Books and Giggles
Inside: 5 library visit tips for parents of toddlers and preschoolers. In today’s busy world, parents sometimes forget the hotspot in their community. Yes, play places and museums provide great ways to spend time with your family, but you probably also have an AMAZING free option nearby: the local library. Today I”m sharing five library visit tips for parents of little kids. How to…
Inside: A huge, annotated list of children’s books about the sun, including both fiction and nonfiction titles for preschool through elementary. Whether you’re looking for picture books to go with a preschool summer sun theme, folktales to enthrall elementary students studying the Earth and space, or just-right nonfiction books that will hold your children’s interest,…
Inside: Grab these free printable seasons emergent readers, and learn how to personalize them for each student. A couple of weeks ago my little 4-year-old friend would NOT let go of the emergent reader I’d printed out for him. This sweet boy, my friend’s son, is all about dinosaurs, and I’d given him a dinosaur…
Inside: Bear Says Thanks activities to go with the much-loved Karma Wilson Thanksgiving picture book (Disclosure: Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.) UPDATE 11/13/20 – I added…
These printable polar bear hats are perfect for motivating children re-tell the story Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle. (Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees…
Learning doesn’t have to stop at snack time. Over here we love playing with ABC pretzels. Here are ten little literacy games you can play with your kids while they eat. The games are listed from easiest to hardest so that you can easily find one at the right level for each child. 10…
If you have a preschooler, you may be starting to think about how to help your child succeed in school. Reading aloud is always a great place to start. You can get a lot of mileage out of well-chosen books.Today I’m sharing five kinds of books you can read aloud to your preschooler. The variety…
We’ve all been there. Your child goes to pick out a book for you to read aloud, and you cringe. Not that one again, you think. You’re sure you’ve already read it 97 times. Why do kids want the same books over and over? Is it meant to drive you crazy? It sure feels like…
I originally wrote this pretend play library post way back in 2016. Amazingly, people are still finding this and reading it. So, I decided to give it a little update… and brand new adorable library dramatic play printables. When your kids are stuck inside on a lousy weather day, the last thing you want to…
Here is a simple way to bring literacy into your home at Christmas time. I’ve put together a free printable mini word wall for your little reader’s room or playroom. Kids who aren’t quite reading may like to look at the holiday words and pictures too. My girls made a stack of shiny Christmas cards last…
So I went to Target yesterday. You know how this ends. I went in for a couple necessary items and came home with more than I’d planned to buy. But while I was in the dollar spot I found this bulletin board border! Why should teachers have all the fun? I decided it would be fun…
Twenty minutes past bedtime, my daughter asked me to read her a story. We’d gotten home late from soccer practice, and I hurried everyone through their evening routines. Finally, I turned out the light and went to kiss Isabella goodnight. “Mommy, you have to read me a story,” she announced. I took a deep breath. …
As a mom of little kids and a former teacher, I get excited when we read a picture book that can teach a big kid reading comprehension skill. (Books and Giggles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees…
Books about storms can help calm children’s anxieties. Here we’re sharing the ten best books we found about rainstorms, thunderstorms, and hurricanes. Rumble, crash, boom! Thunderstorms can be scary for little kids. If your child is afraid of thunder, being calm and empathetic can help. So can reading books about storms. Storm Season Here in Texas,…
If you have a preschooler who is ready to learn a few early sight words, this quick project is for you. When my twins were at that stage, I made them tiny, personalized books. My results weren’t beautiful, but my girls loved them. Mini-Reader Suspense Part of what sparked my kids’ interest was watching me…
I saw this display in my grocery store last summer, and I couldn’t decide how I felt about it. On one hand, I was glad to see that they are supporting literacy in young children. On the other hand, I was kind of offended. Only 3 times a week? Why not 3 times a day?…
Memorizing sight words doesn’t have to be boring. If you have a fun selection of sight word games, your kids will relish the time spent playing them with you. The game I’m sharing today is perfect for kids who like dramatic play. I have used the little plastic animals that my 5 year old twins enjoy, but you could…
Realizing you can skip pages or parts of pages when you read aloud to your little kids is liberating, even if you do feel a little deceitful about it. There’s really no reason to feel guilty. In our house, we did plenty of book shortening until the kids got old enough to catch on to…
Do your kids ever get stuck on Repeat with a book that annoys you? Maybe you even liked it the first five or ten times, but the 97th time? Ugh. We have a few books that I flat-out won’t read anymore. (We have plenty of other choices.) Is that mean? I figure I’m teaching…
This is Part Two of a Three Part series. Be sure to check out Rookie Mom Reading Mistakes Part One if you missed it. I hated not knowing what type of reader my son would turn out to be. It was really hard standing there with him at age four looking up at age 7 or 8….
This post is the first in a three part series. You know what teachers have that parents don’t? Do-overs. There aren’t nearly as many do overs in parenting. When I taught sixth grade Reading and Social Studies I loved being able to revise lessons on the fly. When something didn’t work with the first class, I could…
You know when your kid finds a book that they want you to read over and over? Recently, one of my 5-year-old twins latched onto the book Tiptoe Joe by Ginger Foglesong Gibson. I totally haven’t minded. When a book opens with a cute rhyme like “Tiptoe fast, tiptoe slow. Say hello to Tiptoe Joe” across three…
Last week I walked into the kitchen and caught my 5-year old working hard to read the label on a little crate of oranges. I can’t tell you how much this warms my book-loving heart. Before we were married my husband once caught me engrossed in reading the label on a 12-volt battery. Yes, I…