Condensing...

I am going to only start blogging at Ramblings of a SAHM from now on. I will keep this up because of the great posts and comments I have had over the last few years...but will no longer be blogging here!

Please come follow me over there!


I am the mom of 4 wonderful kids, 3 boys and 1 girl. Looking at them, you know I have had many years working with and enriching the lives of children. I have an Associates (Magna Cum Laude) in Business Management, and a Bachelors in Early childhood Development and Education with a concentration in Child Psychology. I have almost 20 years in the Early Childhood field, and loving every minute of it! You can visit my site here

Incorporate these into your day:

• Rhymes -- rhyming words support the development of languages, both spoken and musical. 
• Movement -- moving large muscles promotes both learning and the development of steady beat. Toddlers especially love movements that challenge, such as jumping and galloping. Add a stopping part and you’ll be rewarded with spontaneous giggles and great partice of self-control.
• Sing, sing, sing! -- no training necessary...only the joyful enthusiasm that your toddler will model. From "The Wheels on the Bus" to "Yellow Submarine" to some silly nonsense song you make up, singing creates sweet moments, fosters creativity, and establishes a great sense of pitch.
• Play, play, play! -- anything is a potential drum or shaker. Explore the house for sound makers and accompany your singing, dancing, and favorite iPod hits. (Sound discrimination supports language development and auditory skills.)


I am the mom of 4 wonderful kids, 3 boys and 1 girl. Looking at them, you know I have had many years working with and enriching the lives of children. I have an Associates (Magna Cum Laude) in Business Management, and a Bachelors in Early childhood Development and Education with a concentration in Child Psychology. I have almost 20 years in the Early Childhood field, and loving every minute of it! You can visit my site here

Letter of the week activities Monday, August 9: Letter Z

Zz
"Z" week Zippity Do Dah, it's Z week!
1. Zoom across the room.
2. Gallop like a zebra.
3. Act like your favorite zoo animal.
4. Put zero fingers in the air.
5. Name ten zoo animals.
6. Zip your jacket.
7. Write the letter Z.
8. Zig zag across the room.
9. What words rhyme with zoo?
10. Go to sleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Becka

Letter of the week activities Monday, August 2: Letter Y

Yy
"Y" week
1. Count all the yellow toys in your room.
2. Yell, I love you to someone in your family.
3. Draw a colorful picture, with a bright yellow sun.
4. Clean your room, please.
5. Write the word, Yes.
6. Eat something yellow.
7. Look at yourself in the mirror, and pat yourself on the back for being such a special person.
8. Play with a yo-yo.
9. Name a yellow bird.
10. Do you have yarn in your home? What color is it?
11. Show your parents a big yawn.

Becka

Letter of the week activities Monday, July 26: Letter X

Xx
"X" week. This is another listening experience for the parents to do with their child. 
Directions: 
1. Put a green X on the animal that gallops.
2. Put a red X on the animal that was once a caterpillar.
3. Put a purple X on the largest animal.
4. Mark an orange X on the animal that lives in the water.
5. Put a X on the animal that chases cats. Etc.

Becka

some tips for developing your child's language skills right from the start

The more you expose your baby to language, the stronger his verbal skills will be. Language acquisition is a gradual process that involves many facets of development including listening, imitating facial expressions, playing peekaboo, and babbling. Your child will learn language naturally by hearing it used in context when you sing, read, talk, sign, and listen to him.


• Your Baby: At two months, he coos and babbles. In his first year, he’ll begin making vowel sounds (oohs and aahs), and then move to new sounds and vowel-consonant combinations. Your baby is also learning the art of conversation. Bring your face close to his, and talk to him. Ask him a question and let him respond. He is learning that conversation is a two-way street.

• Your Toddler: In a verbal growth spurt, your toddler’s vocabulary expands from about 50 to 200 words. When your toddler displays emotion, give him the language to identify it. “You’re happy!” or “I can see that you’re sad.” You’ll enhance his emotional intelligence as well as his vocabulary.

• Your Preschooler: Playing rhyming games is a fun way for a preschooler who is developing phonemic awareness – the recognition that sounds make up words. Encourage him by making up rhymes and laughing together. 


I am the mom of 4 wonderful kids, 3 boys and 1 girl. Looking at them, you know I have had many years working with and enriching the lives of children. I have an Associates (Magna Cum Laude) in Business Management, and a Bachelors in Early childhood Development and Education with a concentration in Child Psychology. I have almost 20 years in the Early Childhood field, and loving every minute of it! You can visit my site here

Letter of the week activities Monday, July 19: Letter W

Ww
"W" week
1. Look for signs of winter.
2. Walk around your house five times.
3. Count the windows in your kitchen.
4. Walk like an elephant
5. Wiggle like a worm.
6. Try to whistle.
7. Eat or drink something warm.
8. Look outside. What is the weather like?
9. Count the number of wheels on your car.
10. Write your name.
11. Make a wish upon a star.
12. Watercolor a pretty picture for our classroom. (If you don't have watercolors, use crayons instead.)

