Penultimate Poetry

It's the second to the last day of National Poetry Month. Here's a poem that is on many top 100 lists of poems for children and adults.

OZYMANDIAS
Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away

Partner of the Month

Itasca County Project Read Partners of the Month are Mike Barle (left) and Mary Ritter (right) representing the 1st National Insurance Agency in Coleraine and Sue Gerzina (center) FACS (Family and Consumer Science) teacher at Greenway High School. For the past ten years the 1st National Insurance Agency has provided bibs for the Project Read baby bags and the Greenway High School FACS students have embroidered the “GREENWAY BABY RAIDER” logo on them. The baby bags are presented to elementary students upon the arrival of a new baby sister or brother.

Grants.gov Makes Adjustments

grants.gov is the place to check weekly (or more often these days) for grant funding from the federal government. Because of the high volume of applications related to the recent "stimulus package" many agencies are making adjustments to how applications are accepted. Take a look at this announcement and good luck!

Poetry Month Monday

Caterpillar

~Christina Rossetti


Brown and furry
Caterpillar in a hurry,
Take your walk
To the shady leaf, or stalk,
Or what not,
Which may be the chosen spot.
No toad spy you,
Hovering bird of prey pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.

Copy and Paste Parent Tips

Gardens Grow Young Minds

Pictured below-Eagleview Boys and Girls Club Garden, 2008

What better place to stimulate babies’ and toddlers’ senses and cultivate their growing minds than in the garden? Garden writer Alice Formiga remembers her daughter's first days in the garden fondly. "When Emilia was a baby she'd grab the tendrils of vining snap peas, kick with excitement when I'd rub fragrant herbs under her nose, and smile into the faces of kid-sized dwarf sunflowers. I'd name the colors in a patch of bright zinnias, crush sweet alpine strawberries into her mouth, and let her crawl into teepees of pole beans."

Alice also recalls, "It sounds idyllic but that garden had a lot of weeds. Having seen pictures of women around the world perform backbreaking labor with children in tow, I thought it wouldn't be hard to carry a baby while I worked. I soon found out it's awkward to dig with a short fork and a child in a backpack—and impossible to concentrate on anything else when chasing a wayward toddler or keeping her from stuffing rocks into her mouth!"

Thankfully, other gardening parents gave Alice some tips that saved her garden, and her sanity.

Start small: Your young child will enjoy a garden no bigger than a few pots on a sunny porch. A small garden is more manageable for you too and therefore more enjoyable, for both of you.

Grow plants that kids love:To keep toddlers excited and interested, grow plants with playful appeal and multiple uses and flavor or fragrance. For example, it's fun to grow mixed seed packets with two or three different colors of beans or radishes. Kids who are about three years old will want to help you plant seeds; however, be aware that seeds can pose a choking hazard for children under three or so and be sure to supervise closely which is part of the fun. Choose crops with large seeds that are easy for small hands to press into the soil. Since beginning gardeners won't want to wait long until harvest, select plants that grow quickly.

Let your children help:Children enjoy imitating you and like to feel that their "work" is important. Find a space or pots in your garden for them to plant, dig, and rake or play in as soon as they seem ready. Give them extra seedlings or plants, some child-safe tools, and the impression that their area is an important part of your garden. Young children also love to water with a gentle spray wand or watering can; some enjoy weeding or even slug collecting if they are old enough.

Don't expect perfection: Young children learn by doing, and will do the things they find most interesting. Don't expect them to work for long without your direct interaction, expect some damage, and know that they will get muddy and wet. Their urge to help is more important than whether they do things correctly. Over time, their technique will improve and their pleasure and interest will be its own reward.

Keep your garden safe: Whenever your children are with you in the garden, make sure there are no fertilizers, pesticides or manure within reach. Keep any sharp or motorized tools out of their way, and keep a close watch on what they put into their mouths. Even organic products should be kept away from children. Start early to teach young children never to put any plant part in their mouth unless you have said it's OK. Garden buckets or other open containers should not be left out if filled with six inches or more of water because they can be a drowning hazard. Remember to keep a constant eye on young children as their attention span is short and it's all too easy for them to get in an unsafe situation very quickly.

Books, Books & More Books!

Nearly 4000 books went home in happy hands at the Children's Fair this morning. The remaining were boxed up for distribution to the Bright Red Bookshelves. Chippy, the Project READ chipmunk made several appearances to remind everyone to "Read, Read, READ!" Thanks to all our volunteers and to everyone who donated the books that made this event a great success.

5,000 Books!

Today is probably a good day to explain some of the the "why" and "how" of Project Read.

