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Bright-Kids
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Vol. 5, No. 20 - May 19th, 2008
http://brightkids.wordpress.com
mailto: debi@simplemom.com
Copyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-Hough
ISSN: 1536-0466 All Rights Reserved
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Subscribe: join-bright-kids@hub.thedollarstretcher.com
***: leave-bright-kids@hub.thedollarstretcher.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:
-- "Dear Readers"
-- Quote-able
-- Reading to Your Children (Part Two)
-- Reaping the Benefits of Gardening with Children
-- Reader Tips
-- Assorted Information (resources, archives, etc.)
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< < O U R . S P O N S O R > >

Learn the Rules for Becoming a More Effective Parent

Bestselling author Richard Templar offers his tips to be the best
parent you can be:

-- Relax (Rule 1): Really good parents expect their children to be
noisy, messy, bouncy, squabbly, whiny and mud-covered.

-- Don't Try To Do Everything (Rule 5): Yes, they're allowed to
drop ballet if they hate it, even if the teacher did say she thought
they had real talent.

-- All Your Actions Speak Louder Than Words (Rule 88): Your
kids will watch how you cope in difficult situations, and they
will take that as their cue.

Buy your copy of The Rules of Parenting by Richard Templar.

Save 32% at Amazon on this book

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/013713259Xsimplepleasuresp/

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Dear Readers ...

Sometimes you never know when something's going to strike an
interest in the heart and mind of one of your children. For example,
the other day, my son (age 17) suddenly discovered an overwhelming
interest in various forms of government. With no prodding from myself
or any teacher, he's spent hours of time on his own researching the
differences between Capitalism, Communism, Fascism, Socialism,
and just about every other "-ism" you can imagine.

His new interest has taken him down many paths of learning and
inquiry: World history, philosophy, religion, economics, culture,
geography. He's never been particularly fond of reading fiction or
classic literature for fun, but now he's willingly and almost hungrily
reading political and philosophical classic works of fiction such as
1984, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, and Anthem.

Not only has he learned a lot in the process, he's been sharing his
new passion with anyone who will listen ... which consequently
means that his sisters and I have also gotten an education in all
things political. ;-)

I've come to believe that sometimes all it takes to discover a new
passion for learning is a willingness to allow our kids to follow their
interests from time to time, even if it's not in the prescribed curriculum
or class outline for their particular grade level.

Simply Yours,

--Debi
(Deborah Taylor-Hough)
Editor, Bright-Kids Email Newsletter
--Author of the popular 'Frozen Assets' cookbook series, 'A Simple
Choice,' and 'Frugal Living For Dummies(r)'
--Editor, Simple Times and Bright-Kids email newsletters

http://brightkids.wordpress.com
http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com
http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware
http://dsimple.wordpress.com
http://whiteriverpres.org

________________________________

QUOTABLE

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without
losing your temper."

--Robert Frost

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READING TO YOUR CHILDREN -- PART TWO
by Shari Steelsmith
Copyright Parenting Press
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
http://www.ParentingPress.com


Tip: A particularly important by-product of reading aloud to
children is the strong bond that grows between parent and child
as they share a mutually enjoyable story.

Last week, we looked at some of the advantages to reading to
your children and ways you might instill a love of reading in your
family. This week I'd like to look at specific strategies that will
help you read to your baby or young child.

Tools: We can start reading books to our children while they are
very young babies. In my book, 'Peekaboo ...and Other Games to
Play with Your Baby', I offer many tips to successfully engaging
a young child’s attention toward books:

Always read the book to yourself first, before you read it to your
child. Think about which pages or pictures will be most engaging.
Be prepared to point these out or comment on them.

Only read for as long as your baby or child pays attention. Don't
force her to finish the story.

Be willing to read the same book over and over again -- for as long
as your child has attention span to follow it. Read the same book
each day, if he wishes. He needs time to develop his "favorites."
Familiarity breeds affection, in this case.

Leave books out and around for your child to flip through and look
at. Books are not for keeping high on a shelf -- they're for reading
and playing with. If you're worried about them getting ripped or hurt,
buy board or cloth books.

Young children respond strongly to rhyme, rhythm, and repetition.
Nursery rhymes are popular with young children for this very reason.
Toddlers, particularly, enjoy books about what is familiar in their
own lives -- going to bed, playing, eating, getting dressed.

Find books that use the text of a song. Some young children are
reluctant to settle down for reading a story. If you can engage
them by singing the text, they often attend quickly. We do this
ery thing in the Feelings for Little Children Series -- singing the
text to the tune of When You're Happy and You Know It.

Lots of parents read to their young children, but many stop when
the child starts reading chapter books alone. Don't let this happen --
simply have them add the read-alone time to their daily schedule
and keep on with the reading together time. Right now my nine-year-
old daughter is reading a chapter book on her own and listening to
me read Little House on the Prairie in the evenings.

Even teens enjoy sharing a favorite author or story with parents.
Just last week, my thirteen-year-old son remarked to me, "Mom,
we've got to find another sci-fi book to read together!"


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
--You’ll find more practical tips you can use right now in 'Peekaboo ...
and Other Games to Play with Your Baby' by Shari Steelsmith. To
order: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0943990815/simplepleasuresp/

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< < O U R . S P O N S O R > >

"Raising Money Smart Kids" -- open access until May 31st

In 1998 Mike DaSilva had $90k in debt. His kids, still in diapers,
would be finishing school by the time it was paid off. Mike studied
everything he could get his hands on about personal finance, and
by 2003 he was a millionaire. Looking back Mike says, "I don't
want my kids to have to live through what I did. What I learned at
age 33, I could have and should have learned when I was a kid."

