Lana Button's Blog, page 2

Mental Health Activities for Kindergarten-Grade 3

Here are some stand-alone activities for your kindergarten to Grade 3 students that address Mental health. They will enhance your Bell Let’s Talk Day conversations or work throughout the school year when addressing mental health strategies or removing the stigma around mental health.
Looking for a read-aloud? I wrote WILLOW’S WHISPERS (Kids Can Press, illustrated by Tania Howells) and TOUGH LIKE MUM (Tundra, illustrated by Carmen Mok)

5 Questions to ask after you read a story

“The Five Finger Re-Tell” questions are a great way to get the most out of reading a picture book with a child or with a group of children.
I am an early childhood educator and children’s author and here are more TIPS:
Ask these questions in this order
No wrong answers! Eventually, your child will grasp Character, Setting, Conflict and Resolution of a story. For now, we are introducing story elements and getting them excited to talk about stories!
repeat after me, “That’s interesting.” This is your line! When your child comes up with an idea that you don’t see as relevant to the story, you say, “Oh, that’s interesting.” And you carry on.
The more your child realizes that this is not a test and there are no wrong answers, the more they will share their thoughts and feelings with you. And reading together will be FUN!
And repeat! Ask these questions again- the next time you read THIS story. You can say, “Remind me again, who was in the story?” This gives your child a chance to expand on their thoughts, or point out another part of the story they enjoyed or now understand!
And repeat these same questions when you read a new story. Your child will come to anticipate and comprehend the question and will come to enjoy telling you the details of this new story.
Happy reading, friends!
Follow me for more tips on supporting your child in school.
And if you’d like to see more of RAJ’s RULE FOR THE BATHROOM AT SCHOOL (@owlkidspublishing ) written by me and illustrated by @metahatem it’s available wherever you buy books.

Tips for Board Book Reading With Your Baby

Reading board books is the best way to develop your baby’s foundational language skills. Exposing your baby to board books will help them develop both receptive and expressive language skills. If you want to build your babies understanding of important words, important people in their lives and common actions, add daily story time to your routine.

I am an early childhood educator and a children’s author, and here are my top tips for board book reading with your baby.

Pick the right book

STAY MY BABYOrca Books

Pick board books with simple, bright clear images. Babies love books with bright photos! Choose books on topics relevant to your baby’s world, that allow for lots of labelling (ie, ‘baby’s eyes’ ‘baby’s nose’)

Point and Pause

Point and tap on the page and label, “baby’s fingers!” and then repeat,“baby’s fingers!”

Then pause, so your baby can take this in. With their finger, help them point, label again, “baby’s fingers!” and repeat. This engagement allows for lots of fun interaction with you and your baby. And before you know it, your baby will be pointing independently, and eventually, labelling on their own.

When your baby is familiar with this page and the labeling, pull back even further (in ECE talk, we call this ‘scaffolding’) and ask, “Where are baby’s fingers?” when you baby points, say “There are baby’s fingers!”

STAY MY BABYOrca Books

STAY MY BABYOrca Books

Add Actions and Gestures

When reading a page like this, from STAY MY BABY (Orca) you could say, “wiggle, wiggle wiggle” and wiggle with your baby. (and repeat!)

This is such a fun way to introduce your baby to the term, ‘Wiggle.’ Bonus- Your baby will associate reading with enjoyment!

Add Sounds!

Go on, make those raspberries! Your baby will love it! And using this page from my board book, STAY MY BABY as an example, you could say, “Baby says, Ahhhhh!” (and repeat!) and then say, “Baby says…(add that pause and look at your baby) “Ahhh!”

Your baby will soon be vocalizing a sound every time you get to this page!

Orca Books STAY MY BABY

Babies learn best when they feel safe, secure and loved. So, wrap your baby in your arms and read. You will help your baby develop foundational language skills and you will both look forward to this precious time together. Because, even though they will always be your baby, they will only fit in your arms for a little while.

Interested in adding STAY MY BABY(Orca Books) to you baby’s bookshelf? Order here: https://www.amazon.ca/Stay-My-Baby-Lana-Button/dp/1459836154/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M995TG7JJN5Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OnX7UZed9-OUeEUWXVrejr_YKqhncnEzPqjz

Why You Should Bring Your Child to a Literary Festival This Summer!

As a children’s author, I have had the pleasure of sharing my picture books at some of the best children’s literary festivals in Canada including Ontario’s Eden Mills Writer’s Festival and Telling Tales, New Brunswick’s Frye Festival, Saskatchewan’s Festival of Words, and most recently, Nova Scotia’s Read by the Sea.

