FRED in Grand Rapids

Last week Project READ supported two spectacular FRED (Fathers Reading Every Day) events in Grand Rapids schools.

Forest Lake Flyers demonstrated their school spirit when 78 dads and 97 children showed up for an exciting time of pizza and story telling. A big thank you goes out to Grand Itasca for their support in purchasing the pizza. Dion Card of the MN Reading Corp organized the event.

The Cohasset Cougers turned out 85 people for their event just two days later. Thanks to Lake Country Power for supporting their event & to Teresa Greniger for organizing the event.

FRED encourages Dads to read to their kids daily. Research shows that when Dads are involved in promoting literacy, kids become better readers. Thanks to all those dads for showing their support!

Choosing Books for Toddlers

Toddlers want to feel included and competent; choose books that your child can follow along with, especially those with repetitive text so he or she can fill in words. Maintain your toddler's interest by choosing books with small amounts of text on the page and books about topics that you know are of interest.

• For younger toddlers (12 to 24 months) you'll want sturdy board books with pictures (especially photos) of kids doing the things they do every day. Books about bedtime, baths, or mealtime are all good choices; so are books about saying hello or good-bye. Keep active hands busy with lift-the-flap pages and textures to feel.
• Toddlers from 24 to 36 months are beginning to be able to turn paper pages, so this is a good time to expand beyond board books. They are also beginning to understand the mechanics of reading and like books that are repetitive and easy to memorize so that they can "read" along.

By now you will start to know what your child's passions are - whether trains, trucks, or stuffed bears, find books about these things of interest. Children this age also like books about children, families, and animals.
Toddlers love to look at homemade books, scrapbooks, or photo albums full of people they know (try adding simple captions). Poetry and songbooks are good choices for this age group too. You may find that story time turns into sing-along time.
Take your toddler to the library and let them pick out some of their own books to read.

Friday Fun Day

It is always great to volunteer in your community. Here are ways to volunteer in your community:

• Volunteer with a local non-profit organization. ex: Special Olympics, United Way, Human Society, ect.
• Make pillows, cards, games, or stuffed toys for children who are sick in the hospital
• Make booboo bunnies for children to receive at a health clinic or at school
• Collect items to make baby bags for poor mothers who recently had a baby -- can contain diapers, baby bottles, pacifiers, burp rags, formula, baby food, etc.
• Plan and share craft projects with other children
• Read with children at a local hospital or wellness center
• Hold clothing drives and donate clothes that are in good condition to those in need
• Lead a craft project with children that will help elderly in a nursing home
• Make, buy, or donate toys for children in orphanages or shelters
• Sort through clothing, toys or books others have donated for children in need
• Play basketball or other sports with children in need
• Write letters to local and governmental leaders about the need to protect children from abuse and neglect
• Donate your hair for children with cancer or other medical conditions
• Make a first-day-of-school package with school supplies
• Write letters to or for sick children
• Organize a teddy bear drive
• Donate and sort books, clothes and party supplies for disadvantaged children
• Make bags for children in other countries through Kids for Peace
• Donate your favorite (healthy!) snack to give to children in need

There are many children out there who need our help....get involved!

Sitting Still Not Required

Trying to read to a toddler who just won't sit still can be frustrating. It's important to be patient and keep trying. Find a book or a few pages that capture his or her interest. If you can't do that, don't force the reading but be sure to try again later. Remember that toddlers love repetition - if your child seems uninterested in books, you may need to find a favorite and read it over and over again.
Some busy toddlers like to stand up while you read to them. Others like to look at a page or two before moving on to something else. Keep the book out - he or she may want to return to it later, which you should encourage. Don't worry if your child can't sit still for an entire book - his or her attention span will start to get longer soon. You might want to keep reading even if your child moves around. Before bedtime, allow your child to touch and play with favorite toys while you read aloud. The sound of your voice will be a soothing reminder of your bedtime routine and that books are a part of it.
You may find that your child sits still better while coloring or playing with a favorite toy while you read. Don't assume that because your child isn't looking at you or the book that he or she isn't interested or listening.
You want your child to have positive associations with reading, so if you are feeling tense or your child is resisting, consider setting the book aside and returning to it later.
If your child really doesn't like to spend much time reading, remember that reading to your child is just one thing you can do to encourage emergent literacy. You also can:

• limit TV
• talk to your child throughout the day
• sing songs together
• play rhyming games
• make up your own stories together

It's Friday and Friday's are for FUN!!!
The weather is warming up so now is the time to get outside and enjoy the snow! Have some family fun time outside with these fun outdoor activities. Dress up warm and let get some fresh air and exercise. You'll come back in hungry and ready for some quieter activities.
Here goes:

