I'm Back

Wow it as been a very long 2 years since I have been here, I am sorry for the delay in bringing to you what I had hoped to be an informative and fun way to interact with your kids as a working father who just wants to be something more for his children.  It has been vey busy on our ed, I am currently in graduate school for counseling and working as a Developmental Specialist/Habilitative Interventionist  we now have four little boys in the house from age 7 down to 18 months.  So it is nothing short of excitement.  I hope to bring back to this post the information and stories I had started with, I want this blog to be a place were I not only learn of the books out there for my family but sare my experiences from reading to my children and what I have learned in my profession on being there for children who need that extra hand at times.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, I had the chance to talk to a really good friend of mine who lives back east.  He is celebrating his 50th, no 60th, just kidding his 40th birthday, and He doesn't look a day over thirty.  So what does this have to do with my blog, lots.  My good friend has had to raise his two children by himself after their mother decided to get up and walk out of their life some years ago, we have spent considerable time talking about the emotions that this had on him and how he has struggled to do something that mostly moms get stuck with.

Today he happened to mention to me that he was afraid for his daughter to start in the local public middle school next year, this is were I come into the mix.  I have struggles to get him to move out west not because the school system is better but I can offer him a support system for the coming years.  I want to bring this up because dads often find themselves at the short end of the stick when it comes to caring for their children or wanting to be better at being a dad. 

We are at a fork in our educational future, one that has brought us choices such as cutting teachers to bring better technology into the classroom, send your child to an alternative school which offers the ability to teach to your child's learning ability, even private schools which while they have good teachers they also cost your retirement future.  So what is there for a father who may seem lost and not sure of the education available for her daughter.

There are plenty of choices, I want to let him know that her education started the day his ex-wife left him to raise the children.  His daughter has seen the importance of keeping your head up and never letting life get you down, that hard work will pay off.  This is the education that a father brings to the table, we teach our children that while the jobs we do offer us the ability to put food on the table, pay the bills and the things that the family needs, but as a father we always would like to see our children have the chance for something more, that starts with a dad sharing in the experiences that brought him to were he is and how important it is to always be exploring your world with books and questions.

The time is now for parents to look at the direction education is taking and decide which fork will you take or will you start preparing them by offering them the chance to read books and partake in everyday activities that will help build a foundation of learning.  Dads we need to step up and take them by the hand and make their education one that starts with us and continues with us, school should be there as a supporting system for the foundations that you really can teach from your home.  I believe that this is the direction of education that has been missing for sometime, with our governments "no child left behind", it starts at home and that is were the responsibility is.

Until next time teach them something exciting

Great holiday

It happens to have brought itself to my attention that my children really love this holiday, that to them is all about the lighting of fireworks, it is such a sight to watch them in the rearview window as we drive by a fireworks stand.  It's like Christmas they start yelling and screaming for us to stop and buy fireworks, and when can we see them.  Then I start to think have I let them in on why it is that we celebrate this lone holiday in the middle of the summer, I have not.  Does that take away from their love of the spectacle, no not at all.  It does however let me as their father, take into account that I should be filling them in on how some holidays come about and what is the big deal about fireworks and picnics. 

So Monday being the fourth I thought I would make it a point to remind them during the day just what it is that we are celebrating, that they have family and friends that have helped them to gain the freedoms we share on this day.  I want them to have that feeling that I have when the fireworks are going off, that feeling of greatness and love for being an american and having the ability to do and have the things I have.  We are always wanting to bash the men who we as a majority have elected to any office and make it this war on words against one party or another, but never looking to solve it on a level which is easy to reach.

I wish to convey my dearest wish for our  children to know that while those who are making choices were the best we could get at that moment, that their parents looked at them and took it upon themselves to do everything they could to help them in their education and understanding of the world they are growing up in.   It is our duty as it was the duty of our founding fathers to prepare a place that offers us the freedoms and enjoyments we have this day, though at times it may not seem as though it is there we as parents must know it is still the greatest nation under all that is seen in the news bad or simply unbeleivable, we are the hope the founding fathers were fighting for.

So until next time remember the future you want for your children and prepare them with an education from the best teacher, you.

got some books

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0689860099/ref=sib_dp_pop_sup?ie=UTF8&p=random#reader-link 

For thos who may not know I work with autistic children and have been for over six years, I have been involved with several programs and some school system ideas on how best to help a child with this ordeal.  I can say that while the need to look for the cause is an issue I push to see happen it is the cure that we do not spend enough time talking about.  There is a program out there for every child and adult with autism and though it may seem like an endless maze of confussion, it takes the work of many caring individuals to find the right one or ones. 

This post though is about some books that I have had the chance to introduce to a child I currently work with and I have foundthem to be enjoyable to myself and him.  I have picked up Mr. lictenheld's books on many occassions and watched a childs eyes become glued to the flow of the words in a story talking about the mess in a room, to take his words and present them in a fun and articulate way as to touch a childs curiosity is the sign of how a book can truely do worderous work.  At the other end of his books he spends time talking about cars and pirates in a fun and informative way that a child both young and young at heart would find must enjoyable. 

