Kids Blog

Spring Has Sprung

2012-04-02T14:49:00Z

Flowers, bees, and colorful eggs abound when Spring is in the air. Make sure you are ready with some great chiildren's books sure to delight the entire family.

Peepsqueak by Leslie Ann Clark is a short funny book about a little chick trying a great big thing...flying! Repetitive text and really cute pictures will keep you easily entertained as well as the funny ending!

10 Hungry Rabbits by Anita Lobel finds some baby rabbits trying to help Mama Rabbit cook some soup. Early learning concepts of counting and colors abound in this story. The beautiful illustrations just might make you want to eat your veggies!

Max's Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells has classic and cute Max and Ruby on a hunt for the most eggs. Of course the prize is a solid chocolate chicken!

Kite Day: a Bear and Mole Book by Will Hillenbrand is all about those few special days that the wind is up. And you know what that means? Getting out that new kite! This colorful book has a surprise ending....Read it!

And Then Its Spring by Julie Foglian is a tender story about a boy and his dog who are tired of waiting and waiting and waiting. They decide to plant some seeds and watch for brown to turn green.

Come visit the Educational Materials Center!

2012-03-30T14:24:00Z

We are replacing missing copies and completing series as well as adding new books - be sure to check us out!

A retired teacher donated several Dover coloring books: Southwest Indians; Life in Ancient Polynesia; Children's Folk Costumes; Story of Hawaii; Kaleidoscopic Design; Make Your Own Calendar; Create Your Own Pictures; Celtic Design; Traditional Designs from India; Wild Animals; Shipwrecks and Sunken Treasures; Celtic Gods and Heroes; Amazing Animals; Norse Gods and Goddesses; Zoo Animals; Nature Fantasies; A Walk in the Woods; National Parks; Search-a-Word; and Constellations of the Night Sky. Dover has a wonderful website: www.doverpublications.com

What's Black and White and Reid All Over? Three parts: Humor Programs for the Preschool Crowd; Humor Programs for the School-Age Crowd, and The Funniest Books in Your Library. Parts 1 and 2 each include five programs with books, movement activity, songs, finger plays, poems. etc. Part 3 has picture books, easy readers, graphic novels/manga, chapter books, poetry, folkore, and songs, with a write-up for each entry.

JUST FOR FUN: try these series: Brain Teasers (books for grade 2 and grade 3) and Mind Twisters (books for grade 2 and grade 3). Solve puzzles, riddles, mazes, word searches, codes, and more. Also, Sudoku with three types of puzzles at three levels of difficulty (books for grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3).

Graphic Organizers for (Social Studies), (Science), (Reading), (Writing). 58-60 different ready-to-reproduce organizers (such as circle, bar, line, pictograph, columns, and many, many more). What a great way to sort information!

Perfect for right now! International Spring and Summer Festivals. Includes facts, patterns, and activities for holidays and celebrations from all seven continents. Grades 1-6.

Food for Thought: literature-based thematic units for each month of the year. Grades PK-2. Books, activities, games, and patterns for apples, pumpkins, popcorn, cookies, soup, chocolate, pickles, eggs, pizza, berries, ice cream, and cake.

25 Science Mini-Books for Emergent Readers. Grades K-1. Books on animals, human body, plants, earth, and sky. Includes information, recommended books, activities, and games as well as eight-page books to assemble.

Ready-To-Make Science Bulletin Boards. Ideas for plants, animals, human body, growth and development, microorganisms, astronomy, meteorology, geology, oceanography, energy, environment, and many more.

Quick and Easy Costumes and Plays. Patterns and plays for many animals and flowers.

Creative Teaching Through Picture Books for Middle School Students. Many age-related activities and related books for 27 picture books.

Sight Word Manipulatives for Reading Success. Grades K-2. Flash cards, fold-up books, puzzles, and many other engaging ideas, activities, reproducible patterns, teaching tips, and much more.

Everything for Early Learning. Grades 1-2. Develop essential basic skills through activities in reading, writing, and math. Just an incredible number of activities!

Math Hooks 1. Grades K-2. More than 30 really neat and easy activities and games.

Math & Stories. Grades K-3. Features 29 favorite picture books to use in a whole new way.

Shortcuts for (Colors & Shapes), (Early Reading), (Early Writing). Grades PK-1. Lacing cards, charts, matching, tangrams, badges, take-home notes, word cards, patterns, awards, practice boards, and more.

