Lost and Found ~ A True Story

We are very fond of our pets and when our little 14 year old terrier wandered out of the yard we were very worried. She is half blind and half deaf and like us -just plain old. She has aches and pains and is stiff when she gets up. Also, she has congestive heart failure and is on meds twice a day.

We were visiting our son in Metairie, LA and she was not familiar with any of her surroundings. She was out of our sight for about 15 minutes when I discovered her missing. We jumped in the car and rode around for an hour. At 9 pm it was solid black so we decided to begin the search again the next morning. We drove the entire neighborhood. Then I walked the neighborhood. I told the mailman, the newspaper delivery man, every person I saw. We called the Humane Society and left our information as we had to return to Birmingham for jobs on Monday. She had her vet tags and we were hoping that someone would call...

At 2 pm on Monday, the manager of an apartment complex across a major highway called to say that she had our Mitzi. Our son picked her up and we travelled to get her.

Our sorrow was turned to joy! The boss was back at home and we were happy!

Epilogue: Mitzi died in her sleep 6 weeks after this incident. We have sweet memories to remember her by. She truly was a member of the family.

Publication News

So excited that an article I wrote about reading aloud and storytelling with young children was published in the Mississippi Libraries E-Magazine this week. See:
 http://epubs.library.msstate.edu/index.php/MSLib/issue/view/Fall%202013 .
Click on Table of Contents and then scroll down.

Babies need books too!

Many times we think reading begins when a child starts school, but actually there are many pre-skills that babies are learning when a parent or teacher interacts with them using a book. Babies learn about the movement of pages and reading left and right. If an adult points out pictures then babies learn that pictures give clues to what the story is about. These young children learn about fluency through the flow of language, speed, pause, and expression. Reading aloud increases vocabulary. Often picture books use words that we do not use in everyday conversation thus adding to a baby's word collection. Rhyming books will introduce babies to word families. The young child who reads "wall" recognizes that he can read "fall" too.
Board books are especially handy for little hands.

       Notice this little one studying the picture in his book.

The Storyteller's Apron

Using a storytelling apron is a marvelous tool for holding the attention and concentration of your audience. Curiosity and suspense are heightened as the listener anticipates the revealing of objects hidden in the apron pockets. Props and visuals are readily available and easily pulled out to support your story. This week I found a set of family finger puppets on sale at Amazon for $2.49 and a set of animal finger puppets for $1.99. I have made some aprons and am offering them for $25.00 which includes shipping. Email me at sonlight52@yahoo.com if you are interested in purchasing a storytelling apron.

Pockets are also good for: holding magic markers for writing on boards, objects like a watch or other items that represent a story that you are telling, holding pieces for a flannel graph story, small handouts for your audience such as stickers and other manipulatives, small items for guessing games,and much, much more!

Improve Reading with these Bookmarks

I designed two bookmarks that are helpful for young readers. One highlights 25 words that make up 33% of the words that we read. Doesn't it make sense as teachers that we make sure our students can read these words?

A second bookmark allows a child to write down an unknown word as he is reading. Later it may be looked up and then the child has a record of new words. A small vocabulary has been a roadblock for many young readers. This bookmark can act as a review.

See the website Teachers Pay Teachers for these and more of my helps: www.teacherspayteachers.com
At this time all my teaching aids are listed at no cost to you. They are free.

T. A. Barron

Last week I attended and presented at the University of Southern Mississippi's Children's Book Festival. Each year the Conference honors an author with a Silver Madallion. The 2011 Award went to T.A. Barron for his contribution to Children's Literature. As I listened to him speak I was inspired by his thoughts. As he shared his desire to find a metaphor for the magic of story he offered these ideas: like an instrument playing beautiful music, or weaving a tapestry of colorful threads, or planting seeds. However, he decided that perhaps the best description is lighting a match where the flame burns brightly.

As encouragement to other children's writers, he recommended that you think about what you really love and also look to see what the world needs and put them together.

Barron spoke of how he thought young people are seen as a target market rather than our future. He feels strongly that we should let them know that they are more than consumers but creators of their lives, choices, and their own stories. This is one reason that he has created a Foundation called the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Awards are given annually to young people who are making a difference.(www.barronprize.org) Heroes are different from celebrities. Heroes are those whose actions are based on character, compassion, and wonder rather than fame. Many are unsung heroes in our communities that are simply choosing to do the right thing.

Other than his book, The Heroes Trail, his books are fantasies. I encourage you to check one out from the library.

The Power of Story

Creating a word picture or telling a story are the best ways to get messages across to children. A parent may discuss the importance of truthfulness but when the child hears the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf then consequences are easier to visualize. Many Folk Tales and Aesop Fables provide a background for teaching our children the importance of making right choices. Because of the child's limited experiences, it is hard for them to visualize the results of their actions. Stories provide open doors to see what could happen without the embarrassment of making a big mistake.