Do you do a letter of the day activity?

I have been working on lowercase letters with my 3 1/2 year old.  I have yet to find a “great” activity or idea to keep letter recognition fun and interesting.

While watching Sesame Street today with my daughter, it hit me.  Keep it simple.  Do a letter of the day.  Sesame Street has been doing a letter and number of the day for 40 years.  It seems to be working well for them so I am going to give it a try.

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Friday’s Discussion Topic:

Do you have a favorite and/or least favorite Dr. Seuss book?

I would have to say that one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books to read to my children is The Eye Book. It is such a fun and easy book that always gives my kids the giggles.  I think it is because of the “pink underpants” line.

In terms of a Seuss book with a deeper meaning, I am a big fan of Oh, The Places You’ll Go.

As with any author, there are some of his/her books that are not as great.  I would have to say that I do not enjoy Wacky Wednesday.  For awhile I actually hid the book in the closet so my son would not choose that one.

I don’t mind reading it during the day, but my son would always pick that one right before bed.  This is not a book you can simply read and call it a night.  Oh no, you have to find on each page what is wrong.  This is fine for the first five to ten pages.  Once you are on page eighteen and trying to find eighteen things that are wacky, it is not as fun.

Now it is your turn to share…

What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Do you have a least favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Have you read Bartholomew and the Oobleck?

I used to think I was familiar with most of the books written by Dr. Seuss.  However as I began to research ideas for Dr. Seuss week, I realized there are so many Dr. Seuss titles that I have not read.  I had never even heard of Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

Bartholomew and the Oobleck was written in 1949.  This book follows the adventures of a young boy named Bartholomew.  Bartholomew must save his kingdom from a sticky substance called oobleck.

This is a great book to use for creating a lesson that incorporates both children’s literature and science.

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Did you know today is Read Across America day?

The National Education Associate created Read Across America day which takes place each year on or near March 2nd (Dr. Seuss’ birthday).

This day is not simply about honoring Dr. Seuss or reading his books.  This is about teaching children the importance of reading.  It is to show children that reading can be and is an enjoyable activity.  It is intended to help children develop a love of learning that will continue throughout their lives.  Read Across America is in its thirteenth year of motivating children and teens to read.

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Do you remember looking for Waldo growing up?

The first Where’s Waldo book was released in 1987.  In my mind, I was very young when these books came out.  Reality:  Not so much.  Once I did the math, I realized that these books came out when my younger brother was little, which means I was a teenager.  But no matter what the age, I remember enjoying the challenge of trying to find Waldo.

Now as an adult I am still trying to find Waldo.  This time I am looking for him with my own children.  And it is sad to report that on some pages my 3 1/2  year old can find him before I can.

I knew my son would enjoy the Waldo books but I was very surprised to find that my preschooler likes the books as well.  I figured it would be too difficult or her attention span would get the best of her.  However she will sit with these books for quite some time looking for Waldo.

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