Zingo by ThinkFun is a fun game for big kids, but mostly it’s fun for little kids because Zingo teaches little kids how to read! Even though it teaches you stuff, it’s still fun. But don’t give it to kids who cry when they lose. But still, it’s a fun game.
Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope is by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier. It’s about Barack Obama’s childhood and life up to when he decided to run for president. In his family, education was the most important thing so he studied hard and now he’s going to be our first black president. I think that’s important. He wants all people to have a better chance at life.
The book is kind of boring to me, but it’s good because it tells you about our new president.
Don’t forget! You still have time to enter this week’s giveaway! We’ll announce the winner Monday morning, so that means you have until Sunday morning to enter.
The nice people at Leapfrog sent us their new Tag Reading System. This is just the kind of thing I would’ve scoffed at at one point in my parenting career. I would have said, “Why would I have an electronic gadget teach my child to read when I could do it?” But now I see.
Like many 4 and 5 year olds I know, Maya is smart and independent. She likes to be in charge. She doesn’t want me teaching her anything because she thinks she’s smarter than I am. She’s probably right about that. Tag is perfect for kids like her because it allows them to feel like they’re teaching themselves. Since using the Tag System, I can’t tell you how many times Maya has gleefully showed me a newly acquired skill (”Look! This word used to be ‘not’ but then it changed to ‘note’!”) Now I’m a believer. She has a sense of pride in her accomplishments because they are truly herown. For kids like Maya, that’s the most important part of learning.
One thing I don’t like about it is that LeapFrog’s recommended age ranges are prominently displayed on the front of the books. I really think this product is great for older, struggling readers who might be tired of the same old routine of the mom/teacher constantly harassing them, but it would be so disheartening for an older child to use a book that is recommended for a 4- to 6-year-old child. Other than that, it’s a great product.
Just Grace Walks the Dog is about a girl named Grace who wants a dog, but can’t have one so she builds a cardboard dog named Chip-Up so she could show her parents she has enough responsibility to have her own dog.
I liked this book a lot. At the end, there is an extra-credit report that Grace wrote about the kinds of dogs she doesn’t like. One of my favorite parts was the Dog Chart where Grace wrote the names of dogs from the park and then told the good and bad things about each dog.
If you ever considered becoming a teacher in elementary & secondary education, know that you can earn your degree online. No need to take time away from your kid time while you earn your desired degree.
