The Merry-Go Round of Literacy - Christine Calabrese

The Merry-Go Round of Literacy - Christine Calabrese

Iceberg

Learning to read is a very important skill! Don't let your child be a victim of poor reading instruction.

The Loss of a Child

The loss of a child to a family is one of the most heartbreaking and devastating events. I pray for each family who has suffered such a loss and hope this poem brings a bit of comfort and hope. The children are with the Lord, there is no doubt. He loves them most as their innocence and little lives are dear to his heart. Please feel free to use this poem as a help and comfort.

Off To Heaven  

by Christine Calabrese

 Off to heaven now you go,

 Angels usher there we know,

 We are here and see you fly,

 Off to heaven as we cry.

 We will miss your smiling faces,

 The comfort of your warm embraces,

 Off you go now little ones,

 Angels wings up to the Son.

He is there and all the rest,

On His knee you’ll soon be blest,

And Mary’s heart is open wide,

She will guide you by her side.

With heavy hearts we bid your parting,

Little lives just only starting,

Heaven’s meadows lush and green,

Call you to their playing scene.

Angels guard you now forever,

Safe from harm and each endeavor,

Heaven’s doors are open wide 

As they guide you there inside.

Sad and sorrowful our weeping,

Safe now in the Father’s keeping,

As you watch us from above,

Sending us your precious love.

Please forgive us little ones,

Holy Spirit and the Son,

Help us now to love you there,

Resting in the Father’s care.

Nap Time Tips

"Mrs. Calabrese, this is the first time I've seen kids actually sleep during nap time! It's so nice and quiet! What did you do?" whispered my supervisor as she tip-toed through my classroom during nap time. I couldn't respond then, but eventually this is what I told her: 

Nap time is very important for preschoolers. It's a time to rest and oftentimes it may be the only quiet space for a little one. Many preschoolers have a crying baby at home or their parents keep them up late. - Oh dear, that's a topic for another blog! - 

Here are some tips for ensuring that all your little ones rest comfortably during nap time. 

First provide a full morning of activities including:

1. Breakfast, songs and dance, circle time.
2. 1 hour and 15 minutes of center time.
3. 1 hour of outside play.
4. 15 minutes of *story time.  It helps to read a story about napping and talk procedure.
5. A warm healthy lunch
6. Bathroom and hand washing.                            

                                         *You may want to have a puppet show during story time to show your children how to rest and how NOT to rest. I've found that showing children what NOT to do is just as important as showing them what to do. It's a good idea to teach the children that we grow when we sleep, so sleeping helps us get big and strong.                                     

     

                        

•                               NAP TIME
• Make sure cots are at least 3 feet apart. 
• Do not place heads close together. 
• Pull down blinds and lights out.  
• Play soft relaxing music
• Tuck each child in, pull covers over and give a little back rub, whisper personal words of comfort and assurance.
• Tell the children you love them and want them to have a nice rest.
• Remind the child that if they cannot sleep, they should just rest and remain quiet for their friends who are sleeping.
• Tell the children you will be right there protecting them and that they are safe. 
• Let them sleep for 45 minutes, though some will require even more sleep because again, their home lives may be stressful. 

If a child refuses to lay down, just have him/her put head down on a pillow and cover with a blanket at the table. Periodically you can offer the cot but let children do whatever feels safest. 

Always make your classroom a place of nurturing and warmth, preschool nap time is a lovely time to teach children to rest.

Hope that helps. :-) Phew! Now I need a nap! :-) 

How to Teach Your Children to Wash Their Hands

Wash Hands by Christine Calabrese (Copyright 2017) 

Water, Water - Warm and Wet

Soap, Soap - A Little Bit

Wash front, wash back, wash those inbetweens,

Wash front, wash back, get those fingers clean.

Squish and bubble

It’s no trouble

One more time

We do it double

Wash front, wash back, wash those inbetweens,

Wash front, wash back, get those fingers clean.

Water rinsing almost done

Wipe your hands it’s super fun! 

Now we turn the faucet off 

Using just our wiping cloth.

