This post is sponsored by Reading Rainbow Skybrary Family. All opinions are my own. Please view my disclosure. I look around my house and see multiple little bookshelves filled with great children’s books. The reality is my kids want to read the same 5 or 6 books over and over for months at a time. At bedtime when we read together as a family, all the kids pile up on … [Read more...]
Letter of the Day Activities for Preschool
We don’t buy fancy supplies for our homeschool preschool work. I want to teach my children to use what they have first so they do not always think they have to buy new. It certainly has made our budget as a one-income household work much better to live this way. It was easy enough to put together letter of the day activities on a budget. My oldest daughter was a kid that … [Read more...]
Calendar Time in Preschool at Home
Calendar time or circle time is a great way to start the day in preschool at home. It also allows for some repetition that is necessary for preschool age children. This is a time for learning big concepts in little bites. Preschool at home was a great experience for my daughter and me. I really enjoyed the extra time we had together and since I was a teacher before having … [Read more...]
Pre-Reading Skills ABC Book Word-Matching Game
Children do not have to be reading to be exposed to reading skills. When my kids are in preschool we start looking more at the initial letters of different words. All that means is when I read the word "dog" in a book, I ask my child what letter is first. It is a simple way when we are reading together to connect reading with letter identification. This gives preschoolers … [Read more...]
Easy ABC Poster and Alphabet Learning Game
This ABC poster and alphabet learning game is an easy one to create with your children so that they can see you writing each letter and work on pre-reading skills. You do not have to be an artist to do this. How often for your kids ask you to draw a picture for them, or add a special drawing to their artwork? My preschoolers have always enjoyed when I would draw something on … [Read more...]
Teaching Children to Care for Books
It can be nerve-wracking letting your child 'read' books since many pages get ripped, pulled out, and chewed. I tried my best to supervise my children when they were infants and toddlers to help eliminate the need for constant book repair. We keep the board books lower on the shelf so the younger ones can't reach the books with paper pages, but this does not always work out … [Read more...]
DIY Books for Babies and Toddlers
Creating DIY books for babies is a simple way to introduce babies and toddlers to reading and books while creating an infant activity they can play with for months and years. I made DIY books for my oldest daughter (baby #2) when she was less than a year old and we still have the book I made for her 4 years later! They are pretty sturdy , but you should always supervise. … [Read more...]
7 Tips to Encourage Reading and Writing Skills in Young Children
[Guest Post by Janis Cox] With 7 simple tips, you can encourage reading and writing skills in your children. Studies are showing that the earlier children are shown words, the earlier they will make the connection between symbols and language. Early squiggles from children are important – … [Read more...]
Learning Animal Names with Name Tags
My kids were playing with their toy animals a lot. I noticed that my toddler already knew the animal names, and my oldest was nearly at reading age. In the midst of one of their pretend play sessions, I asked them if they wanted to make name tags for the animals. They are usually game for a fun activity! With items we already had at home, I made some simple name tags for … [Read more...]
Books on CD Recorded by You
My husband deployed for a year back when my oldest son was 6 months old. It was a job of mine to teach my son about his dad. Without the daily interactions of a parent and an infant, that memory of "dad" would not be established. It is a reality for families whose breadwinner travels a lot. Our solution was to do a few things to keep my husband present in our daily life and one … [Read more...]
Exposure to Print: Make a Word Wall
This post contains affiliate links. Please view my disclosure. A word wall is an activity that I start when my children are toddlers. It is part of our homeschool preschool activities, and I know that it helps my children learn to read with confidence. Play does matter in the lives of young children, but we can also teach them along the way. A word wall is a great way to use … [Read more...]
Instilling the Love of Learning by Reading
Starting in infancy, when your child is home with you, you are able to devote so much one-on-one time to them and with them. They learn that they are important; they learn that they have something to contribute to you. I feel important when another adult takes the time to talk with me and focus on what I have to say; it is not different with children. They relish the focus … [Read more...]