Peep Peep

Story Time with Sam E Circle... sit back and relax and enjoy the first Peep Peep book-- "Peep Peep Comes Home".

Peep Peep Quack Quack.mov

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Enjoy "Peep Peep, Quack Quack"-- a rap courtesy of Lunchpail Books
http://www.lunchpailbooks.com

Small Words are Better-- Lunchpail Books!

Have you visited our YouTube Channel?  Check it out and let me know what you think!
Thanks,
Johnnie Lunchpail
http://www.lunchpailbooks.com

Toast on my Tie

Children as Teachers!
Lunchpail Books
Being a parent can be a humbling experience… the special spirits that are under  your care and stewardship change your life forever.  Not only do you learn to let go of your natural selfishness- you learn to be humble.  One time years ago, when the kids were very young– I headed off to work early in the morning, giving hugs and heading out the door.   Half-way through the day someone pointed out something stuck to my tie.   And there it was, a small piece of toast– solidly affixed to my neck-tie via peanut butter and jelly.  It must have been transferred to me via a morning hug.  It was stuck there just like a tie-tack… about 1/2 inch square.  At first, I was horrified– all those meetings I went to, all those folks I interacted that never said a word.   Did they think toast was a fashion statement?  After the horror subsided, I removed the toast, wiped down my tie and laughed to myself… I realized then how lucky I was to express such a fashion statement… it said “Loving Dad”.   Kids are grown now, so I have to put my own toast on.

Here are some lessons that kids have taught us:

Great Truths About Life That Little Children Have Learned

• No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats.
• When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
• If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
• Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
• You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
• Reading what people write on desks can teach you a lot.
• Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
• Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a tic tac.
• Never hold a dustbuster and a cat at the same time.
• School lunches stick to the wall.
• You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
• Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
• The best place to be when you are sad is in Grandma’s lap.

The Power of Reading to Your Child

I think we will all agree that reading is paramount to success… and most of us enjoy the enrichment or escape found in a good book of any genre.  However, for those of us with a beginner reader in our lives—it may be challenging to pass on, your love of reading.  For many of us, reading was hard.  It takes lots of concentration and memorization at first.  Some of us (i.e. me) were and are lazy… reading just represented way too much work.

So how can we help our early readers feel the joy of successful reading—without necessarily making it feel like work?  One of the very best ways is to start young and read often to your child.  It is a wonderful bonding activity and there is nothing like curling up together and sharing a book.   Some are migrating to e-readers, but there is something wonderfully tactile about holding a book and turning the pages—perhaps I am old-fashion?  Yet, there have been times that one of our children’s books has fallen in the tub—and we recovered.  I am not so certain that we would have been so relaxed about a $400 e-reader lying beneath the bubbles.

No matter which camp you lie in—take the time to read together.  At what age would be a good time to start?  I would start at birth and start the habit and tradition.   I used to read a variety of things to the kids, including Shakespeare’s sonnets.  I got the idea from Dylan Thomas’s father, who did the same.  When Dylan’s mother commented that she was certain that the child did not understand a word—Dad replied, that was probably so, but he would learn that English can be a beautiful language.  I can see the impact on my children… their writing and word choices… languages (any) can be beautiful.

Once your child is aware and can sit and enjoy a story, you may start with picture books and talk about the pictures.  Once they get the feel of this whole book thing—I would then move to an early or easy reader with a controlled vocabulary and a fun rhyming scheme.  Dr. Seuss was the master at this.  Check books carefully—make sure there are not too many challenging or big words.  Another source is Lunchpail Books, which also use a controlled vocabulary and rhyming scheme.  Words are common easy words that are important for a child to learn to site-read.

Here are some other ideas you may wish to incorporate into your reading routine:
Reading is more than just saying words. It's a shared activity between children and caring adults. Children can also learn a great deal about language by hearing parents and grandparents read aloud. Children benefit most from reading aloud when parents:

• are enthusiastic about the experience.
• give children time to look at the pictures and encourage them to hunt for objects in the pictures.
• discuss stories with children.
• help children learn to identify letters and words.
• use an index finger underneath words so that children connect the print to the story.
• talk about the meaning of words.
• answer questions asked by children at the time they ask them.
• continually re-read children's favorite books.
• compare experiences in books with like experiences in children's lives.
• encourage children to read with them when phrases are repeated in a book.
• ask their children questions related to the book after reading to them.
• encourage children to make up their own stories. Parents can write down the stories and then read them back to children.

