Cedar Valley Publishing

Today I was so excited to talk with my friend and colleague, Stacey Kannenberg on her radio show “The Ready to Learn Mom”.  As you can see from the title of this blog, our topic was again for parents of younger readers.  Although the focus will be on preschool - 1st grade, many of the ideas discussed can be used with children throughout elementary school.

As usual, we had a great time sharing ideas with parents and others loving and interacting with children.  If you didn’t hear the show live, you can listen to the podcast (we’ll make a link live here as soon as possible).  If you were able to join us, there are many resources listed here that we referred to in the show.

Playing with sounds and patterns of sound in our language is especially important for children as they are learning how to spell and how to decode words.  Besides, it’s fun.  Think about silly rhymes and rhyming songs you love (I was listening to country music this morning before the show and heard lots of rhymes).  Don’t forget tongue-twisters.  When writing my new book Anytime Reading Readiness, I collected a tongue-twister for every letter of the alphabet and listed them.  Here’s the one for X:

The excited experts explained that the extra X-rays were excellent (remember that we’re playing with sound, not letters so the fact that many of these words start with -ex but are the “cksssss” sound you get when you say the letter “x” is OK).

Dr. Seuss always played with silly animals and names in his books so anytime you pick up one of his titles (like Cat in the Hat or Hop on Pop) you are playing with those sounds integral to our language.

Here’s a list of five other books with terrific rhymes and beginning sound emphasis.  Stop from time to time as you read and point out the sounds that are same and different within the words you are reading.  Talking about words gives your child a new level of awareness.

A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes by Liz Scanlon
Jazz Baby by Liz Wheeler
Baby Bear, Baby Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Bear Hugs:  Romatically Ridiculous Animal Rhymes by Karma Wilson
My First Action Rhymes by Lynne Cravath (complete with actions - you and your child don’t have to sit still when you read!)

The Library Lady shares practical ways to play as well on her website in an article about how young children learn.  Scholastic points out that playing with poetry is another good way to pay attention to those patterns.
Check out Anytime Reading Readiness (for parents of 3-6 year olds) and Before They Read (for teachers) for even more ideas!

A Primer for Engaged Interactive Read Aloud

Introduce the book with a prediction (try to figure out by the title and the illustrations on the cover what the book will be about - don’t just guess, put some thought and exploration into it).  HINT: Predictions don’t have to be correct to be a good one.

• Interruptions by the reader or the listener are always allowed!
• Changing your voice, pausing, being intense and slowing down all add to the drama of the story (after all, we’re competing with TV and videos)
• Thinking, wondering and pondering with your child as you read
• Posing “how” and “why” questions at times.
• Enjoying the text together.

For more on all of these topics, visit TLA’s website and check out Anytime Reading Readiness (for parents) and Before They Read (for educators)- two brand new titles from Maupin House for partnering between families and educators of children ages 3-6.  They’ve even combined these two titles into a Home/School Literacy Partnership Set of 2 teacher books and 20 parent books for classroom collaborations.

Have fun!

Cathy P. Miller
President,
TLA, Inc.
Home of the Literacy Ambassador®
13001 Monte Vedra Road, SE
Huntsville AL 35803
256-883-7005
FAX 256-882-9933
cathypmiller@comcast.net
www.readingisforeveryone.org
Twitter/Facebook @litambassador,
Linked in at http://tiny.cc/WqNWd

You know that your kids learn better with repetition and engaging activities.  So, weave in math learning opportunities throughout the day.

1. How many 1/4 cups to fill up your cereal bowl? (estimation)
2. What do those fractions add up to make? (addition of fractions)
3. How many minutes until we leave?  How many hours until you return home? (elapsed time)
4. There are so many sports math possibilities  like this post on basketball mat. (ratios, subtraction)
5. License plate addition.  Add up the three numbers on the license plates.  (addition)
6. Restaurant menu addition.  Add up the items ordered before you get the bill!  (decimal addition)
7. Restaurant tipping.  Move the decimal to get 10%, double it and voila! you have your tip.  (percentages)
8. Search for patterns in your house or in nature. (geometry)
9. How many more pages left in your book?  (subtraction)
10. Fair shares of snack or dessert.  Divide up the food into equal parts.  (division)

OTHER GAMES . . .

• Penny Dice Game
• Math Bingo
• Pig
• Math War.  Use a deck of cards and play War.  The winner is the one who can add up the sum fastest.

Sharon Cindrich, author and the owner of the wonderful website, PluggedInParent.com, is my Toginet radio show guest today, but she also has some of the best resources for parents online!

Be sure to check out her Resources page - wonderful links for both parents and children!

