Approved as an Easyread Spellmagic affiliate!

I have just become approved as an Easyread Spellmagic affiliate. As I have read and researched about this program for the past few weeks, I have been steadily impressed and am hopeful that it offers a different way of teaching reading and spelling through a "guided phonetic approach," which associates animal pictures with not just beginning sounds but also letter blends (e.g., "the eagle looking regal").

You can try out a sample lesson and sign up for a 10-day trial of Easyread Spellmagic for $27.

Easyread Spellmagic

I recently found out about a new learning system that helps children learn to spell better by reteaching them how to read by using a guided phonetic approach that combines phonics and visual memory cues. I have signed up to become an affiliate and will provide a link on my blog if/when I am approved. Stay tuned for more news about this system!

Read-Aloud Bible Stories

My friend Shirley recommended these read-aloud Bible stories to me. The stories are perfect for toddlers, have wonderful pictures, and fun text to read aloud. We have volumes 1-4.

Toddler high chairs

We use the Stokke Kinderzeat (and its counterpart the Tripp Trapp) for our girls. These chairs are adjustable and can be used as real chairs as the girls grow older. There are some cheaper knock-off versions too. We have the Primo Deluxe Easy Chair, not as nice as the Kinderzeat but a good cheaper alternative.

Ella the Elegant Elephant

Ella is an elegant elephant with a magical hat who has moved to Elephant Island with her mother. I love these sweet adventures by Carmela D'Amico about Ella as she navigates her way around the island and at school. Ella faces different challenges from her schoolmates but always manages to find her way to happy endings. The pictures are gorgeous. Try these books out--I think you may fall in love with Ella too. So far we've read Ella the Elegant Elephant (the first book) and its sequels Ella Takes the Cake and Ella Sets the Stage. There's a new book, Ella Sets Sail, that just came out in 2008, and we are looking forward to reading that one too.

Dr. Seuss for toddlers

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? is my favorite Dr. Seuss book to read out loud. It's not tongue-twistingly boring and annoying like Hop on Pop or Fox in Socks, has fun noises that kids enjoy copying, and is not too long like some of the other Dr. Seuss books that are for older elementary school children. I actually prefer the board book edition to the full-length early reader version. The board book edition, while shorter, seems like just the right length to me and my kids.

Construction vehicle primer

Dig Dig Digging by Margaret Mayo was one of Elissa's favorite books when she was younger. It has all the hallmarks of our favorite kids' books--bright, colorful pictures and fun text that's great to read out loud. Check it out :) This book is great for mommies and daddies (or others) who want to learn about bulldozers, scrapers, and other giant earthmovers.

Rhyming books

Here are a few of my favorite rhyming books for preschoolers.

Dinner at the Panda Palace by Stephanie Calmenson is a wonderful introduction to animals and counting. Mr. Panda opens his restaurant to one and all...and in come the animals by the droves. I love how the type of animals fits each number...for example, 3 little pigs who are looking for some place to hide, 8 dressed-up penguins out for a night on the town, 1 mother hen and 9 chicks.

Farm Flu by Teresa Bateman is also lots of fun. It tells the story of a little boy who takes care of the animals on the farm "just as my mother would do" when one by one, the animals all come down with the flu. Great rhymes and rhythms, and the pictures are fun.

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anne Dewdney is a great story of a little llama who is tucked into bed by his mama and then creates "llama drama" when his mama doesn't come right away to answer his call. Good book to teach kids to wait for their mommies and daddies instead of immediately assuming the worst.

Finally, Fireman Small to the Rescue by Wong Herbert Yee is my favorite of the Fireman Small books. This tiny board book has great sound effects to read out loud, and the text and pictures clearly communicate the urgency of responding to a fire and the relief when Fireman Small saves the day!

Hooray for Fish

Elena is very fond of Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins, the author/creator of the Maisy books. Hooray for Fish has bright, colorful pictures of unusual, cartoonish fish. Little Fish introduces readers to the many fanciful fish in the ocean and ends with a sweet reunion with his mother.

Ecover dishwashing tablets

We're making baby steps toward being more "green." So I started using the Trader Joe's house brand dishwashing detergent about a year ago. It seemed fine at first, but lately the dishes have a film that I have to rinse off...which seems to defeat the purpose of putting dishes in a dishwasher to begin with.

After reading some rave reviews about Ecover dishwashing tablets, I bought a box last week from Whole Foods. So far, so good. Much, much better than the TJ dishwashing detergent. I think I will buy my next pack from Amazon, since it's a bit cheaper when you buy in bulk.

Raffi Songs to Read

Raffi, a popular children's songwriter/performer, has book versions of some of the songs that he sings. My favorites in the "Raffi Songs to Read" series are Baby Beluga, Down by the Bay, and Shake My Sillies Out. The last one, in particular, is great for dancing around the room with your kids. Each book has a different illustrator, and some of the books include the simple sheet music for the song so that you can sing it. Otherwise, you'll just have to find a Raffi CD to learn to sing the book to (or with) your child.

Sing-along stories

The Sing-Along Stories series features classic songs adapted with creativity by Mary Hobermann. We love the illustrations by Nadine Bernard Westcott too. Some of the books also come in box sets that provide three board books and a cassette tape.


While the board books are very nice, the non-board book versions include extra pages with sheet music for the song's melody and some suggested extra activities to do with your child after reading the book.

The first one we read was Skip to My Lou--we later found out that a few pages from the original hardback/paperback version were removed when the board book version was created, so I definitely recommend the non-board book version for this particular book.

Miss Mary Mack is a hand-clapping rhyme about a girl and a jumping elephant. The Lady with the Alligator Purse begins with the familiar "Miss Lucy" song and ends with a surprising twist. We also like Bill Grogan's Goat, which features a shirt-eating goat and his messy animal companions. Other titles in the series include Yankee Doodle, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and There Once Was a Man Named Michael Finnegan, and The Eensy-Weensy Spider.