The Bookstore Cat by Cylin Busby (Toddler, Preschool) The bookstore cat is an adorable, bossy, and cuddly cat, among his many other qualities. But most importantly, the bookstore cat is well-loved. Follow along in the bookstore cat’s daily routine in this book, based on the Victorian parlor game, The Minister’s Cat where players think of adjectives Read More
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Activities to Learn About Letters
It’s kind of difficult to talk about letter knowledge without giving examples of activities to try with your child. Don’t worry, we still have tons of ideas to share about how to play with letters! Key Shapes Children first begin to recognize letters by their shapes, so spend time with shape basics. When your child Read More
Ways to Teach Letters
You’re probably already teaching your child about the letters of the alphabet. Here are some suggestions for how to help your child learn the alphabet on their own timeline: Start with your child’s letter and name. It’s easier and more interesting for your child to start with something that is relevant to them. Starting with Read More
Letter Knowledge
Remember the song BINGO? This childhood classic is an awesome example of how children learn about letters. Songs are one way to reinforce the ideas that each letter has a sound and that letters come together to create words. As children gain letter knowledge, they become familiar with the name, sound, and shape of individual Read More
Activities For Your Reading Routine
Read, Read, Read | video Reading aloud to your child can begin while they are still in utero. Bedtime reading is a great chance to slow down with your child and deepen your bond. For some families, it’s a routine that continues into grade school. Guest Readers Reach out to family members to star Read More
Ways to Shake Up Your Reading Routine
No matter your reading routine, here are some ideas to keep things interesting: Read more books by favorite authors/illustrators Create a special reading space for cozy read alouds Add a library day into your regular schedule Attend an online/in-person storytime Send your child on a book scavenger hunt to find something new to read (either Read More
Shake Up Your Reading Routine!
Happy New Year! This time last year, we challenged you to create a reading routine. Hopefully over the past year, you’ve had ample opportunity to find time to read together. For 2022, we want to offer some ideas to shake up that routine to keep your reading fresh and exciting. While reading never gets old, Read More
Ways to Nurture Generosity
What does it take to raise a generous child? There are many ways! Here are some ideas you can use to foster generosity and social emotional growth by engaging your family in these activities: Ways to Foster Generosity Collect food for your local food pantry/food bank Give toiletries to your local shelter Volunteer with a Read More
Activities that Foster Generosity
Generosity is rooted in sharing with and caring for others. These social emotional activities will help you teach your child, no matter how young, to be sensitive and considerate. Love and Trust Building (Birth-6 months) Mirror, Mirror on the Wall (6-12 months) Cooperative Play (12-18 months) Initiating My Own Play (18-24 months) Care for the Read More
Generosity
With so many holidays in December, it’s a perfect time to introduce your child to the idea of generosity. And this time of year presents so many opportunities to do it! For children, learning to be generous starts with lessons about sharing, kindness, and understanding that their actions affect others. These skills set the stage Read More