Book Update: May 2014

Whew! April was a MUCH better reading month for me. Sometimes it's SO freeing to say, "I'm not enjoying this, and I'm going to stop reading it now." I've had some terrific reads this month, and I'm really excited about the books in my pile for May.

Books I finished:
(P.S. I'm totally cheating and counting finished books up through yesterday.)
(Affiliate links used, which means if you purchase the book, I'll receive a small commission. Please view my disclosure policy for more information.)

1. The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle--three stars


2. Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein--three stars


3. Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan--four stars
Oh my, what a lovely book! I laughed and ugly-cried my way through it; I'm so thankful that Goodreads recommended this one to me!


4. B is for Betsy (read-aloud for Addie) by Carolyn Haywood--four stars
A delightful read about a 1st grade girl named Betsy. Her adventures are fun, with real emotion--lots of great conversation starters with this one!


5. Kayla Aimee's The Blog Book (e-book)

6. Restless: Because You Were Made for More by Jennie Allen--five stars
I adore Jennie--her writing style is almost as appealing as her speaking style, but not quite. :) A few of the stories in the book were ones I had heard/read before, but I SO admire Jennie's passion and vulnerability and will happily devour anything she shares with the world. I AM restless, and I'm not sure what the next few years hold for our family--this was a timely read for me!


7. Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith (e-book)--three stars
CURRENTLY FREE!


Books I'm still reading:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
I LOVE Lauren Child's illustrations in this book, but let's be real--Pippi is a brat! I'm not sure Addie is old enough to realize when Pippi is exaggerating and when she's just being dangerous, so this will be read with caution! (And that makes me feel so old.)


Mind in the Making by Ellen Galinsky
I'm taking forever to make my way through this, but there are so many interesting tidbits!

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron


Books I returned without finishing:

Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick
I want to like this book, but the writing style is just too difficult for me to get into. The concept is GREAT, and it's helped me think through my discipline style--so, there's that!

Here's what's cooking for May! I've started several of these, and I'm loving them all--Adam suggested I "un-plug" at 10:00 and read until I fall asleep, which has led to some excellent unwinding time each night! What are YOU reading this month?

The Importance of Community | Lone Star Signers

So. I don't get too personal here most of the time. I like to write about homeschooling, and our adventures with Tot School, and all of the amazing benefits of using American Sign Language with our children.

I love to read, and write, and teach... and I tend to be a fairly stoic introvert. But every once in a while, I think a little bit of my natural goofiness or passion shines through, and I have a feeling that today is going to be one of those days.

Way back in college, I took one of those personality assessments at church as part of a spiritual gifts class. I knew a lot of the answers already--I had a knack for organization and "administrative" type tasks even at the young age of 19 years old. What did surface (way back then) was my passion for community: not just for myself, but for connecting others in genuine relationships.

These past two years, I have really been thankful for the opportunities that Lone Star Signers has provided for me--a chance to use my natural gifts for planning and teaching, my love for children, and my passions for early education and American Sign Language to impact other families in the San Antonio area.

I also love the relationships that have developed with other parents who have similar interests and desires for their own children. We have a Mom's Book Club that meets occasionally, and I also like to host Family Game Nights and playdates for our little ones. These events are personal for me--not as a "business" opportunity, but a chance to get to know y'all beyond the basic small talk and pleasantries.

This weekend, I had an opportunity to catch a little bit of the 2014 (In)courage conference online. Some of my favorite authors (heck, my favorite women!) share their stories regularly over there--and hearing their voices on the webcast is weirdly fascinating. As woman after woman reinforced the power of REAL community, that passion in my heart was fanned a little brighter.

Mamas, we NEED each other. Social media is awesome, especially for the days we don't get out of our jammies--but it cannot replace real friendships.

If you have your community, your tribe--that's awesome! But if you're feeling even the tiniest ache of loneliness, a desire to have a genuine conversation with another woman this week--please join us for our Mother's Day Picnic on Friday! We would LOVE to have you.

--Melissa

Tot Tray Wednesday #2 + SPARKBOX! | Lone Star Signers

Well, last week was a big learning experience for me! My biggest takeaway was that there were TOO many trays available at one time. There were ELEVEN different activities to choose from, and it was overwhelming to both girls. Toys were constantly on the floor, which led to a big sweep with a trash bag on Friday morning. (Don't worry, the bag ended up in the closet, not the dumpster.)

