L ! ’ l B R ! TS
Words, Words, Words!
jovia l gigantic s
Family fun with reading and writing
u o l u p u r c s
Journals
Word Games
Make a Book about Your Child (preschool): Take a blank spiral (or bound) notebook. Put your child’s picture, name, and age on the first page. Then each day, add a few sentences or words that describe your child and read the book aloud. Your child can illustrate each page. You will find that as the book (and your child) grows, your child will want to read it again and again. The Family Chat Book (K‑6): Have a spiral notebook (with a pencil attached by a string) on the kitchen counter for recording family messages. Family members can send messages to each other (thanks, favors, jokes, apologies, pictures, thoughts, or information). As a family member passes by, he/she can respond to messages from others or add something new. It’s a great way to communicate, and children enjoy going back to see how their writing has improved over the years.
Word of the Week (Grades 1‑4): Ask your child to find one word each week that is new to him/her. Post it on the refrigerator. Set a goal (say 20) of how many times he/she remembers to use the word correctly over the week. Once he/she reaches that goal, award a prize! Word Race (Grades 3‑4): Write down several words and time your child to see how fast he/she can find them in the dictionary. Keep track of the time and see if your child can best his/her record. These family activities come courtesy of Katha Starner Heinze, ’70, principal, Horizon Elementary School, Holt, Mich.
Hunting for Great Books for Kids? For starters, we’ve provided some titles below recommended by these alumni educators: Katha Starner Heinze, ’70, Judy Case Kingsley, ’63, Nancy Graham Roush, ’72, and Peg Mitchell Turner, ’69. Kate Banks & Georg Hallensleben, And If the Moon Could Talk Jan Brett, The Umbrella Eric Carle, Mister Seahorse Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell, It’s Hard to Be Five Barbara Lehman, The Red Book Audrey Penn, A Pocket Full of Kisses Louis Sachar, Holes Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick, Lost in the Woods David Shannon, Alice the Fairy; No, David! Walter Wick, Can You See What I See? Mo Willems, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
And check out the series featuring: Akiko, The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, Cam Jansen, and Hank Zipper. For more help on finding just the right book for the young reader in your family, try these Web links (at right) suggested by Albion College library staff and alumni. And don’t forget the joy of reading a book aloud. There’s nothing quite like the spoken word—even for children who can already read on their own. Turn off the TV and the computer and spend some family time sharing a good book! In addition to searching these Web sites, take a look at Books to Read Aloud for Children of All Ages (2003) and The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children (2000) for recommendations.
Bank Street College of Education www.bankstreet.edu/bookcom/ The Horn Book Guide www.hbook.com/booklists/ Michigan e-Library web.mel.org/index.jsp At “MeL Internet,” click on “Children & Young Adults,” and then on “Children’s Resources” or “Resources for Young Adults” to bring up many nationally respected resources that review children’s books. Guys Read us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/ yreaders/guysread/ Kidsreads.com www.kidsreads.com
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