I have so much to reflect on and be thankful for this Thanksgiving but one moment defined all of that for me.

On Wednesday evening Sam sang in church with his Sunday school class for the first time. There was a lot of prayer that day…and hope…and even some building of the shell that protects me from dissapointment, worry or public speculation. With typical children you worry if they will misbehave but you get past that. With a child with special needs it seems we are always trying to put them out there in the best light, feeling the need and want to have them achieve and perform above and beyond the rest. It seems that when our children misbehave or have meltdowns it is automatically associated with their diagnosis or the fact that they are differently abled or sometimes we even feel people speculate about our parenting abilities.

But on Wednesday…I took a deep breath…I put my trust in the Lord and we headed to church. Sam and I had practiced his song “Jesus Loves Me” throughout the week and he even knew the sign language for the song. While we waited for the other children Sam went up on the altar and walked out from the back wall like he was on stage and he would throw out this arms to either side and with a smile as large as the room he would say “Ta Da” and he would bow, of course waiting for the applause. When the other children began to arrive I dropped Sam off in the music room with the other children. I didn’t stay which felt strange because I’m usually so overprotective but instead went to sit in church with my husband and parents just like all the other parents. I don’t know why those times stick out in my memory, the times when I’m not a parent with a child that has Down syndrome but instead I am simply a parent…but they do and I cherish them.

Sam sat with the other children in the back of the church. When it was time for their song, Sam had to be told a few times to get up and go with the children but once he did he moved to the front of the group. The other children were nervous and turned away from the church audience, but not Sam, in fact he was very interested in getting ahold of the microphone that was in front of him…he really wanted to be seen and heard and he was front and center. I watched him amazed at how far he has come. A child with multiple diagnosis, singing as many words as he could keep up with…we usually sing at a slower tempo to allow him time to find each word…with a few signs thrown in for good measure. In my eyes…he shined and as I tried to video tape through my tear filled eyes I missed the fact that I had never accurately hit the record button…this moment however would be engraved on my heart forever.

When we practiced at home, Sam would always bow after he finished singing but in church they ushered the kids back to their seats quickly. I think Sam thought about that during the rest of the service and wanted to complete his performance. He was fidgety when he got back to his seat so his teacher let him come up by us. However he passed us and decided to sit in the front row of the church. He sat listening to Pastor go through his service and then when most of us had our heads bowed during prayer, Sam decided to sneak up on the altar and go behind the wall. I knew what was going to follow so I quickly snuck up on the altar and brought Sam back to his seat. My husband and I shared a brief smile knowing Sam was planning on finishing his performance and taking a bow. So….when we got home, we put him up on the fire place hearth, let him sing and sign his heart out and after each performance he took many bows each followed with a booming round of applause.

On Thanksgiving Day after a fantastic meal with my family, my parents and my brother…Sam performed for us again. I am so thankful that God entrusted me with this wonderful little boy that has touched the hearts of so many. I am thankful for good health, my husband, children, family, friends and the many blessings that fill my days. I am thankful that the words Sam sings with such enthusiasm are so very true…Jesus loves me this I know….Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong. Thank you Lord for taking care of one of your little ones!!

Sue Mayer
Mom to Sam (8) with Down syndrome, Brain Injury, Apraxia, Dysphagia, Respiratory/Immune Issues and Bi-Lateral Conductive Hearing Loss or as I like to say “Yada, Yada,Yada”
www.suemayer-specialneedsmom.blogspot.com

This Thanksgiving, why not plan ahead and give thanks to YOURSELF for being so organized? Imagine enjoying the preparations and festivities more and not feeling so rushed and scattered! Here are a few tips to help:

1. Shop smart & avoid last-minute grocery trips. Here’s a great tip from my own mom: Right now, in advance, write up your typical family favorites menu of Thanksgiving (and December holiday) dishes… you know, the dishes that must make an appearance each year or else! In my family, a riot would break out if I didn’t make the traditional crescent rolls and we didn’t have my mom’s pies. Make a corresponding grocery list for each dish. Save this as a document on your hard drive, and re-use it every year! Makes planning, delegating, and shopping incredibly easy. (See also my previous post, “Things People Usually Forget to Buy at Thanksgiving.”) Also remember to shop EARLY and avoid the rush!
2. Be deliberate about delegating. Sure, most of the time you can get help in the kitchen fairly easily on Thanksgiving Day from kind family volunteers. But why not be deliberate about it? We have done this in our family, and people really appreciate the freedom of knowing they have done their part and can relax. I know I have definitely experienced feeling “guilty” if I am not in the kitchen until the whole thing is entirely cleaned up and finished. When you assign roles everything gets done and everyone feels more relaxed. Even the teenagers and the football watchers can do something! You can assign dish washing, dish drying, clearing the table, setting the table, carving the turkey and ham, whipping the cream, or whatever you like. And of course, you can delegate preparation of various dishes well in advance of the big day. 
3. Plan beyond the big feast. Many times on Thanksgiving the festivities last into the weekend and family is visiting from out of town. Remember to consider your leftovers and plan menus to feed everyone throughout the time you’ll be together. Soups are easy and satisfying, and of course there is always the good old turkey sandwich. Click here for a link to some great Thanksgiving leftover recipes to help. Planning activities is also a good idea, since people can get tired of television and sitting around digesting. At our house we like to play card games and board games. We organized a big tournament one year with a tally board and everything! Think about places that your visitors might like to go and organize a trip out to someplace other than the shopping mall. (See also my previous post, “Make a ‘Tourist Binder’“)

