SHEW….project done, reading information, BOOK CLUB!

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My project for my class is FINISHED!!!! It took some time to figure out how to get the sound and video files to play on anyone’s computer besides mine. I had never used PowerPoint before, I had never clipped sound files from a CD, edited them and then saved them and put them in another file, I had never taken video with our camera and I had never converted video from the camera to an actual movie, I had never posted anything to YouTube. I now can honestly declare that you CAN teach an OLD dog NEW tricks:-). Greg helped me burn the presentation to a disc last night since it was too large to email. I delivered it to the Music Building today. I feel like a huge brick has been lifted from my shoulders. Thanks to all my Kindermusik families who have been very patient with me and supportive this quarter as I took this class. I’m another step closer to an advanced level of Kindermusik certification.

Now that that is over, I hope to start blogging more and sharing more for you to do with your children over the summer. A friend of mine, Miss Debbie, shared this website with me about a week ago, but I’m just now catching up on all that email. It has some terrific information on reading with your children. Many of you know that, next to the importance of music in a very young person’s life, I rank reading a very close second place. I’m sharing some of the information here, but please visit the website for lots more tips and information!

Read early and read often. The early years are critical to developing a lifelong love of reading. You can’t start reading to a child too soon!

• Read together every day.
  Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close together. Bedtime is an especially great time for reading together.
• Give everything a name.
  You can build comprehension skills early, even with the littlest child. Play games that involve naming or pointing to objects. Say things like, “Where’s your nose?” and then, “Where’s Mommy’s nose?” Or touch your child’s nose and say, “What’s this?”
• Say how much you enjoy reading together.
  Tell your child how much you enjoy reading with him or her. Look forward to this time you spend together. Talk about “story time” as the favorite part of your day.
• Read with fun in your voice.
  Read to your child with humor and expression. Use different voices for different characters. Ham it up!
• Know when to stop.
  If your child loses interest or has trouble paying attention, just put the book away for a while. Don’t continue reading if your child is not enjoying it.
• Be interactive.
  Engage your child so he or she will actively listen to a story. Discuss what’s happening, point out things on the page, and answer your child’s questions. Ask questions of your own and listen to your child’s responses.
• Read it again and again and again.
  Your child will probably want to hear a favorite story over and over. Go ahead and read the same book for the 100th time! Research suggests that repeated readings help children develop language skills.
• Talk about writing, too.
  Draw your child’s attention to the way writing works. When looking at a book together, point out how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.
• Point out print everywhere.
  Talk about the written words you see in the world around you and respond with interest to your child’s questions about words. Ask him or her to find a new word every time you go on an outing.
• Get your child evaluated if you suspect a problem.
  Please be sure to see your child’s pediatrician or teacher as soon as possible if you have concerns about his or her language development, hearing, or sight.

AND— speaking of reading… it isn’t just for children. Miss Christa’s Book Club for the adults in the studio is having it’s debut meeting on June 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Miss Christa’s house. In order to see what direction we want the book club to go, I encourage you to bring something you think it would be fun to read at the same time as several friends and then get together to discuss it. I read everything so I’m not picky –paperback novels, non-fiction, biography, historical, mystery, best-seller, classics… we’ll get together and see what the options are. You all are in luck – MY kids will both be out of town which means the house should be tidy and I will have time to whip up some yummy snacks for our visit. I will be emailing directions to my house soon. If you do not hear from me by mid-week next week and want to attend, send me a note or give me a call. You don’t have to have signed the sheet in the classroom to decide you want to attend.

Okay – it’s time to put Hannah’s lunch in the oven and I need to get the badges sewn on her Brownie vest for tonight.

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Tags: book clubs, families, parenting, reading