Why? To promote literacy from birth to age 3 (and beyond) for all in Itasca County. We know reading and speaking to babies from their first day makes their brains develop and prepares them for success in school and life.

How? Through the efforts of volunteers and generous contributors just like YOU.

Distributing free, new or gently used, books at the Children's Fair is one of Project Read's many activities. Diane Skelly, Travel Master, Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, and Book Drive guru did her motivational magic at Forest Lake Elementary this year and collected 1900 books. Contributions from the Grand Rapids Area Library and the Eagleview Community Foundation brought the total to ... well we actually lost count somewhere upwards of 4,000.

Stop by the Project Read booth at the Children's Fair in Grand Rapids today. The books are free, take two!

Friday Fun Postponed

Not really, have all the fun you can stand, especially if it involves a book. But, don't forget to get out tomorrow and take your favorite young person to the Children's Fair.
9:00-1:00 IRA Civic Center in Grand Rapids
Free pancake breakfast served by the Kiwanis, Circle K & Key Clubs (9-11am)
Boy Scout Pinewood Derby, carnival, hands on tours of BIG vehicles,
storytellers and music, fantastic door prizes, fun and learning for all ages!

Don't forget to register at the door. Prize winners are drawn from the box of registrations at 12:45. Thanks to generous sponsors this year's prizes include a One Year Family Pass from Pokegama Golf Course, a Family Movie Night Popcorn Popper Package from Jenny & Company, One Night Stay in a Spa Suite from Timber Lake Lodge,a and two bikes for children from White Ivy Design in Coleraine.

See you at the fair!

Dad and Me, May 2nd

Join ECFE and the Grand Rapids Area Library on Saturday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m. at the Grand Rapids Area Library for:
Stories, songs and
fingerplays,
A snack,
and time to play
All ages welcome!

Help Project Read This Saturday!

Project Read, and Chippy the Project Read Chipmunk, need your help on Saturday at the Children's Fair in Grand Rapids.

Positions available:
One or two booth people to help families select free books! The booth needs to be staffed from 9:00-1:00. You can split the shift with a friend if the 4 hours is too long. We have lots of books to give away this year and the time flies when you're helping children find books they'll love.

One personal assistant to Chippy. Chippy will be making two appearances of about 45 minutes each and needs someone with him to help negotiate the crowd.

One or two "roadies" to help box and load up any left over books at 1:00PM. Great if you want to help without dealing with a crowd.

To volunteer contact Jaci at stepahead@qwestoffice.net

Poetry Month Tuesday

With the longer days, if not the temperatures of spring upon us, this poem seems just right for bed time reading.

Bed In Summer
by Robert Louis Stevenson

In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?


Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses is available for free download from Project Gutenberg. First published n 1885 as Penny Whistles it has been reissued many times and poems like Summer Bedtime appear in hundreds of poetry collections.

Project Read Meeting Thursday

The monthly Project Read meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 23 at 8:00 AM at the District #318 Administration Building, rm 135. If you're reading this blog you could be a Project Read Partner. At the top of this month's agenda is setting goals for an area Literacy Summit on September 29th.

Copy and Paste Parent Tips

Copy and paste this post to share in your organization's publications.

Choosing Books for Infants and Toddlers

Even very young children benefit from interacting with print and books — and, of course, with their parents! Here are some tips about choosing good books for infants and toddlers.

Infants: Birth to Six Months

* Content. Choose books with large pictures or bright and bold illustrations set against a contrasting background. Look for books that have simple pictures, one per page.
* Language. Infants will enjoy looking through wordless picture books, or books that have just a single word along with a big picture. But also try books that contain phrases or short sentences. It’s important for infants to hear language. Nursery rhymes and verse books are good for this age, too.
* Design. Books for infants should be interesting and appealing to look at. Try stiff cardboard books, books with fold-out pages that create colorful panels, cloth or soft vinyl books, and books with handles.
* Reading Aloud. Infants want your full attention, so try reciting rhymes and songs that you remember by heart. Also, try reading to your infant while she has a toy to hold. Reading at bedtime is always a nice way to end the day!

Infants: Seven to 12 Months

* Content. Children this age will enjoy books with medium to large photos and bright, bold illustrations. Look for books that have simple drawings of familiar things, actions and events.
* Language. Children begin to key into content and can relate pictures to their world. While they still enjoy picture books, try some books with simple stories that have one line of text per page.
* Design. Infants this age like to handle cloth and vinyl books and cardboard books with stiff, thick pages.
* Reading Aloud. As your baby gets older, try this four-part interaction sequence:
1. Get your baby’s attention by pointing out something in a book. ("Look!")
2. Ask a labeling question. ("What’s that?")
3. Wait for your baby to respond, verbally or non-verbally. If necessary, provide the answer yourself. ("That’s a monkey!")
4. Acknowledge your baby’s response. ("Yes" or repeat your baby’s word.) If your baby mislabels the picture, correct him in a positive manner. ("Yes, it’s brown like a dog, but it’s a monkey.")

