I want kids to read and love poetry. I really do. Why? Because while poems may seem easy to read because the words are concise and the text is short, the imagery, symbolism, and meaning generally pack a big punch. Which kids will appreciate later in life even more. Through the years, I’ve reviewed and […]
Elementary
Free Summer Reading Programs for Kids (2019)
Want to keep your kids reading over the summer? How about joining a free summer reading program or two!? My kids loved the free books so we used to do more than one program. I especially recommend programs that reward with BOOKS not food. But first, you might want to know about these Imagination Soup […]
Project Pet Rock (Craft and Procedural Writing Activity)
Help your kids adopt the easiest pet ever — a ROCK! (I know. Why didn’t you think of this before?) Once your child adopts a rock, he can dress it up, name it, and give it a home! Not only that, add literacy learning with a funny and fun writing activity. Use a procedural “How-To” book like Laura Numeroff’s 10-Step Guide […]
The Big List of Easter Books for Kids (Christian and Secular)
What should you read around Easter time? How about one of these recommended board and picture books? Find both Christian and secular Easter books below, starting with the Christian books first. Please comment below and tell me which books are your favorites. Or if I’ve missed any good titles. . . Christian Easter Books Ready, […]
Get Hooked on a New Science Fiction Chapter Book
Read about alternate worlds, aliens and spaceships, and science-fiction inventions! You’ll get all that and more in the new 2019 science fiction chapter books I’m sharing with you today. Get Hooked on a New Science Fiction Chapter Book Greystone Secrets: The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix Exciting from the first page to the last! Why […]
Picture Books to Teach Similes and Metaphors
Read aloud picture books to exemplify how writers use smilies and metaphors to convey meaning. Use these mentor texts to teach similes and metaphors in your writing workshop. Picture Books to Teach Similes and Metaphors Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr Lyrical, evocative language captures a quiet winter evening when the little […]
Found Poetry with Recycled Magazines
Reuse your old magazines and create found poetry from the words and phrases you discover on their pages. Found poetry takes kids on a treasure hunt for wonderful words and phrases. Then, they will use those words and phrases to find a poem; to write a “found” poem by collaging together something in a new, poetic way. […]