Help children to create their own books by using their own stories and cutting out magazine pictures, photos and/or children's art work.

Parents will want to keep plenty of books around for children to pick up and parents should set up a regular routine for reading such as nap time and/or bedtime.   How many books are in your home?
Children also get the impression that reading is valuable when they see their parents enjoy and benefit from reading. When parents read at home and check out library books for themselves, as well as their children, parents model the pleasure and importance of reading.

Children's Books in Multiple Languages

New book available at Lunchpail Books: (available in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Mandarin)

“Peep Peep Finds a Friend”

The child in all of us notices the superficial differences in everything around us; but from the standpoint of innocence-- diversity is neither good nor bad—we are just different.  Peep Peep’s new friend Gua Gua captures that diversity that draws us together, not apart.   Aren’t we more alike than we originally thought?  “Gua Gua” by the way is the sound ducks make in China.

“Peep Peep the duckling

Tries hard to obey,

But it is not easy

To be good all day.”

Don’t we all have trouble being good all day!

Peep Peep is the precocious duckling who stars in “Peep Peep Comes Home” and “Peep Peep Takes a Walk”.  This time while feeling a little bored meets an unusual looking duck named Gua Gua.  Peep Peep eggs Gua Gua along and before they realize it they are in the midst of another adventure.  Adventures when shared, bond acquaintances into friends. 

Not familiar with Lunchpail Books?  Lunchpail Books, specializes in early reader books….hmmm that doesn’t help—

What is an Early or Easy Reader Book?

Easy Readers are relatively new.  They really started in 1957 with The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel).  Before then illustrated books were mostly read-aloud stories designed to be read to children by adults or perhaps older children.  The Cat in the Hat was written with a controlled vocabulary limited to the 220-word Dolch vocabulary list.  This was ideal for the beginner reader.  This is what made Dr. Seuss so special and fun to read.  A trip to the bookstore or anywhere that is selling children’s books, you will still find a plethora of titles by the late author.  Very few other books offer such compelling story telling with such a controlled vocabulary

Lunchpail Books continues the tradition of fun, exciting easy reader books utilizing the same controlled or restrictive vocabulary.   Each book is careful crafted inside and out to provide children with sound foundation in independent reading.  We highly recommend that you start with the “Peep Peep” series and watch your early reader get excited about reading!

We are also pleased to announce that in keeping with the theme of diversity… we will be offering “Peep Peep Finds a Friend” in English, Spanish, French and Chinese…  Here Is a sample:

Peep Peep the duckling

Tries hard to obey,

But it is not easy

To be good all day.

小鸭很努力,

努力學乖乖。

乖乖不容易,

何況是整天。

Peep Peep la canette

Essaie de bien écouter.

Mais ce n’est pas facile

D’obéir toute la journée.

Reading- Building Hooks

We all know that reading and reading comprehension are paramount to success in our country or really anywhere in the world.   I was surprised to find out that my homeland (USA) ranks 21^st in literacy rates around the world.  We are behind Slovenia, Kazakhstan (wasn’t that where Borat came from?), Turkmenistan and Albania… just to name a few.  About 14% of Americans are functionally illiterate.

What’s going on?

I don’t really have a good answer, but think about this a lot.  I have talked with some illiterate folks and politely probed into what happened… most respond that they should have paid more attention in school, or in some cases did not do well in school so dropped out.  The surprising thing to me is that some of these folks actually graduated from high school!   I know my observations are strictly anecdotal, but I would not be surprised if this was a common thread.

Reading is indeed basic, but it is much more than just reading and understanding the words around you.  Reading and learning in general changes your brain:  I like to think of it like creating “hooks” that ideas, facts and thoughts can hang on to.   I used to be a professor and found that some of our older returning students really struggled with their first class back in school.  I would encourage them, having experienced the same feeling when I went back to school.  I believe that our “hooks” get rusty.  However, I found and many of these students also found that it got much easier as time went on.  I also believe that the original “hooks” were grown there from earlier learning experiences, mostly through reading.