TEACHERS TAKE SPECIAL NOTE!: Writing Effective Report Card Comments. Hundreds of comments for math, reading, science, attendance, work habits, homework, above and below average students, year-end messages, and many more. Clear, concise, and constructive comments.

Literacy Work Stations: Making Centers Work. Each chapter includes how to introduce the station, materials, what to model, how to solve problems, how to differentiate, how to assess, and reflection questions. Chapters include stations for Big Books, Writing, Drama, ABC/Word Study, Poetry, and Other. There is also a chapter for setting up a classroom library.

1-2-3 Magic for Teachers: effective classroom discipline Pre-K through Grade 8. Nine parts, including administrative issues, using at different grade levels, your relationship with students, specific applications, and managing undesirable behavior.

Follow-the-Directions: step-by-step directions and writing prompts that guide children to draw pictures and write stories about them. Grades K-2. Includes a wide variety of animals, transportation, weather, etc. Neat book!

Sandwich Bag Science: 25 easy, hands-on activities that teach key concepts in physical, earth, and life sciences - and meet the science standards. Grades 4-8. We also have Soda Bottle Science and Coffee Can Science.

40 Sensational Sight Word Games. Grades K-2. Includes a list of the 220 Dolch Basic Sight Word Vocabulary List, with 100 reproducible word cards. Includes several pages for take-home activities and a wide variety of games.

Hope to see you soon!

New Educational Materials Books

2012-03-03T16:55:00Z

I hope you will find many of these books useful!

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EARLY AGES

1001 Fun Ways to Play: quick easy activities for your baby and child. Great ideas and enriching activities!

The Giant Encyclopedia of Transition Activities for Children 3 to 6. Over 600 activities. Chapters include arrivals, cleanup, fingerplays, gross motor, outdoor, rainy day ideas, and rest time. Includes indexes for books and songs.

And the Cow Jumped Over the Moon!: over 650 activities to teach toddlers using familiar rhymes and songs. More than 250 songs, rhymes, and chants, with multiple activities. Appendix has a listing by ten themes. Includes an American Sign Language chart of over 50 signs. Also includes indexes for Children's Books; Songs; and Chants and Rhymes.

L Is For Lion: and other playful alphabet fun by Between the Lions award-winning PBS Kids literacy series. Each letter of the alphabet has two full pages of activities and ideas, including food, games, songs, poems, recipes, vocabulary, photographs, and book suggestions.

Wild About Learning Centers. Each activity includes a list of materials, instructions, a vocabulary list, a skill focus, and theme connections. Twelve chapters (animals, clothing, colors, families, food, etc.). Learning centers include ABC's, art, library, math, sand table, and writing.

Wild About Group Time: simple literacy plans for preschool. Ten chapters/100 plans focus on a familiar early childhood topic, and include vocabulary words, questions, related books, and learning goals. Chapters include families, feelings, helping, food, and silly stories.

Preschool Health and Safety Matters. Nine chapters, reproducibles, check lists, and food pyramid.

SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TEACHER: Preschool Classroom Management: 150 teacher-tested techniques. Nine chapters and resources for books, videos, organizations, journals, magazines, and websites.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGES

Integrating Science and Literature. Each section contains a teacher's guide, science activities page, student activity pages, and thematic activities page. Sections: measurement, nutrition, seasons, weather, plants, animals, habitats, and astronomy.

202 Science Investigations: exciting adventures in earth, life, and physical sciences. Many, many topics in each of the three categories.

Nature Activity Book series. Eight books: Arctic Wildlife; Australian Wildlife; Birds; Dinosaurs; Great Lakes Wildlife; Mammals; Pond Life; Southwest Desert Wildlife. Games and activities: crosswords, origami, word searches, coloring pages, drawing, mazes, dot-to-dot, and more!

Adorable Wearables that Teach About the Human Body. Includes Brain Hat, Vision Goggles, Arm Bones Band, Muscle Sleeve, Digestion Necktie, and more. Each project includes reproducible patterns, lessions, vocabulary, literature connections, and cross-curricular activities.

30 Fun Ways to Learn with Blocks and Boxes. Individual and small group activities that explore construction, collaborative play, and basic math concepts.

30 Fun Ways to Learn with Clay and Squishy Stuff. Tactile adventures that build social and communication skills.

30 Fun Ways to Learn About Writing. Labeling objects, making lists, and writing notes.

Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills. Four books, over 500 pages each, with grade-appropriate activities for math, reading, reading comprehension, English, spelling, and writing. Aligned to State and National Standards.

