RAR #50: How Books Spark Easy Projects & Play
When it comes to activities for your preschoolers, do you often feel overwhelmed? I do. I’ve overcomplicated it in the past, and that’s left me a bit tired when it comes to creating a warm and rich learning environment for my youngest kids.
Jennifer Pepito has re-inspired my enthusiasm, however.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- focus on simple play based on books
- put connecting with our young kids first
- make learning to read more active
Click the play button below:
Books from this episode:
(All links are affiliate links.)
Links from today’s show:
- The Peaceful Preschool- Jennifer’s literature & project-based curriculum for early learners
- Jennifer’s blog Willow + Spring
- Bountiful Homeschooling on a Budget
- Jennifer on Instagram
- Wild + Free
- RAR #01 Reading Aloud to older Kids, Andrew Pudewa
- Reading Without Tears (Jennifer’s post about teaching an active child to read)
- Explode the Code
- Five in a Row
- Signing Time
- Little Bear
- Scholastic Storybook DVDs
- RAR #43 Raising Kids Who Read, Daniel Willingham
- The RAR Booklist
I was only halfway finished with this podcast and was inspired. While dinner was baking in the oven I took my two year old to the couch and read him “Blueberries for Sal.” I just so happened to have a tin pail like hers so I got it down from the closet for my toddler to hold during the story. Afterward we acted out one of the pages by “picking” blueberries from our freezer and dropping them in the bucket to hear the “kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk!” He loved this! He also loved counting and eating the berries afterwards. Later we went to the garden and he had to bring his pail. He dropped the cherry tomatoes in and it made a rewarding “dong!” All of this was off-the-cuff and inspired by this podcast. Thank you!
So wonderful to hear, Julia! So glad you took the time to listen to inspiration and make the read aloud extra special. <3
One other thing- Jennifer mentioned a book about staying connected with your kids. What is the title of that book?
Loved this podcast! I am reading “little men” right now, I’m really enjoying it. And love and own Jim treleases read aloud handbook……and after listening to the podcast I bought how to make an Apple pie and see the world……and a time to keep…..which just came in the mail today and I adore!!
I love, love, love the idea that if I just read a book and so projects that apply, then we are always learning!
PS I’ve listened to this particular podcast 3x already! Thanks Sarah and Jennifer!
http://www.npr.org/2016/09/10/493348417/missy-piggle-wiggle-brings-magical-cures-to-the-modern-world
thought of you :)
I so enjoyed listening to this podcast! Actually I love every one of them. I particularly appreciated the extended conversation about the conundrum about screens and how to encourage creativity when they’re limited.
I do limit my kids’ screen time, but my boys (10 and 12) still *live* in their screen worlds/games before and after their time; that’s what they talk about and strategise about, laugh about, get excited about. No stories and play come out of their reading! I just don’t get it. And am so frustrated by it. Is it their age? They play differently to 5 year old boys? They do talk with me about some of what they have read about, usually from their Horrible Histories magazines! But I don’t see that transferring to their free time/play time.
I so enjoyed this podcast, this is going to go on the “mark as unplayed” list so I can go back to it any time.
I agree. My 10 and 12 year old boys don’t seem to use any sort of imaginary play. If they have free time they play sports or sit and read. I don’t see them initiating… lemonade stands, building, engineering… things that I think that boys this age should be doing. I know its not necessarily going to be knights and castles anymore, but I don’t know how to foster creative things for this age. Help!
So very excited that it is “podcast season” again!!! Hoping to listen to this in the car today!!! Thank you so much!
This was such fun to be a part of Sarah! Thank you, and your team for giving me the opportunity to chat about children, projects, and connecting with you.
Sarah,
I loved this episode so much!
This is my first year homeschooling my children (my oldest is in first grade) and I found these ideas so helpful and encouraging. Towards the end, Jennifer mentioned trying to set up her home so that her kids could do projects more independently, and this was such a freeing idea for me. Up to this point, I was really struggling with feeling like for it to “count” as home school, it had to be something I had planned, and was actively managing and participating in the entire time. My kids do lots of projects and play based on the things they read and are learning, and hearing someone else talk about that as a part of their school day was just the bolster I needed. Thanks so much!
Also, funny side note: as I was finishing up listening, my four-year-old came into the kitchen to get a towel, so I followed him to see what he was up to. They had decided (I couldn’t make this up!) to act out the scene from A Bear Called Paddington (where Paddington floods the bathroom, so they had filled the sink until it spilled on the floor, and were playing with various toiletry items. :-) At least they’re learning, right?
I love this Amy! It is so freeing to realize how much learning our children are doing without our direction, even if it means some very wet floors!
My kids are getting older… the youngest is 7- but this still gave me some fun ideas!