I actually started #toyrotationTuesday on Monday evening, since we had a delivery from Sparkbox Toys earlier in the day! (More on that in a minute.)

Week 2:

Signing Class Theme: Celebrate! (graduation)

Recommended book: Hippos Go Berserk

(affiliate links used for your convenience)

Tot Trays (not really "themed" this week):
1. Color stacker (from Sparkbox toys)
2. Pegs from the Lauri Toddler Tote
3. Animal puzzles (with Fisher Price animals)
4. Wooden number puzzles (1-5)
5. Nuts & bolts activity card
6. Fraction puzzle (from Sparkbox toys)

Additional toys:
Mirror blocks (from Sparkbox toys)
Doll & accessories
Artificial flowers--great for poking into floral foam
Little People Klip Klop Stable
As always, unlimited access to books!

And now, a little bit about Sparkbox Toys!
(Note: this is NOT a sponsored post! I am a satisfied customer, and I am sharing this new service because I think it's a great idea. Referral link has been used.)

For a long time, I have been jealous of Austin's Toybrary--when was San Antonio going to get a toy rental service?! I'm a big fan of shopping consignment for my girls, most of the toys in our home are purchased used from our nearby consignment store, a big sale like Just Between Friends, or from my local mom's group. Our typical strategy is to play with toys for awhile, and when the "shine" has worn off, we resell for something "new."

I first heard about Sparkbox ("the Netflix for toys") on April 12th. The whole concept is great: developmentally-appropriate toys delivered straight to our door! I've been wanting to find new ideas for Kate's learning time--something to keep her engaged while Addie and I are doing lessons together. Nine days after hearing about Sparkbox, our first package arrived! (And it would have been sooner, but we missed our UPS driver on Friday evening and he didn't return until Monday afternoon.)

Here's what I love:
1) The service recommends four toys for Kate based on her age.
2) I am able to change out toys based on our needs. (Do we need a toy that makes noise? No, even if it IS educational.) Toys can be sorted by age, skill, and more!
3) Most of the toys are items not found in local stores, which means I get a "sneak peek" at the latest and greatest toys!
4) I'm able to choose items that I know Addie will enjoy, too.

I'm on a Montessori kick right now, so I specifically chose wooden toys this first go-around: a color stacker, a robot-puzzle (open-ended for creative play), a fraction puzzle (love the vibrant colors!), and mirror blocks. The toys arrived clean and wrapped with coordinating educational cards, filled with ideas for extending the learning play! My girls could not wait to start playing on Monday, and Tuesday was no different. The color stacker holds the most interest for every child who has seen it, followed closely by the mirror blocks. I've already started Kate's "wishlist" for upcoming boxes (similar to the Netflix queue). I can tell we're really going to enjoy this service!

Want to know more about Sparkbox Toys? Visit the FAQ page! 

Ready to sign up? Use my referral link, please! 

The website says you get a free month's delivery with each new subscriber! :) If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'll do my best to find an answer for you.

My Philosophy of Education: Individualized Learning

As I did our homeschool lesson-planning yesterday afternoon, I realized again just how thankful I am for my years in the classroom. Little did I know that the years I spent teaching others’ children would better equip me for teaching my own!

I put in hundreds of volunteer hours in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms before I graduated from college. I worked with individual students and small groups my junior year of college and student-taught a 3rd grade class for an entire school year. By the time I began interviewing for my first position, I felt like I was prepared for anything! (Ha!)

And then, I was called in to interview for a 3rd/4th grade multi-age classroom. (I had never heard of such a thing!) I still remember sharing my educational philosophy with my future teaching team in the school’s conference room—little did I know that my belief in an individualized education would be the perfect fit for the multi-age team.

For two years, I taught a mixed-class of 3rd and 4th graders through a parent-choice program in Northside ISD, and I loved every minute of it. My students weren’t boxed into grades in our classroom. It was so easy to differentiate their learning: teach a brief skills-based mini-lesson to the whole class, and then break off into small groups to reinforce. The children loved their independence—they each knew their routines and what was expected of them—and no one was bored OR left behind.