Some children struggle with reading… I was one of them.   Reading was hard.   I could recognize words pretty well… but to sit down and enjoy reading…never!   Perhaps today, I would have been diagnosed with ADD, but I don’t know for sure.  I can tell you that I fumbled my way through reading time, often feeling traumatized in our reading groups.  However, I really loved Dr. Seuss.  Sadly, I was still reading and enjoying Dr. Seuss well past the target reading group… I think I was still popping out the “Dr. Seuss Sleep Book” or “If I Ran the Zoo” well into 5^th grade.   I enjoyed them… fanciful, rhythmic, easy!

I think I am still a slow reader, but can “sprint” when I need to—just not for long periods of time… I can scan a page in a few seconds, but to sit down and read through “Harry Potter” doesn’t appeal to me.  Consequently, I read principally non-fiction; and have learned a lot.  In spite of my challenges, I am passionate about reading the fundamental skill for life- long success… no matter where you live.

Now, I have turned the tables and am an author… not of novels, but children’s books.   I am trying my best to capture the fun that I did find in the books I read as a child… the silliness, the rhyme the rhythm. So, I have created Lunchpail Books.   I designed them for readers like me… it’s got to be fun… I want to be anxious to turn the page.

So, how do we improve literacy?

Encourage your child to read… have books in your house!  The library is great—but owning a book and being able to pull it out anytime, is a treat!  I have raised a bunch of kids… and I spent lots of time teaching them to read.   I am very proud that every one of them reads better than me.  Their minds have been expanded and their “hooks” are in place.

I have spent considerable time and effort bringing you high quality books that are designed for the beginner reader. The world of children’s books is quite competitive- so what makes us stand out?  Like the great Seuss, we use a very controlled vocabulary… this makes it easier for the young reader to read the words on their own.   Many other children’s books although delightful and more artfully illustrated—fail to use words appropriate for the early reader.  

Also, we have taken this one step farther, by including translations in Spanish, French, Italian, and even Chinese… written with the same careful vocabulary, rhythm and rhyme.  Take a look at our multiple languages.

To make book ownership, even more special we are offering personalization.   You can personalize each book with a message directed at him or her.  Think how special it will be for them to see their name in print!

See what you think… check it out and let me know!

http://www.lunchpailbooks.com

Key Is To Build Reading Activity Into Routine

Parents are continuously urged to have their children read or be read to… through out the year.  Now that summer is upon us, can we work reading into our “busy” schedules? 

Children who maintain their reading skills or younger ones who are read to on a daily basis will be on target for back-to-school or back-to-regular routines in the fall. Those who don't typically have to pay catch-up in the classroom, which can set the stage for a challenging year.

Do you have a reading routine?  Is there a set time each day to read?  Do your children see you read?  Some of us don’t necessarily run a tight schedule, and reading (which can appear boring) often gets left off the “to-do” list.  So how do we jump the boring hurdle?  Is it like eating your spinach?  Making your bed… let’s put some spark into reading.

The key is to make reading an event!  Make it special in some way… something to look forward to!  Here are some suggestions I found in About.com

Take advantage of weather by dangling the reading carrot in fun ways. Be adventurous and make it a game as to where you should read to your child and how. In warm weather, read next to a pond or lake, under a tree, by the pool, or even in the tree house. Be bold and carefree. One mother reads to her young child in their blow-up children's pool in the backyard during the summer months. Another mom finishes the much-anticipated daily trip to the park in the spring or fall by reading a book before they leave. Cold months can mix reading activities by having books about snowmen, snowfalls, winter holidays, or sports such as ice-skating. Day care centers or child providers can add reading fun into the mix by tying it into a planned activity for the week. If the theme for the week is "Under the Sea," then the books can be about the ocean or fish.

Consider a reading series. There are countless book series tailor made for your child's age, and a good experience with one means there is a high likelihood your child will enjoy others about the same characters. There are series on action heroes and princesses, popular characters such as Bob the Builder, the classic Dr. Seuss collection, and about young heroes and heroines. There are series about beginning school for the first time or about going on vacation. Older children like series such as Harry Potter.

Build reading into the schedule. Parents and child providers can and should build a reading activity into the daily schedule. While evening or before-bedtime are popular times to read, reading after breakfast or before children go to an activity, sets a routine that most children embrace. Providers can set a daily story time and let parents know what book is being read and how it matches enrichment and learning activities for the week.