Notes to parents and teachers: 

Always model first, it’s fun to ask a child to demonstrate after you have modeled. 

Proper hand washing takes 20 seconds to sufficiently rinse away germs; it takes about 22-25 seconds to recite the washing portion of this poem. 

Children usually use too much soap, so compliment children who are using it sparingly, also be sure to model for the children. 

Does Phonics Hinder or Help

Here's a great blog on phonics. If you are wondering if it's a hinderance or a help, read on!

Phonics Hinder or Help?

Just Daddy and Me

Lately, I find myself pining for my father. A man ahead of his time in many aspects, my father was a loving dad.  Louis J. Nowicki, was the first born of five into a Polish family. The first son of immigrant parents, he was raised in poverty as a child in Brooklyn, NY. He was a runner and one of the fastest in his school at the time. He was a quick study and enjoyed learning. His mother was nurturing and beautiful, albeit a bit eccentric at times. Though his father was an alcoholic, thankfully, my father did not drink excessively in adulthood. I believe he did not want to go down the same path as his abusive father. 

When we were young, my father was very active, he water skied, hiked, fished and loved the outdoors; he also enjoyed planting his annual vegetable garden. Marveling at the natural world around us, daddy imparted his insights to his children; my father was a naturalist.

My father's love for the outdoors, clearly motivated him to send us to summer camp in New Hampshire, where we enjoyed horseback riding, tennis, drama, archery, arts and crafts, swimming, sailing, rowing and socializing. This was a kid's paradise and my dad knew it. He knew how important it was for us to get out into the countryside and play in a natural setting. While, I'm sure he missed his two girls during the summer months, he made the emotional and financial sacrifice necessary to make us happy. And boy did it ever! Anticipation ran high during the school year as we waited - not so patiently - for those two precious months of sheer freedom and play. 

While at school I may have been shy and perhaps introverted, at camp I exhibited strong leadership qualities with an outgoing, fun loving, personality. Popularity and friendship came naturally to me at summer camp. My father, who was a camp counselor in his youth, understood that this type of education could neither be taught nor bought. Camp was imperative.

"Come Chrissy! Let's play catch! Keep your eye on the ball! Try this." A high ball sent way up to the sky; I'd run to catch it. "Good job! Chrissy! Now let's play tennis! Keep your eye on the ball, Chrissy. That's it! Swing! Great job!"  Lessons were often embedded in activities, my dad loved to teach. My father, who believed in a superior education, chose to settle his family in Port Washington on Long Island where the school district was known as one of the best in the 1960's. 

Daddy rarely yelled at us as children, he was more the gentle type. My relationship with him enjoyed a special bond, I suppose he appreciated my sense of humor. Every week after church choir practice, my father would take me to Howard Johnson's for an ice cream soda. We'd sit at the soda bar and talk over that most delicious treat. Just my dad and me. This was a time of bonding and friendship.  

My dad, I thought, knew everything. No matter what I'd ask him, he'd have the answer. Indeed he was very bright, but at times, he'd just make things up as we talked. I suppose the reputation of knowing everything prompted him to answer. I didn't mind. Through a child's eyes it was comforting to know that someone in the world knew everything! 

A great storyteller, my father rarely read bedtime stories, rather he created a series of stories about a little mouse called Mousey. Little Mousey got himself into all kinds of trouble. Daddy didn't write these stories down, nor did he need to, his creative mind worked each night to weave these fun loving tales for us as we drifted off to sleep. 

Among other things, my father was well-read on nutrition. I suppose he was one of the first to own a juicer in the 1960's. We took vitamins daily and he did not allow any junk food in the house. Fresh vegetables and fruit along with nuts and seeds were our treat. Sometimes he'd come home from work with a Tiger's Milk bar for us to enjoy.  In the evening, watching TV, our father would call out, "Who wants a nickel's worth of sunflower seeds?" We gobbled those raw seeds up like candy. Dad knew that this was a health food but he would advertise it as some kind of treat. We bought it! 

An innovative cook, my father created all kinds of tasty recipes, relieving my mother of this chore. Polish food certainly held the stage in our house. My father, who worked in Manhattan, would often walk blocks to speciality stores to bring us the best kieibasa and kishka. He made his own studenina (head cheese) in a pressure cooker. I was the only one who would eat all his delicacies. The studenina had tons of garlic and was to be eaten with apple cider vinegar - always - as instructed!  Best of all, my father's mother, occasionally made us pierogies, which my father fried in salt pork; now that was heaven on earth! I enjoyed these times of eating with him and made a point to do so in order to show my love and support for his efforts.

My father was a self-taught importer-exporter, wilding deals from Hong Kong to the Dominican Republic. He had a deep appreciation for other cultures and learned several languages along the way. He spoke some Japanese, Spanish, and of course Polish. He spoke to us in Spanish often. "A la cama! Chrissy. Dame un beso!" My father traveled the world and worked long hours in the city. I missed him and longed for him to stay home with us.  

Louis was born in 1915, a premature baby whom the doctors said would not live, he outlived all his brothers and his sister. I believe this had to do with his strong will and drive and of course those juices and vitamins! 

I love you daddy and miss you even today. 

Always yours, Chrissy. 

In honor of my father, I am raising money for Documenting Hope. I know Louis Joseph Nowicki would be proud of my efforts! 

Christine's Documenting Hope Fund Raiser

Skinamarink ~ New Dance For An Old Song!

Try this new dance with an old favorite: Skinamarink! Your preschoolers will look adorable performing this for their parents! 

Open, Shut Them with new verses for your preschoolers! 

Do You Have New Shoes? Preschool/Kindergarten

Have you noticed that when your children come to school with new shoes their main objective in life is to show them off? Indeed, this seems to be a common fascination amongst our youngest. Who would have thought that something so simple as a new pair of shoes would create such a celebratory mood? Well, then, why not capitalize on this?

Here's what I do:

Step 1: During circle time, I ask, "Does anyone have new shoes on today?"

Step 2: If so, I continue, "Would you like to come to the middle of the circle and do the "New Shoe Dance"? Sometimes the answer is "yes", and sometimes the reticent respond, "no."

Step 3: If yes, I sing the "New Shoe Song" and the lucky children who have new shoes get to dance their hearts out. If "no", I find a way to sing it anyway and congratulate the child while they sit and listen.

Preschool is a time for celebrations of all sorts. Don't leave out the most natural and easiest! New shoes and don't forget those Boo-Boo's I told you about before!

Have a wonderful year blessed with joy and love in your classroom.

Indie Book Review by Christine Calabrese 

         The Golden Winged Fairy 

The Golden Winged Fairy is filled with gorgeous artwork. The story is simple enough for ages 0-6 and is quite inspiring as a little fairy who doesn't fit in, turns out to save the day in fairy land. Your children, especially the girls, will love the pictures and the story. This is a wonderful example of excellent Indie writing and publishing. Great job Lala Fae! Keep up the good work!

https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Winged-Fairy-Lala-Fae/dp/0990852733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501343764&sr=8-1&keywords=golden+winged+fairy

Free Play is very important

"Engaging in as much free play as possible builds confidence. " Finally, common sense in this wonderful article! My parents gave us much free play time as children. When we went to summer camp in New Hampshire for two months, the activities never felt over-structured, somehow the camp had figured out how to unstructure structure. :-) The camp included horses and horse back riding. Perhaps those majestic animals added to spontaneity. The riding lessons were never a chore, they were a joy. At home, we enjoyed much free play. You can easily see the leanings and interests of a child if you let them play whatever they like. What attracts their attention and keeps it? Then as a teacher you can build on those interests or just use those interests to teach. Free play is a must and I must write about it as well. BrightHorizons is on the right track here! Oh and I especially love the term, "Slow Parenting" what a wonderful way to describe good parenting!


https://www.brighthorizons.com/family-resources/e-family-news/how-unstructured-play-can-encourage-healthy-risk-taking-in-children

Why Jaydon Can't Read.


http://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2015/07/ia144.pdf?

Technology and Early Childhood

http://www.parents.com/health/parents-news-now/too-much-screen-time-may-make-kids-less-ready-for-kindergarten/

A Simple Tip for Teachers to Stay Healthy

Often I see teachers making poor food and drinking choices in my school. Most prevalent are the canned drinks such as soda. Unfortunately, my school has had it's fair share of major illnesses such as cancer and kidney stones. I, too, succumb, at times, to drinking coffee rather than choosing something more natural and healthy. 

Our job is stressful and we sometimes feel like we need to reward ourselves with treats that are not so good for us. However, our job IS stressful so we need to remind ourselves that simple and easy ways to keep ourselves on tract with good healthy eating and drinking must take a priority. After all, most of us have to put in 30 years before we can retire and we want to retire in full health! So with this goal in mind, I'm making one simple suggestion that has really helped me. 

Water, good clean water is a must. I work in a school that is 120 year old and the pipes are old. Recently the custodians placed a sign on our classroom water fountain that it is NOT fit to drink. Wow! There are many solutions to this, perhaps your school has invested in a Poland Spring water contract, or perhaps you drink bottled water. I however, worry about bottled water as it has toxins in it. See here for more information on this subject. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11193/7-reasons-to-never-drink-bottled-water-again.html

So in order to drink enough water that is clean during the day you need lots. This means you need to be drinking throughout the day. I did some research on the best over the counter water filters and bought an Aquasana water filter for my classroom several years ago. I have not been disappointed. The water is great! When I replace the filters, I get to witness how dirty the water was before filtration. I know this is a bit expensive but it's the best and you need to remember that your health is paramount. 

Finally, I buy organic green tea and just put it in my water. I drink from glass or a BPA free container. Green tea is the only herbal tea that you don't have to heat up in order to use. So you can just place the tea in the container and it will disperse. Drinking green tea all day in school with purified water is a great way to keep your body healthy. If you need to sweeten it try stevia.

Consider getting this filter. It costs a bit more, but it'll help keep you healthy for your long and stressful career. Oh, and here's a good tip, get the Aquasana AQ-CWM-D-B Clean Water Machine, not the one with the pitcher as the pitcher does leak eventually. 

http://www.aquasana.com/powered-water-filtration

Remember you are a teacher, you have a long career ahead of you and you need to stay healthy so you can enjoy your retirement! 

Have a healthy day and enjoy your job! It's the BEST! :-) 

PS This is the green tea I buy. It's easiest because it doesn't have a string attached to it and it's economical. http://www.republicoftea.com/organic-double-green-matcha-tea/p/v00643/dpn/40051/?mr:referralID=44ef80e7-1179-11e7-bc34-00505694526f&gclid=Cj0KEQjwqtjGBRD8yfi9h42H9YUBEiQAmki5OkFR1TS0khUFfzW9wAx9B0ZL9tP3EkumqhfJ4cU60dMaAsJQ8P8HAQ

Motor Skills for Preschoolers

I found a great article on motor skills and vertical surfaces! I thought you'd like it! Take a peek! http://theinspiredtreehouse.com/motor-skills-and-more-working-on-a-vertical-surface/

Classroom Line Up Tips

Getting children to line up in a fun and orderly fashion can be a challenge for new teachers. Here's some quick tips for helping the job move along.

1. Assign spots and line leaders.
2. Call children individually rather than saying "Line up!"
3. Send children back to their chairs if they do not line up quietly. Just tell them they need to practice again.
4. Practice walking around the classroom in a line before going out in the hall.
5. In the hall, demonstrate any tricky walking patterns, such as up the stairs or down, holding on to the rail.
6. Teach the children to use light feet rather than a heavy stomp in the halls.
7. Remember, Practice, NOT perfection is the key.

Here's a little line up poem I wrote for you to use if you like:

Dysteachia! What is it?

A great article written by David Ayer explains why teachers are unprepared for teaching reading in our schools.


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/taking-our-teachers-out-wood-shed-phonics-fake-controversy-david-ayer?trk=v-feed&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_recent_activity_details_shares%3B1ehk767fZN0e2PdSQXtDGg%3D%3D

Music and the brain work synergistically to enhance neuron pathways and develop a brain that is creative and responsive to instruction. The research is clear: https://musiceducationworks.wordpress.com/2016/06/19/a-childs-brain-develops-faster-with-exposure-to-music/

Here's a little poem I wrote for lining up your class.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sERlKc_sVQ

Preschool Strategy for Morning Meeting Time

Morning meeting time is a time for preschoolers to feel involved, welcomed and appreciated. Many of us use the "Morning News" to get our children sharing and talking about their interests and home life.

Often, however, reticent children are not that eager to share. Teachers long to see these children open up and share. The other day I had a little one who was withdrawing from the group and I knew that "Morning News" would be just too much for her comfort level to enjoy participation, so I switched to my "Boo-Boo" song. I'm sure we've all noticed that every child relishes the chance to display his or her "Boo-Boo" to friends and teachers. It's almost as if the injury is some kind of an award, so I created a little song to allow the children to share in the group and show their "Boo-Boo."

Well, the little girl who was pulling away, quickly joined the group and raised her hand to show us her little cut on her thumb. The song is quick and easy, I beat it out with some percussion instruments to keep it moving and I thought, perhaps you would like to try it the next time you feel like your little ones are just not ready to share their news. This is also a great song for ELL students, because they don't have to say much. Here's the song for you to try. Enjoy! PS "The ouch-ooch-ooch-ouch" always gets a laugh. I always pull the kids who are sharing into the middle of the circle to show their boo-boo.

Calendar Lessons in PreSchool

Early childhood calendar routines have often bored me. These routines have felt like a waste of time. While I know it's important for our children to learn the months, seasons, days of the week, important days; I've noticed that children have a different sense of time than we do, and our imposition of time has led to confusion and perhaps boredom. I discovered that the linear example of a calendar, that is - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday makes no sense to children because it doesn't show that after Saturday comes Sunday. This is also true for the months of the year. 



In my kindergarten classes, I made a weekly wheel, and monthly wheel, to show that this is continually repeating. The wheel really helped my kindergarteners understand the calendar better. If you are in kindergarten you might want to try this presentation of the calendar. Of course, singing a little song for the days of the week and the months of the year helps children learn faster. I'm sure you all do the same or hope so. However, PreK is a bit different. 



Last year at a PD for NYC PreK For All teachers, I heard something that finally resonated with me about the calendar. "Preschoolers DON'T get it and it's a waste of time to go through the entire calendar every single day. Four year olds have a very different sense of time than we do. They think in the moment and can only handle the presentation of the calendar on a weekly basis not the entire month." "Wow" I thought, "Finally something that makes sense to me about the calendar." "Furthermore," the PD instruction continued, "The only relevant thing that happens in a preschoolers life is what is happening during the day, therefore we suggest you have one child draw something of interest or importance for that day and you post it on your calendar."  "Perfect!" I thought, this was a great solution to the calendar problem, which has plagued and often perplexed me for years. First of all, I didn't have to spend too much time on it and second, it would be relevant to the lives of the children. 


At first, I listed the days of the week in order and just showed the month. I found that this group of students wasn't able to draw a picture, so I just reviewed our daily activities and then asked one child to name an interesting event of the day and I drew the picture for them. We posted it and all was well! However, I was having a bit of problem with the way the week was displayed, that is - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. It just didn't make sense since, Sunday and Saturday are not days we are in school. So I altered the presentation of the week as follows:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday     Saturday
                                                                                   Sunday


Now, they are beginning to understand the idea of the weekend and school week. It's perfect for them! I simply place the school week front and center and group Saturday and Sunday together with a picture of a home next to each. I find the children are now pointing out, "Look! We go to school here but here we stay home!" "Yes." I can add, "this is the weekend!" If there is something that consistently happens on a weekly basis, I also draw a picture of that event. This also helps the children understand the movement of time during the week. At the end of the week, I staple the pictures together and give it to one child to read to their parents at home. I call it, Our Weekly Book. The kids enjoy taking it home and reviewing the week and pictures. I hope this helps you refine your routines for your preschoolers and increase the relevancy of instruction.