another quilt

I finished another quilt today.  The pattern is Easy as Pie, a pattern from my sister's blog, which makes it the second time I have made this pattern.  (You can see my first one here.)  I wanted the quilt to be a bit wider than the last one, so I added a vertical row to make it closer to sixty inches wide.

summer suggestions from a teacher

As a teacher, here are some suggestions you can do to help your children continue learning over the summer, regardless of their age. 

1. Reading to your children.  Once children learn to read, they can still enjoy listening to stories.  Children almost always enjoy listening to stories even if they do not like reading themselves.  Parents can broaden a child's horizons by reading high quality literature aloud to them.  For younger children, I would start with some classics like Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  Books I would recommend for children age seven and older are Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, and Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater.  Children may already be familiar with these stories because of school or movies, but they are worth reading aloud.  For other ideas, I would check this list, look at past posts on my blog, or ask your librarian.
2. Learning activities.  This covers so many things.  I would start by thinking about your child's age and what they will need to know to be a responsible adult.  That means teaching them how to do certain chores appropriate to their age.  Five year old children can learn to wash dishes.  As children get older, they can learn to cook, mow the lawn, wash the car, and do laundry.  Others things to do to help children learn are going to museums, touring local businesses or factories, growing a garden, doing things for others, and going to state parks.  Most of the time, parents and children are learning together and making memories at the same time.  You could also go to free community concerts or check out library books about different types of crafts.
3. Playing with your children.  If children only spend time with other children or sitting in front of a screen, they are not going to learn social skills that are necessary for life.  Interacting with children while playing builds communication skills and allows children to ask questions.  Playing board games helps children learn how to get along with others, follow rules, and develop problem solving skills.  If you and your child are not fans of board games, play outside.  It could be a structured game like baseball or soccer, or something less structured like biking, Frisbee, or hiking.  Going to the park, the beach, fishing, or boating are also some enjoyable ways to spend time outdoors.    You could also play school, store, restaurant, mail, or house.  Playing is actually a form of learning and can develop a child's cognitive skills.

A balance of reading, learning, and playing with your children will make some good memories for you both while helping them develop their minds.

triangles quilt

 I finished this quilt this mornings-the top I finished back in March.   I like the back as well as the front because it shows off the quilting.  I am linking to Amanda's finish it up Friday series on her blog.  This originally supposed to be a gift but am thinking about keeping it. 

pictures books for summer reading

Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes is the newest book about Penny.  It is my favorite of the three books about Penny.  One day she picks up a marble she sees and takes it home.  She loves the marble, but then realizes perhaps it belonged to someone else.  This book is for children three to seven.

A Spoon for Every Bite by Joe Hayes is a picture book that I recommend to my second and third grade students.  Set in New Mexico, this story is about a rich man who boasts of his wealth to his poor neighbor.  His neighbor is tired of the boastful man, so he tells the man he uses a new spoon every time he takes a bite of food.  Not to be outdone, the rich man attempts to do that as well, but finds out too late he has been tricked.   

Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester Laminack is a book I found at the library recently.  It tells the story of three ordinary hens living on a farm, and an unusual addition to the farm, Peacock.  The hens are jealous of Peacock because he attracts so much attention because of his beautiful feathers.  The peacock and the hens switch places for the day and learn an important lesson.  Preschoolers and grade school students would enjoy this story.

Read any good picture books lately?