Keep in mind that you may not get through a whole book in one reading. As your child starts to explore books, support her progress by watching, listening and acknowledging.

Infants: 12 to 18 months

* Content. For children this age, try books with pictures of familiar characters, like animals, children, TV characters or adults in familiar roles. Look for books that have action pictures — your baby is starting to be able to enjoy pictures with more details.
* Language. This is a great age to try books with songs and repetitive verses. Books that have a simple story line that relates to your child’s own experiences will also have appeal. You might also look for theme books that show a series of related pictures and a few words. These books follow a progression of simple activities, but don’t try to introduce a plot or complex storyline.
* Design. Even though your baby is growing fast, she’ll still enjoy playing with books with handles and books with stiff, thick pages. And she'll still like having these books read to her. Books with thinner pages that are plastic-coated are also a good choice for this age.
* Reading Aloud. Your infant will probably still enjoy reading with you as he sits on your lap or close to you in a comfortable chair. This helps your baby associate reading with feeling secure. Connecting sounds with the pictures he sees in the books will make reading together even more fun. Make your own sounds, and don’t be surprised if your baby joins in! You may also notice your child looking through the book alone and making noises (sometimes called "book babble").

Toddlers: 19 to 30 Months

* Content. Toddlers will continue to enjoy books with familiar characters, but they also will begin to take interest in pictures filled with information, action and detail. Try some short stories, cause and effect stories, and fictional books that describe a problem or circumstance to overcome.
* Language. Try predictable books with repeated text, words that rhyme, and pictures that correspond to the text. Books with songs and repetitive verses are still a good choice for this age.
* Design. Toddlers can enjoy books with paper pages-but will still like books with a picture on every page and just a little bit of text.
* Reading Aloud. Let your toddler decide if she wants to sit on your lap while you read, or next to you on the couch or floor. Follow her cues. Talk about the characters and events in the story, relating them to your child’s own experiences. Pause when you read aloud to let your child fill in a word or phrase. This works great with rhyming and repetitive books.

Written by the National Center for Family Literacy

For links to all of the Center's "Parent Tip" articles click here.

Poetry Month Saturday

Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face

by Jack Prelutsky

Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you’d be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place—
be glad your nose is on your face!

Friday Fun

It's Friday and Fridays are for fun.

Check out ShelSilverstien.com for a variety of online and printable activities based on his beloved books of poetry.

Here's a favorite from his book A Light in the Attic

Crowded Tub

There are too many kids in this tub
There are too many elbows to scrub
I just washed a behind that I'm sure wasn't mine
There are too many kids in this tub.

Quotable

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

— Jacqueline Kennedy

Children First! Events Saturday and Sunday

April 18
Saturday, 9am-Noon in Grand Rapids, Robert J. Elkington Middle School
Team Up to GREEN Up–A GREEN Earth Day Event
Environmental Education Projects by the Jr. Naturalists/Green Teams will be presented. Learn “How to Go Green”. There will be environmental displays from the Water Legacy Project, MN DNR, Forest History Center and other area groups. U of MN Raptor Center will present “The Birds of Prey” with a bald eagle and three other birds at 10-11am or 11:30am-12:30pm.
Pre-registration required.
Register online www.getlearning.org or contact Karen at 218-327-5799 or kwalker@isd318.org

April 18
Saturday, 10am-2pm in Marcell, Marcell Family Center Spring Fling: Fun for all Ages
Family fun includes a naturalist program, games, crafts, face painting, seed planting,plus food. Smokey Bear will make appearances at 11am and 12:30pm.
Call Tim at 218-832-3444

April 19
Sunday, 3:30pm in Grand Rapids, Itasca County Fairgrounds
Quick Steps for Kids
A one mile walk/run for kids and a 200 meter pre-school run. T-shirts for registered participants on a first come, first served basis. Kids race is at 3:30. The 5K & 10K races are at 2:00. Registration for both races starts at 1:00pm.
Call Jaci at 218-326-1322

Mardag Foundation Grants

The Mardag Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations and public entities located within and serving residents of the state of Minnesota. Their geographic focus includes the East Metro area of Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties, as well as greater Minnesota.

Contact with the Grants Administrator prior to submitting an application is suggested. Full proposal deadlines are coming up on May 1 and August 1, 2009. For more info check out the Mardag Foundation web site.