Every Book is a Social Studies Book: how to meet standards wtih picture books, K-6. Twelve chapters including culture, places, power, science, civic ideals. Three picture books are featured per chapter.

30 Fun Ways to Learn About Music, 30 Fun Ways to Learn About Time and Money and 30 Fun Ways to Learn About Counting. Each activity includes materials list, vocabulary words, ideas for expanding the activity, and learning goals.

Holiday Crafting and Baking with Kids: gifts, sweets, and treats for the whole family! 26 festive projects, for autumn, Thanksgiving, Christian and Jewish holidays, Kwanzaa, and the New Year. Includes templates.

SPECIFICALLY FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIANS, TEACHERS, STORYTELLERS, AND CAMP COUNSELORS: Tell Along Tales! Playing with participation stories. 25 adapted tales from the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Korea, Norway, Spain, and West Africa. Appropriate for Gr. K-6.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL AGES

Origami From Around the World. 104 origami projects with an international flavor: Buddha, Celtic helmet, geisha, Chinese junk, suit of armor, and more.

Best Poems. (middle level). Seven units about different forms and meanings of poetry.

Best Short Stories. (introductory level). Ten stories (Yep, Poe, Thurber, Aiken, Bradbury)

Best Short Stories. (middle level). Ten stories (London, Myers, Singer).

Best Nonfiction. (introductory level). Seven selections.

Best Nonfiction. (middle level). Seven selections.

Best Plays. (middle level) Seven selections.

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I hope you enjoy these! Please visit the Ed Mat area in the READ Center at Central Library anytime!

River City Community Art Project

2012-01-03T15:51:00Z

We will begin celebrating the Evansville Bicentennial with River City a Community Art Project here at EVPL. Come and participate in Central's lobby beginning Tuesday, January 17th. Art project participation is open to everyone and it will be fun and possibly a bit messy. The focus is on what you like about Evansville rather than the history of the city. So, help make this community project a success.

Celebrate National Young Readers Week!

2011-11-07T16:10:00Z

Celebrate National Young Readers Week with EVPL! Visit any of our 8 library locations or the book bus this week to vote for your favorite books. Children ages 2 - 8th grade may select their top 3 choices on a picture ballot. Submit that ballot for a chance to win Prizes! All votes will be tallied and the EVPL top book choices will be announced. Voting takes place Saturday, November 5th through Monday, November 14th.

Book selections were taken from the 2011-2012 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominees. The Nominees are divided into three age categories: ages 2 through 2nd grade, Intermediate and Middle Grades. Please select the appropriate ballot to fill out, and be sure to include your name and information on the back. Only one ballot per child will be accepted.

I've chosen my favorites....have you?

The little cloud that could...

2011-08-08T19:17:00Z

Small, little Cloudette just isn't big enough to accomplish something grand...like making a garden grow, a waterfall, or even...snow! "I'll just watch from here," she says. After being blown to a new neighborhood, she meets a frog in need. Can she huff and puff enough? The theme of this story is size truly doesn't matter! Check it out!

And still more books in the Educational Materials area

2011-05-20T17:59:00Z

Yes, we have new books in the Educational Materials area - but first, I want to invite you to come see our totally renovated Educational Materials area - it will be so much more convenient for you to find books. We withdrew books that have not circulated for a while (look for them at the August Public Library Friends Booksale), have merged Special Resources books into the regular Educational Materials books, have focused on teaching materials, have moved books specificially for parents upstairs, have relabeled, and in general have just re-organized - it really is quite an improvement!

MONTESSORI

We have added quite a few books about the Maria Montessori method of education. Here are a few:

Maria Montessori: the discovery of the child translated by M.J. Costelloe

The Advanced Montessori Method: the Montessori Elementary Material by Maria Montessori

The Tao of Montessori: reflections on compassionate teaching by Catherine McTamaney

Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook by Maria Montessori

Spontaneous Activity in Education: the advanced Montessori method by Maria Montessori

Montessori Madness: a parent to parent argument for Montessori education by Trevor Eissler

OTHER NEW BOOKS OF INTEREST

Let's Pretend: 50 start-to-finish preschool programs by Rebecca Bane. Each theme includes an introduction, materials needed, step-by-step program example, additional props, final thoughts, and color photographs. Topics include: camping, winter, beach, zoo, firefighters, garden, Western, jungle safari, etc.