Plan ahead with exciting books on vacation. Vacation is a prime time for reading enjoyment, when family is together and fun is in the plans. Reading is a great activity for around the pool or in the hotel room in the evening.

Build a reading activity into life's planning. Children of all ages should learn the connection between reading and knowledge. If your family is adding a flowerbed, have children read about how to prepare a bed and what flowers and shrubs are optimal for the area of the country and whether it is in sun or shade. Getting a new family pet? Read up on varieties of dogs, care required, and even stories about children and their pets first. Traveling somewhere? You guessed it, read all about your destination first and you and your children will have the added benefit of knowing more about the area when you arrive.

Involve the entire family. Studies show that moms have the tendency to read more to their children then dads, robbing both children and fathers of positive reading experiences. Make reading time with dad or grandpa a priority. Dads read books aloud with children differently then moms do, and children will flourish with the perspective and experience of both.

Ask for your child's feedback. Evaluation and discussion is an important part of a positive book-reading experience. Ask your child simple questions, such as: Did you like the book? Why or why not? Who was your favorite character? What was your favorite scene? Did you like how it ended? Would you like to read it again someday? Don't be surprised if your child wants to re-read the same book again! That means you did your job well and helped foster a love of reading.

Also, don’t forget to get the right book.  Find something with age appropriate vocabulary that a child we feel proud to know that they can read the book all by their selves.  There are many sources to find such books.   You may wish to star with Lunchpail Books, which promises books that are both fun and easy to read. 

You Tube Channel

Lunchpail Books is pleased to announce its official YouTube Channel.   Take a view at...

http://www.youtube.com/user/LunchpailBooks

Make sure you check out story time by SamECircle (Peep Peep).

Do You Love Pickles?

What do you love about pickles?

Here are some types...

Types of Pickles

• Fresh-pack (or quick process) pickles are cured for several hours in a vinegar solution or are immediately combined with hot vinegar, spices, and seasonings. Examples include dills, bread-and-butter pickles and pickled beets. Quick Process is what these instructions (below on this page) show. 

Other types are:

• Fermented pickles are vegetables soaked in a brine solution for 4 to 6 weeks. During this time, lactic acid bacteria, naturally present on the surface of vegetables, grows. Other microbes are inhibited by salt. The color of the vegetables changes from bright green to olive/yellow-green, and the white interior becomes translucent. Examples include dill pickles and sauerkraut. See this page, if you'd rather make fermented pickles.
• Refrigerated dills are cucumbers marinated for 1 day to 1 week in a salt and spice brine (in the fridge) and then stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. No canning is required! See this page for refrigerated dill pickle directions!
• Fruit pickles are whole or sliced fruit simmered in a spicy, sweet-sour syrup. Examples include spiced peaches and crabapples. See this page for directions to make spiced peaches!
• Relishes are made from chopped fruits or vegetables that are cooked to a desired consistency in a spicy vinegar solution. Examples include corn relish and horseradish. See this page for cucumber pickle relish directions!
• NEW! Low salt / reduced salt dill pickles

What do you love about pickles?

Lunchpail Books, new book: "I Love Pickles" coming soon...  what happens if you love pickles too much... read along sing along with Lunchpail Books

More on Where Stories Come From

On a previous blog, I shared a personal story that still makes me laugh.  However, the fabric of our lives is woven of tougher thread.   Our lives are a beautiful mix of tragedy and comedy.   Where we focus our mental and emotional energies has a profound impact on the way we perceive life in general.  We are here to learn, and it never hurts to ask ourselves “what did I learn from that experience”.

Here is an example from my life….

Date August 9, 1991:

Just celebrating my youngest son, Seth’s 8^th birthday. ..  We had just got home and were sitting around the table, and I was busy serving cake and ice cream.   Suddenly, there was a strange sound—sort of a rumbling.  As we lived out in the country, my first inclination was that a truck must be coming along our gravel lane.  Looked out the front… no truck.   Still carrying a plate with cake and ice cream, I casually looked out the back and same a little smoke.   My first assumption was that our neighbors were burning some leaves… but the rumbling still persisted.   It seemed to be coming from the garage.   I zipped over to the door into the garage and to my horror; the garage (with two cars) was in flames –floor to ceiling!

