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)
“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.
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
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!”
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!
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
Children's Author/ Speaker, Lana Button 