Cure for the Reluctant Reader- Magic School Bus CHAPTER BOOKS, yes I said chapter books

I have heard so many parents say "Magic School Bus, well I really do not like those books."  Parents admit they are really good informational books, but they just do not like how cluttered they are.  Oh but the TV show, WOW parents LOVE the tv show. And personally I too am a big fan of the show, but not the books!  I have since discovered that MOST parents have yet to discover the CHAPTER books, and it is my honor to introduce them to you if you have not yet been introduced.  I LOVE these books!  My 2nd grade science curriculum was based off these books!  These books were so good I had my son read them TWICE! Science, fun and adventure!!!  Who could go wrong with that?

 These books are geared to 7 to 10  year old's, and grades 2nd to 5th.  I found that each book I enjoyed adding experiments and other information to help bring it to life.

 The main series there are 20 books.  There is a wide variety of themes like bats, bones, whale watching, space, twisters, space travel insects sharks, electricity, and much more.  It has all the same kids you have come to love on the show.  And each book has a different child's point of view!

  Mrs Frizzle is , well, still Mrs. Frizzle.  Dorathy Ann is still the know it all, Carlos still tells jokes, Pheobe still says "at my old school" Arnold is still worried about everything and Liz is still so darn cool!  Can you tell even I am still a fan after all these years! 

After the main series there are a few Magic Bus Fact Finders for like bats, space and bones and there are 4 additional books on like Flodds and earthquakes.  I hope that you check these out and that your children will find them as fun as we did and get a little more science in!

Cure for Reluctant Readers- Max Axiom Sneaks in Some Science

I believe a reluctant reader is really just a child who has not found a great book!  There are so many books out there!  Some required to read, some really boring and some children really can not relate to at all!  But writers have become aware that there is one technique that kids really love, GRAPHIC NOVELS and they can even sneak in a little science lesson in too!  Double bonus!  Kids are happy, parents are happy and teachers are happy!

My son has really enjoyed these new graphic novel about science With Max Axiom!!!  Max acquired super powers from being struck by lightening!  When he awoke he realized that he could  change his size, he became super smart and started teaching science in a super cool way!  Max Axiom tackles many scientific concepts like Investigating The Scientific Model, force and motion, and states of matter.  There are just to many titles to list!  There are at least 20 of them ranging from physics, chemistry, biology, and more!

These are geared for 8 to 14 year olds or 3rd to 4th grade reading level.  But trust me, Even as an adult reading through this series I still learn something new!

I hope that others will enjoy these little gems as much as we are!

Cure for Reluctant Readers- Hank the Cow Dog

It's me Hank the Cow Dog (not really)  head of ranch security, and I hear there are some little cowboys that are considered relookant, reluckant, reluctant readers.  That just means that they have not found any books that they love to read.  It is my job to give these little cowboys and girls some good yarns to follow and  as head of ranch security, I go on many adventures and meet many different friends.

On my many adventures I meet many interesting characters.  First there is Drover, my trusty right hand man who seems to always have a bad leg when there is danger.  Then the love of my life Beulah, oh Beulah, my beautiful collie.  Only problem is she thinks she is in love with a stupid bird dog names Plato.  But then there is Missy Coyote, but her dumb brother Scraunch want to kill me.  I sure have had some good times with Rip and Snort the coyote brother, but they are not the smartest coyotes.  Have I mentioned Pete, Pete the barncat!  Pete is just your typical dumb cat!    Then there is Madame Moonshine a mystic owl who helped me once get out of a little problem with Rufus the doberman pincer.

Then there are the humans.  First there is Slim Chance, he is just a ranch hand, but he treats me and Drover good and sometimes gives me bits of his sandwiches.  He often takes me out to help him work or into town and that can lead to an adventure or 2.  But lets just say he has saved me a few times from trouble, like when I was almost caught by the animal patrol. Then there is Little Alfred, Sally Mays son.  Little Alfred  and Hank have a special relationship and Hank says it is his sacred duty  "to protect and defend all innocent children against all manner of monsters and evil things."

I sure can spin a yarn or two or maybe about 65 of them.  There are plenty of books to read for our little cowboys and cowgirls.  I have been framed for eating chickens, made Sally May mad at me for eating my steaks, saved Madame Moonshine from the coyotes, Lived with the coyotes for awhile, drank mop water and took on Rufus, had adventures with a violin playing fox, saved a littler of cats and many many more!

And if you can't get enough of me, you can listen to my adventures on long car rides and all through the day on CD's.  You will love to hear my songs like "Ignoramus"  , "Don't Get Your News From a Chicken" or "Trudy Trudy What a Beauty" on the Cd's and you can even get the greatest hits CD's.

You can also visit the official Hank the Cowdog website!

3 BIG CHEERS for Cub Scouts!!!

In the midst of the past political controversy surrounding the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, I feel that I would love to share what I think is so wonderful about Cub Scouts. 