100 Essential Forms for New Teachers by Linda Beech. Grades K-5. Includes cd. Eleven sections, some of which are Before School Begins; Getting Acquainted; Classroom Library; Currrciulum Areas; Assessment and Evaluation; and Home-School Connection.

Destination Collaboration 1: a complete research focused curriculum guidebook to educate 21st century learners in grades 3-5 by Danielle DuPuis. Four chapters: Notetaking; Public Access Catalog; Informational Text; and Online Resources. Each includes 2-3 lesson plans for each grade level. Includes plans, interactive electronic activities, manipulatives, worksheets, and presentations.

Mastering the Mechanics: ready-to-use lessons for modeled, guided, and independent editing by Linda Hoyt. Grades 6-8. Includes a year-long planner and a skills continuum, and a cd which has reproducible forms and student writing samples. The cycles are ten minutes a day for three days, and covers editing, revising, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, etc.

American Legends & Tall Tales by Steven Petruccio. One of my favorites - a Dover Coloring Book. Includes pictures to color and information about over twenty characters of history and folklore, including Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Annie Oakley, and Casey Jones.

Camp Summer Read: how to create your own summer reading camp by C. Kay Gooch. Organized as a checklist, the book is a step--by-step guide that includes multiple book lists, read-aloud lists, and dozens of book-based activities. If you are not quite ready to start a camp, the reading activities and ideas can easily be applied to a classroom or home setting.

AND DON'T FORGET: The kick-off for the Summer Reading Program is this Sunday, May 22nd, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. here at Central Library. The theme is "One World, Many Stories".

Some great new books in the Ed Mat area

2011-04-25T17:27:00Z

PRESCHOOL

Let's Pretend: 50 start-to-finish preschooler programs by Rebecca Bane. Fifty programs, with a wide vareity of themes such as camping, parades, farm, safari, dogs, and recycling. Each program includes an introduction, materials needed, step-by-step program example, additional props, final thoughts, and color photographs.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

More Ten-Minute Plays for Middle School Performers by Rebecca Young. These eighteen plays are for two to seven actors, with no props or costumes needed.

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MIXED GRADES

Ready-to-Use Activities and Materials on Coastal Indians: a complete sourcebook for teachers K-8 by Dana Newmann, part of the "Native Americans Resource Library" series (the others are Desert Indians, Plains Indians, and Woodland Indians. Each volume includes four major sections: Their History and Culture; Activities for the Classroom; Ready-to-Use Reproducible Activities; and Teacher's Resource Guide.

Gotcha Again for Guys!: more nonfiction books to get boys excited about reading by Kathleen Baxter. The sixth in the series, this volume covers books published between 2007 and 2009. It is organized into twelve thematic chapters, each of which offers booktalks and further recommendations. This volume also includes new features, such as reproducible booklists, profiles of authors, and interviews. Some specific chapters are: Sports; Disasters and Mysteries; Gross and Disgusting; Creepy-Crrawly Creatures; Prehistoric Creatures; American Journeys; Animals; Science; Machines and the Military; Around the World; Hot Topics; and Creativity.

Once Upon a Sign: using American Sign Language to engage, entertain, and teach all children by Kim Taylor-DiLeva. Currently ASL is the third most used language in the United States, and this book includes program ideas for infants and toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, 'tweens, and teens, as well as reproducible templates.

Storytimes for Children by Stephanie Bauman, editor. Includes themed storytimes, with suggestions for opening and closing sessions, crafts and activities, songs, poems, fingerplays, and movements. The chapters are targeted for 0-2 year olds; 3-4's; 5-6's; 7-8's; 9-10's, and 11-12 year olds.

Child Psychology and Development for Dummies by Laura Smith. This is an informational guide to cognitive development at every stage of a child's life from pregnancy through the teen years, and expert tips and guidance on how to diagnose, treat, and overcome the cognitive barriers that impede learning and development.

1-2-3 Magic: effective discipline for children 2-12 by Thomas Phelan. 25th anniversary revised 4th edition. Stresses controlling obnoxious behavior, encouraging good behavior, and strengthening relationships.

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SUMMER READING PROGRAM

The Summer Reading Program kick-off will be on Sunday, May 22nd at Central Library. This year's theme is "One World, Many Stories", and we have a perfect new book in the Ed Mat area:

Booktalking Around the World: great global reads for ages 9-14 by Sonja Cole. Includes fiction and nonfiction selections, booktalks, and booklists for many countries from all seven continents as well as three ancient civilizations.

