Library Day

When I was still teaching one of the things I looked forward to in August was getting my specials schedule. For me it meant I could finally sit down and figure out my classroom schedule for the year and begin to really start my planning. Parents you know what I'm talking about, the first day of school you got the list...PE on Mondays, wear your sneakers, Art on Wednesday, Computer Lab on Thursday, etc... Art was always my personal favorite because it was an entire hour without my students. Oh the work I could get done in that hour!!


As a child I loved Library day, I have always loved books! I would bring home the same books over and over, one I remember well was called "The Star-Spangled Banana". It was a joke/poem book that I can still quote from! As I got older my reading turned to more sophisticated things like Little House on the Praire and Anne of Green Gables. I took a break from reading for pleasure two times in my life: during college and during grad school. The college break was more because who wants to be remembered as the college girl with her nose in a book! Grad School was more out of necessity, who can get all that work done, have a full time job, a happy marriage, a clean home, ministry responsiblities and time to read??


I knew when I had children I would be reading to them from the start. I took a book with me to the hospital when I had Miss M and read to her there...I'm such a book nerd! And children's literature is my absolute favorite...my years in first grade made me a monster...I have 100's of books for kids!


I take my kids to the library on a regular basis. I like to go once a week, but when the weather gets nice it might be more like once every three weeks, depends on the rain ;) Miss M loves books almost as much as I do and JB is on his way. I'm so proud!! I thought I might take a day on my blog, Library Day, and highlight chlidren's literature and some things you can do with your kids to enhance their reading experience. This is really a way for me to let my primary teacher juices flow...

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle

A personal favorite of mine and Miss M

Activity Ideas:

1. Take out additional books about the life cycle of a butterfly, a good one for young readers is "From Caterpillar to Butterfly" by Deborah Heiligman. Lots of words, but you can use the pictures to make the content length appropriate for your child.

2. Make a caterpillar out of a toilet paper roll, decorate it as you like. Color a picture of a butterfly. Use a brown paper lunch bag as the cocoon. Cut out some green paper leaves. Feed the caterpillar the leaves by stuffing them in the toilet paper roll, make him crawl into the cocoon where the colored butterfly is waiting. Pull him out and...presto...the life-cycle of a butterfly!

3. On index cards draw the foods the caterpillar ate, one on each card. Mix the cards up and watch your child put them in order...great sequencing activity.

4. Do some Eric Carle art. Cut out little squares of many different colors of tissue paper. Draw your child a simple picture of an animal or plant they like, Eric Carle's subject is usually from nature, and let them glue the little squares on like a collage. After it dries, cut out the shape of the animal, add some details with crayons or paint if you're feeling really creative!

5. Check out more of Eric Carle's books and compare and contrast stories, make a list of all the animals you've learned about, or just enjoy immersing your child in well-written and illustrated literature! Some other's Miss M would recommend are "The Very Lonely Firefly", "The Tiny Seed" and "From Head to Toe". JB's favorite is "The Very Busy Spider".