Young boys and girls will love learning rhyming and developing phonemic awareness with silly songs. Rhyming songs have young children laughing, singing along, and dancing. They also provide spontaneous laughter, boost their memory, and encourage them to make up rhymes. A collection of silly songs for kids can enliven the day and make long car […]

They are the perfect read-aloud. Parents and grandparents of young children will watch them dance to the music of diversity, acceptance, respect, and kindness. My whimsical books are perfect for developing intergenerational relationships. The bond between old and young is cemented as they cuddle and converse about the characters gaining a sense of self with […]

Yesterday, I could easily hear a conversation when walking my dogs in the neighborhood. Three teenage girls were several steps in front of us. They were giggling and making pinky swears. “Friends forever!” one shrieked, and the other two echoed. I smiled and thought, “You are so lucky to enjoy each other now, but when […]

Teach your children how to build friendships. For example, suggest they listen to others speak without interrupting and be understanding and compassionate. Make them laugh and smile. Then, listen to them when they tell you they are hurt or insulted. If your actions hurt others, they will not want to be with you, let alone be […]

Stories, like mirrors, should help children reflect on what they see and know about their world. Also, reading or listening to a story about someone like themselves is powerful. Books also let them visualize and understand different lives. When choosing stories, a teacher or parent should choose ones with images of various identities and the […]

“Read to me books” build language skills: increase vocabulary, and enrich social language skills, both expressive, (speaking) and receptive (understanding).  By reading daily with your child, you can encourage literacy skills like predicting, retelling, sequencing, and summarizing that they will need when they begin to read. Before you read the book to the child, here […]