v 5 issue 42: Media Mania

Media can be educational as well as fun! This issue is full of products that meet the learning needs of small children through books, music and TV. Plus: An article by author Lezlie Evans on reading success.

Cover by Robin Long










1 Scan the pseudo-shelves of a literary wonderland @ Tundra Books. Topsy Turvy Town is the tale of an imaginary world stocked with out-of-the-ordinary people, places, and situations...which only a special few have the ability to take part in. Written by Luc Melanson, the book is one of many choices available with a detailed author and story description

2 Madeline's Great Adventures gallops through six adventurous tales filled with pirates, gypsies, and magic carpets. The DVD, due to be released on June 29th, delivers a visual representation of author Ludwig Bemelman's beloved character along with her friends and classmates.

3 With benefits like increased sleep, decreased tantrums, and parent/child bond rejuvenation, who wouldn't want to give yoga a try? Tot Yoga is an instructional DVD for parents with children aged 10 months through 3 years. The DVD engages both parents and children through joint class instruction filled with plenty of fun.

4 With the rhyming words of author Lezlie Evans and the charming watercolor illustrations of David McPhail, Who Loves the Little Lamb construes the unconditional love of mothers through a warm embrace, the sweetening of a song, a tender kiss, and more. Read this week's accompanying article to hear more about the well-loved author.

5 Toddlers need and love bedtime rituals. Sit your little one on your lap, pop this DVD into the tube and you both will enjoy the soothing music put to animation by Sara Hickman in Big Bird, Little Bird. Beware you both will be drifting off to sleep in no-time.

6 Wooden pages are uniquely binded and filled with the illustrations and food words from Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Sure to become a favorite carry-along on picnic lunches and journeys to the park. Quick, artful, & educational.

7 The winner of 7 children's music awards, Dream With Me Tonight is a collection of 15 soothing lullabies from songwriter Lanny Sherwin. Lanny's motto is "DON'T DRIVE PARENTS CRAZY". He certainly honors his motto with this CD.

8 Baby Blanket Music turns the songs you know and love into soothing lullaby arrangements for baby. Hum along, sway to the tunes before bedtime, or create a calming environment during a long car ride. Baby Billy Joel is one of many favorite artists available.


This weeks mom tip:
Create a summertime reading program for your child

* Ask our child’s current teacher or librarian for a recommended grade level reading list.

* Browse the kids section of the library with your child and help them pick something interesting.

* Remember reading doesn’t always require a “book”. Pick up a variety of magazines, picture books, chapter books, activity pads, anything that gets your child excited about reading!

* Make sure the reading material is age appropriate and a reasonable goal for your child’s reading level.

* Make a reading rewards chart, much like a chore chart where they can mark off their reading goals, perhaps a star at the end of each chapter so you know how far they’ve gotten on their book...celebrate when they finish.

* Ask your child questions about what they’re reading. Do they like the book? What do they like best about the story? If you have a pre-reader you can ask these questions about a book you are reading to them.

* If the book is part of a series of some kind encourage them to read the following book when they finish the first one.

* Be an example. When our children see us reading we are setting an example. Pick up a new book for yourself this summer and be an example to your child.

* Make bookmarks with your child, out of paper, plastic, cardboard string, beads, whatever you have lying around the house. Having your own special bookmark just makes reading more fun.

* Buy or make a summer book bag and fill it with age appropriate reading materials that you can take on the go to keep kids busy whenever you leave the house.

Have you heard of summer learning loss? Children experience educational set backs during summer months. You can help by searching out activities to do with your child to keep them learning. There are many great websites out there on tips for summer reading for all age groups including the emerging readers. One of our favorites is Reading Rockets.


Raising a Reader - Key to Your Child’s Success
Did you know the number one determiner of success when a child enters formal schooling is the number of hours he has been read aloud to by someone close to him? The simple act of reading to your child will make all the difference in the world!

And the benefits of reading go far beyond success in school. Reading fosters language development, builds strong, diverse vocabularies, increases self esteem, and helps a child understand things in context and think outside the box. Reading stimulates creativity and encourages curiosity. And one of the most important things reading does is create strong bonds and lasting memories between parents and children.

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my mother taking me on her lap to read Go Dog Go, or Make Way for Ducklings. Reading with my own six children was what gave me the desire to become a children’s book author.

The challenge today lies in the lure of glitzy computer games, endless television programming, DVD players, and portable hand-held electronics. It takes a conscientious effort to set aside time for reading.

Here are 4 easy steps that will help you build early literacy skills and assist your child in becoming a life-long reader:

1. Read with your child as often as possible. Every day is the ideal! Start early— if your child has a short attention span read often, but keep the sessions short. If your child is an emergent reader, take turns reading. You read a page, and then let him read a page. Be sure to be expressive, vary your intonation, and have fun with it! If your child is an independent reader, listening to him read is as important as reading to him.

2. Create a reading environment in the home. Have a basket or box filled with books in every well-used room in your house. Limit TV time and have a set time of the day when you turn off electronics and stop, drop, and read as a family. Take weekly trips to the library and check out as many books as your card will allow. Let your child get their own library card when old enough. If you have a reluctant reader, don’t hesitate to ask your children’s librarian for the perfect book that will capture your child’s interest.

3. Model the behavior. Let your child “catch” you reading, whether it is a magazine, a book, or an article on the Internet. Research shows parents who are readers tend to raise children who become life-long readers themselves.

4. Applaud your child’s efforts. Recognize their efforts with words of praise. Give books as gifts. You’ll be sending the message that reading is pleasurable and a privilege. Before your next plane or road trip have a program where your child can earn “book bucks” to be spent at a bookstore. Set summer reading goals as a family. For example, our family went to an amusement park last year when we reached our goal of reading 100 books. We had a great time on this outing, but we found the summer reading more satisfying than our day at the park.

People often ask me, how do you decide what to write about? I know the power of books— a well-written one can make you cry, laugh, or help you to see something in a new and different way—so I like to share things I am passionate about. My newest book, Who Loves the Little Lamb, illustrated by award winning artist, David McPhail, is the story of a mother’s unconditional love for her misbehaving little one. I’d like to think that after reading this book mothers will feel empowered to be more patient and tender and little ones will feel more security and love as they discover, “From dawn till after day is done, Mama loves her little one.”

There are a lot of great benefits to reading with a child; reading will lay the foundation for success in school and in life, but the best thing to me are the memories created when you share a story together. Pick up a book and read with a child today and discover the magic for yourself!

Lezlie Evans is a mother of six, an advocate for early literacy, and a published children’s book author. Read more about her and her books online at www.Lezlieevans.com.