From there, I moved to a small town near Kansas City, Missouri and took a teaching position at a tiny parochial school. Only in its second year, my principal was also the Kindergarten teacher, and I taught the mixed-class of 1st and 2nd graders. Walking into a new school with limited resources, I was thankful for my previous experiences with crafting lessons based on student needs. (Keep in mind this was before Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers!) We had no science or social studies textbooks, so I used the state standards and library books to put together learning units. With only 12 students, I had the time to do math in small groups and teach reading and spelling individually.

Now that I am teaching my girls at home, I think back on those years and all the lessons I learned with joy. One of my favorite aspects of homeschooling is personalizing both of my girls' education:

* Kate's "school" work is obviously play-based at just 2.5 years old. She also picks up so much just being in the room while Addie and I are doing math and memory work review. While I certainly don’t push her, I am constantly amazed by what she is capable of learning!

* Addie is a strong reader (chapter books already!) and memorizes VERY easily. Fine motor work--especially handwriting--can be more of a challenge. She also has a little thing about doing something perfectly the first time... (I don't know where she gets it! Ha,ha.) We're working our way through our math book--it's full of hands-on practice at this age, so she feels like she's playing most of the time. Our main focus right now in “school” is working quietly and giving lessons our full attention.

Thanks to homeschooling, 
our learning has no boundaries!

Book Update: April 2014

March was a "reset" month for me. My pile of library books was huge, and I found myself dreading reading time--it had become a chore! So I gave myself permission to return anything I didn't feel like reading and took a few weeks off from "pleasure" reading.

At the end of the month, I finished only six books, but I'm feeling more energized and ready to read again! Here's what I read in March (not counting curriculum and picture books):
(Affiliate links used, which means if you purchase the book, I'll receive a small commission. Please view my disclosure policy for more information.)

1. The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections by Amanda Soule--three stars


2. The Great American Slow Cooker Book by Bruce Weintstein and Mark Scarbrough--two stars


3. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg--four stars
I really enjoyed this book! While the author and I are clearly on two different life tracks, I still appreciated her point of view and personal stories.


4. Interrupted: An Adventure in Relearning the Essentials of Faith by Jen Hatmaker--three stars


5. The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes--four stars
Addie is picking up more and more chapter books, so I'm trying to stay ahead of her. (She's still SO young--not even six!--I want to be careful what she is exposed to for now.) This book was clean and entertaining, as all Kevin Henkes books are.


6. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright--four stars
Goodreads recommended this one to me, and I was ready for another light fiction read! Due to the updated cover, I assumed this was a "current" series, but it's set in the 1940s. I think Addie and I will enjoy these together when she's a bit older, but I still prefer the All-of-a-Kind Family books from my own childhood.

Here is my to-read pile for April 2014. I'm hoping I'll pick up a few more along the way! :)

What are YOU reading this month?

Friday Favorites #6 | Lone Star Signers

Wow, what great weather we are having today! We spent the morning at the park and then stopped by the library before coming home for lunch and naps. We have a fun afternoon of school lessons & a midday showing of Frozen coming up next!

At the library, we were excited to see three of the cardboard kids we've been hearing so much about on social media this week (#CardboardKidsSA). This is such an important campaign, and I hope that your family is able to get involved! (Read more about Cardboard Kids SA here and here.)

We are also really excited about the San Antonio Book Festival that is happening TOMORROW! If you see us, be sure to say hi!

And now, here are my favorite links from around the Internet, March 15th-April 1st!

* Rainbow Caterpillars {Name Matching Activity} from Toddler Approved

* Read and Make: Letter of the Week Crafts from No Time for Flashcards

* Language Basics: Getting in the Communication Zone from Twodaloo

* Rainbow Letter Sensory Bin from Growing Book by Book

* Sugar Free Easter Egg Fillers from Handmade Mood

There are lots of great resources out there for parents & teachers of young children! 

I'd love for you to share a link with us: what inspired you this week?

Homeschooling Q & A: Are You Qualified to Teach Your Child?

As April arrives and many parents are thinking about plans for next school year, I want to address a topic that seems to come up in lot of my conversations about homeschooling: parent-teacher qualifications. I find that, sadly, many homeschool-curious families doubt their own abilities to provide a quality education for their children.

