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Great Classic Childrens Books not from the Major Authors

  • Posted by admin on December 18, 2009 at 9:28 pm

An important component of their development is reading. The type of books you read to them can change their lives! So here is a list of books that I know you can enjoy together with your child!

Comment on your favorite books as well. I didn't include the usual suspects like Suess and Winnie the Pooh.

1A. Good Families Don't, by Robert Munsch

...fart, that is. The story is about parents who believe good families don't have farts. Unfortunately for them, a smelly creature (known as a fart) happens to be residing in their home. It's a great story and definitely good for a laugh or two.

1B. Yuck, A Love Story, by Don Gillmore

This is a sweet story about a relationship between a little boy named Austin and a girl, Amy, who become neighbours. "Yuck" is the word the boy uses to describe the girl. Although he appears to dislike her, he immediately sets out to impress her with dinosaurs, dressing as a superhero, and finally, lassoing the moon as a birthday gift. It's cute, funny, and will certainly be cherished for years to come!

2. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

This is a book about a young boy named Max, who is forced to go to his room without dinner as punishment for getting into trouble. He climbs into an imaginary world and wears a wolf costume...how could that be more fun? Even though it is only a few lines long, it is a classic nonetheless!

3. The Very Hungary Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

I don't know if this book needs much explaining as I'm sure everyone has read it at one time or another! This is an adorable story of a little caterpillar that eventually becomes a beautiful butterfly. The line that is repeated is "And he was still hungry..." Kids get a chance to interact with the pages as well, making the book even more fun.

4. Stinky Cheese Man, by Jon Scieszka and Smith Lane

A collection of twisted and hilarious fairy tales, Stinky Cheese Man takes traditional stories and gives them an entertaining spin. This was by far my favourite book growing up, and I'm sure your kids will love it too.

5. The Sweetest Fig, by Chris Van Allsburg

This is a strange book, to be sure. The plot follows Monsieur Bibot, a dentist who receives two figs as payment from a patient. But these aren't just any figs. They have the power to make dreams come true. He quickly learns how to control his dreams, but will he be able to control his dog?

Reading books together is fun for parents and kids alike, and with some of these comical stories in my library I know that bedtime will be a favourite for the whole family! Heck, you may even end up reading throuhgout the day!

Give Children a Choice for Read-aloud Books

  • Posted by admin on June 24, 2009 at 12:21 pm

One phrase to keep in mind is "Follow in order to lead." In other words, dads need to observe and listen to children in order to better lead them to enjoy reading. One way to follow children in order to lead them is to involve them in choosing the books that you read to them. A good starting place is to consider what books the child has enjoyed in the past. Some children, such as Wan Inn's two oldest children Joanne and Julian, would read anything that they could lay their hands on, and any place was a good place to read - from the bedroom to the restroom - with books hidden strategically in the restroom and bedroom closet for reading.

Other children may only be interested in books on a particular topic, in a particular series or by a particular author. Don't worry if your children exhibit strong preferences and aversions. Dads should be happy that the children are reading even if they are stuck reading a particular type of book. After a while, they can influence them to try something new by reading aloud a different type of book. Jason, Wan Inn's youngest, was only interested in books on insects and other animals. It was a challenge to try and influence him to read other types of books or read aloud to him other types of books. However, perseverance is the key and one may be pleasantly surprised to find the child curled up reading an unexpected book. With Jason, this happened in his early teens when he suddenly became interested in books awarded the Pulitzer or Booker awards!

Give books a pilot test at the library or bookstore by reading aloud a bit of it so that you and the children can judge your reaction to the book. This pilot testing prepares children for the day when they will be choosing books on their own for silent reading.

Letting children have a voice boosts their self-esteem and gives them a feeling of control. Additionally, children will be more eager to listen to books that they had a hand in choosing. If dads feel that children have not chosen wisely, they can gently inform them of why they believe a particular book is not the best choice.

If dads think a child will like a particular book, they should show enthusiasm for it and explain why you like the book and why you think the child will like it. Their enthusiasm for that particular book and for reading in general can be infectious.

Books can be selected based on something that happened during the day or something that is coming up in the children's lives. For instance, reading the book My Art & Craft Class before children go to such a class for the first time prepares children for the new experience and may overcome their fears.

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Children Making Their Own Books

  • Posted by admin on March 28, 2009 at 12:26 pm

Many dads may wonder how children can write their own books, when even very few adults write books. There are several ways to make this task easy. The first trick is to use books that dads have already read to the children and to use these books as models. They are not selling these books; they are just for their own use. Therefore, there are no copyright worries.

Starting from other books

There are several different ways for children to start with other books and create their own books:

• The words in the new child-create book are exactly the same, but the children add their own illustrations.

• Children change the characters in the book by substituting their own names and the names of other people, fellow animals and places in their lives. For example, in the story Hazel's Puppy, children can substitute their own name instead of Hazel.

