The last few weeks have been spent looking at new books, reading new books and trying to find people who would like to review some books...books that kids might like, and books that are good for parents too.
So, I bring to you.......The Mixed Up Caterpillar.
It's cute. It's hardcover and hardy for grabby little hands. It's brightly coloured with not many words. It comes with a wiggly caterpilllar puppet..and it also carries a theme of uniqueness and similarities.
Our wiggly caterpillar hero is travelling through the forest and meets lots of other animals (with fetching alliteration inspired names), all who want to know what he is.
But what is he? He doesn't know....but he sure does have lots of guesses!
When the mixed up caterpillar finally discovers what he is....he then undergoes a transformation that confuses him all over again, and forces him to rediscover what he is all over again.
You could read this book just as a funny story, but I don't believe that would do justice to the underlying theme...that we all share similiarities but that we are all unique too. You could also talk about belonging - where do we belong and how do we develop a sense of belonging?
There is plenty of chance for discussion with this book, as well as the chance for littler ones to play at being the mixed up caterpillar with the puppet.
If you know of a great book that you would like to review, or that you think we should review, contact us at Rouse Hill Families Connect and let us know - we'd love to hear what books you have found useful/brilliant/funny/sad or a myriad of emotions in between!
We've just had a wonderful event last weekend - a Dads 'n' Kids morning at the library, filled with singing, music making, dancing, storytelling and even a craft activity!
It was great to see so many Dads (and grandpas and uncles - and even a big brother or two) come out and celebrate early literacy AND being a male role model with their kids.
No child-and that includes babies-is ever too young to visit the library and check out the books; even if it is just to chew on the corners of said book!
Margaret Meek (a great advocate of early literacy who did quite a bit of research and study in the 1980's which is still informing practice today) says that:
"The biggest mistake we make is giving the fve year old the notion that you learn to read by a series of exercises, like scales in music, and then you are rewarded with a 'real' book or 'real' reading in another form. The children who teach themsleves to read do it by turning the pages and looking at the pictures long before they can read the words......when they focus on the print it is because they want to know the story and tell it to themselves"
Margaret also speaks about "shared enjoyment" of reading, and how children learn to read by being read to; that when a child has an adult or older child who is patient and spends the time reading something that they both enjoy, the experience will help the child learn to read.
What we can gather from all the available research both here and overseas is that children who come from homes that are saturated in print and language come to reading much easier than those children who aren't.
The catchcry of Paint The Hills REaD is "Read to your child, Sing to your child, Talk to your child and Play with your child". How many have you done today??