Cub Scouts is for boys first grade through fifth grade.  In First they are Tigers, they get a handbook and they have to complete X amount of achievements to earn their badge, then 2^nd is Wolves, 3^rd is Bears, and 4^th and 5^th are Webelos.   They are also going to earn their Bobcat badge, which covers the basic of Cub Scout like the Law of the Pack, Meaning of Webelos, Hand Shake, Salute, Motto, Child Protection Exercises,  and Cub Scout Promise.  Once they have mastered these, they get their Bobcat badge.   Every level has their own activities to accomplish and the activities are really useful life skill  and character building activities.

This week my son wrapped up earning his Bear badge and I thought that this would be a great time to share some of the activities that he did to earn his badge and some of the wonderful activities he did all year.

Once they passed 2^nd grade they could begin working on their Bear badge over the summer.  So over the summer we visited museums, took 4 long hikes where he learned about hiking safety. Through the summer he  kept reviewing the safety tips, like what to do if you get lost and how to plan for a hike.  He learned the basic rules for bike safety,  how to maintain his bike,  and we took long bike rides.  He had activities that helped him plan camping trips, family outings and picnics.

In the fall they had a camp out where Cub Scouts from all over the area got together for a weekend of Cub Scouting fun!  The families could stay overnight together and on Saturday morning the fun really began!  We had the flag ceremony and breakfast, then we went to several planned activities!  First there was an wonderful team building actives, my favorite to watch was when the boys had to work together to get a ball into  a bin in the middle of a large circle, BUT they could NOT enter the circle and all the had was string, a rubber band, teamwork and brain power!   They made food on outdoor campfires, made a shield, shot bb guns and did archery .  We had a beautiful impromptu hike to a gorgeous view and the greatest and funniest thing was the Polar Bear Plunge!!!  Now we live in Alaska, this is in Late September, where there is frozen ice on the ground and it is COLD outside!!  The boys earned a badge for plunging into the lake in their swim trunks ( mine went in 7 times)

Throughout the rest of the year we did many different activities.  Things that I came to realize I probably would have never thought of doing on my own, but were important none the less.  Like he worked on knife safety and how to cut with a knife.  I had never thought  about teaching him to sharpen a knife, but we did it and he had a great time.  They even lay out guidelines for knife safety and they can earn a card pledging that they will abide by the safety rules.  He learned how to tie knots, about tools  and every year he makes something.  We visited a police station and learned about law enforcement, cooking, money management, sports and being a leader!  We went bowling as a pact and had a Christmas party.

There are the yearly events that we participate in like the Pine Wood Derby.  The boys will take a chunk of pinewood, shape it and paint it and we will meet and they will compete for whose car is the fastest.  In the fall we have popcorn sales.  I love this personally, to see my son be mature and asking people to please buy popcorn to help support the many great activities that Cub Scouts offers.

I even have to admit, as a homeschooling mother, I get really bored of our curriculum sometimes and it is actually fun to use our achievement and  sports and academia book to use for learning activities!  We had a day where we played math money games like Payday for math,  there are endless science activities, we wrote friendly letters for writing and so on.

One of my most valued favorites of cub scouts is that every year the achievements emphasis preparedness in emergencies.  You visit fire stations and learn what to do in case of a fire.  Just the other day he drew out the house, the escape routes and we did mock fire drills.  I had him in a room near the garage and I asked him what he would do if the other way was blocked, how would he get out.  I was really surprised to see that he said he could not go out the garage because his father said that he was never to go into the garage alone.  This is so important that I was so very glad that I had the opportunity to clarify with him that in this instance it was okay!  I love how in all the achievement books they will have sections about safety, in Bears it is “Information Please”  where we discuss what to do in various emergencies.  This is really just something I forget to do, and I am so thankful to get the opportunity to do it with my son.

In addition to the Bear Book, there is the Academic and Sports Book, this is where the boys can earn belt loops and pins.  There is an AMAZING variety of activities for the children to accomplish and grow from!  It ranges from art, to bowling, soccer, video games, science, weather and so on and on.  Then there are the Conservation awards and Outdoor Ethics Award. 

At the end of the year my son feels really good about all the things that he has accomplished, learned and all the friends he gets to share great times with.  Please take the time to consider scouting, you can join any time of the year.  It really is a great opportunity for young boys in helping them to be prepared for life!

"Twas the Night before..." POV on reciting

My love affair with Clements "Twas the Night Before Christmas" started when I was a Junior at Lake Oswego High School.  All the smart kids in advanced English got to recite this poem, while dummy me was stuck with boring old dusty books.  I do not know how I got this weird gene, but I love memorizing and reciting.  So since I was deprived, I gave my children the gift of reciting this very old poem from 1823.  But that was not enough, now my son gets to work on reciting things like  The Gettysburg Address,  The Declaration of Independence, the periodic table , presidents and more!!!  Now it seems to me that memorizing and reciting have gone out of fashion, but I truly believe they have a lot of value and much to teach.

First, they make a good backbone for learning.  They teach and familiarize you with vocabulary and concepts.  There are many big ideas in the famous speeches and documents of history, that it gives you opportunity to break down and explain.  To learn a larger vocabulary you first need to have word in your long term storage for retrieval at later dates and when you are already familiar with these vocabulary words it will then be easier for your brain to retrieve when needed.

