Literacy.

So lately I have been thinking a lot about literacy–how blessed I am to know how to read. How reading has changed my life, and opened so many avenues, allowed me to experience and learn in ways that I never new possible. I think this has been a life long love, it never came easy to me, but still as a child I loved the TV Show Reading Rainbow, in college I began my children’s book collection, and now? Well take a look at pieces of my life…

One place I love and feel so grateful for is our Local Library. We are there twice a week right now—once a week for music and movement, and once for wee read. We are blessed as a society to have a place where we can grow, and our library provides our children with free/low cost amazing classes like Tucker’s Music and Movement Class. Recently the Deseret News did an article and slideshow about it, they came to the class right before Tuckers, so he is not in any of the pictures, but you can get a taste of what they offer–The teachers are truely amazing!!!

This week was Tuckers last class and I took a few videos of him at class…I love to watch my children learn
(disclaimer: Like I said, I love watching my children learn, this may be boring to you, but it is fascinating to me! 🙂 ).
The song they sing at the beginning–Come on Everyone
comeoneveryone1.mov
Using Hand Motions to discover Rhythm–
words-adn-hands2.mov
Using the Sticks–Hickory Dickory Dock
hickorydickorydock3.mov
Using the Xylophone (Or Gloskenspiel as his teacher calls it)– to play the popcorn song
popcorn4.mov
Again with the Xylophone– to do the Zoom song
zoom5.mov
A few minutes later, back at the table, coloring to music
crayons6.mov
Using the bells to do Tuckers all time favorite right now–Banana Phones (taken with the digital camera, lower quality)
bananaphone.mov

Wee Read is another class, where children ages 18 months to 3 years old get to come and listen to Librarians read books, as well as do finger plays, and rhymes. Truman is currently enrolled, and loves his teachers, Mrs. Cindy and Mrs. D.W.
(of which I can’t find there picture for the life of me!! WHen I do, I will post it…)

Also, because of our overflowing small kids bookshelf, it was time to purchase another one. Previously the books were so crammed on our small shelf, that the kids could not even get them off by themselves–therefore they were not able to read them. In purchasing this new bookshelf and organizing the books I tried to make the books more accessible for my boys. Placing similar books in baskets, therefore encouraging independence for my boys…


How did we ever attempt at fitting these all on the small ones? And in case you were wondering, the big bookshelf is in the guest room closet. The boys love their new ‘reading cave’, and have spent more time in there with the doors closed ‘reading’ books, than in any other room lately. (Sometime this summer, I hope to sew a stuffed beanbag type thing for in there, but not until things slow down a little 🙂 )
But For now, I hope they continue to love reading, and therefore have the world opened up to them.
It’s a good day, how could I not be happy to have healthy active boys, who too share the love of reading!!!