Literary Festivals are magical in that they bring children and storytellers together. Summertime is reading-for-leisure time. It’s a glorious opportunity to take the academics, and what can be seen as the chore, out of reading for kids. A day at a literary festival can inspire your child to spend their summer enjoying books.

Telling Tales Festival, 2018

Instills the importance of reading

When your child sees you choose to read, you are instilling value in reading. Imagine the effect if your child sees you carve out time in your family’s busy schedule to spend time at a literary festival. Your child will understand the importance of books and, at the same time…

Be inspired!

They will be so blown away by the magic of books, as the book’s creators are right in front of them, performing, reading, illustrating and talking about their stories!

Eden Mills Writer’s Festival, 2018 R.O.C.K. Story Time, 2020

Allows your child to sample lots of story styles- no purchase required!

Children’s literary festivals often feature creators from various genres. They can sample funny, scary or dramatic stories. They can peruse through graphic novels, check out some new non-fiction, pick up a long-time favourite picture book, and try their hand at a new middle grade. A literary festival is like bringing a library to life, with the creators there to give insight, backstory and inspiration. Make a list of what you like and visit your local library to spend more time with the stories that catch your child’s eye.

Personalizes the Story Experience

Read by the Sea Festival, 2023

A child can be more connected to, and more committed to reading a book that the creator has introduced to them. And if you do choose to purchase a book, be sure to have the creator sign it! A personalized book that is placed in the child’s hands, provides for a pretty cool moment!

Kid Friendly Fun

Most children’s literary festivals also incorporate lots of fun extras, like music, performances, stickers, activity sheets, and places to picnic. And many festivals have free admission!

Read by the Sea Festival, 2023

So much fun to be had! So, be the hero in your child’s literacy story, and bring them to a literary festival this summer!

And hey, I’ll be doing a Telling Tales story time at The Art Gallery of Hamilton at 2 pm on August 2, 2023! So, why don’t you pack up the kids and meet me there!

Dreaming of Summer (Story Time!)

I am dreaming of summer and story time, with the exciting announcement that my picture book THE COW SAID BOO! (Pajama Press) illustrated by Alice Carter, is on the recommended reading list for the TD Summer Reading club!

The TD Summer Reading Club is a fantastic reading program offered to over 2,000 Canadian public libraries, with the goal of inspiring a lifelong love of reading.

I am hoping that this fun story about a stuffy, misunderstood cow who’s MOO! comes out as BOO! will give library little ones lots of chuckles. School Library Journal says that the rhyming text and repeated refrain in THE COW SAID BOO! make this a terrific story time read-aloud.

I am looking forward to offering a special half hour Summer Reading Club story time with libraries—Please contact me at lanabutton3@gmail.com for more information or to book a summer story time visit.

I Hope to See you at the OLA Super Conference! Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Feb 2-3, 2023

Are you going to the fabulous OLA Super Conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre? Please come by and say hi!

I’d love to sign a copy of TOUGH LIKE MUM (Tundra Books) for you. I will be at the Tundra Booth at 1 pm on Thursday, Feb 2nd

I’ll also be at the Kids Can Press OBPO booth at 3:20 pm, helping Kids Can Press celebrate 50 years of publishing, and signing copies of TAYRA’S NOT TALKING (Kids Can Press)

And on Friday, Feb 3rd at 2:45 pm I will be presenting CATCHING UP ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LITERACY AND RESILIENCY THROUGH THE READ-ALOUD

And, thanks to the fabulous PAJAMA PRESS I will be giving away 5 copies of the soon-to-be-released PERCY’S PERFECT FRIEND (Pajama Press)

I hope you’ll find me at the OLA! I would love to talk with you about inspiring young students with picture books, and about my school presentations!

Children’s Book Author Lana Button -Editorial Services

Return to School Teaching Guidelines that Support Positive Mental Health

Created by author and early childhood educator, Lana Button author of My Teacher’s NOT Here! (Kids Can Press) illustrated by Christine Battuz

When considering student mental health, we need to acknowledge that, in addition to, and more important than the academic slide we may see from our students as we continue to bounce between in-person and online learning for what is now the third school year, there may very well be regression in behaviour, regression in attention span, and a much higher degree of anxiety.

We need to meet our students where they are, and address, acknowledge and validate their feelings. We need to be the supportive calm in the storm. I hope teachers might find the following activities and guidelines helpful in their classrooms, to address feelings and ease anxiety for their students.

Kitty proves to herself she can get through an unexpected day at school.