National Poetry Month Monday

My Kitten Won't Stop Talking

My kitten won't stop talking.
She just prattles night and day.
She walks around repeating
nearly everything I say.

My kitten never says, "Meow."
She never even purrs.
She mimics me instead
in that annoying voice of hers.

She waits for me to speak,
and then she copies every word,
or begs me for a cracker,
or says, "I'm a pretty bird."

I'm not sure what to do, and so
I simply grin and bear it.
She's been this way since yesterday;
that's when she ate my parrot.

--Kenn Nesbitt

Copy and Past Parent Tips

Helping children handle their emotions leads to success in school!
Social-emotional development, behavior, and social skills affect learning. For example, aggressive children who are rejected by their classmates early on are more likely to earn lower grades, to be held back, and to drop out of school as teens.

Between the ages of three and four, children experience tremendous emotional growth. At this age children begin to label feelings. They understand on a basic level what causes certain feelings. When a playmate cries or becomes angry, your child may offer a hug or share a special toy. It is important to recognize and encourage this empathetic behavior. This will help your children develop compassion. It will also help them learn to identify emotions in themselves and in others.

For a preschooler, learning to identify emotions is the first step towards learning how to manage them. When a child can correctly label feelings, he is better able to express himself and his needs. You can help your child develop this valuable skill through play. Mirror games, face cards, and play acting are all great ways to help children identify their emotions. Reading and storytelling can also be very helpful. Describing why a favorite character feels a certain way is fun and lets children practice expressing emotions.

How are Minnesota Children doing?

St. Paul based Wilder Research, an arm of the nonprofit Amherst H. Wilder Foundation has done extensive research on the status of young children in Minnesota. Two recent reports yield lots of info to share when advocating for early literacy programs like Project Read.

Early Childhood Minnesota
Indicators and strategies for Minnesota's early childhood system, a joint report of Minnesota Build and Minnesota Early Childhood comprehensive Systems
December 2008
Compiles the most recently available information for 22 indicators of child and family health and well-being and system indicators of quality and access. Indicators represent four larger, overlapping themes: early learning, family support, health/mental health, and special needs/early intervention. The report also identifies a set of key strategies for improving outcomes for young children.

The cost burden to Minnesota K-12 when children are unprepared for kindergarten
Prepared for the Bush Foundation
December 2008

This cost-benefit study focuses on the effects of early childhood care and education on K-12 school system as a whole. It computes the cost burden to the Minnesota K-12 system due to insufficient early learning and early intervention that result in children entering kindergarten not fully prepared. It also provides estimates of the dollars already in the K-12 system that could be used differently by the state and school districts to ensure more school readiness and, therefore, less spending at the K-12 level.

Friday Fun

It's Friday and Fridays are for Fun
Sometimes I sit down with a young person to read and find a story I loved as a child, or my children loved, just doesn't hold up in the 21st century. That is certainly not true of Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina, published in 1938.

Based on a folktale, the story follows the life of a mustachioed cap salesman who wears his entire stock of caps on his head — seventeen in all, as depicted on the title page (including his own cap). He strolls through towns and villages chanting, "Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!"

One day, the peddler sits down under a tree to take a nap, with all his wares still on his head. When he awakens, all the caps but his own are gone - stolen by a troop of monkeys, who now sit in the tree wearing them. The peddler orders them to return his caps, scolds them, and yells at them, while the monkeys only imitate him. The peddler finally throws down his own cap in disgust - upon which the monkeys throw theirs down as well, right at his feet. He stacks the caps back on his head and strolls back to town, calling, "Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!"

Find the book at your library and have some cap fun with a child you love.

Chippy Visits Cherish the Children Carnival

Chippy gets a hug at the April 5th Cherish the Children Carnival at the Eagles in Grand Rapids.

Quotable

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
Dr. Seuss

Celebrity Available for Personal Appearances

Chippy, the Project Read Chipmunk, is available for a personal appearance at your event.

A professional quality mascot costume, Chippy is ready for your volunteer to wear to promote early literacy at family events. To reserve Chippy contact Jaci or Lisa at stepahead@qwestoffice.net

Nursery Rhyme Help

There are thousands of Early Literacy articles, web sites, books, and yes "experts" recommending reciting nursery rhymes with young children. These traditional short, often very short, poems help children learn vocabulary and play with the sounds of words.

Forgotten every nursery rhyme you ever learned? Check out Speakaboos to watch free videos of not just nursery rhymes, but fables, fairy tales and more. Watch with your child, or better yet, watch by yourself to learn the rhyme then teach your child.