Becka

Letter of the week activities Monday, July 12: Letter V

Vv
"V" week
1. Smell vanilla.
2. Run very fast. 
3. Count the vehicles on your street. 
4. Talk in a very soft voice. 
5. Write the letter V 
6. Sing in a very loud voice. 
7. Taste a vegetable. What color was it? 
8. Visit a friend.
9. Smell vinegar.
10. Crawl very slowly.
11. Make a V with your arms

Becka

Letter of the week activities Monday, July 5: Letter U

Uu
"U" week
1. If you were a unicorn, where would you play?
2. How many umbrellas in your home?
3. Reach up to the sky.
4. Look at seashells. Put them underwater in the bath tub.
5. What is your uncle's name?
6. Do you need an umbrella today?
7. What would be unusual to eat with ice-cream? (How about pickles or mustard?)
8. Pretend to fly up in the air.
9. Look up at the sky. Is it cloudy?

Becka

Letter of the week activities Monday, June 28: Letter T

Tt
"T" week
1. Move slowly like a turtle.
2. Touch your toes, two times.
3. Draw ten triangles.
4. Talk on the telephone to a friend.
5. Make yourself tiny.
6. Make yourself tall.
7. Tickle your tummy.
8. Tip toe around your kitchen.
9. Tell someone your telephone number.
10. Touch something soft.
11. Taste a new food.
12. What time is it?
13. Try throwing a ball as high as you can.
14. Tell a funny story

Becka

Letter of the week activities Monday, June 21: Letter S

Ss
"S" week
1. Touch your shoes seven times. (While your shoes are on your feet, you sillies!)
2. Count the stars in the sky. **********
3. Draw a picture with a beautiful sky.
4. What kinds of things can you buy at the supermarket?
5. Walk like a spider.
6. Use a scissors to cut out some pictures from an old magazine.
7. Skip around your family room.
8. Listen to a story.
9. Crawl like a snail.~~~~~~~
10. Talk about being safe at home.
11. Make some funny animal sounds. (ssssssss like a snake)

Becka

Letter of the week activities Monday, June 14: Letter R

Rr
"R" week
1. Draw a rainbow for someone you love.
2. Count all the red toys in your bedroom.
3. Listen to the radio.
4. Hop like a rabbit.
5. Draw five red rectangles.
6. Ring your doorbell.
7. Have fun with rhyming words.
8. Read your favorite nursery rhymes.
9. Crow like a rooster.
10. Roar like a lion.
11. Run in your backyard or park.

Becka

Letter of the week activities Monday, June 7: Letter Q

Qq
For "Q" week, make a quilt pattern. 
Number the squares. Then the parents give directions for each square. Boxes:
1. yellow sun 2. brown square 3. green circle 4. purple moon 5. blue square 6. black line 7.red kite 8. orange A 9. brown leaf 10. a happy face 11. a rainbow 12. your name

Becka

Beat the summer blues

Kids should enjoy their summer, but often they waste a lot of time claiming they are bored.

Here are a few places that offer free or low cost programs:

1. The library has their own summer reading program. Kids of any age can participate and be rewarded for their efforts. The library is also a source of free activities: book clubs, art classes, visits from groups in the area. This is a great way to spend a few hours every week to escape the heat.
2. Local cinema. Most movie theaters once a week - usually pretty early in the A.M. - offer a free or reduced cost kids movie. The kids snack packs are usually at a reduced cost as well.
3. Park. A great way to get a bit of sun and some exercise before the day gets too hot. This is a great morning or late afternoon activity. If you go in the morning, bring you lunch for a picnic.
4. Story time. Chain books stores - like Barnes and Noble - has story time at least once a week for various ages. A lot of these stores hold a story night for a wider age range if you can not make the day performances or have kids of varying ages.
5. Art time at home. Have some crayons, colored paper, scissors and a printer? You can print out art projects, coloring sheets and get ideas of additional are projects online.

Another tip: keep a steady schedule. Have you day planned so in the morning you can tell your kids what is going on. This not only give them an idea of how their day will be, but gives them something to look forward to.

I am the mom of 4 wonderful kids, 3 boys and 1 girl. Looking at them, you know I have had many years working with and enriching the lives of children. I have an Associates (Magna Cum Laude) in Business Management, and a Bachelors in Early childhood Development and Education with a concentration in Child Psychology. I have almost 20 years in the Early Childhood field, and loving every minute of it! You can visit my site here

Letter of the week activities Monday, May 31: Letter P

Pp
"P" week
1. Eat a piece of fruit.
2. Put your pants and socks on all by yourself.
3. Paint or draw a pretty picture for your parents.
4. Count all the purple and pink things in your bedroom.
5. Say "please" and "thank you." Use your best manners, and try to be polite.
6. Count the pennies in mommy's purse. (Ask for permission first.)
7. Do a puzzle with your parents.
8. With help, pour yourself a glass of juice or milk.

Becka