• The format is the same, but the topic is different. For example, the children use the format found in a series of books about classes children take and use that format to write a book about a class that they are taking. Thus, instead of My Violin Class, children write My Gymnastics Class or My Calligraphy Class. Or, even easier would be if children are taking a class just like one in the series, children can change that book to tell about their specific class. For instance, children who go to piano class can rewrite My Piano Class to show what happens in their class.

• Children can write a new section for a book they already know. For instance, Kayla & the Magical Tree is more than 100 pages long. Writing a new version of that book would be a very big job. However, more manageable would be to write a new chapter. In the book, Kayla is a girl who meets many strange and marvelous creatures, such as boulders with eyes and a big mouth. The children could invent a new creature and write about Kayla's adventure with that creature.

• Similarly, children can change the ending or any other part of a book. They might change that part because they do not like it or because they want to add more to it. Children could even write a sequel. For example, Hazel's Puppy ends when the puppy comes home to Hazel’s house. The book does not tell us about any of the adventures that the puppy and Hazel enjoy. Ah! A great chance to write a new book: The Adventures of the Puppy and Hazel.

It is not difficult for children to make their own books, with a bit of help from dads. But first, let us look at why it is a good idea for children to add to their own home libraries by creating some books of their own.

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How to Encourage your Children to Read

  • Posted by admin on March 23, 2009 at 12:00 am

Most people already know the benefits of reading. People learn by reading. People also have fun and feel fulfilled by reading. As a person reads more and more, the person's literary skills improve. Reading makes people into better readers, writers, and speakers.

Unfortunately, children do not read much anymore. Because most people never get interested in reading as children, as adults they also do not read much. Some polls even say that the majority of people in the United States do not read anymore. You probably want your children to pick up the beneficial hobby of reading. Let me suggest a few ways that you can get children interested in reading.

Less TV - You can get children to read more by getting them to watch less TV. Children read less because they lazily waste their time rotting their mind in front of a TV--a behavior they usually pick up from their parents. Consider deciding not to have a TV, or at least do not have cable. Even if you do have a TV, watch less yourself because children model their behavior after the adults in their life.

Suggest Books That Would Interest The Child - You can also get children to read by helping them find books they like. You can do this by bringing the children to a library or book store and letting them pick out books that interest them. You can also suggest books about topics of interest to the child. For example, if you have a child who likes to play soccer, consider suggesting a book about soccer to the child.

Do Not Push Too Hard - If you try to force children to read, or if you otherwise pressure them to much, you will make them dislike reading. Try not to make reading seem like a chore. Instead, you want to get the children to read on their own free-will. You want them to read voluntarily because they see the fun and self-benefit of it. Forcing your children to read will make them into good slaves who like to obey orders, but it will not make them into good readers who like to read.

Teach Children To Read Well - Children will not want to read if they cannot do it or if they cannot do it well. People like to do what they do well. If you have a talent for singing, you would like to sing. In contrast, if you sing horribly, you will not waste your time embarrassing yourself at it. Children will want to read more if they feel like they read well. Teach them how to read better in a positive environment. Additionally, compliment their reading abilities so that they feel proud and confident of their reading abilities. If they feel proud and confident of their reading abilities, the children will want to read more.

Use those methods to get your children to read more. Also, feel free to think of more methods.

Whatever you do, good luck and have fun!

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Many Types of Read Aloud Books to Choose From

  • Posted by admin on March 20, 2009 at 7:12 am

There are many types of books. The key point when deciding what types of books to choose is: Introduce children to a variety of books. In this way, we widen their horizons. Here are some book types to consider.

Story books

When most dads think of reading aloud, they think of story books. These come in many types including folk tales, fairy tales, series about one character, adventures, mysteries, scary stories, and tales of growing up.

What about comic books? Don't say no to comics without looking at some. Many people who today are excellent readers, as well as some famous writers, started off reading comics. What is good about comics? The pictures help children understand the words, the exciting plots motivate children to want to know what comes next and the fact that most comics come in series, such as Spiderman, gives children much more to read after they finish one comic book. Wan Inn's son Julian took a big step toward learning French by reading the French version of the Astrix comic book series.

Yes, there are some junk comics, full of violence and other types of content may not want children to be reading. However, many other types of books (not to mention movies and television programs) contain the same type of content. At the same time, many educational texts can be found in comic book form.

Also, just because a book has drawings does not necessarily mean the book is easy to read. Comic books and other illustrated book can be for older children and adults. For example, the main character in Kayla & the Magical Tree is a pre-teen, and the book's themes are probably beyond the comprehension of younger children.

Wordless picture books

Who says that a book needs words? Babies, toddlers, and even older children can enjoy books with only pictures or just a few words. Talk about the pictures. Make up your own stories. Also, many picture books are made of child-proof materials, such as heavy cardboard, that little hands can't tear. Plastic picture kids books are great for reading in the bath!

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