We are celebrating twice this year– we already had a Thanksgiving meal together in October when my brother was recently on leave from Iraq. We’ll be thinking of him a lot on the real Thanksgiving. What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions and tips?  Share in the comments!

As a new mom, relying on other mom’s advice and tips has been invaluable.Kids are back to school, and with that, more learning for new moms.

Kinder is not what it used to be, and with advanced curriculums, it means that children have to start kinder with several lessons in their pocket like the alphabet, and how to spell their name.

A mom, turned author, Stacey Kannenberg at Ceday Valley Publishing, found a great way to put together the alphabet, numbers and shapes for parents and teachers in order to allow them to empower kids entering kindergarten and the first grade. Ms. Kannenberg offers a wonderful set of books: Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten and Let’s Get Ready for First Grade. These books were made to be used in homes, preschools, head start programs, libraries and schools. Stacey’s books have impacted education and she is becoming a favorite presenter at early learning and educational conferences. Sales of over 60,000 copies, and knowing that the books are in over 400 school districts nationwide is not just a measure of how successful Stacey’s books are, but reassurance if you use them, that you are definitively putting your child in the right path.

So, to prepare for Kinder arm yourself with these durable books that includes guides, tips and motivation building hints throughout the book. Mrs. Good leads the teaching way with the help of the Cedar Valley Kids. This book is really for all types of backgrounds.

Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten covers the 7 items that children need to know for kindergarten testing:

• Know the uppercase alphabet and name the letters out of sequence or mixed up.
• Know the numbers to 10 and identify the numbers out of sequence.
• Identify basic colors.
• Identify basic shapes.
• Identify basic American coins.
• Count objects to 10.
• Show how far they can count toward 100.

Not limited to the list above, the book also talks about seasons, opposites, has a tap phone to teach kids to dial their home number and more.  The laminated pages of the book allow you to use erasable markers to trace and re-trace numbers and letters, making it easy for little ones.

The Kindergarten book is also available in a English/Spanish version, and truth be told, the Spanish in this book is incredibly good. Formal, with perfect spelling and grammatically correct, the book delivers the right bases to start working on Spanish too. This means that the knowledge of a second language can be given with confidence, and in the proper way with Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten / A Prepararse para el Kindergarten!

In order to make that first year a success, and to give your child the self-confidence and tool to thrive, don’t think twice about these wonderful set of books by a parent for kids, parents, and teachers. As an added value to helping your kids, help others as 10% of profits are donated to literacy programs and back to schools.

This would be the perfect Christmas gift for parents with little ones. Can’t wait to start the Kinder preparations? You can purchase your Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten and First Grade books at  Cedar Valley Publishing. To get a special 20% discount for Cool Moms Cool Tips readers, just enter the code CEDAR (all in caps) at check out.

Cool Mom Cool Tips is Running a CONTEST for Our Books!  Click Here to Learn More!

iCurfew is basically an easy way for kids and parents to check in with each other, remotely. Kids use iCurfews to send their location to their parents in an email.

iCurfew is also great for parents who may be worrying about if their kids are where they say they are, and a great way to ‘pick me up here mom!’

App Features:

• Email up to 3 contacts with currently location.
• Link sends parent to Google Map showing current location.
• Easy for kids to use, just hit a few buttons.
• Customize message template. Kids can add their own message on pick up time, change of plans, etc.
• Kids can easily send their location to parents picking them up from sporting events and concerts.

Only $.99 !!!  Click Here to Learn More.

I so enjoy talking with people who have gone out and taken action on creating the life they desire, it’s a gift we all have, yet so few do anything more than talk….  Today we are sitting down with Stacey Kannenberg of Cedar Valley Publishing, one of the few who has stepped out of the box and created the life of her dreams.  Welcome Stacey!