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Stick to the schedule

2011-04-15T14:12:00Z

Mister Bud likes things the way they are...his house, his toys, his schedule. But when a new dog comes to live with him, there's trouble. Zorro is bossy, Mister Bud is grumpy, but something surprising happens. Say Hello to Zorro! is about two complete opposites who find out they could be best friends. Anyone who has ever had a dog will love the charming illustrations in this book. Check it out today!

Where the Mild Things Are by Maurice Send-up

2011-03-28T14:55:00Z

Take the classic book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak turn it around; tell from a wild thing named Mog's position and you have the parody Where the Mild Things Are by Maurice Send-up. I don't know how I missed this particular gem when it as released in 2009 but somehow I did. I don't want o give away too much but I will tell you that although they are never named, Martha Stewart, Jay Leno, Bill Gates and Al Gore all play a part in this wild thing's trip to Dullsville in his 1974 AMC Gremlin.

Adults will appreciate the book more than children mainly because they understand parody and can instantly relate things in this text back to the original, see the not so subtle jibes at a few famous people, and enjoy the nuances in the illustrations such as the book Mog is reading entitles 1,001 Facts About Dirt. Children will like this simply because it is amusing, colorfully well-illustrated, and because the Mog gets to be bad in the end and his parents like it that way. Something most children wish was true at least some of the time.

It's a quick read so it won't take up much of your day but it may add a smile to your face and some amusing things to share with others who remember the original Where the Wild Things Are fondly.

Turtle in Paradise

2011-02-16T16:08:00Z

The title is misleading. No, this book is not about terrapin, but it is about paradise-the Florida Keys. The main character is a little girl named Turtle. During the Depression jobs are hard to find, but Turtle's mother gets another house cleaning job. This time the lady hates children, so Turtle is sent to live in a place she knows nothing about with people she has never met. To appreciate this book, the reader needs a picture of Hemingway's Key West. By 1934, Key West was bankrupt and declared a welfare state by the governor. Paying jobs were hard to find. Cigar and sponging industries had moved. The Navy and Coast Guard had left. Henry Flagler's railroad was bankrupt and Mallory Steamship lines no longer stopped. Key West, once Florida's most affluent city, was 5 million dollars in debt. The city could not pay police, firemen, garbage collectors. Most residents were on welfare. The streets were littered and filthy. Homes were run down and industry gone.

This is the Key West Turtle comes to. The reader will think they are reading an island version of Huckleberry Finn as they enjoy Turtle's enterprising, free-footing, cousins, neighbors, and colorful characters of Depression era Key West. By the end of the book, Turtle really does find paradise. You'll enjoy this touching, well written read with historical notes at the end. Written by Jennifer Holm.

Some Neat New Books in the Educational Materials Area

2011-02-11T19:53:00Z

We have several in a new series called Travel Through (country): come on a journey of discovery. The subjects we just received are the British Isles, the Caribbean, France, India, Japan, Russia, and Spain. Each title includes a locator map and essential statics, activity pages, and diary extracts, poscards, and e-mails written from a child's perspective. Lots of attractive color photos.

Also new is American Folklore, Legends, and Tall Tales for Readers Theatre. Grades 4-8. 23 scripts, in chapters titled: Heroes and Heroines; Tall Tales and Large Lies; Rascals and Ruffians; Magic and Myth; and Ballads and Songs. The beginning of each chapter includes information about the overall time in history and information about the specific tale included. Includes instructions on how to manage readers theatre, including staging directions and four pages of more teacher resources.

And more books about American history: Two are from the Native Americans Resource Library: Ready-to-Use Activities and Materials on Desert Indians: a complete sourcebook for Teachers K-8, and Woodland Indians. Includes information, crafts to do, and reproducible activities, with recommendations for lower, middle, and upper grades. Gateways to Westward Expansion: using literature and primary sources to enhance reading instruction and historical understanding, for grades 4-12, covers ten topics, with bibliographies and reproducibles. The ten chapters: The Lewis and Clark Expedition; The Santa Fe Trail; The Alamo; The Oregon Trail; The Transcontinental Railroad; The Buffalo Soldiers; Indian Boarding Schools; Cowboys and Longhorns; The Orphan Trains, and The Women of the Westward Movement. Each chapter includes historical background, primary source documents, and a graphic organizer. The fourth new one is States and Capitals for grades 4-5, which includes tips for writing a state report. Lots of different activities and memory prompts to help students learn state names, locations, and capitals.