Copy and Paste Parent Tips

Early Signs of Trouble

For almost forty percent of kids, learning to read is a challenge. So in addition to talking, reading, and writing with your child, families play another important role – being on the lookout for early signs of possible trouble.

Here are two of the biggest to watch out for:

* Language or speech problems

Children who talk late, who say very few words, who have trouble pronouncing words, or who have difficulty expressing feelings verbally may have trouble learning to read.
* Hearing impairment

Children who have difficulty hearing the individual sounds in words may have trouble understanding how those sounds connect with letters in written words.

Kids who might have trouble learning to read also may show some of these early warning signs:

* Difficulty rhyming words
* Difficulty learning the alphabet, numbers, or days of the week
* Difficulty following multi-step directions
* Difficulty telling or re-telling a story

You can avoid years of frustration for you and your child by recognizing such problems early and getting the right help. Start with your family doctor — and call your local school district for early childhood screening.

National Poetry Month Saturday

One Inch Tall by Shel Silverstein

If you were only one inch tall, you'd ride a worm to school.
The teardrop of a crying ant would be your swimming pool.
A crumb of cake would be a feast
And last you seven days at least,
A flea would be a frightening beast
If you were one inch tall.

If you were only one inch tall, you'd walk beneath the door,
And it would take about a month to get down to the store.
A bit of fluff would be your bed,
You'd swing upon a spider's thread,
And wear a thimble on your head
If you were one inch tall.

You'd surf across the kitchen sink upon a stick of gum.
You couldn't hug your mama, you'd just have to hug her thumb.
You'd run from people's feet in fright,
To move a pen would take all night,
(This poem took fourteen years to write--
'Cause I'm just one inch tall).


Kids (as well as parents and teachers) can find more poems, Silverstein's fabulous illustrations, and printable activities at the official Shel Silverstein website.

Friday Fun

Fridays are for fun, and what's more fun than celebrating National Poetry Month? Jack Prelutsky kicks things off here on the Project Read blog and we'll have more poetry all month. Prelutsky is a perennial favorite of school children and was named the Poetry Foundation's first Children's Poet Laureate.

A Little Poem For Poetry Month
by
Jack Prelutsky

I’m glad we have a Poetry Month,
But still, I wonder why
They chose a month with thirty days—
Were months in short supply?
I wish that they’d selected
A longer month, like May.
I’m certain I’d appreciate
That extra poetry day.

Of course, if they’d picked February,
I would be aghast,
For February’s very short
And passes far too fast.
But April’s not as short as that,
So I don’t hesitate
To say I’m glad it’s Poetry Month.
Hooray! Let’s celebrate.

Children First Events

It's Children First! time. From now until the end of June, organizations all over the greater Itasca County area will host fun, free, family activities. Coming up this week:

April 2 – May 28
Thursdays, 10:30am-Noon in Coleraine, Coleraine Public Library
Coleraine Public Library Weekly Story Time
Parents, bring your infants, toddlers and preschoolers for weekly story time.
Call Jo Anne at 218-245-2315
April 4
Saturday, 10-Noon in Deer River, King Elementary School
Community Easter Egg Hunt
Eggs will be hidden inside and outside for different age groups.
Register for prizes. Snacks and beverage provided.
Call Linda at 218-246-2423
April 5
Sunday, 1-3:30pm in Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Eagles Clubroom
Cherish Our Children Carnival
There will be children’s games such as Bean Bag Toss, Fishing for Books,
Floating Ducks, Cake Walk, and more. A craft table and an information table
will also be available. Enjoy a lunch of sloppy joes.
Call Vicki at 218-326-0653 or Becky at 218-327-8652
April 6
Monday, 5-6pm in Grand Rapids, Blandin Foundation Auditorium
Speak Up for Children - Advocacy 101
Cheryl Skafte, Ready 4 K’s Regional Coordinator, will speak to parents,
grandparents, educators and concerned community members on how to
be an advocate for those who do not have a voice for themselves. She will
provide everyday tools, tactics and strategies for being involved even if you
are far away from the Capitol steps.
Call Tiffany at 218-259-8853

'No Effects' Studies Raising Eyebrows

By Debra Viadero, in the April 1 issue of Education Week

Like a steady drip from a leaky faucet, the experimental studies being released this school year by the federal Institute of Education Sciences are mostly producing the same results: "No effects," "No effects," "No effects."

The disappointing yield is prompting researchers, product developers, and other experts to question the design of the studies, whether the methodology they use is suited to the messy real world of education, and whether the projects are worth the cost, which has run as high as $14.4 million in the case of one such study.
But proponents of the methodology say those critics ought to pay more attention to the message than to the messenger.

Read the rest here.