Stacey, please tell us about the path you traveled to arrive where you are today: I was trying to find a book for my own children (at the time) ages three and one; to get ready for that first day of school and couldn’t find what I wanted so I decided to create it myself.

What kept you moving forward on the days things were not going exactly the way you were hoping they would? My company was created in 2004 and that first Christmas, my husband had a clear crystal clock engraved with the Cedar Valley Publishing Logo and coined the following phrase, which has become my mantra:  The Dream is Clear, To Believe is the Reward.  On those dark days, that clock sits on my desk and keeps me moving forward!

Click Here to read more…by Caryn FitzGerald from Embracing My Journey

We had Lorie on our radio show and congratulate her on FOUR magazine spreads (!!!) - on sale now at your favorite supermarket and win her contest from Good Housekeeping Magazine!  Below is a note from Lorie:

I had to mention to my beloved blog readers to check us out in FOUR magazines this month! They are November issues but they come out in October, so they are all on the newsstands right now. When you’re checking out at the supermarket, you can thumb through and find me!

• Nov. Better Homes & Gardens, page 78 (cover headline “12 Smart Ways to Organize Your Closet”- also features our product, the Simple Division® Garment Organizers)
• Nov. 1, Family Circle, page 147 (cover headline: “Declutter Your Life”)
• Nov 3, Woman’s Day, page 100 (cover headline “5 Clutter Busters- They’ll Surprise You”)
• Nov. Good Housekeeping, page 180, “21 Ways to Make an Entrance” (about entryways)

Also note– I am doing a contest with Good Housekeeping right now where the big winner gets me in his/her house for two days with $1000 of products from the Container Store. Enter the contest here at http://budurl.com/ghclutter. Other prizes include memberships to our program, phone consultations with me, and autographed copies of my book The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life. The contest entries close on November 30, 2009.

I hope you like the articles! Thanks for sharing my joy!

I’d like to introduce you to Justin Sachs who is the author of a new book, Your Mailbox Is Full and is the founder of the Creating Possibilities Coaching Program in which Justin helps teenagers to increase their grades, eliminate procrastination, and create balance in all the areas of their life.

1. What do you do?  I work with teenagers to increase their grades, eliminate procrastination, create balance in their lives, and overcome any obstacles standing in their way of success.
2. Tell us about your new book.  Your Mailbox Is Full is a book for teenagers, that teaches them the tools they need to become successful in school and throughout their lives. They learn things like goal setting, time management, living a healthy lifestyle, and modeling and attracting success.



3. Why did you write it?  When I was 14 years old I went to my first Tony Robbins Seminar and I was in a room full of thousands of adults thinking, “Where’s all the teenagers?” “Why aren’t other youth here getting these powerful tools and strategies?” It was with that realization that I found my passion: Empowering teenagers with life-skills and leadership development tools for success. That’s what my book is all about: Teaching youth the most powerful skills they need to know to create enormous success and fulfillment in life! Now, teenagers don’t have to wait until they are 30 or 40 to get these tools and strategies, they are available to them within Your Mailbox Is Full. 
4. What makes you an expert in your field?  After going to Anthony Robbins seminars for 3 years, I began working for his product sales team and non-profit organization at all his events worldwide.  I then began working for Mark Victor Hansen, the co-founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, and learned even more about life-skills, writing a book, and supporting people in bringing possibility into their lives. I then read everything I could get my hands on from The Secret, to Jack Canfield, to Stephen Covey, to Eckart Tolle, among many others. I learned everything I possibly could about personal development and transformation such that I can now create transformation in others!
5. What type of people should read your book?  The book is designed for teenagers and young adults, but parents throughout the country are reading the book and loving every page! The contents of the book are limitless, this is the perfect book for anyone looking to take their lives to the next level, especially youth!
6. Are you on any social networks? Eg. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.  Yes, on www.Twitter.com/JustinSachs or http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=511068642
7. Advice for Teens or Parents of Teens.  Follow your passions and never give up on your dreams! If you have a goal, a vision, or a hope for the future, hold on to it, focus on it, and take action to make it happen! You’ll be amazed at how quickly your dreams will manifest themselves when energy is focused on them.
8. Favorite Quote.  Every day, every week and every month, you must challenge yourself to continue to grow to new heights and to take your standards to higher and higher levels. ~ Justin Sachs
9. Favorite Theme Park.  Walt Disney World of course!!!
10. How can we purchase your book? Learn more about you? Do you have a blog?  My book is available on my website: http://www.yourmailboxisfullbook.com/ To learn more about my coaching services visit http://www.motivateyourteen.com/ be sure to check out my new radio show at http://www.motivationalmindsradio.com/