Got the family out the back and directly past the flaming garage just before the gasoline in one of the cars exploded shooting a fireball a hundred feet scorching the top of a nearby elm tree.   We watched in horror and disbelief as our house was engulfed in flames.  Fortunately a neighbor called the fire department (volunteer)… they were quite speedy, but I can tell you it seemed like an eternity as we watched this gas-fed fire start at one end of the house and rapidly burn it way across.   There we all stood, the kids frightened and shocked and me standing there barefoot on the gravel road.   The house burned for hours and the next day it was still smoldering.   It was a complete loss… nearly down to just the foundation.   Everything was lost…. Toys, pictures, albums, keepsakes, everything!   It was a tough time for all of us.   Now and then we would stop and just cry… that emotion needed to be released.  The youngest (Temple) was only 3 at the time.   She doesn’t have much recollection of the event.  At the time her favorite toy was one of those plastic Fisher-Price kitchen sets.  I took her back to her room to help understand.   I asked her… where is your kitchen?   She replied matter of factly, “It burned up.”   Where are your toys?  “They burned up” was her reply.  She did not seem to be upset. 

Perhaps she was just too young to comprehend what this all meant… or perhaps she knew what was really important.  We were all safe!  We made it out of a burning/exploding house… all safe.  We only had the close on our back—I didn’t even have shoes… but we were all safe.   Stuff is stuff.

I always knew that… it is just stuff…family is most important.  Deep down, I knew this, but to experience it was profound.   In Viktor Frankl’s books “Man’s Search for Meaning”, he discusses the meaning of life.  One way he writes, “… is to experience a value.”  This changed my life forever.   I am certain it did for the children as well… all six of them!  In different ways—Most of them still live a Spartan existence… not a lot of stuff accumulation, but comfortably.

There is much much more to the story, but for now this will suffice… experiencing a value does lead to the discovery of the meaning of life.

If you have had a life altering experience… please feel free to share it in the comment section.  Would love to publish them here.

--Johnnie
www.lunchpailbooks.com

 

Peep Peep on YouTube

A fun video trailer for the "Peep Peep" adventures put to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."  Let me know what you think!

Diversity and Ziblets

As a follow up to the diversity blog, found an interesting related study. 
The original article was called:
Childlike wonder good for memory

In a study conducted by Ohio State University researchers, adults had better recall of pictures of imaginary bugs than familiar animals like cats. Why? When we categorize people and objects, it lowers our ability to remember individual differences between them. In the first experiment, adults and children were shown pictures of animals such as cats, bears, and birds, and later asked to identify which pictures they had seen before. The younger the child, the better he or she did. In a second experiment, the real animals were swapped for imaginary creatures. From OSU Research News:

...In this new experiment, adults were shown three different types of imaginary, insect-like creatures that (cognitive science professor Vladimir) Sloutsky calls "ziblets." In this experiment, adults performed as well as children did in the first study in remembering which ziblets they had seen before without having many "false positives."

The difference here was that the adults had no previous knowledge that allowed them to easily categorize the ziblets without paying close attention to each picture.

"They remembered them because they had to pay close attention," Sloutsky said. "They remembered the details."

So what does this have to do with diversity? Adults rely on that mental categorization of our environment… I believe in young children things are more or less equal.  Wow! You’re different!  Now let’s play.

Do you agree?

Diversity for Children?

What is diversity?  In the corporate world this usually refers to race-- Sometimes to physical abilities.  Isn’t diversity much deeper than that?  Isn’t the surface differences, color, size, abilities, etc…just that- superficial?  Isn’t background, perspective, personality, background add much more to the interaction?  How do children approach diversity?

During preschool years, children begin to notice physical aspects of identity. At about age 2, children become increasingly aware of gender. This is followed by curiosity about skin color, hair color and texture, eye shape and color, and other physical attributes. Awareness of disabilities tends to come later; however, some toddlers begin noticing more obvious disabilities, such as a person using a wheelchair. Usually between the ages of 2 and 3, children will begin to notice cultural aspects of gender influence. For example, they may take note of the fact that girls tend to play with dolls while boys play with trucks. They may also begin to recognize ethnic differences, noticing that children eat different foods and celebrate different holidays or, conversely, do not celebrate or recognize certain holidays. As they begin to notice differences, 2-year olds may show signs of "pre-prejudice"-they may act afraid or uncomfortable. Not necessarily possessing the vocabulary to express their concerns, they may avoid or ignore a child they perceive to be different.

