(Comic taken from Comics.com, Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis)

Can you relate to this comic?

The Pearls of Swine comic in the Sunday paper on May 23, 2010, made me laugh.  This happens to me so often when I sit down to be “productive” on the computer.  I have the best of intentions when I start up the computer.  I tell myself I will only check my email and then begin my writing for the day.  But just like in the comic, I end up clicking on a link, checking Facebook or searching the internet for some random thought or idea I had.

Now getting back to the blog topic of the day…the comics.

I typically never read the comic section but as I was putting away the paper, I noticed a section that had educational websites for kids.  I decided to take a few minutes and see if they were ones I could use with my children.  (Yes, checking out these sites led to other searches and links that were not relevant to my work.)

Tip of the Day:

You will most likely find great resources in unlikely places.  Always be watching!

Websites found in the comics this past Sunday:

BBC’s: A History of the World

Calculation Nation

4Kids.org

Have you ever taken your children to meet the author when they are visiting local bookstores?

We recently found out that one of my son’s favorite authors, Dan Gutman, is coming to the Wild Rumpus bookstore this month.

First let me go off on a tangent about the Wild Rumpus.  If you live in Minnesota and are in the Minneapolis area, you must go visit this bookstore.  It is so much fun!  There are cats and a chicken that roam the store.  They have tarantulas, mice, chinchillas, ferrets and birds in cages for children to look at.  Yes it sounds more like a zoo, but it is a great bookstore as well.

Back to the topic at hand…. Meeting an author.

My kids and I happen to be shopping at a bookstore at the time a children’s book author was there.  We listened to Danny Tepper read his book, Look Who’s Talking! On the Farm.  Of course this lead to us buying two books and then he personalized and signed each one.  The kids still remember this and think it is, “so cool” that they met the author.

Idea of the Day:

Check out the monthly calendar at the bookstores in your area.

Many are planning their summer story time, author visits and other great summer reading activities.

Barnes and Noble

Borders

The Red Balloon Bookshop

Wild Rumpus

Have you ever been to a Scholastic Warehouse Sale?

If you love books and bargain shopping, this is the sale for you.

Yes I blogged about this sale last year and I am sure I will blog about it next year.  I simply do not want anyone to miss out on such a good deal.

For my Minnesota readers, the Scholastic sale in Brooklyn Park begins on Wednesday, May 5th and lasts until Wednesday, May 19th (follow link below for more details).  For those of you in other states, check out the Scholastic link to find a warehouse near you.

MN Scholastic Locations and Information

Scholastic Warehouse Locations

On the website it says that it is exclusively for teachers and school employees.  However I have never been asked to present “teacher” identification.  Also they advertise the sale with signs on the road, therefore it appears to be open to the public.  Many people I know in the area go each year and they are not school employees.

Tip of the Day:

Check out the Scholastic Warehouse Sale.

Almost all books are 50% off and many are discounted even more than that.

It is a great way to shop for birthdays or even the holidays.

What are your thoughts on teaching reading?

Some parents jump right in and try to teach their 2 year old to read.  Others feel that they will leave it up to the teacher when their child enters school.

With my son, we did not have to choose whether to teach him to read or wait until he went to school.  He simply taught himself for the most part.  He knew his alphabet and we worked on sight words but for the most part he just did it.

We have decided that this summer we are going to start teaching our daughter to read.  She has learned her alphabet and enjoys working on sight words.  We are not doing this because we are pushing her to read, she wants to learn to read.  She is always sitting with her books and lately she keeps pointing to each word and asking, “What does this word say?”  I think she is ready.

No matter what you decide, the most important thing is to read to your children every day.  Provide them with a language rich environment and limit their TV and computer time.

Idea of the Day:

Check out these helpful sites when beginning to teach your child to read.

Dolch Sight Words

Well Trained Mind: Teaching Reading

How to Teach Your Child to Read:  This is a great site that gives basic tips to following when beginning reading.

Learn to Read with Phonics: Fun site with alphabet activities and learn to read short stories.

Pre-K Smarties

Do you believe that today is Big Little Brain’s first birthday?

I cannot believe it either.

When I started this blog on April 9, 2009, I had no clue where it would go.  Would anyone read it?  Would I continue to blog even if no one read it?

Although it is not a well-known blog and only has around 100 visits a day, I am still proud of myself for doing it.

I enjoy finding new activities and resources to do with my children and I truly enjoy sharing my ideas and findings with others.

So today, as a tribute to my one year of blogging, I am reposting my first blog entry.

Hello?  Are There Any Whos in Who-ville?

What would the world be like without the contributions of Dr. Seuss?  No Green Eggs and Ham or The Cat in the Hat.  What would people give as baby shower gifts or for graduation?  How would our children ever learn to rhyme?

Being new to the blogging community, I am feeling like a Who in Who-ville as they wait for someone to acknowledge their planet exists.  I am thinking, will anyone read my message?  Will anyone find it useful?

The story HORTON HEARS A WHO! teaches us the important lesson about how any voice, no matter how small it may be, can change the world.  So here I am sending my message out, hoping it will reach someone.  And I will continue to write new posts as I do believe I have good education ideas and tips that can help others.

Tip of the Day:

When reading to children, point out the author.  For young kids the title and author will not mean much in the beginning.  However as they continue to develop their listening and reading skills they will begin to ask, “Who wrote the book.”  From there you can discuss the different people involved in making a book.  Point out the author and illustrator.  As they get older discuss copyright dates.  Children will begin to notice that authors may have written more than one book.  They can use the copyright to compare which book the author wrote first.  They can also begin to realize which books were just written or those that have been around for a while.

There is more to learn than simply the words on the page.