1. Make a snow angel by lying on your back in the snow and spreading out your arms to the side then moving them up and down. Get up carefully and see your angel with wing prints.
2. Build a snow fort. Have a snow ball fight.
3. Build a snowman. Give him a carrot nose and a hat.
4. Take a walk and look for animal tracks.
5. Play chase, tag, or hide and seek.
6. Shovel snow.
7. Build an igloo.
8. Put out suet and birdseed for birds.
9. Wrap in a big stadium blanket and sit on the porch swing.
10. Bird watch.
11. Scavenger hunt for winter nature stuff.
12. Collect pinecones for decorations, fire starters, wreaths, study,src.
13. Watch the sunset.
14. Go fishing.
    Outside a window shovel out a square spot. Plant sticks with bright colored streamers to look like flowers or "plant" a row of plastic flowers.
15. In shed or garage, repair dog house. Paint the house. Add hay for warm bedding.
16. Look for poetry or story ideas.
17. Hunt for bird nests. Note ones high in trees that you can watch next summer.
18. Take photos of trees. Compare to summer.
19. Ice skate.
20. Go sledding down a hill.
21. Shovel a path in the yard like a maze.
22. Put up a bird feeder.
23. Have a snowball battle.
24. Visit with neighbors. Drink hot chocolate outside.
25. Lick an icicle.
26. Sit in a sunny place and absorb sunshine.
27. Play with toy cars and trucks in the snow.
28. Play expedition. Pretend you are an explorer going to the North Pole.
29. Pull someone or something in a a sled.
30. Take a nature hike.
31. Check out last year's garden plot. How has it changed?
32. Lay on the ground and watch the sky. What do the clouds look like?
33. Stamp out words in the snow.
34. Make a neighborhood map. Color it later inside.
35. Decorate a tree in your yard with streamers to blow in the wind.
36. Watch for animals--sqirrels, deer, cats, dogs, horses. What animals are in your neighborhood?
37. Have a winter picnic. Take along a warm sandwich and cookies in an insulated bag , cocoa in a thermos or even hot soup in a soup thermos. Take a blanket to sit on.
38. Sketch houses, barns, buildings, plants and animals.
39. Make a list of the trees in your yard. Power walk or jog.
40. Go out at night and see the stars.

Dress warm and have fun! When you are tired and chilly, head back inside for hot chocolate, spiced tea, or hot cider and rest.

What do you like to do outdoors in the winter? Share.........

Americorp Volunteers Sort books for Science Explosion

Thanks to Americorp volunteers Cathy Seely, Karla Foix, Sara Gonzales & Bethany Grooms for their help yesterday. The volunteers sorted books for a book give away at the "Science Explosion" event that will take place on January 22 from 1:30 until 7:00 PM at the Robert J Elkington Middle School. January 22 is an "early release day" for our area students.

Festivities include science shows and science displays. Look for the Project READ display. Chippy will make an appearance & science themed books will be given away on a first come, first served basis.

Check your Children's First! New Year's brochure for more information or post a question here.

When and How to Read to Your Toddler

Experts recommend you read to your child as often as you can and that you strive to have at least one scheduled reading time each day. Choosing regular times to read (especially before naps and bedtime) is a way to help your child learn to sit with a book and relax. But you can read anytime your child seems in the mood.
If your toddler will let you, hold him or her in your lap when you read. It's a great spot for:

• helping your child feel safe, happy, and relaxed
• giving undivided attention
• showing new things
• inviting participation

You'll find that your toddler has a mind of his or her own and wants to be independent and successful. Nurture these instincts by offering three or four books to choose from, praising your child's selection, letting your toddler help you turn pages, and asking for help as you find things on a page. Your child will love to finish sentences in books with repetitive phrasing or rhymes.
Here are some additional reading tips:

• Read whatever books your toddler asks for, even if it's the same book every night for weeks and weeks (and weeks and weeks).
• Read slowly enough for your toddler to understand.
• Read expressively, using different voices for different characters and raising or lowering your voice as appropriate.
• Use puppets, finger plays (like the "Itsy Bitsy Spider"), or props while you read.
• Encourage your toddler to clap or sing when you read rhythmic, sing-song books.
  Talk about the illustrations with your child. Point to items and name them. Then ask your child to name them with you and offer enthusiastic praise as he or she does so.
• Ask open-ended questions - "Why do you think the lion is going into the woods? What do you think will happen next?" This encourages your child to think about the story and to ask questions.
• Substitute your child's name for the name of a character in the book.

Have fun! Show your child that reading is enjoyable.

Friday Fun!

It's Friday....and Firday's are for fun!
Kids are indoors trying to stay warm. Keep them busy by creating Paper Bag Puppets. Use your puppets to tell stories. Creates creativity in your child.
The easiest form of building paper bag puppets requires only a paper lunch bag and crayons or markers. Simply draw on a face and you have a puppet! To make the characters more elaborate, decorate with yarn for hair, buttons for eyes, and glitter for cheeks. Ribbon can be added to the hair or made into a bow tie for the "neck". Draw on eyelashes and lips with colorful markers.

Have FUN and Stay WARM!

Why Should I Read to My Toddler?

Studies show that children with active exposure to language have social and educational advantages over their peers - and reading is one of the best exposures to language.
Reading to your child lays the foundation for later independent reading. But before your child can read independently, he or she needs a set of skills called emergent literacy skills. These include:

• having a large vocabulary of words and knowing how to use them
• understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds (this is called phonemic awareness)
• understanding that marks on a page represent letters and words
• knowing the letters of the alphabet

You don't need games, flashcards, or special instruction to help your child gain these skills. You just need books, your child, and you. Reading to your child as often as possible is the best thing you can do to help him or her learn to read independently.