Reading preschool children’s books (and yes, young adult fiction too) and sewing are two of my favorite hobbies. So you can imagine my delight at finding this tutorial on how to sew a preschool reading book shelf at: http://pennycarnival.typepad.com/penny_carnival/2009/02/tutorial-hanging-book-display.html

I love that these shelves can be made low, so little hands can grab whatever book their little heart desires. And that you can sew it up in whatever fabric suits your fancy or matches your bedroom decor. You can even make them reversible so you have options to mix and match!

Well, I need to make about 100 of these, so off to work I go.

Enjoy!

Rebecca

One of the preschool reading questions I get asked the most is, “How do I find quality books that are at a kindergarten (or first grade) level?” The sad truth is that there is a sore lack of quality children’s literature pitched at these lower levels. Especially given the fact that beginning readers are voracious and need to read LOTS of little books to cut their teeth on and become proficient enough for higher levels.

But don’t fret little buckaroo! There ARE some trade books you can find at the library to feed your hungry reader. I was going to compile a list of my favorite beginning readers like Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggy books or his Don’t Let the Pigeon . . . books or anything by Cynthia Rylant. Then, I found a great site that already has nicely leveled lists at each grade level, although they do seem to be missing some of the newer ones I mentioned above: http://home.comcast.net/~ngiansante/index.html

I also recommend making books for the earliest of readers, with a simple pattern and lots of picture support. Books like: I see a red balloon. I see a yellow balloon. I see a purple balloon. And the last page can break the pattern a bit or have a little surprise like, “See my balloons!” with a picture of a person being carried away by 8 balloons. Large blank note cards make great pages for these little books. Just staple them together and presto, you have a book for your child! Another favorite of mine is the No book. You draw a face with something missing and the text underneath reads: No mouth. Next page: no eyes, etc. Kids get a big kick out of this one.

Another strategy is to take wordless picture books like Goodnight Gorilla or My dog, Carl (there are several Carl books) and write text together for the story with your child. If the text comes out of your child’s mouth, they will remember it and that will help them decode it later on (assuming you don’t write down anything TOO verbose).

I also use nursery rhymes and songs that a child knows well and write them on very large paper. You might also be able to find illustrated books that include these. When the child is familiar with the rhyme/song/poem, it frees them up to pay more attention to the words on the page and you can encourage them to start pointing as they read. We have made lots of fun pointers here to make this task even more enjoyable. Once your child can easily point to each word as s/he reads the words, the finger pointing is no longer necessary and you can encourage them to “point with your eyes”.

Okay, those are my tips for beginning readers.

Ready, set, read!

Well, Montessori Print Shop is doing it again folks. They are holding a huge giveaway to celebrate their 8th anniversary delivering affordable Montessori materials via pdf and Cd-rom. I use their materials all of the time!

Check it out at: http://blog.montessoriprintshop.com/2012/01/24/gifts-for-you-pink-blue-green-language-series–deluxe-cd-rom-collection.aspx

Good luck! And be sure to let me know if you are a winner (you’re already a winner in my book, but you know what I mean)!

Rebecca

Here is a cute anime book, for higher level readers who love anime!

Product Description
CHRISTMAS CONFLICT

Suzuka can’t wait to spend Christmas with her new boyfriend, Yamato. But then she’s invited to an exclusive collegiate training camp over the holidays. She breaks the bad news to Yamato, hoping that he’ll beg her not to go. Aiming to be a supportive boyfriend (and forgetting all about Christmas!), Yamato insists she attend the camp. Now Suzuka is furious, and clueless Yamato can’t figure out what he’s done wrong. Will Suzuka and Yama… More >>

Suzuka, Volume 10

Here is a link to a great blog post about the many different materials you can use for a sensory tub in your home or school (or homeschool): http://www.teachpreschool.org/2011/11/everyday-sensory-play-in-preschool/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TeachPreschool+%28Teach+Preschool%29

In our Montessori Preschool in Rochester, our sensory play includes: play dough, modeling clay, beeswax, sidewalk chalk, bird feed, rice, river rocks, glass stones, raffia, water or assorted dry beans in the past. The first three are especially good at exercising those fine motor muscles in the hands and fingers — which is vital for handwriting and other fine motor activities!

Enjoy,

Rebecca

Our first week of classes here at the Sibley Learning Center went really well! We have several new preschool students and lots of returning ones. Welcome all!

Our schedule this year is a bit different. We are in session on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 12 – 3 p.m. rather than in the mornings. This is to accommodate my family’s new crazy schedule!

I have also instituted a recession buster for students wanting to attend twice a week, so be sure to ask me about that when you call for a visit.

I still have room for a few more students interested in tutoring in reading, writing, reading comprehension and early literacy skills.

It has been wonderful to watch our seasoned students help our newer students acclimate to our unique blend of Montessori activities as well as music, art, drama, dance, and of course, literacy!

Looking forward to sharing a wonderful fall semester with you!
Rebecca

Happy Summer Solstice!

We will begin our Montessori class for ages 4-7 next Tuesday from 9 – Noon. I hope to see you there and please feel free to pass this info along to your friends who might be interested.

August 1 – 5, Sibley will be hosting a Spanish camp with Josefina from 10 – Noon. More details to follow soon; if you are interested in registering, please email me.

August 8 – 12 I will be holding a Toddler Montessori-style day camp for ages 2.5 – 5 years of age from 9 to Noon. Again, please email me if you’d like to register.

August 22 – 26 we will have a day camp for the older kids, ages 6 – 9.

When we return in the fall, I plan on starting a Gifted Girls Group for girls interested in an academic challenge and learning cooperatively with other girls. The age range for this is 6 – 9 and basic reading and writing skills would be very helpful. I haven’t set a day for this, so please let me know if you have a preference (other than Tuesday or Thursday morning, of course)! Again, feel free to talk this up with your friends so we can make this exciting idea a reality! Lauren Seaver has been kind enough to share her lesson framework with me for this experience, so it will be similar to the Open School Pioneer Project, if your children participated in that.

That’s all the news that’s fit for print right now. Hope you are enjoying your first official day of summer!

Blessings,
Rebecca

Save the date of July 23 and 24, 2011. Award winning Native performer, Joanne Shenandoah will be right in Rochester’s backyard at the Ganondagan Native American Dance and Music Festival this summer!

For more info, go here:

http://www.ganondagan.org/NADMF.html

Hey local gardeners! Here is a great article about a wonderful Native corn:
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/ark_product_detail/tuscarora_white_corn/

Interested in growing Tuscarora White corn, a native breed that is in danger of dying out?

Please contact Lou Sinesio at 585-229-5572 or at whitecorn (AT) ganondagan (DOT) org

Just some quick updates:

We had a wonderful turnout for our spring events: Mom’s Night Out, The Reptile Guys at the Arnett Library, and our visit to Alivio Horse Farm (thank you for the excellent program, Tina Cope)!

Thank you to everyone who could come and join us for these special events!

Our last day of class is Thursday, June 9th. I plan on holding at least one class a week during the summer and having a summer camp for preschoolers one week and a literacy camp for early readers too. Tina is running a summer horse camp and I highly recommend her program. You can find more details at her website: http://AlivioHorseFarm.com

As we near the end of the spring semester, I just want to express my gratitude and appreciation to all of the wonderful families that make this Learning Center such a unique community of learners.

Love and Light,
Rebecca Wolf