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WOW! Word of the week: SHELTER
- Look how the tree’s shade has sheltered us from the sun.
- It looks like the cat found shelter there.
- I’ll shelter your body so you stay warm.
- Which sweater will shelter you from the cold?
- Why do newspapers shelter us from the cold?
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
Posted in "WOW" Words!
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WOW! Word of the Week: INCLUDE
- I like how you included your friend in the game.
- What else would you like to include on our shopping list?
- It looks like you are including healthy foods.
- Let’s include your sister in our game.
- Which stuffed animal do you want to include on our trip?
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
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WOW! Word of the Week: SECURE
A WOW! word is a word you’ll say constantly this week to help your newborn, infant, or toddler hear the word and its forms. You are modeling words your child stores up and practices silently until able to say them aloud just like you do!
- We need to make sure your seatbelt is secured.
- I’ll thank the security guard for letting us in.
- How secure does that helmet feel?
- I see 1, 2, 3 hinges that secure this door. Let’s count them.
- Grandpa is securing his docs on his computer.
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
Posted in "WOW" Words!
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Babsy B Tip: Spinning Straw into Gold!
Wanna learn how to spin straw into gold? Let’s say this particular handful of straw is a board book, like SO BIG!
Once you’ve repeatedly read and sung this book, your child and you know every animal’s name and its relative size by heart. ‘Tis time to begin the spinning!
Substitute these words: “Black Dog, Black Dog, what do you say? Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! I can say “Woof!” too!” Continue to spin that whole new story. At another time, spin a different story, such as: “Black Dog, Black Dog, what do you see? Dog food. Dog Food. I see dog food, too.”
Armed with your spinning models, your verbal or pre-verbal child is learning how to fill those pockets with rich language and then change it up to enjoy all-new original stories.
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
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Babsy B Tip: Multiple Copies of the Same Book?
Oops, your child already has that book? Who knew!
What do you, the minimalist, do with that second copy just received? Try to exchange it for a book your child doesn’t own? Re-gift it, or donate it?
What if Aunt Harriett personalized it to your child? Now, it’s a must-keeper. Will you donate your other copy, then? Always a good deed, but hold off that donation…for a year or more.
Multiple copies are ideal for your avid reader. Keep one copy in the kitchen and one in the bathroom. Or one upstairs; the other down. Keep one copy in the house; the other in the car. One in your home; the other at the grandparents’ house.
Then, donate all those copies when your child moves on to another level. Or keep a copy for some grand-tots one day.
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
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Babsy B Tip: How to teach your infant or toddler to read
I’m all ears when I hear an adult explaining how a little one can’t really read but thinks he can. “He just knows the story,” the adult says. And I say, “Yay! Yay! Yay!” This adult has done one of the most important jobs a parent does . . . reading the same book again and again until the child knows the story.
Book selection is another key ingredient. Your toddler will be especially eager to help you “say” a book’s repetitive lines. As she learns the story, one word at a time, she’ll want to use her memory to help you read the book. Stop before the last word of a line to encourage her to say that word. Boost her interest and her confidence by talking about how she has read that word!
You’ll do that same kind of confidence-boosting with your always-listening infant. Just stop a second before going on to say, “Yes! That’s right! That next word is (say the word)! Good reading!”
Though it’s important to avoid showing any expectation that your infant or toddler should read any word, it’s helpful to move your finger beneath a word you’re saying. This helps your child begin to understand that the printed word––those marks on the page––means the same thing as the word you and she say when you read that story.
Happy reading-teacher-parenting to you!
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
Posted in Babsy B Tips
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WOW! Word: ENLARGE
A WOW! word is a word you’ll say constantly this week to help your newborn, infant, or toddler hear the word and its forms. You are modeling words your child stores up and practices silently until able to say them aloud just like you do!
- If we enlarge the picture, it may fit into the frame.
- Let’s enlarge our circle to let everyone join us.
- How could you enlarge that hug to include me and that teddy?
- Let’s enlarge the face so we can see them in the picture.
- If we enlarge the words, I’ll be able to read what they say.
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
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Babsy B Tip: Whisper the Readaloud
Why whisper when you’re reading aloud to your child today?
Use your whispering voice to read every other page of a picture book or board book. Your child will enjoy hearing and mimicking your performance. But much more is going on here.
While the whispering is fun and game-like for your child, it’s also modeling the important lifelong reading skill of reading silently. Over time, lighten your whisper until your lips model saying the words without a sound.
And bingo! Your child knows how to read silently––to gain meaning from printed words and illustrations without speaking out loud.
It’s never too early to begin: The Where Is Monkey? board book shows you how to begin modeling this skill with your infant.
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
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Babsy B Tip: Can I? Huh?
How can you avoid feeling pressed to give your child permission when you’re not sure how you want to respond?
To take a think-it-through breather and help your child learn patience, say, “If you need an answer now, I’d have to say, “No.” But if you can wait until after bath tonight/this time tomorrow, I’ll wait to answer your question then.”
Your child learns to wait for your guidance and gains hope of an affirmative response that next day. You have time to check in with yourself to see how you really feel about the request.
Copyright © 2015 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
Posted in Babsy B Tips
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