See It, Say It!

Did you know that the more words your child picks up early on, the easier it is for her to learn how to read later down the road?

A fun thing you can do at home is to put labels on things like "chair," "lamp," "Papa" etc. This will help remind you to narrate your daily routines in a way that also emphasizes the concept that text carries meaning. A picture/vocabulary book like First 100 Words will help you get started.

First 100 Words is a board book, but it is the size of a standard picture book which makes it more unusual. Toddlers will love turning the pages of this big, sturdy book. It is jam-packed with color photos ranging from familiar objects that you encounter together in your daily routines to an inventory of farm animals (which are harder to stick labels on...)

So, get inspired! Check out a copy of First 100 Words, get out some sticky labels and markers and go to town!

~miss_april

Harry and Hopper

Grief. Such a hard emotion to work through, especially for children. How to explain the vacant place at the table, the empty room, or even the lonely food dish?

Harry and Hopper revel in the unique bond children and dogs fall into joyously. There is no thought involved--it's all heart. They do everything together, including sneaky bed-sharing, until one day an accident takes Hopper away.

Freya Blackwood's eloquent illustrations guide the reader through Harry's pain and his eventual reconciliation with the tragedy of Hopper's death. The healing process portrayed through Margaret Wild's light-handed and heartfelt prose invites discussion between parent and child.

~Mighty M

Can You Moo?

Toddlers love learning animal sounds, and while they do they're unwittingly developing their sound awareness, an early literacy skill. A fun new book that plays on this skill is Baby Says "Moo!" by Joann Early Macken.

In the book, we follow mom, dad, and baby as they head out of town and into the country for a picnic, encountering a variety of animals along the way. Everytime baby is asked what sound a particular animals makes, he replies "moo". When they finally spot a cow, baby is fast asleep.

Other great stories for toddlers featuring animal sounds include: Bark George by Jules Feiffer, Hello Day! by Anita Lobel, Meow said the Cow by Emma Dodd, Everywhere the Cow says Moo! by Ellen Weinstein, and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear? by Bill Martin.

Complement any of these books with a few fun songs like Old MacDonald, Fiddle-i-Fee, Five Little Ducks, or Baa Baa Black Sheep, and your child will soon be making animal sounds like a pro!

~Meg

Ukulele Baby!

It seems like everyone is catching ukulele fever these days! Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame recently released his album Ukulele Songs but did you know that the The Wiggles beat him to it by 2 weeks with the release of their latest album called Ukulele Baby?

This album is like a Hawaiin shirt bursting at the seams with aloha spirit. Kids will love dancing and singing along with uke-heavy songs like "When I Strum My Ukulele" and "You Can Play the Ukulele." If you don't have a ukulele, have fun playing the air ukulele together!

Get ready to sail far and wide as you listen to Ukulele Baby! The Wiggles don't limit themselves to ukuleles as the title of the album might suggest. "Ooki, Ooki, Ooki, Hear That Old Bouzouki," is a nautical tune featuring the bouzouki, a stringed instrument similar to a lute that dates back to Ancient Greece.

This is an album that both kids and grownups can both enjoy and listen to over and over again. There are some very nice instrumental songs on the album that are fun to listen to. You can just enjoy listening and dancing along with them or you could try making up your own words to go with the music. Have fun!
~miss_april

Shout! Shout it Out!

Most of the time kids are asked to quiet down, but not in this fun-filled interactive book that encourages them to shout out what they know about numbers, letters, colors and more.

Kids will love the rich, vibrant artwork and images of happy children engaged in learning. Don't forget to ask them to find the little mouse that shows up on each page and proudly shares what she knows at the end.

This book just begs kids to get involved. You can help by encouraging your child to let his voice be heard. Come on everyone, SHOUT it out! 1 2 3, A B C. Learning should always be this much fun!