Before I was a mom, I was a classroom teacher. I've taught in both public and private schools; I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to legislation, curriculum, and social pressures. There are many amazing teachers out there, the kind that I would be overjoyed for my daughters to have as role models, BUT those teachers are losing their autonomy in their classrooms. This is bad news for teacher morale and the children who are being force-fed curriculum mandated by those who have never taught a single lesson in a classroom, ever.

Teachers are under-valued, underpaid, and no longer able to make the best decisions for the students in their care. Ten years ago, my school district mandated which math lesson I should be teaching on any given day, regardless if my students already mastered the material or weren't quite ready to move on yet. While I understand the district's reasoning behind standardized education, I personally believe it's the wrong move for our youngest students, who all learn and develop at different rates. 

Are You Qualified to Teach Your Child?

Let's find out! Grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and take this short quiz:

1. Do you love your child? Y/N
2. Do you want the best for your child? Y/N
3. Do you know your child better than anyone else in the world? Y/N
4. Do you know how to read? Y/N
5. Do you have a library card? Y/N

If you answered yes to each of those questions, you ARE qualified to teach your child. (Obviously, check your state homeschooling guidelines to be sure.) It doesn't matter if you got straight As or learned higher-order math in high school--what matters is that you KNOW and LOVE your child like no other teacher can.

My oldest daughter is in Kindergarten this year. I'll be honest with you--I never took a "how to teach Kindergarten" class in college, nor do I remember my own Kindergarten experience twenty-something years ago. When we decided that we would be homeschooling for Kinder, I did the same thing at home that I would do in my classroom: go to the state education website and download the essential knowledge and skills list. 

While our curriculum choices are not the same as our neighborhood elementary school, I am confident that my daughter is not missing out on any information that the state deems "essential" for five-year-old children. Other than that, I can take into account her individual strengths, weaknesses, and learning style to hand-craft an education that is exactly what SHE needs.

When I meet someone for the first time and they hear that we are homeschooling, they always seem relieved by the fact that I "used" to be a teacher. I am fortunate that my background is education, and that I also have the passion and tools to build my own curriculum at home (thanks to the Internet and the library!). But my teacher certification did not make me an expert in every single subject that I taught in my classroom--there were many evenings I spent reading my science textbooks and trying to grasp the concepts I would be teaching to my students the next morning.

The difference now is that I can learn the information right alongside my daughter--through homeschooling, I am able to model lifelong learning, with a little help from my library card! If you are feeling called to homeschool one or all of your children, but have concerns about your qualifications to teach them, feel free to e-mail me! (Sometimes it's helpful to bounce thoughts off another parent who has walked the same road.)

When you think back on the teachers who made a positive difference in your life, was it how much they KNEW or how much they CARED about you? You can do this, parents!

Tot School: Use What You've Got & Put It All Together

Wow, what a week! I truly hope this peek into my planning process has been helpful for you. I've enjoyed sharing my experience of planning a new class with you!

How to plan a fun learning experience for your kiddos:
Day 1: Make a theme list. Choose your first theme. (I picked SPRING.)
Day 2: Choose your books and request them from the library.

Day 3: Find printables, crafts, and activities to match the theme.

Day 4: Pull items from around your house and create activities.
Day 5: REST! (preferably with chocolate)

I teach signing classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so I usually start thinking about my next theme and requesting books on Thursdays. I research over the weekend and prep new items on Mondays after the girls go to bed. Tuesday afternoon is a chance for me to dry-run the craft with my own girls, so that I'll have a sample or two to show parents. (We do crafts during center time, so my girls have plenty of activities to keep them busy during this part of class.)

Without further ado, here is the lesson plan for my SPRING-themed class:

* Song: Baby Signing Time theme
* Family introductions (if necessary) & updates
* Introduce signs: spring/garden, dirt, seed, plant, flower, sun, water, grow, rain, worm
* Book: I See Spring by Charles Ghigna
* Song: Sunny Day by Elizabeth Mitchell
* Movement break: The Ants Go Marching
* Game: SPRING Bingo
* Book: Wake Up, It's Spring by Lisa Campbell Ernst
* Song: Grow Little Seed by Rachel Coleman
* Movement break: Fingers, Nose and Toes by Cedarmont Kids
* Song: Colors of the Rainbow by Rachel Coleman
* Craft & Centers (picture and details coming soon)
     Flower Fingerpainting
* Clean-Up Song
* Bubbles
* Parachute
* ABC Song
* Review (5 Spring Flowers) & Questions
* Song: The More We Get Together by Cedarmont Kids

I'm excited to have some new center ideas! My students range from 18 months to 5 years, so it's important to have a variety of activities that will meet each child's developmental needs and give every family an opportunity to practice their new signs.