My picture book My Teacher’s NOT Here! (Kids Can Press, 2018) illustrated by Christine Battuz is a recommended read-aloud to enhance these activities. The story supports students in the challenges they may face when there is a change in their school routine. But these stand alone activities can be completed without the picture book. It is my hope that teachers, heading into the storm, might find some of these suggestions helpful so that we might provide our students with the comfort and assurance they need to continue their learning.

Class Survey

I like school best at school                 I like school best at home

*What are the results of our survey? What did most of our classmates like best? How did we find out?

Whole Group Discussion Lists:

What should a supply teacher know about our class?

Encourage students to think about class routines, the class leader’s role, classroom rules, etc.

What can you say to someone who is not feeling well?

What I like about school-at school         

What I don’t like about school-at school

What I like about school-at home         

What I don’t like about school-at home

*Students can draw a picture about the answer they feel strongest about, in terms of likes and dislikes. Encourage students to label their drawing with letter sounds, words and sentences.

-This activity can validate a student’s unhappy feelings while highlighting positive points in either situation.

Fill in the Blank

Sometimes I feel ____________about school.

*Encourage students to share emotions (ie: nervous, happy, frustrated, excited) that they might feel about school and create a class list.

In My Teacher’s NOT Here! Kitty was nervous about school when her teacher was away.

When I am nervous about school I can_______________________.

*Encourage students to share their positive mental health strategies. Some suggestions you might make are, finding a friend to share feelings with, drawing a picture, taking some deep breaths, looking at a favourite story, taking a movement break, holding a soft toy.

I like when my teacher__________________

Create a class list or have students create an individual picture and share with the class. Students can be encouraged to add words and sentences to their picture.

Let’s Get Creative

If your teacher was away, what kind of card would you make them?

*Provide students with folded cardstock to create a card. Students can be encouraged to create get-well greetings, to address the card to their teacher and to sign the card.

Students may choose to make a card for someone else who might need a ‘pick me up’.

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When you Gotta Go…

I’m a children’s author, and I’ve also been working with young children for over 30 years. And so I know that starting new school routines are milestones in a child’s development. One of those milestones is using the bathroom independently— like totally independently- like without hints, or help in any of the pants down, wiping department. It’s a big deal. Every year I see children attempt to avoid this scene all together, determined to ‘wait til they get home.’ It’s why I wrote my latest picture book, “Raj’s Rule (For the Bathroom at School) (Owlkids, 2020) I wanted to show children in a fun and funny way that they would have a lot more fun at school if they faced this fear. And illustrator Hatem Aly did the most fantastic job bringing my determined bathroom avoider Raj to life.
And I’m here to tell you that I didn’t get far into this school year before meeting a few new friends who were avoiding my class washroom at all cost. Raj did not let me down! Kids found the story relatable and helpful. It even made an overnight trip in a backpack to a child’s home so his parents could read the story at bedtime. And the child told me, with a stone cold stare, “You know he almost peed his pants. But then he did it! He used it! The bathroom at school.” And I am pleased to report that the child then marched into the bathroom and soon triumphantly returned. You know, as a children’s author, starred reviews are a great thing, but nothing is better than knowing that your story has helped a child.

[image error] A riotous rhyming read-aloud about resilience and facing your fears!

When you Gotta Go…

I’m a children’s author, and I’ve also been working with young children for over 30 years. And so I know that starting new school routines are milestones in a child’s development. One of those milestones is using the bathroom independently— like totally independently- like without hints, or help in any of the pants down, wiping department. It’s a big deal. Every year I see children attempt to avoid this scene all together, determined to ‘wait til they get home.’ It’s why I wrote my latest picture book, “Raj’s Rule (For the Bathroom at School) (Owlkids, 2020) I wanted to show children in a fun and funny way that they would have a lot more fun at school if they faced this fear. And illustrator Hatem Aly did the most fantastic job bringing my determined bathroom avoider Raj to life.
And I’m here to tell you that I didn’t get far into this school year before meeting a few new friends who were avoiding my class washroom at all cost. Raj did not let me down! Kids found the story relatable and helpful. It even made an overnight trip in a backpack to a child’s home so his parents could read the story at bedtime. And the child told me, with a stone cold stare, “You know he almost peed his pants. But then he did it! He used it! The bathroom at school.” And I am pleased to report that the child then marched into the bathroom and soon triumphantly returned. You know, as a children’s author, starred reviews are a great thing, but nothing is better than knowing that your story has helped a child.

[image error] A riotous rhyming read-aloud about resilience and facing your fears!