early literacy
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Books for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of those holidays that I always plan to introduce to my students, and then the closer the day get the more I struggle to find the right way to discuss it. In some ways, they understand, and in other ways, it is way over their heads. In my experience preschoolers have a hard time comprehending why people would be treated differently because of the way they look – which is one thing that I love about them. So, I’ve rounded up some books that have been really helpful for me, here are my favorites (all links are Amazon affiliates): My First Biography: Martin…
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Books about responsibility
I’ve been sharing more of my favorite children’s books lately, and these posts have been something that I’ve really enjoyed putting together. I’m planning on continuing these posts throughout this year, and I can’t wait to round them all up at the end of 2017 and look at all the great books we’ve talked about! All links are Amazon affiliates. Since I shared an idea for classroom jobs yesterday, I thought I’d put together some books about responsibility, here are some of my favorites: Do I have to? By Nancy Loewen Just a Mess by Mercer Mayer Don’t Forget! By Anastasia Suen I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff Not…
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Children’s books about New Year
There are children’s books about every single subject imaginable – and thank goodness for that! I use books to introduce new subjects and to help children reflect on their own experiences, so books about New Year are especially helpful because I don’t always see my students right before or right after we celebrate the New Year. Here are some of my favorites to include in the classroom library (links are Amazon affiliates): The Night Before New Year’s Happy New Year Around the World It’s New Year’s Day! New Year’s Day (Celebrations in my World) Some holidays are harder to find books for than others. New Year happens to be one…
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Books for learning more about Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is one of those holidays that you might hear about annually – especially if you are teaching multicultural holidays – but the general population does not have a great understanding of the principles, symbols, or reasons for the holiday. It’s not easy to teach children about something that we don’t know much about ourselves, so books can be a great place to start. Here are a couple of great books for learning more about Kwanzaa. All links are Amazon affiliates. Titled simply Kwanzaa, this is one of my favorites because the real photos are of modern families and they avoid stereotypes to introduce the holiday in a way that…
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Books to help you celebrate Hanukkah
In my opinion, the best way to introduce new concepts to young children is through books. Whether Hanukkah is a new holiday or a near and dear one, these books will be favorites in your classroom celebration. All links are Amazon affiliates. Latke, The Lucky Dog is told from the dog’s point of view – what preschooler can resist that? The illustrations and text work together to introduce new vocabulary words in a way that feels natural and flows with the story. Dear Santa, Love Rachel Rosenstein is not exactly a Hanukkah book. It’s a book about a little girl who’s family is Jewish and celebrates Hanukkah even though she…
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Books to help you celebrate Christmas
It’s not a preschool holiday without some themed children’s books! Here are some of the best for Christmas – Just a note, I’ve always stuck with stories that stay away from the religious aspects of the holiday because that’s what I feel most comfortable with in the classroom, so that’s what I’ve got to share with you! All links are amazon affiliates. The Polar Express is a classic for a reason. I remember having this story read to us every year as a child and it’s an endearing tradition that needs to be shared. The illustrations are magical and the story leaves just enough to a child’s imagination to make…
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Halloween books!
Did you know that October is national book month?! I thought that i would celebrate by sharing my favorite books to read to my class this month. Most of these are Halloween books, and I love them because they make what can be a pretty frightening holiday a little less scary, and a little more whimsical. Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see my all-time-favorite pick! All of the following links are Amazon affiliates. Room on the Broom is an adorable story and the perfect book for talking about rhyming words! The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything is a teeny tiny…
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I LOVE Kindle!
*This post contains affiliate links* I am a huge Kindle fan – so much so that I find it difficult to read a regular book now, I love that no matter where I am, I can always read – either on my phone, or on my tablet. I also love that I don’t have to actually carry a book – I’ve got enough other stuff in my bag! Amazon has a great deal this weekend – their Kindle for Kids bundle is on sale. The bundle includes the newest Kindle, a special kid-friendly cover, and a warranty that protects against drops and spills. The package would be perfect for a…
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It’s Wednesday, and here at Preschool Ponderings, that means time to focus on the standards. Every Wednesday I choose an Early Learning Standard and share a number of activities that can be aligned with that particular standard. Remember, the Standards that I use every day, and am most comfortable with are Ohio’s Early Learning Development Standards – you can review them here, however I’ve found that even if your State’s standards differ, many of these activities can still be aligned similarly. I’ve rounded up some great ideas today!Domain: Language and LiteracyStrand: ReadingTopic: Letter and Word recognition This standard is the one most people think of when they consider language and literacy…
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Easy Alphabet Match Activity
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Exploring Rime in Preschool
It’s Wednesday, and here at Preschool Ponderings, that means time to focus on the standards. Every Wednesday I choose an Early Learning Standard and share a number of activities that can be aligned with that particular standard. Remember, the Standards that I use every day, and am most comfortable with are Ohio’s Early Learning Development Standards – you can review them here, however I’ve found that even if your State’s standards differ, many of these activities can still be aligned similarly. I’ve rounded up some great ideas today! Domain: Language and LiteracyStrand: ReadingTopic: Phonological AwarenessPhonological awareness is all about recognizing the different sounds that make up words, and all of the…