Spring Centers:
Yellow & purple eggs: sound matching (six pairs of eggs with various objects inside)
Blue & yellow dry erase pockets: addition practice & fingerspelling page for the Kindergartners
Orange, blue & green eggs: build-a-word with magnetic letters (toddlers can practice letter recognition)
Pattern block templates: bird, rabbit, flower, sun (reversible)
Craft stick "puzzle" with red, yellow, and orange ABC pattern
Flower arranging
Pom-pom color sorting with tongs
Flower count & clip cards with clothespins

Signing Success Story #7 | San Antonio * Baby Signing

Sienna's family has been attending our Play & Sign classes since June 2013. Even though she graduated in October, we are thrilled to see her smiling face each week! I love when families continue to be a part of our awesome community!

Sienna's mom is an elementary school music teacher, and it is evident that both her parents do a great job singing and signing at home with her! I love that their signing is rooted in real, meaningful play (like signing colors and water while painting). Here is their success story:

* Child’s name and age:

Sienna (23 months)

* When and why did you start signing with your child?

We knew we wanted to sign with Sienna all along and had casually introduced a few signs on our own. Her first sign around 10 months was milk, which she used daily to communicate with her Daddy while Mommy was at work.

We discovered the Baby Signing Time class when Sienna was around 13-14 months old. Sienna added several signs her first couple of months of class: cat, shoes, hat, baby, eat/food, more, bird, ball, bubbles, dog.

Even though we have now completed the curriculum cycle, we continue enrolling each session. Sienna gets more and more out of class each time, adding new signs every month. The weekly repetition of songs has led her to name and sign color words, which led her to begin identifying colors. She is still surprising us with words and signs we had no idea she knew. We are so proud of her success!

* How has signing made a difference in your family?

One word: clarity. In Sienna's pronunciation, many things with the same initial consonant sound the same: bird, ball, book, bear. Sign language adds more context to everything she says and solves the mystery of what she meant. How many times could this potential misunderstanding have escalated into a tantrum or meltdown? Not usually a problem for us, thank goodness (her tantrums are thrown for other toddler injustices).

And, oh, the expression! We have here an extremely verbal, expressive child who uses signs to emphasize, supplement, and specify what she is saying. Sienna is a prime example of how adding sign language will only expand a child's vocabulary. We have also seen her confidence bloom. She will now try new signs and words more readily and incorporate them on her own.

Photos courtesy of Sienna's mom. :)

* What would you tell a friend interested in signing with their child?

We have been so impressed with Melissa's Baby Signing Time class week after week. Melissa is a true teacher in every sense whose experience and love of the profession show in every lesson. She provides differentiated instruction for all the various ages in the class. The setting is like a playdate, but with more structure; it allows Sienna to listen and absorb at her own pace while she discovers things around her and interacts with her classmates. The material is totally approachable for parents who are new to signing. It is logical and wide-reaching, drawing together kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learning styles.

As a teacher myself, I know how well combining these approaches solidifies learning, remembering, and understanding. The concepts are really appropriate for babies and toddlers, making for tons of practice opportunities in context everyday. Melissa provides a multitude of hands-on activities each week that connect developmental skills to the concepts she has presented. I have gotten so many great ideas for activities to try later. We really enjoy watching Sienna experience everything this class has to offer and make connections at home.

* Do you have a favorite Signing Time product?

We have a few DVDs and a few flashcard sets. The videos are nice for seeing multiple examples of how to do the signs as performed by adults as well as young children. Sienna really gets a kick out of seeing the kids sign. The flashcards are great for practicing learned signs in quiet settings. Sienna has picked up new signs from both products. It's been great to have a variety of ways for her to practice and learn new signs.

* * * * *
I am so thankful to Shannon, who took the time to share their family's story.
I truly believe that signing is for everyone--it can only enhance your family's communication!

* * * * *

Previous Signing Success Stories:

#1: McKaylee, 2 years old

#2: River, 15 months

#3: Edan, 3 years old 

#4: David, 17 months
#5 Everly, 13 months
#6 Isabella, 3 years old