If you are using a specific book or author in your classroom, be sure to go to our website and in the catalog search box type in "A Guide for Using", "Literature Circle Guide" and "Teaching with Favorite" as titles - and you will be amazed of books we have that can help you! Today we added A Guide for using The Mitten in the Classroom and A Guide for Using The Tale of Despereaux in the Classroom.

Other new books include The Parents' Guide to Baby Signs: early communication with your infant - this is a very practical guide. Get Up and Move with Nonfiction, for grades 4-8, covers Science; Mathematics; Geography; and U.S. History. Includes over 100 kinesthetic activities. A Core Collection for Young Adults: second edition, part of the Teens @ the Library series, covers many annotated core collections such as Adventure Tales, Cautionary Novels, Historical Fiction, and many more. Each book listed includes suggested grade levels and a summary paragraph. Also includes several appendixes and a cd. 417 pages.

And I saved the best for last: kidsram Tales Story Theater Using the Ancient Chinese Puzzle. Grades 2-6. Contains adapted tales from around the world, which can be told by the teacher or performed by the students. Roles include storytellers, tangram artists, and chorus members. Line drawings show how each tangram piece should be placed, not just the overall outline. Includes reproducible tangram patterns and figures.

Still More New Ed Mat Books!

2011-01-20T16:26:00Z

Check out these new books!

Foreign Languages:

Little Linguists: Learn a Language Book series. Each book contains activities for history, trivia, humor, language, and more. We have the books for Chinese, French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish.

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United States:

The Big Kentucky Reproducible Activity Book! by Carole Marsh. Over 120 activities. Includes dot-to-dot, mazes, coloring, matching, word searches, riddles, crossword puzzles, hidden pictures, and many other creative activities. 128 pages.

Indiana Dailies by Carole March. 180 daily activities. Includes reproducibles such as multiple choice questions, word searches, mazes, puzzles, drawing, etc. for the topics of state basics, geography, history, people, and government. Each activity takes ten minutes or less.

Young Patriot's Book of Puzzles, Games, Riddles, Stories, Poems, and Activities by Carole Marsh. Reproducibles for ages 7 - 12. The title says it all.

The 13 Colonies: a new life in a new world! by Carole Marsh. Covers the years 1607 to 1773. Includes a timeline, facts, reproducible activities, and hands-on activities.

When Brother Fought Brother: The American Civil War by Carole Marsh. Covers the years 1861 to 1865. lIncludes a timeline, facts, reproducible activities, and hands-on activities.

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And the World:

Cinderella by Judy Sierra. Part of the Oryx Multicultural Folktale Series. Cinderella adaptations from around the world: Ancient Egypt, China, France, Germany, England, Ireland, Portugal, Norway, Native American, Vietnam, Africa, etc.

What is Islam? Who are the Muslims? by Muhammad Malik. A small pamphlet of questions, answers, and illustrations. Very informative.

Book by Book: an annotated guide to young people's literature with peacemaking and conflict resolution themes by Carol Spiegel. Entries for more than 600 picture books and more than 300 chapter books. Includes grade levels and number of pages.

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Hope to see you soon!

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Calling all educators!

2011-01-10T18:06:00Z

Wow - we just received some great series of books available for check-out from the Educational Materials area.

We have a series called Draw*Write*Now: a drawing and handwriting course for kids! - eight books which are collections of drawing and handwriting lessons developed by an elementary school teacher and classroom tested by over 800 children. Over 150 lessons. The themes are: Book 1: On the Farm, Kids & Critters, Storybook Characters. Book 2 - Christopher Columbus, Autumn Harvest, The Weather. Book 3: Native Americans, North America, The Pilgrims. Book 4: The Polar Regions, The Arctic, The Antarctic. Book 5: The United States, From Sea to Sea, Moving Forward. Book 6: Animals and Habitats - on Land, Ponds and Rivers, Oceans. Book 7: Animals of the World, Part 1: Tropical Forests, Northern Forests, Forests Down Under. Book 8: Animals of the World, Part II: Savannas, Grasslands, Mountains and Deserts. This series won several awards, including the Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award.