These books have been a source to the start of conversation and enlightenment for myself and my child, one that at times may have been at a wall in which I would look at books and wonder how I could get him to enjoy a book that was different from those that he seemed drawn to.  Fellow readers of this post I am here to illustrate that reading is fundamental to all children no matter what their background is.  We often hear people talking about the correlation of literacy and ending up in jail, but I am here to tell you that there just might be a correlation in a child seeing the world and autism(just a theory). 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B0031MA8MY/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
One more great book that I have had some great success while working with my child is this one by Tony Fucile.  It offers a child to interact with a book in a simple way that can be transformed into much bigger illustrations that you as the adult must use your imagination to expand a young childs interest from simple actions such as pretending to be a statue or a tree that does nothing.  So check these out for your own children or for someone who you know could use a great pick up and enjoy reading feeling.

Until next time pretend to be a chair

getting into the blog game

So over the course of a semester I have gotten into several things that I thought I might never do, one of those things is this blog.  I do not fancy myself a person who wants to sit infront of a computer and talk, I much rather do something in person.  But here I am so be patient with this and know that I want to offer things to the average reader and try at the same time to give my point of view on things that I see working when it comes to childrens literature. 

I find myself pushing this blog in a direction that offers advive and suggestions when it comes to being a father and reading to your children.  This is an activity that has become something I have grown very fond of and love showing my children how much reading can do for them.  I want to offer my review of the childrens books we read and why we have them, to show the amazing talent that is out there for the young reader.  I also would like to draw attention to the importance of reading and how dads can become more involved in this part of their childs learning.

I want to point out that while the economy struggles and government decides that best way to compansate for this issue is by cutting teacher pay and removing some great programs from school in the hopes of balancing budgets.  As parents we have to decide how our children will get the education they need, how can we best prepare them for the road ahead.  It is by starting at home with a solid and excitting reading program that will be both rewarding and enjoyable for mom, dad, and the children.

I will be focusing mainly on readers from birth to age 6, I find that this is a great time to get the book bug to bit them, and with the thousands of great childrens books out there and a topic that seldom comes up when parents talk about their children I want that to change.  It seems when parents get together they talk about the newest clothes or stroller they got for their baby or young toddler but know one is talking about the books they read or have found for their little ones.  I want to be that dad who offers this conversation to now be open.

So I hope that this journey offers me the chance with time to bring this topic to the circle of moms and dads at the next gathering of friends and family.

Until next time  enjoy the summer nights

poetry

 I love reading poetry to my children, it is such a wonderful way to introduce them to a beautiful and rich word of vocabulary and show them how they can create a world that means nothing to must but everything to them.  My favorites to read to my children are the Shel Silverstien books I am a fan of all his writtings and to have them on the shelf for my children, this always takes me back to the times in my childhood that seemed to matter.  My favorite is Where The Sidewalk Ends and the poem Peanutbutter Sandwhich I grew up loving peanutbutter sandwhiches and this poem always makes me laugh and reading this to my kids is a blast.  My 5 year old is a fan of Don't Bump the Glump which is a strange book but is a world that a child quickly falls in love with.  The ability to take the view of what a child imagines from the creature that looks like a hat or an egg and give it a name and story.  I love this about poetry and childrens books.  I feel that poetry and childrens books go hand in hand, they can be very beautiful in their presentation both in words and pictuers so as to take the child into the pages and join the journey the auther has given.  Childrens books seem to flow like poetry, take Nancy Tillman her books have that flow and the art work gives the added structure to a childs imagination.  I think that poetry is a great way to introduce children into exploring their world by getting them to explain a setting or story they have in their head and helping them to expand on it and not worrying about the words or grammer, you can guide them in seeing that stories those that last in our minds are the ones that break the mold, the ones that touch us in our inner child. 
Until next time write a poem

good books

This book which can be found at http://www.amazon.com/ is one of my favorites to read to all my children, as is any book by Nancy Tillman.  The children have been blessed to get such a wonderful selection from their Nana and Nancy Tillman is the one that we get who seems to really capture the imagination of a child with beautiful eye catching art work.  The flow of her stories will last a life time with you as you turn every page and you as a father will find yourself back into your childhood and the time of adventure and love that you hand for just wanting to never grow up.  I know that has a father and one who wishes the best for his children that this book will have you back to its pages evry time you walk to the shelf, you will discover new stories to tell and new adventures to bring your children on.  A wonderful writter and illustrator, a must have for anyone who loves to remember the childhood they long to have back and even the one they thought was lost.

Yes that is right Steve Martin, now I know anyone with children who may be around my age or older remember Saturday Night Live when it was at its best, and I do mean its best, can remember this wild and crazy guy.  Not only is he one of my favorite comidians but this book has truely come to be one of the favorites among my children.  The art work by C.F. Payne is so in touch with the story and how I woul;d imaging Steve telling this story in person.  every page is full of great facial expression and action, it moves from page to page like a Steve Martin skit and you will find yourself once again remembering your childhood and having a great story to tell and laugh.  The best thing is that it comes with an audio cd by Steve Martin and his banjo that gives the story in a fast pace telling like it needs to have, face it sometimes haveing someone else read is a great time.  Do yourself a favor and get this book your kids will love it and come on its the man who can give you 20 insults about the size of his nose!  Find it at http://www.hatchettebookgroup.com/
Now on a learning topic it is important to remember for young children that are getting ready for school or that need some help to use reading time as a way to help point out letters and the sounds they make.  Make the hard sounds in the  readings and have them repeat you, when reading a rhyme or poem make sure to clearly speak the words so they have a chance to hear and repeat it several times for them.  You may want to use some words to see what they can point out in the story, find words that repeat and say them and have them find the word.  Give them evry oppurtunity to hear all the words in evry context as possible and to build off what is being said, this will help them in their decoding and their oral language development.
Well until next time share a good book