Second, it teaches the child HOW to break learning down, and how to build on earlier learning.  For example, when we are learning a poem or speech, we will read it many times to familiarize ourselves with it, then we will start with the first sentence and slowly build on that sentence.  With "Twas the night before Christmas"  I even had my son write it out and it makes a really nice book for a Christmas present.  I think so many children are just NOT taught HOW to learn.  How to break things down into learn-able pieces.  How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

Third it teaches patience, practice and perseverance.  I  think that those are the 3 most undervalued words, yet the MOST IMPORTANT words in the English language.  Those 3 words change lives.

And fourth, a sense of accomplishment.  The sense of pride that you know these great pieces.  To be able to spout off your great knowledge and understanding.  I believe positive experiences breed more positive experiences.  Children like that feeling of knowing something special and yes the ohhhs and ahhs.  I love to hear my son recite "Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Always remember, though.  Use it or lose it.  Until these pieces are moved into long term storage in the brain, they will begin to lose bits and parts and sometimes all.  It took a lot of practice for me to keep Clements poem in my mind, but every December I pull out my old and trusty note card out of my jewelry box and refresh my memory.

Junior Rangers National Park Services

Last summer my family toured the inside passage of Alaska, where we discovered an amazing (and free) program through the National Park Service called the Junior Ranger Program!  I can not rave about it enough!  Basically, we went into a participating National Park Services building and told them we were interested in their program and we walked out with a borrowed backpack full of goodies to help us learn about the park, a checklist of things to do and learn and when we returned with the goodies and everything was checked off our son was sworn in as a Jr Ranger.

First we enjoyed Skagway, Alaska, a boom town in the Gold Rush Days.  They let us borrow a really neat backpack with old fashioned toys, a check list of places to visit, games and learning information about the olden days.  Since we were stuck in Skagway (poor us) because our boat had problems, it gave us so many fun and interesting things to do in the little town and we really got to dive deep into the history.  And again it was FREE!

Then once our boat was fixed we headed down to Sitka, Alaska and they had an AMAZING program there!  They had a wonderful backpack full of awesome learning material and tools to beach comb, a pamphlet of things to accomplish to get a Jr Ranger Badge, and again FREE!!!  We had such a wonderful time and such a wonderful adventure.

Now our son needs to visit one more park and he will become a special Alaska Adventure Ranger award!  There are so many parks to choose from and we will get to learn about the rich environment  and history.  I Googled this and YES, there should be a adventure near you too, ANYWHERE in the USA!  Go to the Juniors Rangers site  http://www.nps.gov/kids/jrRangers.cfm  and find a wonderful adventure for you and your family!

Teaching the ABC's in 3 easy steps

This morning I overheard a commercial where the father was worried about his preschooler learning the ABC's  and to the rescue comes a computer web site, because he is the father, not the teacher.  Well I know you parents have heard this before....  But YOU are your child's first teacher.  And honestly, I can see why a parent may not feel empowered, but I am here to help.  Teaching your child their ABC's really is not hard or technical.  It is really quite easy.  Just do these 3 things OFTEN (practice makes perfect kind of thing), even from the day you bring your child home from the hospital and your child is guaranteed to get them down pact. I am even going to give you a bonus to help them transition into reading!  I personally have raised 2 children, my daughter who is a typical learner had them down by 3 and my son who is not a typical learner had them down by 18 months.

First step, and this is easy.... SING YOUR HEART OUT, sing your ABC's over and over again and AGAIN.  You can even start this at birth, sing when you change a diaper, walk them around calming them, in the car, anywhere and anytime.  Sing with them as they learn the song and encourage them to sing it to you often, you can even get geeky and teach them the alphabet in sign language.  You see, you want your child to know the letter "w" but how often do we go around saying "w"???  The name is not in the brain and if it is not in the brain, then it is harder for them to retrieve "W" when they need it and they can feel frustrated.  But the alphabet song is fun and easy, and your child will be able to retrieve the letter.

Second step I used ... READ!  Oh my, every parent should get Dr. Suess's ABC book!!!  Read it and read it and read it some more!  I read this book so often that I could tell it to you by heart!  While you read, talk and point out letters, and really expose them to this book.  You really do not want to know how often we read this book!!!  There are so many other great Alphabet Children's books out there, hundreds and hundreds to choose from.  Just Google Alphabet books and the world of letters will open up to you!  Some extra advice, once they start mastering their ability to recognize the letters by sight, then start going over it using the phonic sounds!!!  This is an AWESOME way to build a reader without lots of frustration, and it is natural and easy!  I tried this and I had a son who was a phonetic reader at 3 and my daughter was reading Junie B Jone chapter books at the beginning of Kindergarten.

Third step, when you are out, just point out letters and take that boring moment when you are waiting for something to review letters, really simple!

Teaching your child their alphabet is really easy,  not fancy, not expensive and really no need for a web site.  But I do have to admit that I do actually like Starfall and it is free.  But what I love the most, is the bonding time, sharing the moment, the enthusiasm and the love.  Like everything in life, you have to practice a lot, you have to put in the effort, but it is well worth the time and the bonding is priceless!