmett came home today without lovey kitty. He doesn’t remember where lovey kitty is in the classroom, but if you can keep your eye out for a little black kitty with a Halloween ribbon (orange and black) that would be great.

Thank you,
Samantha

I knew right away where lovey kitty was.  And, I knew Gloria would take care of him.  This is what I emailed to Mom:

Hi Samantha,

Lovey kitty is in Emmett’s nap cubby.  I put him there.  I didn’t realize he should go home with Emmett.  We were having such a great time after rest, I didn’t ask Emmett if lovey kitty should go home.  I bet Gloria is taking good care of him tonight. 🙂

Jennie

Mom knew Gloria would be there, too.

Thank you, Jennie!  Emmett is really happy to hear that Gloria is taking care of lovey kitty!  Thank you for letting us know that lovey kitty has a friend for the night. We were worried that lovey kitty would be afraid.

Thank you!

Hugs,

Samantha

Just a regular day with Gloria.  She is the bandaid, the listener, and the comforter.  She is the best friend, funny and shy.  She makes a difference every day.

Jennie

Posted in behavior, Diversity, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Giving, Gloria, Inspiration, Kindness, Love, preschool | Tagged , , | 52 Comments

A child’s tale

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Jennie

C.S. Lewis understood the depth of meaning in children’s books. So did Margery Williams, author of “The Velveteen Rabbit.” And, so does Sue Vincent. She still reads children’s books, and so do I. This post gets to the heart of the story for every adult.

Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

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Road to Love – S.Vincent

I had one of those ‘moments’ today as I passed between the bookcases in the bedroom. It is odd the things that make it through the veneer of calm acceptance. In this case, it was the characters in books… characters I had first met as I snuggled within the circle of my mother’s arms. Characters like Aslan and Reepicheep, whose stories I had read, decades later, to my own sons while I held them too in my arms… creatures to whom I had hoped to introduce my granddaughters too. But, of course, it isn’t really about the characters… it is all about the memories and the love in which they shared.

There is a lot of wisdom in books, and children’s books in particular have always held a place in my heart for the gentle wisdom they hold. Moments of pure gold are scattered through…

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Posted in children's books, Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Inspiration, reading, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments