Ellwyn Autumn's Blog, page 31
August 15, 2017
The Second Day of School
So, your child's first day of Pre-k or Kindergarten came and went. Everything was perfect, you took your first day of school pictures, kissed your little one good-bye, and watched as they bravely walked into school with a big smile. At dismissal, the teacher told you your child had a wonderful first day and you felt relieved that you didn't have to deal with the back to school blues.
But then...
Yes, I know, the second day of school arrived and with it came the water works and pleas to stay home. You feel confused and worried? You thought that your child liked school. They were so excited to go and when they came home they talked for hours about how exciting everything was. What happened in 24 hours to change their minds?
There is so much excitement on the first day of school that some children don't have time to process everything right away. I think for these children the first day of school is like a field trip or a special visit to a new place. After a few days, they begin to realize that this "school thing" is real and that they have to go everyday, and guess what? They don't want to go.
What are you going to do now?
Fortunately, I have a few suggestions to help with this dilemma.
*Understand that your child has been thrust into a brand new place, with new faces and new rules. We feel the same way when we start at a new job.
*If your child is having a hard time adjusting to a full school day, discuss a temporary 1/2 day option with the teacher and the school office. The school may not approve of this strategy, but it's worthy of a conversation. An alternative strategy may come up during this discussion.
*Give your child a family photograph to keep with them during the school day.
*Many children who arrive to school in tears are often fine once they get settled in their classroom.
*Develop a routine and stick to it. When children know what to expect they feel safe. When they feel safe, they learn. When they learn, they thrive.
I hope this helps ease the transition for those children and parents who need extra time getting used to a new school year. If you have additional strategies that you think would be helpful please comment.
A really good book to read with your child about the anxiety of going to school:
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But then...
Yes, I know, the second day of school arrived and with it came the water works and pleas to stay home. You feel confused and worried? You thought that your child liked school. They were so excited to go and when they came home they talked for hours about how exciting everything was. What happened in 24 hours to change their minds?
There is so much excitement on the first day of school that some children don't have time to process everything right away. I think for these children the first day of school is like a field trip or a special visit to a new place. After a few days, they begin to realize that this "school thing" is real and that they have to go everyday, and guess what? They don't want to go.
What are you going to do now?
Fortunately, I have a few suggestions to help with this dilemma.
*Understand that your child has been thrust into a brand new place, with new faces and new rules. We feel the same way when we start at a new job.
*If your child is having a hard time adjusting to a full school day, discuss a temporary 1/2 day option with the teacher and the school office. The school may not approve of this strategy, but it's worthy of a conversation. An alternative strategy may come up during this discussion.
*Give your child a family photograph to keep with them during the school day.
*Many children who arrive to school in tears are often fine once they get settled in their classroom.
*Develop a routine and stick to it. When children know what to expect they feel safe. When they feel safe, they learn. When they learn, they thrive.
I hope this helps ease the transition for those children and parents who need extra time getting used to a new school year. If you have additional strategies that you think would be helpful please comment.
A really good book to read with your child about the anxiety of going to school:
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August 10, 2017
Back to School Blues
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The sales, the supplies, the first day of school--the tears?
For many children, parents, and teachers back to school is a time for tears. It can be very stressful for everyone involved.
Take a deep breath, all of you will get through this. Trust me, I taught for 20 years and my students, their parents, and I survived. It wasn't always easy, but we made it work.
It's all about communicating with each other and working together to ensure each parent, child, and teacher is successful.
A few things parents can do to help ease the transition:
To prepare your little one for their first day of school spend time preparing them for what's to come. Talk about how the daily schedule will change when school starts.Visit the school. Even if it's closed, take a walk through the school yard and try to guess where your child will line up on their very first day.Start a bedtime routine a week or so before school starts. Read a book together and try to have your child in bed by 8:30. A good night sleep goes a long way in keeping stress levels low.Give your child a family photo to keep in their book bag or hang in their cubby. Sometimes being able to look at a picture of their loved ones throughout the school day provides comfort to children who are homesick. Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast each morning. Hungry students don't learn as well. Dress your child in comfortable shoes that are made for school work and recess. (No open-toed shoes or sandals. Sneakers or the school recommended shoe are best.) For safety reasons, I had to exclude children from playing in the school yard when they wore the wrong shoes. Talk about tears! Let the teacher know about any difficulty that is occurring in your family. When a teacher knows about a hardship affecting a student, he can better understand the child and prepare a plan-of-action to use if the need arises. When school is over ask your child specific questions about how their day was. Ask them what they ate for lunch, what books the teacher read, if they made new friends and what their names are, what was their favorite/least favorite part of the day and why. Books about back to school:
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August 8, 2017
Even More Bedtime Stories With Mo Willems
Hello Readers!
I was at the library the other day and I found the third installment of Knuffle Bunny. It's called Knuffle Bunny Free and it's just as witty and heartwarming as the first two. I may be a grown-up, but I was super excited to discover there was another bunny book. I've been reading the other two installments to my students for years and I get a real kick out of them.
In this installment, Trixie goes on a family trip to visit her grandparents in Holland. She, her parents, and Knuffle Bunny board an airplane and settle in for a long flight. Once they've landed there's great excitement when everyone is reunited. After the hoopla dies down, Trixie realizes something. I'm sure by now you know what it is that she realizes, but you're going to have to read the book to find out if you're correct.
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After you've read all three books, you and your child could do a character study of Trixie. Discuss how she changed over the course of the trilogy: the things that she learned, how she dealt with the loss of Knuffle Bunny, the difference in her physical appearance. If you go on Pinterest, I'm sure you'll find a ton of fun ideas for each and every Knuffle Bunny book.
I hope these book reviews have given you a starting point into exploring the wonderful world of literature with your child. Please share any comments or ideas you have to expand on this topic.
Other books by Mo Willems:
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I was at the library the other day and I found the third installment of Knuffle Bunny. It's called Knuffle Bunny Free and it's just as witty and heartwarming as the first two. I may be a grown-up, but I was super excited to discover there was another bunny book. I've been reading the other two installments to my students for years and I get a real kick out of them.
In this installment, Trixie goes on a family trip to visit her grandparents in Holland. She, her parents, and Knuffle Bunny board an airplane and settle in for a long flight. Once they've landed there's great excitement when everyone is reunited. After the hoopla dies down, Trixie realizes something. I'm sure by now you know what it is that she realizes, but you're going to have to read the book to find out if you're correct.
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After you've read all three books, you and your child could do a character study of Trixie. Discuss how she changed over the course of the trilogy: the things that she learned, how she dealt with the loss of Knuffle Bunny, the difference in her physical appearance. If you go on Pinterest, I'm sure you'll find a ton of fun ideas for each and every Knuffle Bunny book.
I hope these book reviews have given you a starting point into exploring the wonderful world of literature with your child. Please share any comments or ideas you have to expand on this topic.
Other books by Mo Willems:
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August 4, 2017
Family Event: Multi-Author Book Signing
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Tomorrow at The Sand's Outlets in Bethlehem there will be a multi-author book signing from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Come on out and support local authors from every genre. It's family friendly and best of all you get to meet and greet the authors. This is one of the best ways to promote a love of literature with your child. The authors sign each copy and even pose for photographs. What a great back-to-school event to share with the teacher and the class. With a book purchase, you get a coupon booklet for discounts to the outlets and the Music Festival is there this weekend, too.
I'll be there selling my middle-grade novel Chris Kringle's Cops: The First Mission and promoting my picture book Kamyla Chung and the Creepy Crawlies due for release on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop on August 20, 2017.
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You never know what you'll find, so don't miss out. I hope to see you there tomorrow!
August 2, 2017
More Bedtime Stories With Mo Willems
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If you enjoyed reading Knuffle Bunny with your child then you must read the hilarious sequel Knuffle Bunny, Too. In this installment, the Knuffle Bunny drama continues as Trixie takes her one-of-a-kind bunny to Pre-Kindergarten and discovers that her bunny isn't so unique. A classmate named Sonja has a bunny that looks almost the same as Trixie's.
The two little girls develop an instant rivalry, arguing over the pronunciation of Knuffle Bunny, until the teacher takes both bunnies away and returns them to the girls at the end of the school day. Of course there is a problem that ensues with the bunnies, but I won't spoil the ending. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens.
After you've finished reading both books have a post-reading conversation about them with your child. Lay both books in front of you and discuss the elements that are the same and different about the books. For example, Trixie is on the front cover of both books, but in one she is a baby and in the other she's a little older. Let your child explore the pages of each book and analyze what they see. You will be surprised at some of the insight they have.
The two little girls develop an instant rivalry, arguing over the pronunciation of Knuffle Bunny, until the teacher takes both bunnies away and returns them to the girls at the end of the school day. Of course there is a problem that ensues with the bunnies, but I won't spoil the ending. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens.
After you've finished reading both books have a post-reading conversation about them with your child. Lay both books in front of you and discuss the elements that are the same and different about the books. For example, Trixie is on the front cover of both books, but in one she is a baby and in the other she's a little older. Let your child explore the pages of each book and analyze what they see. You will be surprised at some of the insight they have.
July 31, 2017
Words Can Be Fun
Nutty Notes and other Silly Sentences
Wonderful Whimsical Words
Angel Kiss, Lemon DropLittle Miss, Soda PopA spider spins a web of silk,A cookie's favorite friend is milk.
Rocking Horse, Fairy DustMagic Force, Pizza CrustBabies, toddlers, girls and boys,Santa's elves make lots of toys.
Unicorn, Teddy BearEarly Morn, Dragon's LairA pirate's chest is filled with gold,A princess can be brave and bold.
Children Play, Bells ChimeSaturday, Bed TimeA ticking clock goes round and round,A whisper is a soft, soft sound.
Corn Starch, HalloweenMonth of March, King and QueenEvery baseball needs a bat,A cowboy wears a big, round hat.
Carousel, Pocket BookWishing Well, Swedish CookPigs say oink and cows say moo,A crying ghost says boo-hoo.
Scrambled Eggs, Talking LizardsChicken Legs, Wacky WizardsLords and ladies liked to dance,shorts are just really small pants.
Pot of Gold, Wheat and RyeIt's Time To Say Good-Bye,Before our rhyme is all done,It's your turn to make up one.Have fun!
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July 30, 2017
Greetings and Salutations
Hi, my name is Ellwyn Autumn and welcome to my blog, Lemon Drop Literary. I am so excited that you took the time to visit my blog. I want this blog to be a journey into literacy for my readers and me.
I am a certified Early Childhood Education teacher with a Master's Degree in Education and 20 years teaching experience. I have taught in the public school system and during this time I have read hundreds of children's picture books.
I am also a self-published author and an avid reader. The point is I love books!
I started this blog to explore various expects of literacy through an educational lens that is parent, teacher, child, adolescent, and YA friendly. I want everyone to love literacy and all of its aspects as much as I do.
So stick with me readers and together let's explore the world of books and literacy and all it has to offer!
I am a certified Early Childhood Education teacher with a Master's Degree in Education and 20 years teaching experience. I have taught in the public school system and during this time I have read hundreds of children's picture books.
I am also a self-published author and an avid reader. The point is I love books!
I started this blog to explore various expects of literacy through an educational lens that is parent, teacher, child, adolescent, and YA friendly. I want everyone to love literacy and all of its aspects as much as I do.
So stick with me readers and together let's explore the world of books and literacy and all it has to offer!