Or perhaps, they really don’t care.  As adults we tend to look and judge things based on our world view.  That person is different… that is good or that is bad.  I don’t believe young children look at the world that way… we just project our adult perspective on them.   I think it is more like puppies… some are black, some are brown, some are white, some spotted, etc.  Don’t you think children view others like puppies?  They may learn from their environment to attach some judgment to individuals, but they pretty much start with a clean slate.

In “Peep Peep Finds a Friend”, I take that child-like perspective on diversity.  Oh, look at you… you look different than me… cool let’s play!  This is the third book in the series and Peep Peep’s new friend “Gua Gua” is an odd duck!  Literally, we never learn what kind of duck Gua Gua is or even if it is a male or female.  When you are a duckling, it doesn’t really matter.   Well, in reality baby ducks are imprinted on recognizing like kind, but for our story it doesn’t really matter.  A friend is friend.

Have you ever had a discussion with a child about diversity?  What were the circumstances and how did it go?

Johnnie

Foniks versus Whole Language

Did you learn to read phonetically or by sight (whole language) reading?   You may not know.  

There seems to be a battle between the phonics camp and the whole language camp—but which is the bet way to learn to read?  There are arguments for both sides, but my opinion is the sight-reading or whole language is the way to go.  Why?  Phonetics is based on a false premise… that there are actually consistent rules when dealing with English.   Is this were so, then we would be spelling it “fonetiks”.

If you want to read fast—you have to shift to sight-reading.   Yes, you will use “foniks” to “sound out” a word… then it gets filed into the brain into the sight-reading mechanism.

Here is some background on this battle—let me know which side you lean—

Proponents of phonics point to a purported decline in reading test scores in the 1990s that they saw as a result of whole language instruction and "scientific" studies that indicated phonics instruction produced better reading scores than other methods. Whole language advocates point to other reasons to explain those instances of declining reading scores such as students living in poverty and to ethnographic studies of students in classrooms to support their position. As shown in Figure 1, reading scores for students as reported by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress showed little change from 1992 to 2005.

Figure 1: National Assessment of Educational Progress 4th Grade Reading Scores 1992-2005

As education moved from the home into schools in the eighteenth century, textbooks were developed to teach reading. The McGuffey Readers were among the first of these. They consisted of a graded series of books that are now called a basal reading series. The first and secon d grade books were specially written to include stories that emphasized the sounds of letters in words, but the readers for older students were anthologies of stories drawn from a variety of sources. As well as helping teach reading, the McGuffey readers emphasized values like the rich helping the poor and being kind to animals. Teaching in the eighteenth century tended to be teacher-centered with students doing a lot of rote memorization.

At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the Progressive Education Movement pushed for instruction that focused more on the interests of students and what science was discovering about teaching and learning. More and more stories were included in basals that emphasized particular sounds or other targeted reading skills. These specially written stories with controlled vocabularies were often of little interest to students and did not include ethnic minority characters. In the 1950s the "Dick and Jane" readers published by Scott Foresman used a "whole word" approach to teaching reading where words were repeated on each page enough times that, according to behaviorist research, students could remember them.

Phonics proponents led by Rudolph Flesh in his 1955 book Why Johnny Can't Read attacked the whole word approach because it did not get students into reading children's stories that did not have carefully controlled vocabularies. Phonics advocates focus their efforts on the primary grades and emphasize the importance of students being able to sound out (read) words based on how they are spelled. A problem with English is that it does not have a one-to-one sound symbol relationship that would make reading much easier. The many homonyms in English such as to, too, and two create difficulties for students, even at the university level in regard to spelling.

While knowing basic phonetic rules helps students sound out words, other very common "outlaw words" still need to be memorized as sight words because they don't follow any but the most complicated rules. It is estimated about half the words in the English language cannot be pronounced correctly using commonly taught phonic rules. Other problems with phonics include the differing size of students' vocabularies and differing dialects of English that vary in their pronunciation rules

Phonics is considered a "bottom up" approach where students "decode" the meaning of a text. The advantage of phonics, especially for students who come to schools with large vocabularies, is that once students get the basics down, they can go to the library and read a wide variety of children's literature.