Another series is The "Original" Monthly Idea Book - we have the January through April books. For grades PK-3. Each of these Each Teacher's Friend Monthly Ideas Book is filled with dozens of ideas, patterns, crafts, and reproducible activities. Also included in each book's 144 pages: shape book patterns, motivational awards, open-ended games, celebrations, and award-winning bulletin board patterns. I especially like the patterns.

The third series we received are Travel through : come on a journey of discovery. The individual book topics are: America, Australia, Brazil, China, and Egypt. Each book includes a locator map, essential statistics, and activity pages. Also included are activities to develop thinking skills (research, recall of facts, understanding, knowledge and skills, analytical thinking, creativity, and how to form opinions and evaluate consequences of decision. Further activities are listed based on different learning styles (linguistic learners, logicall and mathematical learners, visual learners, kinesthetic learners, musical learners, interpersonal learners, intrapersonal learners, and naturalistic learners).

The United States of Storytelling: folktales and true stories form the (Eastern States and Western States. Appropriate for grades 3-8, but specifically for grades 4-6. The Mississippi River is used as the dividing line. Includes numerical rank and date the state entered the union. The chapter on Indiana includes 5 stories. Extensive bibliography and contact information for featured storytellers.

We also received some interesting individual books:

Science Question of the Day: 180 standards-based questions that engage students in quick review of key content - and get them ready for the tests. Grades 3-6. Questions are from life, earth, and physical science. Sample question: "Beavers change their habitat by cutting trees to build dams. The dams are their homes. What could happen to an ecosystem with too many beavers?"

Conversations with Great Teachers by Bill Smoot. Published by Indiana University Press. 10 chapters, with a total of 151 articles: Teaching in the School Room; Teaching in the College Classroom; Teaching the Healers; Teaching the Creators and Performers, Teaching the Fixers and Makers, Teaching the Athletes, Growing the Body and Spirit; Teaching at the Bottom and on the Edge; Teaching the Protectors; and Teaching in the Corridors of Power.

Fun Ways to Learn About Classical Music

2011-01-05T16:25:00Z

Classics for Kids is a radio station based out in Cincinnati Ohio where its host Naomi Lewin brings classical music's great composers to life through music and stories. Within this website there is a bit of everything for everyone! Children and adults can listen to interviews of current renowned classical artists such as Keri-Lynn Wilson who holds three masters from the Julliard School of Music to opera singer Denyce Graves. Teachers and parents can also check out their teaching resources which give practical, effective plans and activities that use classical music to help children learn, and meet national and state standards.

However, within the website that is geared towards children and music education they also have a series of exciting games and quizzes you can play online! http://www.classicsforkids.com/games/

The Note Game was very enjoyable. Not only do you have to place the correct letters beneath the notes but it plays the notes for you so that the student recognizes them tonally. Also, some of the words are very silly which was a plus for me.

Composers Time Machine was rather exciting for me. Not only did it have the whirring noises and blinding lights of a time machine but the student can choose what musical time period they want to visit. I visited the romantic period and clicked on Modest Mussorgysky. Beneath a button titled pieces you can listen to their compositions. I listened to "Gnomes" a selection from his composition Pictures from an Exhibition. I was also able to learn some biographical information on his life. However, if you want to REALLY learn about your composer click beneath the button "Shows" and you will hear Naomi Lewin tell you very funny yet educational information about the composer while you are serenaded by their own compositions. Did you know that Mussorgysky was a potty mouth?! This is an EXCELLENT tool to use in the classroom not only to learn about composers but also listen to popular compositions that even many students may already be familiar with.

Compose Your Own Music was very fun because it allows you to be very hands on like a composer. The program lets you place notations on a staff and makes certain that you put the correct amount of notes within your music as indicated in your time signature. So, if it's green it's a go. If it's red, you've made a mistake somewhere. Once you have completed your masterpiece the program will play your musical composition back to you. Choose between Beginner and Advanced depending upon your musical capabilities and give it a go. Who knows, you just may be the next Mozart.

Rockin' Rhythm Master was super cool as my kids would say. Essentially you listen to the rhythms given to you and you repeat them back via your space bar. Your level of ‘coolness' rises depending upon your abilities of mastering the rhythms. The first level reached is the ‘Cool Rhythm Master,'the second level is the ‘Hot Rhythm Master' and the final level I shall leave up to you to figure out. With each level successfully completed you can print out a certificate with your name to authenticate your abilities.

So give this website a try and I hope you have as much fun as I did exploring the wonderful world of music.