Education resources for parents and teachers
I created this giant set of long a read 'n stick mats for my Five. By reading the accompanying word cards, he's learning the following phonics patterns: ay ai a-consonant-e I call these my Read 'n Stick Mats because you can laminate the pages and attach Velcro dots for extra fun matching. (Gotta love that rrrrip!) Why use Read 'n Stick Word Family Mats? 1) They're hands-on. My son enjoys reading the ... Read More
One Potato, Two Potato, by Cynthia DeFelice When I discovered this treasure of a book last year I filed it away as one that had to be part of our letter P book list! This may just be my favorite children's book ever. Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady are a dear old couple - poor, but content. Mr. O'Grady digs up one potato from their garden each day. The two "call it breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and consider ... Read More
We had a lot of fun with these letter Q books for preschoolers. The Queen's Feet, by Sarah Ellis This is such a fun story about a queen whose feet just won't behave. They never want to wear dignified shoes, and they won't be still during important meetings. The final straw is when they kick the ankle of an obnoxious visiting monarch. Hard. An entertaining story with a satisfying ending! Quick, ... Read More
Little Red Riding Hood, by James Marshall Marshall's version of the classic fairy tales are just plain funny. You don't want to miss his goofy illustrations and hilarious dialogue. My favorite line in this book comes after the woodcutter cuts the wolf open and Granny comes out, book in hand. "It was so dark in there I couldn't read a word!" Rumplestiltskin, by Paul Zelinksy It's nearly ... Read More
Today I'm sharing twelve fun books for letter S! The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear, by Don and Audrey Wood This is one of those adorable books that you should really have on your bookshelf. The narrator is speaking to an excited mouse who has found a beautiful red strawberry. But he must find a way to hide it so the big hungry bear won't get it. Burying it, locking ... Read More
One Tiny Turtle, by Nicola Davies This is a nonfiction book about the life of the loggerhead sea turtle. The text of the story is so beautifully written that it feels like poetry. "Far, far out to sea, land is only a memory, and empty sky touches the water." When my Five read this to herself, she didn't like it, but she changed her mind after I read it to her. The book is so ... Read More
Today I'm excited to share a guest post from Kate Dowling, a former kindergarten teacher who shares my passion for literacy and teaching preschoolers at home. She also happens to be my sister! It's such a blessing to have Kate guest post at The Measured Mom while I'm busy with our new baby girl. Here's Kate... Is your child entering kindergarten this fall, or in the next year or two? Then this post is for you! Do ... Read More
Today I'm sharing a quick list of letter U books. Up Above & Down Below, by Sue Redding If you get one book from this list, make it this one. Each page takes you through the up above and down below of a different setting - from the street to the stage. The pictures are amazing and fun - so many things to spot! Unlovable, by Dan Yaccarino This is a story about a little dog whose fellow pets make fun ... Read More
A is for Ants on an Anthill I printed out a giant letter A and cut it out for my older preschooler. He had fun putting on the round black stickers and adding the ant details. Simple Apple Craft My One (almost two! ack!) has gotten to the age where he doesn't like to be left out of craft time. So I was excited to find this simple craft that he could do on my lap. Don't you just love this simple preschool alphabet ... Read More
I love searching for books to include in my alphabet book lists. I uncover old favorites and discover new ones I'd never seen. I'll admit that the letter V had me stumped. But never fear -- after a few days we'd found 8 letter V books to love! (I'm trying not to think about letter X...) The Viper, by Lisa Thiesing This is an adorable book and a favorite at our house. Peggy the pig ... Read More