Whole language is a currently controversial approach to teaching reading that is based on constructivist learning theory and ethnographic studies of students in classrooms. It is particularly associated with the work of Ken and Yetta Goodman at the University of Arizona. With whole language, teachers are expected to provide a literacy rich environment for their students and to combine speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Whole language teachers emphasize the meaning of texts over the sounds of letters, and phonics instruction becomes just one component of the whole language classroom.

Whole language is considered a "top down" approach where the reader constructs a personal meaning for a text based on using their prior knowledge to interpret the meaning of what they are reading. Problems associated with whole language include a lack of structure that has been traditionally supplied by the scope and sequence, lessons and activities, and extensive graded literature found in basal readers. Whole language puts a heavy burden on teachers to develop their own curriculum.

So, where do you stand?  Whole Language or Phonics?

Phonics versus Whole Language

© Jon Reyhner, Northern Arizona University, Revised December 13, 2008

Read Together

In Diane Frankenstein’s book; “Reading Together: Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read”, She highlights 11 elements to help accomplish this…

Eleven Essential Elements—to raise a child who loves to read
1. A child’s desire to learn to read comes from being read to.
2. Enthusiasm and passion for stories are contagious. Don’t waste precious time trying to convince your child of the importance of reading—just read them good stories.
3. Children need confidence to be good readers and confidence comes from understanding a story.
4. Be creative and find other times in a day—not just bedtime—when reading can happen. How about a poem with breakfast? How about a short story with a snack? How about one chapter with dessert at dinner?
5. A child’s reading will improve the more they enjoy reading.
6. Conversations are where children first learn many of the skills they need to learn to read. Talk with children about the story, the pictures, and their reaction to the book.
7. Offer children books that speak to both their reading level and their developmental readiness for the story.
8. Expect your child to love reading and support that expectation by helping them find their “home-run” books—books that tap into their curiosity and interests, stories where they care about the characters and what happens to them.
9. Keep the love of story alive. While your child hones his/her reading skills, encourage him/her to return to the picture books and early reads he loved when he was little—you are never too old to read a 32-page picture book!
10. Don’t interrupt the reading of the story with explanations or editorials. A child can easily become annoyed and frustrated with too many interruptions.
11. Slow down. Encourage your child to read fewer books and know them well. Children need comprehension—not speed—to be good readers.

3 Strategies to Create a Love of Reading in Young Children

Parenting on its own can feel daunting… among general care, teaching, cleaning, cooking, washing, coaching, tolerating, etc… we also need to get specific with teaching… specifically teaching reading!  But “We were not trained as reading teachers, let alone trained as parents!”  There are a myriad of parenting styles (and learning styles) and there is definitely not a “one size fits all” when comes to helping children learn to read.

Strategy 1:   Expose readers to a restricted or controlled vocabulary…

Reading is a very complex process. Not all words can be read using simple phonic rules. Many important words need to be learned by sight. Teach only the simple and common words at first. The knowledge of 400 key words called Dolch Words, is all a young child needs to be able to read well.

Limit the initial reading vocabulary.
Reading is a very complex process. Not all words can be read using simple phonic rules. Many important words need to be learned by sight. Teach only the simple and common words at first. The knowledge of 400 key words called Dolch Words, is all a young child needs to be able to read well.

            --OK, The Dolch words???” what???   Just a list of about 400 words that young children should be able to recognize and read on sight.  Dr. Seuss used this list in crafting many of his books.   This is what made his work so appealing… a beginner reader could read the book “all by myself”.    So where do you find books with controlled vocabulary like the Dolch list?   Check for codes on the books such as from Random House and others (more on this in future blogs).  Also, please feel free to check out the books on Lunchpail Books.  At www.lunchpailbooks.com you will find books crafted with the same controlled vocabulary…  Soooo-- grab a couple of Dr. Seuss books and checkout the “Peep Peep” series.

• “Peep Peep Comes Home”
• “Peep Peep Takes a Walk”
• “Peep Peep Finds a Friend”

Strategy 2:  Read to Children…

Scientific research can inform beginning reading instruction. We know from research that reading is a language-based activity. Reading does not develop naturally, and for many children, specific decoding, word recognition, and reading comprehension skills must be taught directly and systematically. We have also learned that preschool children benefit significantly from being read to.