'Raising Money Smart Kids' is a collection of Mike's practical
advice and information for every parent. Normally sold as part of
the KidsWealth Money Kit, you can get open access at no cost
until May 31st.

Teach your kids how to spend less, invest, live their best & help
the rest at http://tinyurl.com/6d67b5
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REAPING THE REWARDS OF GARDENING WITH CHILDREN
Copyright National Association for the Education of
Young Children
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
http://www.naeyc.org/


Help children plant a garden, and harvest their appreciation
for the wonders of our natural world. From the first stage of
seed selection, on through planting and tending to the garden,
children develop a sense of pride and responsibility. They may
also learn about math, writing, reading and science -- with
your help!

Whether you're a parent or early childhood professional, take
children to libraries and local greenhouses to find out what to
plant and how to take care of it. Or have children ask family
friends and neighbors about their gardening experiences. One
discovery will lead to another. You don't necessarily need a
green thumb to reap the rewards.

Gardening is a great activity for learning, whether you're in an
urban or rural area. It's also a good way to involve parents and
the whole school or community. You may put out a flyer or
newsletter, and hold a meeting to discuss sharing responsibilities.
Parents or local organizations may even contribute soil or fertilizer
to the project.

Decide whether you want to plant a square-foot garden, raised
garden, or a conventional garden with rows, or a container garden
made from empty milk cartons or flower pots. A garden need not
be extensive or have dozens of kinds of plants. A barrel, a window
box, or cut-in-half gallon jug will do nicely for a planter.

Whichever type of garden you choose, consider the climate and
growing season before planting. Use sturdy, well-made tools and
equipment. Shovels and hoes with short handles are easier for
children to use than full-size tools. Adapt projects to adults' level
of experience and children's ages.


Science and Nature

1) Begin by finding out which plants and flowers will grow best in
your geographic location. Work together to set up the garden so
that the particular varieties of plants and flowers you've chosen
will grow best.

2) Plant a vegetable garden, and children can eat what they grow.

3) Talk with children about patterns and cycles they observe; ask
them to make guesses about future changes.

4) Find out the names of insects that appear in your garden. Which
ones are beneficial -- and which ones harmful to your plants?

5) Consider a companion project, like a compost pile. If you work
together with your community, families may contribute grass
clippings and kitchen waste. Children learn the value of recycling.


Reading and Writing

1) Build children's vocabularies by describing what you see happening
in the garden.

2) Ask children to draw or paint pictures of plants as they grow, and
write down what they observe.

3) Read stories to children about gardening, such as The Little Red Hen
by P. Galdone (Clarion 1973), and The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
(Harper & Row 1945).


Math

1) Count seeds with children, and measure the correct distance
between plants.

2) Mark the calendar for the anticipated date of seedling appearance.

3) Keep track of the height of your plants as they grow.


Gardening is one way for children to learn through meaningful
activities. The lessons children learn by "digging into" gardening
will make for cherished memories of learning with adults. You'll
watch children's sense of pride and accomplishment -- along
with your garden -- grow!


ABOUT THE ARTICLE SOURCE:
--"Early Years Are Learning Years: Make Them Count!" is
an ongoing effort to focus attention on the importance of
the early years for children's learning and all aspects of
development. The National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC) is online at: http://naeyc.org

________________________________

READERS WRITE / READERS' TIPS
Submitted by Bright-Kids' readers.
Send your tips to Debi: dsimple@aol.com


== Scrap Wallpaper ==
I buy scrap wallpaper rolls at yard sales and thrift shops. I use
it for many things like lining my shelves, covering boxes, to make
them decorative and stronger. The back side makes great painting
paper for my children. I use masking tape to tape it down to the
table (because it curls up) and let them create. We also ran two
pieces down the hallway wall -- stapled them in place and drew
an ocean mural.
--Dodie B., Tollhouse CA


== Fun and Simple Cake Decorating ==

Now I may be out of the loop, but I recently discovered fondant for
cake decorating. Some of the websites made it seem like an
ominous project but I knew I had to try it. So I printed directions
from http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm and a
few hours later I had the cutest cake. The frosting is like play doh
that you can eat, and I had a blast coloring the dough and creating
an adorable dessert. Next time I want to create a fun cake for a
birthday party or host an activity for a group of kids, I'm going to use
fondant. For more craft ideas, check out rendezvousartistry.com
--Chiki D.



We'd love to hear YOUR fun ideas to encourage kids to learn
something new or try something different! Or even just have
some good old-fashioned family fun. :-)
______________________________

READ-ALOUD BOOKS FOR FAMILIES:

http://snurl.com/reading4kids

Recommended books for children and families
(This is a great list to print out and hand to your kids'
grandparents for suggestions at gift-giving times!) :-)
_______________________________

A special thanks to Gary Foreman and the friendly folks at
The Dollar Stretcher for making this mailing list possible! :-)
http://www.stretcher.com/
_______________________________

< < B E . O U R . S P O N S O R > >

Would you like to place an ad in this newsletter? Contact
Andrea at marketing@stretcher.com Subject line: bright-kids
Discover the modest rates for reaching this targeted market.
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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)
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BRIGHT-KIDS ARCHIVES

For a list of most back issues of the Bright-Kids Email
Newsletter, click on the "Read Messages" button at
the following website:

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DEBI'S RESOURCES:

Personal Blog: http://dsimple.wordpress.com
Nature Study Books: http://astore.amazon.com/naturestudy-20/
Frugality/Simplicity: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com
Cooking Ahead: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/frozen-assets
Bright-Kids: http://brightkids.wordpress.com
Tupperware(r): http://my.tupperware.com/debihough
Personal Webpage: http://simplemom.com
My Church: http://whiteriverpres.org
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