Bill+Lois=Love

Monday, August 29, 2011 No comments
I am a big fan of Bill Martin, Jr. Then again, who isn't? I mean, he has created masterpieces such as ....
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Wow! This guy is pretty awesome. So I know you will not be shocked when you hear/see/read how much I love his latest creation...............

Ten Little Caterpillars!  Ten Little Caterpillars

Friends-listen up! This book is written by Bill Martin, Jr and illustrated by none other than LOIS EHLERT! Hello! This is a win-win! This is a no brainer---the book is going to rock and it does!!

This vibrant counting book has large print, great for one to one correspondence. The ordinal numbers on each page are a lesson in themselves for preschoolers! The science and nature concepts (classic Ehlert style) are brilliant! The book even has a picture glossary in the back with a brief description of each caterpillar. T loves going back into the book to find the creatures. Look at that, dictionary skills at age 2! :)

Would I read this to my firsties? Yep. Would I put it in my Bill Martin, Jr/Eric Carle basket? Yep. Would you be crazy not have this book? Yep!


You know school has started when......

Saturday, August 27, 2011 No comments
1. Your Granny calls and asks if you are mad at her because you haven't called all week.
2. Your little sister who NEVER calls, calls to talk about school stuff.
3. You pay a trip to the Walking Store to purchase new shoes so your feet do not go on strike.
4. You don't know about the rebels in Libya or the quake in DC because you have been in the school zone from wake til sleep each day.
5. Your 2 year old says, "Don't leave me Mommy."

Trying to bridge mommy and teacher is hard. I know I signed up for this and I'm so glad I did, but the back to school transition is a tough one. Thank goodness Daddy is awesome. Thank goodness for summers. Thank goodness I love what I do. Thank goodness for Saturdays and Sundays and picking him up early three days a week. Thank goodness we were blessed with the most precious gift in the whole wide world. Thank goodness for T.

PS He is really into 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed....again!

Parenting Article

Monday, August 22, 2011 1 comment
Check it out! So excited to have been asked by Parenting to help with the article! :)

parenting.com

"How to Build a Good Parent-Teacher Relationship"

(My stuff is on page 3ish~Top 4 things to do at home.)

My Top Ten

Saturday, August 13, 2011 1 comment
So, Cathy over on http://reflectandrefine.blogspot.com/ is holding her Top 10 Picture Books....well, I should be honest, it was actually August 10th. But for those who know how crazy last week was for those of us in Cobb County (prepping for BTS) you will understand why I am tardy. (Though you also know I do not like to be tardy!) Here are my top 10 picture books, in no particular oder.

Product DetailsI love No, David by David Shannon. It is the very first book I read to my first graders and the very last book we read....together. David finds himself getting into a little trouble and having the rush of guilt that so many little sneaky ones know so well. The illustrations are great and kids truly relate to David.

Product Details Listen Buddy, by Helen Lester is another must read for back to school in my classroom. Buddy "listens" to his parents and follows through on what he thinks he heard. This leads him to a bit of mess for our little friend. We read this once and refer it to all year. "Check your ears buddy." They love it!

Product DetailsI don't think Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak needs a snippet. I just love it.

Product DetailsTacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger is another favorite. In fact, I love the whole Tacky series! Tacky is not afraid to be different and that is how I want all of my firsties to be!

Product Detailsish, by Peter Reynolds has become a favorite in our first grade. It is another back to school classic that sparks creativity and reminds our budding artists that illustrations do not have to be perfect! I refer to this often as I may not be the best teacher artist! :)

  Product DetailsSuperHero ABC, by Bon McLeod, is borrowed so often from our classroom library, I have had to purchase additional copies. The boys love it, the girls love it, I love it! Each page features a hero and describing words/mottos that go with the letter.

Product DetailsI love Dr. Seuss. I love all the regulars, but this is my favorite-My Many Colored Days. I love sharing this "rule breaker" with my kids. The conversation is fantastic year after year. We paint our own colored day and they are breathtaking!

Product DetailsI often tell the class that I have many favorite books, but this is my all time favorite owl book! Owl Babies by Martin Waddell is beautiful! Three babies are on their own while mommy goes to find food. They share their fear and sibling love throughout the story. One of my firsties said, "This is so good they should make a movie out of it!"

Product DetailsSkippyjon Jones, by Judy Schachner is so fun! I will be the first to admit that I was not a huge fan of Skippy a few years ago. It grew on me and I am so glad it did! My class has written to the author AND received a reply. We love the characters, we love the illustrations, we loved creating our own Skippy book!

Product Details Be still my heart! The Napping House by Audrey Wood is a repetitive story with beautiful illustrations begging the reader to look further with each read. We act it out with each other, paper creatures and more. We reread it is funny voices. It is a favorite in the buddy reading section!

I could go on and on, but these are 10 that I could not live without!

I Love Skype!

Thursday, August 4, 2011 2 comments
Tonight, A is having a sleepover with my mom. This means lots of Skype action for she and T! I have said this before, but I say it again-he LOVES A!! She was reading Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School when we called. She read a few pages to T and then he decided to reciprocate. After searching through his piles of books, he picked up his copy of Up In The Sky (an Eric Carle board book from a Chick fil A happy meal) and read it page for page! She was quite impressed! <There is one word per page and it is a label of the picture.>


I love Skype for helping bring my family closer to me, and most importantly-my T! Five years ago, I wouldn't have believed this to be possible! 


As for Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School, I will totally be reading it this year. It is a great introduction to the character that Amelia later becomes. I love Amelia Bedelia and my first graders do, too! She even has her own website! Click here!

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