The evidence suggests strongly that educators can foster reading development by providing kindergarten children with instruction that develops print concepts, familiarity with the purposes of reading and writing, age-appropriate vocabulary and language comprehension skills, and familiarity with the language structure.

Substantial evidence shows that many children in the 1st and 2nd grades and beyond will require explicit instruction to develop the necessary phoneme awareness, phonics, spelling, and reading comprehension skills. But for these children, this will not be sufficient.

For youngsters having difficulties learning to read, each of these foundational skills should be taught and integrated into textual reading formats to ensure sufficient levels of fluency, automaticity, and understanding.

Strategy 3:  Practice, Practice, Practice…

The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day.
I sat there with Sally. We sat there, we two.
And I said, "How I wish we had something to do!"
-from “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss -

Where you aware that 38% of all fourth graders in the United States can't read the first line from Dr. Seuss’ classic?  Is your child one of them?  Does your child struggle, hesitate, and torture words while reading? He or she is one of 7 million elementary-aged children who is performing below his or her reading potential.

Now is the time to pass on the legacy of love a reading to your children or a child in your life!  Stop by your local library, amazon.com or enjoy reading the adventures of “Peep Peep” to your child.  Pass on the love!

Johnnie Lunchpail

The Shoe Shovel

The Shoe Shovel

Finally, a solution to part of the problem…

The Shoe Shovel

(Courtesy of Stupid Inventions)

Shoe Shovel on You Tube

I love handling dog feces just as much as the next guy, but it’s the smell I can’t stand. Using my hands, the smell gets a little to close to my nostrils for comfort. The Shoe Shovel eliminates any hand-to-dog-feces contact, leaving you, if all works out, relatively scentless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O22KKy9d5g8&feature=player_embedded

from http://www.gearfuse.com/shoe-shovel-eliminates-hand-to-poop-contact/

How to Get Dog Poop Off Your Shoes

In follow up from my previous post—never really thought there was a proper remedy for “Poo on My Shoe”. (POMS)… From eHow

How to Get Dog Poop Off the Soles of Your Shoes

Yuck! Dog poop on the soles of your shoes is not only smelly and gross, it is not something you want tracking into the house.
Those of us with multiple dogs have learned a trick or two about cleaning dog poop out of the soles of our shoes.

Instructions

1.    Step 1

If you are likely to step in poop when you go out to clean your yard, two things help. First, get in the habit of a daily poop pickup. Second, keep a pair of those plastic clogs by the door and use those for pickup duty. They are easy to hose off if you step in something nasty and you won't track any inside.

2.    Step 2

If there is snow on the ground, hop up and down in it, moving around and stomping until you are not leaving brown tracks behind. If the poop is fresh this will get it right up.

Wiping your feet on grass can actually smoosh the poo into the treads of your shoes. Instead, jump up and down. Find a puddle or a hose, wash off your soles and continue jumping in clean grass until they get clean.

3.    Step 3

If none of this is feasible, you have to hold your nose and use warm soapy water and a brush. The hotter the water, the more that lovely aroma will drift up to your face so practice holding your breath! Leather shoes should be polished afterwards because the soapy water can dry out the leather.

4.    Step 4

When all else fails or if the poop is starting to dry, use your dishwasher on the pots and pans scrub cycle. This works great on athletic shoes. I do suggest you empty out all the dishes first. Then put them in an old pillowcase along with a couple of fabric softener sheets and run them through the dryer.

This was posted as a handy tip… (for those that are proactive)

• Dogs fed cheap, high grain kibbles usually have softer and smellier poop.

Do You Find This Offensive?

Do you find this offensive?

Is farting an appropriate subject matter for children’s books?  What are your thoughts?

Does this have more appeal for boys versus girls? 

I, (Johnnie Lunchpail) am playing with the text for a story, currently titled “There’s Poo On Shoe.”  Am I crossing the line of good versus poor taste?  Or will kids enjoy reading a “giggle” story?  Would this encourage boys to read more?  Fart more?  Or perhaps there is no gender bias at all.

There is a child in each of us… I know for sure there is an adolescent boy that lurks in my psyche – I still giggle at farting?

Let me know your thoughts….The Gas We Pass

Would “There’s Poo On My Shoe” be crossing the line of taste and acceptability to readers and Moms and Dads?